Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Role of the HR Function Regarding the Management of People Within Assignment - 1
The Role of the HR Function Regarding the Management of People Within an Organization - Assignment Example All of these functions fall into the domain of management. First line managers in an organization are the most directly related to the workers as compared to top managers and middle managers. Quality of work is reflected in the performance of workers that are practically involved in the work, and work at the lowest level. It is the duty of first-line managers to manage their assigned groups of such lowest level workers. First line managers check the workersââ¬â¢ attendance, arrange transport for them, arrange for their lunch, and such other aspects. By fulfilling their responsibility of managing workers directly involved in the work, first line managers play a cardinal role in the management of people. The Director of Human Resources ensures the implementation of all HR policies and practices within an organization. The DHR provides expert advice over several matters related to HRM that include but are not limited to managing workersââ¬â¢ issues, developing and implementing HR policies and practices, facilitating the hiring of talented candidates, identifying training needs and taking measures to address them. Being the Director of HR, he assumes the prime responsibility of getting the HR policies and practices implemented. The DHR gets the job done by assigning specific tasks to particular Human Resources Managers (HRM) all of which make part of the implementation process of HR policies and practices. The Human Resource Manager (HRM) is responsible for the performance of employees within an organization. The process of performance management of employees comprises planning of the goals for individual employees and establishing expectations for them, supervising employee performance, improving their job conditions, reviewing and commenting on their performance, rewarding them for display of good performance and penalizing them for display of poor performance (Vitez). All of these functions fall in the domain of performance management ofà employees.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Classical Music From 1760 To 1810
Classical Music From 1760 To 1810 Why is the music of 1760-1810 described as classical. Explain the meaning of the term and how it relates to the music of that time. Refer to specific composers and works. In musical context, the term classical refers to the classical period which falls between the Baroque and Romantic period. I am going to be looking at the most well known composers of this era (J. Haydn, W.A. Mozart L.V Beethoven) and analyse how their music differentiates from that of the Baroque period and how it led into the Romantic era. Starting from c.1760, the first composer I will be looking at is Haydn. At the time when the influence of church on music development was diminishing, Haydn was lucky enough to be employed by one rich family of the Austrian Empire. This proved rewarding, as it gave him the freedom to explore many different aspects of music, which led to his crucial role in the establishment of the key classical forms (such as the Symphony, the String Quartet, the Sonata and the Concerto). Although versions of all these existed, Haydn standardized these into well established musical forms and promoted them. Due to the many operas in which he wrote before this period, Haydn was well acquainted with the sinfonia form. However he was not content with adhering to this Italian model and the striving for originality (which led to the success of his career) became apparent in his works from 1761. He added two oboes, two horns to his first symphony. The wind parts show nothing unexpected, while the oboes often double the strings. The horns play fan-far like figures. The melody is divided between the violins (treated as if the work were a trio sonata) although often they play in unison. The lower strings are bound together almost entirely as their function is to provide harmony while maintaining a forward driving rhythm. There are many baroque features, as to be expected. When Haydn ran the Esterhazy orchestra during the 1760s he had the opportunity to experiment with symphonic writing, and it was during this decade there where he produced his first great symphonies. Over these 10 years, he wrote approximately 40 symphonies, around half of which followed a four-movement form with an added minuet as the third movement. He also composed a long list of works in other genres, including operas, oratorios and choral works. Specifically referring to his first set of symphonies , (No.6 Le Matin, 7 Le Midi, and 8 Le Soir), Haydn used a variety of stylistic influences. The most evident quality of these works is their added richness (compared to the first symphony he wrote), which is not from the use of novel or unexpected instruments, but from the utilization of the concerto principle within the symphonic framework. In some movements the strings are scored as ripieno with a concertino of two violins and a cello. In almost all movements the wind players depart from the role of sustaining harmonies to become soloists. In all three symphonies, the trio of the minuet movement contains a prominent part for the double bass recalling baroque practices in the concerto grosso; yet Haydn, using the standard combination of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, and strings, creates a modern orchestra which are retained and used by him in his later symphonies. Haydns main intention at this time seemed to be the virtuosity of his musicians, as each of these three symphonies abounds prominent solos from almost every section. Haydns efforts to standardize the type of symphony proved successful and for that must be credited with the far-reaching innovation of adding one of the Dance forms as a separate movement (most commonly a Minuet although only used from the third symphony and thereafter). This was the most consistent design for a scholastic and artistic style of the Symphony. By the early 1770s, Haydn was well known throughout Europe and in 1781 his symphonies were published in England for the first time. One problem that Haydn gave his immediate attention to was that of unifying thematic material, it is out of such attempts his great innovation of the 1780s were evolved. Sometimes Haydn would base a whole movement upon a single melodic fragment; more often, when decided harmonic contrasts exist between theme groups, the second theme is derived from the first. Haydn seems to have not appreciated, in these early works, the importance that he would later be attached to just the element he tried to expunge, namely, the element of thematic contrast or conflict. Even in his later works the contrasts were seldom as clearly established as in the compositions of Mozart and early Beethoven. Thematic contrast is missing almost entirely in Symphonies No.3-42 (1759-1771), and lyric themes, such as occur in Mozart repeatedly, are equally rare. Haydn was well known throughout Europe when Mozart was a child. His six string quartets (often referred to as the Sun quartets) were written in 1772 and are said to be the inspiration for the six string quartets that Mozart wrote during his 1773 visit to Vienna. Haydn developed the polyphonic techniques he had gathered from the previous era to provide structural coherence capable of holding together his melodic ideas. During this time, Mozart developed an enthusiasm for violin concertos, producing a series of five which increase in their musical sophistication and technical difficulty. In 1776, he turned his efforts to piano concertos and in early 1777 his E-flat concerto was so popular, it is now considered to be his breakthrough work. It was around 1783-84 that Mozart met Haydn in Vienna when Mozarts reputation was on the rise. His opera the abduction from the seraglio had premiered with great success in Vienna and was in the process of being performed in many other cities. Mozarts Haydn quartets were written during the early years of their friendship and were published in 1785. These works are thought to be stylistically influenced by Haydns Opus 33 series which were released in 1781. This series was Haydns next important breakthrough, where melodic and harmonic roles segue among the instruments and often it is unclear what is melody and what is harmony. While Haydn spent much of his working life as a court composer, Mozart wanted public success in the concert life. This meant opera, in a virtuoso style. Moreover, Mozart also had a taste for chromatic harmony (and greater contrasts in harmonic language generally). In Mozart, Haydn found a greater range of instrumentation, dramatic effect and melodic writing. Their learning relationship worked both ways. Mozarts works, like Haydns stand as an archetype of the classical period. He was a versatile composer, and wrote in every major genre (symphony, opera, solo concerto, chamber music and the piano sonata). These forms had been well established by Haydn, but Mozart advanced the technical sophistication and emotional reach of them all. He almost solely developed and popularized the Classical piano concerto. The main features of the classical style are all present in Mozarts music. Clarity, balanced phrases, and transparency are the hallmarks of his works, but any simplistic notion of delicacy masks the exception power and force of his finest masterpieces, such as his Piano Concerto No.24 in C minor, his Symphony No.40 in G minor and the opera Don Giovanni. During Mozarts last decade as a composer, he exploited the use of chromatic harmony with remarkable confidence, which was rare at the time, but with great effect. At the peak of the classical period, composers were faced with a dilemma: enlarging the classical forms or simply abandoning them for a new musical paradigm. The political and social context around this time was calling for a major reshape of musical expression. When the age of revolutions began in 1789, the growing role of middle-class saw an increasing involvement by a new generation of artists and composers and this was reflected in the music that they wrote. Amongst this new generation of composers was Beethoven, who was the most crucial figure in this transitional period between the Classical and Romantic period, specifically his early years, which is known as his heroical period (up to 1812). From Beethovens first set of three piano trios, some of Mozarts techniques are evident such as avoiding the expected cadence. Haydn and Mozart were his strongest influences, but he explored new directions and gradually expended the ambition in his works. He did this through a number of techniques: a downward shift in melodies, increasing durations of movements, and the shift from vocal writing to pianistic writing. Also the increasing importance of varying accompanying figures to bring texture forward as an element in music became evident in his Symphonies. Slowly, direct influences of the Baroque period continued to fade: the figured bass grew less prominent as a means of holding performance together. The late classical period was demanding music that was internally more complex. The growth of concert societies and orchestras, marking the importance of music as a part of the middle class lifestyle, contributed to a booming market for pianos, piano music, and virtuosi. Furthermore, due to the growing number of performances where the composer was not present, it led to increased detail and specificity in scores. The transition became apparent with Beethovens 3rd Symphony (written in 1804), given the name Eroica which s Italian for Heroic. As with Stravinskys Rite of Spring, it may not have been the first in all f its innovations, but its aggressive use of every part of the classical style set it apart from its contemporary works: in length, ambition, and harmonic resources. Conclusion During the Vienna years, when Mozart was influenced by Swieten to take up the study of Baroque counterpoint, Haydn loaned him his personal copy of a textbook by Fux, a copy which was heaFux, a copy which was heavily covered with Haydns personal annotations.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Essay --
Using Xervmon for planning and provisioning redundancy across multiple availability zones The cost of downtime Downtime costs enterprises money, in fact a great deal of money. The actual cost depends on the industry, but on average the revenue losses amount to between $84,000 and $108,000 for every hour of unplanned downtime. That isnââ¬â¢t the only loss; on to that you need to add the intangible costs of the impact of downtime on reputation and loyalty. Managing downtime There is a big difference between scheduled and unscheduled downtime. Scheduled downtime is necessary in order to perform maintenance such as software patches, system configuration changes and database and hardware maintenance. Unscheduled downtime occurs typically as the result of hardware or software failure or an event such as a power cut or environmental catastrophe. High availability Designing a system for high availability is problematic. Increasing system complexity increases the number of possible failure points. Simply installing internal hardware redundancy isnââ¬â¢t an answer as it means that the whole system must be taken down for maintenance. It is necessary so design the system so that it can be maintained without affecting service availability. Such a management tool needs to satisfy three criteria: high availability, fault tolerance and scalability. High availability implies that the uptime of an application is 99.9999%, which is often termed ââ¬Å"five ninesâ⬠. It equates to a maximum downtime of 5.26 minutes a year which includes both planned and unplanned outages or downtime. Of course the ultimate goal is an application that has no downtime at all and is always available. Xervmon Solution: Users can now unleash the power of visualized deployments with ... ... have been restored. ELB and Auto Scaling combine ideally: ELB gives a single DNS name for addressing and auto scaling ensures there is always the right number of healthy Amazon EC2 instances to accept requests. Fault Tolerance Building fault-tolerant applications on Amazon EC2 requires that the best practices are followed, for instance: â⬠¢ Commission replacement instances rapidly â⬠¢ Amazon EBS should be used for persistent storage â⬠¢ Multiple Availability Zones along with elastic IP addresses. Multi AZ architecture By distributing applications geographically one can achieve greater fault tolerance. As the Amazon EC2 commitment is 99.95% availability for every EC2 Region, it is essential to deploy applications across multiple AZs. Redundant instances are placed in distinct AZs and ELB will automatically balance traffic across multiple instances and multiple AZs.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Characters in Hamlet and Claudius Essay
* Themes: * Certainty and Uncertainty * Because of all the deceit and theme of appearance and reality, every character is uncertain of who they are and who others are really like. No one knows for sure and is certain who anyone is anymore. * The audience is confused and not sure of the character Hamlet, Gertrude, Ophelia etc are anymore- there are so many attitudes and situations in the play that make these characters uncertain. * Hamlet and his antic disposition- he pretended to be mad but towards the end it also seemed as if he actually went mad. * It is uncertain that Gertrude is a queen blinded by Claudius and Hamlet or a person who doesnââ¬â¢t care about what happened to King Hamlet and just wants to stay in power. She can also be viewed as an incestuous woman. No one knows for sure anymore. * Ophelia starts out as a distraught girl who is in love with hamlet but then goes crazy when she finds out he ââ¬Ëdoesnââ¬â¢t love herââ¬â¢. It is not certain who Ophelia really is as her character is ambiguous in general. * Appearance and reality * King Claudius appears to be good man but in reality he is the murderer of the King Hamlet. Deceitfully and criminally took the throne for himself. * Polonius seems like a loving father but in reality he is a manipulative and deceitful man. * Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two twins who appear to be hamlets friends but in reality they are spies working for Claudius. * Struggle for power * Claudius murdered King Hamlet to gain power (the throne) * Polonius lies to Ophelia in order to gain a good eye in the favour of the king Claudius- hoping to gain some power. Soliloquies: * Act III Scene 1 * The soliloquy ââ¬Å"to be or not to beâ⬠is an important one to note as hamlet here ponders on the topic of death. It could possibly be because he feels guilty and angry at what he has done or said up to this point- antic disposition (pretending to be mad and try to kill Claudius in the mean time etc). * He has a powerful and tense relationship with the thought of death and life. * Act IV Scene IV * In this soliloquy hamlet questions his own courage and his worth as a man, if he confines to be unwilling to act. He compares his lack of action to Fortinbras and his army who are willing to risk all. * The issue of Hamlet acting too late in killing Claudius ponders hamlets mind, thinking whether it was good to wait or bad to wait or whether it was worth it. Characters: * Hamlet * Main character, antic disposition, madness, falseness, anger * Ophelia * Hamlets lover, goes insane when she finds out that Hamlet doesnââ¬â¢t love her- even though it was a lie and he does. * Claudius * Uncle of Hamlet, brother of King Hamlet and murderer of King Hamlet. Remarried Queen Gertrude and gained power to the throne. Hamlets enemy and target on getting revenge on. * Gertrude * Mother of hamlet and newly remarried wife of her brother in law King Claudius. Viewed as incestuous. Finds it hard to believe or understand her son Hamlet throughout the play. * Guildenstern and Rosencrantz * Twins who were Hamlets childhood friends but turned out to be spies for Claudius. * Polonius * Appears to be a loving father to Ophelia and Laertes but really is a manipulative and deceitful man. Yearns to have power like Claudius thus he tries to get on his ââ¬Ëgoodââ¬â¢ side. * Laertes * Son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. Does not like the fact that Ophelia loves Hamlet. Quotes: * Polonius: ââ¬Å"and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell; my blessing season in thee!â⬠he gives Laertes a blessing to go away, he sends a spy to follow him and keep an eye on him lack of trust in people. * Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: ââ¬Å"A dream is but a shadowâ⬠and ââ¬Å"tis as easy as lying; govern these vantages with your finger and thumb, give it breath with your mouthâ⬠. In these Acts hamlet can see they are lying and spying on him. * Claudius: ââ¬Å"though yet of Hamlet our dear brother death/ the memory be green, and that it us befitted/ to bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom/ to be contracted in one brow of woe.â⬠Here he speaks kindly only to give the appearance of a loving brother, even though in reality he cares little for the old king. * Hamlet: ââ¬Å" I am but mad north-north- west: when the wind/is southerly I know a hawk from a handsawâ⬠hamlet here is very convincing actor for even his own mother. * Gertrude : ââ¬Å" Alas, Heââ¬â¢s madâ⬠* Hamlet and Ophelia : ââ¬Å"you should not have believââ¬â¢d me/I lovââ¬â¢d you notââ¬
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Developing and Maintaining Skills for Everyday Life
As a carer your role is not to do things ââ¬Å"forâ⬠the individuals you care for but to do things ââ¬Å"withâ⬠them. Your role is to work in partnership with the individual and support their decisions, regarding their care and support them to do as much as possible for themselves. If you provide too much care for an individual they can lose skills, not learn new skills and do not regain skills they have lost. By providing active support and encouraging the individual to participate in their daily living needs you are helping them to develop and maintain their skills for everyday life.Individuals may have an evaluation to assess their physical skills. This may be carried out by an occupational therapist who will assess how well an individual can function in daily life and participate in their environment. The OT will assess what equipment and adaptations are appropriate which might assist an individual to remain as independent as possible. Occupational therapy has been sh own to be successful for the elderly population with many medical conditions and surgical recoveries.Therapists work with individuals to improve their strength and regain or maintain necessary life skills. Occupational therapists working with the geriatric community counsel families, groups in the community and local governments, to make sure that each sector is doing its part to help the elderly to maintain their independence. Occupational therapy also helps geriatric clients and patients with other activities to assist in diminishing the possibility of social isolation and its unpleasant side effects.They do this by helping elderly clients and patients continue social activities they know and encouraging them to get involved in new ones as well as showing these folks ways to continue to learn in spite their limitations. Occupational therapy also promotes mind stimulating activities. These mental gymnastics give the seniors feelings of self-worth and may help them avoid getting dem entia. Encouraging individuals to join local clubs and activities can also help them to maintain and develop their skills. Developing and Maintaining Skills for Everyday Life As a carer your role is not to do things ââ¬Å"forâ⬠the individuals you care for but to do things ââ¬Å"withâ⬠them. Your role is to work in partnership with the individual and support their decisions, regarding their care and support them to do as much as possible for themselves. If you provide too much care for an individual they can lose skills, not learn new skills and do not regain skills they have lost. By providing active support and encouraging the individual to participate in their daily living needs you are helping them to develop and maintain their skills for everyday life.Individuals may have an evaluation to assess their physical skills. This may be carried out by an occupational therapist who will assess how well an individual can function in daily life and participate in their environment. The OT will assess what equipment and adaptations are appropriate which might assist an individual to remain as independent as possible. Occupational therapy has been sh own to be successful for the elderly population with many medical conditions and surgical recoveries.Therapists work with individuals to improve their strength and regain or maintain necessary life skills. Occupational therapists working with the geriatric community counsel families, groups in the community and local governments, to make sure that each sector is doing its part to help the elderly to maintain their independence. Occupational therapy also helps geriatric clients and patients with other activities to assist in diminishing the possibility of social isolation and its unpleasant side effects.They do this by helping elderly clients and patients continue social activities they know and encouraging them to get involved in new ones as well as showing these folks ways to continue to learn in spite their limitations. Occupational therapy also promotes mind stimulating activities. These mental gymnastics give the seniors feelings of self-worth and may help them avoid getting dem entia. Encouraging individuals to join local clubs and activities can also help them to maintain and develop their skills.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
10 Facts About Teen Dating Violence and Abuse
10 Facts About Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Unhealthy relationship behaviors often start early and lead to a lifetime of abuse. Thats according to Choose Respect, a national initiative to help adolescents and young teens age 11 to 14 form healthy relationships to prevent dating abuse. Every student, parent and teacher needs to be aware of the prevalence of teen dating violence in the US. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that one in eleven adolescents is a victim of physical dating violence. 10 Facts About Teen Dating Violence The following ten facts are from Choose Respects Get the Facts: Dating Abuse Statistics and About Choose Respect: Dating Abuse Fact Sheet: Each year approximately one in four adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse.Approximately one in five adolescents report being a victim of emotional abuse.Approximately one in five high school girls has been physically or sexually abused by a dating partner.Dating violence among their peers is reported by 54% of high school students.One in three teens report knowing a friend or peer who has been physically hurt by his or her partner through violent actions which included hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, and/or choking.Eighty percent of teens believe verbal abuse is a serious issue for their age group.Nearly 80% of girls who have been victims of physical abuse in their dating relationships continue to date the abuser.Nearly 20% of teen girls who have been in a relationship said that their boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm in the event of a break-up.Nearly 70% of young women who have been raped knew their rapist; the perpetrator was or had been a boyfriend, friend, or casual acquaintance. The majority of teen dating abuse occurs in the home of one of the partners.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Canery Row essays
Canery Row essays From the movie Canery Row by John Steinbeck, we are introduced to a little town in California full of different characters, such as Doc and the Seer. In the beginning and throughout most of the movie, there is very little reference that these two characters have anything in common. However, at the end of the movie, we have a different grasp on the two characters and their relationship to each other. Throughout the whole movie Doc is portrayed as a man who is always helping people, no matter who they are or what they have gotten themselves into. He is trying to further his career as a marine biologist by running experiments all of the time. He usually stays out of other peoples business, however, the rest of the people in the town are always prying into his personal life. During the movie, we can tell that there is not something right with Doc; he always seems to have something really bothering him, this is where Seer becomes a factor in the movie. The Seer is an old man who lives on the beach and does nothing all day. He is taken care of by Doc but does not know it. He thinks he gets food from the people above and is very grateful for it. Doc sometimes goes to visit with the Seer for a friendly conversation. When a girl finally pries into the past of Doc the two characters become linked. The Doc and the Seer used to play professional baseball and the Doc had been, at one time, a great pitcher. Then during one game, he threw a wild pitch and hit the Seer right in the head and it nearly killed him. Now the Seer lives in Canery Row where Doc takes care of him. In a way we could say that these two characters have been disenfranchised, meaning the act of withdrawing certification. When the Seer got hit in the head by the baseball, he lost everything; you could say he had his life taken away from him. When that baseball hit the Seers head, the Doc lost his fu ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Mexicos Geographic Potential
Mexicos Geographic Potential Geography can have a profound influence on a countrys economy. States that are landlocked are nautically disadvantaged in global trade compared to coastal states. Countries located in the mid-latitudes will have greater agricultural potential than those in the high latitudes, and lowland areas encourage industrial development more so than highland areas. It is widely believed that Western Europes financial success is a fundamental result of the continents superior geography. However, despite its influence, there remain cases in which a country with good geography could still experience economic distress. Mexico is an example of such a case. The Geography of Mexico The country is also rich in natural resources. Gold mines are scattered throughout its southern regions, and silver, copper, iron, lead, and zinc ores can be found virtually anywhere within its interior. There is an abundance of petroleum along Mexicos Atlantic coast, and gas and coal fields are dispersed throughout the region near the Texas border. In 2010, Mexico was the third largest oil exporter to the United States (7.5%), behind only Canada and Saudi Arabia. With approximately half of the country located south of the Tropic of Cancer, Mexico has the ability to grow tropical fruits and vegetables nearly year-round. Much of its soil is fertile and the consistent tropical rainfall help provide natural irrigation. The countrys rainforest is also home to some of the worlds most diverse species of fauna and flora. This biodiversity has great potential for biomedical research and supply. Mexicos geography also provides great tourism possibilities. The crystal blue waters of the Gulf illuminate its white sand beaches, while ancient Aztec and Mayan ruins present visitors with an enriching historical experience. The volcanic mountains and forested jungle terrain provide an avenue for hikers and adventure seekers. Enclosed resorts in Tijuana and Cancun are perfect places for couples, honeymooners, and families on vacation. Of course, Mexico City, with its beautiful Spanish and Mestizo architecture and cultural life, attracts visitors of all demographics. Mexico's Economic Struggles In the last three decades, Mexicos economic geography has progressed somewhat. Thanks to NAFTA, northern states such as Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, and Baja California have seen great industrial development and income expansion. However, the country southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero continue to struggle. Mexicos infrastructure, already inadequate, serves the south far less well than the north. The south also lags in education, public utilities, and transportation. This contrast is leading to a great deal of social and political strife. In 1994, a radical group of Amerindian peasants formed a group called the Zapatista National Liberation Army (ZNLA), who consistently rages guerrilla warfare on the country. Another major obstacle to Mexicos economic advancement is the drug cartels. Over the past decade, drug cartels from Colombia established new bases in northern Mexico. These drug barons have been murdering law enforcement officers, civilians, and competitors by the thousands. They are well armed, organized, and they have begun to undermine the government. In 2010, the Zetas drug cartel siphoned more than $1 billion dollars worth of oil from Mexicos pipelines, and their influence continues to grow. The future of the country depends on the governments effort to close the gap between rich and poor in order to reduce regional inequalities. Mexico needs to invest in infrastructure development and education, all while pursuing strong trade policies with neighboring states. They need to find a way to abolish the drug cartels and create an environment that is secure for citizens and tourists. Most importantly, Mexico needsà to expand industrial avenues that can benefit from their good geography, such as the development of a dry canal across the narrowest part of the country to compete with the Panama Canal. With some proper reforms, Mexico has the great potential for economic prosperity. Sources: De Blij, Harm. The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography 5th Edition. Carlisle, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons Publishing, 2011
Saturday, October 19, 2019
International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
International Marketing - Essay Example In the year 2000, almost 44% of fruits were devoted to juice industry and the business is even expected to grow in future. Among all the juices, orange juice is the most accepted one which covers almost 60% of the juices. The people of the USA prefer to maintain their health and thus choose vitamin, mineral and other nutrients drink as their healthy diet (Thor and Savitry 2001). Source: (Thor and Savitry 2001). Segmentation and Target Market For developing any business, market segmentation is the vital element which can manage the target customers. In the juice business, the target customers will be divided according to geographical, demographical, socioeconomics and psychographic variables (Croft 1994). Demographical Segmentation Boost Juice will focus on every age groups of customer but the primary targets of Boost Juice would be fitness conscious middle-age customers, young customers and teenagers. The first segment is predominantly the adult customers. These types of customers ar e adequately health conscious and they fall under the age group of 25ââ¬â32 years. They are not much price sensitive and are always ready to pay the solicited price. These types of customers normally spend above average and do not prefer to bargain much. The second category consists of those customers who are very much health conscious. These customers fall under the age group of 18ââ¬â25 years. They prefer healthy, nutritious and less calorie drinks. They want to control their cholesterol and fat. These customers are dieters and fitness professionals. The third demographic segmentation is young teenage customers of the age group between 14 to 18 years. These types of customers are not health conscious and prefer taste to health. These customers are in between adult and child age group and thus they prefer to consume adult drink without sacrificing the taste (Pania et al 2006). Geographical Segmentation The second type of segmentation is geographical segmentation. Based on g eography, the target market will be segmented in two ways, one will be region-wise and other will be area-wise. The region-wise segmentation will be further divided into two sub segmentations. The first segmentation will be Northeast region of the US. The reason for choosing Northeast region is because of the fact that juice consumption of orange was large in that region according to data of 2001. The people of Northeast region prefer orange drink more than other regions of the US. Per Capita Consumption of Orange in 2001 Source: (Pollack, Lin and Allshouse 2003) The second segmentation will be the south region. The reason for choosing this region is that the per capita consumption of apple juice was highest out there according to 2001 data. It had been observed that people of south region prefer apple juice more than other regions. Per Capita Consumption of Apple in 2001 Source: (Perez, Lin and Allshouse 2001) In case of area-wise segmentation, the market is divided into three sub segments: metropolitan, sub urban and rural. The first target market will be concentrated on sub urban areas of the US. The reason for choosing sub urban areas is that almost 47% of people reside in sub urban areas and the rest 53% people live in metropolitan and rural areas. So demand for processed fruit products is higher in the sub urban areas. The second target customer will be the people of
Friday, October 18, 2019
Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Corruption - Essay Example Customs differ in every place and it would be unfair if some customary practices will be viewed as corrupt because of the Western views or their political system. He believed that practices of nepotism or favouritism must not be labelled as corrupt just because they are seen to counteract the norms of modern political and legal arrangements (Deflem, 1995). According to the Transparency International (TI), norms and values are context bound and vary across the cultures. The ââ¬Å"gift cultureâ⬠or gift giving is part of the culture of people when negotiating and building relationship. However, there are limits in all cultures which an action becomes corrupt and unacceptable. Because of these issues, the Transparency International developed its national chapter system to cater to the issues of determining when a certain custom becomes a violation of the norm and be considered a practice of corruption. According to TI, an abuse of power for personal gain or a tapping of public or common resources into private pockets is unacceptable in all cultures and societies (www.transparency.org, Frequently Asked Questions about Corruption).
MGT 350 MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES Essay
MGT 350 MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES - Essay Example The study will be therefore interesting as it will provide us with an intuit understanding of the reasons behind the struggling for survival of one company with the incurrence of such huge losses while the other company which is Toyota Motor Corporation is generating profit profits every year (Carr-Ruffino, & Acheson, 2007). To gain an in-depth understanding of both companies and the reasons behind the success of one and the losses by the other, this study will further make analysis of the contrasting strategies employed by both companies. Various studies on the situation of general motors has come to a conclusion that the problems facing General motors bore more significance that are beyond those directly involved (Saunders, 1989). It must thus be realized that the failure of General Motors will not only have huge psychological, social and economic impact in the United States where it has asserted its place as an iconic automobile manufacturer, but its failure will negatively impact on the United States economy in addition to adversely affecting other economies. Hence, the failure of General Motors would result to repercussions that would be felt worldwide (Drucker, 1994). General Motors Corporation History General Motors (GM) first came into existence in 1908 in Flint, Michigan as a holding company back then for Buick and was then controlled by William C. Durant. The company later acquired Oldsmobile later the same year (Cummings, 1993). Later, Durant brought in Cadillac, Oakland which later came to be known as Pontiac and Elmore amongst many more others. Reliance Motor Truck Company of Owosso, Michigan was acquired in 1909 in addition to the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company of Pontiac, Michigan which served as the predecessor of GMC Truck (Drucker, 1994). In charge of the corporation was Alfred Sloan who led the company to its post-war global dominance. The unprecedented growth of the company lasted through the late 70s into the early 80ââ¬â¢s. The internation al expansion of the company continued through the establishment of General Motors Overseas Operation in 1938 which was in charge of all vehicles manufacturing and marketing outside the United States and Canada. This growth continued in the 1990s (Marketline, 2007). The Core Business of General Motors The core business of General Motors Corporation is to engage in the development, production and marketing of trucks, cars and automobile parts in addition to being engaged in insurance and finance operations. The primary operations of the company are centralized in North America and Europe with its headquarters being located in Detroit, Michigan and with a worldwide employee population of 280, 000 (Marketline, 2007). Core Technologies employed by General Motors Each of General Motors automotive divisions target specific market segments despite some having some shared components; the distinguishing factor between each division is the unique styling and technology employed. The strategy o f General Motors for core technology is aimed at sharing components and common corporate management in a bid to create an upgrade path that is orderly (Carr-Ruffino, & Acheson, 2007). The entry level buyer starts with a very practical but which is at the same time economical, Chevrolet, and moving through the offerings of the different divisions until one purchases a Cadillac. Manufacturing
Why are solar cells not used today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Why are solar cells not used today - Essay Example There are many options available to people and the time has truly changed, if a product is expensive and if people have better alternatives, why would people buy that expensive product especially when there are other good alternatives available. The case of solar cells is no different, the initial investment that goes into buying these solar cells is enormous and this is arguably the biggest reason that hampers the sale of solar cells across the globe. More and more people would buy it should the price be reduced a little; the price is one of the biggest factors, which has seen the demand of these cells drop sown to unprecedented levels. After throwing light upon the price of these solar cells, another important aspect is the aspect of recharging these cells. This task is very difficult and it becomes all the more difficult when it is a cloudy day or when a storm is just round the corner. It becomes impossible to charge these cells when the sun is not shinning, these cells can only be charged in the afternoon when the sun is brightly shinning. These cells can never be charged at night or at any time when the sun isnââ¬â¢t shining brightly. This is another major factor that stops the people from buying these cells. More and more people have started relying on oil these days and oil has successfully replaced these cells, one can sit back and rely upon oil to solar cells because solar cells require a lot of conditions and on the on the contrary, one can easily use oil when there is no electricity or when any other work needs to be done. ââ¬Å"Yet, the most important disadvantage of residential solar power solutions for most people is that solar power equipments such as cells/panels, and their installation can be very expensive. Even though, the real cost of solar panels is anticipated to show a tendency towards decline in the future, the new technologies scientists currently work on (from chemical approach to biotechnology) are not going to be
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example n geopolitical issues, economic factors and industrial innovation issues which should be considered before a FTA deal is signed between any two countries (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 2). The US will be able expand its automobile and manufacturing industry in to South Korea by the strong economic alliance formed between the two countries. Historically, FTA like the North American Free Trade Agreement has tripled both exports and imports between the member states since tariffs are cheaper. In my view, the FTA would add $ 20 billion to bilateral trade which last year was estimated to level $ 78 billion. The US stands to gain $ 40 billion from the FTA (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 16). According to available data for 2006, only 5,000 American manufactured cars enter South Korea market while 800,000 South Korean cars are imported in to the US (Choe 16). The FTA will help in reducing $ 13 billion US dollars deficit which is attributed to net imports of automobiles. Since the FTA calls for zero tariffs on American auto entering South Korea after the fifty year, the US auto and manufacturing industry will increase its productivity (Choe 16). The FTA will impose peace and stability in the Middle East. South Korea is interested in expanding its market into US since the economy is dependent on exports which account for 70% of the GDP. The US is the second largest market of South Korea export hence it has sought to gain competitiveness through the FTA. South Korea has in the past imposed high taxation rates on automobile imports hence creating inefficiency in the market which 95% is dominated by the local manufacturers (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 26). In order to achieve the economic benefits of the FTA, I recommend that you support the FTA. In case you have any questions or clarifications, please feel free to conduct me atâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.I look forward to cooperating with you in supporting the
Legal research. Law review case notes paper Essay
Legal research. Law review case notes paper - Essay Example To illustrate this, he gives instances of which strategic litigation had led to substantial changes in the law. However, not all of these cases resulted in the exact expectations of the lawyers. To begin with, Professor examines the litigation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight segregation. He agrees that initially, their litigation campaigns had little success until improvements were made after Brown was decided. Clientsââ¬â¢ Interests in strategic litigation cases are singled out as the greatest impediment to litigation campaigns. He further gives the successes achieved by NAACP to make the US reconsider how the death penalty was administered at the time. The American Civil Liberties Union also succeeded in getting the government to improve prison conditions to acceptable standards that uphold human rights. Professor proceeds to discuss the implementation of Brown. In this 1954 case, segregation of pupils in US school based on race was outlawed. However, this only appeared to be on paper as this decision was not made practical immediately. Discrimination of blacks was still rampant. Even though Tushnet slightly agrees with Professor Rosenbergââ¬â¢s view that the Supreme Court did not achieve significant social change by deciding Brown, Tushnet points out that this was in the short term and goes further to exemplify what the Courts did later to effect the Changes envisioned in Brown. Success of Brown began to take root when policy was engineered towards it with the effort of the executive and Congress. Tushnet agrees with Professor Michael that success was dependent on politicians from the North began to favor civil rights. Continued pressure by organizations such as NAACP, politicians, and other civil rights groups eventually see the courts enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example n geopolitical issues, economic factors and industrial innovation issues which should be considered before a FTA deal is signed between any two countries (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 2). The US will be able expand its automobile and manufacturing industry in to South Korea by the strong economic alliance formed between the two countries. Historically, FTA like the North American Free Trade Agreement has tripled both exports and imports between the member states since tariffs are cheaper. In my view, the FTA would add $ 20 billion to bilateral trade which last year was estimated to level $ 78 billion. The US stands to gain $ 40 billion from the FTA (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 16). According to available data for 2006, only 5,000 American manufactured cars enter South Korea market while 800,000 South Korean cars are imported in to the US (Choe 16). The FTA will help in reducing $ 13 billion US dollars deficit which is attributed to net imports of automobiles. Since the FTA calls for zero tariffs on American auto entering South Korea after the fifty year, the US auto and manufacturing industry will increase its productivity (Choe 16). The FTA will impose peace and stability in the Middle East. South Korea is interested in expanding its market into US since the economy is dependent on exports which account for 70% of the GDP. The US is the second largest market of South Korea export hence it has sought to gain competitiveness through the FTA. South Korea has in the past imposed high taxation rates on automobile imports hence creating inefficiency in the market which 95% is dominated by the local manufacturers (Cooper, Manyin and Platzer 26). In order to achieve the economic benefits of the FTA, I recommend that you support the FTA. In case you have any questions or clarifications, please feel free to conduct me atâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦Ã¢â¬ ¦.I look forward to cooperating with you in supporting the
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Cause of Drug Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
The Cause of Drug Abuse - Essay Example Additionally, it is possible to treat drug addiction and enable people to go back to their normal lives. Drug addiction can be considered as a chronic disease that causes obsessive behavior in spite of the negative consequences to the individual and those around them. It leads to changes in the structure and functioning of the brain (Allen 67). Many individuals indulge in drug abuse voluntarily at first, and lose self control overtime, thus negatively influencing their lifestyle. Some root causes of drug abuse include curiosity, exposure to drug addiction from media and friends, genetic predisposition to addiction, lack of self-esteem and depression. According to a famous saying, ââ¬Å"curiosity killed the cat.â⬠This is true in the case of drug abuse (Lowinson 48). People addicted to drugs are curious about its effect on them. They think that drugs can be so much fun. With it, they can be someone else because they can do things they cannot do when they are not under the influence of drugs. The media serves as one of the most influential factors to the way people behave nowadays. According to Castillo (48), the media portrays drug abuse as similar to being cool. For instance, pop artists who have the most number of fans are those who look or were reported to be drug users (e.g., Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, etc. Conversely, there are a few people who can serve as role models in the contemporary society. Peer pressure is also among the leading causes of drug abuse in the contemporary society (Lowinson 48). This is especially true for young people who use drugs to feel cool, fit in a certain group and impress their friends. For example, if oneââ¬â¢s friends smoke marijuana or engage in alcoholism, there is a big chance that the person will take part in similar behavior just to be accepted. Peer pressure is the urge to do what oneââ¬â¢s friends are doing is very common among teenagers who are desperate to impress their friends and be accepted in a
Monday, October 14, 2019
The Processes Managing Risk With Vulnerable People Social Work Essay
The Processes Managing Risk With Vulnerable People Social Work Essay This assignment will explore assessment processes and the management of risk in the protection of a vulnerable person. I will provide a brief case study and discuss how assessments and risk management has been applied to this individual case. This assignment will look at different theories and legislation that impact on risk management in social work and the field of child protection. The case study that I have chosen to discuss is a case that I have held for two years. X is a four year old child who currently lives with his mother Ms X. Xs name has been on Wrexhams Child Protection Register for three years under the category risk of emotional harm due to concerns regarding Ms Xs criminal behaviours and drug misuse and the impact that this has on the care that she can provide. Ms X has two older children and there were concerns that she was unable to meet the needs of these children due to the same issues. Ms Xs eldest child spent ten years of his life in the care of the Local Authority, which sadly included over twenty different foster placements. He is now serving a custodial sentence and holds a lot of resentment towards his mother for the way that he was parented and his inappropriate life experiences. Ms Xs second child was placed for adoption at an early age following the undertaking of assessments by different professionals, who felt that X was unable to ap propriately care for the child. It has been assessed that Ms Xs care of X is of a higher standard than the care of her older children, however there are still aspects of this that are considered to be a risk to Xs emotional well being. Ms X has been unable to care for X for significant periods of his life as a result of serving three custodial sentences, the last being for a period of five months. During these periods X has been cared for appropriately by a family member, although has been extremely distressed and unsettled. This last incident of Ms X being arrested and imprisoned raised further concerns for Xs sense of stability and emotional well being. As a result a meeting was arranged with the Local Authoritys Solicitor and Head of Service to determine whether the risk to X was to the extent that Care Proceedings would need to be considered. Looking at a persons history can allow different opinions and judgements to be formed, this history is also included as part of current risk assessments. In the field of child protection social work risk is usually viewed as being negative and something that needs to be minimised or prevented. The concept of risk is very difficult to define; this is a result of it being ambiguous and contestable. The definition of it will rely on the situational context, field of application and the perspectives undertaken. Risk became a dominant preoccupation within Western society towards the end of the20th century, to the point where we are now said to live in a risk society (Beck,1992), with an emphasis on uncertainty, individualisation and culpability. When defining risk it is often done in mathematical and probabilistic terms as a result of it relating to the expected losses which can be caused by a risky event and the probability of this event happening. It is mapped to the probability of an event which is seen as undesirable. When the loss is harsher in relation to the likelihood of the event then the risk will be worse. This negative conception of risk as risk avoidance or risk aversion can be contrasted with the more positive account based on risk taking in venture capitalism and finance as a measure of the variance of possible outcomes. The systematic management of actuarial risk is risk management while the methodology for evaluating for evaluating is risk assessment. Across different professions techniques and methods used for managing and assessing risk can vary considerably. The resulting effect is that some professions, such as social work, are defined according to their ability and propensity to deal with risk. Kemshall (2002) argued that social work is predominantly concerned with handling and assessing risk instead of focusing on social need and justice. It is argued in Social Work in a Risk Society that, as a response to risk, the reconfigurations between state, politics, science and people are particularly felt in world of social work (Webb, 2006). The reasoning for this is due to the vulnerable, dangerous and challenging populations under conditions of great uncertainty and crisis which social work invariably deals with. Due to this the opportunity for situations that present a risk are greater. The resulting effect is that social work role attempts to develop more extensive risk management and actuarial systems for trying to control this risk. (www.socwork.net). The current risk to Xs emotional well being has been documented through an individual child protection plan and support services identified. This plan is reviewed on a monthly basis through multi agency core group meetings. These meetings ensure that all agencies and the family have updated information regarding Xs circumstances and are aware when issues arise that may be seen to increase the risk to Xs emotional well being. The regular meetings also ensure that professionals and family members are included in decision making, such as presenting the recent concerns to a legal planning meeting. It is important that the information was gained from agencies involved in the process and that their views were respected. I was aware that different professionals had their own view about what was going on and how this impacted upon X. I did not take these views as a fact but assessed the information that was received. I understand that different professionals and organisations can have different means of assessing risk. This can be challenging when making decisions and plans. In this particular case, when Ms X received a custodial sentence there were professionals that felt that the risk to Xs emotional well being was immediate. Other professionals did not see the risk as being immediate as there was an appropriate family member to care for X when Ms X was arrested. The category of risk to the child appears to be a factor in the assessments that are made. Despite efforts to refocus childrens services away from a preoccupation with risk of significant harm towards supporting families to meet the needs of their children, the risk of immediate harm continues to take priority. In many of the case examples, the needs of children had been overlooked or resources were not available until risk of immediate harm was apparent. Indeed, the focus was on specific types of harm, children who were deemed at risk of physical or sexual abuse (i.e. immediate harm) caused more concern than those who were potentially at risk of neglect or emotional abuse. This was an issue that both service users and practitioners linked to near misses, as well as to more serious adverse incidents. (Bostock, L et al, 2005). Since the 1970s child protection work has become less optimistic and more reactive when in 1973 the death of Maria Colwell created a public outcry and preoccupation with retribution and blame (Parton, 1996). The abuse of children became something that social workers should be able to predict and prevent. Assessing risk is one of the main roles in the field of child protection which usually means trying to minimise and prevent potential and identified risks. Assessment has always been integral to social work practice. Since the 1990s there has been a steady increase in interest in the field of child care social work assessment. Its importance in social work practice is widely acknowledged. Assessments are undertaken by social workers to gain access to resources such as family support workers and funding and are also used to assess risk. Assessments are used by managers and Courts to inform the decision making process, consequently social work assessments can have a lasting and profound impact upon children and their families. Assessments can also include linking with other organisation liaising and negotiating using interpersonal and communication skills. For Thompson (2000) interventions can either challenge inequality or reinforce them it is therefore important to recognise inequalities and power imbalances and this can lead to empowerment through promoting equality. For Coulshed and Orme (2006) there is no understanding that the information gained from social work intervention and assessments might be interpreted in many different ways, depending on which theoretical approach is used. For OSullivan (2002) there is mounting pressure to base decisions on research evidence but he believes there are serious failings in this approach. Therefore OSullivan (2002) believes that research studies need to have a supportive rather than significant role in relation to decision making. Evidence based practice and relevant theories should inform social work practice when assessing risk. For this particular case I researched attachment theories and the impact that separation could have on X as a result of his mothers imprisonment. Bowlbys attachment theory which Beckett (2005) uses to look at how early life experiences on childrens affect long term psychological development. Research suggests that insecure attachments in childhood can also have a negative impact on behaviour in childhood and throughout adult life. Bowlby (in Crawford and Walker, 2005) believed that the prolonged separation of the child from their mother, especially in the first 5 years of their life could cause m ental health issues in later life. These include oppositional-deviant disorder(ODD), conduct disorder(CO) or post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) all of which have been linked to early traumatic experiences, including abuse or neglect. (http://psychology.about.com) However as Crawford and Walker argue there have been criticisms of early thinking of attachment theory as children can make attachments to other people not just their mother. These may include extended family members. Crawford and Walker (2004) believe that as social workers we must consider how life experiences may have influence on the individuals growth and development. Throughout my involvement with X in assessing risk and devising plans I have ensured that his individual life experiences were considered. I was aware that X has previously been separated from his mother for a significant period, which could lead to the conclusion that Xs attachment to his mother was already insecure. When completing risk assessments the long and short term affects of the identified risk need to be explored, this ensures that the social worker can gain a bigger picture of how the identified risk could have an impact on the persons life. I have explored different information and research regarding the effects of parental incarceration and ensured that the family and other professionals involved in the case had access to this information. There have been a variety of long-term effects on children identified which are associated with the incarceration of parents, one example is the childs level of development. Even if a child-parent attachment has already developed, for example as in the case of infants in the first 9 to 12 months of there lives that have been in either their mothers or fathers care, the disruption caused by parental incarceration will likely have an adverse affect on the quality of their attachment to their parents. (Parke et al 2001). The quality of infant or toddler child-parent attachment can even be impacted by even less drastic changes such as divorce, or moving home (www.hhs.gov). Insecure attachments between parents and children, which is believed to be a consequence from adverse changes in ones life circumstances, have been linked to a variety of negative outcomes for the child; these include diminished cognitive abilities and poorer peer relationships (Parke et al 2001). In light of this info rmation it is not surprising that when their parents are serving custodial sentences, it has been observed for young children between the ages of 2 and 6 years of age to suffer from a range of adverse outcomes which are consistent with research on the effects of insecure attachments (Johnson, 1995). One estimates states that 70% of young children whose mothers were in prison had emotional or psychological problems. Children are said to exhibit internalising problems, such as, depression, anxiety, withdrawal, guilt and shame (Bloom Steinhart, 1993; Dressler et al, 1992, cited in Parke et al, 1992). It has been documented that young children are also at risk of externalizing worrying behaviors such as anger, aggression towards caregivers and siblings (Fishman, 1983 cited in Parke et al 2001). Since the Children Act 1989 was implemented in October 1991 there has been a debate between the appropriate emphasis of social work practice in terms of risk and need. This has been closely linked to the centrality of the assessment with social work gaining momentum. Within the act there is no definition for the term risk, child protection is instead constructed with the term significant harm. Under s.31(9) of the Children Act 1989: harm means ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development; development means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; health means physical or mental health; and ill-treatment includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical. (Brammer 2007) Within risk assessments in social work the term risk has been associated with the negativity of harm and child death (Parton 2000). This mixed with the blame culture that is present in todays society has an impact on the way in which risks are viewed in the field of child protection. Due to the complexity, and the protracted nature of the work, most social work is of little interest to the media and the wider public. Social work stories only become of interest when major failures occur in the system. (Wroe, 1988). Social workers have been very publicly named and shamed in the aftermath of the tragic Baby P case, one newspapers headline stating Blood on their hands. The Sun newspaper appeared to lay the blame almost exclusively on the heads of social workers, launching a petition calling for every social worker who had been involved in the case to be sacked and prevented from working with children again (Brody 2009). The Baby P case was shocking and serious mistakes were made, this has created a fear amongst social workers of making mistakes regarding the risk to a child. Social workers and other professionals are now more aware of the negative implications of risk. Following the death of Baby Peter the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCA SS, 2009 in Parton, 2010) produced figures which demonstrated a nearly 50 per cent increase in care applications in the second half of 2008-09 and the demand for care continue to remain at a unprecedented high level. Assessment is a fundamental skill in social work interventions; it is more than collecting information and is a process rather than an event, which you return to again and again. Therefore it was important to be aware when new information was brought forward regarding the family it was included and the assessment was updated. It acts as a basis for intervention and can form clear objectives. It is important to recognise that there may be multiple problems and all need to be taken into account. Legislation and policy requirement needs to be taken account of, both locally and nationally. Strengths as well as weaknesses need to be assessed. I had to take these into account whilst continuous assessments were being carried out to gain a clear understanding of the bigger picture, as identified in National Framework Triangle (2000). It is important that children have the right to have their voices heard and to be included in the decisions that affect their lives. It is crucial to engage with the children in the family in order to establish if they are in need or at risk of significant harm. Throughout the period that I have been allocated as the social worker to X I had considerable power to make decisions which would affect the family such as judging whether they were eligible for service, therefore there is a power imbalance. For Milner and OByrne (1998) power within social work practice can be used to empower others when working in an anti oppressive way, if power is used incorrectly it can exclude and marginalise service users. As a social worker I was seen as the expert, the service user according to Thompson (2000), by therefore occupies a more powerful position. For Morris (2000) the Framework for the Assessment of Children and their Families (DoH, 2002) is targeted at a professional audience which means that service users are not provided with guidance about what they can expect as best practice in assessment or what the minimum standards are. This means for Morris (2000) the development of a working partnership or effective participation is limited as only the social worker has the guidance needed and the information about the service that is offered. For Milner and OByrne (1998) power within social work practice can be used to empower others when working in an anti oppressive way, if power is used incorrectly it can exclude and marginalise service users. As a social worker I was seen as the expert, the service user according to Thompson (2000), by therefore occupies a more powerful position. Due to Ms X being female I looked at how gender affects the issue of drug misuse and offending. An awareness of gender difference should play a key role according to Barnes and Norma (1992), in understanding and responding to needs. But a women centred approach cannot ignore the experiences which divide and separate women as well as uniting them. For example black women in the UK will be affected by cultural differences, racism and in some cases language difficulties as well as by sexism. Barnes and Norma (1992) believe that there is considerable evidence to show that women are more likely to be identified as experiencing emotional problems. Mental disorders amongst women are often identified as behaviours which deviate from what is regarded as normal female behaviour. New and emerging radical values concerned with challenging oppression are very distinct from traditional values as described in the Code of Practice which emphasise individualised relationship between the social worker and the service user.. We must decide whether to interpret values traditionally as a commitment to respect for people, equal opportunity and meeting needs or radically as a concern with social rights, equality and citizenship. Though there should be no presumptions that the emergence of new values or the development of traditional ones will lead to changes in professional practice. If there is no organisational backing or changed professional education, practice is likely to remain unchanged. Risk assessment methods in the field of child protection continue to be criticised for being time consuming and being overly actuarial. Accountability in child protection social work tends to focus on the family, as opposed to external factors, such as poverty in terms of neglect (www.northerncja.org.uk). It must be highlighted that risk can be defined differently dependant on the individual completing the risk assessment. Differing agencies and workers have different values, cultures, interpretations and language relating to risk. I am aware that the thresholds of risk vary not only across agencies but within agencies (Brown and White 2006). As highlighted by (Barry 2007) social workers with more experience may operate a higher risk threshold than their more recently trained colleagues. Throughout my involvement with X and his family sought advice from colleagues, managers and the Local Authority Solicitors when required and advised to do so. Prior to the use of risk assessments the child protection system could have been seen to be ineffective. Risk assessments usually require the social work to contact all other agencies that the child is known to. According to (Parsloe 1999) In the pre risk assessment days inter agency communication was lacking compared to todays standards and because of this children were harmed or even killed, who otherwise could have been saved. The introduction of child protection case conferences has ensured that information between agencies is shared and acted on appropriately, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of assessing risk. In the case of X child protection case conferences allowed recommendations to be made to all professionals involved which aimed to minimise the risk to X. The case conferences reviews also ensure that any recommendations and actions have been completed by professionals and the parents. As highlighted in (community care.co.uk) child protection case conferences have greatly improved communication between agencies, resulting in the risk posed to a child being reduced considerably. In conclusion, it must be noted that assessing risk in the field of child protection has improved greatly since its introduction. Social workers now have various documents and theories designed to determine the different risks that affect vulnerable children. The importance of inter agency communication is now highlighted in policies and procedures that social workers must adhere to. Recent media attention directed at social workers has undoubtedly created a fear amongst not only social workers but other professionals in allowing and promoting risk taking. This has resulted in an increase in the referrals received by childrens services and an increase in childrens names being placed on the child protection register of the Local Authority that I am employed by. The different categories that risk is defined under has an impact of the action that is taken by social workers and other professionals. This essay has highlighted the issue that the risk of neglect or emotional harm is not see n to be as urgent as a child that is at risk of sexual or physical harm. I am conscious that risks that are identified can vary depending on the individual that is assessing the risk. I am aware that as a social worker it is important that I recognise my own values and how this could impact an assessment that I complete.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Bean Trees :: essays research papers
Taylor's fears 		In the Story, The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingslover we see a character named Taylor overcome several fears that she has. Taylor Greer, a woman who once saw a man being thrown several feet up into the air shortly after his tractor tire blew up, never did really like tires. She always seemed to think that the same thing might happen to her if she ever did something like, overfilling it too much with air. Her mom, who was fairly normal, decided to test Taylor's tire-changing-skills shortly after she bought her ââ¬Ë55 Volkswagen. She knew what to do in a case of emergency but she was afraid to do it. 		Mattie, the sole owner of a shop named "Jesus is Lord Used Tires", was accustomed to changing and rotating tires everyday. One day she received a customer who had driven over some cracked glass pieces on the side of the road. Mattie took standard procedures by lifting the car, taking out the tire, and finally dipping it to see if air bubbles would come up. "I'm sorry to tell you, hon, these are bad. I can tell you right now these aren't going to hold a patch. They're shot through." (page 40). Mattie was exceptionally nice to Taylor and told her to come inside and have some coffee. After drinking a cup of coffee and giving Turtle some juice Mattie came up with the idea that Taylor could work for her. Taylor being the one who doesn't like tires in the first place accepted the generous offer, but went almost nuts with the huge tire wall that surrounded her. Taylor was a good worker and didn't have any real complaints about her position, but she still had a fear of exploding tires. This fear was noticeable to Mattie. Mattie being the rough-tough but nice person, asked Taylor nicely to follow her, when suddenly Mattie threw a 5-gallon Jerry can at her. "Knocked the wind out of you, but it didn't kill you, right?" "That's twenty-eight pounds of water. Twenty-eight pounds of air is about what you put into a tire. When it hits you, that's what it feels like." (page 81). 		When I was about 10 years old, my mom took me to a roller coaster theme park in Massachusetts. I was terribly afraid of the huge roller coaster that appeared in front of me, and while I waited in line, the anxiety of waiting to die in a roller coaster made my heart beat through my chest.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Students With Auditory Challenges and Mainstream Schools Essay
Students With Auditory Challenges and Mainstream Schools Hearing-impaired and deaf students can better succeed in life when educated in mainstream schools than being segregated in special schools because though they have special needs, they learn to communicate better with hearing individuals and can still attend special programs where teachers with special training can help them in their educational journey. Heather Whitestone, a deaf ballet dancer from Alabama, became the first Miss America with a disability, and Marlee Matlin fulfilled her dream of becoming a famous actress, despite her hearing disability. While many may look at these women in awe, by todayââ¬â¢s standards, they are not handicapped. While they may be auditory challenged, the stereotypic disability label has been removed in lieu of a more descriptive, less demeaning alternative. Further, the way they view themselves and the way the public sees them weighs heavily upon their ability to live in a vociferous world. For deaf and seriously hearing-impaired children, many issues surface, particularly when considering educational. For many disabled children proper curriculum is not implemented in their education. Johnson has documented that deaf education largely fails, suggesting a lack of linguistic access to curricular content as well as low expectations. He proposes a new model, which encourages the early use of American Sign Language (ASL). Johnson, and other researchers at the Gallaudet Research Institute, insist that ASL will encourage both the ability to develop cognitive skills and improve the childââ¬â¢s chances to learn English (Johnson 45-7). The proposal includes teaching sign language as the childââ¬â¢s first language and encou... ... Markova, Dawna, PhD. How Your Child is Smart. Berkley: Conari Press, 1992. Marschark, Marc. Raising and Educating a Deaf Child. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Sawyer, Richard J. and McLaughlin, Margaret J., et al. ââ¬Å"Is Integration of Students with Disabilities Happening?â⬠Remedial & Special Education, 1 July 1994: 204. Schmetzke, Axel. ââ¬Å"Disability-related Resources on the Internet.â⬠Intervention in School& Clinic, 1 Nov. 1996: 69. Schwartz, Sue, PhD. Choices in Deafness: A Parents Guide. New York: Woodbine House, 1987. Vaughn, Sharon-Elbaum and Batya, E., et al. ââ¬Å"The Effects of Inclusion on the Social Functioning of Students with Learning Disabilities.â⬠Journal of Learning Disabilities 1 Dec. 1996: 598. Wilcox, Daryl J. and Wigle, Stanley E. ââ¬Å"Mainstreaming Revisited: 20 Years Later.â⬠Education 22 March 1997: 371-81.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Social Control Theory vs. Conflict Theory
The Social Bond theory was written and proposed by Travis Hirschi in 1969. Social Bond theory, that later developed into Social Control Theory, has historically been an interesting way of approaching social problems and how we in turn explain them. Before one can apply the Social Bond theory, they must first have a firm understanding of its definition, which can be accurately described by Hirschi (1969) as, ââ¬Å"Elements of social bonding include attachment to families, commitment to social norms and institutions (school, employment), involvement in activities, and the belief that these things are importantâ⬠(p. 6). This theory is rooted and derived from the General Theory of Crime. Hirschiââ¬â¢s (1969) social bond theory emphasizes the fact that there is an absence of social attachments among juvenile delinquents. Since family, friends, and other members of our social networks affect our lives in many ways, we in turn are direct descendents of their actions. One of the most critical times in our lives is our adolescence. During this critical time we need strong positive social ties to represent society in the best way possible. On the other hand, if the ties we share in our lives are negative and criminal-like habits, it most likely that negative results will occur. The basic difference between the General Theory of Crime and Hirschiââ¬â¢s (1969) Social Bond Theory is the focus on peers and peer groups of individuals. The four basic elements of social bond theory are attachment, commitment, involvement in conventional versus deviant or criminal activities, and lastly the common value system within an individualââ¬â¢s society or subgroup. Attachment is described as the level of values and or norms that an individual holds in society. Attachment is especially important when it come to the personââ¬â¢s parental figures. This theory suggests that conventional figures, such as parents, when bonded make a huge impact in the deterrent of criminal acts. Attachment to other peers tend to be just as supportive as parental ties, just as long as these ties are positive and do not deviate from the social norms of society. References The Huffington Post (2011) NASDAQ Hackers reportly penetrate computer network multiple times Retrieved on February 4, 2011 at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/05/nasdaq-hackers-reportedly_n_819068.html Wall Street Journal (2011) Hackers penetrate NASDAQ Computer Retrieved on February 5, 2011 at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704709304576124502351634690.html http://criminology.wikia.com/wiki/Social_Bond_Theory
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 18
That night, Damon invited me to play cards with some of his soldier friends, who were camped out for the moment in Leestown, twenty miles away. ââ¬Å"I may not agree with them, but damn, can they play a good hand and drink a good pint,â⬠Damon said. I'd found myself agreeing, eager to avoid Father and any questions about vampires. But by the time twilight rolled around and I hadn't seen any sign of Katherine or Emily, I wished that I hadn't agreed to accompany Damon. My mind was still jumbled, and I wanted a night with Katherine to reassure me that my desire was leading me in the right direction. I loved her, but the practical, sensible side of me was having trouble disobeying Father. ââ¬Å"Ready?â⬠Damon asked, clad in his Confederate uniform, when he stopped by my bedroom at twilight. I nodded. It was too late to say no. ââ¬Å"Good.â⬠He grinned and clattered down the stairs. I glanced wistfully out the window toward the carriage house, then followed him. ââ¬Å"We're going out to the camp,â⬠Damon yelled as we passed by Father's study. ââ¬Å"Wait!â⬠Father emerged from the study into the living room, several long branches filled with tiny, lilac-like purple flowers in his arms. Vervain. ââ¬Å"Wear this,â⬠he commanded, tucking a sprig into each of our breast pockets. ââ¬Å"Y shouldn't have, Father,â⬠Damon said ou tersely, as he plucked the sprig out of his pocket and shoved it into his breeches pocket. ââ¬Å"I've given you latitude, son, and given you a roof. Now all I ask is that you do this,â⬠Father said, slamming his meaty fist into his palm so hard, I saw him wince. Thankfully, Damon, usually so quick to pounce at any sign of weakness, didn't notice. ââ¬Å"Fine, Father.â⬠Damon shrugged easily and spread his arms as if in defeat. ââ¬Å"I would be honored to wear your flower for you.â⬠Father's eyes flickered with rage, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he simply broke off another sprig and tucked it into Damon's coat pocket. ââ¬Å"Thank you,â⬠I mumbled as I accepted my own branch. My statement of thanks was less for the flower and more for Father showing mercy on Damon. ââ¬Å"Be careful, boys,â⬠Father said, before retreating to his study. Damon rolled his eyes as we walked outside. ââ¬Å"Y shouldn't be so hard on him,â⬠I mumbled, ou shivering in the night air. The summer-like day had become a chilly fall evening, but the mist that had been everywhere last night had lifted, giving us a been everywhere last night had lifted, giving us a crystal-clear view of the moon. ââ¬Å"Why not? He's hard on us.â⬠Damon snorted as he led the way to the stable. Mezzanotte and Jake were already bridled and stamping their hooves impatiently. ââ¬Å"I had Alfred get everything ready. Thought we'd need a quick getaway.â⬠Damon swung his leg over Jake's back, then galloped him down the path and turned in the direction opposite of town. We rode in silence for at least a half hour. With just the sound of the hooves and the sight of the moon peeking through the dense foliage, it felt like we were riding into a dream. Finally, we began to hear sounds of flutes playing and laughter and the occasional gunshot. Damon directed us up over a hill toward a clearing. Tents were set up all over, and a piper played in the corner. Men were walking around, and dogs were stationed at the entrance. It was as if we'd arrived at a mysterious, hidden party. ââ¬Å"Hello, sir?â⬠Two Confederate soldiers came up to us, their rifles pointed toward us. Mezzanotte took a few steps back and whinnied nervously. ââ¬Å"Soldier Damon Salvatore, sir! Here on leave from General Groom's camp down in Atlanta.â⬠Immediately, the two soldiers relaxed their rifles and tipped their hats at us. ââ¬Å"Sorry 'bout that, soldier. We're gearin' up for battle, and we're losing our men like flies, before they even hit the battlefield,â⬠the taller soldier said, stepping up to pat Jake. ââ¬Å"Y and not because of typhus,â⬠the other, es, smaller, mustachioed soldier said, obviously pleased to share this information with us. ââ¬Å"Killings?â⬠Damon asked tersely. ââ¬Å"How'd you know?â⬠the first guard asked, stroking his rifle. I glanced at the ground, unsure what to do. I felt that Damon was getting us into a dangerous situation, but I didn't know what I could do to fix it. ââ¬Å"My brother and I are coming from Mystic Falls,â⬠Damon said, jerking his thumb back as if to prove that was the direction we came from. ââ¬Å"The next town over, past the forest. We've had some of our own trouble. People are saying it's some type of animal.â⬠ââ¬Å"Not unless it's an animal that only goes for the throat and leaves the rest of the body untouched,â⬠the mustachioed soldier said knowledgeably, his tiny eyes flicking back and forth between us. ââ¬Å"Hmm,â⬠Damon said, sounding suddenly uninterested. But then he changed the subject. ââ¬Å"Any good games of poker going on tonight?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right there in that clearing by the oak trees.â⬠The small soldier pointed a little ways off into the distance. ââ¬Å"Have a good evening, then. I thank you for your help,â⬠Damon said with exaggerated politeness. We walked in the direction the soldier pointed, until Damon stopped abruptly at a small circle of soldiers, huddled around a fire and playing cards. ââ¬Å"Hello! Soldier Damon Salvatore on leave from General Groom's boys,â⬠Damon said confidently as he slid off his horse and glanced around the faces lit up by the campfire. ââ¬Å"This is my brother, Stefan. Can we be dealt in?â⬠One ginger-haired soldier glanced at an older, grand-fatherly type whose arm was in a sling. He shrugged and gestured for us to sit on one of the logs set up around the fire. ââ¬Å"Don't see why not.â⬠Adrenaline seeped through my veins as we settled down and took our hands. Mine was good: two aces and a king. I immediately threw in some rumpled notes from my pocket, making a bet with myself. If I won money, then everything would be fine with Katherine. And if I didn't, then â⬠¦ well, I didn't want to think about it. ââ¬Å"All in,â⬠I said confidently. After we settled the game, I wasn't surprised to emerge as the victor. I smiled as I took the pile of money and carefully put it in my pocket. I grinned in relief, finally feeling sure in my love for Katherine. I imagined what Katherine would say. Smart Stefan, maybe. Savvy Stefan. Or maybe she'd simply laugh, showing her white teeth, and allow me to take her into my arms and twirl her around and around the roomâ⬠¦. We played several more hands after that, during which I lost the money I had won, but I didn't care. The first hand had been the test, and now my heart and mind felt remarkably light. ââ¬Å"What are you thinking?â⬠Damon asked, taking a flask from his pocket. He held it toward me, and I took a long swig. The whiskey burned going down my throat, but I still craved more. It didn't seem that any of the other soldiers were up for another hand. The five we were playing with had drifted off to chew tobacco, drink more whiskey, or tearfully talk about their sweethearts back home. ââ¬Å"Come on, brother, you can tell me,â⬠Damon encouraged. He took the flask, swigged from it, then passed it back toward me. I took another, deeper drink and paused. Should I tell him? Any hesitation I had earlier had disappeared. After all, he was my brother. ââ¬Å"Well, I was thinking about how different Katherine is than any other girl I've met â⬠¦,â⬠I began evasively. I knew I was treading into dangerous territory, but part of me was dying to know whether Damon also knew Katherine's secret. I took another sip of whiskey and coughed. ââ¬Å"How's she different?â⬠Damon asked, a smile curving on his lips. ââ¬Å"Well, I mean she's not,â⬠I said, sobering up as I frantically tried to backtrack. ââ¬Å"I just meant that I noticed that she isââ¬ââ⬠noticed that she isââ¬âââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"That she's a vampire?â⬠Damon interrupted. My breath caught in my throat, and I blinked. I glanced around nervously. People were drinking, laughing, counting their winnings. But Damon was simply sitting there, the same smile on his lips. I couldn't understand how he was smiling. And then a new, darker thought appeared in my mind. How did Damon know that Katherine was who she was? Had she told him? And had it been the same way, in the misty predawn, in bed? I shuddered. ââ¬Å"So she's a vampire. What of it? She's still Katherine.â⬠Damon turned to look at me, urgency in his dark-brown eyes. ââ¬Å"And you won't say anything to Father. He's half crazy as it is,â⬠Damon said as he scuffed his boot against the ground. ââ¬Å"How did you find out?â⬠I couldn't stop myself from asking. Suddenly, a shot was fired. ââ¬Å"Soldier down!â⬠a uniformed boy who looked to be about fourteen yelled as he charged from tent to tent. ââ¬Å"Soldier down! Attack! Out into the woods!â⬠Damon's face paled. ââ¬Å"I need to help. Y little ou, brother, go home.â⬠ââ¬Å"Are you sure?â⬠I asked, feeling torn and suddenly frightened. Damon nodded tersely. ââ¬Å"If Father asks, I drank too much at the saloon and am sleeping it off somewhere.â⬠Another shot was fired, and Damon took off into the woods, blending into the sea of soldiers. ââ¬Å"Go!â⬠Damon yelled. I ran in the opposite direction to the now-abandoned camp and dug my heels into Mezzanotte, whispering in her velvety ears and imploring her to go faster. Mezzanotte rode through the forest faster than she ever had before; once across the Wickery Bridge, she turned, as if she knew exactly how to head home. But then she reared and whinnied. I held on with my thighs and saw a shadowy figure with golden-brown hair, arm-in-arm with another girl. I stiffened. No women would be out after dark unaccompanied by a man in the best of circumstances, but definitely not in these times. Not with the vampire attacks. The face turned, and in the reflection on the water I saw a pale, pointed face. Katherine. She was escorting little Anna from the apothecary. All I could see were the dark vines of Anna's curls, bouncing over her shoulders. ââ¬Å"Katherine!â⬠I yelled from the horse, with a strength I did not know I possessed. Now, instead of wanting to hold her, I wanted to use my arms to restrain her, to make her stop carrying out the awful thing she was about to do. I felt bile rise in my throat as I imagined finding a jagged branch and ramming it into her chest. Katherine didn't turn around. She held Anna's shoulders tighter and led her into the forest. I kicked Mezzanotte hard on the flanks, the wind whipping against my face as I desperately tried to catch up with them.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Delegation Essay
Burnoutâ⬠Even the most talented, ambltlous, and energetic entrepreneurs are apt to run out of gas If they nsist on tackling all major aspects of a companyââ¬â¢s operation. Some small business Indeed, some small businessesâ⬠especially single-person enterprises like freelance graphics design or editorial servicesâ⬠may be able to handle all significant aspects of a companyââ¬â¢s operation for years on end. But for the vast majority of small and mid- sized businesses enjoying a measure of growth, owners sooner or later must face the reality that they cannot undertake all duties and responsibilities. Misallocation of Personal Resourcesâ⬠Small business owners and entrepreneurs who do not delegate ften run the risk of using too much of their time on routine tasks and not enough time on vital aspects of the companyââ¬â¢s future, such as strategic planning, long-range budgeting, and marketing campaigns. Damage to Company Imageâ⬠Business owners who do not empower their employees, insisting instead on attending to all relevant aspects of his or her business themselves, run the risk of inadvertently suggesting to customers and vendors that the companyââ¬â¢s workforce is not competent and/or trustworthy. Damage to Company Healthâ⬠this should be the bottom-line consideration of all entrepreneurs running their own business. If micromanagement s slowing processing of work orders, hindering development of new marketing efforts, or otherwise causing bottlenecks in any areas of a companyââ¬â¢s operation, then it may be eating away at the companyââ¬â¢s fundamental financial well-being. Small business owners are encouraged to evaluate whether they are perhaps falling into the trap of micromanagement. Consultants and entrepreneurs cite the following as major warning signs: Taking work home in the evening or working long hours of overtime Failure to give important tasks the amount of attention that they warrant Basic company documents (like business plans) are not updated for long periods
UV Index Forecast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
UV Index Forecast - Essay Example There are five categories for UV index, level 1-2 (low--can safely enjoy being outside), level 3-5 (moderate--take precautions by wearing a hat and sunscreen SPF+15; seek shade during midday hours), level 6-7 (high--protection against sun damage is needed; use sunscreen SPF+15; wear long sleeves and pants where applicable), level 8-10 (very high--protection against sun damage needed; try not to be outside between 10am-4pm; shirt, hat sunscreen are a must; seek shade) and level 11+ (extreme--same as very high category). The UV Index is a next day forecast of the amount of skin damaging UV radiation expected to reach the earthââ¬â¢s surface at the time when the sun is highest in the sky (solar noon). The amount of UV radiation reaching the surface is primarily related to the elevation of the sun in the sky, the amount of ozone in the atmosphere, and the amount of clouds present. The UV Index can range from 0 (night time) to 15 or 16 (in the tropics under high elevations with a clear sky). The higher the UV Index, the greater the dose rate of skin damaging and eye damaging UV radiation. The higher the UV Index, the smaller the time it takes before skin damage occurs. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a specific part of the sunââ¬â¢s entire spectrum of wavelengths. UV-C spectrum is entirely absorbed by atmospheric ozone adn does not reach the earthââ¬â¢s surface. UV-B is mostly absorbed by the ozone, but can affect plants and animals, and affects humans by reddening of the skin, and possible development of skin cancer. UV-A radiation is needed by humans for the synthesis of Vitamin-, but too much UV-A causes toughening of the skin and other irritations. The variation throughout the day of UV radiation is much like that of visible light. The UV Index is a forecast of the probable intensity of skin damaging ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface during the solar noon hour (11:30-12:30 local time).
Monday, October 7, 2019
The Tragic Decline of BlackBerry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Tragic Decline of BlackBerry - Essay Example This coupled with the modern design that it consistently infuses with the minor details that separates it from the rest. But the unsparing competition in its arena has made BlackBerry almost desperate in its attempts to take part of the viability of the market against other specialized and well-established counterparts. In its quest to take a cut and compete with other giants such as Apple, Sony Ericsson, Google and Microsoft, its maker Research in Motion is constantly in its feet testing the market and looking for a solid niche that goes beyond its comfortable smartphone sphere. It has endeavoured into other business ventures that have fallen quite short of the expectations and overall appeal. The release of the BlackBerry Playbook that claimed to topple down Appleââ¬â¢s Ipad was an epic failure the users and techies dismissed the product as being a major let down. Harry McCracken in his article ââ¬Å"BlackBerry: Vision Neededâ⬠deemed it as being tremendously disappointing and this could be attributed to what Ben Bajarin in ââ¬Å"The Tragic Decline of BlackBerryâ⬠refers to as lost customer interest. These two articles recognize the problems that BlackBerry is facing. There must be a deeper look into contemplating first what products will identify with BlackBerry instead of merely releasing new ones for the sake of market share. McCracken unwittingly said that it is a good move for the company not to announce any new product at DevCon in San Francisco in contrast to what it did it 2010 that built the hype for Playbook. Instead, it is focusing on the new operating system called BBX. Bajarin is on the same page by saying that RIMââ¬â¢s attempt to partake of all the glamor fails to impress the actual customers who make use of the product. These types of exposure are all but the personality of Steve Jobs and the characteristic of Apple. BlackBerry need not get in on the mix and instead stick to what it does best.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
International Business Strategy - Essay Example In order to understand the basic culture of Salim Group, it is necessary to trace its history. The understating of internal culture of the Group is important for assessing its rapid success in the domestic and international markets. Soedono Salim, the founder of Salim started his own trading company that used to deal in commodities like cloves and coffee with the prevailing leading companies of Indonesia. Besides he also partnered Indonesian army by supplying goods. In this period, he got acquainted with the future President of Indonesia, Suharto who was then an ambry office. The key success factor for the rapid growth of Salim Group was his contacts and close relationship with ruling political party. Since its inception, Soedono Salim took opportunistsââ¬â¢ approach for achieve organizational success and it tried to capture many new business having greater opportunities in term of profitability in long run. When, Soedono Salim handed over the business to his son Anthony Salim, he has also taken the similar approach like his father. After the Asian Financial Crisis of 1990s, the Salim Group was severely hit and most of holding companies were given to the Government in order to pay off its huge debt. This period of crisis was the toughest for the Salim Group since its inception, and the fall of President Suharto made the things worse for the Salim Group. ... Capturing new business opportunities is highly challenging and it requires regaining the financial strengths for the Salim Group. Hence, the after the crisis period, Anthony Salim starts looking for the new business opportunities on the axis between Australia, ASEAN and China. The opportunities available in these areas are different from each other due to difference in macro-economic factors like political, economic, technology etc. In this respect, the primary objective for Anthony Salim is to understand the distinct feature of business opportunities in the different areas. Along with the identification of the opportunities, accurate understanding of prevailing challenges and threats are inevitable and vital for business success. A comprehensive marketing research is also helpful in understating the business opportunities by focusing on the four major macro-economic factors i.e. political, economic, socio-cultural and technology (Srinivasan, 2008, p.181). Among the Asian and other c lose economy to Indonesia, the Salim group finds the Australia, China and ASEAN economies as one of the most attractive markets in terms of new business opportunities. For entering into these new international markets, the business strategy must be unique and dedicated to the specific economy. International strategy should always be different from the domestic business. International markets contain a number industry and trade barriers that must be overcome, and simultaneously, it is necessary to cope up with the prevailing culture of the business and market (Segal-Hor and Faulkner, 1999, p.3). Salim Group also decides to take different strategic move for its target regions and countries i.e. Australia, China and ASEAN. In this regard, Salim Group has realized the
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