Acc 509. Springfield Express Essay

Springfield Express is a luxury passenger carrier in Texas. All seats are first class, and the following data are available: Number of seats per passenger train car 90 Average load factor (percentage of seats filled) 70% Average full passenger fare $ 160 Average variable cost per passenger $ 70 Fixed operating cost per month $3,150,000 a.What is the break-even point in passengers and revenues per month? b.What is the break-even point in number of passenger train cars per month? c.If Springfield Express raises its average passenger fare to $ 190, it is estimated that the average load factor will decrease to 60 percent. What will be the monthly break-even point in number of passenger cars? d.(Refer to original data.) Fuel cost is a significant variable cost to any railway. If crude oil increases by $ 20 per barrel, it is estimated that variable cost per passenger will rise to $ 90. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay What will be the new break-even point in passengers and in number of passenger train cars? e.Springfield Express has experienced an increase in variable cost per passenger to $ 85 and an increase in total fixed cost to $ 3,600,000. The company has decided to raise the average fare to $ 205. If the tax rate is 30 percent, how many passengers per month are needed to generate an after-tax profit of $ 750,000? f.(Use original data). Springfield Express is considering offering a discounted fare of $ 120, which the company believes would increase the load factor to 80 percent. Only the additional seats would be sold at the discounted fare. Additional monthly advertising cost would be $ 180,000. How much pre-tax income would the discounted fare provide Springfield Express if the company has 50 passenger train cars per day, 30 days per month? g.Springfield Express has an opportunity to obtain a new route that would be traveled 20 times per month. The company believes it can sell seats at $ 175 on the route, but the load factor would be only 60 percent. Fixed cost would increase by $ 250,000 per month for additional personnel, additional passenger train cars, maintenance, and so on. Variable cost per passenger would remain at $ 70. 1.Should the company obtain the route? 2.How many passenger train cars must Springfield Express operate to earn pre-tax income of $ 120,000 per month on this route? 3.If the load factor could be increased to 75 percent, how many passenger train cars must be operated to earn pre-tax income of $ 120,000 per month on this route? 4.What qualitative factors should be considered by Springfield Express in making its decision about acquiring this route? 5.

Amendment Right

Many American citizens take their civil liberties for granted. Many do not realize how valuable their rights and privileges under the United States Constitution really are, until they begin to be taken away. The Fourth Amendment, essentially the right to privacy, is slowly being stripped from the American citizen. The use of TEMPEST, or sophisticated eavesdropping technology to intercept information, including telephone monitoring and video surveillance, is unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution states that people have the right to privacy in their person, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, and that people should not be violated, and no warrants issued, unless there is probable cause. (â€Å"U. S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment†, 2009) The Fourth Amendment clearly outlines that the American citizen has a right to privacy from the government. This i ncludes privacy not only in their homes, but out in public.For instance, anyone can observe another in public, such as walking down the street. However, when law enforcement officials begin to observe regular citizens in their everyday routine, such as going to work, going to the grocery store, picking up their children from school, and the like, that citizen's right to privacy has been violated. To understand how sophisticated eavesdropping technology to intercept information is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, one must realize how it works.TEMPEST is a code name for studies and investigations of compromising emanations. Compromising emanations are unintentional signals that can send information to a remote source. For instance, computers, telephones, and video surveillance cameras release interference into their surrounding environment. This interference creates signals that bear some relationship to what was originally caught. Essentially, TEMPEST equipment can remotely mirro r what is being done on another device. This is, in its purest form, eavesdropping.(Pike, 2000) In the case of Kyllo versus the United States, which was argued on February 20, 2001 and decided on June 11, 2001, is an example of the violation of the Fourth Amendment. Law enforcement was suspicious that marijuana was being grown in petitioner Kyllo's home in a triplex, and therefore, used thermal imaging devices to detect unusual heat sources, perhaps from heat lamps necessary for growing marijuana. Scanning the outside of the house, the agents detected hot spots coming from Kyllo's garage.The agents obtained a search warrant, and did indeed find marijuana plants. The evidence was then seized from Kyllo's home. The Ninth Circuit Court decided that the thermal imaging was not in violation of the Fourth Amendment because Kyllo had shown no attempt to conceal the heat coming from his home, and even if he had, law enforcement agents were still in the clear because the thermal imaging did not expose any intimate details of Kyllo's life. However, law enforcement used devices that were not in general, public use.They used these devices to â€Å"explore details of a private home that would previously have been unknowable without physical intrusion. † On these grounds, Kyllo decided to appeal, holding fast to the claim that the surveillance was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Ultimately, the Court decided that the use of the thermal imaging device to obtain information was a violation of Kyllo's right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The Court rejected law enforcement's argument that the thermal imaging must be upheld because it detected only heat from the exterior of the house.Law enforcement's argument was rejected because it left the homeowner to the mercy of technology. Law enforcement's argument that the thermal imaging must be upheld because it did not detect intimate details was also rejected because all details concerning a home are intimate det ails. (â€Å"Kyllo v. United States†, 2001) Technology has advanced to the point that the public should be aware of possible videotaping and other types of eavesdropping. For example, hidden cameras scanned the faces of all of the Super Bowl attendees as they entered the stadium in January of 2001.The pictures were then compared with local, state, and FBI files of known criminals and terrorists. The attendees had no idea they were being watched. The federal government, in addition to local law enforcement, is beginning to strip away Americans' right to privacy. On September 11, 2001, the attacks on the World Trade Centers exposed the vulnerability of America to terrorism. In response, Congress quickly passed the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is supposed to provide important national security measures, such as the removal of a statute on limitations for terrorism offenses.However, it also increased the government's ability to conduct unwarranted surveillance on innocent individ uals without making sure that abuses of power were limited. These examples illustrate the tension between preserving national security and preventing unwarranted government infringement on civil liberties. This infringement is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. (Chandler, 2006) In the months following the attacks on September 11, 2001, everyone was quick to point out a possible terrorist.People paid attention to what others said, and how they said it, and individuals paid more attention to what they were saying to others. For instance, it was within the realm of possibility that a man in a grocery store, having a casual conversation with someone else, mentions his disagreement with the United States government. Surprised by the FBI at his home a few hours later, he is informed that the individual he had the conversation with at the grocery store believed that his disagreement with the United States government was grounds for informing federal law enforcement of possible terrorist actions.Not only did scenarios such as this happen, but the government monitored telephone conversations. The law was that telephone conversations can be monitored by law enforcement or by the telephone company. The telephone company can monitor conversations for a number of reasons, including to provide service, inspect the telephone system, monitor the quality of the service, or to protect against service theft or harassment. However, law enforcement can only listen in on telephone conversations with â€Å"probable cause.† (â€Å"Wiretapping/Eavesdropping†, 1993) In other words, if one is known to be a hit man, law enforcement can eavesdrop on that individual's telephone conversations not only to find out if he will go through with committing murder, but also to find out who else is involved. Law enforcement must obtain a court order to eavesdrop on others telephone conversations. However, after September 11th, it was rumored that the federal government monitored all telephone conversations for key words such as bomb, terrorist, etc.The Bush administration repeatedly insisted that the only telephone conversations they eavesdropped on without court orders were those who were suspected of being linked to al Qaida or other terrorist groups. It is true, however, that after September 11th, the Bush administration made efforts to collect vast amounts of information about Americans' travel, tax and medical records, e-mails, and credit card purchases. (Landay, 2008) This was all done under the guise of the Patriot Act, which essentially made the Fourth Amendment null and void.In addition to listening in on telephone conversations, the United States watches the American public through surveillance cameras. Thousands of cameras, both public and private, dot parks and city streets. Once an individual is out in public, the Courts deem those individuals as no longer having any privacy, at least while they are in public. Most people are not aware that they a re being watched. If they do know, they do not control what their images are being used for. Most cameras are mounted in trees, on streetlight and traffic poles, on public buildings, on subway platforms, and installed in buses and subway cars.These cameras are everywhere, and there are more that cannot be seen. Police officials refuse to tell the public about where the other cameras are because they claim that information would â€Å"undermine law enforcement's effectiveness. One of the major problems with hidden cameras in public areas is that cameras penetrate deeper than anyone staring at an individual. If another person is staring at someone, all that person has to do is stare back to discourage the intrusion. However, one cannot stare back at a camera if they do not know where it is. Even if they did know where it was, the eye of the camera would not stop staring.People behave differently when they think they are alone, and even if one does know about the cameras, the cameras then do not fix the problem. Hidden cameras serve as â€Å"super cops. † These cameras can zoom in to single out a particular individual or to read a letter someone is holding, and can see in the dark due to infrared technology. In the past, police could not do this without probable cause and obtaining a search warrant. In addition to these benefits to law enforcement, cameras can be put in places where a human being could not possibly be, such as perched high atop the side of a building.These cameras were originally touted as tools to aid in the catching of terrorists and violent criminals, and to prevent serious crimes. The cameras have not done this. The only criminals these cameras have caught are minor offenders such as petty thieves and concert-ticket scalpers. For example, in Washington D. C. , New York City, and San Diego, cameras that were originally meant to catch serious offenders now only catch red-light runners, speeders, and others who park illegally. The proble m is this: The faces of random people on the street are being compared with those of criminals.All of this is being done with no probable cause. Law enforcement targets ethnic and racial minorities, and that coupled with false-positive matches means that innocent people will be arrested for no apparent reason. Even though the Supreme Court has never tried a case where someone claimed the Fourth Amendment was violated because of public surveillance, the Court would most likely find that electronic monitoring of public areas is not a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Technology is beginning to take over American society.Each intrusion into Americans' privacy is being introduced as a tool to weed out the harmful individuals. Drug testing and EZ Passes are good examples. At first, drug testing was only used for high security jobs, and now students in extracurricular activities at school are subject to them. EZ Passes were introduced in order to lessen traffic congestion, and now they a re being used to issue tickets to speeders. Every tool introduced as being â€Å"important† and â€Å"helpful† in the fight against crime is now being used to trap innocent citizens, citizens who at first thought these tools were a good idea.Sociologist Gary Marx explains, â€Å"Once the new surveillance systems become institutionalized and taken for granted in a democratic society, they can be used against those with the ‘wrong' political beliefs; against racial, ethnic, or religious minorities; and against those with lifestyles that offend the majority. † No one will use public areas if they believe or know they are being watched. The author believes that spaces that are accessible, not defensive, will be used more. The more people use these areas, the safer they will be.There are more good people than bad in the world, therefore, the chances of someone getting attacked in a group of people are extremely slim. Video surveillance creates insecurity, not a sense of safety. Congress has not yet addressed video surveillance. Hawaii and California have laws to limit video surveillance, and a handful of states have heightened protection of the right to privacy written into their state constitutions. However, even though video surveillance is more intrusive than telephone monitoring, there is currently no federal legislation to govern video surveillance. (Smithsimon, 2003)In conclusion, the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution is being violated in today's society due to telephone monitoring and video surveillance. Telephone monitoring and video surveillance have secretly crept upon the average American. Most do not give a second thought, or even know, about these types of violations of privacy. Perhaps the average American is aware of the possibility, but tries not to think about such a disturbing and chilling thought. If the average American citizen knew that someone was watching them as they went about their daily business , feelings of paranoia and possibly fear would begin to take root.America would not feel free any longer. This can be likened to driving at the speed limit when a police officer is driving within close proximity. One is on his/her best behavior, however, when the police officer can no longer be seen, that same person that was on their best behavior just moments before, resumes their fast, reckless ways. However, there is no escape from the cameras that could possibly be watching each and every American. It is amazing how much Americans take for granted, including the civil liberties, the rights and privileges, that the American holds so dear.– (1993). Wiretapping/Eavesdropping on Telephone Conversations: Is There Cause for Concern? Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Privacy Rights. http://www. privacyrights. org/fs/fs9-wrtp. htm – (2001). Kyllo v. United States. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Find Law. http://caselaw. lp. findlaw. com/scripts/getcase. pl? navby=CASE&court=US&v ol=533&page=27 – (2009). U. S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Find Law. http://caselaw. lp. findlaw. com/data/constitution/amendment04/ – Chandler, S. A. (Fall 2006). Collateral Damage?The Impact of National Security Crises on the Fourth Amendment Protection against Unreasonable Searches. University of Pittsburgh Law Review. 68(1), 217-41. – Landay, Jonathan S. (2008). Did U. S. Government Snoop on Americans' Phone Calls? Retrieved May 18, 2009, from McClatchy Newspapers. http://www. mcclatchydc. com/257/story/53703. html – Pike, John. (2000). TEMPEST. Retrieved May 18, 2009, from Intelligence Resource Program. http://www. fas. org/irp/program/security/tempest. htm – Smithsimon, M. (Winter 2003). Private Lives, Public Spaces: The Surveillance State. Dissent. 50(1), 43-9.

Do you act on Rumor or Respect Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Do you act on Rumor or Respect Privacy - Essay Example The persisting problem prevailing in the work place concerns morality in the work place, and the degree at which the rumors should prevail in the work place. The employees of the biocides firm are against a married and competent married woman by the name Lilly Kropov, citing an affair with a prominent client to the company. The rumor spreads throughout the company’s workplace through grapevine to the management. The entire rumor emanates from a company’s janitor who alleges to have heard the two in a sexual encounter from the noises emanating from the office, one evening when he was switching on the lights (Cournoyer and Barry 152). The management should make a decision to curb the prevailing rumors and establish the proximity that such an act occurred in the workplace. According to the ethical code of conduct, an act of immorality is inconsistent and punishable. However, stories about the affair originate from unreliable sources and therefore it is hard to determine the reality of the whole story (Dunham-Taylor, et al 249). The company does not tolerate immorality in the workplace as that could ruin the corporate and public images. The management may find difficulty in ruling a case, so pressing on the company’s welfare, yet originating from untrustworthy sources that cannot establish clear evidence as to the occurrence of the event. The management should first scrutinize the events and the apparent reality that the accusations occurred. This would secure the management the opportunity to establish justice without bias and saving the organization from a stale of operations. The managers should realize that, all the accusations towards Lilly Kropov relayed through the informal channel of grapevine, which has a questionable reliability (Merrell, et al 254). Therefore, any decision against Lilly should halt as far as there is no clear and formal evidence as to the

CORDS and the Phoenix Program in Vietnam Term Paper

CORDS and the Phoenix Program in Vietnam - Term Paper Example The term paper "CORDS and the Phoenix Program in Vietnam" talks about the success operations of the CORDS and the Phoenix programs during the Vietnam War. The Phoenix program came into existence in the period between 1967 and 1971, which was part of the CIAs effort to find intelligence access to policy levels of the Vietnam Cong Infrastructure as a way of directing development actions to the rural South Vietnam and taking control of the communist political structure by eliminating high-ranked VC cadre. At this time, phoenix program received assassination allegations. In 1993, there developed alerting evidence of VCI organization emerging after the downfall of the Diem regime. The program was then obliged to join MACV and USOM’s public safety division in advocating for the reorganization of GVN (Government of South Vietnam) intelligence. MACV had to carry out its operations through Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) supported by the CIAs phoenix program. The main purpose at this time was to coordinate efforts of police, local leaders and paramilitary groups to identify and tear down insurgent operations by arresting the local enemy ranking cadre and even using force if needed. The phoenix program was viewed as controversial as it received allegations of assassinations, and it was also imaged as an unlawful program targeting civilians. On the positive side, phoenix program was one of the many programs of the CIA tailored towards pacification and rural security programs run in South Vietnam. with a promise to the c ivilians that the collaboration between the government of the United States and South Vietnam was aimed at shielding them from VCI and they were even trained in self-defense by US Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV). After some time in 1967, the MACV had succeeded in uniting all military and civilian pacification attempts which were known as Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support. From this point, the CIA and MACV were intensively engaged in CORDS which was also run in unison with the Saigon administrative government. CORDS and phoenix programs hence worked as an entity by establishing an extensive network over 100 provincial and district operations committee programs in Southern Vietnam (Andrade?, 27). Basically, these committees were established to implement the CORDS and Phoenix programs. Cords programs were to come up with innovative all encompassing government approach to achieving rural pacification through development activities purposefully organized a nd directed with military operations and aid programs. In general, the program succeeded in incorporating civilian and military efforts under one command structure. The CORDS program

Researh paper exploring overtime among salaried government employees Research

Researh exploring overtime among salaried government employees - Research Paper Example The Fair Labor Standards Act also advocates for bonus pay as part of workers’ salary. Extra payment and compensatory time for employees should be discussed by the employee and employer (Stone, 2005). This paper will look at a case involving a director of agency and employees who are demanding compensatory time, Florida administrative codes that focus on overtime, and how the agency can deal with such issues. Question 1 Compensatory time is an alternate method of paying overtime to employees for time worked over 40 hours for nonexempt workers. As a result, compensatory time should be agreed upon in advance as overtime. Moreover, there is a similarity between Compensatory principles and overtime principles. Compensatory time is only given to nonexempt workers as an alternative to compensation for the work they do overtime. In addition, employees are prohibited from working additional hours so that they can attain compensatory time off for utilization in the future. The directors ’ complaints are invalid. This is because workers of local organizations’ do not enjoy the privilege of compensatory time. Compensatory time should be an agreement between employees and employers (Ulrich, 1996). This will facilitate employers to pay employees their compensation in the form of compensatory time instead of actual payment for overtime. Nevertheless, the agreement between employers and employees before the employees engage in overtime work. Additionally, employees must voluntarily and deliberately accept to be paid in compensatory time instead of actual payment in case of overtime work. The employees must also be aware that the compensatory time is not guaranteed; it may be eliminated, preserved, or employed according to the rules on the same. In addition, employees who request compensatory time are the only ones who are permitted to enjoy the benefits. The compensatory time can only be awarded if the request time is appropriate and does not affect the dep artment’s operations (Stone, 2005). From these instances, it is evident that the directors’ claims are invalid. From the different viewpoints, the agency employees have not met the requirements for receiving compensatory time. We are not informed of a contract between the management and workers on compensatory time as a means of compensation for overtime work. Question 2 The directors of the agency do not have a valid claim on compensatory time. According to The Florida Administrative code section 112.061(6), organizations or agencies should pay the employees according to their regular time rate per hour. The normal working hours for excluded employees, including holidays, weekends, and additional time in which the employee receives payment, and time in official, overtime. Moreover, the Florida Administrative code maintain that workers who occupy excluded employment positions in the senior management service and an individual exempt service, for example, the agency adm inistrators, recognized as excluded career service employees, are supposed to perform their duties in relation the rules of the agency (Ulrich, 1996). In this case, the agency does not incorporate compensatory time as a form of overtime payment. Question 3 The agency should create a labor department to examine and compile employee information on working hours, wages, and additional

Aviation Maintenance Programs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Maintenance Programs - Research Paper Example To address the safety concerns the Federal Administration Aviation and the military services often take similar or divergent maintenance programs to address the aircraft safety issues. The paper will look at the similarities and differences of how the Federal Administration and the military service run their aircraft maintenance programs. The paper will also make a comparison of aviation maintenance programs of the United States and those of other countries in the world. Similarities Similar Internal Mechanism used to Communicate Safety Related Information In running the aircraft maintenance programs, both the military service and the Federal Administration Aviation have established a formal and informal internal means to realize their aircraft safety issues. In both cases, there are established formal internal mechanisms that are used to convey any official information that is of concern such as those of giving orders and directives in the aviation industry and the military service. In cases where the Federal Administration aviation predicts any unsafe condition for the aircraft, they issue a formal airworthiness directive of the unsafe condition to the primary owners and the operators of the aircraft so that they can take precautionary measure to avoid areas that are considered unsafe for the aircraft to pass through (United States General Accounting Office, 2000). In case of large civil commercial airplanes, the airworthiness directive is first written by the agency based in Renton, Washington, and then sends to the Federal Administration Aviatio

Pain Sounds Aesthetically Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Pain Sounds Aesthetically - Essay Example The Ballade starts with what sounds like several first clumsy words of a speaker. The speech’s resolute, yet there’s no audience to listen. This feeling of solitude firstly comes from a chordophone only sound: that single speaker is a piano. Secondly, those first â€Å"words† are conveyed by a low pitch. They sound full and resolute due to the loudness of dynamic and long dramatic intervals. Along with overtones that imitate echo, a feeling of no audience’s achieved. Then, phrase by phrase, â€Å"a speech† becomes more normal, logical as dynamic becomes softer, there’re already shorter intervals, and feeling of description comes from a developing accompaniment (basically, chords). Yet a general nervousness stays in this section as well as during the whole Ballade. To oppose the first melody, Chopin starts a new one in a second section (3:18) with the higher pitch (â€Å"Zimerman plays Chopin Ballade No. 1†). The second melody’s dreamy, and it’s developing brings a feeling like a compositor’s dreaming or remembering some nice times. Sound becomes generally, more relaxing due to softness in dynamic; more water-like or misty due to vanishing intervals. It seems that the composer gives listeners an opportunity to have some rest until the dynamic part begins. There’s a minimum of attacks, maximum of decays when performing the second section, but not for long. The first melody returns in the third section (4:20) bringing a feeling of screaming or at least, a loud dramatic, maybe accusing, monolog again. This feeling comes from dominant dynamic loudness, from intervals between accompaniment and the melody, and dominant attacking style of performance, until suddenly, Chopin gets lost in own images, and feelings in forth section (5:23). The feeling of a noisy mess’s achieved by a higher pitch and that now they're more sounds for each time with dominantly, a stable loudness and no interva ls.

Communal Supportive Action Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Communal Supportive Action Theory - Assignment Example The initial part of the theory describes how people with measurable approach calculate their actions to benefit them self only, but they suffer long-term loneliness, lack of support and pleasure and disheveled reputation eventually. On the other hand, considerate individuals take a course of action which is less beneficial for them, but more beneficial towards larger humanity then they would earn long-term support, respect, a fiscal and sentimental advantage over the former one. The ‘Communal Supportive Action’ theory entails the idea of pleasantly surviving and sustaining in a society. This theory lays stress on the fact that individuals neither live alone nor their actions impact less. Hence, if they take actions according to their ease, preference, and lifestyle they would be withholding the notion of communal advantage. For instance, if garbage is thrown out of a house and dumped in a street, the trash would make the passage narrow, would produce long-term detrimental effects (health), would make a good home for pests and rats, would make the area look dirty and that would automatically evaluate the community. These self-centered actions are taken on the bases of personal priorities (shortage of time, lack of strength to walk the extra mile, lack of sense of cleanliness and lack of respect for others living in the surrounding). If one assesses the abovementioned theory with regard to objective approach then one realizes that Welfares, NGO’s, non-profitable organizations, religious and community beneficial services always concentrate on larger good instead of personal ones. Moreover, if individuals focus on their preferences then they attain short-term benefit and lack of dignity in the society as well.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 22

International Business - Essay Example Operating under three main segments -- Automobiles, Motorcycles, and Financial Services, the company well-known three brands -- BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, goes with the popularity of company. Its BMW automobile range encompasses the 1 Series, Series 3, the 5 Series, and 7 Series, the sports utility vehicles, X3, X5, and X6 and M models, such as M3, M5, and M6. It makes available to customer cars under MINI brand and motorcycles under the BMW brand. The Rolls-Royce brands include three luxury cars, Phantom, Coupe and Ghost. With continued production assembly, services and sales subsidiaries made throughout the world, (Reuters, 2010a), BWM is undeniably a global company that can be affected by globalization. One of best proofs of a company’s attainment of its long-term health is the behaviour of its stock price in the stock market as the same could indicate achievement of wealth maximization objective (Bernstein, 1993; Brigham and Houston, 2002). This paper seeks to examine how the BMW may have benefited from the actual and potential impacts of globalization on the company by analysing the possible strategies that the company has employed. This will also evaluate the possible strategies of going forward which the company might use to response to the impacts of globalization that would be identified. The paper will discuss first the different models to understand the company’s strategies. The models include the PEST, Five-Forces and SWOT and determine whether the same are applied by BMW in its choice of strategies. The paper will end-up evaluating the present strategies used by the company and recommend what should be done by company in relation with models describe. The analysis will include using available information for BMW from its 2010 Annual Report and its websites. This paper has chosen BMW as this researcher finds interesting to see how car manufacturers could really

Analysis of a survey conducted on a website Assignment

Analysis of a survey conducted on a website - Assignment Example Most people view exercise as a vital lifestyle Majority of the individuals who participated in the survey viewed exercise as an important aspect of health maintenance. 3% of individuals viewed exercise as not essential, 97% of the participants viewed exercise as important. Most individuals from the survey live an active lifestyle, by spending a lot of time outdoors. 5 to 6 hours is the average time spent outdoors by the majority participants Most people who participated in the survey, spend 5-6 hours when is weather is favorable. 31% of the participants spend 5-6 hours outdoor in a good weather. 23% spend more than 8 hours outdoors; contrary to the 15% that spend 0-2 hours outdoor. Insecurity, boring state, injuries and other vices are related to trails According to the data on the survey as to why people do not like trails; time factor was the most eminent factor; with 118 in number. The majority participants do not use trails because they do not have enough time. Trails are not convenient for the 99 participants, 85 individuals avoid trails because their friends are not interested in trailing. 48 people view trails as scary, 39 people state that rails limits their exercise routine, and 33 participants say that trails are boring.

Adrenaline Essay Example for Free

Adrenaline Essay Most of us, at some point, have been excited or thrilled as a form of entertainment. Whether it is a roller coaster at an amusement park or a scary movie, some results from this form of exciting entertainment may include tense muscles, increase in heart rate, increase in blood pressure, or excessive perspiration. Such physical effects are caused by Adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that is released from a person’s adrenal medulla during emergency situations but does not have psychoactive effects. It is released into the person’s body from the adrenal glands located above the kidney. It is commonly referred to as a â€Å"fight-or-flight† hormone, because of its effects in increasing the supply of glucose and oxygen directed at a person’s brain and involuntary muscles. This allows the person to have better physical abilities to utilise during an emergency. Adrenaline is also known as epinephrine. Adrenaline is derived from the Latin roots ad, meaning towards and renes, meaning kidneys. Epinephrine originated from the Greek roots epi, meaning on, and nephros, meaning kidneys. This is in reference to the physical location of the adrenal glands in a person’s body, atop the kidneys. Norepinephrine or noradrenaline is another hormone released from the adrenal glands. It is very closely, chemically related to adrenaline, as well as having similar effects on the human body. However, a significant difference between the two hormones is that adrenaline has no psychoactive effects, while noradrenaline does, affecting the person’s mental processes. The effects of adrenaline released with into the bloodstream include the stimulation of involuntary muscles, rising blood pressure, conversion of glycogen, a form of stored body fuel, inside the liver into glucose, heart rate increase, the dilation of the bronchioles, the fine, thin-walled, tubular extensions of the bronchus, in the lungs, increased breathing rate, increased metabolic rate, and decreased digestive and kidney activity. The release of adrenaline into a person’s blood stream can be seen as the changing of a gear in a manual car. The release of adrenaline allows a person’s body to be able to have better physical performance in the event of an emergency, while the changing of a gear in a manual car allows the car to have better performance and be able to reach higher speeds than at the lower gear. The diagram included shows the cross-sectioned view of adrenal gland. It identifies both the outer layer, known as the cortex, and the inner area, known as the medulla. The adrenaline is secreted from the inner area. Below it, the location of the adrenal gland is shown in relation to the kidney inside a human body. As indicated, it is located above the kidney. In terms of my art practice, my adrenaline is often released while I am working. For example, while completely three-dimensional projects in the workshops, the power tools and other machines make me very nervous while using them. As a result, my adrenal glands release adrenaline, making my heart rate increase exponentially. In other cases, inspiration for art may also cause the release of adrenaline in my both. Similarly, when I use great emotion into my paintings. I am also excited to the point of adrenaline release.

Racial Discrimination from Police Essay Example for Free

Racial Discrimination from Police Essay Racial discrimination in the United States is as old as America itself. The United States motto deduces that, although America is a single country, it is made up of people of all walks from all the corners of the world, but some as slaves, especially from Africa. The American population is diverse both culturally and racially thus the name Melting Point. Racial discrimination is the act of subordinating an individual due to the color of the skin or race. Discrimination against people of color began long ago while slavery still existed, and it took a Civil War between the Northern and Southern states to end slavery. In history, racist violence, police brutality, has been used to suppress the racial blacks and to preserve power and privileges for the white race. This was done for five primary purposes. First, it has forced black people into slavery or low wage situations. Secondly, to steal land and other resources. A third was to maintain social control. A fourth purpose was to eliminate conflict in politics, social life, and employment. Lastly, the fifth purpose was to unite white people across the ethnic, class, and gender boundaries. It is not really different of what we see nowadays through every day in the street. It is just getting a little bit smoother , cover up by law that a certain category of people make to protect themselves and the ones who as the privilege to use it. Most of the times, they do not been treated as the minority whenever they do the same mistakes by the justice in this country. The following grounds for suspicion of criminality are among the many reasons that African American motorists are pulled over: Driving a luxury automobile (e. . , Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc. ), driving in a car with other black men, driving early in the morning or late at night, driving in a low-income neighborhood, known for its drug traffic, driving in a neighborhood where there have been recent burglaries,†¦ Although the above list may in fact be the reason that a prejudice officers attention is obtained, none of the reasons listed can be filed as a probable cause in the police report. I have so many bad exp eriences with the police that I think, it is just getting worst. We all know, minority people, that they use theses bunch of †laws† to still keep us down because they still, and for more of the â€Å"white people† ,think that they are a â€Å"superior race†. One day, I was with my dad driving around a nice neighborhood with some friend to go pick up one our friend to go at the club. It was late around 11 pm that night. From nowhere the police pull us over and start actin really at their defensive. They asked us to get out of the car, after checking if the car has the proper paper (insurance driver license). They asked us what we were doing there and we answered without stress that we are going to pick up a friend of us to go at the club. One of us asked us, straight up on our face, if we were not here for other illegal purpose in the neighborhood. We were still acting cool, at the same moment two others police cars pulled over. We were surprise by the number of units just for 3 people. They start searching us with some brutality and still asking stupid questions. The car also has been check. They brought a K-9 dog to search the car. We did not know what they were looking for and even if they have a warrant on us. After some so long minutes, they let us go. The think that really made us feel that we were inferior was the fact that one of the cars was following us through the neighborhood until we got out. That experience was the most shameful one I ever been into. I really hate cops since this experience. Being a minority and particularly black is not a crime. I totally presume that most of the police are like that. Racial bias and discrimination are existent in the minds of many individuals, some of whom may have, if it is at all possible, a justification for such thoughts. But when it comes to the protection and justice of a society, race should not even be an issue. The criminal justice system of today fuels its flame of democracy with decisions influenced by a certain individuals race and stature in society, and allows these preconceptions to be the basis of such decisions. Whether it is the African American motorist being pulled over with no probable cause, or the racially spurred brutalizing by the police, racism prevails in the world of criminal justice. Most communities that suffer police discrimination and violence have little control of the economy, or political overseers of the police. Typically the people who do have these powers are the richer communities, with primarily white citizens. I do not think the community or even education can do something about it, it is already in their manners and nothing will change it, The only think that could make a minority person close to their tight circle is â€Å"money†.

Business overview of Primark Stores Limited

Business overview of Primark Stores Limited Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer. Its stores are located in various regions like United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands and Belgium. Primark stores day by day increasing its number of new clothing stores, with Two hundred and seven stores overall distributed in seven major regions: one hundred -five in the United Kingdom, thirty-eight in Ireland, eighteen in Spain, one in Netherland, one in Belgium, two in Germany and two in Portugal. The company also positions itself as marketing fashionable at competitive prices. Arthur Ryan and his collaborator Micaela Mitchell open its first clothing store in Dublin Ireland in 1969. After various success in clothing business, great profits and gross income led them to open stores in local and regional areas. It acquired various locations in different business centers within its local and regional areas which eventually generate more profits and income. Primark is known for selling clothes at very competitive prices in the market. Its success is based on sourcing supply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics and targets young, fashion-conscious individuals ages 35 below, offering them simple yet high quality clothes and apparels. Hence, these successes brought significant changes on Primarks retail business. Success after success by opening new stores every year the relevance of global trends and consumers demands on lifestyle made Primark Store Limited reinvent its business scheme and management structure. http://www.primark.co.uk Primark Overview Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer. Its stores are located in various regions like United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Portugal and Belgium. The company positions itself as marketing fashionable at competitive prices. It is a great place to go for stylish, trendy clothes without the expensive price tag. Whether its on the go or for something which can make up to look like a high street find. It has 207 branches in UK and Europe by November 4, 2010. These are as follows; Ireland 38 Spain 18 UK 145 The Netherlands 1 Portugal 2 Germany 2 Belgium 1 Total 207 The clothes in Primark are fashionable and trendy. Womens Wear: Party dresses, Work or holiday clothing, Lingerie, Accessories and Foot wear Mens wear: Casual or formal clothes, everyday essentials and footwear Childrens Wear: Fashion or essentials products for girls, boys and baby wear. Jewelry: Jewelry is the favorite part; it includes childrens mini jewelry and adults jewelry. The prices are very reasonable. Everybody can afford those prices very easily. Home: Bed sheets, towels, curtains, duvet covers and pillows Other Items: Other items include bags, belts, purses etc. Style, quality and affordable prices all rolled into one at Primark. The original clothing store was established by Arthur Ryan and his collaborator Micaela Mitchell in Dublin Ireland in 1969. After various success in clothing business, great profits and gross income led them to open stores in local and regional areas. Primark employs simple managerial operation on its stores structure. Every store has its own manager who is responsible in overseeing the status and business operations. Managers are given the power and control to manage the store within his/her point of responsibility. Assistant and deputy managers are also assigned to control and manage the store in smaller or larger branches. Within the store, there are different subdivided departments in which a manager is assigned like senior department managers and junior department managers who are in charge for individual departments. Moreover, under management, there are supervisors in charge of staff on a sales floor, on different departments like stock room staff, customer service staff, customer service desk, cashiers who work on the tills, cash office staff and staff responsible to look after fitting rooms. Source: www.primark.co.uk PRIMARK OBJECTIVES AND AIMS To provide good quality products for the public; we want the public to realise we are a good company and just because our products are cheap, it doesnt mean that they are rubbish. We will achieve this by having our products made by people that know what they are doing and test them to check that they are good quality. To sell goods at reasonable prices; We want the public to have a wide range of options to them, so we offer them good quality products at reasonable prices; This will be achieved by looking at other stores, selling similar products, and making our prices lower than other places. To be friendly and helpful towards customers and staff; The public need to think that we are a friendly company; this will make them want to come to our store if they feel welcome. We will achieve this by greeting customers as soon as possible and making those feels welcomed. To treat everybody the same; The public need to feel like we treat everybody the same. The people with less money will be treated the same as people that have lots of money. This will be achieved by making everyone in the store feel individual; we will make everyone feel like they are special . http://www.blurtit.com/q2904588.html November 8, 2010. 18:53 Definition of the Market The METRO cash and carry business lies in the Monopolistic Competition. There are few sellers and each has its own specialization and it charge the prices according to the product quality and characteristics. There is no entry or exit barrier in this market. Even five more cash and carry businesses are allowed by government to open their branches in Pakistan. Market Focus and Segmentation Segmentation METRO segmentation of customers is mainly concerned with the two factors, Retailers, and professionals of every sector and kind. Segmentation We design the proper segmentation of the METRO Cash and Carry: Geographic Region South Asia Country Pakistan State Punjab City Lahore, Islamabad Demographic Occupation HoReCa Income Level Minimum Rs.20000 Economic factor Inflation, reduced Productivity Psychographic Social Class Working Class (Retailers and Professionals) Buying Habits Convenience Perception High Quality with low price Personality Profit Conscious Behavioral Benefits Shopping at one place, Customer Care Usage rate weekly Occasion Regular Loyalty status Strong customer relationship Readiness Stage Desirous source (www.metro.pk) Targeting The targeting strategy of METRO cash Carry depends upon the segmentation. METRO carries the differentiated market targeting strategy. They take the whole customers as a market and carry out the marketing strategy same for the whole. At this time METRO cash and carry is concerning with the differentiation strategy. They can also come up with the focus strategy for the retailers so that they think that METRO cares them and conducting a major portion of business just for the retailers. It will convince and internally force them to come to METRO just to admire its services and respect to the retailers. Is it a focussed strategy? Yes in the sense that all their customers are users of databases. No in the sense that they are all different sizes and sectors. Also -WellData do not sell the software applications licenses. They can, and do, sometimes sell hardware but this is as a convenience for their customers. Is it a differentiation strategy? Yes in the sense that they are looking specifically at wholesalers and retailers. Yes as their approach to the core function is fundamentally different to the rest of the marketplace (no fail). Yes as they have a key Business Ready report for customers before the start of the working day. Yes as all technical staff are employed and not contracted. On balance this seems to be a differentiated approach Is it a cost leadership strategy? Possibly. Because they always believe in low prices. . METRO portrait the image of this cash and carry whole sale departmental store as the lower prices with the high quality and availability of everything at a same place. You just visit it and you can get every thing what you can think to buy. Based on the above , very simple, observations, the metro cash carry strategy would fall somewhere between the differentiation strategy and the focussed strategy. In terms of Bowmans Strategy Clock the picture is clearer. Metro fall clearly into the Differentiation strategy. Premium Priced or not? The question of price premium is open to further discussion. Although this next section should really be covered in the analysis of Metro cash carry under Porters five forces model. Quantix will open the proposition with a low price and low added value service. If the customer buys into this it is a relatively simple matter to upsell the customer to more expensive, but more added value, services. 1 Low price/low added value Likely to be segment specific 2 Low price Risk of price war and low margins/need to be cost leader 3 Hybrid Low cost base and reinvestment in low price and differentiation 4 Differentiation (a) Without price premium. Perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits (b) With price premium. Perceived added value sufficient to bear price premium 5 Focused differentiation Perceived added value to a particular segment, warranting price premium 6 Increased price/standard Higher margins if competitors do not value follow/risk of lo losing market share 7 Increased price/low value Only feasible in monopoly situation 8 Low value/standard price Loss of market share Internal Review SWOT Strength Weakness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The company has over 207 stores around the euorope and of those 145 stores are located in the UK. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark has very organised business structure. which provides good quality services to their customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It offers a range of job opportunities and employees more than 30,000 people. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It provides a high street quality clothes at reasonable prices to customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark is part of the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) which focuses on workers rights, their production of goods and bringing businesses together to work on labour rights issues. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark provides clothing for childrens, men and womens of all ages, it also provide some home accessories. A research company TNS who rank Primark as UKs second largest clothing retailer by terms of market share. Primark has very affordable and competitive prices. Mainstream market product quality. Stores in High Street locations. It has clear focus on the target market. A strong consumer proposition has been developed for the Primark brand and embodied in the line Look Good, Pay Less. It has 28 days refund policies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark facing child labour in india and bangladesh for producing their embroidred clothes, although it is member of ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative). Due to these negative reports they stop working with three big organizations in India. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It has poor working conditions and not properly giving their workers their full rights. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark has problem with advertisement because the company does not advertise their products and this gives their competitors the advantage over them. Employees overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark purports less value on ethical matters. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exploitation of the employees and abuse on labour force. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poor working conditions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Child labour. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures. Opportunity Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark expanding their business to opening more new stores in the UK and in euorope. And has now opened 17 stores in Spain to battle along its competition like Zara. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark now has an opportunity to share their high quality products and services overseas. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ It provides a high quality clothes to fashion conscious people in UK and Euorope. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark is a parent company for ABF. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primarks energy consumption in Great Britain is sourced against the green power generated and sold into the grid by sister company, British Sugar. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark shares many of its suppliers with its competitors on the high street. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primarks are in great competition with other companies such as Zara and HM which is their big threat. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The other threat is that will it match the needs of the customer in terms of fashion and uniqueness? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As the Primark do not advertise for their products while their competitors do. This can be a threat for Primark for not advertising. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Financial crisis- credit crunch. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cheap quality product. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increasing competitive pressure: matalan, peacock, H M. Marketing Strategy It is a great place to go for stylish, trendy clothes without the expensive price tag. Whether its on the go or for something which can make up to look like a high street find. Who are existing/potential Customers? People from all ages and sex belongs to all classes such as lower middle to high class is Primark potential customers. They buy product on regular bases. What are their current/ future needs? People want to buy fashionable and trendy clothes. How can we satisfy these needs? Primark can satisfy their customers by providing them good quality clothes on affordable prices. Why Should Customers buy from Us? Customers buy cloths from Primark due to their high quality fabrics, fashionable designs and due to affordable prices. Also clothes are available for all ages and sex. External Review PEST Political Factor Primarks business operations are the aid of government policies and regulation for example providing proper working environment for their workers. Primark is part of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) to deal with workers and to improve their working conditions. Primarks energy utilization in UK is sourced against the green power generated and sold into the grid by British Sugar. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark is a British clothing retail that promotes an ethical approach to people in factories ad farms worldwide to improve living standards in countries with vulnerable conditions such an India and Bangladesh. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark constantly implement training and work programmes to ensure that its follow the strict code of conduct of the company. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark Better Lives Foundation provide financial help to young people in developing countries. Economical Factors Primark more focus on young Consumers especially the under 35 of age. Every year Primark is expanding their business by opening new stores in UK and moved its business around Europe. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark offers to customers quality of merchandise at a affordable value for money. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark has a high percentage of customers loyalty. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The retail contribute to the economy in developing countries, this provide employment. Social Factors It is a great owner for Primark by receiving several awards for being value retailer of the UK. It now operates from 5.4 million sq ft of selling space, which gives it the advantage of providing more goods and services and also can display more items which consumers can see to buy their favorite product. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Primark adapts to the cultural issues in developing countries such as local attitudes, government and legal requirements. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The clothing retail base its strategies on trust and transparency to the benefit of the people. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In collaboration with the community, Primark has specific recruitment programmes to reach a wider group of people such as Job Centers, Universities, local communities, also, flexible hours this brings an effective and friendly workplace. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In addition, Primark has a home working policy for those whose prefer to be at home. Technological Factors In Primarks bid for world class, cutting edge management of its ethical auditing Programme, it has signed a deal with BSI Management Systems for the provision of Entropy Software. Primark did investment in Entropy Software which is a key part of Primarks ethical trade strategy, allowing all supplier audits, non-conformances and remedial actions to be managed through the Entropy Software platform, with much greater global visibility and management control. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In general retailers as Primark take risk in developing new technologies by importing and exporting technologies from abroad, as focus on quality, cost and functionality, investing huge amounts of capital in manufacturing processes and aiming at high volume production. This process open new opportunities in developing countries and retailers can use it effectively. Porters five forces model Porters five forces developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. Give a framework for environmental audit but tends to focus on the single, stand alone, business or SBU (Strategic Business Unit) rather than a single product or range of products The threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants is LOW for Primark because of the high cost setup. Power of the Supplier Primark does not rely on one big supplier rather they have number of smaller ones. And so here the bargaining power of suppliers is LOW with Primark. Bargaining Power of the Buyer Competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is HIGH in case of Primark as there are number of similar size players in the market with offering similar product and due to high cost on exit (Exit barrier). Threat of the Substitutes Threat of substitutes is HIGH because other company are offering similar products with low price and now it is very easy for customer to switch from one product to other as they have become more choosey. Bargaining power of Buyers: Degree of Buyers power is HIGH, as there are multi players in the market and now customer are more sensitive towards the price so they visit every shop and then make decision and the switching cost is also not too high. The bargaining power of buyers in this case is very high because of the multi players in the market. There are attractive substitutes available to the buyer even in the form of keeping the same cell phone number but changing the service provider. It makes very difficult for the market players to retain their customers. I think the brand loyalty can only be created through superior marketing campaigns and service. Bargaining power of suppliers: This is a type of industry where, at least in present times, the bargaining power of suppliers is at the low level because of the nature of inputs for the business. Moreover, with the deregulated and friendly environment given by the government of Pakistan, the industry has become more competitive and quality services driven. Threat of substitute products: Although the cell phone subscribers are more than 95 million now, still the threat of substitute products is high for the industry. Buyer inclination to substitute and price-performance trade off are the most important to consider in determining the threat of substitutes. Actually, just the subscription of cell phone service is not enough for a company to get optimal profits but the real challenges is that how many existing customers are using the service regularly for incoming as well as outgoing calls. The quality of service is the parameter. Threat of New Entrants: Threats of new company like Zong is also there. Which offers very attractive packages to customers. There can be some more companies in future who can enter in this industry. Product Life Cycle Where do Primark fit in terms of the Boston matrix? Ansoff Matrix (Product/Market Matrix) Source: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix.htm Same Product Same market (Market Penetration) This is the least risky of all the routes. It fits well with the results of the customer profile analysis which shows that the WellData customer base contains significant numbers of large companies who are also national or Global in their nature. By focussing on the existing customers and cross selling or up selling, WellData have the opportunity to tap into a market segment that already likes what they do and where the strength of internal customer references should work favourably on their behalf. Same Product New Market (Market Development) This is a more risky approach as it involves WellData being able to clearly identify a new market segment in which to operate. Given the difficulty in identifying a clear segment in which they already operate, the danger is that the chosen segment is hard to define, hard to identify and hard to quantify. In addition WellData have no Brand name outside their existing area of operation and in this aspect would face the same barriers to entry outlined in Porters analysis above. New Product Same Market (Product Development) For WellData this lies between Market Penetration and Market Development in terms of Risk. They are already established in their own market place and have a good reputation amongst their existing customers. An area of relatively simple product development is the move to desktop support. This is a function that WellData already carry out for some existing customer and which lies within their functional capabilities. They can simply offer the extended service to existing customers as an upgrade to the current services. New product New Market (Diversification) This is a high risk approach and is not one that would be simple to bring about in Metro. The move away from current skill sets and current markets would place a burden on Metro that they are unlikely to want or be able to afford. Recommendations From the four directions above the Market Penetration and Product Development offer the lowest risk. The markets for the services (Database Admin and Configuration, and Desktop Support) are sufficiently large to allow for customer acquisition without enormous marketing expenditure. Marketing Management Process Analysis/Audit where are we now? Currently WellData is a problem child. They have a small market share in a growth market. In order to grow they need to attack their existing account base and cross-sell and up-sell. Their sales revenue is just above a million and the ambition is to be a dominant player in the IT Support market place. To achieve this they have to focus their activities in areas where their strengths (technical expertise and a low cost base) can be brought to bear. Product Strategy Market penetration and Product development are the two key directions for WellData. The ease of access to the market and the related nature of the services opens up new areas to WellData without the risk of massive investment in either people, marketing expense or new technology. Generic Strategy WellData are transitioning from a focussed/differentiation strategy to one of cost leadership/ differentiation without a price premium. In Bowmans terms this would be a hybrid strategy. Such a strategy is designed to attract market share. Pricing Strategy Pricing strategies need to be rethought in order to counter the tactical threat from Quantix. WellDatas all you can eat buffet approach has been effectively countered with the Menu of the Day approach from Quantix. The 4 Ps MARKETING PRICE PRODUCT PLACE PROMOTION Product Style for men With a range of brands from Cedarwood State to DenimCo, Primark has the fashion for all occasions. With everything from formal suiting and footwear to a more casual look in denim and T-Shirts. We have everything to put your look together and its all available in your nearest Primark store. Clothing Our Butler Webb range will cater for all of your formal needs, with cotton shirts, silk ties and a premium suiting range. Within our Backswing section we offer a full range of sportswear styles, from golfwear to ski-wear. Accessories Every fashion-conscious man needs to top off his outfit with the perfect hat, scarf, wallet or bag. Find everything you need for accessorising your look in our mens accessories range. Footwear From formal shoes for that special occasion to our canvas shoes for a more casual look, the Primark mens footwear range will take you from formal sophistication to street-savvy in no time. Womenwear Primark prides itself on providing its customers with up-to-the-minute fashion at affordable prices. Our aim is to ensure you get the right look within our stores, so if youre looking for the latest fashion in clothing, accessories, footwear or lingerie, look no further than your nearest Primark store Clothing With everything from the latest styles to the essential items that keep you looking chic, Primark has it all. Skirts, trousers, cardigans, dresses, jackets and much more. Lingerie Fun, flirty or functional its all at Primark. And of course its affordable lingerie with the quality that you hope for. Accessories Complete your look with the latest trends in accessories from bags to bracelets and everything in between. Footwear Diamonds may be a girls best friend but shoes come a close second. At Primark we have an entire range to fulfil your inner fashionista and put the finishing touches to your outfit. Everybody knows kids grow fast, so keep them in fashion at affordable prices at Primark. Your nearest Primark store has everything you need, whether you are a bouncing baby or a fashion-conscious teenager. Girlswear Every girl wants to look her best and at Primark we make no exception for the younger ladies. Boyswear When you think of boys, you think young and fun. At Primark we think the same and we ensure that all of our boys clothing is not only young and fun but also practical and affordable. Babywear Dress your bundle of joy, whether a boy or girl, in great baby basics to fashionable outfits. Everything your heart desires and your baby needs can be found in your nearest Primark store. home At Primark we know that Home is where the heart is, so if youre re-decorating or just want to add something a little special from fragranced candles to velvet throws, check out our homeware products to bring that little bit extra to your home. Youll find sumptuous bed linen that can keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, including complete bed sets, duvet covers, two-pack hollow-fibre pillows and 100% cotton percale sheets. We have a range of duvets available in single, double or king sizes. For the bathroom you can buy cotton towels in 11 colours and two-pack reversible bath mats. To enhance the pampering you deserve, we also have candles, all delicately fragranced in seasonal scents and colours. And you can give your living room that feeling of class with products from our range of cushions and throws including cottons, chenilles and velvets. www.primark.co.uk Place Ireland 38 Spain 18 UK 145 The Netherlands 1 Portugal 2 Germany 2 Belgium 1 Total 207 Price Price Tops-  £3-7 Bottoms-  £5-6 Denim-  £12 Bags-  £5 Purses- £3 Belts-  £2 Jewellery- £1.50-2.00 Promotion Social Networking Much has been made of the emergence of social networking as a modern phenomenon especially amongst the young. However it is increasingly the case that modern legislation is preventing suppliers from communicating with potential customers unless the customer has already agreed (Telephone Preference Service, Corporate Telephone Preference Service, Mail Preference Service, Data Protection Act etc). This clear Catch-22 is forcing suppliers down two, increasingly expensive and unproductive routes. Google Adwords Media advertising Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Myspace etc) offers a new route to potential customers that is currently still open to businesses. Although these routes are not free, they are still novel enough to attract attention and be considered as a user friendly/personal route to market. However these routes are not without challenges of their own. The time and human resource required creating and, even more importantly, maintaining these pages on a daily or hourly basis is a considerable investment in its own right. E.G. A Facebook page is free. Facebook adverts operate on a pay per click basis (similar to Google). Although these adverts can be targeted to specific job titles the actual number of people who will be targeted is still small as many Facebook users do not include their job title in their profile. A combined approach of Twitter and Facebook seems to work well and have little external cost. IE Twitter an update (Windows 7 etc) and link it to Facebook. This gives two opportunities to get your name out to interested parties without massive expense. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Primark can easily expand and diversify, giving its rivals a competitive environment with substantial financial power.<

Structured Portfolio of My Teaching Activities Essay -- Clinical Fello

Structured Portfolio Assignment Prepare a structured portfolio relating to your teaching activities over a minimum of a 3 month period. Introduction This is a portfolio of the teaching activities I undertake as a Teaching Fellow. I will be reflecting on my activities and discussing the principles that I have tried to use to guide my teaching. I am a clinical teaching fellow in Medicine and I am involved with teaching undergraduate medical students. I am also involved with the examination of medical students at different stages of their study. This takes place in a variety of settings like bedside teaching, tutorials, lectures, mock examinations. I will include evidence of the different aspects of teaching I am involved with. I feel privileged to be involved in training medical students to become doctors and it is therefore my responsibility to make every effort to develop the skills needed to become a competent teacher. These skills according to the General Medical Council’s document Tomorrow’s Doctors(2009) involve using emotional intelligence when teaching the students, and teaching them with an awareness of what the curriculum objectives are. Background of My Teaching Role as a Clinical Teaching Fellow My teaching experience prior to my job as a teaching fellow was limited to impromptu bedside teaching of house-officers and medical students. However, when I was a medical student, I was involved in giving tutorials as well as organising revision sessions for my fellow students. Currently, I work as a Clinical Teaching Fellow, where medical students from the University at various levels of their training come for their clinical posting. The Medical school has a graduate entry programme for Medicine and therefore... ...ence. London: Routledge. Okuda, Y., Bryson, E. O., DeMaria, S., Jacobson, L., Quinones, J., Shen, B. & Levine, A. I. (2009) The Utility of Simulation in Medical Education: What Is the Evidence? Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine: A Journal of Translational and Personalized Medicine. 76: 330–343. Pratt, D. (2002) Good Teaching: One Size Fits All? New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. 2002(93): 5–16. Purcell N & Lloyd-Jones G. (2003) Standards for medical educators. Med Ed 37: 149–54. Sutkin, G., Wagner, E., Harris, I. & Schiffer, R. (2008) what makes a good clinical teacher in medicine? A review of the Literature. Academic Medicine. 83(5), May 2008. Yeates, P. J. A., Stewart, J., Barton, J. R. (2008) What can we expect of clinical teachers? Establishing consensus on applicable skills, attitudes and practices. Medical Education. 42:134-142.

Instructional Design :: essays research papers

The ultimate goal of Instructional Design is to quickly and effectively teach people a new skill, or system of thinking. Elliot Masie, editor of TechLearn Trends, suggests  ¡Ã‚ §all training is about behavioral stimulation that changes human beings on some level. ¡Ã‚ ¨ (Masie, 1998, p. 14) This is a tall order  ¡Ã‚ §to change human beings ¡Ã‚ ¨, and therefore, any professional instructor that accepts this challenge must ask plenty of fundamental questions first. These essential questions are part of a process known as Needs Assessment. This critical front-end work is going to 1. Provide information about audience capabilities and preparedness. 2. Establish that, indeed, there is a need for training. 3. Reveal information regarding the company culture. An instructor needs this information to choose tools for the program; the more you know your audience, both customer and learners, the more successful the program will be. There are several need assessment models to follow, but I will use  ¡Ã‚ §The Zemke-Kramlinger Model of the Major Human and Organizational Factors that Affect People Performance in an Organization ¡Ã‚ ¨. Their model asks hard questions in three different categories: Performer Skills „h What Abilities „h What Skill Level „h Job Knowledge „h Objective „h Needs Company Support „h Objective „h Expectations „h Reward „h Punishment „h Feedback „h Support Corporate Culture „h History „h Mission „h Goals „h Strategy „h Tactics „h Plans Without this information, the designer is only guessing. Once a designer is confident the needs assessment has provided a solid foundation to start building a program, different tools, or media, should be considered. The variety of tools ranges from simple (print) to high tech (satellite dish communication). The American Society for Training and Development has published a book that outlines an eight-step process for assisting in selection of the proper tools. The steps are as follows: 1. Understand all the training tools available with the benefits and drawbacks of their use. 2. List the media delivery that WILL WORK FOR YOUR AUDIENCE AT THEIR CAPABILITY LEVEL. 3. Evaluate your media list with the goals of training, and level of audience in mind. 4. Conduct a cost comparison. 5. Synthesize findings and establish  ¡Ã‚ §core media ¡Ã‚ ¨. 6. Consider auxiliary media that would augment your  ¡Ã‚ §core media ¡Ã‚ ¨. 7. Identify any implementation issues, organizational requirements, or technical limitations which could prevent successful use of your  ¡Ã‚ §core media ¡Ã‚ ¨. 8. Prepare your conclusion in a formal report for management. With all the preparation out of the way, just what tools are we talking about? Here is a list of possibilities: Manuals Handouts Video Tape Overheads Data Bases CD Rom Interactive Video Conference Internet Computer Base Training Satellite Distance Learning With information on the objectives, learners, the company, budget, constraints etc.

Essay --

Throughout our lives we all have been in a situation where we are outside at a sporting event, concert, or some type of outside event. While we are at the events all bundled up in our coats and hats and such, what do we do about our hands when the gloves just aren’t cutting it? My mother always suggests I just open a pack of Grabber hand warmers. Grabbers are a pack of 2 individual mini hand warmers that use a mixture of chemicals and different chemical reactions to produce heat us by you rubbing the two together. I must admit these little things have saved me from many cold nights out at the football field. Although when you are trying to warm yourself up you probably aren’t worried about what chemicals are in these warmers or how they work, but I am so I figure I’ll fill you in too. The reason I decided to try and go in debt on the idea of how a hand warmer works and what goes in to it to cause it to exert heat. Also because these are things I use almost every day during the winter and never knew how they worked. For starters all grabbers hand warmers are air activated, they are n... Essay -- Throughout our lives we all have been in a situation where we are outside at a sporting event, concert, or some type of outside event. While we are at the events all bundled up in our coats and hats and such, what do we do about our hands when the gloves just aren’t cutting it? My mother always suggests I just open a pack of Grabber hand warmers. Grabbers are a pack of 2 individual mini hand warmers that use a mixture of chemicals and different chemical reactions to produce heat us by you rubbing the two together. I must admit these little things have saved me from many cold nights out at the football field. Although when you are trying to warm yourself up you probably aren’t worried about what chemicals are in these warmers or how they work, but I am so I figure I’ll fill you in too. The reason I decided to try and go in debt on the idea of how a hand warmer works and what goes in to it to cause it to exert heat. Also because these are things I use almost every day during the winter and never knew how they worked. For starters all grabbers hand warmers are air activated, they are n...

Kingdoms of medieval civilization

The fall of Rome and the rise of Germanic kingdoms marked the end of ancient times and the beginning of the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, the center of European culture shifted from the lands around the Mediterranean Sea to regions that had barely been touched by Greco-Roman civilization. A new civilization, medieval civilization, took shape during the early Middle ages (A.D. 500-1050). There were few strong rulers or governments in this period, and a political system grew up in which power was divided among many local lords (Perry, 1988,). By the fifth century, Germanic peoples had established kingdoms in Italy, Spain, Gaul, and England. These lands formerly belong to Rome (Crofton, 1994, 254).   At its height, the Roman Empire had been a world of cities with a rich culture. By the end of the Empire, many towns were abandoned as people fled to country estates. The center of political, social, and economic life shifted from city to countryside. Since the Germanic invaders were rural people, they did not try to revive the old cultural centers or build new ones of their own.   The decline of Roman rule left the western and central Europe disorganized. A new medieval style of government appeared in the kingdom of the Franks. A Germanic people, the Franks had migrated westward from their homeland in the valley of the Rhine River. As Rome’s border defenses weakened in the fourth and fifth centuries, Frankish tribes settled in Roman territory. About 481 a Frankish ruler named Clovis united the various Frankish tribes and conquered the Romans and other Germans in northern Gaul. In 768, Charlemagne became king of the Franks. Charlemagne was an extraordinary figure in medieval history. Charlemagne expanded his kingdom by conquering the Lombard kingdom in Italy and taking part of northern Spain from the Muslims. He added Bavaria (in what is now Germany) to his kingdom and after terrible wars forced the Germanic Saxons to submit to his rule and convert to Christianity. Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of Rome in 800 which indicated that the Roman idea of strong centralized government had not died. Charlemagne’s empire did not, however, have Roman law or political organization. Moreover, it had no great cities that could serve as centers of trade and learning. What Charlemagne did however, was to blend Germanic, Christian and Roman elements that came to characterize the civilization of the Middle Ages (Perry, 1988, 141-143). The kingdom of Charlemagne break apart after his death and divided Europe which was then   threatened with invasions from the Viking raiders ( Vikings are the ancestors of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes of today) from the north ,   the Magyars from Central Asia , and the Muslims. The terrible invasions went on until early in the tenth century and had terrible consequences for Western Europe. Like the earlier Germanic invasions, they weakened central authority, disrupted trade, hurt agriculture, and left settlements and monasteries in ruins. Few kingdoms had the capacity to protect its own people so that people no longer look to a central ruler for security. They turned instead to local lords who had their own armies. As a result, western Europe had entered an age in which lords, not kings, held political power. In fact, kings at that that time were regarded only as chief feudal lord. Living in age of warfare and disorder, lords sought allies among their fellow nobles. The basis for these alliances was the lords’ land. In exchange for military assistance and other services, one lord granted land called a fief to another noble. The system of relationships that grew out of this granting of fiefs was called feudalism. It became the main political arrangement in Europe after the breakup of Charlemagne’s empire in the ninth century. In some ways, feudalism grew out of the traditions of the Germanic tribes. Feudal law included many elements of Germanic law and feudal attitudes reflected Germanic respect for the warrior (Perry, 1988,144-145 ). Because they lived in violent times feudal lords built homes designed to serve as fortresses .The first castle was built in the ninth century at the time of the Viking raids.   These castles were encircled by massive walls and strong guard towers.   Sometimes, feudal lords would fight against each other for supremacy (Crofton, 1994, 265). It is obvious therefore, that because of the disorder of territories brought about by the fall of Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms flourished,   which combined the Germanic, Roman and Christian elements that characterized the western kingdoms of the medieval civilization. And as invasions plaqued the west from all quarters, small self-protecting feudal kingdoms governed by nobles or lords was established. References Crofton, Ian (e d). (1994). The Guinness Compact Encyclopedia. London: Guinness Publishing Limited Perry, Marvin. (1988). A World in History. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, Inc.         

Lack of values in today’s society Essay

In the last years, we absorb been facing the necessity of set in the confederation and in human relationships. We subscribe as value the degree of importance, import or dream uping that objects acquire, the actions, the situations or positions, to the outcome that respond to the needs of the species and the human cosmos in a certain metre, and the fight back for this, to locate and rank the material and un notifyny goods in order of importance. Talking in terms of what it is worth an object, in virtuoso hand, to satisfy a need and on the other hand, to express the dependence of mental synthesis a sustenance goal.Compassion, exemption, humbleness, generosity, honorableice, peace, tolerance, honesty, loyalty, respect and impudence among other set ar no longer the qualities that characterize the people in the land. These new behaviors that overhear adopted the bulk of the people be antisocial and dehumanised but unfortunately argon installed in our society as co mmon pattern.As a result we modernise attitudes such(prenominal) as the lack of respect that has been disconnected to the women and in more cases the woman no longer demands that respect, because in many places the grammatical gender equality is going to new extremes and because of that thither exists problems between them such as the proto(prenominal) addiction to the cigarette, consume of alcoholic beverages, smoking, which is non only find oneselfn in teenagers but in most of the community, also non plotted pregnancies in teenagers, and sometimes this lack of duty is the reason an abortion takes place making them very cold and dehumanized.All of this is because the parents do not raise them the way it is sibyllic to, or have bad friends that join them the wrong meanings of the values, or they do not even put them in pull anymore. If in the education that they give them to the children in that location was more love and more interest, the world would not like it is now , with drug traffic, massacres, shootings, make crime, kidnappings, robberies, and even wars.We all complain more or less the insecurity of our pastoral, of the injustices and robberies draw inted by our rulers without realizing that these rulers and these killers were ameliorate by a mother and a father who are part of our society and those who did not teach and show them the values needed to make them good citizens and preceding(prenominal) all, good people. Everything that has cash in ones chipsed is due to a lack of values and influences by those who have lived and divided uphis conduct with.Parents many times because of work, stinting problems, stress, or sometimes by the childly fact of not postulateing to fight, earmark to one side the education of their children, and in a lot of cases they think they after part replace the love with material things, sully the love from their off springs.There are parents who think that the schools are prudent for the lesson ed ucation their children are receiving without realizing that the values are obtained from the house and everything comes from family, according to the experts until their first 7 years. Nobody is born knowing how to be father, so, you have to teach teenagers that they will be the adults who will need to be responsible to educate and teach these values to their children. Parents need to put more effort into forming a bond and communicating with their children, they need to make trust and respect for them.But do not make the mistake of not knowing to mark their line of freedom to debauchery, because of that many teenagers do not know the respect and the education of beingness able to follow rules and listen to their elders. If we want to see a different world, a more balanced society and a more hopeful future day, then this is the time to pause and think, what do values mean to me? Which ones take part in my life? What do others mean to me? And then we should go bad thinking about the me and turn to the others, be generous and see that others need us more than we need ourselves.We need to get people to commit to their ideals, values, families, professions and personal lives. The values are and will always be a guide that will allot us to lead us on the right path, so we should reinforce, transmit and commit ourselves to put our values in behave every day.As a teenager I have many dreams just as you, I just heed that everything that happens around us alterationd. I do not want to be arms-crossed, and when I turn on my television see far too many tragedies happen that are no longer abnormal. Anyone can change from normal to something different if they are determined to do it. Believe me that it would be something very nice to see that our state, our country and our world grows with the help of so many people who like me want to attain a goal in life without selfishness for the good of everyone.The important thing in life is not your position, butyour dispo sition. The change depends on all of us for the future that we want to create, be born as humans is not enough, we need to slay out to actually be humans. And when we have succeeded with we can be proud to introduce I was part of the change .