Industrialization in the 1800's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industrialization in the 1800's - Essay Example Though the Industrial Revolution inflicted hardships on people, altering their way of life and even endangering their health, the people of industrialized countries eventually found increased quality of life through affordable access to products around them. The initial parts of industrialization were negative for those who worked in the up and coming factories. The working conditions were dangerous for everyone, especially newfound nimble-fingered workers, children and women. This was the start of child labor; in addition women had to work outside of home, and after a long shift at the factory were still expected at home to take care of the children, cook, and clean the house. The traditional idea of women staying home and taking care of the house changed, because they needed to go out and be part of life outside of family. This changed the social idea of women staying home and taking care of their children. Although some families were able to maintain traditional family roles, most people during this period could not successfully sustain a family if only the men were working outside of home. Along with this, family dynamics changed all around; the things people had valued in family went through a great change. Prior to industrializatio n, families would always work together. The women and daughters would be in the house cooking and cleaning and the boys would learn to follow their fathers in work. Farmers, for example, would spend all their time together because the family would be home all day and spend a lot of time together. Later in life, sons would take over the family land and raise their families there, keeping the family name on the land.

Market Analysis of Tesco

Market Analysis of Tesco Tesco is the worlds 3rd largest retailer and the UK retail sector leader. Its primary activity is based in the United Kingdom and the company is expanding into international markets, which are China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, India, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. The companys group sale in 2010 was  £62.5 billion in which the operational profit accounted for  £3.5 billion. Currently, the company finally becomes the most profitable online grocery retailer in the world, and more than half of the companys group selling space is outside the United Kingdom. The most attractive recent news about Tesco is its new CEO, Philip Clark, succeed Sir Terry as the retail giants boss on 2 March 2011. Within the same week, two pieces of news about Tescos further pushing forward in Southeast China and northern California were also announced respectively, which might lead to investors guess about whether this new boss, who was Tescos head of international and IT business, will take a more aggressive strategy for its international market. As we can see from the companys market performance, the future of its international expansion is still full of uncertainty. The core UK food retailing segment still keeps 30% market share, however, the sales growth rate fell to a historically low level. The Christmas sales, especially non-food sales, in UK and Europe were negatively impacted by the bad weather last winter. The expansion in US market, which is loss making, was suspended in the past year and now, as the company announced, is restarted. The companys ope ration and expansion is Asia seems promising, with high sales growth rates and fast new-stores-opening speed. The companys stock underperformed the FTSE 100 Index in the past year and keeps going down from the beginning of the year. In fact, all the five retailers we choose, most of which are the worlds largest, do not have satisfying stock performance recently. Bad news about the price rise from the suppliers side came this week bringing down the whole industrys price. The current price of Tesco goes lower than our estimates and hits the bottom of the year. From January 2011, the companys price decreased by a historically 10.58%. Investors worries about the current economic situation would be the main cause the sectors underperformance. We expect an underlying earnings growth and hence a price growth of Tesco in a long-term perspective based on our forecast. The value of company will go up with the recovery of the economy, which is the external factor, and the growing internal operational performance. Therefore, we recommend a short term hold and long term buy. Geographical Analysis Data source: Corporate Christmas sales reportThe latest supermarket giant Tescos 12-week total sales growth was 4.3% with the impressive double-digit growth in food segment. Giant player Tesco achieved positive strong performance in every business operation including food, non-food, and Tesco direct even though an unpleasant cold and wet weather especially adverse condition of snow over Christmas made things difficult not only for Tesco, but also its local crucial competitors like Sainsbury, Asda, and Morrison, Tescos operation and management were still well managed. It is undeniably that Tesco enjoyed an increase of like-for-like (LFL) sales compared to previous year; however, the rise in sales growth was inevitably suffering from the lift of petrol prices and the rise in VAT implying negative volumes if we assume progressive food inflation, which later may impede the stores growing space in the UK market. Yet, the true story that people have to eat and the evidence of the top-line growth grants the UK operators to provide both defensive and growth characteristics to have more rooms of new spaces, develop product mix, and enhance continuing productivity improvement. Hence, giant supermarket like Tesco cannot just stop expanding business and market share, and as an efficient strong retailer, growing the revenue cost-effectively and profitably is far more important than winning the highest market share, Europe: First time showing all positive LFL sales Tesco operates in the Republic of Ireland, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Turkey, listed in descending revenues according to 2010 Annual reports. Although the customer expenditure suffers heavily from the recession, we have seen a solid sign of recovery in sales and profits in Europe. Shown in the Q3 report, till 27th November 2010, the performance of Tesco improves with sales up by 7.6%; compared to 6.4% from Q2 figures (Actual rates Ex. Petrol). Like-for-like sales achieve a growth at 3.6% (Ex. Petrol), which is 0.5% more than the last quarter, probably because of a strong improvement in Hungary and Turkey. Particularly in the third quarter, all European businesses succeed in acquiring positive like-for-like sales for the first time in three years. Thus we expect a continuing increasing trend in this region as the economies are slowly improving. The main approach using by Tesco is to invest in new selling space. The company plans to double the space by 2014/15 to 4.1m sq meters. Part of the ambitious opening programme, Tesco has acquired 128 convenience stores in Czech Republic on 23rd December 2010, making the market share stable at 9%, which is the second position overall. Next we could expect this world leading retailer would push its plan further and expand its online models more in Europe. In the non-food sector, Tesco is leading the clothing market. Building on the FF brand, it opened up its own FF Blue and FF Basics in Central Europe. Tesco sold 68milions FF items in this area and the clothing sales of the Tesco increased by 12% in 2010. Like-for-like clothing sales are also up by 14%. US: When will Fresh Easy be profitable? One of the key decisions for Tescos new CEO, Mr Clarke, will be deciding whether to continue with the Fresh Easy chain, which made a loss of  £165m ($269m) last year. Fresh Easy is designed as a small and convenient fresh food seller and this is its fourth year in the US. This totally different business format was criticized for would not meet US consumes habits when it was launched. Anyway, we think Tesco was extremely unlucky to enter US market before its economy fell into the worst recession since the 1930s. The sales are growing at a promising rate over 38.5% in the third quarter 2010/11 which were mostly contributed from the Thanksgiving holiday. And during the Christmas and New Year holiday it grew up by 36.9%. However, Fresh Easy still made a loss of  £165m in 2009/2010 and a similar or larger loss would probably be made in 2010/2011. Tescos management predicts that it will reach profitability in 2012/2013. But this prediction is questionable since we did not see any signs that promise the profit. Even the US market leader, Wal-mart, had a historically rapid decrease in its sales growth rate in 2009/2010. The company mothballed 13 stores last year, primarily in Arizona and Nevada, hit by the US housing market downturn. The expansion of Fresh Easy was slow down in the last year, and under-utilised capacity still charged large amount of expenditure of the business. The latest news on Fresh Easys website said 10 new stores will be open before the end of April in northern California, which indicates the company starts to push ahead the expansion again. Asia: Key focus for the international expansion Tesco has its Asian business mainly in South Korea, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Japan and India with 1300 stores. Remarkable performance has been shown in the Asian markets driven by opening new stores and due to its constant progress for the growth of powerful brands in Asian markets. The profits in 2010/2011 have drastically increased by 24% with margin strengthening of 6.1%. The sales growth in the Asian Markets in the year 2010/2011 was 23.4%. This substantial growth was mainly due to the investments that were made during the recession period and are paying off as the economies of these nations are improving. Due to the unseasonably warm temperature in the Northern Asia, the LFL sales of Tesco have been 4.3% which is a little lower than 5% in second quarter. It has been able to grow its business by expanding its club card and other retail business in these nations. Amongst these countries, South Korea has turned out to be the most productive, with an organic sales growth of 23.3%, like for like sales of 3.2% and profits up 50.9%. China is considered as epoch-making opportunity for future. The performance of Tesco in other countries like Thailand, Malaysia and India has also been fairly good as the sales have increased in these countries in spite of the political uncertainty and sharp recession in 2009. Asian markets will continue to be key focus for the international expansion of Tesco as they offer a significant long term opportunity. Tesco plans to open new space of 4.9 m sq ft (excluding shopping malls) by next year and build 80 shopping malls by the end of 2015. While theJapan quake might suspend the companys expansion in Japan market which Tesco just entered 4 years ago and counts 5% of its Asian sales in 2010. Porters Five Forces Industry Competition Position Average Score: 3+ Threat of New Entrants 3+ High level of entry in retailing industry: although easy for independent retailers, quite difficult for big chain stores. Abundant capital needed for human resources and storage costs; long time devoted to establishing brand and relationship with suppliers. Power of Suppliers 2- Little power for retailing industry: presence of rich substitutes and suppliers; but suppliers may gain powers during special periods due to unexpected bad weather or new launching government policies. Power of buyers 2+ Although customers bargain power in the store is low, they can easily change among retailers to without any switch costs. The customer loyalty is low. The high price sensitive drives customers to seek for promotions and price reductions. Availability of Substitutes 4+ What one store offers you will likely find at another store. Retailers offering products that are unique have a distinct or absolute advantage over their competitors. Competitive of Rivalry 4+ Competition among the main players in retail industry is aggressive and rational. Promotional activity and new space expansion are growing at a historical rate to gain more market share. But the possibility of an irrational price war is low. *Scoring range 1-5 (high score is good) Plus = getting better; Minus = getting worse* SWOT A We expect the sales growth rate to go up based on the assumption that the worlds economy will recover in the near future, and the VAT and food price inflation will keep around current level. Cost of goods sold as a % of sales is decreasing during the last five years, so we estimate that the trend will continue in the future. On the other hand, Tesco provides more price reduction and promotion now, especially when the competition with Asda in terms of price is going on, so the decrease of cost of good sold rate will not be too large. Depreciation to sales is around 2% in past years. Since the expansion of the company is pushed forward in the US and Asian market, the fixed assets will grow up as well. We forecast the depreciation will go up with the expansion, too. And in 2010 year, some properties bought in the US were idle since the company suspended its expansion in the US market, so the depreciation to sales in 2010 will be higher than usual. Because selling is essential to retail industry and promotion reached in a historical high level as Wall Street Journal reported, we estimate SGA expense will increase as a percentage of sales. We forecast that the EBIT to sales will increase very slowly because of the growing depreciation cost and SGA expense. Therefore, the Net Margin may stay steady or go down marginally based on the increased interest expanse from the higher leverage level and the higher tax. The company expanded its assets significantly in 2008/09 and then suspended the expansion in 2009/10, especially in terms of current assets. According to the recent news, Tesco pushes further into China and US market this year, therefore, we expect the amount of assets will be enlarged. And non-current assets grow as a percentage of total assets. Working capital is calculated by current assets minus current liabilities. The change of working capital in future is at the historical average rate of 6.48%. Standard Ratios Residual Income Model We employ residual income model (RI) to value Tesco. With residual income model, the value of equity is forecasted to be approximately GBP 46 billion with the price target of GBP 5.77. The cost of equity is used in the model rather than the group WACC since we base on the net income. The cost of equity is derived from assessing the groups exposure by running the regression to obtain the groups beta. FTSE all share is used as a market proxy and US 3-month T-Bill yield is taken as risk-free rate in the regression. Our estimation of the groups cost of equity currently is 11.64%. The growth of income is assumed to be constant over the long period at 9.5%. However, the sensitivity analysis is provided for different percentages of cost of equity and growth rates. Discounted Cash Flow Model Using DCF model, we assume a terminal growth rate at 8% and cost of equity at 11.64%. Net debt will decrease based on Tescos current strategy to adjust its leverage, while net non-current assets will rapidly grow because of the international expansion strategy. Multiples Valuation Model There we use P/E as the multiple to estimate the prices of Tesco and its four peers. The expected earnings are obtained from Thomson One Banker. Expected earnings, expected value and number of shares outstanding are presented in millions. The expected value is calculated by timing peer average P/E with expected earnings

Persuasive Essay: Suu Kyi Quote --

â€Å"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it,† said the political activist Aung Sang Suu Kyi in her â€Å"Freedom from Fear† speech. Power and fear are tools that corrupt those affected by them, either by using them or being used by them. This ideal has been repeated time and time again in literature as well as in current global situations. Conversely, there are also those who repeatedly move against the current of harsh, imposing leaders and make grand acts of heroism, avoiding the corrupted scourge of the powerful. Examples of this mixed concept can be found in The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, â€Å"Unchained Memories,† and in modern-day happenings such as the crisis in Darfur. In The Scarlet Letter, many characters are unmasked to show corrupted sides of themselves. This corruption usually comes from self-inflicted torture, such as Dimmesdale and his need to punish himself secretly while he remains in a position of power and respect in the community and church. Chillingworth lets himself grow steadily more corrupt as well and revels in the power he holds over Dimmesdale. He lets the power and appeal of revenge take over his entire self, fearing any kind of life without that meaning. Chillingworth becomes a man who, finally seeing his own fear behind losing his power, â€Å"lifted his hands with a look of horror, as if he had beheld some frightful shape, which he could not recognize, usurping the place of his own image in a glass. It was one of those moments when a man’s moral aspect is faithfully revealed to his mind’s eye† (132). Chillingworth recognizes his own darkness, but he allows it to consume him without any search ... ... such as one woman who had to secretly walk to a refugee camp, without food or shelter, to escape with her daughter. She did not allow herself nor her child to be directly abused, though of course the Janjaweed made a tremendous impact on their lives, terrifying them of returning home, Heroism and cowardice are often linked to strength and fear, as well as morality and power. When power becomes overbearing towards the people affected by it, there is a natural fear reaction, either by those with power, who become afraid of losing what they have, and for others under that power for having it used against them. People who find ways to not allow themselves to become dirtied by their power or that of others create the presence of heroism. People who let themselves become manipulated by that power, or who wield that power immorally, become cowards and display weakness.

Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Revolution

Although most historians say that pre-history is not important, it is actually very important because that is where it all started. Paleolithic Age, which refers to the hunting and gathering way of life, is 95% of the human history. 100,000 years ago, Homo sapiens started using tools to manipulate their surroundings, and migrating and adapting to new environments. They traveled to Eurasia, Australia, Western hemisphere, and the Pacific islands. Then they started farming, which lead to an era with more technology, surplus, and time to think.The Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Revolution was an important beginning to the human history. A lot happened during the Paleolithic Age. Technological innovations, such as stone blades and tools made out of bones were created, along with the controlling of fire. Some people argue because there was no surplus and there was no specialization, life was more egalitarian back then. Men and women were thought to have a more equal relationship. Even then people were spiritual, marking their existence, and was trying to control natural forces with supernatural forces.Forces of nature beyond their control was feared. When people started migrating, people learned and invented ways to adapt to their environment. They started communicating through language, and in the Americas, it is evident from the discovery of Clovis point that people communicated in a large area. At the end of the Ice Age, the warmer and wetter climate made it easier to settle down, which lead to the Neolithic Revolution. The Neolithic Revolution was when people started farming all over the world.This gave them surplus, which made them settle down, which eventually lead to villages, cities, empires, and civilizations. But this also meant a more concentrated power to the elite men who forced the labor system, thus more stratified. Pastoralism also developed, which was the domestication of animals. Animals were used for not only meat purposes now but also for transport ation, power, and manure. The pastoralists and agricultural people would later conflict due to competition for land.Agriculture all depended on availability. In the Fertile Crescent, a variety of plants and animals were available for domestication. But in the Mesoamerica, only corn/maize was available, but it also lead to the first genetic engineering. More sophisticated tools were invented, and people tried to control nature by the deliberate selection of plants. Humans started impacting the environment a lot. Agricultural diffusion occurred, where language and ideas spread to other parts of the world.Overall, the Neolithic Revolution lead to increase in human population, new technologies (pottery, metallurgy, secondary products), new diseases spreading, difficulty to move when something disastrous (crop failures) happens, chiefdoms, and settlements. The Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Revolution was when â€Å"Homo sapiens† became â€Å"humans. † It was the base of a n ew era, the Industrial Era, which is when humans dominate the world for good or for bad. But it all certainly started when humans first started using tools, and started farming all over the world.

Nursing Shortage And Nursing Turnover

Nursing shortage is a phenomenon that is affecting nurses and the provision of adequate patient care in today’s health care industry. Nursing shortage is said to occur when the demand for employment of nurses is far greater than the number of nurses willing to be employed at that time (Huber, 2010). According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (A. A. C. N. ), â€Å"the nursing shortage is expected to increase as baby boomers age, and the need for health care increases† (A. A. C. N. , 2013, Para 1). In the United States, Registered Nurses (R. N.) make up the largest recorded working population of the health care profession, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 2. 7 percent of the workforce comprises of nurses compared to 3. 6 percent in the last 6 years (A. A. C. N. , 2013). This decrease is attributed to the current shortage and high turnover of nurses. This current trend in the nursing profession has a great effect on the provision of healt h care because it has reduced the quality of care of patients, increased accidents amongst patients, absenteeism rates and staffing among others.The purpose of this paper is to discuss the causes of nurse turnover and shortage, find out ways nurse leaders and managers may resolve this problem, and also to discuss the writer’s own personal and professional philosophy of nursing regarding this issue. Nursing shortage is also evident by the reduction in the availability of new nurses, inadequate staffing to meet the high demanding in patients’ needs, to mention but a few. Healthcare organizations need regular, dependable, highly efficient and fully involved staff to provide excellent patient care at all levels.Therefore nursing leaders and managers are highly depended upon in changing this current trend of shortage and turnover of nurses affecting the healthcare profession (Hunt, 2009). Nurses’ turnover on the other hand is described as the loss of a nursing employ ee as a result of transfer, termination, or resignation (Huber, 2010. Pg. 598). It is also estimated that healthcare organizations lose about $300,000 every year as result of turnover of nurses (Hunt, 2009).The major causes of nursing turnover include increased work load on the unit, poor leadership style, lack of role clarity, non-recognition for good performances, contributions and capabilities, poor communication on the side of leaders and managers concerning critical issues that affects working in the units, lack of career opportunity and advancement, lack of team work, tight work schedule and inflexibility that does not match job needs, job that is too physically demanding, to mention but a few (Hunts, 2009).Nurse turnovers have been noted to increase when there are nursing shortages, and they have both economic and non-economic impacts. However there are solutions that when applied may reduce such impacts such as increasing educational and community outreach programs to increa se awareness of nursing as a possible profession, providing educational re-imbursement to help existing employees obtain nursing degrees, increasing compensation and benefits, supporting flexible scheduling, and job sharing (Hunts, 2009). The behaviors of the nurse managers / leaders play a major role in the retention of nurses in a healthcare organization.They are responsible for hiring applicants and maintaining staff retention. These behaviors include encouraging staff to lifelong learning; inspiring staff education efforts like the tuition reimbursement, make sure staff has access to education and training opportunities, enabling high quality of staff recruitment and selection, and mentoring professional development amongst employees (Huber, 2010). The role of the nurse leader is to influence people to achieve goals. In case of nurse shortage and nurse turnover, the activity of the leader becomes more important.The leader creates and communicates a sense of purpose, discovers ne w ways to hire and retain nurses. The nurse manager on the other hand integrates and coordinates resources by developing staff friendly schedules, ensure that there are adequate staff on the floors at all times, make decisions that benefit the team, and delegate tasks (Hunts, 2009). The leader motivates the nursing staff, builds trust and sustains commitment; helps develop leaders while the manager makes sure that the workload is not too heavy as this increases the stress level of staff, and result in staff turnover (Huber, 2010).Furthermore the nurse managers need to be physically present in the unit at all times to provide support and assistance in times of need, and effort should also be made in hiring adequate and appropriate mix of RNs and assistive personnel (Huber, 2010). Leadership at all levels must come together to combat these problems, while offering long lasting solutions to attract people into nursing. The profession must be communicated as a positive, satisfying, and inspiring career. â€Å"Nursing must provide for a balanced work life, offer leadership opportunities in which nurses may hone their management skills, and createan environment in which young nurses may plan to move toward higher pay and better hours† (Huber, 2010, p587). The writer’s own personal and professional philosophy in approaching nurses’ shortage and turnover is provision of enough working staff on the units, and this can only be achieved by hiring nurses to fill up the vacant position. Careful attention should also be paid to workload, because this is one of the main reasons for nurse turnover. Nursing leaders and managers should be more empathic towards the plight of their staff; this shows the staff that someone cares.The work environment should be transformed by providing capable, top-level nursing leadership and understanding nursing supervision all through the organization; involving nurses in decisions that are related to patient care ; re-desig ning nurses work spaces to be more ergonomic and less physically demanding. â€Å"A culture of safety should be created; limiting nurses work hours; promote safe staffing levels; offering flexible work schedules and employment opportunities such as job sharing; and improving nurses wages† (Jones & Gates, 2007).When the leadership, management and staff works together, a lot of goals can be achieved. In conclusion, nurses play a major role in improving the financial capability in a healthcare organization. Therefore health care organizations should work together with nurse managers and leaders, in utilizing the solutions to resolve this growing trend of nurses’ turnover and shortage that is plaguing the nation’s health system, and impeding the ability of nurses to provide adequate care of their patients.

The Importanceof a Successful essays

The Importanceof a Successful essays The Importance of a Successful NAFTA for the United States Economy In this new millennium, international trade and commercial relations are growing more quickly than world national economies. This area of growth is expected to be the source of economic prosperity for all nations. Governments worldwide are recognizing the importance of creating trade alliances and lower trade barriers and tariffs. The goal of these actions is to foster the deepening of economic integration among countries while at the same time safeguarding national sovereignty, (Orme P.48). As a result, many governments are now signing free-trade zone agreements and are realizing the potential strengths of their large markets. The North American Free Trade Agreement agreed upon by Canada, Mexico and the United States is one of strongest and most important agreements ever negotiated. NAFTA goes beyond just removing trade barriers; it is an agreement to integrate two developed nations and one developing nation, and their economies. NAFTA is successful, more so than the European Uni on, Mercosur, or any Asian agreement, because of the unquestionable dominance of the United States and the roles each nation plays. The United States is a technology advanced, prosperous and economically diverse country with a large population, Canada is a prosperous, resource and technology based country with a small population, and Mexico is a developing country with a large labor base and a rapidly growing population (Welcome P.12). Each nation is important for the success of NAFTA, and the North American economic integration. The North American integration is not something that was quickly started after the 1994 signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The integration has been a work in progress since the end of World War II, and would have continued even if NAFTA were not ratified. NAFTA is not a history changing agreement, but a tool, which can manage the ongoin...

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard 1. Introduction Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter, PESTEL) on Hewlett Packard 1. Introduction1.1.(i)   PESTEL Analysis1.1 (ii)   Porter’s Five Forces Analysis1.2.   Opportunities And Threats1.2. (i)   Opportunities1.2. (ii)   Threats2.1. Internal AnalysisValue Chain Analysis:Inbound LogisticsOperationsOutbound LogisticsMarketing and SalesServices2.1 (i) Strengths2.1 (ii) Weaknesses3. Key Strategic Issues3. (i)   2002 deal to acquire Compaq3. (ii) No Defined Smartphone Strategy4. Relevant Frameworks4. (i) With reference to Ansoff’s growth strategies, HP used â€Å"product development† strategy in acquiring Palm.4. (ii) Alternative Option5. (a) Key HP stakeholders5. (b) Implementation of HP’s acquisition strategyRelated 1. Introduction Hewlett Packard (HP) is a multinational information technology corporation headquarterd in Palo Alto, California, USA. This report examines the external and internal factors that have influenced   HP defining their strategic and competitive position. Evaluation of the company’s strategic choices is presented. The models of Porter’s five forces, Ansoff Matrix, SWOT and PESTEL are used in the analysis. 1.1.(i)   PESTEL Analysis Political:   The political analysis of HP pertaining to government controls and rules in the effort of HP to keep up with the Environmental and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Codes and in terms of decency, quality and environmental concerns. Economical:   HP mainly relies on revenue from its printing hardware, financial investments, investments in small and medium enterprises and internet solutions for its maintenance. Social:   HP has the local US consumer base well captured but it seems that there is very little to be done here in terms of attracting the upcoming young generation of IT zealot and unless there is a stress upon updating the models of its hardware for printing and PC’s to catch up with the hype created by HP and Intel who unveil new models almost every other month. Technological:   HP went â€Å"cyber† almost a decade ago, which is fairly recent in comparison to its 70 year long market presence (HP, 2009). In fact the turning point of HP’s luck came in 1998 when HP’s corporate software and support division and corporate systems division was amalgamated and Ann Livermore took over to run this new Enterprise Computing Solutions Organisation (ECSO), with an investment of $15 billion and an employee base of 44,000 employees (Moore and Snyder, 2000). Environmental:   HP’s operations are subject to regulations under federal, state, local and foreign laws concerning the environment, including laws addressing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, and the cleanup of contaminated sites. Legal: Patent Reform Legislation – As one of the largest patent holders in U.S, HP is on average granted four patents every day. HP is a constant target of frivolous patent lawsuits. These lawsuits force HP to divert resources away from innovation and product development, leading to reduced economic benefits from invention (HP, 2009).    1.1 (ii)   Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Threat of Entry:   Threats of entry in this case is moderate. There is low brand loyalty of existing firms. Consumers usually compare the prices with different brands when they decide to purchase PCs. They think that every PC has the same price and has the same function no matter what brand it is, which means low product differentiation. There is medium capital requirements, no government regulations and low economies of scale in manufacturing. There is low investment for independent stores. Decreasing profitability indicates that there is a threat of new entrants Threat of Substitutes:   Threat of substitute products is low. HP believes in standards-based technology, which represents the opportunity to decide in the item of much preferance. HP tries to eliminate barriers by continuous updating processes and presenting new products to remain in the top of the industry. The Power of Buyers: Bargaining power of buyers is high. Consumers are very price sensitive because they like to buy cheap and high quality products. If they see a hardware or software or PC with similar functions but different brands and price, they will tend to buy a cheaper one. The buyer power for HP can be low since product demand is high, this means that the company has power to control the amount of production and also its products price. On the other hand, customers have lots of substitutes. Moreover there is not a huge difference between products which are produced in the market. The Power of Suppliers:   HP bargaining power of suppliers is high. There are large number of suppliers for every component parts of the PC, for example, one can make a PC by using component parts from different suppliers, including hard disk, DVD drive, monitor, etc. Microsoft and Intel have tremendous bargaining power against the PC manufacturers. There are high switching costs. Competitive Rivalry:   Rivalry is high. For instance, price, when one company acts to protect its position by lowering the price of PCs, it will affect other companies. This means all other firms may want to lower their price in order to attract the customers. There is also decreasing profitability. Since the firms sell their PCs in a low price, they will make less profit. 1.2.   Opportunities And Threats 1.2. (i)   Opportunities Expanding presence in cloud computing market – In July 2008, HP along with Intel Corporation and Yahoo, created a global multi-data centre,   open source test bed for cloud computing research and education. The goal of the project was to promote collaboration among industry, academy and governments by removing the financial and logistical barriers. In 2009, HP announced HP Cloud Assure, a new SaaS offering designed to assist businesses to safely and effectively adopt cloud-based services. The increasing demand for cloud computing is likely to create demand for HP’s solutions in coming years. The global spending on cloud computing is forecast to cross a value of over $40 billion by 2012. Expanding portfolio of imaging and printing solutions – HP has made several strategic acquisitions and introduced new products in the imaging solutions segment in recent times. Its imaging solutions strategy entails the commercial markets, from print services solutions to new growth opportunities in commercial printing. HP has launched several retail photo printing solutions and services that provide consumers the tools to personalise their photos and publish customised creative output. 1.2. (ii)   Threats Projected decreases in the IT markets – Forecasters predict a decrease in the worldwide demand for various IT products offered by HP. The economic slowdown has negatively affected many market segments, including information technology. HP has experienced this decline not only in the U.S. but also in its global markets. Hyper-competitive Environment – Although HP recently overtook Dell in sales, the latter remains a formidable competitor, as are other companies such as Toshiba, Lenova Group and Aver. It competes in terms of price, quality, brand, technology, reputation, distribution and range of products, among other factors. In some regions, the company faces competition from local companies and from generally-branded or white box manufacturers. 2.1. Internal Analysis Comparative Analysis – The three dominant producers (competitors) in the PC industry are HP, Dell and IBM. HP has always been a leader in this industry and in all aspects of technology. Through its merger with Compaq, HP has created an even bigger market share to compete with Dell’s PC division. As far as research and development, HP is always at the head of the game. HP has created and patented some of the leading products in technology development, such as touch screen monitors. HP still receives royalties today, from that invention. All three companies agree that employee learning is a very important aspect of their organisations. Each of the companies spends a substantial amount of money on educating and rewarding employees. HP and IBM have similar strategies for learning. When it comes to sales, Dell is at the top of the market. With regards to IT services, IBM is a far more profitable company than either HP or Dell. Organisations willing to spend money on research and development, like HP and IBM, will likely be here in years to come because they are not just relying on PCs to make a profit. Dell will likely have to get involved in producing other products in order to stay on top of the market. Resources: HP has 324,600 employees worldwide while servicing more than one billion customers in 170 countries on six continents (HP annual report, 2010). It has three main business divisions namely: HP Enterprise Business – is the largest business segment of HP accounting for 36% of HP’s 2007 revenue, providing servers, storage, software and information technology services that enable enterprise and midmarket business customers to manage their current IT environments and transform them into a business enabler. HP Enterprise Business has three sub-divisions namely HP Personal Systems Group, HP Imaging and Printing Group and HP Financial Services. HP Labs – is the exploratory and advanced research group for HP with some 600 researchers in seven locations throughout the world HP Software Division – is the Enterprise software division of information technology company. From September 2005 through 2010, HP purchased a total of 15 software companies as part of a publicized, deliberate strategy to augment its software offerings for large business customers (HP, 2010). HP also has subsidiaries namely, 3Com, 3PAR, Compaq, Palm, Inc, ProCurve, Snapfish and VoodooPC. Finance: HP’s posted net revenue in 2010 was $126.3 billion, in 2009, net revenue was $115 billion, with approximately $40 billion coming from services. In 2006, the intense competition between HP and IBM tipped in HP’s favour, with HP posting revenue of $91.7 billion, compared to $91.4 billion for IBM, the gap between the companies widened to $21 billion in 2009. In 2007, HP’s revenue was $104 billion, making HP the first IT company in history to report revenues exceeding $100 billion. In 2008, HP retained its global leadership position in inkjet, laser, large format and multi-function printers market and its leadership position in the hardware industry. The financial position of HP as of October 2010 is as follows: (HP,2010) US$ billion Operating Income    11.479 Net Income   Ã‚  Ã‚   8.761 Total Assets 124.503 Total Equity    40.781 Value Chain Analysis: Inbound Logistics Building products to order, maximise manufacturing effeciencies by producing high volume of basic product configurations Configuring products to order – for customer customization JIT to minimise inventory Purchase supplies from multiple vendors Operations Utilizes its own manufacturing capacity as well as origional design manufacturers and contract manufacturers for cost efficiencies HP is the largest customer for most of their suppliers – best terms and prices Outbound Logistics HP uses external partners for its outbound logistical needs Marketing and Sales HP has a number various types of partners including retailers, VARs, distribution partners, OEMs, system intergrators and independent software vendors Services HP Services competes in IT support services, consulting, intergration and outsourcing services. Products : HP has successful lines of printers, scanners, digital cameras, calculators, PDAs, servers, workstation computers and computers for home and small business use. HP not only supplies hardware and software but also a full range of services to design, implement and support IT infrastructure (HP, 2010). Culture: HP founders, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard developed a unique management style that came to be known as â€Å"The HP Way†. The HP Way focuses on employee satisfaction as the source of company success. Some of the by-products of the HP Way include flex time and open communication between managers and employees.    2.1 (i) Strengths Prominent Brand Name Recognition: HP has launched a branding initiative called, â€Å"One Voice,† in order to better intergrate its line of consumer electronics and computer hardware products. The project resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings by automating package design creation. In 2009 the company moved up from the 12th to the 11th most recognisable brand (Interbrand.com). Successful Strategic Acquisitions: HP’s major mergers and acquisitions in recent past include Compaq Computer Corporation in 2002, Mercury Interactive in 2006 and Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) in 2008. In Nov 2009, HP announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire 3Com, a provider of computer network equipment for $2.7 billion. Strong Market Position: HP can boast of a 30% global server market. Its domination of the global printer market is evidenced by its 40% market share. In 2008 HP took a major step in strengthening its position in the IT services market by acquiring EDS. 2.1 (ii) Weaknesses Weak Market Segment Intergration: HP’s portfolio of offerings lack significant software product or manage consulting services when compared to major competitors, for instance, IBM and Accenture are establishing management consulting divisions so as to provide more comprehensive and intergrated range of services. 3. Key Strategic Issues 3. (i)   2002 deal to acquire Compaq While the merger went smoothly, it didn’t solve too many of HP’s strategic challenges. The Compaq merger helped HP vault to no. 1 in storage and no. 2 in servers while becoming stronger in technology services. In the fourth quarter, the corporate unit’s sales rose a surprising 10%. Still HP was struggling with profitability at the same time IBM and other competitors were reaping strong profits. Even with HP’s top line gains, the margins and profits declined. Also, combining the market shares of HP and Compaq was designed to create a market leader that could slow Dell’s advance, but Dell had blown past HP in market share and had widened its lead to 18.3% of the market, versus HP’s 15.7%. HP had also fallen short of its 3% operating margin goal, reporting margins of less than 1% for 2004. This merger meant a lot of people lost their jobs. 3. (ii) No Defined Smartphone Strategy While the HP company directors had confirmed their interest in smartphones, nothing had been communicated about its strategy, even, if previously, projects existed which were looking to combine hardware and mobile services in a harmonious fashion. Always enterprise oriented, HP completely missed the uptake of smartphones by general public, allowing market leadership to be taken by a smaller player. In the first quarter of 2010, latest financial results indicated that this business unit was losing money at a fast rate, generating only $25million compared to $57million, the same period in 2009 (NYT, Feb 2010). There was a dilemma whether to continue with the smartphone market. 4. Relevant Frameworks 4. (i) With reference to Ansoff’s growth strategies, HP used â€Å"product development† strategy in acquiring Palm. Suitability: HP had already acquired the iPaq line of smartphones in 2001 when it bought Compaq Computer although there had been a decline in profits. Before the acquisition, HP had no legitimate play in the vital smartphone space, so this strategy is suitable. The deal would give HP access to Palm’s homegrown software that could run phones, as well as other types of devices like computer-tablets. It was an opportunity not to be missed. Feasibility: HP has all it takes in terms of finance, technology and skills, to make the acquisition profitable. This came at the right time as both companies were struggling and therefore needed a big fix. Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices. Product development is therefore a feasible strategy. Acceptability: The strategy is acceptable but with some risks of â€Å"new strategic capabilities† and â€Å"project management risk†. Both companies were failing in the smartphone industry therefore there was no guarantee that when the two companies come together, there will be any improvement, especially since Palm chief executive was to stay on. Product development also involves heavy investments which could be a risk in case the project fails. 4. (ii) Alternative Option In order to deal with its key strategic issues HP could possibly have adopted â€Å"market penetration† strategy. Suitability: This was going to be a suitable strategy, as in the case of compaq, market penetration would have meant hq would gain compaq’s customers. It would have worked well also for the smartphone industry. All that HP was going to do is attracting non-users of HP products and convincing current clients to use more of their products through promotions and advertising. Feasibility: Market penetration is the least risky way for any company to grow, also, penetration pricing involves the setting of lower rather than higher prices in order to achieve a large, if not dominant market share so this makes it a feasible strategy. Acceptability: It is however not such an acceptable option as there might be a likelihood of competing suppliers following suit by reducing their prices also, thus nullifying any advantage of reduced prices. The other potential disadvantage is the impact of reduced price on the image of offering, particularly where buyers associate price with quality. 5. (a) Key HP stakeholders Stakeholders have different interests in supporting or opposing a particular strategy (Johnson et al., 2008) and this is best illustrated below:                                                                                  Stakeholder power vs level of interest   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Adopted from Johnson et al., 2008) Key players are those where their reaction towards the organisation’s projects and initiatives must be given primary consideration. Shareholders exercise their ultimate control over HP and how it is managed, for example, having a say on how the management is paid. Recently, (March, 2011), investors expressed how unhappy they were on pay packages for top managers , saying they are paid a lot of money and claiming it’s a waste. By voting against these pay packages, the board approved the change (Inquirer, March 2011). Managers are key players in the sense that for any company to succeed, it needs management that is driven and ambitious. In 2007, HP produced a report called â€Å"The Seven Habits of Ambitious Companies†, briefly laying down that its managers have big ideas, stay focused, build momentum, put people first, encourage communication, manage innovation and listen to their conscience (HP, 2007). With all these habits, the company is bound to thrive for the best and stay at the top. Employees are equally important as they are integral to the success of the business. The talent, expertise and skills of employees drives everything from how HP innovates its products and manage its supply chain to how they connect with customers and collaborate with partners (HP, 2010). Consumers may, for example, exert pressure on sales managers to represent their interests within the company, so in a way they can also be regarded as key. 5. (b) Implementation of HP’s acquisition strategy A stream of acquisitions have strengthened HP position in the software business (alcrastore.com). Key stakeholders have the power to influence HP’s implementation of its acquisition strategy. This can be done in different ways: Involvement in strategic implementation: This is through exercising discretion. Shareholders have to vote for or against any acquisition meaning the power is in shareholders hands as they are the ones who ultimately decide if any acquisition is to succeed or not. Control of strategic resources: Management is responsible for the allocation of resources to implement the policies and plans, projects and programs. For instance when HP acquired Compaq, there were job losses so its vital for management to take this into consideration. There has to be a balance between the longer term needs of the future and the short term imperatives of the present.. Hierachy (formal power): This is management’s role through decision making. They have to make sure that the acquisition is suitable, feasible or acceptable. If after such considerations, the strategy does not meet the interests of HP then management have the power not to implement such strategy. Control of human environment: The board of directors play a vital role in negotiating HP acquisitions. They are the ones who eventually seal the deal financially so it is vital that the share price is right. Possession of knowledge and skills (competitive advantage): Expert knowledge that forms the organisation’s core competencies is equally influential. It is the core competencies of an organisation that differentiates it from its peers and competitors. For instance, in the case of HP acquisition of Palm, there were other companies who had shown interest. Potential buyouts from companies like HTC and Lenovo ultimately fell through but HP had an advantage over its competitors – the global strengths. Since HP is such a global company, it has gained significant skills and knowledge hence making it more attractive.

Identifying Understanding Masculine Rhyme

Identifying Understanding Masculine Rhyme A masculine rhyme happens when a rhyme is on the final syllable of a wordthat syllable is stressed Green and Mean are masculine rhymes, as are Invest and Undressed, Import and Short, and Intrude and Food. In looking at masculine rhymes, we have two separate components: the rhyme, and the stress. Rhyme Rhymes are simply identical (or very similar) sounds. An okay rhyme is head and pet, since both share the same vowel sound, but head and bed are a closer rhyme, because they share a vowel and a consonant sound. Rhymes dont have to be from the same letters, either. As we see above, invest and undressed rhyme, even though one ends in -st and one in -ssed. Its not about the letters themselves; its all about the sound they make. Stress Stress is a little trickier to understand. In English, we dont put the same amount of emphasis on every syllable in a word. A syllable is stressed when we put emphasis on it- beCAUSE, CHATtering, RUSHes, perSIMMon. Those syllables that are not stressed are, not surprisingly, known as unstressed. A good way to figure out which syllables are stressed and unstressed in a word is to play around with emphasizing difference syllables. Does IMpossible sound the same as imPOSSible or imposs-I-ble or impossiBLE? Some words have more than one stressed syllable, although one is usually more stressed than the others- REconSIDer (where the third syllable is more stressed than the first). Words that are only one syllable are usually automatically stressed, although it depends on their context within a sentence. So, to have a masculine rhyme, we need two (or more) words that end with the same sounds, and both have stressed last syllables. Sink and Wink and Think are all masculine rhymes. As are Overdue and Debut, and Combine and Sign. Not Gendered As you can see, masculine rhyme has nothing to do with gender. The term was coined long enough ago that stressed syllables, more powerful than unstressed syllables, were equated with the masculine; words ending with unstressed syllables (like RUSHing, HEAVen, and PURple) are all considered feminine endings- when those kinds of words rhyme, its known as feminine rhyme. How to Identify Masculine Rhyme For the most part, once you know the rules of masculine rhymes, theyre pretty easy to spot. As long as the words in question rhyme in their final (or only) syllable, and that syllable is stressed, the rhyme is masculine. Check out the poetry excerpts below for examples of masculine rhyme. Examples From John Donnes Holy Sonnet XIV: Batter my heart, three-personed God, for youAs yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bendYour force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. So we have two rhymes here you/new and mend/bend. Since all of these words are one syllable long, they are automatically stressed. Rhyme? Check. Stressed syllable? Check. These are masculine rhymes. From On the Dangers of Open Water by Liz Wager: This beauty we dont understand will sweepus out to sea. We look for it belowour bows, but if we try to understandthe workings of that beauty we perceive,were driven mad by all we cannot know.We force ourselves to roam between the strandstill, like Narcissus, drown to find reprieve. Here, we have a couple different rhymes: below/know, understand/strands, perceive/reprieve. (While understand and strands are not perfect rhymes, theyre pretty close.) In this example, there are multi-syllable words: they all end with a stressed syllable- perCEIVE, rePRIEVE, and beLOW. Stressed final syllables? Yes. Rhymes? Yes. Another example of masculine rhyme. Why Do Poets Use Masculine Rhyme? In addition to knowing what masculine rhyme is, and how to identify it, its also helpful to understand why a poet might use it in a poem, or what masculine rhyme contributes to a poem. There are several ways to emphasize particular words in a poem. Placement in a line, stress, and rhyme all make words stand out. In the above examples, all the masculine rhymes occur at the end of the line; just by having that white space to their right, these words are more prominent, more visible. Our eyes linger on those final words before we move onto the next line. Stress, too, emphasizes a word; words like to, the, an, a, and, if, or, at, etc., are usually all unstressed in poetic lines, while stressed words have more meaning, more life. And, when words are rhymed, they stand out. The more times we hear a certain sound repeated, the more we pay attention to that sound- just think about the poetry of Dr. Seuss! So, having masculine rhymes (especially those at the end of lines) help a poet to really emphasize the important words of a poem. Whether a reader realizes it or not, stressed syllables and words tend to stick in our memories better, as do the repetition of sounds that we find in rhyme. So, the next time you read a poem that incorporates rhyme (such as a sonnet or a pantoum), check to see if it is making use of masculine rhyme, and how that use is impacting your reading experience.

USABILITY EVALUATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

USABILITY EVALUATION - Essay Example Navision then began to offer Navision Financials 1.0, an accounting and enterprise-resource planning solution application in 1990s. This application was then offered for Microsoft’s Windows 2000 Professional operating system, and Navision later in 2000 emerged with rival Damgaard. In 2002, Microsoft acquired Navision or $1.45 billion after acquisition of Great Plains of Software in 2000. While still using the same name, Microsoft continued to be innovative and eventually came up with a new department called Microsoft Business Solutions. The name Microsoft Dynamics then came to be in 2006 after Microsoft decided to rebrand Navision when it realized that it needed to have stronger brand for its several product brands that were equally under Microsoft Business Solutions. The Microsoft Dynamics ERP as an enterprise resource planning product is an initiative meant for the middle size organizations, subsidiaries and divisions of major organizations. Microsoft Dynamic ERP is composed of; The Dynamic CRM 2011 is remarked for being the Microsoft’s recent Customer Relationship Management application software which is geared towards the small to medium sized business markets (Dennison, 2011). With the increasing technological innovations and inventions, the hardware platforms upon which Microsoft Dynamics can be run have evolved from the initial stand along computers to laptops, palmtops and current into simple electronic devices such and the iphones. For the purpose of this usability evaluation on the effectiveness of Microsoft Dynamics, four participants were used. Two out of the four people used as the sample population were business operators while the other two were clients. All these individuals shared characteristics of using the Microsoft Dynamics in their operations of selling, buying, and window shopping for items that are available in the markets. The arrows indicate the direction of flow of tasks and

Analysis of case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of case study - Essay Example It should also be expected that being trained professionals, crew members in these large vessels are expedient enough to do some of the quotidian tasks that they are well trained for. However, it is paradoxical to note that these professionals, expected to help in the case of a disaster, actually end up causing the disasters themselves through their negligent acts. This was certainly the case with the Soaring Albatross which shall be at the center of our study in this paper. I shall endeavor to identify the legal issues and analyze them in the context of this tragedy. The first legal issue that is presented by this tragedy has to do with gross negligence. This negligence happened on three levels in the case of the Soaring Albatross. There were negligence on the part of the crew, negligence on the part of the owners, and finally negligence on the part of the authorities i.e. the Financial Services authority. All this contributed directly to the tragedy (Anon 2000). In specific, to use the words of a judge delivering a ruling on another ferry incident, the crew seemed to suffer ‘a disease of sloppiness’. In any workplace there are respective responsibilities that are assigned to each person. This might be called specialization or even more simply the division of labor. The same case applies to a ferry. First there is a captain, there is a First Officer and crew members among several other professionals who might not be very relevant to the current paper (Anon 1987). The negligence on the part of the crew is astounding. The minimum expectance on the part of the crew is to ensure that their core and basic responsibilities are tended to. These include cleaning, but even more poignant in this case, closing the bow doors. This was the responsibility of the assistant boatswain, Michael Smith. However, he was asleep when the harbor-stations call sounded. In this case, there is what is called standing in for someone when they are not able to discharge their duties as they are expected (Mandaraka-Sheppard 2001). The person who was expected to step into these shoes was Thomas Johnson. However, he failed to do so because it was not his duty. On the face of it, this seems like a plausible excuse. However, when you begin to appreciate that his decision whether to close the doors or not had a bearing on peoples a life, including his own, the folly in his decision is clear for all to see. This is indeed is a level of negligence that borders on defiance. Being the last person on the G-deck, he should first have ensured that all was catered for since he was the boatswain. However, it does not stop there. There are several hierarchies in a ferry. Before the ferry set sail, the First officer, Jane Davis, according to the law is supposed to stay on deck until all the doors are closed. She did not do this since she assumed that Michael Smith had already done so. Finally, in as far as the negligence of the crew is concerned; there is negligence on t he part of the captain. The captain assumed that all doors were secured owing to his poor vantage point, and also to the fact that the ship’s design and absence of lights at the wheelhouse made it impossible to view them. Considering the number of tragedies that have happened owing exactly to the reasons given above, the captain should at least have done his due diligence before he set off. He should have learnt from the failure of others (Hughes 1999). Next, I shall look at negligence

An Analysis of the Fourth Amendment Research Paper

An Analysis of the Fourth Amendment - Research Paper Example The conduct and practice of the authorities was consistent with the view that the authorities had unlimited powers over all their subjects and could search their private residences at their own whims. Legal scholars and historians connect the origin of the fourth amendment to the old English law, which was equally challenged on the grounds of the excessive powers wielded by the King in searching or arresting persons suspected of certain violations. The fourth amendment was viewed as a culmination of critics of the search system who insisted that the authorities and the executive should be guided by very specific limits when conducting searches on private citizens (Galiano 26). On this matter, some of the issues that attend to the subject of the searches include the motives under which the authorities may act when executing their searches and the capacity of the limitations that should guide the entire search processes. The amendment was considered as a restoration of the rights to pr ivacy of citizens and the limits for action on the part of state officers and other parties acting for and on behalf of the executive. General warrants had allowed the executive to selectively apply the law in ways that suited the limited or political interests of the executive. As such, it was necessary for the state to revamp the constitution in ways that laid structural obstacles in the possibility of misusing the law to suit the private interests of the political class. Increasing concerns that the general warrants had permitted the executive to suppress the opposition and muzzle the media led to the protests and criticisms that eventually culminated in the abolition of the general warrants. The general understanding of the fourth amendment is the validity and force of a warrant can only be obtained through the sanctioning of the judiciary. Effectively, the amendment altered the powers of the executives by determining the specific details upon, which a warrant may be sought and the manner in which it may be applied in order to meet the thresholds of legality (Maclin 58). The curtailing of the powers of the executive through the abolition of the general warrant is one of the important features of the fourth amendment. On this score, it might be argued that the determination of the rights of the citizenry as brought about within the warrant entailed the structural revision of the systems that had allowed and condoned the adoption and application of warrants in unspecified ways. The limitations of the traditional systems gave room to the abuse of office since the executive could engage in suppressive or oppressive activities in ways that promoted the denial of rights to the citizenry. The Fourth Amendment stipulates the conditions under which warrants may be permissible (Taslitz 39). One of the fundamental features of the Fourth Amendment is that it foregrounds the condition of reasonability in the execution of a legal search or arrest. The Amendment explicit ly outlaws any forms of unreasonable searches, which in effect affirms that value of human freedom and the expression of individual privacy as key factors that require the protection and safeguarding by the government (Schulhofer 66). On this matter, it becomes

Nietzsche Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nietzsche - Essay Example The Greek concept of tragedy, as well as Nietzsche’s association with this in The Birth of Tragedy, both demonstrate the concept of the Greek tragedy and how it is related to the self that creates the tragic situations. According to Nietzsche, the associations with tragedy led the modern man into a misunderstanding of morality and self – destruction based on fear. The challenge is to recreate the Greek tragedy into a modern understanding of living in a different society and culture. The concept of tragedy was first developed through the Greeks and related to different life situations which were reflected in literature. The main component of tragedy was to create an emotional response through the actions that the characters took and through the audience. As the characters created a sense of self that related to tragedy, the audience was able to relate to what was occurring and responded specifically with the emotional feeling of sadness or grief from the outcome of the play. More importantly, the tragedy and conflict that created the emotion would occur with choices that were made from an initial controversy which the characters would not be able to display in any other manner. The tragedy that occurs from the main conflict is one that is defined by the afflictions that the characters bring to the self. The way that these are responded to through the characters then becomes the major problem with the affliction and leads to the end emotional tragedy. The tragedy that occurs is at a given point and is when the self moves through the conflicts and afflictions. The final point of the tragedy is when the choices by the self lead to destruction and the inability to recover from the destruction that occurs (Silk, 293). The concepts that apply to the Greek tragedy then move into different components that the Greeks used to define tragic endings in literature as well as through life. The way that the Greeks looked at

Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain Research Paper

Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain - Research Paper Example The authors has first discussed the anatomical and physiology of organs associated with abdominal pain, then has listed the various bodily malfunctions and diseases which could cause pain, and importantly listed out the procedures that could be undertaken by the nurses as part of the assessment, diagnoses and even treatment of the abdominal pain. â€Å"It is therefore desirable that in addition to traditional nursing assessments, registered nurses are able to ask the correct questions, initiate tests and implement first-line treatments to ensure a timely and effective experience for the patient† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). The authors first focused on the anatomy and the physiology of organs associated with abdominal pain, by pointing out how problems in one or more organs located within the abdominal cavity can lead to abdominal pain. â€Å"This cavity contains the stomach, spleen, liver, pall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, small intestine and large intestine†¦the bla dder, caecum, appendix, sigmoid colon, rectum and female reproductive organs.† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). ... Problems in these organs are the main reasons for abdominal pain and those problems are categorized into various diseases and malfunctions like Appendicitis, Biliary colic, Bowel obstruction, Cholecystitis, Gastrointestinal disease, Hepatitis, etc. The authors for major part of the article discuss each of these diseases, their causes, bodily problems associated with it, and importantly the severity, nature and position of the pain. For example, they point out how in the case of Biliary colic, pain will be sudden and is ‘severe and continuous until it resolves spontaneously†, and then in the case of Cholecystitis â€Å"pain can be colicky or constant and is usually localised to the right upper quadrant† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). After extensively discussing the various causes of the abdominal pain, the authors in the second half of the article has focussed on the role of nurses in assessing the abdominal pain. The authors point out how the nurses should ask r elevant questions to patients with abdominal pain, so that the exact or even the tentative cause of the pain can be diagnosed. Questions should be asked about: > Pain. > Associated symptoms. > Past medical and medication history. > Social and family history. (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). The authors state that the nurses should ask questions regarding pain position, radiation and also the nature of pain. To locate the pain position, the nurses has to first ask the patients to point out the area, where the pain is being felt. In addition, nurses can also place their own hands, pressing and pointing out, where the pain is originating. â€Å"The patient should also be asked if the pain travels anywhere (radiation) or is

Marketing mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing mix - Essay Example All these suggest that the concept of marketing mix has evolved over time as the 4Ps were initially based on the production and supply context of the 1950s (Kent and Brown 2006). The model now encompasses aspects of sociology and cognitive psychology (Hakansson and Waluszewski 2005 cited in Kent and Brown 2006). Without marketing mix capability other concepts such as customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional coordination would not be able to contribute to better firm performance, suggests Shin (2012) thereby highlighting the significance of MM concept in the field of marketing. However, scholars do not agree on the ingredients of the marketing mix. Some authors such as Borden (1964), Frey (1956), and Staudt and Taylor (1965) consider the elements as procedures, policies and processes, while others look at these elements as tools, parameters or instruments (cited by Waterschoot and Bulte 1992). This concept has been criticized as it lacks any specific explanati on of characteristics, thereby suggesting that the concept has a major flaw. The elements of marketing mix do not lead to any theory development. Gronroos (1989) postulates that the marketing mix artificially limits the scope of marketing management as the concept suggests that marketing decisions can be taken based on the 4 Ps (cited by Bitner 1991). Since many authors are critical of this concept, the marketing mix will be evaluated based on the typology of critique in marketing designed by Hackley (2009). This typology has four overlapping categories – functional, intellectual, ethical and political critique. Functional critique The functional critique would simply question whether the marketing mix concept works. Even though it is considered an important tool, there is no consensus over the eligibility and agreement of the practical application of the 4Ps of the MM variables (Kent and Brown 2006). The MM concept suggests that the buyers are a homogeneous group of people w ith common buying behaviour (Bennett, 1997). Resources and capabilities of the organization are organized in a way to satisfy customer needs but Bennett debates whether the customer accepts product benefits and attributes in the same way as the company claims. The customers are not concerned with the elements of the marketing mix and only seek satisfaction from the products and services. The purpose of MM is to improve sustainability performance across economic, ecological and societal indicators (Pomering, Noble and Johnson 2011). Consumers expect firms to be more socially and environmentally responsible and report that they would prefer to purchase from such organizations. However, there is an attitude-behaviour gap in actual consumer purchase, thereby implying that firms that tend to focus on the MM variables do not achieve the intended objectives. Sustainability through MM elements may appear discordant and hollow unless sustainability is addressed at the vision and mission leve l or at the corporate strategy level. The MM concept focuses on the tactical and managerial aspects of marketing and does not take into account the social, organizational, competitive and economic issues (Bitner 1991). The MM has been criticized for its short-term focus on sales and transactions while undermining the long-term relational thinking and brand equity (Rafiq and Ahmed, 1995 cited in Gordon, 2012). The concept has also been criticized f

Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain Research Paper

Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain - Research Paper Example The authors has first discussed the anatomical and physiology of organs associated with abdominal pain, then has listed the various bodily malfunctions and diseases which could cause pain, and importantly listed out the procedures that could be undertaken by the nurses as part of the assessment, diagnoses and even treatment of the abdominal pain. â€Å"It is therefore desirable that in addition to traditional nursing assessments, registered nurses are able to ask the correct questions, initiate tests and implement first-line treatments to ensure a timely and effective experience for the patient† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). The authors first focused on the anatomy and the physiology of organs associated with abdominal pain, by pointing out how problems in one or more organs located within the abdominal cavity can lead to abdominal pain. â€Å"This cavity contains the stomach, spleen, liver, pall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, small intestine and large intestine†¦the bla dder, caecum, appendix, sigmoid colon, rectum and female reproductive organs.† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). ... Problems in these organs are the main reasons for abdominal pain and those problems are categorized into various diseases and malfunctions like Appendicitis, Biliary colic, Bowel obstruction, Cholecystitis, Gastrointestinal disease, Hepatitis, etc. The authors for major part of the article discuss each of these diseases, their causes, bodily problems associated with it, and importantly the severity, nature and position of the pain. For example, they point out how in the case of Biliary colic, pain will be sudden and is ‘severe and continuous until it resolves spontaneously†, and then in the case of Cholecystitis â€Å"pain can be colicky or constant and is usually localised to the right upper quadrant† (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). After extensively discussing the various causes of the abdominal pain, the authors in the second half of the article has focussed on the role of nurses in assessing the abdominal pain. The authors point out how the nurses should ask r elevant questions to patients with abdominal pain, so that the exact or even the tentative cause of the pain can be diagnosed. Questions should be asked about: > Pain. > Associated symptoms. > Past medical and medication history. > Social and family history. (Cole, Lynch and Cugnoni, 2006). The authors state that the nurses should ask questions regarding pain position, radiation and also the nature of pain. To locate the pain position, the nurses has to first ask the patients to point out the area, where the pain is being felt. In addition, nurses can also place their own hands, pressing and pointing out, where the pain is originating. â€Å"The patient should also be asked if the pain travels anywhere (radiation) or is

Shewin Memorandum 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shewin Memorandum 1 - Essay Example . Blabber newspaper has only 3 women on upper level of management. . She has worked in the company for a period of 6 years without promotion yet Whiz who is only 26 years of age and with inadequate experience has been offered the post Shewin applied A 26-year-old new recruit by the name of whiz was considered for position she also applied . Senior employees in the company have been heard speculating on when she will retire. . The company only has five African American employees. . Question of Locusstandiis requisite in bringing this cause of since the level and type of engagement between Miss Shewin and the company must be ascertained to enable the court to hear her case. . Remedies available for Miss Shewin in an event of success of his case Sexual Harassment Crude sexual behaviors Ill language against pregnant women Miss Shewin’s interview at the restaurant did not dwell on professional issues but were majored on social questions . Male employees in the company discuss socia l issues including sexual experiences with their girlfriends over the weekend, which is not checked by the company managers despite protest by Miss Shewin. This case instance presents a critical analysis of rights of employees in a work premise as accorded by law. It details a brief operation of the America legal system to facilitate a proper understanding on how to tackle this legal issue. The American labor and employment laws are sourced from a variety of legal sources, including, constitutional law, statutory law being rules extracted from statutes, administrative regulations, and common law, which includes unwritten customs, principles and rules and case law (Hart 56). These sources are available on different levels, including: - federal and state constitutions, federal and state statutes and administrative regulations by both federal and state agencies, case law by both federal and state courts. In other circumstances however, these laws can be extracted from municipal laws as well. This therefore presents job places with often challenging circumstances of legal requirements and obligations that do not always align (Patterson 98). In case of a conflict or inconsistency between federal and state law, then the law that establishes stricter standard supersedes that whose penalty is less strict. In case of a conflict that cannot be resolved by application of the stricter standard, then the federal law preempts the state law (SS). Miss Shewin case elicits several issues under laws of employment including, discrimination on gender basis, race, sexual harassment of workers as an affirmative action and the extent which the law protects employees in a working place. It is significant to commence this discussion by establishing if Miss Shewin has sufficient locus standi to bring legal complaint against the Blabber newspaper. Locus standi is the legal right to bring an action, to be heard in court, or to address the court on a matter before it. It is the ability of a party to demonstrate to the court sufficient connection to and harm from the action challenged to support that party’s participation in the case. Locus standi in this case can be traced from the legal relationship that existed between Miss Shewinand the Blabber Newspaper. It must be traced if there was a legal contract between the two parties and if the same stipulated

Introduction Of Information And Communication Technologies Commerce Essay

Introduction Of Information And Communication Technologies Commerce Essay In this era of modernisation, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a vital role in businesses and firms of all sizes. The term ICT has progressed and evolved to include many aspects of computing and technology, and has indeed become very distinguishable. In this essay, the ways in which the introduction of ICT affects power relations in the workplace will be discussed. First, a definition of the phrases ICT and power relations in the workplace will be provided. In what follows, I will establish the particular effects that ICT directly brings to the workplace namely surveillance, a change to organization structure, increased communication as well as how it skills and deskills workers. Explanation on how these effects subsequently affect power relations in the workplace will then be provided. The Information Technology Association of America defines ICT as the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ICT involves converting, protecting, transferring, keeping and receiving information. This is all done with the aid of computers and software. On the other hand, power refers to the ability to translate influence or make a difference. The actions of one person affect that of another. According to Foucault (1988), within the field of power relations, what one person does affects a second, which affects a third, and so on. The characteristic of power relations is that, as agents in the structure, some men can more or less determine other mens conduct, but never exhaustively (David Owen, 1994). Power relations precipitate all the strategies, the networks, the mechanisms, all those techniques by which a decision is accepted and by which that decision could not but be taken in the way it was. Foucault goes on to say that Power relations are multiple; they have different forms, they can be in play in family relations, or within an institution, or an administration or between a dominating and a dominated class. In this essay, it can be summarized that power relations in the workplace means the ability to affect how other people w ithin the workplace do work. Surveillance The introduction of Scientific Management, also known as Taylorism saw an era where managers strived for control over workers. The introduction of ICT to the workplace has allowed managers to practice methods of worker surveillance that have never been seen before. ICT has given managers the ability to pry on their staff by doing things like keystroke counting, listening in on phone conversations (to monitor quality of service provided by staff), telephone call accounting (registering information about the time, duration, destination and cost of phone calls), entry and exit controls using smart cards (which give information on staff whereabouts), electronic cash registers and product scanning systems (provides details on who handles what merchandise, volume handled and how efficiently), the reading of electronic mail and the use of video cameras for video surveillance (After ILO, 1993, pp. 12 13). In the past, managers were only able to monitor the performance of whole departments by monitoring things like quantity and quality of products produced. However, new information technologies have enabled employers to gather highly detailed performance related data regarding not only the work but each individual worker itself. This can now be done on a minute by minute basis and often without the employee being aware (Gandy, 1993; Lyon, 1994). The information gathered by managers is most of the time too overwhelming to go through stringently. Power relations become relevant when this vast information about worker performance is collected. This is because managers must now decide if or how to use the information gathered on worker performance. Due to the economic demands to become more efficient and more profitable, managers are pressured to use the information at hand to hopefully enhance performance and efficiency of workers (Susan Bryant, 1995). Managers or employers will be able to take courses of action based on the worker performance information. For instance, reprimanding individual employees for dismal performance or changing standard operating procedures. One of the side effects of this is that it legitimizes decisions to further intensify worker surveillance for the benefit of profitability and efficiency. Modern surveillance in the workplace can be modelled after Jeremy Benthams Panopticon the prison complex designed whereby prison guards would be able to watch prisoners without being watched back (Zuboff, 1988). Nevertheless workplace surveillance using ICT differs from Benthams Panopticon because workers are certain that they are being watched all the time. The constant visibility and unverifiability that employees experience through workplace surveillance may have significant positive implications on the way they work (Zuboff, 1988, p. 321). A phenomenon that Zuboff refers to as anticipatory conformity often happens because of the mere existence of surveillance. Since workers are aware they are consistently being watched, a culture of self discipline tends to take place to reduce the risk of unwanted discovery. This is interesting because it allows change in the way workers work without management having to take extra action. This worker self discipline helps prove Foucaults argument (1979) that sooner or later, individuals become bearers of their own surveillance. (Lyon, 1994, pg. 133) Even if workers dont willingly self discipline themselves, it is highly likely that because of the readily available system generated information about each others performance, peer surveillance and intervention will get to them before management intervention will (Laabs, 1992; Lyon, 1994). As employees become more and more accustomed to surveillance methods, employees may be able to get away with doing less by working around existing sys tems to avoid detection. However, such occurrences are deemed to be less likely to happen compared to trends of conformity (Zuboff, 1988). It may also be argued that surveillance encourages workers to work harder and to become more productive as their efforts are now more easily recognized by management. This means that individual workers are more likely to be rewarded for putting in extra effort. Furthermore, employees are less likely to be put at fault for the wrongs of others. This phenomenon also happens automatically because of the existence of surveillance in the workplace without any direct intervention from management (Zuboff, 1988). The last two points show how the existence of ICT in the workplace (which allows for worker surveillance) may allow for management to relax control over workers and at the same time expect positive returns whilst having to exert less authority or power in the workplace. Communication and Organization Structure The introduction of ICT has allowed us to interact at almost same speeds a matter of seconds regardless of whether we are a few meters or a few miles away from one another. In the past two decades following the birth of utilities like e-mail and ultra fast internet connections, the workplace has experienced a significant change in operating procedures and structure due to this advancement in communication capabilities. Firms are now able to function on a transnational basis. Managers from firms are able to operate from their home countries without having to incur the financial, physical and opportunity cost of leaving their home country (or at least less often). The ability to communicate over distances and at such great speed has allowed managers to run things thousands of miles away on a real time basis. The complexity of a firm may change from that of vertically complex to horizontally complex due to the ability of managers on top of the hierarchy to communicate with more people at a greater ease. The need for extra layers of hierarchy to delegate tasks becomes unnecessary because of better communication technology. Workers at the lower end/bottom of hierarchy may find it easier to pitch ideas because there may be less red tape to go through before their idea can be proposed. On the other hand, CEOs may find that instructions are conveyed to their subordinates more clearly and effectively because these instructions need not be passed on to too many levels of management before it reaches everyone. The ability to communicate with ICT may also affect the centralization of a firm. A centralized firm is one where decisions in the organization are concentrated at one point. The introduction of ICT will become a catalyst to the decentralization of a firm (John Bratton, 2007). With ICT, it is much easier for senior management to solicit information and ideas from workers down the hierarchy. This is because, as mentioned, the means of communication make conveying and soliciting an idea much simpler than before. Prior to this, a physical meeting with high level management would be needed to pitch an idea; which means that it would virtually be impossible for a low rank worker to contribute any ideas to the firm. With the improved ability to communicate amongst workers and management, senior management might be willing to give more decision making autonomy to workers since their input would be more accessible. This has a major impact on power relations in a firm because communication ma y allow for control to be relaxed as decision making input may come from both sides of the hierarchy. Having said that, the extensive use of e-mail and electronic communication in the workplace means people seldom ever have to meet (Argyll and Cook, 1976). Not physically meeting takes away the ability to analyze the personal construct of others (Adam Webber, 1981). Personal construct theory deals with a range of professional social skills that enable people to analyze interactions from different perspectives and make judgements about peoples personalities and meanings. These skills are drawn from physical interaction with individuals. The effects of this are adverse because little or no consideration will be taken about workers feelings and personality. Deskilling and Enskilling Argument Deskilling is defined as a reduction in the proficiency needed to perform a specific job, which leads to a corresponding reduction in the wages paid for that job (Bratton, 2007). In the Taylorist context, the deskilling argument focuses on the division of mental and physical labour and the breaking up of complex tasks into smaller, more discrete ones. The logic of capitalist production requires the constant transformation of techniques of production. This involves an increase in mechanization, automation which results in the displacement of skills (Penn Scattergood, 1985). The workforce becomes even more degraded and deskilled. For instance, fast food or retail outlets have electronic tills that scan, calculate and tell the cashier how much money to return to the customer as change. The cashiers job is repetitive, relatively simple and easy to keep an eye on because everything is electronic. The main goal of this is to not only ensure worker efficiency but to increase the degree of control the management has over workers. Very little is taken into consideration about worker satisfaction or fulfilment. Harry Braverman notes that the goal of the labour process under capitalism is to generate managerial control for maximization of efficiency and profitability (Glenn and Feldberg, 1979). Due to the fact that workers under this condition only concentrate on specific tasks, they lack the skills to do things out of their job requirement, perhaps because they have neglected and hence have forgotten about those skills. On the other hand, let us consider the enskilling argument. Enskilling is described as changes in work often involving technology that result in an increase in the skill level of workers (Bratton, 2007). Many individuals would have been retrenched due to technology making certain manual jobs automated. However, for those who still have their jobs, their job scope would have increased. ICT enables more people do more things. For instance, an editor in a publishing house in the 1970s would only have enough expertise and minutes in a day to be in charge of reading and editing hand written manuscripts whilst having to send them back and forth to the author through traditional postal mail. With ICT, manuscripts may be written, edited, and transmitted digitally; which saves time. ICT also makes it easy enough for the 21st century editor to acquire other hands on skills such as video editing and graphic design; tasks that would have formerly been left to specialist in those fields. In addition, one would be would be required to exercise many other discrete competencies such as copy editing, marketing skills and negotiating ability (Barry, Chandler, Clark, Johnston, Needle, 2000). Here, it is possible to notice an increase in skill variety, task identity and task feedback. The increased skill of the worker allows managers to give more autonomy to them. This effectively means that management may loosen its control over workers relaxing power relations between management and workers. However, some have argued that this enskilling of workers allow managers to control workers to a higher extent because tasks are now centralized on less individuals compared to when they were spread out over large amounts of people in scientific management. Conclusion I have displayed how the introduction of ICT to the workplace has caused an increase in worker surveillance, a greater capability to communicate and the enskilling/deskilling phenomena. I have then shown how the mentioned effects of ICT have affected power relations within the workplace by altering the magnitude (increase and decrease) of control, authority and influence management has over workers.

Beef Customer Satisfaction :: essays research papers

Executive Director, Issues Management — NCBA Summary The checkoff-funded beef safety tracking survey conducted in November 2004 found that fresh beef steaks/roasts remained the protein with the highest consumer confidence in safety. The survey asks consumers to give grades to foods for being safe to eat and 76 percent of survey respondents gave steak/roast an A or B for safety. Background The beef safety tracking surveys are quarterly telephone surveys of a national, random sample of U.S. adults. Vegetarians do not answer the survey. The margin of error for survey data is plus/minus 3.2 percent. General food safety The percentage of Americans giving U.S. food in general an A or B for safety has remained relatively stable with some small fluctuations in the past year. However, this survey found the percentage of A/B grades (70%) significantly lower than in November 2003 (74%) and at the lowest score since November 2002 (69%). The November 2004 score is much lower than the 77 percent measured during the last survey in May 2004. Safety of specific fresh foods The safety ratings for specific fresh foods remained stable during the past year with no significant differences in the ratings in November 2004. Fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently at the top of the list when it comes to safety grades given to specific fresh foods one might buy in a grocery store. Fresh beef steaks and roasts receive the highest meat product safety grade (76%). Tied for second place with 70 percent of consumers grading A or B were fresh pork chops and microwaveable foods. Foods with lower consumer safety grades were fresh ground beef (64%), fresh chicken (63%), fresh fish (60%), fresh ground pork (56%) and pre-prepared foods from the deli (52%). Specific concerns regarding food safety The safety tracking survey asks consumers to rate their level of concern about specific safety issues on a 5-point scale, with one being not concerned and five being extremely concerned. The percentage of â€Å"top two† scores (4-5 ratings on the scale) indicate the issues of greatest concern. Safety issues tend not to be top of mind with consumers, evidenced by the fact that safety issues barely register when consumers state reasons for eating less beef. However, when asked to think about specific safety concerns, bacteria (62%) and pesticides (62%) top the list. Consumer concerns about chemical additives (58%) and mad cow disease (57%) make up a second tier of safety concerns. Concerns about mad cow disease did not increase significantly as a result of the first U.S. case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in December 2003, and in fact, currently are significantly lower than the 61 percent concern level measured in November 2003.

Compare two poems by wilfed owen Essay -- essays research papers

Compare two poems by Wilfred Owen, showing how they reflected contemporary attitudes to the ‘Great War’. Refer closely to language and poetic techniques.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World War 1 broke out in 1914. At the beginning of the war, there was a great feeling of patriotism and enthusiasm. Young men were eager to join the armed forces, as they thought the glory and heroism of war would be enjoyable. Fighting in France was expected to be an exciting adventure. Thousands of men joined so they would have the honor of serving their Queen and country. Underage age boys lied about their age in order to join, which showed that the English people thought the war would be won and over quickly. Many patriotic poems and songs were written which encouraged the war effort even more. However, by 1917 the true horror and cruelty of fighting in the war was unveiled. The soldiers experienced true pain, hardship and psychological damage. For those who were left in England, there was huge grief for the loss of life, and people’s attitudes to the war changed dramatically. Wilfred Owen was a teacher who fought from the begging of the ‘Great War’. Owen himself displayed a contrasting attitude as the war progressed through his poems. Before he signed up, he shared the view of the British public, and wrote ‘Ballad of Peace and war’ in 1914. He thought that peace was good but it was better to fight for the country. By 1917, his poetry had changed from blind patriotic disillusion and encouragement, to bitterness and anger. â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est’, and â€Å"Disabled† were poems he wrote during his time in Craig Lockheart hospital, where he was suffering from shell shock. He had seen the tragedy and graphic brutality of trench warfare, and the trauma he had seen and experienced had sunk in. Both the poems focus on one main person or event. Wilfred Owen wrote these poems to highlight the reality of war, they were ‘protest poems’ to propaganda declaring fighting for soldiers as an honor. ‘Disabled’ focuses on a dingle victim of war, now disabled and in a wheelchair, spending his life in an institute, lonely and unloved. The emphasis of the poem is the tragic consequences of war, and the man’s pain and suffering evokes great empathy for the disabled man in the reader. Losing his legs in the war has robbed him of his masculinity and youth forever. The message of this poem is t... ..., portrays the man as a hero. Now the man is lonely and unloved, ‘Only a solemn man †¦ thanked him; and then inquired about his soul.’ He has been forgotten, and even feels lonely in the institute ‘Why don’t they come and put him to bed? Why don’t they come?’ The repetition of the line emphasizes his despair and frustration. Owen talks about the man being happy in the old day, and the fact that now he will never again have the feeling of happiness in a relationship. The man is now a charity case ‘take whatever pity they may dole.’ If he had not fought in the war then this would never have happened to him. Owen uses striking images and vivid imagery in both poems to clearly show his anger of people who were disillusioned about war, and to show the harsh reality of war. A sense of pathos runs throughout the poems in the reader for the men. The sarcasm used in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ shows Owens passion of getting his point across. Many peoples attitude of war in England had changed drastically by the time Wilfred Owen wrote these two poems. ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Disabled’ both realistically reflected contemporary attitudes to the ‘Great War’ at the time they were written.