Business Plan Proposal - 5013 Words

Business Plan Proposal Introduction The development of start-ups is an important business activity that requires effort, time, and financial resources. It is important to correctly establish the resources that are required by opening a business in order to be able to successfully reach the objectives established for businesses in each situation. In this case, the business plan refers to developing a restaurant that focuses on providing meals that are based on organic foods. The benefits of organic foods are well known. There are numerous studies in the field that have identified the benefits that organic foods have on individuals health. There are also numerous studies that reveal the effects that fast food has on people. Certain governments in different companies develop campaigns intended to increase awareness on such issues, and to modify the eating habits of people in these countries. However, it is difficult to reach this objective when customers have numerous fast food restaurants to choose from. These restaurants provide fast service at smaller prices, and this is what most customers want. Therefore, it is important that food providers participate in campaigns developed by governments in their attempt to improve eating habits. Restaurants that provide healthy food have a better image on the market in comparison with fast food restaurants. But health food is considered to be more expensive. This refers to higher production costs, increased costs ofShow MoreRelatedBusiness Proposal : Business Plan1462 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Proposal 1. Executive summary The company will be incorporated in September 2015. We want to establish a canteen that is located at 19 Kitchener Drive in Darwin city. This is a middle-sized restaurant that serves and provides healthy contemporary style food. The location will be just outside the Charles Darwin University Business School and close to a dense population of Waterfront Precinct. The CDU Waterfront Campus was opened at the beginning of 2015 and there is an estimated student populationRead MoreNetflix Business Plan Proposal Essay2291 Words   |  10 Pagesthat would create higher value and dictates premium price. Another preliminary analysis for a company is the Business Portfolio Matrix. The first step in the business portfolio matrix is to identify any division that can be considered a business. Once all divisions (SBU’s) have been identified, the matrix can be used to measure their performance. The matrix depends on two business indicators: The vertical indicator, â€Å"market growth rate†, refers to the annual rate of growth of the market in whichRead MoreBusiness Plan Proposal - Acquisition of 12 Containerships7474 Words   |  30 PagesCass Business School Academic Year 2005-2006 MSc Shipping, Trade Finance MSc Energy, Trade Finance Academic Year 2005 -2006 Business Plan Proposal: Acquisition of 12 Containership vessels to participate in the â€Å"Motorways of the Seas† European Union Programme. Group 17 International Commodity Trade Coursework -- Business Plan Cass Business School Academic Year 2005-2006 Table Of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................Read MoreStrategic Report On Strategic Information System Planning Essay1333 Words   |  6 Pagesalliance s Information System masterminding ought to be changed by general business thinking, and occasionally may even change into a making wellspring of high ground. While anybody can t avoid denying this, operations alliance examiners are for the most part beginning to concentrate how this system happens and what the quantifiable inspirations driving interest are. An issue under examination is the path by which a maker s business strategy, depicted as either market centered or operations centeredRead MoreBusiness Planning : The Blueprint For Business1361 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness planning is the blueprint for business, which provides direction toward success. Planning and writing a business plan is more than just choosing products and services to sell and selecting a business location. A well-though t plan is a fundamental requirement in the financing, marketing strategies and the growth of a new business. This serves as a roadmap of how the business venture will operate to reach target goals. Coming up with a sound business plan entails the following; gatheringRead MoreProperty Preservation Proposal1457 Words   |  6 PagesEntrepreneurship Project proposal: â€Å"Property preservation† Section AB (MBA 3rd) Submitted to: Sir Shabeer Haider Submitted by: Marium Liaqat 10012720-006 Gull Afshan 10012720-004 Shumaila bano 10012720-029 Anum Khalid 09041020-018 Read MoreTESOL english answers Essay8761 Words   |  36 Pagesclear idea of learners needs in Business TESOL than in General English? 2.Describe the difference between an organization’s need and the cognitive needs of an individual? 3.Why is it important to consider the learners cultural background and interest when planning a class? 4.How can online sources and other electronic tools play important roles when designing and delivering a business class? 5.How can the lexical method be used to teach grammar points with business vocabulary in context. Give anRead MoreWhat I Learned From Imran Hussein1910 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Usually authors refers to business plan usage as a documentation, a funding proposal for start-ups or in an established business projects, as a part of approval process of a collective decision making for (loans or source of capital justification) or an operational management tool (Stutely,2007). Others like Kuratko (2009) emphasised on business plan importance as it is the road map for entrepreneurs in their proposed ventures. From my experience during this course, I agree with allRead MoreThe Bistro on Patrick Street in Waterford3428 Words   |  14 PagesContents Executive summary: 2 Industry analysis 3 Type of business 5 Business objectives 6 Business goals: 6 Company Mission Statement 7 Swot Analysis: 7 Pest analysis: 8 Competitor analysis 8 Ownership Structure 9 Legal Ownership 9 Internal Management Team: 9 External Management Resources 10 HR Needs 11 Wages 11 Industry Laws and Regulations 13 Suppliers (prices, terms, conditions, perceived benefits, back plan 13 Quality Control Procedures 14 Day to Day Operations (production) 14 Physical PlantRead MoreRenee Business Plan5082 Words   |  21 PagesBusiness Plan for a Startup Business The business plan consists of a narrative and several financial worksheets. The narrative template is the body of the business plan. It contains more than 150 questions divided into several sections. Work through the sections in any order that you want, except for the Executive Summary, which should be done last. Skip any questions that do not apply to your type of business. When you are finished writing your first draft, you’ll have a collection of small essays

The Cause of the Civil War - 800 Words

The Cause of the Civil War Generally, it is thought to be the South’s fault for causing the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, the Civil War was mainly provoked by the North; through using the federal government to overtake the South, removing slavery which would destroy Southern economy, and creating the moral issue of slavery. The North was the primary reason for the start of a war that ripped our country apart. The North had full control over the federal government and used that to suppress the Southern states by creating laws that only benefitted the North. The South felt the corrupt government was unfair and they threatened to secede if nothing was done about it. In The South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification it is stated, â€Å"†¦we†¦show more content†¦The North’s actions of abolishing slavery and enacting tariffs caused the South to fight in hopes of preserving their way of life and economy. Plantations in the South were only successful because of slavery. Without the slaves helping them create the abundance of cotton, the South would have no economy. The country’s economy would be greatly altered if slavery was eliminated both from a consumer and producer perspective. When the North did announce that they wanted to completely eradicate slavery, the South was taken aback due to the fact that the whole country would not function without slavery and the cot ton produced. The North wanted the South to industrialize but the South replied â€Å"†¦ we must ever continue to be, wholly dependent upon agriculture and commerce (South Caroline Protest Against the Tariff of 1828).† The climate in the South did not allow for the same industrialization to occur as it did in the North. Plantations and their productions of cash crops were booming in the South and the northern frontier was too small of a market, therefore leading them to sell to foreign countries. This caused the North to enact tariffs and in order to prevent the South from being too successful and lose them as a market. The North ended up petrifying the Southerners into fighting a war in order to preserve their way of life and thriving economy. The North turned slavery into a moral issue creating tension between the two distinct parts of theShow MoreRelatedCauses of the Civil War951 Words   |  4 PagesCAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR In 1860, the world s greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North and South. There were many factors that caused this war, but the main ones were the different interpretations of the Constitution by the North and South, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the arrival of Lincoln in office. These factors were very crucial in the bringing upon of the destruction of the Union. They caused immediate war. In 1791, the tenth amendment wasRead MoreThe Causes Of The Civil War1016 Words   |  5 Pages In 1861, a Civil War broke out in the United States when the South declared their independence from the Union.  There is a great amount of reasons that people can argue how the Civil War was started. However, what most people don’t understand, is that most of the events leading up to the Civil War were related to slavery.  Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict, which led to a very vicious feud.   The immediate cause of the war was slavery. Southern states, including the 11 statesRead MoreThe Causes Of The Civil War1409 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the Civil War were complex and have been controversial since the country began. Some causes include; states’ rights, economics, and slavery. The most recognizable and popular cause is slavery. The freeing of the slaves was an important moral issue at the time and one of the greatest causes of the civil war. It was only by carefully avoiding the moral issue involved in slavery that Northerners and Southerners could meet on any common ground. (Goldston, 79). The time came in which ourRead MoreCivil War Causes1382 Words   |  6 Pages Causes of the Civil War John Brown’s Raid vs. Industrial Revolution John Brown’s Raid was a more influential cause to the civil war than the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution caused incompability between the North and the South. The North relied on wage laborers with the new machine age economy while the South relied heavily on slaves. So, the North did not need slaves for their economyRead MoreCauses Of The Civil War1740 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil War was not an event that erupted overnight or something that no one had seen coming. It was a result of long stemming conflicts. â€Å"The road to civil war was complex and multi-faceted† (Wells, 1). These conflicts kept creating a divide amongst the states in the nation. The divide finally became so great, that the United States split into the Confederacy (South) and the Union (North), and fighting erupted. â€Å" â€Å"The Civil War,† Randall Jimerson observes, â€Å"became a total war involving the entireRead MoreThe Causes Of The Civil War1238 Words   |à ‚  5 PagesGalindo Mr. Scheet AP U.S History 5 November 2017 Unit 4 Essay The initial causes of the Civil War have been previously discussed and analyzed by historians, but have remained one of the most controversial debates, due to its numerous causes that created the most devastating war in American history. The country had been avoiding the disputes that would later become the causes of the civil war for decades. The Mexican War is proof that the issue of slavery was put on hold by President James K. PolkRead MoreCause of the Civil War1296 Words   |  6 PagesHistory 11 12/17/2006 The root causes and precipitating events that led to the Civil War (1861-1865) The Civil War between northern and southern states was a consequence of contradictions of two social systems inside the country. At the basis of these contradictions was a question of slavery, completely determining economic and political interests of South. North strived to enforce Federal government power to protect their own economic stability. As a result the South wanted a separationRead MoreCauses of the Civil War1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe Causes Of The Civil War The Political War The North and South fought over politics, mainly the idea of slavery. Basically the South wanted and needed it and the North did not want it at all. The South was going to do anything they could to keep it. This was the issue that overshadowed all others. At this time the labor force in the South had about 4 million slaves. These slaves were very valuable to the slaveholding planter class. They were a huge investment to Southerners and if taken awayRead MoreThe Causes Of Civil War2004 Words   |  9 PagesGà ¶ksel What are the causes of Civil War? Do ethnic determinants play an important role? Why are certain parts of Africa characterized by ethnic conflict while other parts remain relatively calm? The conventional understanding on the causes of civil war especially within African countries, to a considerable degree, has being predominantly characterized to draw its root on ethnic divergences. However, such premise appear extremely difficult to be true, owing to the fact that civil war is a complex actionRead MoreThe Cause Of The Civil War Essay1940 Words   |  8 PagesKelah Lehart Mr. Henkel American History I October 14, 2016 The Causes of the Civil War The American Civil War divided the nation because there were tensions between the North, non-slavery states, and the South that focused on the expansion of slavery. The South believed that Abraham Lincoln planned to eliminate slavery which would destroy the growth of cotton. Eleven southern states then seceded from the Union, and became known as the Confederate States of America. When Abraham Lincoln was elected

Puerto Rico Statehood free essay sample

Puerto Rico Statehood Composition 2 (11 am) Decmeber-02-2010 Formal Outline Topic: Puerto Rico Statehood Purpose: To encourage the US and Puerto Rican government to for more interest for Puerto Rico statehood. Thesis: As an American I feel our government needs to make more progress, and give more encouragement to Puerto Rico to become a state though education, and social learning. Introduction: Body: I Economics: A: Underemployment B: Taxes Incentives C: Effects on the economy II Political: A: US citizenship. B: National security. C: They will have more of voice. III Education and Social: A: More education for Puerto Rico B: Cultural effects C: language. Conclusion: Puerto Rico Statehood The US territory Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States for over 108 years; that’s longer than any state or territory in American history for waiting for statehood. Puerto Rico has been big part of our history ever since the start of our great nation. For 108 years they have enjoyed and contributed to the projection of the United States and financial support of their island, but instead we exploit them with low wage labor, tax benefits to big corporations, and no education support to them. Puerto Rico has always been patriotic for the United States and as nation, to not make them a state can be classified as economic terrorism/ exploitation. Today there is big debate in Puerto Rico, should they become a state or stay as territory, or even become an independent nation? In a poll in 1998 47% of Puerto Ricans were in favor for statehood, and 50% were favor for continuing US territory status, the remaining 3% were in favor for independence (Schaefer, 2010). If we make Puerto Rico state our country will have a greater economic benefit and growth as a nation. Not only will Puerto Rico see economic growth they will be more educated, have more skilled labor work force, and our country will not have to be spending $22 billion on the territory each year. As an American I feel our government needs to make more progress, and give more encouragement to Puerto Rico to become a state though education, and social learning. Economic Issues Involved The unemployment rate in Puerto Rico is at 16% percent, which is 6. 4 percent higher than the United States’ national average (NCSL, 2010). This is not a surprising number considering that the fact our country in a recession and our unemployment has never been higher in the past 28 years (Data, 2010). Then again, if we look at the unemployment rate in 2006, their numbers were almost the same at 15. 7%, when ours were at 6. 4% which was three times higher compared to the national average (Schaefer, 2010). As the United States is facing a high unemployment rate the concern for many Americans and elected officials is by making Puerto Rico a state will have negative effects on the unemployment rate on the US. The unemployment rate will go up on the national average, but surprisingly it will not have big effect on national average because it will go up by a small margin, and it will not force Americans to compete jobs with Puerto Rico with the adding of their unemployment to ours. The advantage for Puerto Rico becoming a state is their unemployment rate will go down in the long run, because it will allow an increase to the tourist industry for Puerto Rico. The reason for the growth in their tourist industry will be when they become a state more people will be inclined to visit there compared to Hawaii, Florida, and any other Caribbean Islands in the area. With more people visiting there will be a need for more hotels, restaurants, and other tourist services. With this growth there will be opportunities for Puerto Ricans to start and own business, and have more access to more government programs to lower their unemployment rate in which something they have been denied because of their political status. Talking with T, David (personal communication, November 10th, 2010). Due to their political status as a United States territory has cost Puerto Rico lost opportunities to lower their unemployment rate. The opportunities which are available to every unemployed worker in the United States are training programs, health insurance assistance, and food and emergency aid. With these programs available to the unemployed in the United States, it is helping put America back to work, and giving people the opportunity to go back school to be retrained in a new field of work which they didn’t have the chance to do in the past. Since Puerto Rico isn’t a state they don’t have these programs that assist the unemployed to help them get back to work, in turn it’s causing a big problem for their economy. The biggest problem for Puerto Rico’s economy is the tax incentives for big corporations that establish operations in Puerto Rico. One of the advantages for a corporation to operate in Puerto Rico is that they can claim their profits and wages paid up to 60 percent for tax credits, in which does cost the United States and Puerto Rico billions of dollars each year in tax revenue (U. S. Census, 2003). These tax breaks they receive do not benefit the local economy; they go elsewhere. As a result of this and other factors, the United States’ total spending is $22 Billion dollars each year for federal funds to stimulate the Puerto Rican economy (Schaefer, 2010). The unique tax benefits Puerto Rico offers to corporations to establish operations on their island are very attractive to companies who want to increase their profits.

Film Summary Interview with a Vampire Essay Example For Students

Film Summary Interview with a Vampire Essay Interview with a Vampire, is a film that is about vampires. In this paper, my thesis is about making life choices that will influence your personality and morals. The film revolves around Louie, LaStat, and Claudia. The storyline was somewhat logical for this film. It started with Louie being a young slave owner who was lost in grief over the wife and child that he lost and he just wanted to die. LaStat found him an offered him a choice to be a vampire or to die and Louie chose to become a vampire. Louie went from grieving to self-loathing on what he had become he felt he became a monster. He tried to stop himself from drinking human blood to killing rats in the sewer. LaStat tried to get him to embrace his darker killer side since he was in fact a vampire that needed blood from humans to continue to live. Louie thought he killed a young girl that he had befriended when he went for a stroll through the diseased part of his town. LaStat found the girl whose name was Claudia and turned her into a vampire for him and Louie to raise. LaStat had found a way to keep Louie near him by raising the child vampire. Then it ended up where Claudia was tired of being under LaStat’s influence and wanted to kill him. Claudia and Louie then went searching the world for other vampires. Then to Claudia being killed by the Vampire Association for killing LaStat. The storyline just kind of jumped around and not settling into one story. LaStat enjoyed the life of being a vampire he like killing humans for their blood. He felt a rush when he killed two to three people a night. He liked being able to submerge himself in the darkest parts of being a vampire. Louie did not really enjoy the life of a vampire he takes joy in the life of the living he does not enjoy taking away another’s life. Claudia enjoys the life of vampire she liked killing humans, but she did not like that she would be a child forever and could never grow up to be an adult. The plot for the Interview with a Vampire was plausible and easy to follow. The plot was about the day-to-day complications of being a young vampire. Also learning about how to cope and adapt the morals of being a good vampire where you value life and a bad vampire who did not care about the value of life and how easily it could be taken away. Therefore, the plot for Interview with a Vampire did make sense. When it came to acting Brad Pitt who played Louie was very believable he did great with the script that he was given. He stayed true to his characters personality and he had the same beliefs as he did in the beginning of the movie. Who loved life and had empathy towards someone who was hurt. LaStat also did well with the script that was given to him. He was also very believable during the movie. However, the screenwriters who written it could of written his part out a little better than what they did. They made him kind of like a ruthless killer in the beginning of the movie, then made him towards a kind of loving father to Claudia, and then to him being a vampire terrified of his own shadow, and back again to his ruthless self at the end of the movie. That was kind of like having whiplash you did not know what his character was going to be like one from one moment to the next. .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .postImageUrl , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:hover , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:visited , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:active { border:0!important; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:active , .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4 .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1ccd7f71b953fb36b4b429ed7db627c4:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Early Film Industry EssayClaudia the little girl vampire did an ok job in the move. There was not much of what the screenwriters of directors could have done to her character. She did not stand out in the movie she was over shadowed by Louie and LaStat. The director should have chosen another little girl to play the part who would not have been over shadowed by the dominant characters of Louie and LaStat. Louie actions were justified in the way he acted throughout the movie. Louie did not want to kill anyone he did not want to be a killer. LaStat’s actions in the way he acted throughout the movie were not justifiable. At others expense he wanted to show Louie how to be a vampire and how to love the killer instinct that was now inside of him. He did not want to let go of his hold that he had on Louie and Claudia. Claudia actions throughout the movie were justified. She did not understand why she was not aging. She was only eight years old when she was turned into a vampire so when she got angry she threw temper tantrums. In the movie Louie’s motive was plausible he kept LaStat from killing Claudia since she tried to kill him. LaStat’s motive was not plausible. He was getting annoyed that Louie did not want to be like him that he did not want to be a killer. Claudia’s motive was not plausible she did not have to kill LaStat to get away from him. All Claudia had to do was leave and he would of let her leave. Now the words in the film did not ring false and they were matched up pretty well for the year that it was pertaining to be. However, when LaStat turned Claudia into a vampire looked very cheesy. One minute she was human and the next minute she is a vampire. It is very unlikely that when you are turned into a being that it dead that it is not going to be easy. It definitely should look painful not like she is being made over as if she is getting a makeover. In addition, when Claudia killed LaStat he came back looking like something off the Walking Dead. How can he come back to life looking gross when LaStat was already dead? The lighting in the Interview with a Vampire was actually quite good. It really played well in certain parts of the movie. It enhanced certain scenes such as when the sun turned Claudia and her companion to stone ashes. The light was brilliant and looked very bright like it should of. In addition, the graphics in the movie was great as well. It felt like you were back in the late 1700’s and then in the early 1800’s. The music was also very appropriate when it was played and the music that was chosen was great as well. Interview with a Vampire was a great movie it had a lot of gore blood throughout the whole movie. The only thing that was not so great was how people was turned into vampires it should not have been that easy to do.

Legal Elements Defined by the Contract

Animal Rights Protests Essays - Animal Welfare, Fur, Animal Testing

Animal Rights Protests Essays - Animal Welfare, Fur, Animal Testing Animal Rights Protests Over the past fifteen years a powerfully charged drama has unfolded in New York's Broadway venues and spread to the opera houses and ballet productions of major cities across the country. Its characters include angry college students, aging rock stars, flamboyant B-movie queens, society matrons, and sophisticated fashion designers. You can't buy tickets for this production, but you might catch a glimpse of it while driving in Bethesda on particular Saturday afternoons. If you're lucky, Compassion Over Killing (COK), an animal rights civil disobedience group, will be picketing Miller's Furs, their enemy in the fight against fur. These impassioned activists see the fur trade as nothing less than wholesale, commercialized murder, and will go to great lengths to get their point across. Such enthusiasm may do them in, as COK's often divisive rhetoric and tacit endorsement of vandalism threaten to alienate the very people it needs to reach in order to be successful. The animal rights idealogy crystallized with the publication of philosophy professor's exploration of the way humans use and abuse other animals. Animal Liberation argued that animals have an intrinsic worth in themselves and deserve to exist on their own terms, not just as means to human ends. By 1985, ten years after Peter Singer's watershed treatise was first published, dozens of animal rights groups had sprung up and were starting to savor their first successes. In 1994 Paul Shapiro, then a student at Georgetown Day School, didn't feel these non-profits were agitating aggressively enough for the cause. He founded Compassion Over Killing to mobilize animal rights activists in the Washington metropolitan area and "throw animal exploiters out of business." Since then, COK has expanded to over 300 members with chapters across the country, including one at American University, which formed in the fall of 1996. COK organizes protests as a primary activity of the group, although some chapters may choose to expand into other areas if they wish. COK's focus on direct-action protests and demonstrations is just one way that the animal rights movement has mobilized to end the fur trade. The larger animal rights organizations have conducted attention grabbing media blitzes with the help of stars like Paul McCartney, Melissa Etheridge, Rikki Lake, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington. Lobbying efforts by animal advocacy groups have resulted in trapping restrictions in numerous states and an end to federal fur industry subsidies. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has persuaded several fashion designers including Calvin Klein and Donna Karan to stop using fur in their clothing lines. In addition, anti-fur concerts, videos, compact discs, t-shirts, drag revues and award ceremonies have been used by animal rights groups to advance their cause. Each side of the conflict over fur coats has an entirely different way of conceptualizing and talking about the issue. Animal rights groups bluntly describe fur as "dead...animal parts" and emphasize that animals are killed to produce a fur garment. Those involved in the fur industry consistently use agricultural metaphors and talk of a yearly "crop of fur" that must be "harvested." Manny Miller, the owner of Miller's Furs, refused to describe his business in terms of the individual animals; "I don't sell animals. I sell finished products. I sell fur coats." These linguistic differences extend to the manner in which both sides frame the debate over fur. COK refers to the industry in criminal terms; fur is directly equated with murder and those involved in the industry are labeled killers. Industry groups like the Fur Information Council of America (FICA) always describes fur garments as objects and clothing; it is "the ultimate cold weather fabric" that is "your fashion choice." On Saturday, April 12th, Compassion Over Killing demonstrated outside the White House, protesting the Clinton administration's opposition to a European Community ban on the importation of fur coats made from animals caught in the wild. In addition, the demonstration called for the release of several Animal Liberation Front (ALF) members imprisoned for vandalizing property and liberating animals from research labs and factory farms. Several dozen high school and college students turned out for the event, but the protest attracted a handful of thirtysomethings and an elderly woman as well. Most of the

Suicide Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Suicide Assessment - Essay Example The biological factors are familial risk and other health indicators. Predisposing factors are major psychiatric syndromes, substance use and abuse, his personality profile, abuse syndromes and severe mental or neurological illness. Proximal factors are the primary result and reaction of experiencing either familial or predisposing factors. They are hopelessness, intoxication, impulsiveness and aggressiveness, negative expectancy and severe chronic pain. Immediate triggers are those reactions that instantly make the individual change his made towards suicide. These are public humiliation or shame, access to weapons, severe defeat, major loss and worsening prognosis. Once the periods of risk are identified, a specific suicide evaluation will be done to know the degree or magnitude of risk the person is in. The interference that will be done, then, depends on the degree of risk. Identifying the periods of risk in a subject’s life is the predicting part. The assessment part is in response to the identifying part. If there are identified periods of risk and an increase of these periods, then the next step would be evaluation and prevention. There are certain risk factors present in a subject’s period of risk that makes him a primary candidate of a suicide attempt. When one has been in a near lethal suicide attempt already, availability of firearms, written suicide notes are the signs of highest risk people. Having a major mental illness or psychological disorder creates a higher risk. Strong predictors of a suicide in the period of risk in depression are hopelessness, mood cycling, turmoil, unusual thinking and no belief improvement. Weak predictors are those factors that a person may experience but may or may not result to depression, and eventually, suicide. Suicide ideation, on the other hand, is a poor predictor since intent has hidden information still that one must coax out to be understood. A prior suicide attempt is also a poor predictor

Bringing Out the Best in People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bringing Out the Best in People - Essay Example In fact, the superior leaders were even using these principles long before psychology was formally given its name. McGinnis' book, "Bringing Out the Best in People," showcases interesting anecdotes and case studies illustrating how a person can put 12 key principles to work for any group, may it be a family or an organization. So whether one is a parent, a friend, a teacher or an executive, his/her satisfaction can be guaranteed by "Bringing Out the Best in People." The author makes it really easy for his/her readers. The 12 principles or rules that he discovered are incredibly easy to follow. The list, however, is not meant to be limiting. It is actually meant to entice the reader to devour the whole book. Right from the start, McGinnis declared that he is taking a Christian standpoint in his approach of the topic at hand. With that said, he actually gives hope to anybody who wants to make a difference by motivating other people. As he points out, "Motivators are not born-they are made." The author asserts that the mental attitude already exists for prospective motivators since it is a human instinct that drives people to do something about lethargy and boredom, and be challenged instead. "Deep in the breast of everyone there is a drive to achieve something, to be somebody," McGinnis says. McGinnis develops his book by doing several things. First, he tells his readers about his observation on listening. According to him, if one will only listen to other people patiently, they will actually reveal what will motivate them. Next, he expounds on the value of encouraging others and creating the optimal work environment in an organization. He said this means giving space for failure because failure is sometimes inevitable when risks are taken, though temporary. Toward the end, the author includes an inspiring section on various leaders, dreamers and the lonely lifestyles these individuals often lead. The book ends with a quote from Goethe, "Whatever you dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." This book is actually useful since it can help a person gain more focus if he/she will take to heart whatever he/she has read and follow whatever the book suggests. McGinnis also guarantees that communication skills will actually be enhanced because of this book. And because of this benefit, a person will be respected more by other people as his/her ability to relate to them improves dramatically and becomes more efficient. In order to help others to grow, it would be helpful to rise up to the challenge of the 12 rules or principles outlined by McGinnis in his book. According to the author, anyone who wants to be a great motivator and help others grow should do the following: 1. Expect the best from his/her employees and those he/she leads. 2. Understand the needs of his/her employees and use the information to create an environment that builds their motivation. 3. Establish standards of excellence that are attainable for your employees and those he/she leads. 4. Create an environment where failure isn't fatal. 5. Encourage his/her employees as opposed to nagging them. 6. Provide models of success

Contemporary Leadership and the Challenges It Faces Essay

Contemporary Leadership and the Challenges It Faces - Essay Example The researcher states that an effective leader is one who is able to train, equip, select, influence his or her followers with diverse skills, abilities, and shape them to be effective workers to ensure that the organization achieves its goals and objectives. Leadership styles are changing rapidly to enable leaders to address the contemporary challenges. This essay aims at evaluating contemporary leadership and the challenges contemporary leaders face in luxury hotels. The current models of leadership include transformational, charismatic, and transactional. Transactional leadership model basis on service exchange for several types of rewards that leaders control. Transactional leaders are those who are able to determine the kinds of rewards that will motivate employees and enable them to meet their objectives and goals. On the other side, transformational leadership refers to the actions that transformative leaders create to empower participants who take part in the process. Transfo rmational leaders have the capability of bringing up significant change to his or her followers. That is, transformational leadership facilitates redefining of individuals’ goals and objectives, renew their dedications, and restructure their process of accomplishing their goals. A charismatic leader has supernatural powers over his or her subordinates. According to Conger and Kanungo, a charismatic leader is a leader who has extraordinary and profound impacts on his or her subordinates due to his or her personal abilities. The subordinate staff of a charismatic leader has loyalty and trust towards the values, visions, and characters of the leader. Charismatic leaders make use of their powers rather than positional powers to encourage subordinates to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives. According to contemporary leadership theories, current leaders should ensure the dynamic relationship between them and their collaborators for leading both parties to extreme levels of moral growth and development and motivation hence evoking â€Å"true† change in an organization.

The Influence of Mass Media

The Influence of Mass Media The importance of the media today is immense Mass media has become an industry in the world. From the T.V in the house, the newspaper on the doorstep, the radio on the car to the fliers in the mailbox and the internet. Because the media are so prevalent in industrialized countries, they have a powerful impact on how those populations view the world. Nearly all of the news in the United States comes from a major network or newspaper. It is only the most local and personal events that are experienced first-hand. Events in the larger community, the state, the country, and the rest of the world are experienced through the eyes of a journalist. Not only do the media report the news, they create the news by deciding what to report. The production of news often goes through several steps: informants and sources, press agents, reporters, news agencies, journalists, and editors. Many media are citing other media or opinion leaders so that the complete chain of information flow becomes quite long. Selection and distortion may take place at every link in this chain of information transmission. The top story of the day has to be picked from the millions of things that happened that particular day. After something is deemed newsworthy, there are decisions on how much time or space to give it, whom to interview, what pictures to use, and how to frame it. Often considered by editors, but seldom discussed, is how the biases and interests of management will impact these determinations. All of these decisions add up to the audiences view of the world, and those who influence the decisions influence the audience. The mass media have an important role in modern democratic society as the main channel of communication. The population relies on the news media as the main source of information and the basis on which they form their opinions and voting decisions. According to cultural selection theory, any selection of messages in the mass media will thus have a profound effect on the entire society. Competition has become increasingly keen in the area of the mass media as they keep fighting for the attention of the readers, listeners, and TV-viewers. The life and death of each newspaper and TV station is at stake here when the income from advertising and sponsoring is proportional to the number of readers or viewers. The printed media have problems competing with the electronic media as sources of news. In order to survive, they are increasingly turning to other strategies such as entertainment, titillation, scandal mongering, and spreading fear and spending fewer resources on serious researching of news. This is not only about the survival of the fittest of the news media, it is also about cultural selection and political selection. The news media are the most important channels for the propagation of culture, ideas, and opinions. Most opinion formation takes place when people sit and watch news and debates on television. Analyzing the cultural selection in the electronic info rmation society, we find that an important part of the selection lies in the choice between TV channels. Millions of lazy viewers sit in their comfortable arm-chairs with remote controls in their hands zapping between action films, revivalist preachers, and commercials for a new fragrance, hardly realizing that by choosing which cultural and political influences they expose themselves to, they also chose the cultural and political evolution of their country. It is very important to analyze which selection criteria are in effect here. The electronic media are first and foremost pacifying. It is a relaxation machine, and the viewer wants to be entertained. The faces on the screen are not chosen for their opinions but for their entertainment value. TV stations do not compete on ideologies but on sense impressions. An extreme example is music videos, satiated with fast changing sense impressions in sound as well as in pictures. The media, therefore, have enormous importance to conflict resolution because they are the primary and frequently only source of information regarding conflicts. If a situation doesnt make the news, it simply does not exist for most people. When peaceful options such as negotiation and other collaborative problem-solving techniques are not covered, or their successes are not reported, they become invisible and are not likely to be considered or even understood as possible options in the management of a conflict. In psychology, communication theory and sociology, media influence or media effects refers to the theories about the ways the mass media affect how their audiences think and behave. The shift of media and media industry over the past few years into new forms, such as DVD and the internet, changes the modalities available for audiences to consume and receive media. The change has caused some media theorists to call into question the influence that the media have over attitudes and beliefs. The consequences and ramifications of the mass media relate not merely to the way newsworthy events are perceived (and which are reported at all), but also to a multitude of cultural influences that operate through the media. The media has a strong social and cultural impact upon society. This is predicated upon its ability to reach a wide audience which often sends a strong and influential message. Marshall McLuhan uses the term à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"the medium is the messageà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  as a means of explaining how the distribution of the message can often be more important that the message itself. It is through the persuasiveness of mediums such as television, radio and print media that reach the target audience. The internet has lifted some of the restrictions placed on society by allowing for diversification of political opinions, social and cultural differences and heightened level of consumer participation. There have been suggestions that allowing consumers to produce information through the internet will lead to a bombardment of too much information. It can however allow society a medium for expressing opinions and moving away from the political restrictions placed on society. Media can also influence the way people talk. Certain movies have quotes that can be embedded into the minds of the audience. However, these quotes can be either appropriate or non appropriate. Media scientists have often discussed how much influence the media have on peoples opinions. People tend to selectively read what they already agree with and to rationalize their preformed opinions in the face of contrary arguments. Experimental evidence seems to indicate that the mass media have little power to change peoples opinions on issues for which they already have formed a strong opinion, but they have a profound influence when it comes to setting the agenda and priming people on new issues. The way an issue is framed determines how it is discussed, which causes a social problem is blamed on, and which of the possible remedies are entered into the discussion. In conclusion, the media can be used to promote social growth and thinking skills. Therefore, the design is focused on human itself other than lots of unnecessary things for the society. The winner for that era will be the person who has flexible thinking power. Also, the designer must have a true character. Follow the path of virtue with right-minded should be their goal. In addition to, the designer should have to find their lifes passion, develop themselves-esteem, and create self- appreciations which lead to more positive self-esteem. With all that in mind the designer have a powerful persuasion.

The Feminist Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Scarlet Letter can easily be seen as an early feminist piece of work. Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story that exemplifies Hester as a strong female character living with her choices, whether they were good or bad, and also as the protagonist. He also presents the daughter of Hester, Pearl, as an intelligent female, especially for her age. He goes on to prove man as imperfect through both the characters of Dimmesdale and of Chillingworth. With the situation that all the characters face, Hawthorne establishes the female as the triumphant one, accomplishing something that, during Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time, authors did not attempt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne paints the picture of a female named Hester who has sinned. Not only is she publicly ostracized for having an affair while unmarried, but her major repercussion, her daughter, receives her punishment as well because she derives directly from sin. It is through these tribulations that Hawthorne exemplifies Hester and Pearl, no matter how young, as strong, independent females. These characteristics were not easily applied to females during this time. Hawthorne’s ability to show Hester collected and under control to the crowd, although she may have felt otherwise inside, while she exits the prison and while she is on the scaffold, exhibits her as a strong woman. The fact that Hester exits the prison â€Å"by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will†, and the fact that while on the scaffold, under pressure, Hester refuses to give the nam e of the father of her child, also proves her strength and compassion. She states, â€Å"Never!....It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well Lewis 2 as mine!† To Hester, there is no reasons to put both shame on her and her partner when she can take all the shame. She proves herself to be selfless, another strong characteristic that exemplifies feminist attributes in the book. At first, when Hester is confronted by her ex-husband Chillingworth, she is portrayed as weak and feeble. This trait does not go on to prove Hester as a huge feminist character for the Scarlet Letter, but as the book continues, Hester receives the strength to stand up to him and realizes there is no need ... ... him feeble. In the end, he frees himself from his guilt by admitting to everyone his sin. He crumbles under the anxiety of holding his secret inwards revealing Dimmesdale to be a rather weak male protagonist. He also is not strong enough support Hester, to show love towards Hester, or to take his own burden of sin on himself, although he does realize how wrong he is. His inability to outwardly show his sin like Hester proves Hester to be the stronger one which supports the idea that Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a feminist composition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With a strong female protagonist and two mentally weak males, it is hard to consider Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter anything but a feminist treatise. He obviously intended to put down not only Puritanism, which is an obvious aspect of the novel, but to establish a powerful, secure female in American literature. Hester proves, although she has sinned in the past, she can confront her mistakes, take care of herself and her child, and help others at the same time. She can withhold a position in society that many can respect because of her character something the males of the story obviously could not succeed at doing.

Smooth Otter Report

INTRODUCTION Otters belonging to the order Carnivora of class Mammalia, are semi-aquatic members of the family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, martens, polecats, badgers, skunks, grisons and minks. Otters are placed in the sub-family Lutrinae (Khan W. A. et al. ,2010). Genus Lutrogale ;Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) (Ogamba E. N. & Abowei J. F. N. ,2012) ( Figure 1) . The smooth otter is the largest otter in Southeast Asia that comment otter. It was named for its shorter, smoother coat than that of other otters with appears velvety and shiny.This otter is monogamous and usually seen – round in small family groups of 4-6 members comprising a pair and their offspring from breeding seasons. It has a more rounded heads and a hairless nose compared to other otters. It also has a tail that is more flattened, in contrast to the more rounded tails of other species and measures 60% of its body length. Otters dependent on the monsoon rains breed between August and December. Gestation period is 61-65 days. They give birth to 2 to 5 cuns per litter.The young are born and raised in burrow near the water. Smooth Otters may hunt as a team either at night or in the daytime. They capture their prey with mouth, but their strong, webbed feet with sharp claws are dexterous enough to retrieve and manipulate objects. Their food likes fish, frog, prawn and crab. Besides, smooth-coated otter are excellent aquatic adaptation. It is possible to introduce to each other at all age; it is infinitely more successful when the otters are young (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Hartley R. 2011 had mentioned that as a social animal, the smooth-coated otter lives in family groups consisting of a male, dominant female and cubs. They are a proficient and ready swimmer. Besides, they also have the usual humped otter gait on the land, and can move quite rapidly . It is possible that there are no smooth otters currently in captivity in zoos likes in Zoo Taiping or wildlife parks. Since they are noisy, extrovert and tolerant of humans, adapting well to zoo life, this is surprising (Wright L. C, 2010). [pic] Scientific classification | |Kingdom: |Animalia | |Phylum: |Chordata | |Class: |Mammalia | |Order: |Carnivora | |Family: |Mustelidae | |Subfamily: |Lutrinae | |Genus: |Lutrogale | |Species: |L. perspicillata | LITERATURE REVIEWS Characteristics Smooth coated otter is nocturnal mammal otter and adapted to a semi-aquatic mode of life with flattened head, thick muscular tail, smooth and dense pelage and comparatively large paws that are webbed between digits (Roberts, 1997 ; Khan W. A. et al. ,2010). Webbing between all digits but, more extensive on the hind feet. The claws are sharp and probably aid in gripping.The hind feet are generally larger than the fore and the hind legs are longer leading to the typical hump-backed gait when traveling across land supported by Smith J. R. , 2008. The hair structure of the Lutrinae has been analysed to see if the different s pecies could be identified using hair characteristics and also to determine if the hair characteristics have an adaptive value or are influenced by the phylogeny of the group (Kuhn, Rachel A. & Wilfried M. ,2010). Habitat Otter sites varied significantly from non-otter sites, and comprised of loosely packed sand and rock, and lacked hard-packed sand, stone, gravel, vegetation and canopy cover (Shenoy K. , Varma S. & Devi Prasad K. V. , 2006).The more natural the surroundings the better so a substrate of grass, soil, pebbles, non abrasive sand (not sharp sand), and mulch as opposed to concrete will be beneficial to the otter group. If the pond is artificial and not filtrated it must be cleaned weekly. Fresh drinking water must be supplied for each day in a clean, non- spillable, disinfected container. The warmer the water the more these tropical otters swim. An ideal temperature is about 80 to 85 ° F (26. 6 – 29. 4 ° C). Pools can be constructed of many different materials such as plastic liners, concrete, gunnite or a natural pool dug out to the appropriate depth (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Behavior Smooth-coated otters are strong swimmers (Lariviere S. & Hwang Y. T. ,2005).In short, it is likely that otters undoubtedly store enough oxygen in the lungs, blood and muscles for a typical dive but experience bradycardia when pushed as a result of fear or necessity (Smith J. R. , 2008). Although otters enjoy and spend a lot of time in water they also require plenty of dry land for resting, grooming, digging and foraging (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Food and feeding habits The selection of prey by the smooth-coated otter in response to the variations in abundance of fish (Asghar Nawab & Syed Ainul Hussain, 2012 ). Smooth-coated otter is a top carnivore of wetlands and feeds mainly (up to 96%) upon fish (Khan W. A. et al. ,2010). Surprising, Goldthorpe et al. 2010, reported that a smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) was observed and photographed attacking and killing a water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) in a small pond at the Forestry Research Institute, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Smooth-coated otter attacking and killing such a large animal became the targets of repeated â€Å"tail-nipping† by the otters. The river otter has few natural predators because of its strength, sharp teeth, aggressiveness when attacked, and aquatic habits (Saunders, D. A. 1988). Communication According to Duplaix,1980 and Maxwell,1960;Wright L. C. , 2010;are two good sources for information about this species vocalizations, particularly the latter. Duplaix speaks of harsh nasal snorts and whines, and says they are a noisy species, with a varied repertoire of discrete social sounds.This is backed up by Maxwell, 1960, account of Mijbil, his pet smooth-coated otter of the Iraqi subspecies. Maxwell describes the call note as a short, anxious, penetrating but not loud chirp. The query is Ha! in a loud, harsh whisper. Furthermore, Maxwell, 1960, also describes a c ontinuum through from the chirp to a musical bubbling interspersed with chirps to a high, snarling caterwaul or scream/wail preceding attack. The main form of non-vocal communication in this species is spraint, which is produced frequently. The animals create large, very smelly communal latrines at prominent sites, such as large flat rocks, comparatively high up river banks compared to sympatric Eurasian Otters.In communication with other otters in the family group, otters seem to use their mouths as the main means of non-vocal communication, mouthing, nipping and gripping each other (Wright L. C. , 2010). Breeding Khan W. A. et al. ,2010, stated that this animal form strong monogamous pairs; males are larger but still females dominate the pair. Breeding may occur throughout the year, gestation period varies from 61-63 days and young ones at their birth are covered with fur and their eyes do not open until up to 10 days. The weaning takes almost 130 days and the young ones start tak ing fish at the age of three months. Liter size of 2-4 cubs is normal and rarely five but recently six cubs have been observed in Sindh. TreatThe smooth-coated otters considered to be â€Å"Vulnerable† due to an inferred future population decline caused by habitat loss and exploitation (Hussain et al. , 2008). Facing extremely high risk of extinction due to multitude of detrimental factors (Muhammad Rais et al. ,2009). Khan W. A. et al. , 2010, reported that habitat fragmentation, otter-human conflicts, hunting for skins and lack of awareness among general public are main threats to the species. METHODOLOGY Post monitoring and data collection. (General activity) I studied 3 smooth-coated otter ( Lutrogale perspicillata) at Zoo Taiping. I did not collect data on pre behavior because it was a one day field trip only.I recorded the smooth-coated otter`s activity every 5 min via scan sampling with instantaneous recording. I adapted behavioral categories and de? nitions from http: //www. seaworld. org/animal-info/info-books/otters/adaptations. htm. The de? nitions of behaviors that I recorded are in Table I. I recorded observations from 12. 40 p. m to 1. 30p. m.. |Table I : Behavior classi? cations and description | |Category label |De? nition of activities included within category | |Groom |All otters must continually groom their fur to maintain its insulating qualities.Otters spend a | | |substantial amount of time grooming, and many species of river otters have designated areas on land for | | |drying and grooming their fur. Most vigorously dry themselves by rolling on the ground or rubbing | | |against logs or vegetation. | |Swim |Otters are excellent swimmers. They swim with movements of the hind legs and tail. Freshwater otters | | |†dog paddle† with all four feet when swimming slowly or floating. When swimming at a high speed, the | | |entire body, including the tail, undulates up and down and the hind feet steer. | |Play |Some researcher s believe that sliding is a form of play in river otters.For some species, otters of all| | |age classes have been observed sliding. Others believe otters only use these slides for low-energy | | |travel, maintaining that otters generally do not climb to the top of a slope for another slide. These | | |latter researchers have observed very little behavior they interpret as play. | |Rest |Freshwater otters generally rest and sleep on land, either above ground or in dens. They are not | | |particular about where they sleep and often do so even in areas of moderate disturbance.Individual | | |animals often have several resting places. | |Feed |The Smooth-coated otter is a carnivore and in the wild its diet is more than 90% fish over 15cm long, | | |mainly slow-moving fish such as catfish; the balance is frogs, birds, turtles, water snakes, crabs and | | |water rats. The metabolic rate is high, and these active otters will consume 20% of their bodyweight a | | |day. In the wild, they wi ll have several hunting sessions throughout the 24-hour period, interspersed | | |with rest periods. |Diving |Otters can remain under water for 6 to 8 minutes. | |All other behavior |Communication | | |Drinking | | |Defecating | | |Urinating | |Adapt from http://www. seaworld. org/animal-info/info-books/otters/adaptations. htm | RESULT No | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |12. 40 p. m : Play |12. 45 p. m : Rest | |[pic] |[pic] | |12. 50 p. m : Swim |12. 55 p. m : Rest | |[pic] |[pic] | |1. 00 p. m : Groom |1. 00 p. : Rest | | | | |[pic] |[pic] | |1. 05 p. m : Swim |1. 10 p. m : Rest | |[pic] |[pic] | |1. 15 p. m : Play |1. 20 p. : Swim | |[pic] |[pic] | |1. 25 p. m : Groom |1. 30 p. m : Rest | DISCUSSION From monitoring, I can see the smooth-coated otter have recycles similar activities. Much activity occurs in the water. The webbed feet, strong legs, and long, muscular body and tail adapt the otter to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Smooth-coated otters are swim with movements of the hin d legs and tail.They use all four feet when swimming slowly or floating. The fur is thick and water proof with two types of hair; a dense under fur which traps an insulating layer of air and remains dry while the otter is swimming and the longer, overlying guard hairs that are water proof (Foster-Turley et al. , 1990; Khan W. A. et al. ,2010 ). Once in the water, an otter is a tireless and superb swimmer, propelling itself with the tail, which also serves as a rudder, and powerful thrusts of the hind limbs. Although otters enjoy and spend a lot of time in water they also require plenty of dry land for resting, grooming, digging and foraging (IUCN/SSC, 2008). On land, they lope or bound.Grooming is a frequent activity and entails rolling in the snow, mud or vegetation, often at the same location known as a landing or a hauling-out site. River otters engage in activities collectively designated as play, for example, repeated touching, shoving, tossing, and manipulating of prey, stones or other objects, or tobogganing down mud or snow slides (Saunders D. A. ,1988). Like other carnivores, smooth-coated otters use scent for inter and intra specific communication. They have a pair of scent glands at the base of the tail, which they use to mark vegetation, flat rocks, or shorelines near feeding areas. This marking behavior in otters is called sprainting.Most of the spraint sites consisted largely of loosely packed sand, and a small amount of rock, but lacked canopy cover, dense vegetation and stony or gravely substrates. Sites with these features are suited for grooming activities, which may explain why the substrate seemed to be the major factor in site selection by otters (Shenoy K. , Varma S. & Devi Prasad K. V. , 2006). Otters are intelligent, active, curious creatures and an ideal day would be to be fed 3 or 4 times a day, have plenty of stimulation and activities which include playing and foraging and also have time to rest out of the public view if so desired (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Vocal, tactile, and chemical signals are the chief means of regulating otter social behavior. Besides, the otters use chirping and humming sounds as contact calls.They hiss, purr, and whistle in other contexts (Saunders D. A. ,1988). CONCLUSION Smooth-coated otter called as Lutrogale perscipillata is known to Zoo Taiping. Besides, they are highly charismatic and popular animals of high concern to fishermen, naturalists, scientists and wild life conservationists the world over. Otters have an intrinsic beauty and they are exciting. Smooth-coated otters, one of the most intriguing semi aquatic mammals, habitual of living amphibious lifestyle, both in water and nearby lands are celebrated for living a life of mystery, disguise and concealment (Singh A. K. , 2011). Smooth-coated otters are well adapted to swimming and foraging in the water supported by Ferti D. Jackson M. & Yin S. , 1994. They have aqua dynamic, webbed feet, fine rudder, fur-tive and high metabolic rat e. It was amazing facts by Khan W. A et al. , 2010, the smooth coated otter (Lutragale perspicillata) considered to be a suitable indicator of pollution level in a wetland. Unfortunately, the smooth-coated otter life is on the brink of extinction. All small carnivore sightings were in or adjacent to protected areas. While this may suggest that their status outside such places could be of concern, it may simply reflect unequal search effort, in that night drives were not conducted at the same rate outside protected areas (Pillay R. ,2009).Otters need to be noticed to undertake stiff protection, taking practical steps for preventing decimation of endemic populace going from â€Å"Vulnerable† under â€Å"Red List† of IUCN to endanger with each passing day. The smooth-coated otter is an important ecological indicator of a healthy wetland and associated biodiversity, especially the fish fauna (Khan W. A. at el. ,2009). Feeroz M. M. , Aziz M. A & Thanchanga P. K, 2011, suppo rted that good habitats with enough food and little human interference can enhance and ensure breeding potentiality and success as well as survival. REFLECTION Firstly, praise to Allah and special thanks to Dr. Syakirah, my fellow course-mates and my family in helping me doing this assignment.My second animal observation at Zoo Taiping is smooth-coated otter. There are a group of three active smooth-coated otters in a spacious and natural like enclosure supported by Shenoy K. , Varma S. & Devi Prasad K. V. , 2006. I watched them for about an hour and it’s really fun and entertaining to watch them with their recycle behavior activities. Most of the time, the otters enjoyed swim in the â€Å"swamp† area and resting on the rocks while grooming. Sometimes, they also play around with each other on the sand area and return to water to swim. IUCN/SSC, 2008, mentioned that those otters are very great swimmer and diver. I was really exciting to see them doing that.There was a t ime when they just stand beside the glass window looking at all the people outside like they are really proud when people watch them supported by Wright L. C, 2010. By looking at the otter’s activity for around an hour, it taught me a lot on their behavioral adaptation. It makes me realize how important and valuable are our nature. Hussain et al. , 2008, reported that smooth-coated otter is also one of the â€Å"Vulnerable† species and human is one of the factors and greatest threat to them, both directly and indirectly. Habitat destruction, water pollution, fishing activity and disease can lead to fragmentation of their populations and extinction.It is our responsibility to protect our wildlife and make sure this little and full of fun creature to continue swimming for years to come. Stop pollution and live harmony with nature so that our next generation can experience and appreciate what we have today. Overall, by writing this report I gained some researching benefit s. One is that I am more aware of what is happening to endangered species. Another is that I know now that humans have a responsibility to protect our wildlife. I also gained confidence in myself. By writing this report, I have some experience in writing reports, and as a biology teacher, I will share this great information to my students, family and friends. REFERENCESAsghar Nawab & Syed Ainul Hussain, (2012), Prey selection by smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in response to the variation in fish abundance in Upper Gangetic Plains, India Feeroz M. M. , Aziz M. A & Thanchanga P. K, (2011). BREEDING ACTIVITIES OF Lutra perspicillata IN BANGLADES. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 28(A) 2011. http://www. otterspecialistgroup. org/Bulletin/Volume28A/Feeroz_et_al_2011a. pdf Ferti D. , Jackson M. & Yin S. , (1994). Otters In Galveston Bay Waters. Galveston Bay Foundation. Vol. 6, Number 3. Goldthorpe, G. , Shepherd, C. , Hogg, S. and Leupen B. , (2010). Predation of water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) by smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in Peninsular Malaysia. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 27  (2): 78 – 84 Hartley R. , (2011). Animal facts: Smooth-coated otter. http://www. helium. om/items/2226524-smooth-coated-otter-lutrogale-perspicillata-vulnerable-otter-species-icun-red-list-fishing-otter Hussain, S. A. , de Silva, P. K. , Mostafa Feeroz, M. (2008). Lutrogale perspicillata. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009. 1. . IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Otters in Captivity Task Force. (2008). Minimum Husbandry Guidelines for Smooth-Coated Otters in Captivity. http://www. otterspecialistgroup. org/Library/TaskForces/OCT/Husbandry_Guidelines_for_Keeping_Smooth-Coated_Otters_in_Captivity_1st_Edition. pdf Khan W. A. et al. ,(2010). Status of Smooth Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata sindica) in Pakistan. Pakistan J. Zool. , vol. 42(6), pp. 817-824, 2010. Khan W. A. et al. 2009). A SURVEY OF SMOOTH COATED OTT ERS (Lutrogale perspicillata sindica) IN THE SINDH PROVINCE OF PAKISTAN. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 26(1) 2009 Kuhn, Rachel A. & Wilfried M. ,(2010). Comparative hair structure in the Lutrinae (Carnivora: Mustelidae) mammalia. Volume 74, Issue 3, Pages 291–303, ISSN (Online) 1864-1547, ISSN (Print) 0025-1461, DOI: 10. 1515/mamm. 2010. 039,August 2010 Lariviere S. & Hwang Y. T. ,(2005). Mammalian Species : Lutrogale perspicillata. American Society of Mammalogists Muhammad Rais et al. ,(2009). Recent Records of Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) from Sindh, Pakistan* Pakistan J. Zool. , vol. 41(5), pp. 13-414, 2009 http://zsp. com. pk/pdf1/413-428%20(11). pdf Ogamba E. N. & Abowei J. F. N. ,(2012). Some Predatory Fishes, Birds, Mammals and Some Other Animals in Culture Fisheries Management. International Journal of Fishes and Aquatic Sciences 1(1): 16-34, 2012 ISSN: 2049-8411; e-ISSN: 2049-842X  © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2012 Otters. (2005). A SeaWorld E ducation Department Publication Pillay R. ,(2009). Observations of small carnivores in the southern Western Ghats, India. Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 40: 36–40, April Saunders D. A. ,(1988). Adirondack Mammals. State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 16pp. http://www. esf. edu/aec/adks/mammals/otter. htm Shenoy K. ,( 2003). `Against the Current` :Otters in the River Cauvery, Karnataka, Occasional Report No. 11. Otter Research Group Japan. Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi. Pp Shenoy K. , Varma S. & Devi Prasad K. V. ,(2006), Factors determining habitat choice of the smooth-coated otter, Lutra perspicillata in a South Indian river system. CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 91, NO. 5, 10 SEPTEMBER 2006 Singh A. K. , (2011), Smooth Coated Otters of Cauvery River : â€Å" Ambassadors of wetlands Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation†. http://mmhillswildlife. blogspot. com/p/cauvery-otter. html Smith J. R. ,(2008).

SWOT analysis of IKEA The WritePass Journal

SWOT analysis of IKEA Introduction SWOT analysis of IKEA IntroductionReferences:Related Introduction The following essay is a critical analysis of two of Gareth Morgan’s metaphors in relation to a real organization that, over the course of the organization existence and expansion, has in some way applied these two metaphors for attaining success and sustainability. The metaphors that will be discussed for this study are the image of an organization as an organism, and an organization as a culture. The organization studied in relation to these metaphors is IKEA, the home furniture retailer. Relevant examples within the organization evolutionary process will be given where necessary to illustrate the significance of the metaphors in question. It is, however, vital to learn the organization background to delve any further. IKEA prides itself to be the most successful and largest furniture retailer in the world, and boasts provision of everything and anything for a home, having products suited for people of all ages, and all this at low prices. The company promises excellent value for money spent with all of their products designed with an emphasis on natural colours to bring a light and airy atmosphere within a home. This concept is based purely on IKEA’s Swedish origins, where people pride themselves in living in harmony with nature with simple home designs which offer maximum efficiency in all weathers (iamaceo.com/marketing/ikea-brand-success-strategy/). IKEA’s vision, â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people† is reportedly largely aimed at the global middleclass which is also evident from their business idea, â€Å"to offer a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them† (ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html). To achieve this global mission, IKEA is well known for having a rapid internationalisation process from its Swedish origins and its rapid expansion into countries with cultures very different from its original Swedish national culture (Hollensen, 2007). With 265 stores worldwide, where 235 are owned by the IKEA group while the remaining 30 by franchisees outside the group; the extent of IKEA’s expansion is obvious (IKEA, 2007). Although owned by franchisees in some countries, the IKEA concept and trademark are solely owned by Inter IKEA Systems B.V in Netherlands. This means Inter IKEA Systems B.V is the franchiser for all IKEA stores within or outside of the IKEA group, ensuring uniformity of corporate values right from the centre (IKEA, 2007). Having looked into the organisation’s background, it is now important to study Morgan’s metaphors, which can then be applied to the organisation. Firstly, Morgan suggests that organisation theorists, after decades of comparing organisations as mechanistic entities, have moved to the biological sciences for more apt comparisons, where individuals, groups, organisations, populations or species of organisations, and their social ecology are paralleled with molecules, cells, complex organisms, species and ecology (Morgan, 2006, pg 34). The idea derived from drawing such comparisons is that certain species of organisation are adapted to certain external conditions just as certain species of organisms are to certain environments (Morgan, 2006, pg 33). Such metaphoric views have changed the classical mechanistic focus on efficiency, and structure to the basic element of survival with more emphasis on the organisation-environment relationship (Morgan, 2006; 1998). This can be f urther complimented with modern environmental analysis methods like SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and PEST (political, economical, sociological and technological) analyses, that have been developed solely for comparing an organisation’s internal abilities to the external factors that may or are affecting its survival and performance in that environment (Johnson et al, 2008; Kotler, 2003). Within the metaphor of an organisation as a living organism, Morgan introduces certain characteristics like the open systems approach, adaptability to the environment (contingency theories), different species of organisation etc (2006; 1998), but this essay will mainly look into the organisation as an open system, and its adaptability to the external environment. The open system approach is based on the theory that organic systems at the cell level, as complex organisms, and as part of a population of organisms, exist in constant interaction with their environment, and this interaction is vital for the very survival and sustainability of the organism. A similar approach can be applied to an organisation, where individuals, groups, and the complex organisation are in constant interaction with their market environment for survival (Morgan, 2006; 1998; Dowling et al, 2008; Johnson et al, 2008). In support of the open systems approach Morgan discusses the law of requisite variety according to which, the internal regulatory/functioning mechanisms of a system must be at least as diverse as its environment in order to deal with the variety and challenge posed by the environment (Morgan, 2006; 1998; Watson, 2002). This brings us to the challenge of adapting internal characteristics to the external environment, also called ‘contingency theories by Morgan (2006), where he argues that all organisational systems are open systems in relation to the environments they operate in, and careful management is needed to â€Å"satisfy and balance internal needs and to adapt to environmental circumstances† (Morgan, 2006, pg 42). This approach assumes that the environment dictates the changes within the organisation, and that managers employing different approaches to management, must continuously strive to bring about a strategic fit between internal and external factors (Morgan, 2006; Johnson et al, 2008). This is especially applicable to multinational organisations that have to constantly adapt themselves to local conditions, whilst still working towards the original corporate objectives. Dowling et al (2008) summarise this by saying, â€Å"the International Organisation will be called on to operate across a wide variety of competitive environments and yet somehow balance these diverse social, political and economic contexts with the requirements of the original home context.† (Pg 25) IKEA has been one of those international organisations that have had to constantly adapt to the different environments where it operates. The company had initially employed an ethnocentric approach of management where only Swedes were recruited for management positions so as to ensure the original ‘Swedishness’ of the organisation. But this approach eventually met with criticism and a temporary setback in IKEA’s overseas operations, where the organisation was faced with the task of revising its overseas recruitment policies in order to meet the demands of local cultures and employment laws (Kling and Goteman, 2003; Kochan et al, 2002). According to Bjork (1998), every time IKEA was faced with a struggle due to internationalisation, new cultural management policies would be implemented, the latest being Diversity Management. IKEA has had to rapidly transform itself from an ethnocentric corporation to an organisation that embraces people of all backgrounds, and has in many communiquà ©s expressed the importance of having a culturally diverse workforce in order to obtain competitive advantage on the global scene. This is evident from the organisation’s recruitment websites in various countries, where emphasis is given for potential employees to ‘be themselves’, but at the same time adhere to shared corporate values such as ‘simplicity’, ‘cost-consciousness’, ‘hard work’ etc, but almost all of the websites show a picture of a man and woman of Scandinavian origin (see case, also Bjork, 1998). This has created a paradox within the IKEA Group’s core values, where there is still a strong emphasis on the company’s Scandinavian background. This is found more on the websites of stores directly owned by the IKEA Group, whereas the stores owne d by outside franchisees are more receptive to their local environments. IKEA in Dubai, UAE, for example, is franchised by Al Futtaim Group, which acts as the main recruiting agency for the company. Since its opening in 1991, the Dubai franchise has been a major success story in terms of recruitment and organisational performance, which led to its expansion into neighbouring Abu Dhabi. (ikeadubai.com/content/careers.asp afuturewithus.com/careers/al-futtaim/home.aspx). The above, if studied in context with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, would suggest that IKEA was more or less forced to employ external organisations, like in the case of Dubai, for its local recruitment procedures, as Middle Eastern cultures pose stronger environments due to rigidity in peoples’ cultural and traditional preferences, requiring the organisation to recruit local personnel to manage local workforce and operations (Hofstede, 1997; Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1998). This may not be largely applicable in western operations, as again according to Hofstede, western cultures are weaker and more flexible to adapt, creating flexible environments in which to operate, thus not requiring external agencies for local operations, and IKEA may even get away with having its Scandinavian focused marketing efforts in such environments (1997; Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1998), and moreover, ‘brand’ culture is more prevalent in the west than in the Middl e East (Kotler et al, 2006). It can thus be asserted that in the case of the Middle East, the environment dictates the changes within the organisation in accordance to Morgan’s adaptability theory (2006), whilst in the west; the organisation may have more of an influence on the external environment due to the power of the brand upon consumers’ psych, which is in contradiction with Morgan’s theory of the environment being the dominant party. The above clearly shows IKEA’s existence in accordance with Morgan’s organism metaphor due to the organisation’s focus to change its internal capabilities to match with the external environmental factors. The company seems on the right track by employing external agencies with more local knowledge to manage local operations exhibiting need for change, and to tap into local talent, which may also prove less expensive when compared to its Scandinavian counterparts (Keeley, 2003), especially where the environment seems the dominant force. The organisation as a culture metaphor is slightly intertwined with the above concept of the organism, where the organism metaphor refers to a series of internal changes within the organisation to fit with external changes, the culture metaphor refers to a change in the very behaviour of the organisation through a change in its corporate culture (Morgan, 2006). Corporate or organisational culture, as defined by Schein (2004) is, â€Å"A pattern of shared assumptions a group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you think, perceive, and feel in relation to those problems† (Pg 17) In other words, the methods the organisation uses to bring about the internal changes to align with the environment are expressed in the form of culture. Schein (2004) puts the definition in simpler words by saying, â€Å"it’s the way we do things around here†. But since organisations are made up of groups and individuals, where each individual brings in their own personality and characteristics to a group, based on their own cultural mental programming (Hofstede, 1997) in the society, the organisational culture then becomes a culmination of different cultures and perspectives brought in by the external society. This brings us to the assumption that organisational culture is largely affected by societal and national cultures (hofstede, 1997; Morgan, 2006). In light of the above discussion on the changes IKEA was forced to bring about for its international operations, it may now be significant to learn about the company’s corporate culture. IKEA’s corporate culture is based on the concept of shared values, some of which, as the organisation proclaims, are togetherness, cost-consciousness, respect, and simplicity. These values project a very democratic form of leadership where considerable freedom is given to employees to contribute to the company’s success. IKEA claims to treat all employees, no matter what rank they carry, as partners in the business. The company also boasts no restrictions upon employees in using their own initiatives and offers full support to meet each individual’s needs, ambitions and capabilities. But perhaps the most important proclamation is that â€Å"you can take IKEA out of Smaland but you can’t take Smaland out of IKEA†. Smaland being the village in Sweden where the founder Ingvar Kamprad was born and raised, and also the place to which IKEA attributes its qualities like humility, simplicity and hard work. (ikea.com/ms/en_US/jobs/join_us/ikea_values/index.html) This clearly indicates IKEA’s attachment to its roots in spite of its internationalisation. This also suggests that the core-culture of IKEA, especially where individual branches are directly owned by the IKEA group, is quite rigid and is aimed at promoting its Swedish culture to the rest of the world rather than incorporating the different local cultures that it operates in, but where the branches are owned by franchises in places or countries with strong national cultures, IKEA has had to change its internal culture to align with the national culture(s). Hence the organisation can be seen as a culture due to the fact that, like in the case of IKEA, it has a set of values and beliefs and methods of doing things that are shared and expressed, and taught to new comers as the right way to go, where these values and beliefs and expressions are largely influenced by the individuals and their own perceptions, which are then shared by a group, and are extended to the whole organisation (Morgan, 2006; Schein, 2004; Mullins, 2003; Robbins, 2001). This is especially evident in the case of IKEA, where the dominant cultural element initially has been the Scandinavian focus, as the organisational structure was largely made of Scandinavian personnel and the culture was passed on to new recruits. But due to the company’s aim of expanding worldwide, they have had no choice but to change this internal cultural focus to incorporate other cultures to make up a core organisational culture based on Scandinavian principles rather than personnel, but a culture that embraces differences in local operations, hence creating flexibility. After studying the two metaphors, the writer is inclined to the assumption that both these metaphors deal with the same element of changing the internal to align with the external. It may be plausible to think that a distinction between the two may not even be necessary, because, if an organisation changes its internal operations, at some level, it is ultimately engaging in changing some aspect of its behaviour, which suggests change in culture. So the main critique for Morgan may be that he has introduced too many divisions of metaphors when they are all intertwined in some respects with each other. References: DuPraw, M., Axner, M. (1993). Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges. Alexandria, VA: Public Broadcasting System Hammer, M.R., Hart, W. And Rogan, R. (1998) ‘Can You Go Home Again? An Analysis of the Repatriation of Corporate Managers and Spouses’, Management International Review, 38(1): 67-79 Hendry, C. (1994) Human Resource Strategies for International Growth. Routledge: London Hickson, D., McMillan, C., Azumi, K. And Horvath, D.   (1979). ‘Grounds for Comparative Organisation Theory: Quicksands or Hardcore?’ in Lammers, C. And Hickson, D. (eds) Organisations Alike and Unlike, Routledge and Kegan Paul Hofstede, G. (1997). Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind. McGraw Hill, London Hollensen, S. 2007. IKEA: Expanding through franchising to the South American market? Case Study III.1, Global Marketing A decision-oriented approach, 4 ed. Essex, England: Financial Times Press IKEA. 2007. Facts Figures, IKEA Group 2007: Corporate PR, IKEA Services AB Johnson, G. Scholes, K. Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th Edition. England: Pearson Education Ltd Keeley, T.D. (2003). International Human Resource Management in Japanese Firms. Palgrave, London Kerr, C., Dunlop, J.T., Harbison, F. And Myers, C.A. (1973). Industrialism and Industrial Man. Penguin, USA Kling, K., Goteman, I. 2003. IKEA CEO Anders Dahlvig on international growth and IKEAs unique corporate culture and brand identity. The Academy of Management Executive, 17(1): 31-37 Kochan, T., Bezrukova, K., Ely, R., Jackson, S., Joshi, A., Jehn, K., Leonard, J., Levine, D., Thomas, D. 2002. The Effect of Diversity on Business Performance:: Diversity Research Network Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Insights. John Wiley Sons, Inc: New Jersey Kotler, P., Pfoertsch, W. (2006). B2B Brand Management. Springer-Berlin: Germany Larkey, L.J. (1996). â€Å"Toward a theory of communicative interactions in culturally diverse workgroups†, Academy of Management Review, 21:463-91 Milliman, J., Von Glinow, M. And Nathan, B. (1991) ‘Organisational Life Cycles and Strategic International Human Resource Management in Multinational Companies: Implications for Congruence Theory’, Academy of Management Review, 16: 318-39 Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organisation. Sage: London Morgan, G. (1998) Images of Organisation. Sage Publications, London Mullins, L.J. (2003). Management and Organisational Behaviour. Pitman Publishing, London Neuliep, J.W. (2008). Intercultural Communication: a contextual approach. Sage Publications, USA Robbins. S.P. (2001) Organisational Behaviour. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, Pearson Education International Rollinson, D. (2005). Organisational Behaviour and Analysis. 3rd edition. Pearson, England Schein, E.H. (2004). Organisational Culture and Leadership. 3rd edition. John-Wiley, San Francisco Schuler, R.S., Budhwar, P.S. and Florkowski, G.W. (2002) ‘International Human Resource Management: Review and Critique’, International Journal of Management Reviews, 4(1): 41-70 Scullion, H. (2001) ‘International Human Resource Management’, Human Resource Management. International Thompson: London Scullion, H. And Linehan, M. (2005). International Human Resource Management. Palgrave-Macmillan, New York Torbiorn, I. (1997) ‘Staffing for International Operations’, Human Resource Management Journal, 7(3): 42-51 Trompenaars, F., and Hampden-Turner, C. (1998) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business. 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill: New York Watson, C.V. (2002). Multiculturalism. Open University Press, Philadelphia Online Resources: Iamaceo (2011) â€Å"IKEA brand success strategy† iamaceo.com/marketing/ikea-brand-success-strategy/ Assessed on the 23rd of February 2011 IKEA (2011) â€Å"Student Information† ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html Assessed on the 24th of February 2011 IKEA Dubai (2011) â€Å"Jobs at IKEA† ikeadubai.com/content/careers.asp Assessed on the 25th of February 2011 A future with us (2011) â€Å"Jobs at IKEA† afuturewithus.com/careers/al-futtaim/home.aspx Assessed on the 25th of February 2011 IKEA (2011) â€Å"Join us† ikea.com/ms/en_US/jobs/join_us/ikea_values/index.html Assessed on the 26th of February 2011

Warren G Hardings Mysterious death essays

Warren G Hardings Mysterious death essays Warren G. Harding was born on November 2, 1865, on a farm near Blooming grove, Ohio. Harding wasnt always into politics. He started in teaching and selling insurance before becoming a lawyer. In 1884 Harding borrowed three hundred dollars to buy a struggling newspaper, the Marion Ohio Star. (Anthony, Carl. American Heritage pg. 2) He was editor and business manager. Under his guidance the paper began to prosper. Harding got to know local community leaders and political bosses. Hardings life took a dramatic change when he In 1891, Harding married her. Since Florence Harding was the daughter of the richest man in Marion, she was able to pull some strings making him an important figure in the community. Because of his wives urging he decided to embark upon a political career. He was soon elected to the state senate in 1900 and also became lieutenant governor in 1903.(Anthony, Carl. American Heritage pg. 4) After he lost an election for governor in 1910 he was soon going to meet the next important person in his life. He soon met Harry M. Daughterty, a lobbyist and political strategist. Along with Mrs. Harding , the two worked as a team to boast Hardings political career. Finally in 1914 with Daughterty as his campaign manager, Harding successfully ran for a seat in the United Sates Senate.(Groiler Online - American Presidency pg. 3) Although he was against high taxes and federal regulation of business, Harding made no memorable speeches in the senate nor did he sponsor any important legislation. He spent a good deal of his time seeking government jobs for his friends, soon known as the Ohio Gang. Early in 1920, when Republicans began to seek a presidential candidate Hardings name was brought up a couple of times. Harding didnt want such recognition. All he wanted was to remain in the senate, where he was enjoying himself. But, like before, his ambitious...

Management & Budgetary Control and the Beyond Budgeting debate Essay - 1

Management & Budgetary Control and the Beyond Budgeting debate - Essay Example Various advantages can come up from incorporating beyond budgeting technique in an organization. One of these is the fact that people get to improve in their creativity in the business market. Beyond budgeting requires the involved individuals or rather company members to provide plans that would lead to the production of a new commodity (Blyth 68). New commodities require a lot of attention because many people are keen on the details of the commodity in order to assess whether it can act as a substitute product. This thus offers companies opportunities to become market leaders in some fields (Martin and Hau 47). The fact that competition is a contemporary issue in the marketing sector is another factor to understand. Businesses have developed over time where they are required to attain certain market characteristics in order to retain or rather earn a certain position in an industry. These companies thus compete to attain these characteristics faster than their rivals in order to attract more companies. This strategy works effectively and is a result of beyond buying (Henry 64) There are various disadvantages however that come along with the beyond budgeting technique. The major disadvantage is that the companies risk losing their customers. The reason for this is indirect though (Fleisher 78). When companies engage in beyond budgeting, they take up activities that seek to prove that they are superior to the rival company. This normally has the effect of the companies not paying attention to the actual requirements of the customers but rather work while reviewing the performance of the other companies to identify its market position. The normal result of this is the depreciation of the commodities produced by the companies (Gregory 32). There is also the issue of unhealthy competition. Unhealthy competition happens when two industries within a

Customer relations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Customer relations - Coursework Example Currently, evaluating HSBC operations in not only at its country of origin but also globally at this bank has established approximately 7,000 centers in 81 states, which is a tremendous transformation (Bentahar, 2013). However, HSBC despite reputed with the use of intricate and up to date technological knowhow, it ought to devise effective strategies towards maintaining high aggressive edge in the market. 1. CRM Platform at HSBC based on the Actors-Strategy and Tools HSBC’s platform comprises of segmentation approach evident from varied categories of clientele. These embrace both local and global customers whereby each category has varying distinct subcategories based on their respective needs like Premier group, which the bank has ensured a specialized team with an executive to cater for their varied financial needs. Mainly, this mode of segmentation is to ensure the bank avails effective and appropriate services to clients based on their needs. Hence, get feedback and act on it promptly, which is an essential strategy in every global firm aspiring to thrive in a competitive market. Mainly, diverse segmentations usually grant the bank an elevated platform whereby it is capable of knowing exactly clientele needs, hence use current technological knowhow as a tool in acting promptly. ... 2. Service/Sale Profile that fits with HSBC Where, ERP - Enterprise resource planning ODS – Operational Data Store CIF – Cost Insurance and Fleight 3. Recommendations meant to enhance CRM quality at HSBC HSBC in its quest to maintain high aggressive edge in the market, it ought to embrace fully current technology in all its aspects. These encompass initiating instant communication, which will enable clients irrespective of their locations globally interact with departments or bank’s sections of their interests. This is especially to make consultations and inquiries concerning varied issues pertaining to services offered by HSBC (Bentahar, 2013). Hence, act as a one-stop-shop whereby customers are capable of managing their finances as well as other services like insurances wherever they are instead of allocating time meant for physically visiting varied branches globally. I would also suggest the Bank to increase numerous and varied options for its clients. This i s because people have varied and numerous preferences when it comes to banking or managing their respective wealth. Because this will make HSBC be in a better position to beat all other players in the market by offering their respective clients more flexibility than other banks. Some options that may be appropriate to clients in availing adequate flexibility embrace, payment methods, delivery of parcels, online money transfers at considerable costs, and receiving of financial statements at predetermined intervals suggested by clients. Hence, prompt HSBC focus its attention in fulfilling clientele’s interests, which not only contribute to high customers’ retention rate but also attract others who may be seeking similar services. In addition, HSBC after implementing CRM