Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Global Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Trade - Essay Example Consequently, fair trade has not developed in Third World countries, such as those of Africa and Latin America. Globalization is a post-World War II phenomenon that evolved based on the need to identify ways to promote economic progress among newly independent countries that used to be colonies. According to Piasecki and Wolnicki (2004), "After the second World War, there was widespread interest among economists in finding solutions to the poverty and underdevelopment left behind by the disintegrating colonial system" (par. 3). Experiments with planned economies in the 1950s and 1960s were met with only limited success, and frequent failure, in the developing world. "Until the 1980s, a score of developing nations experimented with non-market theories and concepts, but with rather limited success. Brazil, India experienced a few years of non-sustainable growth in the 1960s. Unfortunately, none of these countries could match the successes of those that chose the mixed economy and the market system in 1990s" (par. 8). By the 1980s, it became apparent that Third World development lagged and there was a need for a new approach. "By the 1980s, against many prominent economists' expectations, development had not materialized in the Third World - with the exception of the Gulf nations. Even in countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, where significant growth was observed, employment gains were generally unsatisfactory. Everywhere else in the developing world inequality and poverty grew. In addition, inflow of capital and Western consumption standards challenged traditional sectors and the existing power structures. As a result, tensions between modernizers and Islamic traditionalists heightened" (par. 9). In other parts of the world, the 1980s also brought a realization that economic development approaches had not been adequate. The 1980s came to be known as Latin America's "lost decade," in which there was "mounting debt, inflation, and negative growth" throughout much of the region (par. 15). A consensus began to grow around the idea that "a free market and open economy supported development far better than any form of protectionism and state interventionism." A new model of global capitalism, spearheaded by America, began to take hold in the 1990s in the hopes of reversing the economic stagnation in the Third World that had marked the decades since World War II. A theory began to take hold that opening up economies, spurring international investment, and knocking down trade barriers would produce a rising economic tide that would benefit both the developed and the developing world. It was hoped that multinational corporations let loose to pursue their profits across political boundaries would be the engine that spurred a new era of global economic growth. The new economic model was based on "tough fiscal and monetary policy, deregulation, foreign trade and capital flow liberalization, elimination of government subsidies, moderate taxation, liberalization of interest rates, maintenance of low inflation, and so forth. The proponents of these comprehensive liberal reforms strongly believed that the 'miracle of the market' would eventually so lve the problems endemic to underdevelopment. A special role in this process

Monday, October 28, 2019

Workplace Bullying Essay Example for Free

Workplace Bullying Essay Introduction Thesis Research on workplace bullying began in the late 1980s. The field has since evolved, including articles, blogs, and books on the subject. According to the 2014 WBI US Workplace Bullying Survey, 27% of Americans have been targets of workplace bullying; an additional 21% have been witness to the bullying; and a total of 72% are aware that workplace bullying occurs. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) As of the writing of this paper,  there is no state or federal law yet enacted to compel American employers to address abusive conduct that occurs outside the limited definitions of illegal discriminatory actions. This paper will define bullying, consider the profile and characteristics of a typical bully, consider research on the topic and attempt to understand why bullying is allowed to continue in the workplace. 1 What is bullying According to Susan Futterman, in her book When You Work for a Bully: Assessing Your Options and Taking Action, readers are encouraged to, â€Å"take a step back to make sure you’re distinguishing between genuine feedback, even feedback undiplomatically presented, and bullying.† (Futterman Paroutaud, 2004) Futterman helps to differentiate between poor management skills and bullying by describing bullying as: Persistent Provides feedback which is not useful and focuses on trivial issues Based on false or distorted allegations  Relates to unrealistic or unreasonable targets that are set arbitrarily Is not accompanied by constructive efforts to resolve issues Another definition comes from Workplace Bullying Institute, describes workplace bullying as â€Å"repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators.† It further states that the abusive conduct is â€Å"threatening, humiliating, or intimidating†; involves work interference through sabotage which prevents work from getting done; and/or verbal abuse. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) Figure 1.1 represents the range of negative behaviors that occur in the workplace. According to The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, bullying, in its mildest form falls to the right of disrespect and when it is severe can lead to despair and even suicide. (Namie, The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, 2011) Figure 1.1 The Continuum of Negative Interpersonal Behavior (Namie, The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization, 2011) 2 Why people should care about the topic  In his book, WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY, Gary Namie, PhD notes that companies should be concerned about bullying, if for no other reason than its potential to damage the bottom line. â€Å"Employers are frustrated with turnover and disruption caused by bullies. It often costs a company tens of thousands of dollars to recruit, hire and train a new employee to replace a bullied worker who left. (Namie, WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY, 2003) This assertion is backed up by Tim Field, a noted British anti-bullying activist with his main focus relating to workplace bullying, â€Å"Most cases of workplace bullying involve a serial bully, to whom all the dysfunction can be traced. A person who is being bullied may already know, or come to realise that they have a string of predecessors who have either: left unexpectedly or in suspicious circumstances; have gone on long term sick leave with some sort of psychological problem, and never returned; taken unexpected early or ill-health retirement,   have been involved in a grievance or disciplinary or legal action; have had stress breakdowns;  have been over-zealously disciplined for some trivial or non-existent reason.† (Field) 3 – Who are the bullies and who are the targets? (Profiles) Bullies  According to the 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey: February 2014, although bullies were less likely to be women than men (31% vs. 69%), women bullies were more likely (68% of the cases) to bully other women rather than men. In the Workplace Bullying Surveys, the percentages were similarly disproportionately high for women bullies. The Workplace Bullying Survey question asked respondents to identify the gender of the bullies and targets in situations with which they were familiar. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Figure 3.1 – Bullies by Gender (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) In his article, Introduction of the Serial Bully, Tim Field asserts that bullies share characteristics, including: â€Å"Plausible Charisma, Charm and Empathy Most workplace harassment and mistreatment (80%) is completely legal. Remarkably, a hostile work environment is actionable (illegal) only in very few situations. Bullying is not only tolerated in business, it is often seen as necessary. Lawmakers are reluctant to pass laws that reign in unfettered workplace violence resulting in psychological injury. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) Employers react to laws with internal policies. According to the WBI Healthy Workplace Bill, the value of an anti-bullying law is to get employers to prevent bullying with policies and procedures that apply to all employees. The WBI Healthy Workplace Bill, crafted by law professor David Yamada for the Healthy Workplace Campaign, provides incentives for employers to address workplace bullying by avoiding expensive litigation. (Hyman, 2014) Employers Dont Know How to Stop Bullies Respondents of the Workplace Bullying Survey were clear that employers fail to appropriately react to abusive conduct much more frequently than they take positive steps to eliminate bullying. Denial and discounting were the most common reactions by employers. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Figure 6.1: Employers Reaction to Bullying (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Bullying Is Underreported According to the 2014 Workplace Bullying Survey, forty percent (40%) of targets never tell their employers that they are being bullied. (Namie, Christensen, Phillips, 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey, 2014) Bullying can also be erroneously branded as conflict or a mere difference in personality styles. Although both are statements are true, bullying is also a form of violence, which puts it into a different category. Overly simplistic labels can minimize the impact of bullying on both the targets and the organization. (WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute, 2014) 7 – Recommended Actions – Targets and Employers Targets Employees who are or have been victims of workplace bullying should realize that it is not their fault that they are being bullied. If they are suffering negative effects from the bullying they should seek help from a doctor or counselor and, if the bullying is ongoing, from a career advisor who can help them plan a job or career change. (Workplace Bullying, 2014) Until there are formal policies or laws in place, as is indicated in Figure 6.1, it could be difficult to challenge the bullying, depending on the corporate culture and the position and influence of the bully. Employers Because workplace bullying can be devastating to employees and companies, some companies have instituted zero-tolerance policies toward workplace bullying. In these companies, if an employee is being bullied he or she needs to document the bullying and present the problem to the proper person in the company, usually someone in human resources or upper management. Companies with good anti-bullying policies usually hold meetings from time to time to remind employees what workplace bullying is, how to report it, and the consequences for bullying. (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, Cary, 2011) There are some companies that encourage a company culture of workplace bullying. Usually companies do not purposefully support bullying, but they may develop a problem with it either through not taking workplace bullying seriously or by developing the habit of placing blame and fault finding instead of solving problems. In these companies, employees who make a case against bullies may find that the bullying only gets worse. In this situation, employees often have to either make the best of the situation or find different employment. (Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, Cary, 2011) 8 Summary Although there is still no law against workplace bullying, there are ethical and bottom-line reasons to encourage employers to proactively search out and end workplace bullying including increased productivity, and morale of the targets and those effected as witnesses. With the growing number of people being targeted and the trends to address the issue, it seems to be only a matter of time until laws against workplace bullying are enacted. Once  employers start to enact formal policies and procedures condemning workplace bullying, then bullies will know the consequences of their actions and some may stop; and targets should have an incentive to report instances of bullying. Human resource departments will then have formal policies and processes to deal with the reported bullying cases. References WBI the Workplace Bullying Institute. (2014, May 15). Retrieved from Workplace Bullying Institute: http://www.workplacebullying.org/wbiresearch/ Workplace Bullying. (2014, May 19). Retrieved from Bullying Statistics: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/workplace-bullying.html Einarsen, S., Hoel, H., Zapf, D., Cary, C. (2011). Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace: Developments in Theory, Research, and Practice. Boca Raton: Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Field, T. (n.d.). Introduction to the Serial Bully. Retrieved from Bullyonline.com: http://bullyonline.org/workbully/serial_introduction.htm Futterman, S., Paroutaud, F. (2004). WHEN YOU WORK FOR A BULLY: Assessing Your Options and Taking Action. Montvale: Croce Publishing Group, LLC. Grasz, J. (2012, August 12). CareerBuilder Study Finds More Workers Feeling Bullied in the Workplace. Retrieved from Career Builder: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=8%2F29%2F2012id=pr713ed=12%2F31%2F2012 Hyman, J. (2014, April 3). If You Don’t Want Anti-Bullying Legislation, Give Me a ‘Hell Yeah!’. Retrieved from Workforce: http://www.workforce.com/blogs/3-the-practical-employer/post/20377-if-you-dont-want-anti-bullying-legislation-give-me-a-hell-yeah Klein, K. E. (2008, May 7). Employers Cant Ignore Workplace Bullies. Retrieved from Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/may2008/sb2008057_530667.htm Namie, G. (2003, November / December). WORKPLACE BULLYING: ESCALATED INCIVILITY. Retrieved from Ivey Business Journal: http://iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/the-workplace/workplace-bullying-escalated-incivility Namie, G. (2011). The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Namie, G., Christensen, D., Phillips, D. (2014). 2014 WBI U.S. Workplace Bullying Survey. Workplace Bullying Institute.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Transformation of Media Forms - The theory of Evolution from paper to the internet :: essays research papers fc

Transformation of Media Forms The theory of evolution from paper to the internet The theory of evolution must ‘evolve’ with the transforming media forms around it to maintain its scientific and social relevance. In other words, it must shift from the conventional media forms such as journals, books and publications and move towards the ways of the internet. Even collective groups of scientists and evolutionists can be shifted from physical to online gatherings via the ways of the internet and its related technologies. The majority of internet users throughout the world see the net as simply an enormous link-up of the world’s computers, after all, this is the ‘universal answer’ people tend to give when asked â€Å"what is the internet?†. Although this common answer is a pretty accurate image, it would be more correct to describe the internet as a â€Å"global network of hardware and software which stores and transports information from a content provider to an end user† . This infrastructure allows any person who wish es to say anything, access to say it to the world. Controversial topics are abundant on the World Wide Web, and this media form enables these topics to be discussed, investigated, or challenged. Evolution is defined as being: â€Å"A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form†. Arguments for evolution include The Fossil Record, Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection, and Biological Evidence. Arguments against evolution include The Second Law of Thermodynamics, Things Never From Other Living Things, Complex Systems Never Evolve Bit by Bit, and then there are the Christian-derived theories such as Why are jellyfish fossils evidence against Evolution? . The internet’s foundations can be traced back to its beginnings in the US military. In 1957 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) launched Sputnik, the first artificial earth satellite. In response, the United States formed the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) within the Department of Defence (DoD), to establish a U.S. lead in science and technology applicable to the military. The U.S. DoD was curious as to how it could maintain its command and control over its missiles and bombers, after a nuclear attack. The plan was to develop a military research network that could survive a nuclear strike, and which was decentralized so that if any cities in the U.S. were attacked, the military could still have control of nuclear arms for a counter-attack. This was the first step in the development of the internet, as we know it today.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Article Critique Genetically Modified Food Essay

The article by Amin, Jahi and Nor was conducted in Malaysia to find out the stakeholders attitude to genetically modified foods and medicine (1). In particular, the investigators were interested to know the attitude towards GM insulin/medicine, GM palm oil and GM soybean. They designed the study as a survey with 1017 respondents. They found that the Malaysian stakeholders are cautious about the genetically modified foods. They agreed that genetically modified foods have perceived benefits but at the same time they were concerned about the moral aspects and risks associated with the GM Foods. A closer analysis revealed difference stakeholders attitudes towards GM foods. Title The title â€Å"stakeholders attitude to genetically modified foods and medicine† was precise and clearly thought out. Readers are well informed of what to expect as they engage with the study findings. However, the title missed on the study area. A good title must inform readers where the study is conducted. Abstract The researchers adopted non structure abstract. They were able to point out the background leading to the study, the purpose of survey, research approaches they used trough the study and the findings. With regard to this they managed to give a brief overview of the research Jones 2 and further letting readers know what their study entailed and what they found out. A structured abstract would have been more desirable as it enlists each of the study sections. However, depending with the journal requirements and authors’ interests they preferred non structured abstract to one that is structured. Purpose of the Study The investigators clearly pointed out the aim of the study. They assessed and compared the attitudes of the Malaysian stakeholders living in the Klang Valley towards genetically modified insulin, palm oil and soybeans. This was influenced by the findings from the other studies. For instance, other studies revealed that the advancement in technology led to increased production of GM Foods. In addition, they found that biotechnology is one of the five major technologies that are planned to speed industrialization in Malaysia. However, owing to the divisive debate on genetically modified foods, the researchers saw the need for this study. Therefore, it has clear cut intent of telling where Malaysians attitudes leans and what measures should be put in place to better their attitude. Research Approaches The investigators adopted a well defined research approach. They designed the study as a survey which was conducted from June, 2004 to February, 2005. The sample size was 107 respondents above 18 years. They were selected through stratification sampling which enabled the generalization of the findings and minimized biased that could result from sample selection. In addition, they collected the data through administering questionnaire and ensured that reliability and validity of the study are all accounted for. However, the researchers did not tell the readers how they met the ethical principles, especially principles of ethics of beneficence and Jones 3 justice. They didn’t point out whether they consulted any ethical institution or whether they sought consent before recruiting the respondents. Results The study findings were consistent with the objective. The findings centered on six dimensions of the stakeholders attitudes including moral concerns, perceived benefits, familiarity, encouragement, risk acceptance and perceived risks. From the findings it was clear that majority of the stakeholders were not familiar with the three GM products. It was more surprising when the findings indicated that biology students were more familiar with the GM palm oil and GM soybeans than religious scholars. The findings further established that stakeholders are moderately concerned with the moral aspects of the GM products, moderately perceive the products as risky and moderately perceive the GM products as beneficial. All the same they encouraged the use of the three products, with most stakeholders supportive of GM palm oil. These findings were consistent with the other studies. For instance, in China, study by Zhang et al. (19) indicated that consumers were not familiar with GM products yet domestic consumption of GM soybeans was about 18% of the interviewees that were consuming soybeans. In addition, the findings were consistent with earlier studies by ISAAA-UIUC (14-15) which found that Asians accept GM foods but at the same acknowledge the risks they pose to health. Based on these consistencies, the study met the rigor of trustworthiness, applicability and reliability. The conclusions were drawn from the study. The investigators concluded that the Malaysian stakeholders’ attitude on GM products was cautious. Indeed, this is in tandem with the findings that the stakeholders moderately perceive the GM products as both beneficial and Jones 4 detrimental to health. In addition the implications of the study were reported in the conclusion. They noted that the biotechnologists should assess the moral aspects, risks and benefits of the GM foods and thereafter engage the public on acceptance of the products before considering commercialization of the products. However, the researcher failed to point out the limitations of the study as well as the areas that need further research. Work Cited Amin, Latifah; Jahi, Jamaluddin and Nor Abd. â€Å"Stakeholders attitude to GM foods and medicine. The Scientific World Journal. 2013. Jones 5 International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), â€Å"The social and cultural dimensions of agricultural biotechnology in Southeast Asia: public understanding, perceptions, and attitudes towards biotechnology in Phillipines†. ISAAA. Publications. Zhang, Xi; Huang, Jin; Qiu, Ha and Huang, Zheng. â€Å"A consumer segmentation study with regards to genetically modified food in urban China†. Food Policy. 35:5. 2010.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Company mission and vision

The 1995 Auto Sales Inc managed to progress through the years from its actual beginning year. Most likely, this is because of the fact that the mission and vision of the organization supported its people towards the major idealism of helping the entire group in the industry progress towards development. To make the discussion much better understood, the following breakdown of the mission and vision of the organization shall be shown herein.MISSIONAs a selling agent of second hand automobiles, the 1995 Auto Sales aim to serve the clients with the best deals available in the industry. To accomplish this particular mission, it is expected that leaders be able to apply their best strategies in creating much more creative approach in marketing as well as checking the quality of the products of the company that are disposed for the consumers. Such task requires a more comprehensive understanding of leadership and its effective application in the group.Leadership is a serious task that has to betaken by those who are able to understand the society in an objective way. Certainly, the idea of becoming a leader requires serious thinking.   Becoming a leader requires efforts that start with personal development and adjustments. There are numerous theories and practices that help the hopeful leaders in becoming the person that they want to be. In the paper to follow, a reflection on one’s ability and self-improving processes would be discussed in the view of the author of this paper.Being a leader is a serious task that requires serious effort and determination to adjust on the part of the person who wants to pursue on being a leader in his or her own field of interest. As Peter Northouse refer to leadership as a â€Å"change that would affect the whole personality of an individual†(2006, 16). It is not true that leaders are born, they are made. Through self-restructuring of themselves, the leaders of today have sprung out from actually being nothing to bec oming influential personalities in the human society.How? Because of their determination to make a change to the society that rooted out from the changes that they had to make on themselves in the first place. This is the reason why in this paper, a self-examination process shall be utilized to learn the importance of self-adjustment in becoming a leader. Leadership is one of the most common practices that is found and applied on the different organizations around the world. The need for governance has mainly increased the pressure on institutions specializing in educating aspiring leaders with the needed skills that they are expected to have when they are already working on their own fields of interest.Leadership for many is a virtue learned through the experience of becoming great followers. It requires effort and ample time before it could be said to be the perfect way of showing leadership.   It could be obviously seen how much the people who are considered leaders in the worl d are viewed as exemplary people and not as people who knows only to command and drives other to work.When it comes to the business industry, the character involving refined leadership is a must to be possessed by everyone. Yes, as leadership itself has strongly affected the lives of many people in the business industry, it indeed is an important character. The idea of being a leader itself is never that easy. Though, through careful and patient learning in adjusting one’s self to be able to adapt to the necessary needed characters of a leader, a refined leadership is never that impossible to acquire.When it comes to the definition of leadership, many groups or organizations have their own view of the characters and responsibilities involved in being a leader. As for example,   House defines â€Å"leadership† organizationally and narrowly as â€Å"the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and succes s of the organizations of which they are members† (House, R. J. 2004: page 15).Indeed, the success of the leader would naturally determine the success of the organization he or she is acquainted with. This is the main reason why many people tend to really deeply learn the art of leadership. Mainly aiming to alleviate the effectiveness of one’s leadership skills, leadership schools and courses were opened especially regarding the business industries.Certainly, with this thought and leadership implications considered within the process, the organization aims to develop as a more solid team that tries to deal with the challenges of the industry in a more strategic and comprehensive manner that would be best for the clients as well as for the organizational staff themselves.This is an obvious call for everyone to change towards the better and faster progress of the company aimed to help the organization in setting a better reputation among its clients in the market. With th is mission statement stratified, it could be notes that the weight of the progress is relied upon the leaders of the different sectors of the organization and the cooperation of the entire team towards the progress procedures implemented by the said leaders.VISIONWith the effective application of strategic leadership and implicative approaches to the organization’s business operations, it is then expected that the performance of the entire team would be increased in terms of client satisfaction and personal job satisfaction as well. Everyone is rather hoped to have a strong trust within the new approach that would be used towards the aims of progress of the entire business in its concerned industry.Moreover, understanding of such issue in terms of company leadership is viewed as a huge step that would bring a great reputation of strength and loyalty to its clients in the market. The system concerned in the said manner of progression is indeed expected to increase the knowledg e of everyone with regards effective leadership and tem work. With this in sight, the company is certainly ready for the approaching changes it needs to face as it approaches the new age of car and auto sales competition in the market.References:Finding and keeping good employees: DHI works toward proactive support programs. January 1, 2002. Doors and Hardware (Magazine/Journal).Michael O'Malley. (2001). Creating Commitment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 1 edition.Harvard Business School Press. (2003). Hiring and Keeping the Best People. Harvard Business School Press.Lin Grensing-Pophal. (2002). Motivating Today's Employees (Business Series). Self-Counsel Press; 2nd edition.Riddle, John. (2001). Business Management. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts.Adams, Bob. (2000). Managing people: Lead your staff to peak performance. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts.Hiam, Alexander. (2001). Motivating and rewarding Employees: New and better ways to inspire your people. Adams M edia Corporation. Avon, Massachusetts.Martinez, Esdras. (1998). Buisness Managements theories and practice. Rex books Publishing. Manila, Philippines.Jones, Gareth R. (2004). Contemporary Management. Irwin/McGraw-Hill; 4th edition.PART 2: POWERPOINTPART 3: Management and Its role in the Company(A Detailed Job Description for the Line of Management)Management of a diverse workforce has been one of the biggest problems that concern the human resources department of any type of company present in the business industries. Hence, it is just reasonable to say that at some points, some management teams may find it a difficult task as well. However, the author, John riddle says otherwise.According to him, â€Å"these are all factors of management that should be considered by good managers even before entering an organization† (113). Hence, this definitely means that avoiding diversity in the workforce may be impossible but giving a resolution to it is not that impossible. After all, there is still a common ground among the working force of each company no matter how diverse they may be it is that they are humans, which makes them capable of being dealt with and managed well.In this regard, John Riddle has suggested several points of consideration when dealing with such business problems. In general terms, he summarized the ways by which a good manager could handle the difficulties of dealing with a diverse workforce.The said suggestions are as follows: · Concentrate on the strengths of the employees. When a manager discovers the tasks where the employees usually excel in, they should be assigned to them as they are expected to be more productive on those fields of the job. · Understand the abilities and the potential of each employee present in the organization. These potential assets of the employees could as well be used by the company itself in aiming for the goals that it has set up for the future. · Allow communication lines t be open at all times. I t is very important for managers to be good listeners. The ability of hearing what the employees want form the company as well as to how they could be of bigger help to the organization could be used as a resource of ideas for the company as well. · Make the employees feel that they too have a sense of authority in the company. However, this type of authority should not overstep that of the administration’s. It should be clear that this authority could only be exercised at specific times and places when it is permitted. This may often refer to an ‘open door’ policy that deals with an easier type of agreement between the employees, which could give them a chance to affect how the organization is being managed. They are then allowed to give suggestions; however, no suggestions are implemented unless approved by the administration. · Make sure that all employees understand the business goals and objectives. It should always be remembered that a well-informed emp loyee, whether young or old, is a productive employee. · A manager should always remember that he is supervising people with feelings who are valuable members of the organization, hence, treating them with great respect at all times no matter what culture they come from is one of the most important virtue any manager could post as an example for his colleagues. · Treating everyone fairly and sensitively is the key to creating a fine working environment. It should be remembered that because of the different clutters of the people, they all have different preferences; they have different personal obligations and other more. Considering the fact that dealing with multicultural workforce also involve dealing with their differences of belief, a manager could as well consider fairness at all times to be able to set a common ground for everyone else in the organization. · Keep everyone else busy and going all the time. Feeling one’s worth is usually measured on the things they are able to do for the organization in a day. In this manner, it could be said that regardless of one’s difference from the others, being able to do something for the company and being of worth to the organization makes an employee feel that even though there are differences, he still belongs to the organization he is working for. · Keep employees informed of the ins and outs of the organization. Keeping employees in the dark when some changes within the organization arise may give them the notion that they are not given importance by the administration of the company. · Acknowledge the employees’ efforts, years of work, talent, creativity and good job attributes. Doing so would help everyone else strive for the best while they are working in the company.It could be noticed that the suggestions listed in here are general. Putting thesesuggestions into good use have mostly caused several companies to achieve unity beyond diversity in their own much diverse workforc es. Hence, as Jones commented in his book â€Å"Contemporary Management†, â€Å"diversity is a normal part of modern management. Being globally distinct, it could not be avoided that dealing with different people everyday is a challenge to the modern managers today† (180). With these principles applied, it is expected that each manager be able to complete the necessary points of appointment they are given to be able to keep good employees for the company’s betterment in the future.References:Robert A. Levin. (2001). Talent Flow: A Strategic Approach to Keeping Good Employees, Helping Them Grow, and Letting Them Go. Jossey-Bass; 1 edition.Thomas J. McCoy. (1996). Creating an â€Å"Open Book† Organization: Where Employees Think & Act Like Business Partners. AMACOM Publishing.J. Regis McNamara. (1986). Critical Issues, Developments, and Trends in Professional Psychology: Volume 3 (Professional Psychology Update). Praeger Publishers.Graham Edkins. (2004). Inn ovation and Consolidation in Aviation: Selected Contributions to the Australian Aviation Psychology Symposium 2000. Ashgate Publishing.Raymond Andrew Noe. (2004). Employee Training and Development with Powerweb Card 3/e. McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 3 edition.Jerome H. Barkow. (1995). The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture. Oxford University Press, USA; Reprint edition.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

5 Signs You May Be the Right Person for the Job

5 Signs You May Be the Right Person for the Job Jobs are anything but one size fits all. In fact, another candidate’s â€Å"perfect† position may be your employment nightmare. So how do you know which job promises success and fulfillment and which job harbors only frustration and failure? The short answer? You don’t. But there are some signs to look for throughout the process which can indicate that you’re indeed the right person for the job. Let’s count them down. 1. You’re Charged Up By the Thought of the JobAre you thrilled by the mere thought of the roles and responsibilities involved with a particular job or specific company? Would you wake up every morning looking forward to getting to work and making a contribution? If so, this is a strong indication that the job may be a terrific fit.If, however, you feel more excited about getting any job than about the specifics of the job at hand, this should trigger an alarm.2. You’ll Be Crushed If You Don’t Get ItNo one likes to be rejected. But if the thought of being rejected from a particular job is especially crushing, this may indicate that the job offers a unique opportunity. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of different jobs available at any given moment. If your heart is set on this one above everything else in the job classifieds section, you’re probably the right person for the job.3. It’s In Line With Your Career GoalsHave you always dreamed of working in a specific industry or of being responsible for a certain set of core job functions? If a job offers the opportunity to realize your goals and ambitions, it’s a natural leap to the conclusion that it’s not only the right job for you, but an unprecedented opportunity.Alternatively, if a job feels like a detour from your career path or a step in an uncertain direction, it merits more consideration: can it ultimately help you reach your career goals?4. You’re a Good Culture FitToday’s employers ar e increasingly prioritizing cultural fit - as opposed to mere functional fit - as an important part of the hiring process. This consideration should go both ways. If your beliefs and core values are aligned with a prospective company’s views on everything from collaboration to work/life balance to giving back to the community, this bodes well for your level of satisfaction, productivity, and staying power.5. There’s Plenty of Room for GrowthA job that’s a good fit for you at this particular moment in time may not be a good fit for you five years from now. The â€Å"right† job is not just one that makes sense in the here and now, but is also one with plenty of room for growth.The potential for advancement can also help keep you motivated, inspired and engaged on the job - critical attributes when it comes to professional fulfillment.Ultimately, it’s impossible to know with absolute certainty whether a job is the right one for you. However, these five tips can help you make the most informed and beneficial decision.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Look Out! Its an Octopus!A Squid!The Son Of Hades! Professor Ramos Blog

Look Out! Its an Octopus!A Squid!The Son Of Hades! â€Å"How it lashes, how it thrashes, How if flashes, how it flails, How it dwarfs the greatest fishes, Even dwarfs the mighty Whales. Nothing living in the ocean Can enjoy a moment’s ease, For the Kraken has awakened at the bottom of the seas.†   (Prelutsky,1980)         Wait it can swallow a whale? Thats one big ass sea monster. It would have to be the biggest monster on the planet in order to â€Å"hunt for mighty vessels† or â€Å"choke a great leviathan with one squeeze   (Prelutsky, 1980).† The first mention of the Kraken dates all the way back to 1180. King Sverre of Norway at this time would tell tales and give warning to sailors of sea monsters that were dangerous and of these sea creatures the most dangerous of them all was the Kraken   (Gaither, 2012). This was a time when the sea was more of a mystery than it is now and there was so much unexplored and unmapped waters. Men would spend months on sea, sometimes even getting lost. With drinking water and food in low supply, and extreme weather conditions ranging from storms to extreme heat it is safe to say that a lot of the men at sea were not in their right mind. The stories and experience of these early voyages were influenced due to these factors and their perception and reality was blurred. They would come back with horror stories of various monsters and experiences that held only a small amount of reality (Salvador, 2016).          I dont know about you, but when I hear the word â€Å"kraken† immediately my mind paints an image of gigantic tentacles ripping apart a ship. The interesting part is that its never a modern day cruise ship, its always a wooden ship from a specific era in which parts of the world were still left undiscovered. Is this by coincidence? I think not. I believe the kraken has been burned into our minds as a monster from that era. Try   to imagine a kraken today. Can you picture it taking down a Carnival cruise ship? Maybe a Naval jet carrier? It’s difficult to paint these pictures because the kraken is a direct product of a time in which the sea itself was an unknown danger. In Monster Theses 1: The Monster’s Body is a Cultural Body, monster theorist Jeffrey Cohen explains that a monster’s creation is directly linked to the time and culture in which it was created. â€Å"The monster is born only at this metaphoric crossroads, as an embodiment of a certain cultural moment-of a time, a feeling a place.†(Cohen, Thesis 1) The time in which the Kraken was created was a time of uncertainty in regards to the sea. There was so much mystery about the sea, how deep it was, and most importantly what creatures, or monsters if you will, inhabit it. What makes the Kraken such a significant monster as it applies to Cohen’s first thesis, is that all of these cultural factors regarding the mystery of the sea are still just that, mysteries. Although we immediately imagine the kraken in an ancient setting, the possibilities of a current kraken are still there and left unexplored in modern films. This could possibly be because the kraken has such a strong connection to the specific cultural moment in which it was created.         Living in the deepest parts of the ocean in most description, the kraken is a product of parts of the ocean left unexplored. Modern technology has taken us all the way to the moon, however we have been unable to reach the very bottom of the ocean floor on our own planet. We have yet to find aliens in space, but we haven’t explored enough to determine if they in fact exist. This same idea applies to the sea. Do we know that the kraken is just a legend? Is it possible that there are things beyond our knowledge sleeping on the floor of the darkest and deepest parts of the ocean? We can’t answer any of these questions with full certainty. The kraken, regardless of it being a product of imagination or fact, is a warning of the unknown that lies in our own planet. Perhaps it is stories and modern variations of the kraken that have stopped us from answering the questions the ocean holds. Monster theory has taught us that a monster serves as a warning to the unkno wn and that it embodies the ideas that scare us so that we will not look any deeper into them(Cohen, 5). Perhaps we fear waking the beast that could potentially be so large as to be mistaken for a mile long piece of land. After all we were able to build technology that allows us to breath in space but we can’t figure out technology to take us to the lowest depths of the ocean floor. Or maybe we can and we don’t? The kraken’s warning of the unknown is undeniable, and if kraken could be imagined to be down there, we can only assume there are frightening hybrid creatures dwelling with it. The potential for monstrosity on our own planet spans far beyond that of space. â€Å"To modern science, the deep sea is an alien world cradling unknown life.† (Alder, 2018)   The idea of the kraken existing is not that far out as we continue to discover new forms of life in our oceans every year that were previously unrecorded. Sometimes we are even able to connect them to the ideas of the monsters in legends and myths. Although a kraken has yet to be discovered, the possibility of its existence is still there and the different imagery we have in film and television of this monster adds to our fears and anxieties.          The kraken takes on a reimagined look that strays from early descriptions we may have had in the film ‘Clash of the Titans’ where we see a sea creature hybrid that holds human-like characteristics. â€Å"Clash of The Titans† gives us a classic story of a hero, Perseus, son of the god Zeus, fighting Zeus’ brother and god of the underworld Hades. In the film, Hades is explained to have created the Kraken and uses him as a weapon in this war of gods. We receive narration throughout the film explaining just how the kraken came to be. â€Å"Zeus convinced his brother Hades, to create a beast so strong it could defeat their parents. And from his own flesh, Hades gave birth to an unspeakable horror, The Kraken.†(Clash of the Titans, 2010) I personally could not think of a monster more scary than one that is birthed from the flesh of the god of the underworld. Although most descriptions of the kraken early on can be written off as a giant squid or an octopus, the reimagining of the kraken is a mixture of various creatures. In â€Å"Clash of The Titans† we see that the kraken stands upright with a full torso, a head, a face, and arms in addition to its massive tentacles. Kraken is some sort of humanoid cephalopod hybrid in this adaptation. The combination of human-like features on a sea monster makes this monster that much more frightening because we are unable to classify it as just a giant squid or anything else. I believe they used this strategy to replace the image we may have had of the kraken and create something less predictable and more ferocious. Monster theory three shows us that a monster can not be defined by a specific class, it can be a combination of a few different species, or hold characteristics that cross the lines of all characteristics. So just to paraphrase this interpretation of the Kraken is part Hades, god of the underworld, part cephalopod, part who knows what else but definitely something evil and monstrous that has the ability to crush entire cities and craves the flesh of humans. The issue I have with this interpretation of the Kraken is that all it took to kill it was the head of Medusa. We see the Kraken stare into her eyes and begin to turn to stone even though he is a goliath of a creature. I feel like a creature so evil, born of Hades flesh, should have had a bit more of a fight and a more complex demise then just turning to stone especially since it has arms in addition to its tentacles and just towers over the city as if it were a set of legos. I would like to believe that the kraken could not be so easily defeated and for this, I give â€Å"Clash of the Titan’s† interpretation of the kraken a two out of five. One point for monster thesis nu mber three being present in its physical features, and one point for the cool, fear-inducing creation story.         Although redefining the appearance of the kraken is one way to scare an audience, another way would simply be to perfect the classic description with an addition of one unforgettable and unexpected feature and this is exactly what we got in the film â€Å"Pirates of the Caribbean.†   and this is exactly what we found . Jack Sparrow, the legendary drunk and untrustworthy pirate, finds his greatest fear in the beast that sleeps on the bottom of the ocean floor in The Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy. The other-worldly pirate Davy Jones keeps the kraken as his sleeping pet, only woken in the most extreme cases to do Jones’ bidding. Sparrow finds himself on the wrong side of the seas when he is marked with â€Å"the black spot† by Jones. The black spot enables the Kraken to find Sparrows exact location upon being woken from its slumber. Before we even get a glimpse of the kraken in the film we are threatened with the monsters capabilities and unimagin able strength. â€Å"A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that’ll suction your face clean off, and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness. The Kraken. They say the stench of its breath is†¦(shudders) Imagine, the last thing you know on God’s green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things.† -Pirate Gibbs. (Pirates Of The Caribbean, 2016 ) The kraken clearly has a reputation in this world the film has created which is why Sparrow spends the duration of the movie dodging the Kraken and trying to come up with a way to evade the monster’s promise of a watery grave. We see a peak of the Kraken as it demolishes ships in less than a minute. It seems to park its unidentifiable body underneath Naval ships and with absolute silence we see the larger than life tentacles breech the ships sides and in an almost effortless swoop, the ship is completely submerged with no trace of the catastrophe. At this point we assume from the verbal descriptions and the tentacles that this Kraken is just a giant squid or Octopus. Although a giant squid would still be more than enough to freak me out, I am still able to classify it which takes away from this films variation fitting into monster thesis three. It is not until a monumental moment in the climax of the film where we actually see the kraken surface in full to feast on Jack Sparro w. Upon its emergence we get a glimpse at a huge mouth filled with rows upon rows of sharp and salivating teeth. This kraken is able to extend its mouth open in a way that is fitting of the earliest descriptions of the kraken in which sailors describe it as being able to open its mouth wide enough to swallow an entire vessels and whales(Salvador, 2016). At this moment in the film we immediately throw all the classifications of the kraken being a giant version of a sea creature out the window and it is here when it becomes the monster that we can no longer classify. The delayed reveal of this creature plays a trick on our minds leading us to believe we know what it is and then all of a sudden we are greeted by a monstrous reveal of the beastie, as Sparrow calls it. We begin to question our assumptions of the monster which monster theorist Jeffrey Cohen explains in the third monster thesis. â€Å"Generally: they are disturbing hybrids whose externally incoherent bodies resist attempt s to include them in any systematic structuration.† Cohen’s observation can be easily broken down as I watched the slow reveal of the Kraken. I thought I had it all figured out, its just a giant squid and then, bam, where in the hell did all those teeth come from? And how in the hell is this thing able to just swallow a ship whole? Its a freakish creature that dwells below and the fear it has struck in the characters suddenly make sense. This kraken in my opinion is the kraken of all krakens. Although we see it die in the film, it took an entire naval fleet to kill it not just some head of a snake lady. This kraken kicked ass and took names before meeting its demise. It swallowed multiple ships effortlessly, it was revealed to us in a way that kept it mysterious and surprising, and it ate the main character of the entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. If this kraken were to fight the kraken from â€Å"Clash of the Titans† it would clearly kick its ass, but t hen again the tiny head of snake lady was able to kick its ass so maybe thats not saying much.         The kraken is said to sleep on the bottom of the ocean floor, and maybe thats where its been all this time that it hasnt been portrayed in a present day or modern way. The few versions we have been given of this beast are enough to prove just how monsterous the kraken truly is. We are never able to understand exactly what it is as it is product of the sea in which we have left unexplored. Its physical features, although sometimes recognizable, are mutated and horrific. It has been portrayed mainly in films and stories set in an era in which it was created. In this era the world as a whole was a new place and it was easy for our minds to create monsters out of pieces of reality. We have explored the planet since then which is perhaps why the role of the kraken as a monster has gone underrepresented. If you ask me we have forgotten the most important thing that defines kraken as just that, even in todays world. The kraken is a warning of what we dont know and what we have left unexplored on our own planet. The monster possibilities under the sea are endless because of our ignorance or perhaps our fear of knowing. Fear, anxiety, and potential of unfathomable monstrosities manifests in the legend of the kraken. I believe this monster is severely underrated and severely underrepresented in todays culture. I suppose the kraken is out there sleeping on the ocean floors and we be wary of the day it wakes and confronts us with our fears that we seem to have forgotten of the unknown parts of our very own planet. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Alder, Emily. Kraken. The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters, Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, Ashgate Publishing, 1st edition, 2014. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ashgtmonster/kraken/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 17 Jul. 2018. This is a detailed analysis of the history of the Kraken.   The author compares the very first documented descriptions of the kraken with other newer variations of the kraken. There is also an in depth analysis of the different names the kraken has in different cultures. I will be using this source to pull various krakens to compare. I will also be using some of the cross examinations. This source is credible because it is a scholar journal found on credo. Sea Serpent. Gaithers Dictionary of Scientific Quotations, edited by Carl C. Gaither, and Alma E. Cavazos-Gaither, Springer Science+Business Media, 2nd edition, 2012. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sprgaithers/sea_serpent/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 29 Jul. 2018. This source summarizes early tales of the kraken and its origins. I will be using this source to understand how we created the monster. I will tie this in to monster theory centered around the monsters being a product of the era in which they were originated. Alder, Emily. Sea Monsters. The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters, Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, Ashgate Publishing, 1st edition, 2014. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ashgtmonster/sea_monsters/0?institutionId=5312. Accessed 29 Jul. 2018. This source gives a detailed background specifically around the origin of various sea monsters. Although the kraken is not mentioned in this academic journal, the observations about the unexplored sea can be applied to my essay. I will use these observations to explain how the kraken is a product of our fears of the unknown associated with the sea. Prelutsky, Jack. â€Å"The Kraken.† 1992 https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/kraken#. Accessed 17. Jul. 2018. This is   poem written about the Kraken.   I will use this source as one of the examples of the kraken that I am examining. Although it is just a short poem it is still very descriptive in its appearance. I will also use this in my introduction. Salvador, Rodrigo Brincalepe. â€Å"The Real-Life Origins of the Legendary Kraken.† The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 4 Jan. 2016, independent.co.uk/news/science/kraken-the-real-life-origins-of-the-legendary-sea-monster-a6796241.html. This is an article that once again details the origin of the kraken however this time the reference of the actual journals is being used. I will use this to explain the fear and anxiety the kraken actually created during this time. This will help me link the kraken to the monster theory that talks about monsters being a specific product of a moment in time or era. Leterrier, Louis, director. Clash of the Titans. Warner Bros., 2010. I will be using the version of the kraken from Clash of the Titans to analyze. Bruckheimer, Jerry, et al. Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Mans Chest. Buena Vista, 2006. I will be using this version of the kraken from Pirates of the Caribbean to analyze. Cohen, J Jeffrey. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Thesis) Monster Theory: Reading Culture, 1996 pp. 3-20 This is the source of the monster thesis which I will be incorporating to analyze and evaluate the kraken. I will compare monster thesis 1, 3, and 5 to the kraken and explain how these theories apply to it.  

Sunday, October 20, 2019

HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland

HMS Queen Mary at the Battle of Jutland HMS Queen Mary was a British battlecruiser that entered service in 1913. The last battlecruiser completed for the Royal Navy prior to World War I, it saw action during the early engagements of the conflict. Sailing with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, Queen Mary was lost at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. HMS Queen Mary Nation:  Great BritainType:  BattlecruiserShipyard:  Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron CompanyLaid Down:  March 6, 1911Launched:  March 20, 1912Commissioned:  September 4, 1913Fate:  Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, May 31, 1916 Specifications Displacement:  27,200 tonsLength:  703 ft., 6 in.Beam:  89 ft., 0.5 in.Draft:  32 ft., 4 in.Propulsion:  Parsons direct-drive steam turbines, 42 Yarrow boilers, 4 x propellersSpeed:  28 knotsRange:  6,460 miles at 10 knotsComplement:  1,275 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" 2 – BL 13.5-inch Mk V guns16 Ãâ€" 1 – BL 4-inch Mk VII guns2 Ãâ€" 1 – 21-inch Mk II submerged torpedo tubes Background On October 21, 1904, Admiral John Jackie Fisher became First Sea Lord at the behest of King Edward VII. Tasked with reducing expenditures and modernizing the Royal Navy, he also began advocating for all big gun battleships. Moving forward with this initiative, Fisher had the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought built two years later. Featuring ten 12-in. guns, Dreadnought instantly made all existing battleships obsolete. Fisher next desired to support this class of battleship with a new type of cruiser that sacrificed armor for speed. Dubbed battlecruisers, the first of this new class, HMS Invincible, was laid down in April 1906. It was Fishers vision that battlecruisers would conduct reconnaissance, support the battle fleet, protect commerce, and pursue a defeated enemy. Over the next eight years, several battlecruisers were constructed by both the Royal Navy and the German Kaiserliche Marine. Design Ordered as part of the 1910–11 Naval Program along with four King George V-class battleships, HMS Queen Mary was to be the sole ship of its class. A follow-on to the earlier Lion-class, the new ship featured an altered interior arrangement, a redistribution of its secondary armament, and a longer hull than its predecessors. Armed with eight 13.5 in. guns in four twin turrets, the battlecruiser also carried sixteen 4 in. guns mounted in casemates. The ships armament received direction from an experimental fire-control system designed by Arthur Pollen. Queen Marys armor scheme varied little from the Lions and was thickest amidships. At the waterline, between B and X turrets, the ship was protected by 9 Krupp cemented armor.   This thinned moving towards the bow and stern. An upper belt of reached a thickness of 6 over the same length. Armor for the turrets consisted of 9 on the front and sides and varied from 2.5 to 3.25 on the roofs. The battlecruisers conning tower was protected by 10 on the sides and 3 on the roof. Additionally, Queen Marys armored citadel was closed off by 4 transverse bulkheads. Power for the new design came from two paired sets of Parsons direct-drive turbines which turned four propellers. While the outboard propellers were turned by high-pressure turbines, the inner propellers were turned by low-pressure turbines. In a change from other British ships since Dreadnought, which had positioned the officers quarters near their action stations amidships, Queen Mary saw them returned to their traditional location in the stern. As a result, it was it the first British battlecruiser to possess a sternwalk. Construction Laid down on March 6, 1911 at Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company in Jarrow, the new battlecruiser was named for King George Vs wife, Mary of Teck. Work progressed over the next year and Queen Mary slid down the ways on March 20, 1912, with Lady Alexandrina Vane-Tempest serving as the Queens representative. Initial work on the battlecruiser ended in May 1913 and sea trials were conducted through June. Though Queen Mary utilized more powerful turbines than earlier battlecruisers, it only barely exceeded its design speed of 28 knots. Returning to the yard for final alterations, Queen Mary came under the command of Captain Reginald Hall. With the completion of the ship, it entered commission on September 4, 1913. World War I Assigned to Vice Admiral David Beattys 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, Queen Mary commenced operations in the North Sea. The following spring saw the battlecruiser make a port call at Brest before a voyage to Russia in June. In August, with Britains entry into World War I, Queen Mary and its consorts prepared for combat. On August 28, 1914, the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron sortied in support of a raid on the German coast by British light cruisers and destroyers. In the early fighting during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, British forces had difficulty disengaging and the light cruiser HMS Arethusa was crippled. Under fire from the light cruisers SMS Strassburg and SMS Cà ¶ln, it called for aid from Beatty. Steaming to the rescue, his battlecruisers, including Queen Mary, sank Cà ¶ln and the light cruiser SMS Ariadne before covering the British withdrawal. Refit That December, Queen Mary took part in Beattys attempt to ambush German naval forces as they conducted a raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby. In a confused series of events, Beatty failed to bring the Germans to battle and they successfully escaped back the Jade Estuary. Withdrawn in December 1915, Queen Mary received a new fire control system before entering the yard for a refit the following month. As a result, it was not with Beatty for the Battle of Dogger Bank on January 24. Returning to duty in February, Queen Mary continued to operate with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron through 1915 and into 1916. In May, British naval intelligence learned that the German High Seas Fleet had left port. Loss at Jutland Steaming in advance of Admiral Sir John Jellicoes Grand Fleet, Beattys battlecruisers, supported by the battleships of the 5th Battle Squadron, collided with Vice Admiral Franz Hippers battlecruisers in the opening phases of the Battle of Jutland. Engaging at 3:48 PM on May 31, the German fire proved accurate from the outset. At 3:50 PM, Queen Mary opened fire on SMS Seydlitz with its forward turrets. As Beatty closed the range, Queen Mary scored two hits on its opponent and disabled one of Seydlitzs aft turrets. Around 4:15, HMS Lion came under intense fire from Hippers ships. The smoke from this obscured HMS Princess Royal forcing SMS Derfflinger to shift its fire to Queen Mary. As this new enemy engaged, the British ship continued to trade hits with Seydlitz. At 4:26 PM, a shell from Derfflinger struck Queen Mary detonating one or both of its forward magazines. The resulting explosion broke the battlecruiser in half near its foremast. A second shell from Derfflinger may have hit further aft. As the after part of the ship began to roll, it was rocked by a ​large explosion before sinking. Of Queen Marys crew, 1,266 were lost while only twenty were rescued. Though Jutland resulted in a strategic victory for the British, it saw two battlecruisers, HMS Indefatigable and Queen Mary, lost with nearly all hands. An investigation into the losses led to changes in ammunition handling aboard British ships as the report showed that cordite handling practices may have contributed to the loss of the two battlecruisers.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Analysing Popular Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysing Popular Music - Essay Example ‘American Idiot’ i iis designed as a Rock Opera, a musical format that first emerged in the popular music scene with Pete Townsend’s highly successful production of Tommy in the early 1970s. In keeping with the genre, Green Day’s album addresses many of the postmodern concerns adolecents are faced with today, including the irony of existence, the decline of organized religion, the dysfunctional nature of the American family and the feelings of isolation and alienation that this incurs in the heart of the American teen. One of the longest tracks on the album, ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ encapsulates these themes as well as provides a turning point for the action of the album. With an understanding of Green Day’s musical genre and the underlying structures of Rock Opera, an analysis of ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ presents the willing participant with an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the postmodern social concerns indemic to t he majority of Green Day listeners. The music of Green Day is typically considered to be punk-pop3; therefore, to understand the music, one must understand the characteristics of punk and pop and how this begins to define their audience in more specific terms. â€Å"Punk came into its own in England in the late ‘70s as a savage reaction to polished, tired mainstream rock and pop. More than a musical revolution, punk was a full-blown assault on the soured, restrictive social and political conventions that lingered in England following World War II† (Muze, 2001).4 Early punk rock bands included the Stooges, the MC5 and the Velvet Underground, all characterized by loud, pounding beats; harsh sounds and often extended improvisations. Although it was seen to gain its popularity primarily in England, many of these musical pioneers originated from the Lower East Side in New York. â€Å"Meanwhile, faster, rawer, and bitterly radio-hostile acts like Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys were

Friday, October 18, 2019

Why People Organize Into Unions (Employee Labor and Relations class) Assignment

Why People Organize Into Unions (Employee Labor and Relations class) Human Resource Management - Assignment Example This statement by the President somehow summarizes why people organize into unions. Organized labor has several core functions which include safety, security, pay and benefits; ensuring jobs remain in the U.S.; having job security; and ensuring adequate pay and benefits (Strata Research, Inc., 2009). These are the main reasons why employees choose to organize into labor unions. Workers believe that joining a union means a protection for their welfare. There are however some workers who choose not to join labor unions in the view that it may force American companies to just outsource job overseas and be free of the headaches brought about by labor unions (Strata Research, Inc., 2009). In the research conducted by Strata Research, their findings show that for employees who choose not to join unions, they believe that current employment laws are adequate to protect their rights while those who join unions view current employment laws as inadequate; thus, the need for additional protecti on through labor unions (2009). The study further revealed that some workers perceive labor unions have become overly protective of employees’ rights by asking for higher salaries and more benefits, making American companies less competitive in the global market. There is strength in numbers. This is another reason why people organize unions. Most people are of the belief that they can get important protection and gain improved conditions better if they join together (Woodley & McGillivary, 2010).

School Hierarchy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

School Hierarchy - Coursework Example The ability to ethically implement decisions in schools is a function of the school management. Different characteristics school hierarchies exist and have their direct effects on the implementation of decisions. This paper will look into the characteristics that are detrimental to the ethical implementation of decisions This is the characteristic of school hierarchies that recognizes only a single channel of information flow. In such hierarchies, the top management are the sole source of information. The decisions made at the top flow downwards and access to feedback is limited. When this happens, the ethical requirements of the community such as inclusion of students with special needs do not obtain feedback from the community (National Research Council, 2012). The lack of feedback deters application of evaluation measures and is thus detrimental to the implementation of ethical decisions. Decision making is an activity that should be done with precautions. The precautions ensure that there is ethicality in the decisions and that the implementation of the decision will have the intended effects on the involved parties. When this is done, positive outcomes are anticipated and achieved (National Research Council, 2012). To achieve such a situation, the school should involve all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that all the affected people are consulted before decisions are made. This ensures that there are no complaints regarding the decisions and their ethicality. When the stakeholders are not involved in the school hierarchy, the decisions made are hard to implement. Any organizations should have all their activities directed towards the achievement of set objectives. This is also true for school hierarchies. When the hierarchies are based on objectives that are ethical, the activities and decisions made are directed towards the achievement of the objectives (Brazer et al., 2010). When; however, the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cotton On Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Cotton On - Assignment Example Internal analysis will also discuss the strategies adopted for attaining growth within the segment in coming years and how marketing mix has helped it to be different from its competitors. Cotton On’s target segment and its marketing strategies to promote products will also be discussed. External environment for Cotton On’s business activities will be discussed in a separate section. For analyzing the external environment, SWOT analysis will be utilized to understand the strengths and weakness as well as opportunities and threats coming from competitors’ business activities will also be analyzed. In addition, the surrounding environment, which includes the domestic and global market situation for the company, its size and the consumers of Cotton On’s products, will be assessed. The results derived from internal and external analysis of business environment for Cotton On will be utilized in the next stage to develop a set of objectives for the marketing of company’s products. These objectives will help further to develop marketing strategies which includes the selection of market segment and positioning of the brand. The suggested marketing objectives and strategies will be supported with the action plan, identification of individuals who are responsible to implement it, time schedule, and budgeting and performance analysis measures. Introduction Cotton On is one of the few organically Australian ready-to-wear (RTW) fashion label. Fairly young in the industry at less than 30 years old, they now have shops all over Australia, New Zealand, and America. It has uniquely mirrored the same image that Australia has project all over the world, relax, simple and comfortable. Its primary target is the youth, 15-30, who feels wants a simple no-nonsense style... The intention of this study is Cotton On as one of the few organically Australian ready-to-wear (RTW) fashion label. Fairly young in the industry at less than 30 years old, they now have shops all over Australia, New Zealand, and America. It has uniquely mirrored the same image that Australia has project all over the world, relax, simple and comfortable. Its primary target is the youth, 15-30, who feels wants a simple no-nonsense style that is flexible yet fashionable. Through the years, there has been constant effort from the brand to reinforce their image through TV commercials, print ads, and out-of-home advertisements. However, the fashion industry has witnessed an incredible shift of media consumption from traditional to digital. Many of these digital adaptors belong to the same target market that Cotton On caters to, young from the broad C. Many businesses have taken advantage of this by, early on, exerting the same effort digitally as they do above the line. Unfortunately, Cot ton On came in late. They, in fact, established their online store less than three years ago. Outside of the online store, very little effort has been exerted to utilize the digital media to reach the Cotton On target market. This lack of digital presence resulted to one of the biggest digital scandal in the business world when facebook members started spreading complaints and protests against Cotton On Children’s line. The protest claimed that Cotton On’s pieces contained â€Å"disrespectful† messages. Cotton On reacted late and not without considerable damage to the brand.

Dell Computer Make to Order (MTO), Make to Stock (MTS) & Assemble to Assignment

Dell Computer Make to Order (MTO), Make to Stock (MTS) & Assemble to Order (ATO) - Assignment Example The researcher states that the Make to Order process maintains quality and the products can be personalized during manufacturing and delivery that creates value for customers. This process has no finished goods inventory. The make to order has a disadvantage since it has intermittent production. Dell Company can benefit from MTO process due to reduced inventory space and can customize their products. From a tax, related standpoint Dell Company may benefit from the process. In terms of customization, Dell Company can customize their products with materials, size, and color.The Company may benefit economically from the process since assembled goods must have more warehouse space. Delaying assembly until a customer makes an order reduces labor cost for the company before payment. However, the company may experience delays since products take longer to produce and deliver. Customers may opt to make orders from other companies that offer quicker deliver products. Assemble to Order is a pr ocess that involves making a part and sub-assembling the products. The process is completed when a customer makes an order. It is a business strategy in production that produces quickly and customized in certain ways. It requires that basic parts are manufactured but not assembled. When an order is placed, the parts are assembled and sent to the recipient. The process has its own advantages in the sense that it has fewer inventories and the service is faster. Its main disadvantage for Dell Company is that it has WIP inventory. This process is appropriate for a computer industry Dell company can benefit from this when large numbers of sub-assemblies are put together. For example, assembling the motherboard, video cards, fans, and battery power are put in one location and the final assembly of the laptop is made easier when an order is made. It enables Dell Company to push inventory back that makes it possible to receive payments for the hardware before other parts are paid for.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Cotton On Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Cotton On - Assignment Example Internal analysis will also discuss the strategies adopted for attaining growth within the segment in coming years and how marketing mix has helped it to be different from its competitors. Cotton On’s target segment and its marketing strategies to promote products will also be discussed. External environment for Cotton On’s business activities will be discussed in a separate section. For analyzing the external environment, SWOT analysis will be utilized to understand the strengths and weakness as well as opportunities and threats coming from competitors’ business activities will also be analyzed. In addition, the surrounding environment, which includes the domestic and global market situation for the company, its size and the consumers of Cotton On’s products, will be assessed. The results derived from internal and external analysis of business environment for Cotton On will be utilized in the next stage to develop a set of objectives for the marketing of company’s products. These objectives will help further to develop marketing strategies which includes the selection of market segment and positioning of the brand. The suggested marketing objectives and strategies will be supported with the action plan, identification of individuals who are responsible to implement it, time schedule, and budgeting and performance analysis measures. Introduction Cotton On is one of the few organically Australian ready-to-wear (RTW) fashion label. Fairly young in the industry at less than 30 years old, they now have shops all over Australia, New Zealand, and America. It has uniquely mirrored the same image that Australia has project all over the world, relax, simple and comfortable. Its primary target is the youth, 15-30, who feels wants a simple no-nonsense style... The intention of this study is Cotton On as one of the few organically Australian ready-to-wear (RTW) fashion label. Fairly young in the industry at less than 30 years old, they now have shops all over Australia, New Zealand, and America. It has uniquely mirrored the same image that Australia has project all over the world, relax, simple and comfortable. Its primary target is the youth, 15-30, who feels wants a simple no-nonsense style that is flexible yet fashionable. Through the years, there has been constant effort from the brand to reinforce their image through TV commercials, print ads, and out-of-home advertisements. However, the fashion industry has witnessed an incredible shift of media consumption from traditional to digital. Many of these digital adaptors belong to the same target market that Cotton On caters to, young from the broad C. Many businesses have taken advantage of this by, early on, exerting the same effort digitally as they do above the line. Unfortunately, Cot ton On came in late. They, in fact, established their online store less than three years ago. Outside of the online store, very little effort has been exerted to utilize the digital media to reach the Cotton On target market. This lack of digital presence resulted to one of the biggest digital scandal in the business world when facebook members started spreading complaints and protests against Cotton On Children’s line. The protest claimed that Cotton On’s pieces contained â€Å"disrespectful† messages. Cotton On reacted late and not without considerable damage to the brand.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Assignment two-Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment two-Culture - Research Paper Example Because of faster evolution of the globalized trends, the consumers are getting increasingly aware of their needs and wants. It needs to be stated that the better and well developed connectivity is helping in the process of rapid dispersion of global trends to the emerging markets from the well established markets, thereby creating the opportunity for development of consumer demands. This increase in consumer demand is having a direct impact on the level of competition existing in the market place. Faced by growing domestic demands in the marketplace, companies with various homogenous kinds of product and services offerings which are located in various world markets are focusing to enter the new markets as they promote significant amount of business opportunity. It is important to state that because of the entrance of companies in new markets, the level of market competition has significantly increased. It is highly interesting to state that the rise in competition in the market plac e has created the demand for talented workers as well as significant job opportunities. Working class masses that have the necessary skills and experience that are needed for working in the competitive corporate environments and were previously residing in various rural and sub urban locations in multiple countries around the world are strongly migrating to the new cities. Because of this shift for jobs, people from various cultures, religion as well as varying personal faiths and beliefs are coming to the newer cities and taking the jobs in the business organizations present there. This automatically triggers diversity in regards to culture in the workplace. This research paper intends to focus on the theme of whether the cultural differences influence the human resource managemen

My Production of Act 1 Essay Example for Free

My Production of Act 1 Essay My production of this scene will be performed in the round, with the audience seats rising outwards as if looking in to a pit. The stage itself will have a single light shining brightly from the centre straight up into a gap in the ceiling. The performance will be set in the main hallway of an expansive mansion, with the dim outlines of a staircase in the backgrounds, but the lighting will be very poor apart from the centre stage light. The beginning of the play will begin with complete pitch dark, so as to scare the audience, and to open their minds to all the possible evils in the eye of the imagination. The half-light will semi-illuminate the background and then the flash of the centre stage light will shock them, as the unexplainable phenomenon of thunder that Shakespeare used to show evil in his script, as the people of that time were very apprehensive about thunder and lightning, and believed witches could control the weather, inspiring the fear of power. As the thunder, a corpse will come dropping like only a corpse knows how, through the roof and onto the light, causing semi-darkness once more. As the audience are examining the corpse while trying not to look too closely, the flash of steel from the long, thin dagger straight to its target, will give the audience a presence of true sadism, a torturer who does not know when to stop, a merciless twisted mind. As the blade hits the torso of the stiff, a soft thud will horrify the audience, as to how easily the knife cut through it, right to the hilt. This will serve as a warning as to what they are going to witness, much like the summary of the play before it was performed in Shakespeares day, only simpler. The entrance of the evil coven will be dramatic, although not from a trapdoor, like Shakespeare would have done creating the image of an entry from hell. The assassins, all clad in black tight fitting suits which cover their faces, introducing the image of deception and battle with knives almost all over them, and each having six fingers on their left hand, showing disease and evil, as the people in that day believed left handed people were evil. The assassins will use ropes to descend, and each will be at a different third of the stage facing each of the thirds of the audience, giving them a long and contemptuous look, and stating their unchallenged superiority of them all. As they chant, their voices merging into one, purple smoke will swirl inwards as the gathering of evil. Shakespeare would have just used the witches voices becoming one to show the power of evil being gathered, As now more technology is available than in Shakespeares day, I will use the smoke to add more power behind the words in the eyes if the audience, and to show the effects of evil working instantaneously. The chanting will start off slow, quiet and broken. As they progress, eyes never leaving the audience, they will speed up as the evil draws in, and get louder without physically showing the needed exertion for such a volume, hinting at their supernatural intensity. Then they will exit via the ropes, and the carcass will fell through a trapdoor as if buried right into the underworld. Shakespeare would have the witches digging while they chanted, but these personifications of evil were above mortal toil. Shakespeare would also show the power of the witches by having them vanish from the audience, but the assassins will show their power by not seeming to do anything, but they had to be the ones chanting, right? The audience will be asking themselves and by this see them as immortal, above the three dimensions of this reality. And as the stage fades into darkness the scene will end, beginning and starting in the same place; absolute black, suggesting a cycle of evil, which is suggested at the end of the Polanski film as Malcolm approached the witches subsequent to his coronation. This gives the audience that kings come and go, but the controller of this puppet show, the witches, always remains. Since the technology of Shakespeares day could not support the lighting and special effects of modern day theatre, the dialogue of the characters played an important, if not vital, part in the audiences ability to follow the spread of evil. The double meanings of the words reflect the deviousness of evil, and the point of not speaking in iambic pentameters when consumed by evil, for the example the ravings of the mad Lady Macbeth, made it clear where evil has spread while remaining subtle enough not to ruin the mood of the scenes. The echoes of the witches words also represent where evil has touched the characters. It showed the extent of the witches grip on events, and the speed in which their actions take effect. Also, the soliloquised dialogues, primarily Macbeths, show how far evil has reached into his mind and others, changing the way they think, and how they act as well. Shakespeare has cleverly exploited the English language to represent the evil present.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Combatting the Rise of Fake News

Combatting the Rise of Fake News Fake news in the recent decade has been propagated by traditional and, more so, social media, with the intention to deceive readers with false information to maximize traffic and profit. Although it is not a new phenomenon, the emergence of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have eased the dispersion of disinformation, making it nearly impossible to distinguish real and fabricated information at first glance. Fake news has been a strong factor in major events in the world including the recent U.S. Presidential Elections, where it has been linked to influencing the results of the elections. It is also used as a political weapon, used to dismiss any news that goes against the views of the political party as false all without a need for explanation or proof. Canada is not unaffected by this. In January 2017, Nick Kouvalis, the campaign manager for Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch has been fired for posting false information about the Trudeau office claiming on Twitter that the Trudeau office was using billions of taxpayers money to fund terrorist groups rather than to help the homeless and jobless. In the same month, reports began circulating that the shooter of the Quebec mosque was yelling Allahu Akbar though it has been taken down after the Trudeau office took on those false reports. This does not take away from the fact that millions have been exposed to these false news and form opinions based on artificially created information. In an effort to curb fake news and their effects, the federal heritage committee is currently compiling a report about the future of media and journalism in Canada, in which fake news is heavily brought up. The report is to be shown to the Parliament in spring this year. Canada is also in talks with Google and Facebook to identify fake news on their site. However, curbing fake news is hard as doing so would limit the freedom of the press, something which goes against Canadas policies and beliefs. Furthermore, drawing the line in identifying fake news, after outright falsehoods have been removed, is hard due to the multitude of sites with ideological bias and views. In the light of concern about the spread of fake news, Canada is proposing several solutions that should: establish an international cyber board for the intention to tackle fake news; utilization of international cyber board to monitor news and distinguish between fake and real news; collaborate with large multinational social corporations including Facebook and Twitter; increase research and development into tools that can be used by citizens to identify fake news and report it; create a registration system for news sites to register themselves and to be verified by the international cyber board. Canada believes that the fight against fake news will be hard and long but knows that it is necessary to ensure that citizens are able to form opinions from real facts rather than alternative truths. References: Public Policy Forum (2017, January). The Shattered Mirror: News, Democracy and Trust in the Digital Age. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://shatteredmirror.ca/wpcontent/uploads/theShatteredMirror.pdf. BBC (2016, December 26). Canada MP Probe Ways to Curtail Fake News. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38399892. The Washington Post (2017, February 26). The White Houses Big Fake News Cop-out. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/thefix/wp/2017/02/26/fake-news-is-a-potent-political-strategy-its-also-a-copout/?utm_term=.f509281f95d6. The Canadian Press (2017, Jan 24). Facebook, Google to Tackle Fake News In Canada With New Tools. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from https://www.thestar.com/business/2017/01/24/facebook-google-to-tackle-fake-news-incanada-with-new-tools.html. Wood, L.S, Hatch, C (2017, February 2). How Vulnerable is Canada to fake news?. Retrieved Feb 25, 2017, from http://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/02/02/analysis/howvulnerable-canada-fake-news-very.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Anatomy of a Love Letter :: essays research papers

Anatomy of A Letter, Part I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You’re right Sandra. A letter from you is the very last thing that I want right now. We have been together for so long and I know you feel that I am throwing it all away as some sort of â€Å"over reaction† but you fail to see the bigger picture. Just put yourself in my shoes for a moment and stop thinking about you and maybe you’ll see the reason why our relationship is beyond repair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I understand that our relationship was, as you put it, â€Å"stalled† due to a lack of concern about our future together. What I don’t get is that you didn’t come to me once to tell me how you were felling about that huge step in our lives. I had no idea how important it was to you that our careers coincide. You are a very independent woman and I didn’t want my aspirations to hinder your progress in the corporate world. You see, that’s one of our problems, we have a lack of communication. We have known each other since we were children and yet you still find it hard to come and talk to me whenever something upsets you. Instead you found Mr. â€Å"lovedoc† and talked to him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And another thing, this whole situation is not about you. Do you know how many times you mentioned yourself in your letter? 33 times!! This is supposed to be about US and how we can get past this together. You know, You didn’t even say your were sorry. Not once did you even apologize. You kept talking about YOU, and what YOU had to sacrifice and what YOU have to give. There is no such thing as a one sided relationship. I gave my all in this relationship too. And unlike you I didn’t need another woman to run to when things got rough. I stayed faithful to you through the goodtime and the bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I don’t think you will ever know the pain that I am going through right now. You will never know the heartache I felt when I read those e-mails, one after the other, each spoken with such lust and desire.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Reflection on Placebo Effect Essay

Does a Supportive Patient-Therapist Relationship Enhance Clinical Improvement? Kaptchuk (2008), Components of Placebo Effect: Randomised Controlled Trial in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (PRO) Argument 1: Kaptchuk (2008) suggested that placebo effects (non-specific effects) include three components: a patient’s response to observation and assessment, the patient’s response to the administration of placebo treatment, and the patient’s response to the patient-practitioner interaction. Kaptchuk (2008) found that the symptoms of IBS patients in the condition with placebo treatment and supportive patient-therapist relationship ameliorated the most across all measures compared to patients with having only observation and the patients with only placebo treatment. Thus he claimed that a supportive patient-therapist relationship is the most potent component of placebo effects. Argument 2: After three and six weeks, only in the condition with placebo treatment and supportive patient-therapist relationship, the symptom severity score of 60% patients decreased 50. Also Kaptchuk (2008) found that after six weeks, the change in life quality of patient in condition with only observation and the life quality of patient in condition with placebo treatment was similar, but the life quality change of patient with placebo treatment and supportive patient-therapist relationship was observable. So Kaptchuk (2008) suggested that a supportive patient-therapist relationship can enhance clinical improvement. Argument 3: Kaptchuk (2008) also compared these IBS patients to the patients who received IBS drug treatment. He found that the patients with placebo treatment and supportive relationship had comparable symptom relief as those who with drug treatment. His finding was only applied to IBS patients with supportive patient-therapist relationship, thus he indicated that a supportive patient-therapist relationship could enhance the efficiency of clinical treatment. Critique (or Strength): The result of the study done by Kaptchuk (2008) clearly demonstrated the importance of supportive patient-therapist relationship in medical treatment. However, Kaptchuk conducted the study on IBS patients, because he believed that placebo effects are most likely to be demonstrable in disorders defined by subjective symptoms. As Kaptchuk (2008) stated in limitation that he did not know if his finding could be applied to other illnesses, I also think that if Kaptchuk conducted his study on patients with the disease that has external causes, the results will be more convincing. One of important causes of IBS is stress, a subjective etiology. Thus a supportive patient-therapist relationship may have greater influence on IBS patient than the patient with other diseases, like flu.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Atlantic Computers Case Analysis Essay

1. Stick with company tradition by charging only for hardware and give the PESA software tool away for free. As can be seen in Exhibit 2, there is a noticeable difference between basic servers running with and without the PESA software. This difference would cater directly to those customers in the file-sharing application and web-server segments of the market. Currently, as the Tronn would be competing directly with the rival company’s Zink server, which is priced at $1,700 as opposed to the Tronn’s $2,000, customer’s would assume that the Zink is better value as it costs less, despite the fact that the price shows a 40% mark-up over Tronn’s 30% mark-up. By offering the PESA software tool as part of the overall package, Tronn could add a value advantage over Zink, as they do not offer a software tool which enhances the performance of the server. However, as aforementioned, the customers using the basic servers would benefit most from the PESA software, rather than the high-performance servers. According to Exhibit 1, the majority of units sold are those of the high-performance servers. 2. Charge a price equal to what the customer would pay for four Ontario Zink servers. The case states that Ontario’s Zink servers dominate the basic server segment, and therefore the introduction of the Tronn server would mean that the two companies would be competing directly against one another. Further, Ontario holds a supply-chain advantage over Atlantic, in that they ensure that their products are widely available to all consumers, e.g. the majority of their sales are generated online. However, when loaded with the PESA software, Tronn’s servers run at an efficiency of 4 times faster than their standard speed. The option suggests that the Tronn, when loaded with the PESA software, should be valued at four times as much as the Zink server, as it would be performing at the same standard. This would price the Tronn at $6,800. While a price this high would indeed generate revenue, it must be considered that the Tronn is a new product entering the market. Without appropriate marketing, the consumer would be unaware of the benefits of using the Tronn and thus would opt for the much cheaper option, Zink. This strategy is called skimming. In order to be successful, Atlantic would have to ensure that consumers are aware of the significant product differentiation between the Tronn and the Zink servers (i.e. The PESA software). 3. Charge a price based on a cost-plus approach to pricing PESA (based on software tool’s development costs). As stated above, the cost-plus approach is Atlantic’s standard pricing strategy. In the case, Atlantic is said to have production restraints and therefore will only be able to produce a certain number of Tronn servers in the near term. For example, if Atlantic can sell all of its projected units in the first three years, they are looking at selling 212,000 units in total. In the first year, the percentage of market share rises by 4%, meaning that the total number of Tronn servers sold was 2,000. In the second year, the percentage rises by 9%, giving a total of 6,300 servers sold. In the third year, this raises to 14% and 12,880 servers sold. Of these 21,180 servers, assume that only half are loaded with PESA software, giving us 10,590 servers with the software in total over the three years. The development costs of the PESA software totalled $2,000,000,000. In order to cover the development costs of the software in the first three years, Atlantic would have to price the software at $189. If we assume the Tronn server without the software costs $1,538 to produce, and the PESA is to be included in the sales price, we are looking at a $1,727 production cost. Adding a mark-up of 30%, the sales price of the Tronn and PESA (Atlantic bundle) would be $2,245.10. 4. Charge a price based on value-in-pricing. In order to calculate a total savings price, it is necessary to determine the calculations of a few other items. Also, in these calculations, we will assume that the Tronn server is valued at $2,000. Firstly, considering that one Tronn server loaded with the PESA software is performs to the same standard as four Zink servers, it can be said that a saving of $1,600 per annum can be had by purchasing just one Tronn as opposed to 4 Zink servers. Secondly, annual electricity savings are equal to $250. Third, the cost of application software licenses is equal to $750 per year. Finally, if a server administrator earns $80,000 per year and the number of servers one can manage is 40, labour cost savings are $2,000 per year. The total savings can be added to achieve $4,600 per year. In a quick summary of the above, the following can be noted: * In Option 1, the price of the Tronn and PESA software tool would be $2,000. * In Option 2, the price of the Tronn and PESA software tool would be $6,800. * In Option 3, the price of the Tronn and PESA software tool would be $2,245.10. * In Option 4, the savings of purchasing the Tronn and PESA software tool would be $4,600. I believe that Option 1 would not be an intelligent strategy for Jowers to use. Without charging for the PESA software, the company will find themselves struggling to pay off the costs of developing the tool in the first place. This means they would have to sell more units in the first three years than what they originally projected, giving the company unrealistic sales assumptions and in my opinion, they would ultimately suffer profit losses. I also consider Option 2 to be a bad choice of strategy. While one Tronn server, in conjunction with the PESA tool can indeed perform to the power of four Zink servers, it would be foolish to price the Tronn at the equivalent of this. A price of $6,800 for just one server is too much for a consumer to consider paying, especially for a product that is new into an already established market. Serious marketing and clear differentiation would be required to ensure the success of this strategy, both of which can be very time-consuming and costly. While Option 4 shows a significant number in savings, I would recommend that Option 3, the cost-plus pricing strategy be used in launching the Atlantic Bundle into the basic-server consumer market. As stated in the case, Atlantic Computers is already a strong player in the high performance servers segment, but due to the consistent growth of the internet, the new market of basic servers is emerging. Jowers discovered that one of the main reasons that Atlantic succeeded in the high performance severs market was by product differentiation. This is a large factor in the Tronn’s appeal to the basic server segment, as it also comes with the PESA software tool, something that Zink computers does not have. However, Ontario Computers competes mainly on price, due to the fact that they are able to sell their products online and therefore cut costs in other areas. Despite this, I believe that with Atlantic emerging into the market with a superior product, they will be able to compete successfully. According to Atlantic Computers general consensus, they do not usually charge extra for software tools. However, the importance of the PESA tool must be made known to the sales force. Firstly, without charging extra for the tool, the company will struggle to generate enough revenue in the first three years to pay of the development costs of the product. Furthermore, Jowers followed the status quo and used cost-plus pricing to determine the value of the software, and after adding that cost onto the production costs of the Tronn itself and also adding a 30% mark-up, the total bundle only cost $245.10 more than the Tronn would cost on its own. Emphasis should also be put on the fact that one Tronn server loaded with the PESA software tool, which was valued at $2,245.10, performed to the equivalency of four basic Zink servers, which in total would be valued at $6,800. This shows a $4554.90 saving for customers who choose to purchase the Atlantic Bundle over the required four Zink servers for the same performance. With Jowers given the opportunity to talk with prospective buyers at the trade show, he will also have the chance to explain the features and benefits of purchasing the Atlantic Bundle himself as well as obtaining firsthand consumer feedback on the products. According to the case, the CEO of Ontario Computers states, â€Å"Our business model is not to be the leading innovator on product technology. Rather, our business model is to provide leading technology to customers via the most flexible and innovative supply chain strategy possible†. The company achieved this by managing to cut their costs through distributing their products online and thus were able to offer their product for a much cheaper price than Atlantic Computers. In retaliation to the introduction of the Tronn in the market, Ontario Computer will most likely continue to base their business model on operational excellence and continue to search for ways to compete on price. Another consequence could be the company developing a software tool of their own to compete directly with the PESA tool. If this was to happen, it could pose a threat to Atlantic Computers in that Ontario would still most likely be capable of competing on price, giving them the competitive advantage. However, if Atlantic manages to establish their brand before their competition gets a chance to retaliate, they should have no problem holding onto their market share and consumer segment.