Leader Profiling – Leadership – Golda Meir

Golda Meir’s Determination, loyalty, integrity and conscientiousness were major leadership traits that will always be respected in the Jewish community. She was described as the â€Å"Iron Lady† of  Israeli politics  years before the term became associated with British prime minister  Margaret Thatcher. Former prime minister  David Ben-Gurion  used to call Meir â€Å"the best man in the government†; * Determination: the desire to get the job done (Northouse, p. 25) Golda Meir was determined to overachieve and protect Israel’s interests throughout her life, even throughout her childhood she organized a fund raisers to pay for her classmates’ books.Another display of determination was entering politics, a male dominated field, and being praised by her subordinates for her decisions. She was determined to lead a change and always sought after leadership positions. â€Å"Although she was born in Russia and educated in the United States, where she trained as a teacher, she arrived in Palestine when she was in her twenties and lived on a kibbutz. She immediately became active in the newly-formed Histadrut trade union movement† (Butt, 1998) * Loyalty – Golda Meir’s loyalty to Israel cannot be questioned.With her family fleeing Russia where she was born in 1898, to begin a new life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There she developed a passionate commitment to form a Jewish state. She worked tirelessly by raising money and used her gifts of charm and oratory to promote the cause of an independent Jewish state. * Integrity – the quality of honesty and trustworthiness. (Northouse, p. 25) Golda Meir saw integrity as the currency of Israel’s survival (Burkett, 2008). The way Golda spoke with her followers and involved them in decision making built a high level of trust and honesty within the Israeli government.Meir led by example; she practiced the same morals and beliefs that she preached. * Conscient iousness – the tendency to be thorough, organized, controlled, dependable, and decisive (Northouse, p. 27). Golda Meir’s conscientiousness was shown during her academic career, where she graduated as valedictorian. Moreover she has shown her control, dependability, and hard work On May 10, 1948, four days before the official establishment of the state, Meir traveled to  Amman  disguised as an Arab woman for a secret meeting with  King of  Transjordan  at which she urged him not to join the other Arab countries in attacking the Jews.Golda Meir had many of the traits associated with a transformational leader, such as idealized influence, charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Golda Meir led by the rule of dedication to her country and her personal concern for all people are legendary. Whatever Golda Meir did, she did for the people, always listened to her followers and wasn’t intolerant of opposing views, she considered all options and whenever she had to make a decision she consulted with her team.Since Israel was established to be a Jewish state, she worked to improve the lives of her people; she created a vision for the young state to ensure that Jews across the world learned of her vision and take the necessary steps to achieve it. Meir was the leader Israel needed in a time of crisis, she was charismatic with exceptional rhetoric skills, and both attributes are crucial to political leaders. â€Å"†¦transformational leadership results in people feeling better about themselves and their contributions to the greater common goal† (Northouse, p. 00) Indeed Jews across the world migrated to Israel in hopes of living in Golda Meir’s overall vision of the state of Israel. Golda Meir’s ability to lead the people to their common goal while keeping a unified nation, not becoming power hungry, and always keeping what’s best for the country first, are the main goals and achievements of an ideal transformational leader.SOURCES http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/events/israel_at_50/profiles/81288. stm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Golda_Meir Golda Meir: The Iron Lady of the Middle East: The First Woman Prime Minister in the West, Eleanor Burkett, Gibson Square Books Ltd; (2008)

The Role of the Quantity Surveying Profession within the contemporary Built Environment

Before discussing the role of the quantity surveyor, it’s very important to get an idea about the built environment where the quantity surveyor works. Simply the built environment means human made buildings, cities, roads and surroundings etc.. that could provide an environment for their activities. The concept of the built environment was introduced in Greece in many centuries ago in the process of developing their cities using grid plans. But the modern concept of built environment is far more complex than that. Considering the contemporary built environment, with huge increase of the population in the world over the last century human desires are risen up and became more complicated. Similarly necessity to have houses, cities, roads, which is called built environment, has become compulsive aspect of human life. Since the Quantity Surveyor is a significant character of constructing that built environment, he/she has to play a vital role in it. The Origin of the Quantity Surveying What is the quantity surveying? According to the Seeley (1997), Quantity Surveying is a profession which would prepare an accurate bill of quantities to be priced by tendering contractors and who would measure and value any variations that might occur during the progress of the works. But when considering the history of this profession, the origin of quantity surveying carries us way back to the 17th century. In 1666 after the Great Fire, London was under restoration process it needed huge no. of workers like masons, carpenters and other tradesmen. Before the 1666 all the workers mentioned above got paid daily basis. But the large amount of labor needed to restore the city after the fire, it made governors to think twice and decided to pay each worker for the quantity of work they had done. It meant on behalf of the salary workers had been paid for the amount of carpentry, masonry and other works they had done. Therefore one person had to read the drawings of the buildings and take off the quantity of work each and every trade in the construction and at the same time he had to prepare an estimate for the total cost. And the Quantity Surveying profession was evolved to the current status after that incidence. History of the Quantity Surveying In early 70’s there was a misunderstanding about the profession that believing the â€Å"valuation† and the â€Å"measurement† are covering the whole area of quantity surveying. Therefore quantity surveying profession was highlighted only for its â€Å"Technical† role throughout that period. But measurement and valuation are only two functions performed by quantity surveyors. Because of this nature, many people believed that the functions done by the quantity surveyor can be undertaken by any person or machine that can perform arithmetic calculations, like a computer. â€Å"The QS is not a necessity in the order of things. Any convenient and cheap method of multiplying drawings and specifications and placing copies in the hands of each estimator would answer the same purpose and get rid of the QS for good† (Anon, 1889 cited in Wood, 2008). Changing roles of Quantity Surveying Despite all the above doubts quantity surveying profession was survived and presently regarded as one of the most expensive profession in the construction industry. Also quantity surveying is being known as a dynamic profession and its skills section had gone for different changes over the last decade or so. Smith (2004) mentioned that the quantity surveying profession has faced to considerable changes over the last decade in terms of scope and the type of contributions provided within and outside the construction process. Ashworth (1981) pointed out the changing role of the quantity surveyor in recent past has been significant. Traditional roles of Quantity Surveying Quantity Surveyor Is the person who giving advices and preparing documents regarding cost estimating and financial section of the construction process. Thirty years ago the role of quantity surveyor was to prepare Bill of Quantities and providing Final Accounts only. â€Å"The traditional role of quantity surveyor is the professional who provides advice about cost and financial management for the construction process. The traditional services provided are considered to be of a technical basis, such as preparing the cost plan and the bills of quantities, tender documentation and tender appraisal, interim payments, measuring and valuing variations, advising on anticipated final costs and preparing the final account† (Burnside and Westcott, 1999). Competencies of Quantity Surveying Quantity surveyors are also well known as a construction economists who perform various and wide range of duties to support the cost effective construction projects. The core competencies of quantity surveying profession such as determining the budgets of projects, measuring project quantities, preparing Bills of Quantities, cost control documents, administrating contracts, and preparing final accounts, etc.. should be maintained and enhanced in order to adapt to changes in many areas of the construction industry since the quantity surveyor’s success depends not only the skills which he/she has. Practitioners need to be far more adaptable and willing to change their standard work practices than in the past (Smith, 2004). Also the RICS has introduced and highlighted some basic and optional core competencies that required of quantity surveyors to enhance their ability to face the varying construction industry and they are as follows. Competencies required of Quantity Surveyors for professional Competency (RICS) Basic competencies Core competencies Optional competencies Personal and interpersonal skills Construction contract practice Arbitration & other dispute resolution procedures Business skills Construction technology and environmental services Development appraisal Data, information and information technology Economics of construction Facilities management Professional practice Procurement and financial management Insolvency Law Insurance Measurement Project management Mapping Property investment funding Research methodologies and techniques Valuation Taxation allowances & grants Apart from that, Information Technology has made huge impact on quantity surveying profession as though it is spread out all over the construction industry. Smith (2004; 2006) keep emphasized that all the professionals should have the knowledge of how to use the AUTOCAD properly and accurately and be an expertise in the field of construction without delaying. (Odeyinka, 2008) Stated that, commercially developed software packages are available worldwide to improve the performance of quantity surveyors. Frei, (2009) also stated that with the intention of developing the productivity and high performance of the industry it is necessary to invest in information technology (IT) and information communication technology (ICT). RICS (1991) In 1990s and 2000s, Quantity Surveyors should be more innovative, more pro-active and more mobile to solve the problems and the changing of client requirements. New skills and services will be progressively developed from continuous research and developments of new techniques. Evolving roles of Quantity Surveying The quantity surveying profession has been able to evolve and diversify into new areas of practicing, providing a wider range of services, with the modern quantity surveyor covering all aspects of project cost management, procurement and contract management (Lee, Trench and Willis 2011) (Menaha Thayaparan, et.al2011) â€Å"Deviating from its traditional â€Å"technical† role, during mid-80’s RICS has promoted the role of the Quantity Surveyor as â€Å"the Building Economist†, â€Å"Cost Engineer†, â€Å"Procurement consultant† and as a â€Å"Cost Consultant† (RICS, 1986; RICS, 1991). These roles have attributed more of a â€Å"managerial† image to the quantity surveying profession.† Since that dynamic nature of the profession, it has been shaped up to provide timely needs such as cost and value management, project management, procurement consultant, quality management, risk management, arbitration, and many more non-traditional services of the construction industry without limiting to its narrow scope. QSBC (2009) Has been suggested that the role of the quantity surveyor has outspread over time beyond its main scope of financial based concerns not only to cover the knowledge of values, cost, labor and materials, but also to include legal and contractual matters, like wise being a consultants on construction business and also has to be concern about developers, the government, contractors and the general project management. According to the facts which I have discussed so far, it has declared that Quantity Surveyors not only have to perform traditional roles by offering traditional services nevertheless also have to play contemporary roles by granting non-traditional or additional services to fill up the demand of this innovative and mutable construction industry. Apart from those cost concerned aspects discussed above, quantity surveyors are also needed to be conversant in construction management and procurement, contractual administration and legal aspects of construction within the modern built environment. Therefore it’s important to discuss about management knowledge of quantity surveyor which gives the ability to adapt to divers conditions and to solve problems emerge in financial and contractual sectors which are very unique for each and every construction projects. In the recent past years it has been not rare for quantity surveyors to widen their scope of profession and put themselves in a position of project manager with the amount of experience they have got. The importance of the Project Management is growing worldwide and it has huge impact on productivity and quality of the project. By using this art of leading and coordinating material and human resources in construction process called project management, Quantity surveyor will be able to complete project on time within the budget. â€Å"Is a quantity surveyor an estimator, contract manager or project manager? The short answer to this question is yes, yes and yes. People from a quantity surveying background may find working environment compatible with any of those roles because the training qualifications acquired from the quantity surveying create the pathways† (Donald Towey ,2012, pp.110) It is possible to list about 5 main evolved roles of the quantity surveying profession from the information mentioned above. 1. Client advocate and representative 2. Construction designing and economics 3. Construction planning and procurement 4. Construction administration and management 5. Project management Emerging roles of Quantity Surveying Not limiting to discussing about the changes that already has made an impact on the profession, it’s better to address about changes which are going to happen in near future to the quantity surveying profession. Due to the latest economic climate over the world, there are very fewer resources available to commence new building projects. But it has become viable with the finding of new ways to handle building project more cost-efficiently by modern quantity surveyors who has given the traditional and contemporary monetary roles. Whence, future changes of quantity surveying profession seem to be more compulsive and its influence to the construction industry should be more explored by the quantity surveyors. Sustainability, whole life costing and the building information modeling (BIM) are the three main emerging roles of quantity surveying profession. When it comes to the whole life costing, it is a technique that use intentionally to improve efficiency, sustainability and also it provides clear information to the client whether the project is going to be financially viable or not after built. Calculating the costs of building and the items included for its whole life is called whole life costing assessment. By carrying these assessments prior to any other works which has been taken into count maintenance, operational and demolition costs of the project with the consideration of the inflation, client will be able to get best value for his money. The concept of sustainable construction is becoming more significant in the world as we are trying to bring down the environmental pollution and the greenhouse gases globally. By using recycled material, installing innovative natural sourced systems (solar systems) and introducing efficient material, labor and waste management, Sustainability can be admitted to the construction industry. Building Information Modeling (BIM) compares all details about projects design and its construction and operation process to meet the maximum efficiency at any stage of the project by using a computer generated model. (BIMIWG 2011) Furthermore, capability of identifying number of variations in design and compare them with traditional measures in a second, reduces the workload of the quantity surveyor. Also the changes has being made to quantity surveying profession with BIM is enforced by the UK government as 3D-BIM modeling will be essential component of every project by 2016. (BIMIWG 2011) Conclusion In brief, this report has done a critical discussion on traditional and contemporary roles of quantity surveying, origin and history of the profession, key and core competencies of quantity surveying and also changing, evolved and emerging roles of quantity surveying profession. Due to the changing nature of client’s and the market demand the quantity surveying profession has evolved continuously during recent decades. Clients not only ask for traditional services but also request for nontraditional services like project management, procurement, construction administration in contemporary built environment. Also there are some emerging aspects like whole life costing assessments, sustainability and BIM that could add more changes to the quantity surveying profession in near future. Therefore, in order to develop their skills and practice Quantity Surveyors should be well aware of these changes and has to adapt to them quickly.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 25

12 Las Zenow said with a certain trace of awe in his voice, â€Å"I didn't know you were so friendly with the Emperor, Professor Seldon.† â€Å"Why not? He's a very democratic fellow for an Emperor and he was interested in my experiences as a First Minister in Cleon's time.† â€Å"It made a deep impression on us all. We haven't had an Emperor in our halls for many years. Generally, when the Emperor needs something from the Library-â€Å" â€Å"I can imagine. He calls for it and it is brought to him as a matter of courtesy.† â€Å"There was once a suggestion,† said Zenow chattily, â€Å"that the Emperor be outfitted with a complete set of computerized equipment in his palace, hooked directly into the Library system, so that he would not need to wait for service. This was in the old days when credits were plentiful, but, you know, it was voted down.† â€Å"Was it?† â€Å"Oh yes, almost the entire Board agreed that it would make the Emperor too much a part of the Library and that this would threaten our independence from the government.† â€Å"And does this Board, which will not bend to honor an Emperor, consent to let me remain at the Library?† â€Å"At the present moment, yes. There is a feeling-and I've done my best to encourage it-that if we are not polite to a personal friend of the Emperor, the chance of a rise in appropriations will be gone altogether, so-â€Å" â€Å"So credits-or even the dim prospect of credits-talk.† â€Å"I'm afraid so.† â€Å"And can I bring in my colleagues?† Zenow looked embarrassed. â€Å"I'm afraid not. The Emperor was seen walking only with you-not with your colleagues. I'm sorry, Professor.† Seldon shrugged and a mood of deep melancholy swept over him. He had no colleague to bring in, anyhow. For some time he had hoped to locate others like Wanda and he had failed. He, too, would need funding to mount an adequate search. And he, too, had nothing. 13 Trantor, the capital world-city of the Galactic Empire, had changed considerably since the day Hari first stepped off the hypership from his native Helicon thirty-eight years ago. Was it the pearly haze of an old man's memory that made the Trantor of old shine so brightly in his mind's eye, Hari wondered. Or perhaps it had been the exuberance of youth-how could a young man from a provincial Outer World such as Helicon not be impressed by the gleaming towers, sparkling domes, the colorful, rushing masses of people that had seemed to swirl through Trantor, day and night. Now, Hari thought sadly, the walkways are nearly deserted, even in the full light of day. Roving gangs of thugs controlled various areas of the city, competing among themselves for territory. The security establishment had dwindled; those who were left had their hands full processing complaints at the central office. Of course, security officers were dispatched as emergency calls came through, but they made it to the scene only after a crime was committed-they no longer made even a pretense of protecting the citizens of Trantor. A person went out at his own risk-and a great risk it was. And yet Hari Seldon still took that risk, in the form of a daily walk, as if defying the forces that were destroying his beloved Empire to destroy him as well. And so Hari Seldon walked along, limping-and thoughtful. Nothing worked. Nothing. He had been unable to isolate the genetic pattern that set Wanda apart-and without that, he was unable to locate others like her. Wanda's ability to read minds had sharpened considerably in the six years since she had identified the flaw in Yugo Amaryl's Prime Radiant. Wanda was special in more ways than one. It was as if, once she realized that her mental ability set her apart from other people, she was determined to understand it, to harness its energy, to direct it. As she had progressed through her teen years, she had matured, throwing off the girlish giggles that had so endeared her to Hari, at the same time becoming even dearer to him in her determination to help him in his work with the powers of her â€Å"gift.† For Hari Seldon had told Wanda about his plan for a Second Foundation and she had committed herself to realizing that goal with him. Today, though, Seldon was in a dark mood. He was coming to the conclusion that Wanda's mentalic ability would get him nowhere. He had no credits to continue his work-no credits to locate others like Wanda, no credits to pay his workers on the Psychohistory Project at Streeling, no credits to set up his all-important Encyclopedia Project at the Galactic Library. Now what? He continued to walk toward the Galactic Library. He would have been better off taking a gravicab, but he wanted to walk-limp or not. He needed time to think. He heard a cry-â€Å"There he is!†-but paid no attention. It came again. â€Å"There he is! Psychohistory!† The word forced him to look up. Psychohistory. A group of young men was closing in around him. Automatically Seldon placed his back against the wall and raised his cane. â€Å"What is it you want?† They laughed. â€Å"Credits, old man. Do you have any credits?† â€Å"Maybe, but why do you want them from me? You said, ‘Psychohistory!' Do you know who I am?† â€Å"Sure, you're Raven Seldon† said the young man in the lead. He seemed both comfortable and pleased. â€Å"You're a creep,† shouted another. â€Å"What are you going to do if I don't give you any credits?† â€Å"We'll beat you up,† said the leader, â€Å"and we'll take them.† â€Å"And if I give you my credits?† â€Å"We'll beat you up anyway!† They all laughed. Hari Seldon raised his cane higher. â€Å"Stay away. All of you.† By now he had managed to count them. There were eight. He felt himself choking slightly. Once he and Dors and Raych had been attacked by ten and they had had no trouble. He had been only thirty-two at the time and Dors-was Dors. Now it was different. He waved his cane. The leader of the hoodlums said, â€Å"Hey, the old man is going to attack us. What are we going to do?† Seldon looked around swiftly. There were no security officers around. Another indication of the deterioration of society. An occasional person or two passed by, but there was no use calling for help. Their footsteps increased in speed and made a wide detour. No one was going to run any risks of getting involved in an imbroglio. Seldon said, â€Å"The first one of you who approaches gets a cracked head.† â€Å"Yeah?† And the leader stepped forward rapidly and seized the cane. There was a short sharp struggle and the cane was wrested from Seldon's grip. The leader tossed it to one side. â€Å"Now what, old man?† Seldon shrunk back. He could only wait for the blows. They crowded around him, each eager to land a blow or two. Seldon lifted his arms to try to ward them off. He could still Twist-after a fashion. If he were facing only one or two, he might be able to Twist his body, avoid their blows, strike back. But not against eight-surely not against eight. He tried, at any rate, moving quickly to one side to avoid the blows and his right leg, with its sciatica, doubled under him. He fell and knew himself to be utterly helpless. Then he heard a stentorian voice shouting, â€Å"What's going on here? Get back, you thugs! Back or I'll kill you all!† The leader said, â€Å"Well, another old man.† â€Å"Not that old,† said the newcomer. With the back of one hand, he struck the leader's face, turning it an ugly red. Seldon said in surprise, â€Å"Raych, it's you.† Raych's hand swept back. â€Å"Stay out of this, Dad. Just get up and move away.† The leader, rubbing his cheek, said, â€Å"We'll get you for that.† â€Å"No, you won't,† said Raych, drawing out a knife of Dahlite manufacture, long and gleaming. A second knife was withdrawn and he now held one in each hand. Seldon said weakly, â€Å"Still carrying knives, Raych?† â€Å"Always,† said Raych. â€Å"Nothing will ever make me stop.† â€Å"I'll stop you,† said the leader, drawing out a blaster. Faster than the eye could follow, one of Raych's knives went sailing through the air and struck the leader's throat. He made a loud gasp, then a gurgling sound, and fell, while the other seven stared. Raych approached and said, â€Å"I want my knife back.† He drew it out of the hoodlum's throat and wiped it on the man's shirtfront. In doing so, he stepped on the man's hand, bent down, and picked up his blaster. Raych dropped the blaster into one of his capacious pockets. He said, â€Å"I don't like to use a blaster, you bunch of good-for-nothings, because sometimes I miss. I never miss with a knife, however. Never! That man is dead. There are seven of you standing. Do you intend to stay standing or will you leave?† â€Å"Get him!† shouted one of the hoodlums and the seven made a concerted rush. Raych took a backward step. One knife flashed and then the other and two of the hoodlums stopped with, in each case, a knife buried in his abdomen. â€Å"Give me back my knives,† said Raych, pulling each out with a cutting motion and wiping them. â€Å"These two are still alive, but not for long. That leaves five of you on your feet. Are you going to attack again or are you going to leave?† They turned and Raych called out, â€Å"Pick up your dead and dying. I don't want them.† Hastily they flung the three bodies over their shoulders, then they turned tail and ran. Raych bent to pick up Seldon's cane. â€Å"Can you walk, Dad?† â€Å"Not very well,† said Seldon. â€Å"I twisted my leg.† â€Å"Well then, get into my car. What were you doing walking, anyway?† â€Å"Why not? Nothing's ever happened to me.† â€Å"So you waited till something did. Get into my car and I'll give you a lift back to Streeling.† He programmed the ground-car quietly, then said, â€Å"What a shame we didn't have Dors with us. Mom would have attacked them with her bare lands and left all eight dead in five minutes.† Seldon felt tears stinging his eyelids. â€Å"I know, Raych, I know. Do you think I don't miss her every day?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Raych in a low voice. Seldon asked, â€Å"How did you know I was in trouble?† â€Å"Wanda told me. She said there were evil people lying in wait for you, she told me where they were and I took right off.† â€Å"Didn't you doubt that she knew what she was talking about?† â€Å"Not at all. We know enough about her now to know that she has some sort of contact with your mind and with the things around you.† â€Å"Did she tell you how many people were attacking me?† â€Å"No. She just said, ‘Quite a few.'† â€Å"So you came out all by yourself, did you, Raych?† â€Å"I had no time to put together a posse, Dad. Besides, one of me was enough.† â€Å"Yes, it was. Thank you, Raych.† 14 They were back at Streeling now and Seldon's leg was stretched out on a hassock. Raych looked at him somberly. â€Å"Dad,† he began, â€Å"you're not to go walking around Trantor on your own from now on.† Seldon frowned. â€Å"Why, because of one incident?† â€Å"It was enough of an incident. You can't take care of yourself any longer. You're seventy years old and your right leg will not support you in an emergency. And you have enemies-â€Å" â€Å"Enemies!† â€Å"Yes, indeed. And you know it. Those sewer rats were not after simply anyone. They were not looking for just any unwary person to rip off. They identified you by calling out, ‘Psychohistory!' And they called you a creep. Why do you suppose that was?† â€Å"I don't know why.† â€Å"That's because you live in a world all your own, Dad, and you don't know what's going on on Trantor. Don't you suppose the Trantorians know that their world is going downhill at a rapid rate? Don't you suppose they know that your psychohistory has been predicting this for years? Doesn't it occur to you that they may blame the messenger for the message? If things go bad-and they are going bad-there are many who think that you are responsible for it.† â€Å"I can't believe that.† â€Å"Why do you suppose there's a faction at the Galactic Library that wants you out of there? They don't want to be in the way when you are mobbed. So-you've got to take care of yourself. You can't go out alone. I'll have to be with you or you will have to have bodyguards. That's the way it's going to be, Dad.† Seldon looked dreadfully unhappy. Raych softened and said, â€Å"But not for long, Dad. I've got a new job.' Seldon looked up. â€Å"A new job. What kind?† â€Å"Teaching. At a University.† â€Å"Which University?† â€Å"Santanni.† Seldon's lips trembled. â€Å"Santanni! That's nine thousand parsecs away from Trantor. It's a provincial world on the other side of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Exactly. That's why I want to go there. I've been on Trantor all my life, Dad, and I'm tired of it. There's no world in all the Empire that's deteriorating the way Trantor is. It's become a haunt of crime with no one to protect us. The economy is limping, the technology is failing. Santanni, on the other hand, is a decent world, still humming along, and I want to be there to build a new life, along with Manella and Wanda and Bellis. We're all going there in two months.† â€Å"All of you!† â€Å"And you, Dad. And you. We wouldn't leave you behind on Trantor. You're coming with us to Santanni.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Impossible, Raych. You know that.† â€Å"Why impossible?† â€Å"You know why. The Project. My psychohistory. Are you asking me to abandon my life's work?† â€Å"Why not? It's abandoned you.† â€Å"You're mad.† â€Å"No, I'm not. Where are you going with it? You have no credits. You can't get any. There's no one left on Trantor who's willing to support you.† â€Å"For nearly forty year-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, I admit that. But after all that time, you've failed Dad. There's no crime in failing. You've tried so hard and you've gone so far, but you've run into a deteriorating economy, a falling Empire. It's the very thing you've been predicting for so long that's stopping you at last. So-â€Å" â€Å"No. I will not stop. Somehow or other, I will keep going.† â€Å"I tell you what, Dad. If you're really going to be so stubborn, then take psychohistory with you. Start it again on Santanni. There may be enough credits-and enthusiasm-to support it there.† â€Å"And the men and women who have been working for me so faithfully?† â€Å"Oh bull, Dad. They've been leaving you because you can't pay them. You hang around here for the rest of your life and you'll be alone. Oh, come on, Dad. Do you think I like to talk to you this way? It's because no one has wanted to-because no one has had the heart to-that you're in your present predicament. Let's be honest with each other now. When you walk the streets of Trantor and you're attacked for no reason other than that you're Hari Seldon, don't you think it's time for a little bit of truth?† â€Å"Never mind the truth. I have no intention of leaving Trantor.† Raych shook his head. â€Å"I was sure you'd be stubborn, Dad. You've got two months to change your mind. Think about it, will you?† 15 It had been a long time since Hari Seldon had smiled. He had conducted the Project in the same fashion that he always did: pushing always forward in the development of psychohistory, making plans for the Foundation, studying the Prime Radiant. But he did not smile. All he did was to force himself through his work without any feeling of impending success. Rather, there was a feeling of impending failure about everything. And now, as he sat in his office at Streeling University, Wanda entered. He looked up at her and his heart lifted. Wanda had always been special. Seldon couldn't put his finger on just when he and the others had started accepting her pronouncements with more than the usual enthusiasm; it just seemed always to have been that way. As a little girl, she had saved his life with her uncanny knowledge of â€Å"lemonade death† and all through her childhood she had somehow just known things. Although Dr. Endelecki had asserted that Wanda's genome was perfectly normal in every way, Seldon was still positive that his granddaughter possessed mental abilities far beyond those of average humans. And he was just as sure that there were others like her in the Galaxy-on Trantor, even. If only he could find them, these mentalics, what a great contribution they could make to the Foundation. The potential for such greatness all centered in his beautiful granddaughter. Seldon gazed at her, framed in his office doorway, and he felt as if his heart would break. In a few days, she would be gone. How could he bear it? She was such a beautiful girl-eighteen. Long blond hair, face a little broad but with a tendency to smile. She was even smiling now and Seldon thought, Why not? She's heading for Santanni and for a new life. He said, â€Å"Well, Wanda, just a few more days.† â€Å"No. I don't think so, Grandpa.† He stared at her. â€Å"What?† Wanda approached him and put her arms around him. â€Å"I'm not going to Santanni.† â€Å"Have your father and mother changed their minds?† â€Å"No, they're going.† â€Å"And you're not? Why? Where are you going?† â€Å"I'm going to stay here, Grandpa. With you.† She hugged him. â€Å"Poor Grandpa!† â€Å"But I don't understand. Why? Are they allowing this?† â€Å"You mean Mom and Dad. Not really. We've been arguing over this for weeks, but I've won out. Why not, Grandpa? They'll go to Santanni and they'll have each other-and they'll have little Bellis, too. But if I go with them and leave you here, you'll have no one. I don't think I could stand that.† â€Å"But how did you get them to agree?† â€Å"Well, you know-I pushed.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It's my mind. I can see what you have in yours and in theirs and, as time goes on, I can see more clearly. And I can push them to do what I want.† â€Å"How do you do that?† â€Å"I don't know. But after a while, they get tired of being pushed and they're willing to let me have my way. So I'm going to stay with you.† Seldon looked up at her with helpless love. â€Å"This is wonderful, Wanda. But Bellis-â€Å" â€Å"Don't worry about Bellis. She doesn't have a mind like mine.† â€Å"Are you certain?† Seldon chewed at his lower lip. â€Å"Quite certain. Besides, Mom and Dad have to have someone, too.† Seldon wanted to rejoice, but he couldn't do so openly. There were Raych and Manella. What of them? He said, â€Å"Wanda, what about your parents? Can you be so cold-blooded about them?† â€Å"I'm not cold-blooded. They understand. They realize I must be with you.† â€Å"How did you manage that?† â€Å"I pushed,† said Wanda simply, â€Å"and eventually they came to see it my way. â€Å"You can do that?† â€Å"It wasn't easy.† â€Å"And you did it because-† Seldon paused. Wanda said, â€Å"Because I love you. Of course. And because-â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I must learn psychohistory. I know quite a bit of it already.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"From your mind. From the minds of others at the Project, especially from Uncle Yugo before he died. But it's in rags and tatters, so far. I want the real thing. Grandpa, I want a Prime Radiant of my own.† Her face lit up and her words came quickly, with passion. â€Å"I want to study psychohistory in great detail. Grandpa, you're quite old and quite tired. I'm young and eager. I want to learn all I can, so I can carry on when-â€Å" Seldon said, â€Å"Well, that would be wonderful-if you could do it-but there is no funding anymore. I'll teach you all I can, but-we can't do anything.† â€Å"We'll see, Grandpa. We'll see.†

Othello Speech – Modernisation of Geoffery Sax’s Movie

Othello is a tragedy that examines the darker aspects of human existence such and jealousy and revenge. Othello is unique in the way that it forces us as audience to contemplate what it is to be human. Shakespeare ingeniously challenges the Elizabethan attitudes and values towards the prejudices of race and gender while also presenting his contextual theme of chaos versus order. These values transcend the context of both modern and contemporary audiences and it is through the BBC adaptation by Geoffrey Sax that modern audiences are able to engage with relevance of these issues. Othello is a story of black and white, or even more so black versus white. Shakespeare represents this racial battle on an interesting level, as a battle of good versus evil which is always seen in black versus white. It is within the character and interactions of Othello that, Shakespeare privileges and challenges the idea of the prejudice of racism. It can easily been seen that in Elizabethan times there would be no-one who would look favourably on a â€Å"black† man yet Shakespeare has placed him in one of the highest positions as the general of the Venetian army in Cyprus. Othello is a man of confidence, nobility and rank yet he is constantly inferior because of his colour as can be seen through Iago who refers constantly to him as â€Å"The Moor† and even states him of one with the devil; â€Å" When devils will the blackest sins put on†( Act 2 Scene 3, Line 341). This is likely to represent the attitudes of a great deal of people at the time the play was written as even the Queen of England was racist as at one point she expressed her discontent at the great number of ‘Negars and blackamoors which are crept into the realm’. Yet it is through Othello’s character that Shakespeare is able to challenge the stereotypical ideology of

Perspectives on Love Essay

Love and relationships are controversial topics in which people encounter on a daily basis. They are also topics that are viewed by many different people, from different perspectives. Three authors write on the topic of love; Katherine Anne Porter in â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, June Callwood in â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† and Robertson Davies in â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†. Porter argues that both partners must surrender their freedom and social life in order to obtain a steady relationship. She argues this because one must take time out of their social life in order to put time and effort into a relationship. Whereas, Callwood argues that long term relationships are unlike fairy tales and therefore require balance and compromise. Callwood argues this because individuals need to work at their relationship in order for their love to continue to thrive. Lastly, Davies argues when communication and understanding is abundant in a relationship, love is less likely to die. Davies argues this because communication is crucial in respect to discovering the traits and reasoning that brought them together. Individual’s perspectives on love and how to find a lifelong partner differ greatly. Katherine Anne Porter, the author of â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, writes that one must sacrifice their independence in order to â€Å"†¦share another life, the life in fact presumably dearest to them† (Porter 56). Being united with someone means that one must always be loyal, honest and generous towards their partner. Porter says that these characteristics as well as reducing the importance of a social life â€Å"are required for two people to go on growing together and in the same direction† (Porter58). She uses this quote to explain that one must give up partial freedom so that time and effort can be put into the beginning of their new, shared life. As a result of surrendering one’s social life for a significant other, in return one will be compensated with a permanent place to belong. Likewise Porter, June Callwood believes that one must give something to get something in return. Callwood writes that building a life-long union requires a lot of work and effort. Balance and compromise from both parties is required for a relationship to survive. To prove her thesis Callwood writes â€Å"†¦Dr. William Blatz was asked the secret of his serene marriage. He replied ‘I make the dressing and she makes the salad. ’† (Callwod 323). Callwood effectively uses this quote to demonstrate thatr elationships are a collaboration. Though balance is not always fifty-fifty, effort comes from both sides. In â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† Callwood shares a realistic perspective of a long-term relationship, in which does not involve ‘Prince Charming’, but two individuals who compromise and work towards learning to live with one another. Lifelong relationships do not come easy and are something that partners need to work at. In agreement with Callwood, Davies believes that relationships require effort. In â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†, Davies claims that the love of individuals that confide in each other continues to thrive. He writes, â€Å"†¦knowing only that they will be happier united than apart, they had better set to work as soon as possible to discover why they married and nourish the feeling which has drawn them together† (Davies 53). Davies uses this quote to express that individuals that are in love must discover what they like about their partner in order to enjoy each other’s company and to have a loved plentiful union. In addition, he states in his essay, communication between lovers leads to a stronger, long lasting relationship. â€Å"People who love each other should talk to each other; they should confide their honest emotions, their deepest wishes† (Davies 54). This quote demonstrates that when one shares emotions and secrets with their significant other results in understanding of feelings as well as trust. Communication between partners is an important part of keeping love alive.

IRB Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IRB Company - Essay Example Data Gathering Instrument(s): Not addressed from the previous review. Please include all data gathering instruments in the portfolio. IRB needs to review these. I have already included the interview guide. Let me know if you still do not have it so I upload it to you again. How will the participants be contacted about the study?Three levels of contact shall be designed. The first shall be through the use of official e-mail where the researcher shall contact the General Managers of these companies. Upon receiving a reply from the companies, the researcher shall then follow up with a telephone call to all the 8 companies. Where applicable, the researcher shall contact the companies in person to introduce the purpose of the research and the role to be played by the respondents to the managers. Who will contact the potential participants and in what manner? (in person, via email, via the phone, etc.) Also, if contact will be made at a place of business, via a business email or phone numb er, permission from that business too.Potential participants shall be human resource managers. These will first be contacted through their General Managers, using the official e-mail of the companies. Once the researcher visits the companies in person, the human resource managers shall then be contacted in person and presented with the consent forms, which will contain the purpose of the study, the role of participants, and arrangements made to secure the anonymity, confidentiality, and safety of participants.

Concert Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Concert Report - Assignment Example The other show was from an Encentrics band that was performed in Jammin Java in Vienna, VA. The classical type of music is an art of music with its origins dated back to the 1700. Its roots are based in the West and since its establishment has had a variety of performances. This type of music also ranges from secular to liturgical. Symphony is a genre of music that employees a length form of musical composition to be performed. They are related to the classical type of music since they were discovered in the same era. These types of music got their boost during the 19th century which according to scholars is known as the romantic period. The music would be played in weddings and other romantic situations. Classical music is subjected to various characteristics which I found out after attending the classical music concert. The music has gone through a lot of improvements due to the different in time since when it was established to date which adds up to more than five hundred years. T his has led to its broad variety, genres and forms of music. Before attending the music concerts, some of my friends had talked about classical music claiming it was ‘any type of music that lasts for a long time’. Other friends also talked about music where all types of musical instruments were used’. I did not believe at first until I attended the show. The show took an average of two hours. The classical team may have lasted more than one hour playing one song, an art that was done to perfection. Instruments in the orchestra included violins, pianos and bands. Another characteristic of the classical type of music is the type of literature that was used during the concert. The music or songs had been written as musical notations which lead to the creation of a score. In the concert’s case, the score determined the type f pitch and rhythm to be used in the song. It also contributed to the type of coordination from the performers. Another distinct character istic is the type of instrumentation used to produce classical music. The band used a range of musical instruments date back to the 19th century. The concert band used instruments ranging from the piano, violin, guitar, bagpipes and trumpets. However, the most noticeable instrument was the acoustic guitar has been used since the 20th century. The wide range of instruments through the band provided soft cool music. They all worked together in harmony to provide the required pitches and tonal variations. The band was also dressed based on dressings from the 18th century. The music had not changed much as compared to other types of music. The type of notes, pitches and tonal variation had not change much as I could tell from my musical classes. I could also tell from the audience that this type of music is loved by the older generation. This is because the music is soothing and does not have a lot of variation in tones and pitches which may lead to noise (Morin 10). The form of music a lso differentiated the classical type of music from other genres which came up in the renaissance era. I could tell that this type of genre has sophisticated type of musical instruments. They include the sonata, opera, and concerto among others. In my case, it was a concerto. The classical composers seemed to have a close connection with their instruments. The close relationship brought up an emotional feeling. This later proved the fact that this type of musical genre was used to in romantic situations. The musical is

Why do some people commit arson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Why do some people commit arson - Essay Example In the United Kingdom too, many cases of arson has recently been reported. Arson is not only legal crime but also hindrance for good governance. Arson occurs in both organised and individual forms. Some cases of collective arson are spontaneous and committed by loosely attached groups. On the other hand, there are cases of arson which involved well organised and strongly co-ordinated groups. Arson could also be either purposeful or purposeless. In other words, arson is essentially heterogeneous, i.e. there are many types of arson. And, different types of people involve in the crime of arson for different reasons. Arson has been identified as a threat to businesses in Britain, especially the insurance sector. Commercial buildings, school property and community assets in the United Kingdom are easily being prey to arsonists. It is also detrimental for the free growth of schools and communities. Also, the high human cost of deliberate firesetting is arming. Annually, there are nearly 10 0 deaths and 2,500 injuries caused by arson (Arson Control Forum, 2006). Moreover, it adds an extra burden on the emergency services and thereby putting an extra weight on the taxpayers. Who is Affected? Businesses Schools Communities Innocent Individuals Emergency Services Nature Defining Arson Arson is a difficult term to define. It is noted that â€Å"the confusion about the true extent of arson has been compounded by the different terminologies used to describe arson, terms that are not commonly understood by all stakeholders. The Fire Data Report (FDR1) form used to record primary fires attended by UK Fire and Rescue Services, had three categories which, when combined, made up the arson measure – deliberate, doubtful and malicious. The lack of a commonly understood terminology meant that local agencies with which the Fire and Rescue Service could potentially work in partnership did not always fully appreciate the extent of illegal firesetting and thus did not dedicate s ufficient resources to address the problem† (Arson Control Forum, 2006, p.12). Arson is even different for various agencies which are in place to deal with issues related deliberate firelighting. The practices of recording, measurement and terminology used with relations to arson might vary from agency to agency. The general lack of common measure of arson has led widespread disparities between multiple agencies. From 2000 onwards, legally, the terms such as ‘malicious’ and ‘doubtful’ have paved way for the more accurate term ‘deliberate’ regarding arson. Types of Arson Vandalism Fraudulent arson Arson as Cover-up of Crime Revenge Mental Illness Youth Disorder Arson as Attack on People and Property Arson is one of the alarming problems the contemporary British society faces on. It is the predominant cause behind the fire in the business premises. Most of the major fires that occurred in the last fifty years are a result of arson, the rate would be around 45%. Rarely, a business thrives after an attack of arson as it results huge losses. Opportunist vandalism is the main form of arson prevalent in the United Kingdom. Increasingly, the number of arson attacks on schools too has become so common in the United Kingdom. According to Arson Prevention Bureau, there are on the average twenty arson attacks on schools. Arson Control Forum has observed that â€Å"those living in socially deprived areas are the most likely to be the victims of fire, whether accidental fires or deliberately set† (2003, p.9). The Extent of Arson as a Societal Problem About one in two fires from Arson Common cause of fire in business premises Loss of school records and

The purpose of the Reflective Paper is for you to culminate the Essay

The purpose of the Reflective Paper is for you to culminate the learning achieved in the course by describing your understanding and application of knowledge in the field of human resource management - Essay Example Additionally, it is the duty of the human resource management to promote employee satisfaction, personal development, as well as complying with laws that are related to employment. The following are the tasks that the human resource management team should indulge themselves in. One of the main tasks that the human resource manager is given is hiring. Finding a suitable person to take up the position that a human resource manager intents to be filled is a very hard task to do. If the human resource management intends to hire the most suitable candidate for the job, the first step to take is to analyze the terms of the job. Analyzing the terms of the jobs include understanding the skills and knowledge acquired for the job, understanding how the job works and the typical settings of the work (Walker,1998). After the human resource management has analyzed what the job entails, the next step that is required is writing down the job descriptions. Writing the job descriptions entails writing the minimum requirements of the job. The first step to do is to provide a simple and short synopsis of what the job entails. The next step is to write down the duties. In writing down the duties, the human resource management should divide the tasks into minor sub duties of the job requirement. The final thing to do is to write the degree of supervision entailed. This includes whether supervision is given or received. The technique used in recruiting should be able to attract a large pool of people. This will enable the human resource management to find the perfect candidate for the job. The current employees provide a suitable candidate for the job since they know the rules and the regulations of the job. This should be done through internal posting of the job perhaps through the notice job. The next step is usually to screen the right candidate through their application and resumes.

George Berkeley and his famous work A Treatise Concerning the Essay

George Berkeley and his famous work A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge - Essay Example Berkeley was a great a philosopher with many philosophical achievements under his theories of idealism and immaterialism. He is also best remembered for his early works on vision and metaphysics, the latter regarding the treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge (Olscamp1). His death occurred in 1753 and according to his will, his body was to be kept above the ground for some time before burial; this shows how great a philosopher he was. Being a philosopher, Berkeley took time to study wisdom and truth. It is normally assumed that those who take such direction in life have greater enjoyment of life and peace of mind with clear understanding of many things. Another assumption that exists is that these philosophers have fewer disturbances than any other man. The other group of people who are not philosophers often put blames on objects and facilities that are meant to help human beings, rather than taking the responsibility so that humans can change and live a better life. Berkeley urges us to have belief in God who has been generous to men giving them great desire to have knowledge (Berkeley, â€Å"A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge† 1). ... The purpose of Berkeley’s study in philosophy was to try to discover underlying sources that have created a lot of doubtfulness and uncertainties with regard to philosophy. Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge The principle of idealism Berkeley was pushed by the desire to make discoveries about the principles that have introduced doubtfulness and uncertainties as well as contradictions in life, especially along the lines of philosophy. Adding his argument on that, Berkeley had made an observation that even the wise men have the notion that ignorance has no cure; he envisages it to the rise in natural dreariness and inadequacy of faculties (Berkeley, â€Å"A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge† 10 ). It was a belief by George Berkeley that when one takes an analysis of human knowledge, â€Å"the ideas are either actually imprinted on the senses or perceived to be attending to the passions and operations of the mind† (Berkeley, â €Å"The Principles of Human Knowledge† 29). Human ideas are developed by the help of the brain whereby imaginations are formed. Berkeley used the idea of light and colours to expound the fact that through them, one can be able to differentiate amongst many things that surround the human being; they may be touch or smell, hearing also conveys information regarding the tonal variations. Several objects that are used by human beings to understand the surrounding whether being colour, smell, and taste, they all define the passion of love, hatred, happiness and sadness. Besides the knowledge and ideas that accompany the understanding of the nature and the environment, this has to be accompanied by the ability to remember and imagine, as well as willingness to

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Strategic Management - Essay Example It is the process through which organizations follow a certain path to achieve desired short term and long term goals and can maintain a desired level of output. A proper strategic planning can help an organization to develop a clear long term vision and would help the management to visualize where the organization would be after five to ten years or may be even more than that. Strategic Planning can be treated as a milestone for each and every organization. Without strategic planning, the organization can actually never identify the present position in the industry and cannot develop a strategic guidance for the future (Henry, 2008, p. 89). This study has been conducted with a motive to develop a strategic plan for Tesco, one of the large retail supermarkets in the U.K. The study looks to focus all the aspects related to the development of a strategic plan of an organization including the assessment of the mission and vision statement, situation analysis and final development of the strategy to gain competitive advantage over the competitors. Here it needs to be mentioned that the although Tesco is a global retailer, but still the study has been conducted with respect to the UK market as it happens to be the home country and largest market of Tesco compared to other markets in the world. Getting Ready Choosing Organization Tesco PLC. Developing Organizational Profile Tesco PLC is a multinational retail grocery retailer and general merchandiser. The company is headquartered in Chest Hunt, UK. It happens to be the largest retailer in the United Kingdom and the third largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. The company was originally founded by Jack Cohen in 1919. As on April 2012, Tesco had 6,351 stores all over the world. The company has 2,975 stores in UK market. According to annual financial report of 2012 the total revenue of the company is ?64.539 billion. Specific issues to be addressed Over the past few years the retail business in the UK has seen a lot of changes. One of the key issues to look for while developing the strategic plan would be the effect of the changes external environmental factors and the impact of those on the company’s day to day business activity. The present industry scenario also plays a major role in the development of the business strategy and hence this has to be taken into account. Along with the external environment assessment, the internal environmental factors would also be reviewed as it would help the company to identify the core competencies, strengths as well as the weaknesses (Kolb, 2008, p. 92). Key Information to be collected To understand the impact of the external environmental changes, political, economic, social and technological factors need to be assessed. Also to understand the present market scenario especially market competitiveness, Porters Five Forces will be analysed. It consists of bargaining power of the buyers and suppliers, industry

Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Questions - Assignment Example In addition, the patient-provider barrier arises amongst the health care institution, families, patients, and the healthcare providers. It results in cultural conflicts and contributes to personal enrichment. The inter-professional barriers are solved through developing trust between the nurse and the physician, and open communication. In addition, the inter-professional barrier is resolved through accountability for actions and tasks; cooperation and displayed. The patient- provider barrier is managed through patient and family education. It helps the patient together with their families to comprehend the significance of the care provided competence (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy & OGrady, 2014). In developing a health prevention/promotion teaching plan, education is important in helping the individuals change their behavior. Through the patients are aware of what is needed to manage their health. It may involve a change of diet, medical therapies, lifestyle, and exercise. The objective of education is to motivate individuals to utilize the health services available and to give new knowledge about illnesses (Basavanthappa, 2008). There are different ways of teaching, for instance, demonstrations, group participation, reading and video tapes. Also, incorporation of culturally acceptable materials and information will ensure that the target group participates and adhere to the health promotion program. In addition, storytelling, use of games, interactive experiences and modeling increase the level of knowledge of people. Moreover, counseling and telehealth conferencing are tools used to assist persons to recognize authentic health-linked internet resources (Maurer & Smith, 201 3). For a long-term health behavior change and self-care for a better outcome, individual characteristics, for example, cultural aspects is paramount for effective learning. In addition, the level of education, age, and social status are important factors to consider in

CRR-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CRR-2 - Essay Example This approach, according to (Davis and McKay 1996, p. 100) first of all recounts the oppositions views, and also to help construct the writers own position. After having registered his stance, Howard delves right into the point of the argument he likes to defend by reiterating Deegans concern "what did my son die?" (Howard 2002, p.11). In fact at this point Howard continues with his pathos by registering contingent emotions through the description of the Islamic fanatics who bombed Bali using terms like "despise", "liberal", "open life of western nations" and "violent murder" to appropriate orientation between himself and the audience (Cockcroft & Cockcroft 1992, p.40; Hughes 1990, p. 33). By addressing Deegans concerns one by one Howard logically defends and establishes his ethos (the concept personality and stance as introduced by Aristotle). As a reader since we do not have any preconceive idea as to his character or emotions, these lines establish his personality as sympathetic, logical and as concerned as any Australian citizen (his audience). The essence of Howards argument lies in his statement that Australia is publicly and closely associated with the US since September 11, 2001 because of security reasons. However, in the next five to six paragraphs, Howard digresses from his stance. While he manages to use facts to establish logos, the "process of judgement" (Cockcroft and Cockcroft 1992, p. 10), he does not effectively make a case for his argument. According to Bakhtin (Andrews 1992, p.8), argument principles involve internal dialogic quality of discourse" which means both the sender and receiver must understand the elements of logic in an argument. In these paragraphs Howard digress from his logic, which loses the appeal he established at the beginning of the letter, thereby reduces his credibility. The loss of credibility is also because of Howards inability to find the correct analogy to defend his

Articles review For this assignment you will discuss two published Essay

Articles review For this assignment you will discuss two published research articles relating to gender and education. Each one - Essay Example 2004; Putwain 2008) and Science scores (Okoye 2009). Still, one study argues that gender differences can be found based on problem type: â€Å"boys outperformed girls on spatial/conceptual measurement, whereas girls outperformed boys on formula-based measurement, as well as on a test of computation skills† (Vasilyeva et al. 2009, p.401) or personality (Petrides et al. 2005), while others provide evidence that stereotype threats can lead to gender differences in female students' maths performance (Ahmavaara and Houston 2007; Good, Woodzicka, and Wingfield 2010; Keller 2007). This essay criticizes the articles â€Å"The gendered subject: students' subject preferences and discussions of gender and subject ability† by Francis (2000) and â€Å"Student attitudes, image and the gender gap† by Warrington, Younger, and Williams (2000). In â€Å"The gendered subject: students' subject preferences and discussions of gender and subject ability,† Francis (2000) examine s whether there have been any changes in students’ constructions of gender and learning, because of changes in achievement trends and perceptions of gender. The author also studies their perceptions of most popular and least popular subjects and their beliefs about gender and ability. The study is a correlational design, wherein relations between gender and subject preferences and ability are determined. The sampling strategy is random sampling from three different mixed-sex schools in Greater London. Author conducted classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with one hundred 14 to 16 year old students. Findings showed blurring in gendered subject preferences, because boys favoured English, while girls preferred Math as the second favourite subject. However, in terms of students’ least preferred subjects, the sample was more traditional, with mathematics and science the least well-liked subjects among girls, and French the least well-liked among boys. Still, maths was rated second least preferred by boys, and French third least preferred among girls, which indicates greater diversity. As for responses on gender and subject ability, majority believed that ability at different subjects are not connected to gender. Still, those who believed that gender is a factor in different subjects agreed that girls were better at some or all subjects than boys. Francis concluded that stresses on female superiority should not be taken as an indication of absence of worry among educators, because it means that gender gap continues to persist, but at a different direction. It is important to stress the potential of both genders for all subjects to erase stereotyped images. Warrington, Younger, and Williams (2000) study the attitudes of students to GCSE work and explore why boys and girls seem to view their work in different ways, with emphasis on â€Å"image† in the article â€Å"Student attitudes, image and the gender gap.† Like Francis ( 2000), Warrington, Younger, and Williams (2000) conducted a correlational study using qualitative analysis. Warrington, Younger, and Williams (2000) used triangulation for data gathering: focus group interviews with groups of girls and boys, lesson observations and teacher interviews. Findings showed that girls are not stigmatised for hard work in class, while boys experience that their image is affected when they study hard in school.

12 angry men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

12 angry men - Essay Example It is only juror no. 8, who offers a dissenting opinion and queries all the prosecutor’s evidences against the defendant. He goes to an extent of purchasing a knife that is akin to the one presented as murder evidence in a bid to convince fellow jurors that the prosecutor’s claim of â€Å"unique† was misplaced. The dissenting juror finally manages to influence the opinion of the entire jury and drag them into the world of â€Å"reasonable doubt†. However, his reasons seem quite ludicrous. By making his queer judgments about the witnesses and pronouncing outrageous claims to disown them, juror number 8 appears quite bizarre. The juror goes ahead to disown another key witness who heard the crime taking place by asserting the claim that the old man probably made up his story to boost his ego. It is funny how the dissenting juror finally manages to get the other 11 jurors, who were initially convinced that the accused is guilty of murder, into his ship where reasonable doubt dictates all the evidence against the accused. The ruling of the jury is similarly interesting. The jurors unanimously make certain witness and evidence assumptions and conclude that the defendant is not guilty of murder. It is apparent that the other jurors arrive at this conclusion as an escape from looming argume nt with juror number 8. In my opinion, the jury made a big mistake. The defendant should have been held guilty for the offense. Since when has a juror become an investigator in a case over which he presides? When operating in accordance with the law, jurors are barred from performing their own investigations in cases. As such, Juror number 8 should have been substituted with another juror if the other eleven members of the jury had reported him trying to conduct his own investigation. By failing to abide by the requirement of the law, the entire jury appears to have seriously

Health Program For Latina Immigrant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Program For Latina Immigrant - Essay Example The other most important thing that I should be aware is the mode of greeting in which most of the Latin people are welcoming and mostly use hugs and cheek kisses as a mode of greeting. Knowing this will ensure I behave according to in order to show my gratitude. Politeness is also a key value and thus noting that interrupting someone shows disrespect. I will huddle this during the program period. Religion and family are highly valued and thus being conversant with the Roman Catholic Church doctrines will make it easier not to respect them in my teachings. Most of the Latin Immigrants are not well educated thus using a program in Spanish to suit them, this is better than translating a program made in English. The props used should be also in Spanish and as an educator; I would involve Spanish entertainment and their cultural foods to win their hearts. Since most of them are not well educated, it is wise to ESL approach, which will captivate more interest with all the people that want to learn English. Lastly, I would participate fully with the church thus create an admirable image thus; people would be welcoming and willing to listen to me.Would your program be for the person, extended family, or neighborhood?My program will be for the extended family since the Latin culture values it most. This will make my bonding experience easier since most of the immigrants have no documents and are afraid of being deported. These immigrants will secure to have classes in their homes.

Eurocompanies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eurocompanies - Essay Example There is often a futuristic focus, with prescribed contingent outcomes. Although there are often attempts to address both the practice and the conceptual aspects of HRD, the drive to express HRD in relation to models, frameworks and typologies could result in a distancing between rhetoric and reality, similar to that found in HRM debates. As Hatcher argues, 'Without a focus on the theoretical foundations of research and practice, HRD is destined to remain atheoretical in nature and poor practice will continue to undermine its credibility' (2000:45). Historically, the development of HRD can be traced from training and instructional design, to training and development, to employee development, to human resource development. Traditionally, the field of HRD was defined by practice, not from a theoretical frame or set of research. Pat McLagan (1983) postulates the boundaries of HRD as individual development, organization development and career development. O'Brien and Thompson (1999) apply a similar framework in the Irish and European context. More recently, the emergence of HRD related journals have presented an opportunity to define the field on the basis of theory and practice. There is also a blurring of the boundaries in relation to the affiliation of researchers. Many early American researchers emanated from either an instructional design or an adult educational base. Recently Jacobs has reported that there are an increased number of manuscripts coming from business schools. This trend is a reversal of the European and UK situ ation. In the UK, HRD is very much the child of the explosion of HRM literature in the 1980s and 1990s. In the introduction to this volume we discuss the emergence of the HRD literature in the form of HRD texts, journals and academic symposia. In addition, the scope of HRD research can be seen to be expanding, with recent focus on areas that were not traditionally considered to be within the domain of HRD. These include organizational leadership, organizational values, workforce development issues at the societal level and labour economics. Multidisciplinary foundations and an expanding scope both have the effect of expanding the discursive resources and therefore language available to and used by HRD academics and practitioners. While acknowledging that HRD is a distinct field of scholarly research and practice in relation to HRM, it has to be acknowledged that the contextual factors in mainland Europe are an important influence upon HRD outcomes. If anything, the UK context is somewhat closer to the US experience, and it is a mistake to assume that the rest of Europe is mirrored in UK practice. So, for example, the historical role and development of HR professionals varies considerably across Europe, as do their career paths (Tyson and Wikander 1994). So, for example, in the UK a strong professional body representing both HRM and HRD practitioners regulates initial training. Elsewhere in Europe this does not happen, and HR professionals can undergo very different training. So, in Germany the extensive legal responsibility of HRM professionals for collective employee relations necessitates a strong legal training, while their counterparts in HRD are more likely to

Human Resource Management Overview Research Paper

Human Resource Management Overview - Research Paper Example Therefore, every organization should manage human resource department appropriately to enhance success. Q. 1 In early days, human resource management was meant for the custody of records. Record keeping is one role of the personnel department in many organizations including health care industry. Many people do not find or are not aware of the roles performed by human resource management in organizations. Today, human resource management is becoming a vital organ with increasing roles and duties. The roles human resource management department plays in medical care field include; Legal, ethical and safety issues in health care It is the role of human resource management to ensure that all employees understand ethical issues and legal principles in health care industry. The main type of relationship in health care is that of healthcare giver and patient (Pynes & Lombardi, 2001). The relationship between healthcare providers and patient should be attended to since health care industry is faced by many dilemmas in this area. Laws and policies have been implemented to protect service providers and patients. Therefore, human resource management should carry out training to address the ethical and unethical issues to be practiced in the field of medical care. It is the role of human resource to ensure that healthcare providers are working in a healthy environment. ... This ensures that only staffs with the required skills, expertise and qualifications are selected to fill vacant positions. After a candidate is selected, the human resource department should make efforts to retain the staff. The backbone of every health care is nursing and it is faced with shortages (Hernandez & O'Connor, 2009). Additionally, rural areas are experiencing shortages of physicians and therefore, care should be taken in selection, recruitment and retention of health care providers especially nurses and practitioners. Motivation of heath care employees Human resource has a role to motivate staffs who are in direct contact with patients and those who are involved with patients indirectly. This is to ensure that high quality services are provided to patient. Staffs involved in direct contact with clients are nurses and physicians while laboratory technologists, technicians and clinical technicians have indirect contact (Pynes & Lombardi, 2001). Nurses and physicians depend on the results given by laboratory technicians to give prescriptions to patients. Therefore, all staffs play an important role in provision of quality services to the client and fair treatment is essential for all. Empowered employees who receive good compensation for work done and working in good environment perform well. Additionally, rewarding employees with promotions, incentives and appreciation are factors that lead to employees’ motivation to quality work. Another role of HR is provision of benefits to medical staffs. These include mandatory benefits by law like medical leave, unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation (Pynes & Lombardi, 2001). Other non-mandatory

British North American colonies prior to 1700 Essay Example for Free

British North American colonies prior to 1700 Essay The New World was first established because a group of people in England did not agree with the religious and political ways of life advocated. Different religious groups left England to pursue more religious freedom in America. As they moved to the New World, the three different regions of the North American colonies greatly impacted not only their lifestyles but also the extent of religious freedom allowed prior to 1700. The first arrivers in the northern colonies were Puritans who came to America because they didnt agree with the Anglican Church. These early colonist yearned for a place where they could indulge in religious freedom as opposed to the extreme contrast to the strict religious persecutions they experienced in England. But the Puritans had very strict rules regarding membership into the Protestant Church and religion was viewed very strictly. The Puritans believed that they were a city upon a hill and were to be a model of a holy society for humankind. Thus they were very rigid in thought and were also very prejudiced against other religions. This group who had come seeking religious freedom soon became the most religiously intolerant group in the Americas. Quakers, who denied the authority of the Puritan clergy, were persecuted with fines and banishment. Sometimes they were even hanged. Dissenters like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were banished and Rhode Island was established by Williams as the first colony to have complete freedom of religion. In his sewer colony, Jew, Catholics, and Quakers were all sheltered and treated equally. The Middle Colonies was an extremely religiously mixed region because of the amount of diverse people who settled there. The first to settle the region were the Dutch, in New Netherlands which would later become New York after the English took control. The Dutch practiced the Dutch Reform Church which was basically a branch of Lutheran. South of the Dutch were the Swedes practicing their own branch of Lutheran known as the Swedish Reform Church. They were later defeated and absorbed by the New Netherland colonists. But the English regarded the Dutch as the Dutch regarded the Swedes; as intruders and in 1664, Charles II granted his brother, the Duke of York, a squadron that defeated the Dutch. Although the English were now in control of the region and brought with them the Anglican Church, they did not seek  to enforce it because the Dutch made up almost half of the population. Then the establishment of Pennsylvania allowed German, French, Dutch, and English colonists entry into the New World under William Penns broad view of religious tolerance. With so many ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse groups in the region, there can be nothing but immense religious toleration. The Southern Colonies, were the earliest colonies to be settled, but didnt strive for the religious haven the New England Colonies desired. The only settlers in the South were from the Church of England so that was the predominant faith. But because the souths economy was based on agriculture and farming on large plantations and most things were business-oriented, there were few towns which meant few churches. Poor white farmers with small land areas did not have the money or resources to build churches and the large plantation owners did not have churches on their plantations so they basically did whatever they wanted. Religious tolerance was not high but the dominant religion itself was not rigidly enforced. In the midst of such religious indifference, the evangelist religions were born. Although immigrants to the New World all came with intentions of pursuing religious freedom never experienced in their native countries, the regional differences and religious views soon spread them far apart from each other. The New Englanders were mostly Puritans who believed in tight communities and so they remained as they were, fervent worshippers of God and intolerant of other religions. The Middle Colonies, with its wide range of races and the fact that it was established for business and trade ventures, dealt with immense religious diversity and thus immense religious tolerance. The South, preoccupied with the large-scale planting of tobacco had no time to enforce the Anglican Church. Such diverse thoughts of religious tolerance in the three regions that made up America before 1700 greatly impacts the America that we know today.

Latinos and other races Essay Example for Free

Latinos and other races Essay Researchers did a study on bicycle helmet use in a rural Georgia town. They observed children riding bicycles during specified days and times over a five month period, both before and after incentive programs like free helmet distribution and bike safety education. Another â€Å"incentive† was that kids’ bicycles would be impounded if they were found riding without a helmet. Researchers canvassed the towns on Friday afternoons and most of the day Saturday, as these were determined to be the most popular riding times. They observed the riders indirectly and noted the child’s age, gender, race, and helmet use. Data was collected for children who were between the ages of 5 and 13, which are the ages that the helmet law covered. The researchers found that these measures increased helmet use from 0% to about 45%. Sampling for this study was somewhat difficult. Because the researchers were using only observation, and they did not track any individual riders or interact with them in any way, they were unable to guarantee that the riders were actually of the targeted age. This is especially true of older kids, between the ages of 10 and 13, as these kids have extremely varying sizes and presence or absence of secondary sexual characteristics, which were two of the determining factors in determining the child’s age. Sampling the older group was also difficult because not everyone in this age group actually received a helmet, since they went to a larger school that included children from another town. The results for this age group, then, are probably skewed and possibly not very valid. The town’s racial make up, too, was heavily slanted towards black children, with 75% black and 25% white children. Due to cultural differences between black and white children, researchers may need to repeat these studies in communities where racial make up is more heavily white, and communities which include Asians, Latinos, and other races. Each culture is individual and each would likely have a different reaction to the helmet laws and police enforcement. Within this community, the researchers probably should have used only the 5 – 10 years age group, as this group could be more carefully controlled. Researchers were aware that this age group, which attended elementary school, did all receive free helmets and bicycle education. They also would possibly have an easier time observing age, as size is more indicative in younger children rather than in older children. This study was somewhat valid. The researchers admit that they were unable to track individual riders, so when they had four observers canvassing the town at once, it was possible that certain riders may have been recorded several times (a possibility that the researchers themselves are aware of, but are not concerned with). Noting, as they said, â€Å"rides† instead of â€Å"riders† also is a limitation, although the researchers felt that their method of observation led to more accurate data than self-reported data via telephone or mail surveys. It is possible that the same group of children was observed multiple times during each session, and in fact overall helmet use was lower. This, too, depends on how the researchers define â€Å"rate of helmet use,† because number of rides where a helmet is used, and the number of riders who use a helmet is a different measure. Another issue with validity is that it was impossible for researchers to track how frequently individual riders wore their helmets. It is possible that some children always wore one, and other children rarely or occasionally wore one. A better measure of helmet use would have been to track individual children and to note how frequently they wore their helmets while riding their bikes. Police enforcement is another issue in this study. Every community who adopts a program of this type may choose a different kind of enforcement, or none at all. This community allowed parent citations (which were rarely used) and bike impoundment (parents had to go and pick the bike up at the police station, where they proved helmet ownership or were offered a free helmet, and they were also re-educated on bike safety). Other communities may rely more heavily on citations, or they may choose fines. Fines were not a good option for this community, as it was a rural community where a large minority lived below the poverty line. Another issue is that the police may be perceived differently in different areas. As the researchers noted, even the knowledge of police presence and enforcement was enough for many children to wear their helmets. This suggests a respect for the police force, which is common in rural areas. In other areas, especially urban, police may not be regarded so highly, and enforcement may become a larger problem. In an urban area, the sheer number of children would also possibly be prohibitive. This study was fairly reliable. Researchers followed up on the helmet use unofficially after 2 years and came up with similar results, which indicates both that helmet use was continuing and that the study was able to achieve the same results. Other studies, if they used the same observation methods, would probably also achieve similar results. This study is repeatable as written, despite its flaws. A better way to do this study would be to gather two groups of children: experimental and control. Both groups would be surveyed and observed for their helmet use at the beginning of the study, and these numbers would be compared. Then, the experimental group would be given the bicycle safety education and be offered free helmets. The second group would be told they should wear helmets but not offered extensive bicycle education or given free helmets. The researchers would then track individual riders through observation on at least a weekly basis to see how many in each group wore their helmets on a frequent basis. This would allow researchers to track â€Å"riders† instead of simply rides, and to make sure that each child was only counted once in their statistics. It would also show the effect of bicycle education and offering free helmets on helmet use. It is likely in this particular study that children only began to wear their helmets because they were offered free helmets. If they had been asked to go and buy helmets, cost would likely have been prohibitive in a rural, low socio-economic area. Therefore, providing the helmets was a key point in the plan. It may be interesting to do a study where children are provided with bicycle education and a list of resources on where to purchase helmets, but not actually provided with them. This study would best be done in a suburban area where the socio-economic status was higher, and would show the effect of bicycle education and possibly police enforcement on helmet use. Since further studies are possible and needed, and since the researchers themselves are aware of the study’s limitations, it would be prudent not to extend these results to all communities and situations. The study is ideal for the researchers’ purposes but has a highly limited scope. Overall, this research is very interesting. Regardless of the study’s limitations, introducing bike safety and helmets into the community resulted in statistically significant increases in helmet use, which purportedly resulted in fewer bike-related injuries and deaths. This is a step in the right direction, and although more research and more community programs are needed to both increase helmet use and decrease injuries, this study shows that programs are effective and change is possible.

Research Design Primary Data Methods Marketing Essay

Research Design Primary Data Methods Marketing Essay To determine Britains substantial growth and unexploited opportunities in caffeine markets Starbucks can research on first-hand information that isnt readily available. Starbucks having access to a lot of information during its research has hired a research organization like Bruzzone. (Lamb C.W. et al, 2008). Also having to re-evaluate the current business activities, customers, product mix and store design to avoid closures and decline in the market share like in Australia and also America, in order to adapt in Britain they have carried out primary marketing research plan, to understand the consumer attitudes towards Starbucks, as follows: Surveys: The customers or the public are asked for their opinions. The demographics and segmentation taken into account. Examples include where the customers are asked questions about their frequency of coffee consumption. The answer being rated between criteria of options we gain a quantitative insight of information. Sampling: A method where the validity of information can be established by selecting a random sample of candidates from the entire population. Non- Probability Sampling involves selection on a subjective basis and not computable, Being more dependent on the researchers personal judgment. Starbucks can use this qualitative method to assess diverse information such as customer ethnicities, attitudes and brand equity. Also with convenience sampling Starbucks holds coffee tasting sessions, and mobile sampling methods which allow reaching a wider audience also to emphasize the culture and experience of Starbucks. (Starbucks, 2010) Personal Interviews: Involves the interviewer asking various questions from the interviewee to understand and gain an insight of their behavior and attitudes also called word association. Although it gives valuable qualitative information it may be impractical to be carried out, due to the large number of Starbucks coffee consumers, this research method being expensive and also time consuming. Consumer Panels: Starbucks developed sites like Facebook, YouTube, Starbucks RED and MyStarbucksIdea.com where customers can share their thoughts with other customers as well as current employees (Starbucks, 2010). Observations: The trained observer watches and records the behavior of the consumers. To identify and to understand the consumption patterns, Starbucks can use this method to learn more about the customers demographics, age, ethnicities, and their simple reactivity towards an advertisement having in mind the implication of  this research technique. Focus groups: Informal non-structured discussions among actual customers, qualitative research involving a moderator to understand the customers view point about the product, price and the brand equity. Starbucks carries out online focus groups to reach customers easily in various geographical locations. Secondary Data methods: Secondary Research involves the use of data previously collected for other purposes. Information includes documents within the company such as annual reports, also the reports of the stockholders, media results and reviews are basic qualitative information available online and in other means, that can be accessed easily with more convenience also its significantly cheaper than primary information. Other methods Include: Government records: include a lot of information about consumer market, companies websites and records etc. This information will of highly valuable use to Starbucks because it helps them make important decisions like whether to expand specialty operations to consumers at shops, travel, work etc. Usually a cost benefit analysis is carried out at this stage. Consumer Records: Starbucks keeps a record of customers personal and financial information which is acquired when customers purchase items using Starbucks Card or other forms. This data can be used to respond to customer service issues, create personalized promotions, and communicate with customers about their orders and/or specific job opportunities (Starbucks, 2010). Website: Starbucks uses information about the use of website like the ISP, domain, browser, what pages are requested etc. The purpose of this is to ease access and convenience to customers and identify what is of interest to them by the pages they visit. 1.1.5 ANALYZING AND PRESENTING THE FINDINGS Once the information is collected the next step is analysis which involves interpreting and drawing conclusions from the collected information. Clean the data- The researcher first organizes the data and analyze by using different techniques in marketing research. Cross Tabulation- Its the degree of influence the independent variable upon the dependent variable, e.g. In Starbucks variable can be how strong the brand value and image of the company to its customers. The researchers can use such sophisticated methods like regression analysis, hypothesis testing, and measures of association. Perceptual Mapping- After research customer views are plotted on a chart to understand the customers view on experience, product, price, etc. Starbucks can use this method to segment the market of customers. After the completion of Data Analysis the researcher must prepare a report or communicate the findings with the management. The marketing researcher must ensure the results are credible and justified. This step involves the conclusion of whether Starbucks would be profitable and retain its growth in England in the long-run, and also include recommendations on how it could be achieved to guide the management. (Lamb C.W. et al, 2008).

A Strategic Analysis Of J Sainsbury Marketing Essay

A Strategic Analysis Of J Sainsbury Marketing Essay J Sainsbury plc  consists of Sainsburys a chain of 509 supermarkets and 276 convenience stores, Sainsburys online, Sainsburys property and Sainsburys Bank. Sainsburys Supermarkets is the UKs longest standing major food retailing chain, which opened its first store in 1869. The Sainsburys brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food. Today it differentiates itself by offering a broad range of great quality products at fair prices with particular emphasis on fresh food, a strong ethical approach to business and continuous leadership and innovation. At Sainsburys products are improved and developed to ensure the company leads in terms of the ingredients used and integrity of sourcing. Sainsburys goal  is to improve quality shopping experience for customers with great products at fair prices. Their aim is to exceed customer expectations for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, making the customers lives easier every day. Sainsburys brand Values-passion for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, their focus is on delivering great products at fair prices, they have a history of innovation and leadership and a strong regard for the social, ethical and environmental effects of their operation, and this has continued to stand the test of time. Sainsburys five principles are at the core of their business:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best for food and health  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sourcing with integrity  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respect for our environment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Making a positive difference to our community  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A great place to work. And at Sainsburys they believe that these principles provide differentiation from their major competitors and define and direct all their activities. Sainsburys business priorities are:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Great food at fair prices  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accelerating growth of complementary non-food ranges  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reaching more customers through additional channels  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growing supermarket space  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Active property management The organisation that has been selected to examine and analyse is Sainsburys.  Ã‚   Sainsburys has started its journey in 1869 and since then it has gradually established itself as the third largest supermarket chain in UK. Over the past few years its parent company   J Sainsbury plc   has prolonged its business and now owns a whole range of other companies like Sainsburys Supermarkets, Sainsburys Local, Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores and JB Beaumont, Sainsburys Online and Sainsburys Bank. The increasing figures of Sainsburys  Ã‚   global sales and purchasing operations contributes to a significant rise in the business competence and productivity. However, this report will be examining Sainsburys position in the retail industry, explaining the role of interaction within the macro and micro environment, drawing up a detailed competitive advantage of the organisation and the strategies that influence the business policies to survive in the competitive market. Analysis of Financial data Gross Profit Margin (GPM)- Due to the intense competition in the supermarket industry margins are generally low. See the following table for comparators which shows relatively poor margins for Sainsbury even compared to other retailers ; Company Industry ROA Profit Margin Marks Spencer Retailer and Financial Services 4.43% 3.91% J Sainsbury Retailer and Financial Services 5.60% 3.61% Thorntons Retailer of Chocolates etc 8.43% 6.45% Next Retailer of Clothing 26.14% 13.82% Dixons Group Retailer of Electronic etc Goods 19.78% 14.41% Yates Group Retailer of Food 9.13% 13.34% Safeway Retailer of Food 7.24% 4.14% Morrisons Retailer of Food 12.93% 5.87% Tesco Retailer of Food and Household Goods 9.99% 5.72% Strategic analysis of Sainsbury PLC using Porters 5-Force Model SWOT Analysis A  SWOT Analysis  is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the  Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,  and  Threats  of an organization. With the help of this SWOT analysis we will be able to find out the positives and negatives of Sainsburys. Strengths: Sainsburys has had thirteen straight quarters of growth showing real turnaround in its business. Even for 2007 it has shown an increase of 7% in turnover and a huge 450% increase in profit after tax (Annual Report 2007).It has an extremely experienced leadership team. Sainsburys seems to be very well placed on green and environmental issues due to its various recent initiatives, like buying fair-trade bananas (economist.com 2008 [online]). Furthermore its help in closing down gang master has had a positive effect on the public in general. It has a positive consumer brand and its liked by both green activists and consumers. It is one supermarket chain that has a clear celebrity endorsing products, leading to increased sales. With Jamie Oliver, it has been simple for Sainsburys to see uplifts in sales of specific ingredients that have been featured in ad campaigns. The supermarket had to order nine tons the equivalent of two years supply of nutmeg to meet demand when it appeared in one of Jamie Olivers ads. Weakness: The takeover bid by the Qataris Private equity firm last year can have some implications as people are gravitating towards British companies and the prospect of Sainsburys being governed by a foreign firm can lead to consumers switching loyalties. Unlike Tescos expansion plan (economist.com [online] 2008), Sainsburys is not present in markets other than the UK. This can lead to trouble especially if there is some problem within food retailing in the UK or if there needs to be a source of extra growth. Opportunities: Sainsburys alternative business presents a great opportunity for future growth. Its investments in property and a goal of  £40 million profit through its bank seem like a good strategy to pursue. Online sales are a great opportunity as well, since online margins are higher and investments are not huge. Threats: There needs to be continuous heavy investment in environmental and green issues without immediate benefits. The problem lies in maintaining a balance e.g. Bio-fuel is an important tool to curb global emissions and its use affects Sainsburys supply chain directly, so Sainsburys should support it. However, a spurt in bio-fuels has made corn dearer (independent.co.uk [online] 2008) affecting its prices within the UK and making Sainsburys consumers bear the brunt. Sainsburys operations are subject to a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements particularly in relation to planning, competition and environmental issues, employment, pensions and tax laws and in terms of regulations over the groups products and services. This  concludes  that with the help of this SWOT analysis Sainsbury would now know where they stand. This will also allow them work on their opportunities, weaknesses and threats and build up on their strengths giving them a cutting edge. Macro-Environment: At this present phenomenon the nature of the retail industry is changing its image dramatically and the importance to survive with the competitors and remain as a leading company in the market has reached its highest peak. However, there are some issues which may have some impacts on the business.    Political factors: At present the changing trend of globalised business could be a challenge as well as an opportunity for the Sainsburys because they would have to compete against new forces from all over the world to maintain best quality of the products and services they offer. Customer may get a negative impression because of the investigation going on price fixing as Sainsburys is listed in the top four retailers in UK (Rigby 2008). The UK Government is to reduce corporation tax rates from 30% to 28%, which will help Sainsbury, to save large amount of money (HM Treasury 2008).    Economical factors: The rising food prices because of global food crisis may have impacts on the business of Sainsburys as it will definitely increase their purchasing and production cost (economist.com 2008). And eventually it will increase the overall price of the products in the super market     Supply chain of Sainsburys may get affected with the rising cost of fuel which may lead to an overall increase in prices.   The credit crunch will cut the purchasing power of the consumers as they would have less money to spend on luxury products. Therefore, automatically it is going to decrease profit margins for Sainsburys. On the other hand Sainsburys operates financial services company with HBOS (Annual Report 2007) and also a bank. However, both of are directed affected due to recession. As the competition in the market is really high other big competitors like ASDA ,TESCO ,MORRISON ,LIDL , ALDI are cutting down their product prices and giving lot of incentives to customer which may bound Sainsburys to drop their prices to survive in the market. (Annual Report 2008) SOCIAL FACTORS: Sainsburys may introduce new recipes to cook easy and healthy food because now a days consumers tend to eat fresh food and   seem to be more health conscious. According to the health department the obesity rate in UK is increasing (department of health 2008). And because of that reason the UK government has emphasised on healthy eating (eatwell.gov.uk 2008) which gives Sainsburys to an opportunity to manufacture more healthy foods at a cheaper price to match the ongoing trend. Technological: It is predicted that by 2011 the online retail sales in Europe will hit approximately 263 Billion Euro because of the rapid increase of internet shopping in which the shoppers in UK may accounting for more than a third of all revenue.   Sainsburys can take the advantage of utilizing internet as an advertising media as 8% of the global advertising is spent on the internet and the percentage is increasing day by day (The Economist, 2007).  It will be very cost effective and help the company to globalize very easily. Self checkout machines may increase customer loyalty as they dont have to wait in long queues sometimes for very few products. It saves their time and increase comfort while shopping. It can also be very cost effective as it will require less worker to work and can be in operated 24 hour shops which will boost up the sales figure. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) is a new technology yet to be popular but can play vital role in supply chain management fort the company. It can benefit big companies like Sainsburys to save their valuable time as it requires less inventory and offers more efficiency. (Directions magazine 2008) Environmental factors Environmental factors are one of the key issues these days.   Every company has to ensure that they contribute in reducing carbon footprint and to increase energy efficiency (Bream 2008) which means big companies like Sainsburys would have to invest more money to sort out Green issues. With the growing ethical issues such as selling organic foods and treating animals in a good way may have impacts on the business of Sainsburys because they would have to retain their customers   and   balance their pricing after   maintain all the environmental issues. Legal factors: Sainsburys would have to develop its packaging and labelling policies to meet all the implications of LAW on food and drinks. Which will add extra cost to their overall budget. As Sainsburys operate a bank and is involved with financial services they would have to be more concerned about the legal issues and risks involved with their business. Porters 5 Forces Competitive rivalry-The retail market is enormously competitive with a very crowded market. Now, as more and more companies are trying to get into non food sectors it further intensifies the competition. Sainsburys has a market share of 14.9% in 2007, steadily increasing since its restructuring programme that started in 2004 (Annual Report 2007). This is a positive trend but it lags well behind the runaway market leader Tesco, showing that there is considerable distance to cover. Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons are the other three big supermarket chains in the UK retail sector. All of them have a different competitive advantage over their competitors. Sainsburys reach in the convenience stores makes it have a larger customer reach. Banks and building societies compete with Sainsbury bank but it is not a core business for Sainsburys. Barriers for entry-Barriers to entry are extremely high in the food retail market due to a number of factors. Firstly, organised retail is amongst the most sophisticated sectors within the UK and needs a lot of investment, along with significant brand development, which takes years to establish. Secondly, retail is also at an advanced stage within the UK and most of the western world, which means there is little scope for new entrants to establish themselves. Local knowledge is extremely crucial within the food retail sector, something that is difficult for foreign firms to replicate. This is corroborated by the presence of few global supermarkets within UK. Threats of Substitutes-  The threat of substitutes in the food retail industry is a low one simply because consumers view it as a necessity, especially in the developed world and increasingly in the emerging markets. The retail market is always trying to converge and assimilate new innovations with respect to food products or alternative businesses, to make shopping an extremely pleasurable experience. This makes them extremely difficult to substitute. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat whereby one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Buyer power-  Buyer power is high in this industry simply due to the presence of so many competitors selling the same products. It is only differentiated in price and consumer loyalty and increasingly on green credentials. Moreover, the switching costs are low for consumers. As the economy goes further towards recession consumers needs are likely to be given more weight, increasing their power considerably. Supplier power-  Supplier power is usually more complicated as it is difficult to categorise it. It is safe to call it a mutually dependent relationship as suppliers are in itself huge companies, like PG, Unilever, Cadbury etc. with huge brand appeal. It can be argued that if supermarkets do not sell their products consumers will shift loyalties, making suppliers very powerful. However, if the products of big companies do not reach supermarkets, their sales volumes will be affected hugely. The relationship might change depending on the situation of the big branded supplier, for example, when sales of Cadburys dairy milk increased through the successful Gorilla ad campaign. Supplier power of smaller suppliers will not be considerable because of their sales volumes on dependence on these supermarkets. Competitive advantage: Sainsburys has got some competitive advantage which made its business so successful all over UK and established the 3rd  food retail chain in United Kingdom. The competitive advantages are discussed below: Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16 million customers visiting every week Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More concerned with the environmental issues such as green house effect , reducing fuel emission , providing 15 million reusable bags , 8 million car stickers and fridge magnets to remind and encourage people to use environmental friendly resources. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performing social responsibility while working with Comic Relief to raise money and help poor neighbourhood. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22% market share makes them one the power key player after Tesco in the British retail industry. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They have established a brand image and are considered to have the supermarket power which is Locations. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsburys marketing strategy is   to attract the middle class consumers   with an affordable cost   while maintaining   particularly   quality of the food they simultaneously. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They are promoting a new section name Active Kids to help school kids and teachers to overcall child obesity.http://www.bitc.org.uk/resources/case_studies/afe_1343.html) Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsbury is the first super store to start One Hour Delivery slot outside of London. In addition if the y fail to do so on time customers will be paid  £10 next time they do online shopping.  (http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=19562hilite Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsburys bank loans ranked 13 out of 16 in the Ciao top list as The Best Loan Lenders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.ciao.co.uk/Sainsburys_Bank_Loans__6914648) Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developing customer service is a key advantage for Sainsbury. They discovered their highly skilled employees focus on their duties rather than Customers. So therefore , they changed the strategies and focused more to   improve customer service to get extra advantage. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The adoption of RFID has brought new competitive advantage as only few companies has the privilege to use this innovative technology. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Making Sainsburys store more accessible for its customer while keeping in mind about some facts such as geographical aspects, ever changing lifestyles, and   Government restrictions. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cutting cost , giving incentives and introducing constant innovative products is a core advantage over competitors. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsbury manufacturers their own products and has their own brands which helps them to produce products in a bulk quantity at a cheaper price. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company has a unique core competency which is they promote value by providing good quality products at a competitive price. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vertical integration in between buyers and suppliers has managed to organise and run a healthy supply chain system for the company which may help them to expand their business in future. . Limitations inter-related with the PEST Analysis: In analyzing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the critical factors that might have affect on the business. A number methods of have been developed so far. PEST analysis happens to be one of the key tools to determine those factors in a various way. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The utilization of PEST analysis could be considered effective for the corporate benefit and strategic developments of the company. Although everything has its own Pros and Cons , PEST analysis as a tool is not unlikely to them. It can be said that Pest Analysis are sometimes done on simple assumptions which may not even exist in real. The reason behind may be the facts we take into account while doing a PEST for any company. It may not be considered on specific area or may be they less possibility to happen reality. It is also considered that PEST analysis doesnt really emphasise on critical factors and it one of the major lacking of this method is it only covers external issues without concerning the internal environment of the company and position of competitors in the industry. Another disadvantage for PEST would be it is not done on a regular basis as the rules and regulations, currency rate , variables , foreign investment and   economic figures etc .change quite often. Indeed to make it more realistic and practical it is important to gather information and obtain different perspectives based on individual point of view which is going to increase cost thus, results as a limitation for this vastly use d tool. The current position of the company in the market is quite strong though with the booming recession and business expansion of   other competitors may cause some difficulties in future.  Sainsburys being   one of the largest supermarket company in UK should set some standards to achieve outstanding performance as a overall company. Moreover,   Sainsbury should introduce some new business policies to expand its business outside of UK and explore the new markets like China, India , USA, Australia. Conclusion: From this investigation it can be seen through the various analyses methods used; Marketing Audit, Porters 5 Forces and SWOT, that Sainsburys is an iconic British food brand, well loved by its consumers and importantly profits, have improved tremendously. Although it has shown steady growth it is important for Sainsburys to go the next level by challenging Tesco, a competitor identified in the Porters 5 forces analysis, either by thinking of international expansion or on price. This in conjunction with its increasing property portfolio and alternate businesses should help in continuing the strong growth path, as well as tiding over threats (SWOT) in its external environment.