Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Critical Thinking Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical Thinking Blog - Essay Example However, they do not indicate the start number of the cancer patients. The high percentage indicating the increase to some extent inflicts fears on people wondering if they are next. Health statistics can sometimes be misleading. So the question bugging everyone at the end of the day is what is the true meaning of the numbers presented in the research? Yes, it may be true that the number of cancer patients is likely to have increased since it was first discovered as would be expected. However, it would be effective if people actually knew how much this 30 percent increase actually is. The minute one hears about cancer, they are bound to associate it with death simply because of the thousands of lives lost over the years to the disease (Blastland, 2008). In conclusion, at the end of the day, as much as the numbers presented in the media and news may be misleading, it should however not be a reason for one to ignore them. The exaggeration may be a way for the media to gain some effect in the public and get people to reconsider their way of living. It is not bound to work on everyone, but the little impact it has is enough difference (Blastland,

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Companys Resources And Competitive Position

Companys Resources And Competitive Position In Dubai, the Jumeirah groups present portfolio includes many multi-hotel complexes such as Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort Spa, Mandinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Club Resort Spa, Jumeirah Emirates Towers and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. At the same time, it is also negotiating to operate new resorts and hotel contracts in big cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Milan and Beijing. The company is operating in order to achieve its vision that to become a world class international hospitality and hotel company and also committed to being the leader of the industry in all operating activities through the process of dedication to their colleagues and customers (About Jumeirah Group). The Jumeirah group also has been a member of Dubai Holding since the duration of year 2004 under the leadership of CEO Gerald Lawless. The companys achievement can be estimated by the data that in the year of 2006, the revenues were recorded more than $1 billion (About Jumeirah Group). The project would help us to analysis a companys resources and its competitive position in the world. This will aim to get deep understanding of its current strategy and to create a strategy which would be more effective as per the current scenario. This would be helpful to gain insights about the flaws and their solutions of the company as per the current scenario and current strategy. The study would analysis strength, weakness, opportunities and threats and eventually the proposed alternative can be adopted to enhance the current situation of the company. Company Background: The Jumeirah group was founded in Dubai in the year of 1997, owned by ruling Al Maktoum family with the Gerald Lawless, with an aim of becoming a global hospitality leader. After ten years of development the company has been realized with the groups portfolio that has been regarded as among the most innovative and luxurious globally (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). The brand of the Jumeirah group can be summarized as A global brand having name synonyms of Luxury. A brand having professional team of experts and professionals having wide experience in entire aspects of hotel management that handles the functions from development phase to the daily operations. A strong distribution system with the help of more than ten sales offices in major locations of the world. A strong emphasis on an adapting approach to the owner (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). The Jumeirah branched from the strength of Dubais ruling Maktoum family in order to develop the UAE member into one of the regions as well as in the worlds top tourism destinations. In the early period of the year 1990s, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum commissioned a new project for the hotel which was supposed to build on land that reclaimed from the sea in the Dubai port, called the Burj Al Arab (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). However the first three year of the project were held in the land reclamation phase that lead to the launched of the construction by the year 1997. At the same time, Al Maktoum joined with the Gerald Lawless who was an Irish native had more than twenty year of work experience in the hotel industry and had fifteen year of experience as a head of the Forte hotel group in Dubai only. After join with the Lawless, Al Maktoum had begun to start others hotel projects for the wide market of Dubai such as Jumeirah Beach Hotel. In addition to the hotels and restaura nts, Maktoum developed Water Park and theme park also (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). Hallmarks: The companys vision is to become a world class luxury international hotel management company that committed to the industry leader in all the operational activities through the medium of the dedication to colleagues, customers, stake holders, owners and business partners (Jumeirah Guiding Principles Vision). The companys Hallmarks considered as the reason of their success in the past as well as guidelines for the future. The Hallmarks are seems to reflects in design of inspiration and would remain in the core of operating philosophy along with the new adopted philosophy of Stay Different. In Jumeirah culture their guiding principles plays a major role which are supposed to be consider as foundation of the business and strength of their culture (Jumeirah Guiding Principles Vision). They are: Integrity :Honesty and Sincerity Teamwork: win-win attitude and mutual support Recognition: Success are supported and recognized Innovation: Implementation of new ideas Continuous Growth: Positive Environment People Focus: Focus on individual as colleagues, business associates and customers. Stay Different : provides unique experience to the customers (Jumeirah Guiding Principles Vision) Strategic Objective: The Jumeirah group strategic objective is to fulfill their vision and mission through the commitment of resources to learning and innovation. Through the Business Management System the company is delivering benefits to the business partners, customers, colleagues, society and owners by developing mutually beneficial relationships, listening and building loyalty. In order to fulfill the companys vision, the Jumeirah strategic approach is summarized in the four key components. They are Engaging stake holders in order to understand their expectations so that they can be fulfilled or expanded and value can be added. Managing key factors of the social, environmental and economical aspects like their risk, opportunity and their impacts. Embedding responsible business practices and standards in the business daily operations and activities. Reporting back to the stakeholder about the progress and development of the company. With the implementation of the above four key strategies the company is trying to be expanding and delivering services all over the world. The company is focusing on current strategy in order to fulfill their objective. The companys current strategies inclusive of global expansion, Stay different, provide unique and different services, value to stake holders, provide luxury and comfort to the customers and implementing the process of learning and innovation (Jumeirah Guiding Principles Vision). Project Undertaken/ Completed: The following are the list of projects which are undertaken or completed under the Jumeirah group are: S. no Name Specification Location Burj Al Arab Hotel Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah Beach Hotel Hotel Dubai (Middle East) Madinath Jumeirah Three Hotels Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotel buzzing bazaar Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah Creekside Hotel Hotel(opening summer in 2012) Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Spa, Shopping boulevard, Club and Lounge Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residence Residence Dubai (Middle East) Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Hotel Abu Dhabi (Middle East) Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel Spa (opening spring 2012) Kuwait (Middle East) Jumeirah Essex House Residence New York (America) Jumeirah Carlton Tower Spa, Club, Hotel Resort London( Europe) Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel Hotel London( Europe) Jumeirah Frankfurt Residence Germany (Europe) Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel and Spa (opening spring 2012 Mallorca Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel Hotel (opening spring 2012) Europe Grosvenor House Apartments Residence London Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto Hotel Rome Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Hotel Shangai (Asia pacific) Jumeirah Dhevanafushi Island Resort Maldives(Asia pacific) Jumeirah Vittavel Five star family deluxe resort Maldives(Asia pacific) Wild Wadi waterpark Waterpark Dubai (Middle East) Talisa Spa Middle East Academy of Excellence Education Dubai( Middle East) (Jumeirah Hotels Resorts) Analyzing Current Scenario of Hospitality Industry in the UAE: During the past decade, the UAE has witnessed with the rapid growth and changes in terms of socio-economic and demographic factors. The regions economy are not perceived as oil and gas exporter but also as major investment destinations due to growing hospitality and tourism sector as well as large scale infrastructure projects. At the same time, the expansion of the Middle East is greatly contributing in the tourism receipt in the Gulf Council Corporation countries. In current situation, the region remains an attractive destination for tourists as well as for the investors for medium to long term returns. The Jumeriah group has provided tremendous growth in the hospitality sector in Dubai and globally also. The study aims to evaluate a companys resources and its competitive position in the world. This analysis will be undertaken by the following described process: Value Chain Analysis Michael Porters five force Model SWOT Analysis Benchmarking Competitive Strength Assessment After analyzing on the above aspects, we will be able to determine competitive position in the world as well as would be able to create a strategy in terms of its position. Value Chain Analysis: The value chain approach was developed for creating and sustaining superior performance in the market. The value added concept is utilized by Jumeirah Group for sustaining competitive advantage in the arena of 21st century. The organization comprises of activities that associate together in order to enhance business value. These activities include inbound logistics, operations such as purchasing, manufacturing, financing, distribution etc. The central aim of Jumeirah Group to adopt this value chain approach is exploiting value creation with minimum possible costs (Jumeirah Group, 2008). http://bettyfeng.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/a-value-chain-analysis1.jpg Source: http://bettyfeng.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/a-value-chain-analysis1.jpg By adopting the concept of value chain analysis, Jumeirah managers identify the key activities within their group and provide potential sustainable advantages to the company. In Jumeirah Company, the value chain analysis starts with the initial stage such as inbound logistics. At this stage, planning is performed for plant scheduling, plant capacity, estimate time for fulfilling objectives. After this stage the next step is operations under which company emphasized on the quality of services, customers expectations, fulfilling orders and customer visit operations. The main theme of Jumeirah Group is to enhance and implement their core services in such a way so that can meet the customers expectations and create positive and sustainable brand image in their eyes. The company more emphasized on the development of innovative programs, current strategies and their Research and Development programs in order to support business by facilitating new openings and high quality services to their customers (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Jumeirah Group incorporates value chain for synchronizing the flow of business operations from input to the delivery of benefits given to the customers. This flow comprises of inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales operations and at the end gets feed back from customers and resolve problems if there is any (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Benchmarking: Benchmarking is the process of analyzing the internal processes of organization and then identify and adapting the practices from other organization in order to considered being best for the organization. This process comprises of five stages such as operation, identification of assess, development of several alternatives, define that alternatives and at the end implementation of that alternatives. Benchmarking is the systematic tool for identifying and implementing best possible practices in the organization so that it can enhance their operations and human assets as per the todays need. In this competitive arena for sustaining in market, it is mandatory to implement benchmarking in the organization (Jumeirah Group, 2008). http://pipdev.com/content/images/wheel/RouteDiag.png Source: http://pipdev.com/content/images/wheel/RouteDiag.png Jumeirah Group has been designed this exercise for enlighten participation of organization in order to achieve outstanding results. Jumeirah Group and other organizations such as Dubai Ports World, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, are aimed to explore best methods and practices for enhancing Human Resource Management in the view of planning, empowering, training and recognizing human efforts. It is also aimed to identify the gaps between the adopted approaches and the enhancement of improvement plans so that can analyze the effects of adopted approach in the organization. This approach develops new ideas that acts significant role in the formation of future strategic plans (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Five Force Model and Analysis: The Michael Porters five force Model articulates the Competitive position modal which describes the industry analysis and business strategy development for evaluating the competitive strength and position of any business organization or Entity. This model used to analyze the market attractiveness of the industry and competition. Porters develop the five force model to analyze to these five forces to analyze the industrial competition (porters five forces model, 2009). Five force model of Porters- https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpOhNlVLHvAlU9rBrqio3tAuGuxiUmcpUp9whUsYRAIQLuqusTVRpvzemGHNpi9cAPlIhLhp4n8hmipg5knhDCxwBlZ0Wg7SBLZW9SzVr0LNK1fE7olp-kbUksv-hiHVGGIRxVqp-nNd4/ Threat of new competition. Threat of substitute products or services. Bargaining power of customers (buyers). Bargaining power of suppliers. Intensity of competitive rivalry. Threat of new competition: This step articulates the competition in the market, new entrants, brand equity, sunk cost, customer loyalty and industrial profitability in the market for the existing industry which can be challenging for the firm. Barriers to new entry- Customer switching cost Distribution channel Government Policies Economies of scales. 2. Threat of substitute products or services- Entry of substitute product in the market may increase the possibilities to the switching towards the new product it can be challenging for the existing product. Barriers of the substitute product or services- Substitute product price and performance over the existing product. Switching cost of buyer. Quality depreciation Product differentiation. 3. Bargaining power of buyers: Bargaining power of the buyer may be challenging factor for the existing industry or firm such as- Purchasing power of the buyer. Byers face new switching costs. Prices sensitivity of buyer. Buyers are concentrated Industrial product diversity. 4. Bargaining power of suppliers: Suppliers for any particular firm like supplies of raw material, components and labors can switch the firms due to the bargaining power scubas- Buyers is not the customer to the. Distribution channels. Supplier concentration Supplier switching cost. Supplier completion to the other firms. Intensity of competitive rivalry- Competitive rivalry can be the challenging factor for the existing firm some factors are- Different competitive strategies Promotional tools Competitive advantage to the other industries. From the Porters five force model we analyze the Jumeirah group world class portfolio of resorts and hotels (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). Threat of new competition- As we analyze the competitors of the Jumeirah Group these are the competitors of the Jumeirah Group- Hyatt Hotels Corporation Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Inc. Four seasons Holdings Inc. Jumeirah Group has the partnership with the UAE government, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in association with Tanmia (The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority 2) Threat of substitute products or services- Jumeirah Group has a strong product and services portfolio in the luxury hospitality sector including world class hotels and resorts. In the hotels and resorts category the products of Jumeirah- Burj Al Arab Jumeirah Beach Hotels Jumeirah emirates tower Jumeirah Zabeel Sara.y Pera palace Hotel. In the services sectors- Includes of services of Jumeirah Living Jumeirah Restaurants, Wild Wadi Waterpark, Talise and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality management. Jumeirah group is offering the best services and performance over its competitors. They have brand loyalty and offering the qualitative services to its customers and Jumeirah group have different product strategies to compete with the competitors 3) Bargaining power of customers (buyers)- Jumeirah groups customers can be classified on the bases of several categories- hotel guest, clients, bulk room purchaser, customers book room for events and conferences and partner such as tour operators and airlines. Jumeirah Group has strong commitment towards its customer. Customer value feedback for the Jumeirah group is- Personalized products and services delivering high quality. Favorable impact on the community. Group offers the customer health, safety and security services. Customer privacy and information security service. Customer satisfaction result of the Jumeirah group is for the year 2008 is 81.265 which show the customer loyalty to the group over its competitors. 4) Bargaining power of suppliers- As we analyze the supplier chain of the Jumeirah group has strong corporate buying policies with its suppliers provision of high quality and good products and services. The Group follows the principles- Stability in the dealings with the suppliers Provide equal and same opportunities to the all suppliers Consistent delivery of services such as health, safety and legal aspects. Transparency in the system. Best distribution channels such as advertising for its services offering. Intensity of competitive rivalry- Jumeirah Group has the different competitive strategies over its competitors. They promote their products and services by different promotional tools such as by advertising, Sales promotion and by the different occasion. SWOT Analysis: Dubai is the fast emerging player in the worldwide along with the China and South East Asia. Dubai attracts the attention of business and corporations across the world through its infrastructural art and cosmopolitan culture. Along with the real estates and financial sectors, petroleum and tourism, it is also known for its exotic resort and hotels. Jumeirah Group is the main player in the hotel and resort industry (Jumeirah Group, 2008). This group has certain strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which are as follows: Strength: The art of infrastructure with the surplus of international convention centers added value to the Jumeirah Group. The cosmopolitan culture in UAE gives rise to the Jumeirah Group in the hotel industry which becomes strength of this group. Crime rates are low in UAE as compared to the other nations which facilitate economic support and social support to the company. Middle East is the epicenter of trade that comprises of various standard businesses and corporations which gives hike to the hotel and resort industry. In Dubai, government has pro- active authorities that give aid to the company in order to control situations rather than just responding to it. Jumeirah Group has been linked with other nations in the world wide. Special travelling packages are the additional advantages to t he company. It offers several packages according to each living standard so that easily can be reach. Jumeirah Group is strategically placed in Dubai, which is situated between Asia and Europe while it is also closure to the Africa so there is probability that several tourists can rushed here which motivates hotel industry. This group works for the enhancement of their human resource by adopting various techniques in order to update their strategies and tools with the recent time. The Jumeirah Group diversified itself into various sectors such as academics, water parks, spa, residents etc which strengthen the company (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Weakness: In the year of 2010, Dubai is considered as the expensive city that lies at fifty five positions in the list of most costly cities. These days it is becoming extremely expensive in the terms of travelling, hospitality, hotels etc. which may affects the economy as well as businesses. In the recent time Dubai has undergone in the bubble crash of real estates because of the reason that there was a sudden drop in the investment being made in the sector and due to the lack of investments the real estate sector crashed. It affected economy and still it is on recovery mode. In the Middle East, the rate of crime is low in spite of that it had been noticed that there is an increase in sex and drug crimes and which got huge media publicity which influence the hotel industry. In Jumeirah Group, employees are working belongs to various nations that have there own culture sometimes this differences in culture affects the working of company (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Opportunities: Prospective economic development opportunities due to increase in prices of oil, this economic development leads to contribute remarkable benefits to the hospitality business. Further growth prospects in the tourism industry of UAE with 15 million foreign tourist visitors expected up to the year 2015 proves to be very helpful in the tourism business of Jumeirah group. Dubai is considered as the business and tourism hub of UAE and Middle East, it has high business growth prospects including geo political opportunities from the west and emerging authority from the east and ultimately helpful in providing good business opportunities to the Jumeriah group. Initiatives taken by UAE government towards the development of hospitality sector provides ample amount of opportunities to the Jumeirah group. Unique experience offer by the Jumeriah group in the form of ethnic heritage services pertaining to the hospitality leads to enhance the number of potential customers. UAE is the business hub of Middle East and hence various business tourists are prospective customers for the Jumeriah group. Various promotional schemes provided to the customers helps in the boosting of business of Jumeriah hotels. Enhanced brand image and brand equity for the augmented quality service deliverance to the customers helps in the further growth and expansion of the business of Jumeriah group. Jumeriah group provides a wide variety of cuisines including the Arab cuisines, Indo Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mughlai cuisines etc. to its customers which helps in increasing the profitability of the group. The augmented exteriors and interiors of the hotel in comparison to the competitors delight the customers and attract them to take the services of Jumeriah group again and again. Delivering the world class hospitality services at the affordable rate helps in increasing the number of local as well as foreign customers of the Jumeriah group (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Threats: The development of the various other cost effective and stirring competitive locations like Muscat, Kuwait City and Doha puts major barriers in the development of Jumeirah Group. Prague and Istanbul are the cities which offer effective cultural tourism along with the fabulous contemporary services at the best possible price and hence attract most of the business tourists globally. Due to political turbulence the business pertaining to the tourism and hotels affected a lot in some regions of UAE and ultimately affects the Jumeriah group in the region. Lack of proficient training and development to the human resource in the hotel industry act as a major barrier in the quality service deliverance of the group. Customer tastes and preferences and market trends pertaining to the hospitality industry changes dynamically and hence there is difficulty in the implementation of the latest trends frequently due to the limitation of cost and time. Increase in the number of guest houses act as hindrance in the development of hotel business. Various economical range hotels which provide the services at the cheapest rate are the major barriers in the developmental path of Jumeriah group (Jumeirah Group, 2008). Competitiveness of Jumeirahs Pricing Strategy: Jumeriah provides a wide range of services in the hospitality business which encompasses a wide array of activities for the customers inclusive of diving and photography. With respect to the pricing of the hospitality services, Jumeirah ensures that the prices are maintained at competitive levels in keeping with the current market standards for pricing of hospitality services. Then exact pricing of the hotels and resorts have not been disclosed by the organization but from the reports available, it can be deduced that Jumeriah has competitive pricing strategy for its services (Course Pricing). The pricing of the various courses offered by the organization are described as follows: Certification Courses AED e-Scuba Diver 1,450 e-Open Water Diver 1,850 e-Open Water Referral 1,000 e-Rescue Diver 1,850 Emergency First Response 700 Experience Programs AED Discover Scuba Diving Beach 325 Scuba Review (inc two o/w dives) 650 Scuba Review Pool Only 300 Bubble Maker (ages 8+) 275 Seal Team (ages 8+) 1,500 Master Seal Speciality Dives 275 Instructor Development Courses AED Dive master 3,000 Assistant Instructor 3,000 e-Open Water Scuba Instructor 4,000 PADI e-IDC 7,000 IDC Staff Instructor 2,500 Master Scuba Diver Trainer MSDT 2,500 Emergency First Response Instructor** 2,500 Speciality Courses AED Wreck Diver 1,400 e-Enrich Air Nitrox 700 Deep Diver 1,600 Peak Performance Buoyancy 700 Search and Recovery Diver 1,400 National Geographic Diver 1,200 Underwater Navigator 1,200 Digital Photographer 1,200 Oxygen Provider Courses 800 Night Diver 1,200 Musandam Courses AED e-Open Water Courses 2,550 e-Adventure in Diving 2,550 Source: (Course Pricing) These prices are in accordance with the industry standard for the pricing of these services which is indicative of the competitiveness of the pricing strategy of the organization. In terms of the costs incurred by the company in obtaining raw material and resources for their business units, they are able to source the requirements at competitive prices. Moreover they have undertaken efforts to minimize their operational costs by adopting green practices and this has enabled them to maintain their prices at adequate competitive levels (Course Pricing). Competitive Strength and Leverage of Jumeirah Group in comparison to its Rivals: Jumeirah is faced with adequate competition in the hospitality industry from major organizations that have provided competition on a global scale also. The main competitors of Jumeirah group are: Hyatt Hotels Corporation Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Inc. (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008) Four Seasons Holdings Inc. (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008) Jumeirah is able to manage the competition in the market adequately and this has been made possible due to the continuous adaptation of the company to the environmental changes and the incorporation of the technological advancements to provide a comprehensive set of services aimed completely at achieving consumer satisfaction. Jumeirah Group is credited with having some of the most complex and biggest projects in the hospitality industry which itself speaks about the high quality standards that the organization has assured in these facilities (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). The organization also has its projects in America, Europe and Asia Pacific. In these regions also, the company is able to successfully manage the competition by providing a wide range of consumer oriented services are competitive pricing. One of the main strategies of the organization has been to constantly upgrade themselves in terms of technical infrastructure and the aesthetic ambience in the facilities. It is this feature which has provided Jumeriah with a significant leverage even in the international hospitality market (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). The company has started pondering over the possibility of entering conservative foreign markets such as China as they have highly prospective business opportunities. Moreover their advanced technical infrastructural knowledge has enabled them to compete effectively even in new markets and their portfolio of globally acclaimed projects has enabled the creation of a strong brand image by means of which the organization is able to effectively reach out to the target consumer segments (Corporate Responsibility Report 2008). Strategic Issues and Challenges in the Achievement of Strategic Objectives: The achievement of strategic objectives is a challenging task and is easily affected by the presence of environmental cha

Friday, October 25, 2019

Flowers For Algernon :: essays research papers

â€Å"Flowers For Algernon† Report   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Flowers for Algernon† is about a man named Charlie Gordon who is mentally retarded. Charlie signs up for an experiment that is supposed to make him smarter. He wants to be like every one else. To do the experiment he has to keep a journal showing his progress. Charlie starts out spelling almost every word wrong. Charlie’s family and friends have all made fun of him; his parents gave him to his uncle when he was ten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The experiment starts to work and Charlie gets smarter and he starts realizing new things. Before the operation his imagination and his brain weren’t working that well. His imagination started to work for the first time when he got this operation. Now that he was smart, he could quit his old job of working as a janitor at a bakery and start working for the hospital full time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charlie soon becomes aware that his smartness may not stay forever, that he might lose his genius. He starts to research the experiment himself. He studies a little mouse named Algernon who they did the experiment on first. Charlie starts to become attached to the little white mouse. Together they are the smartest of their species. When Charlie and Algernon have to go Chicago for an interview, Charlie gets so frustrated at how all the scientists are talking as if before the operation Charlie wasn’t a real person. In his frustration he accidentally on purpose let Algernon go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The scientists freaked out and started looking for Algernon. They were in a huge building and most of the doors in the room they were in were open. Charlie was the first to find Algernon, and he put Algernon in his pocket and left the building. They went to the airport and flew home, leaving the scientists baffled as to where Algernon was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charlie worked hard trying to discover how long his smartness would last. While studying Algernon, he noticed that he was becoming more jumpy and that he would attack Charlie sometimes. Charlie wondered whether this was because of the experiment. Algernon got worse and he refused to do the mazes and to work. After a few weeks Algernon died. Tests showed that Algernon’s brain had started to shrink, causing him to die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charlie’s intelligence started to fall. Slowly he lost it all, from foreign languages to math equations to reading and writing.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Christian Places of Worship

————————————————- â€Å"Christian places of worship should be plain and simple? † Discuss. Ollie Gardner This debate is a very strong subject for certain people and religion. For example the Catholics think that it is right to show their appreciation of god by designing their places of worship with big stained glass windows, huge organs and a big bold altar etc. However the Protestants started out rebelling against the Catholics saying that you should not have to show your appreciation with money and gold but with commitment and feeling should be enough. No religion is right or wrong. Looking at the Protestant way of thinking about it that places of worship should be plain and simple. I can see many reasons why people do believe in this thought. One reason could be because they think that god does not have to be â€Å"bribed† or given these big expensive gifts to appreciate his followers and the people. That merely showing your commitment to him and well being should be enough to gain your love or that you already have his love. God in my point of view is not someone to judge someone by his or her wealth but by his or her actions. Meaning that wherever you worship in a church, at home in your bedroom, on the street in an alleyway with beer cans on the floor is good enough to show your respect and thanks. He does not think of you anymore by showing him and giving him gifts with great wealth. You might be quite poor and cannot afford to do anything quite so big and bold and might just want to do your own prayer at home or anywhere of your choice, which is still fine. On the other hand I can see why you would want to show your appreciation via: gifts, big services and god plated lecterns etc. It’s like on Valentines Day when you give you loved ones a present, card or gift of some point. I know the feeling of walking in to the Bath Abbey and being blown away by the remarkableness and memorising stain glassed windows that fill the room with colour. You do in some way feel that sense of astonishment and holiness as you witness something like the Bath Abbey. I can also see the commitment to god by giving him gifts of great wealth and big glamorous services. It shows hat if they have been lucky enough to be very wealthy or maybe not that much but to give what they can does show a certain amount of strong commitment. In conclusion either decision is fine, and god will not think of you any differently. In my point of view I would go with Protestant way of belief just because I think that god loves you whoever you are and we can show are own love to him, not by fancy lecterns and pulpits and a big choir but just by however way we feel like. Could be at home or anywhere tha t is most comfortable to you.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Mondavi Wines Competitive Threats

Mondavi: What threats in the business environment does Mondavi face and how is it addressing them? High quality premium wines produced by France, Italy, Spain, Chile and Argentina. In the past years, Demand increased for premium wines, while consumption of inexpensive, lower quality wine had fallen. As a result of changes in consumption patterns, Europe had created a great deal of excess capacity, while wineries of the new world (South America) continued to increase vineyard acreage in response to strong demand for high quality wines. The size of the global wine industry was estimated by 155 billion dollars (approximately), where Europe and South America dominated global consumption of wine with a market share of 70%. Mondavi addresses this issue by leading the production of premium table wines in the US instead. This market participated with 11% of total world consumption representing 17 billion dollars. Analysts expected demand for premium wines to grow at 8% to 10% per annum. Thus, Mondavi focused 90% of its sales in the US through 15 top retailers and 10% to the rest of the world through exporters. Leverage Risks and Capital requirements The premium wine industry is a capital intensive business. Historically, Tim Mondavi and his team had financed its operations and capital spending principally through borrowings, as well as through internally generated funds. They owned vineyards in California, and the joint ventures controlled land in California, US and Italy, which produced 7% of the company’s total grape supply. The company purchased the rest of its grape supply from 360 independent growers through long term legal agreements. Because in the last years property value had risen and competitors had spent large amounts of money pursuing aggressive acquisition strategies, they could not face further growth with the same strategy due to the increasing high cost of capital. On the other hand, they could not outsource more grape from independent growers, since Mondavi worked closely with the growers to guarantee prime quality and the use of the new farming techniques developed by the company’s own vineyards. So Mondavi chose to focus on a different strategy for the future. He planed to grow its internal grape sourcing by 25% by 2005, focusing on organic growth of the wine and appealing to a new segment of consumers. Management plans to take the company to the next phase by enhancing the high quality of their existing brands, appealing to the organic sectors of healthy consumers and strengthening market positions. Product Substitutes Mondavi faced three types of competitors: rival firms that were focused on making premium wines, large-volume producers moving aggressively into the premium wine business, and global alcoholic beverage companies that were acquiring wineries to complement their beer and/or distilled spirits businesses. He estimated that only 12% of the consumers drank 88% of wines purchased in the US. To stimulate demand for his products, Robert Mondavi set out to educate American consumers and to enhance their appreciation of fine wine. Over the years, he became a leading promoter of the California wine industry. He encouraged visitors to tour the winery and to taste the new wines that he created. In addition, Mondavi began to host concerts, art exhibits, and other cultural events at the To Kalon vineyard. In 1976, the company established the Great Chefs program, the first winery culinary program in the US. Robert Mondavi explained his philosophy regarding fine wine, food, and the arts: â€Å"People who enjoy food, art, music, also enjoy fine wines, and they enjoy them more together. . . . Wine is more than a drink. It’s a culture. † Over time, the company began to advertise more extensively to broaden its customer base. Mondavi launched its first major radio advertising campaign to promote the Woodbridge and Coastal brands in 1998 and its first national television advertising in the fall of 2000. The firm’s advertising expenditures, including point-of-sale materials, reached $20 million in 2001. Michael Mondavi reflected back on the limitations of the firm’s marketing strategy of the early 1990s: â€Å"All those black tie events. We were complacent, cocky, and started believing our own press. For decades, our industry sent the wrong message, that wine is for special occasions, while the breweries told people that beer is the beverage of every occasion. That’s crazy. In the old country (Italy), wine was a blue collar beverage, not an elitist, white collar drink. Our goal is to grow the customer base by removing wine’s mystery, while still maintaining the magic. † As previously mentioned, the next step is becoming organic wine producers of its premier brands. While maintaining high quality standards, he will reach the new target audience of green consumers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Conjugating Spanish Verbs in the Conditional Tense

Conjugating Spanish Verbs in the Conditional Tense The conjugation of the conditional tense is fairly straightforward, because all three types of verbs (-ar, -er and -ir) use the same ending, and the ending is applied to the infinitive rather than to a portion of the verb. Also, there are few irregular verbs in the conditional. These are the endings that are applied to turn an infinitive to a verb in the conditional tense: First-person singular (I): -à ­aSecond-person singular (familiar you): -à ­asThird-person singular (he, she, formal you): -à ­aFirst-person plural (we): -à ­amosSecond-person plural (familiar you): -à ­aisThird-person plural (they, familiar you): -à ­an As an example, here are the conjugated forms of vivir (to live) using the same pattern as is applied to all regular verbs. Yo vivirà ­a, I would liveTà º vivirà ­as, you (informal singular) would liveUsted, à ©l, ella vivirà ­a, you (formal singular), he, she would liveNosotros, nosotras vivirà ­amos, we would liveVosotros, vosotras vivirà ­ais, you (informal plural) would liveEllos, ellas ustedes vivirà ­an, they, you (plural formal) would live You may notice that the endings attached to the infinitives are the same as the endings of haber in the imperfect, just as the endings attached to infinitives to make the future tense are the same as the endings of haber  (but with added accent marks) in the present tense. And theres another similarity with the future tense: Some verbs are irregular in the future tense in that the ending is attached to a variation of the stem rather than to the infinitive. The same verbs that are irregular in the future tense are irregular in the conditional, and in the same way. So just as the first-person future of tener is tendrà © instead of tenerà ©, the first-person conditional of tener is tendrà ­a instead of tenerà ­a. The same pattern is followed for the other persons, with this being the full conjugation of tener in the conditional: tendrà ­a, tendrà ­as, tendrà ­a, tendrà ­amos, tendrà ­ais, tendrà ­an. Common Verbs With Irregular in the Conditional Here are the most common verbs that are irregular in the conditional: Caber (to fit): cabrà ­a, cabrà ­as Decir (to say): dirà ­a, dirà ­as Haber (to have): habrà ­a, habrà ­as Hacer (to do or make): harà ­a, harà ­asPoder (to be able): podrà ­a, podrà ­as Poner (to put): pondrà ­a, pondrà ­as Querer (to want): querrà ­a, querrà ­as Saber (to know): sabrà ­a, sabrà ­asSalir (to leave): saldrà ­a, saldrà ­as Valer (to be worth): valdrà ­a, valdrà ­as Venir (to come): vendrà ­a, vendrà ­as The other verbs that are irregular in the conditional are based on these verbs. For example, proponer follows the pattern of poner, and deshacer follows the pattern of hacer. Finally, here are some examples of sentences using the conditional: Te amarà ­a si supiera tu nombre. I would love you if I knew your name.No comprarà ­amos tantas cosas. We would never buy so many things.Si me preguntan, yo dirà ­a que lo mejor es decir no. If they ask me, I would say that the best thing is to say no.Nos decà ­an que no saldrà ­amos vivos. They told us we would not leave alive.Si recomendaran mi libro  ¿lo leerà ­an ustedes? If they were to recommend my book, would you read it?

Monday, October 21, 2019

Statistics on SAT Math Strategies for Mean, Median, Mode

Statistics on SAT Math Strategies for Mean, Median, Mode SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT statistics questions usually involve finding the mean, median, and/or mode(s) of a set of numbers. You have probably dealt with with these concepts in your high school math classes but, as always, the SAT likes to put their own special twist on simple concepts such as these. Whether or not you are familiar with these terms and the techniques needed to find a mean, median, or mode, this guide is for you. SAT questions are always tricky and knowing how to handle their version of these types of questions will serve you well as you go through your test. This will be your complete guide to SAT means, medians, and modes- what they mean, how you'll see them on the test, and how to solve even the most complicated of SAT statistics questions. What Are Means, Medians, and Modes? Before we look at how to solve these kinds of problems, let us define our terms: A mean is the statistical average of a group of numbers, found by adding up the sum of the numbers and then dividing by the amount of numbers in the group. What is the average test score for the class if five students received scores of: 92, 81, 45, 95, and 68? We must find the sum of all the numbers and then divide that number by the total amount, which in this case is 5. ${(92+81+45+95+68)}/5$ $={381}/5$ $=76.2$ The mean (average) test score is 72.6. The median in a set is the number directly in the middle of the set of numbers after they have been arranged in order. (Note: the number will be halfway into the set, but is NOT necessarily the mid-value.) For instance, in a set of numbers {2, 4, 5, 47, 99}, the median would be 5 as it is in the middle of the set, despite the fact that 5 is NOT halfway between 2 and 99. If you are given an even number of terms in the set, then you must take the mean (average) of both middle numbers. Find the median value of the set of numbers {4, 12, 15, 3, 7, 10}. First, arrange the numbers in order from least to greatest. 3, 4, 7, 10, 12, 15 We have an even number of terms in our set, so we must take the average of the two middle terms. ${(7+10)}/2$ $={17}/2$ $=8.5$ Our median is 8.5 The mode of a set of numbers is the number or numbers that repeat the most frequently. In the set of numbers {3, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 12}, our mode is 4. Even though the number 3 occurred twice, the number 4 occurred three times and is thus our most frequently appearing number. If each number in your set occurs only once, there is no mode. In the set of numbers {1, 13, 8, 42, 11}, there is no mode, since no number repeats. If multiple numbers in a set repeat the same number of times, your set will have more than one mode. In the set {1, 2, 2, 2, 5, 5, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8}, we have three modes- 2, 5, and 8. All three numbers occur exactly three times and no other numbers occur more frequently. Thus we have multiple modes. Ba-dum tss! Typical Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Because the statistical concepts of mean, median, and mode are fundamentally simple (and likely quite familiar to most of you), the SAT will try to complicate mean, median, and mode questions as much as they are able. Unfortunately, these kinds of twists on simple concepts can come in a variety of different forms. For mean questions, they may ask you for the average of a set with variables, or they may ask you to find the value to which the sum of a set of numbers must be raised or lowered in order to find a particular average. Just keep in mind, that no matter how odd the question appears to be, the process for finding the mean is unchanging. If $x$ is the average (arithmetic mean) of $m$ and 9, $y$ is the average of $2m$ and 15, and $z$ is the average of $3m$ and 18, what is the average of $x$, $y$, and $z$ in terms of $m$? A) $m+6$ B) $m+7$ C) $2m+14$ D) $3m+21$ There are a lot of variables in this equation, but don't let them confuse you. We already know that the average of two numbers is the sum of those two numbers divided by 2. That means that: $x = {m+9}/{2}$ $y= {2m+15}/{2}$ $z= {3m+18}/{2}$ Now we need to find the average of $x$, $y$, and $z$. The average of three numbers is the sum of those numbers divided by 3, or ${x+y+z}/{3}$. Substituting the previous expressions for $m$ gives us: $[{m+9}/{2} +{2m +15}/{2} + {3m+15}/{2}]/3$ We can simplify that fraction to ${6m+42}/{6}$ Or $m+7$. Our final answer is B, $\bi m \bo{+} \bo 7$. As for questions on medians, the SAT will often try to present you with a set of very large numbers or a set of numbers with some amount that are missing. This question is asking about the median which, as you know, we find by sorting the numbers in ascending order. There were a total of 600 data points collected (300 from each school) which means the median will be between the 300th and 301st numbers. Fortunately, there's a way to solve the problem without having to write out 600 numbers! You can put the numbers into groups based on the information you're given in the chart. For each number of siblings value, add the number of respondents from each of the two schools together. For example, 120 students from Lincoln School and 140 students from Washington School said they had no siblings, and $120+140=260$. So a total of 260 students have 0 siblings. Do this for each of the sibling values. 260 students have 0 siblings 190 students have 1 sibling 90 students have 2 siblings 40 students have 3 siblings 20 students have 4 siblings. Now assign each of those groups values ordered from smallest (0 siblings) to largest (4 siblings) so that your data is properly sorted. Values 1 through 260 will be 0. Values 261 through 450 will be 1. Values 451 through 540 will be 2. Values 541 through 580 will be 3. Values 581 through 600 will be 4. Both the 300th and the 301st values are 1, so the median is 1. Our final answer is B, 1. The newest version of the SAT also includes logic questions. These questions don't require you to do any calculations, but you need to have a strong grasp of statistics to be able to answer them. A study was done on the weights of different types of fish in a pond. A random sample of fish were caught and marked in order to ensure that none were weighed more than once. The sample contained 150 largemouth bass, of which 30% weighed more than 2 pounds. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the sample data? A) The majority of all fish in the pond weigh less than 2 pounds. B) The average weight of all fish in the pond is approximately 2 pounds. C) Approximately 30% of all fish in the pond weigh more than 2 pounds. D) Approximately 30% of all largemouth bass in the pond weigh more than 2 pounds. For logic questions like these, the best way to attack them is to read through the information you're given then, go through each answer choice and determine if it's true. In the question, we're told that: A random sample of fish in a pond were caught, none more than once The sample included 150 largemouth bass 30% of those largemouth bass weighed more than 2 pounds Now let's go through the answer choices. A: This is incorrect because it says the majority of all fish weigh less than 2 pounds. We don't know if this is true or not because the question only gives us information on the weight of largemouth bass. We don't know how much the other types of fish in the pound weigh. B: Again, we can't answer questions about all the fish in the pond because we are only given information on largemouth bass. C: Once again, we can't make generalizations about all the fish in the pond. If the question was just asking about largemouth bass, then it'd be true, since it matches with the data we were given, but since it doesn't, it's incorrect. D: This choice asks only about largemouth bass, which is a good start. And, yes, this answer choice fits with the information we were given in the question. Since 30% of the random sample of largemouth bass collected weighed more than 2 pounds, it's logical to conclude that 30% of all the largemouth bass in the pound weigh more than 2 pounds. This is the correct answer! This question was testing your knowledge of what assumptions are logical and which are not based on the data you're given. Since we were only given information about the weight of largemouth bass, only statements about largemouth bass specifically have the possibility of being supported by our data. Our final answer is D. And lastly, mode questions are actually quite rare on the SAT. You should know what a "mode" means on the off chance that you will see a mode question on the test, but chances are you will only be asked about means and/or medians. Though the SAT may try to vary their questions, the principles behind them remain the same. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How to Solve Mean, Median, and Mode Questions Because these questions often seem straightforward, it can be easy to find yourself rushing through them. But as you go through your test, remember to keep these SAT math tips in mind: #1: Always (always!) make sure you are answering the right question Because the SAT will ask you to find means more than medians or modes, it is incredibly common for students who are rushing through the SAT to read "mean" when the question is actually asking for a "median." If you're trying to rush, it can become second nature to glance at an m-word and start in immediately on solving the problem. Unfortunately, the test makers know that people will make errors like this and they will provide bait answers for anyone who makes this kind of mistake. As always when taking the SAT math sections, double-check that you are answering precisely the right question before you start in on solving the question (or at least before bubbling in your answer!). #2: Write It Out Make sure you take the time to rearrange your set of numbers in order when dealing with medians and modes, and make sure you write out your equations when dealing with means. It can be tempting to solve problems like these in your head, but a single misplaced digit is the difference between a correct answer and a wrong answer penalty. In order to avoid making careless mistakes, always take a moment to write out your problem. It will not take as long as you think to reorganize your values and it will almost always highlight the path towards perfection. #3: Use PIA/PIN When Necessary If you find yourself stuck on a problem and have some extra time to spare, don't hesitate to use the strategies of plugging in answers or plugging in numbers where applicable. Always keep in mind that it will often take you a little longer to solve a problem using these techniques, but doing so will almost always lead you to the right answer. For example: The average (arithmetic mean) of 6, 19, and $x$ is 19. What is the value of $x$? A) 19B) 25C) 31D) 32 Let us say this was a problem you found yourself stuck on, but you luckily had some spare time before the section was over. Well, now is the time to use PIA! We will be replacing our answer options with the value of $x$ and solving the problem as normal. As usual with PIA, let us start with the middle answer choice and go up or down from there. This means that we will plug in answer choice C, 31, in place of our $x$ value. We are trying to find the mean of 3 numbers, 6, 19, and 31, and seeing if we can get 19. So let us find the mean: ${6+19+31}/3$ $={56}/3$ $=18.67$ Our mean is just slightly too small. This means that we can eliminate answer choice C as well as answer choices A and B (as they are even smaller and will thus produce an even smaller mean). Our answer is likely going to be D, as E is much larger and will give us a far greater mean than 19. So let us test answer choice D, 32, to be sure. ${6+19+32}/3$ $={57}/3$ $=19$ Success! Answer choice D is correct. Our final answer is D, 32. There are a variety of escape hatches when solving mean/median/mode problems, so never fear! Test Your Knowledge Now to test your statistics know-how on real SAT math problems! 1. 10, 18, 4, 15, 3, 21, $x$ If $x$ is the median of the 7 numbers listed above, which of the following could be the value of $x$? A) 5B) 8C) 9D) 14 2. If the average (arithmetic mean) of $t$ and $t+2$ is $x$ and if the average of $t$ and $t-2$ is $y$, what is the average of $x$ and $y$? A) 1 B) $t/2$ C) $t$ D) $t+1/2$ 3. A survey was taken of the value of homes in a county, and it was found that the mean home value was $\$ 165,000$ and the median home value was $\$ 125,000$. Which of the following situations could explain the difference between the mean and median home values in the county? A) The homes have values that are close to each other. B) There are a few homes that are valued much less than the rest. C) There are a few homes that are valued much more than the rest. D) Many of the homes have values between $\$ 125,000$ and $\$ 165,000$. 4. The mean score of 8 players in a basketball game was 14.5 points. If the highest individual score is removed, the mean score of the remaining 7 players becomes 12 points. What was the highest score? A) 20 B) 24 C) 32 D) 36 Answers: D, C, C, C Answer Explanations: 1. This question is asking about the median, so let us first start by arranging our numbers in ascending order. 3, 4, 10, 15, 18, 21 We are told that x is our median, so it must lie in the middle of our set. This puts it between 10 and 15. 3, 4, 10, $x$, 15, 18, 21 This means that the only answer choice x could possibly be is D, 14. All the other answer choices are too large or too small. Our final answer is D, 14. 2. Because we are working with variables, we have two ways we can solve this problem- with algebra or using plugging in numbers. Let us go through both methods. Method 1: Algebra We are told that the mean of $t$ and $t+2$ equals $x$, so let us find the value of $x$ by manipulating the mean of $t$ and $t+2$. ${t+(t+2)}/{2}=x$ ${2t+2}/{2}=x$ We can reduce the value of the fraction here, since $2t+2$ can be divided by 2. Which means we are left with: $t+1=x$ Now let us use the same process for y, which we are told is the mean of $t$ and $t−2$ ${t+(t-2)}/{2}=y$ ${2t-2}/{2}=y$ Again, we can reduce our fraction, since $2t−2$ can be divided by 2. This gives us: $t−1=y$ Now, we have values for both $x$ and $y$, so let us put them together to find their mean. ${(t+1)+(t-1)}/{2}$ $={2t}/{2}$ $=t$ The mean of $x$ and $y$ is $t$. Our final answer is C, $t$. Method 2: Plugging in numbers Alternatively, we can skip having to use algebra and plug in our own number for $t$ in order to solve the problem. Let us say that $t=10$ and solve the problem from there. (Why 10? Why not!) This means that the mean of $t$ and $t+2$ still equals $x$. So: ${t+(t+2)}/{2}=x$ ${10+(10+2)}/{2}=x$${22}/{2}=x$ $11=x$ And we will use the same value for $t$ and the same process to find $y$: ${t+(t-2)}/{2}=y$ ${10+(10-2)}/{2}=y$ ${18}/{2}=y$ $9=y$ Now, we can find the mean of $x$ and $y$. ${11+9}/{2}$ $=20/2$ $=10$ And, since we said that $t=10$, the mean of $x$ and $y$ also equals $t$. Our final answer is C, $t$. 3. This is a logic question, so we'll have to reason through it rather than doing calculations. First let's go over the information we're given. The mean and media of a set of data are equal when the data has a perfectly symmetrical distribution (such as a normal distribution). If the mean and median aren't equal to each other, that means the data isn't symmetrical and that there are outliers. Outliers are a small group of values that are significantly smaller or larger than the other values in the data. When there are outliers in the data, the mean will be pulled in their direction (either smaller or larger) while the median remains the same. In this problem, the mean is larger than the median. That means the outliers are several homes that are significantly more expensive than the rest, since these outliers push the mean to be larger without affecting the median. Choice A is incorrect because if the house values were all similar to each other, the mean and median would be similar in value. Choice B is incorrect because if the outliers were valued at much less than the rest of houses, the mean would be smaller than the median which is the opposite of what is happening. Choice D is incorrect because if most of the homes were worth between $\$ 125,000$ and $\$ 165,000$, then the mean and median would likely both be in the middle of that range which isn't the case; they're on the ends of that range. Therefore, our final answer is C: there are a few homes that are valued much more than the rest. 4. If the mean score of 8 players is 14.5, then the total of those 8 scores is $14.5 * 8 =116$. If the mean of 7 scores is 12, then the total of those 7 scores is $12 * 7 =84$. Since the set of 7 scores was created by removing the highest score from the set of 8 scores, the difference between the total of all 8 scores and the set of 7 scores is equal to the removed score. $116-84 = 32$ Our final answer is C, 32. You finished your statistics problems, whoo! The puppy is happy. The Take Aways Though you will see mean, median, and mode questions about two to three times per test, the questions themselves are often quite simple once you know your way around the techniques needed to solve them. Never hesitate to use PIA or PIN if you have the time to spare and if you feel uncomfortable with algebra alone. Otherwise, make absolutely sure you are answering the proper question and don't take for granted that these questions are simple (a careless error will still lose you precious points!). Just remember to keep your mind sharp and your work organized, and you'll be able to tackle SAT statistics problems in no time. What's Next? Now that you've done your paces on SAT statistics questions, it's time to make sure you've got the rest of the SAT math topics well in hand. Are you all caught up with your probabilities? Your formulas? Your lines and angles? We've got guides that cover all the SAT math you'll need come test day. Need to brush up on the basics (particularly for the SAT No-Calculator Math section)? Use our guides to review longhand multiplication and how to add and subtract fractions. Don't know what score to aim for? Check out how to gauge your current score level and how that stacks up for your schools. Looking to get a 600 on SAT math? Look to our guide on how to improve your SAT math score. Trying for a perfect score? If you're already at a 600 or above, check out our guide to getting a perfect 800 on the SAT math, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Charlotte Brontë, 19th Century Novelist

Charlotte Brontà «, 19th Century Novelist Best-known as the author of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontà « was a 19th century writer, poet, and novelist. She was also one of the three Brontà « sisters, along with Emily and Anne, famous for their literary talents.   Dates:  April 21, 1816 -  March 31, 1855Also known as: Charlotte Nicholls; pen name Currer Bell Early Life   Charlotte was the third of six siblings born in six years to the Rev. Patrick Brontà « and his wife, Maria Branwell Brontà «. Charlotte was born at the parsonage in Thornton, Yorkshire, where her father was serving. All six children were born before the family moved in April 1820 to  the 5-room parsonage at Haworth on the moors of Yorkshire that they would call home for most of their lives. Her father had been appointed as perpetual curate there, meaning that he and his family could live in the parsonage as long as he continued his work there. The father encouraged the children to spend time in nature on the moors. Maria died the year after the youngest, Anne, was born, possibly of uterine cancer or of chronic pelvic sepsis. Maria’s older sister, Elizabeth, moved from Cornwall to help care for the children and for the parsonage. She had an income of her own. The Clergymen’s Daughter’s School In September of 1824, the four older sisters, including Charlotte, were sent to the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge, a school for the daughters of impoverished clergy. The daughter of writer Hannah Moore was also in attendance. The harsh conditions of the school were later reflected in Charlotte Brontà «s novel,  Jane Eyre. A typhoid fever outbreak at the school led to several deaths.  The next February, Maria was sent home very ill, and she died in May, probably of pulmonary tuberculosis. Elizabeth was sent home late in May, also ill. Patrick Brontà « brought his other daughters home as well, and Elizabeth died on June 15. Maria, the eldest daughter, had served as a mother figure for her younger siblings; Charlotte decided she needed to fulfill a similar role as the eldest surviving daughter. Imaginary Lands When her brother Patrick was given some wooden soldiers as a gift in 1826, the siblings began to make up stories about the world that the soldiers lived in. They wrote the stories in tiny script, in books small enough for the soldiers, and also provided newspapers and poetry for the world they apparently first called Glasstown.  Charlotte’s first known story was written in March of 1829; she and Branwell wrote most of the initial stories. In January of 1831, Charlotte was sent to school at Roe Head, about fifteen miles from home. There she made friends of Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor, who were to be part of her life later as well.   Charlotte excelled in school, including at French. In eighteen months, Charlotte returned home, and resumed the Glasstown saga. Meanwhile Charlottes younger sisters, Emily  and Anne, had created their own land, Gondal, and Branwell had created a rebellion. Charlotte negotiated a truce and cooperation among the siblings. She began the Angrian stories. Charlotte also created paintings and drawings – 180 of them survive.  Branwell, her younger brother, got familial support for developing his painting skills towards a possible career; such support was not available to the sisters. Teaching In July of 1835 Charlotte had an opportunity to become a teacher at Roe Head school. They offered her a tuition-free admission for one sister as payment for her services. She took Emily, two years younger than Charlotte, with her, but Emily soon became ill, an illness attributed to homesickness.   Emily returned to Haworth and the youngest sister, Anne, took her place. In 1836, Charlotte sent some of the poems she had written to England’s poet laureate. He discouraged her pursuit of a career, suggesting that because she was a woman, she pursue her â€Å"real duties† as a wife and mother.  Charlotte, nevertheless, continued writing poems and novellas. The school moved in 1838, and Charlotte left that position in December, returning home and later calling herself â€Å"shattered.† She had continued to return to the imaginary world of Angria on holidays from school, and continued writing in that world after she moved back to the family home. Shattered In May of 1839 Charlotte briefly became a governess. She hated the role, especially the sense she had of having â€Å"no existence† as a family servant. She left in mid-June. A new curate, William Weightman, arrived in August of 1839 to assist the Rev. Brontà «. A new and young clergyman, he seems to have attracted flirting from both Charlotte and Anne, and perhaps more attraction from Anne. Charlotte received two different proposals in 1839.  One was from Henry Nussey the brother of her friend, Ellen, with whom she’d continued to correspond. The other was from an Irish minister. Charlotte turned them both down. Charlotte took another governess position in March of 1841; this one lasted until December. She returned home thinking she’d start a school. Her aunt Elizabeth Branwell promised financial support. Brussels In February of 1842 Charlotte and Emily went to London and then Brussels.  They attended a school in Brussels for six months, then Charlotte and Emily were both asked to stay on, serving as teachers to pay for their tuition. Charlotte taught English and Emily taught music. In September, they learned that the young Rev. Weightman had died. But they had to return home in October for a funeral, when their aunt Elizabeth Branwell died.  The four Brontà « siblings received shares of their aunt’s estate, and Emily worked as a housekeeper for her father, serving in the role their aunt had taken.   Anne returned to a governess position, and Branwell followed Anne to serve with the same family as a tutor.   Charlotte returned to Brussels to teach. She felt isolated there, and perhaps fell in love with the master of the school, though her affections and interest were not returned.  She returned home at the end of a year, though she continued to write letters to the schoolmaster from England. Charlotte moved back to Haworth, and Anne, returning from her governess position, did the same. Their father needed more help in his work, as his vision was failing.  Branwell had also returned, in disgrace, and declined in health as he increasingly turned to alcohol and opium. Writing for Publication In 1845, a quite significant event that started small happened: Charlotte found Emily’s poetry notebooks.   She got excited at their quality, and Charlotte, Emily and Anne discovered each others’ poems. The three selected poems from their collections for publication, choosing to do so under male pseudonyms. The false names would share their initials: Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell. They assumed that male writers would find easier publication. The poems were published as Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell in May of 1846 with the help of the inheritance from their aunt.   They did not tell their father or brother of their project.  The book only initially sold two copies, but got positive reviews, which encouraged Charlotte. The sisters began preparing novels for publication. Charlotte wrote the Professor, perhaps imagining a better relationship with her friend, the Brussels schoolmaster.   Emily wrote   Wuthering Heights, adapted from the Gondal stories.   Anne wrote Agnes Grey, rooted in her experiences as a governess. The next year, July 1847, the stories by Emily and Anne, but not Charlotte’s, were accepted for publication, still under the Bell pseudonyms.   They were not actually published immediately, however. Jane Eyre Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre and offered that to the publisher, ostensibly an autobiography edited by Currer Bell.   The book became a quick hit.   Some surmised from the writing that Currer Bell was a woman, and there was much speculation about who the author might be.  Some critics condemned the relationship between Jane and Rochester as â€Å"improper.† The book, with some revisions, entered a second edition in January 1848, and a third in April of that same year. Clarification of Authorship After Jane Eyre had proven a success, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey also were published.   A publisher began advertising the three as a package, suggesting that the three â€Å"brothers† were really a single author.   By that time Anne had also written and published The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Charlotte and Emily went to London to claim authorship by the sisters, and their identities were made public. Tragedy Charlotte had begun a new novel, when her brother Branwell, died in April of 1848, probably of tuberculosis.   Some have speculated that the conditions at the parsonage were not so healthy, including a poor water supply and chilly, foggy weather. Emily caught what seemed to be a cold at his funeral, and became ill. She declined quickly, refusing medical care until relenting in her last hours.   She died in December.   Then Anne began to show symptoms, though she, after Emily’s experience, did seek medical help.   Charlotte and her friend Ellen Nussey took Anne to Scarborough for a better environment, but Anne died there in May of 1849, less than a month after arriving.   Branwell and Emily were buried in the parsonage graveyard, and Anne in Scarborough. Returning to Living Charlotte, now the last of the siblings to survive, and still living with her father, completed her new novel, Shirley: A Tale, in August, and it was published in October 1849.   In November Charlotte went to London, where she met such figures as William Makepeace Thackeray and Harriet Martineau. She traveled, staying with various friends.   In 1850 she met Elizabeth Glaskell. She began corresponding with many of her new acquaintances and friends.   She also refused another offer of marriage. She republished Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey in December 1850, with a biographical note clarifying who her sisters, the authors, really were. The characterization of her sisters as the impractical but caring Emily and the self-denying, reclusive, not so original Anne, tended to persist once those impressions became public.   Charlotte heavily edited her sisters’ work, even while claiming to be advocating truthfulness about them.   She suppressed the publication of Anne’s Tenant of Wildfell Hall, with its portrayal of alcoholism and a woman’s independence. Charlotte wrote Villette, publishing it in January of 1853, and split with Harriet Martineau over it, as Martineau disapproved of it. New Relationship Arthur Bell Nicholls was the Rev. Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s curate, of Irish background like Charlotte’s father was.   He surprised Charlotte with a proposal of marriage.   Charlotte’s father disapproved of the proposal, and Nicholls left his post.   Charlotte turned down his proposal initially, then began secretly corresponding with Nicholls.   They became engaged and he returned to Haworth.   They were married on June 29, 1854, and honeymooned in Ireland. Charlotte continued her writing, beginning a new novel Emma. She also took care of her father at Haworth. She became pregnant the year after her marriage, then found herself extremely ill. She died on March 31, 1855. Her condition was at the time diagnosed as tuberculosis, but some have, much later, speculated that the description of symptom more likely fits the condition hyperemesis gravidarum, essentially an extreme morning sickness with dangerously excessive vomiting. Legacy In 1857, Elizabeth Gaskell published The Life of Charlotte Brontà «, establishing the reputation of Charlotte Brontà « as having suffered from a tragic life.   In 1860, Thackeray published the unfinished Emma.     Her husband helped revise The Professor for publication with the encouragement of Gaskell. By the end of the 19th century, Charlotte Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s work was largely out of fashion. Interest revived in the late 20th century.   Jane Eyre has been her most popular work, and has been adapted for stage, film and television and even for ballet and opera. Two stories, The Secret and Lily Hart, were not published until 1978. Family Tree Mother: Maria Branwell (April 15, 1783 – September 15, 1821); born in Cornwall. Mother: Anne Crane, whose father was a silversmith. Father: Thomas Branwell, prosperous merchant in Penzance. Maria became a teacher when her parents died.Father: Patrick Brontà « (March 17, 1777 – June 7, 1861); born in Ireland; ordained August 10, 1806; poor   Anglican  clergyman. Studied at St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he changed the spelling of his last name from Brunty. Published poet. Parents: Eleanor McCrory and Hugh Brunty.   (Surname originally mac Aedh Ó Proinntigh)Maria Branwell and Patrick Brontà « married December 29, 1812.  Siblings:Maria Brontà « April 23, 1814 – May 6, 1825Elizabeth Brontà « 1815 – June 15, 1825Patrick Branwell Brontà « June 26, 1817 – September 24, 1848 – usually called Branwell to distinguish him from his father, also PatrickEmily Jane Brontà «Ã‚  July 30, 1818 – December 19, 1848Anne Bront à «Ã‚  January 17, 1820 – May 28, 1849Aunt who helped raise the siblings: Elizabeth Branwell (December 2, 1776 – October 29, 1842), Maria Branwell’s sister Education Clergy Daughters School, Cowan BridgeRoe Head School, Desbury MoorPensionnat Heger, Brussels Marriage, Children Husband: Arthur Bells Nicholls (married June 29, 1854; Anglican clergyman)Children: none; Charlotte died during her first pregnancy Books by Charlotte Brontà « Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton BellJane Eyre: An AutobiographyShirley: A TaleVillete Posthumous Publication The Professor: A TaleThe Twelve Adventurers and Other StoriesLegends of Angria: Compiled from the Early Writings of Charlotte Brontà «Emma (unfinished)The Poems of Charlotte Brontà « (annotated and enlarged)The Unfinished Novels Books About Charlotte Brontà « Brontà «s at Haworth: The World Within. Charlotte, Anne and Emily Brontà «, published 1993.  Four Brontà «s: The Lives Works of Charlotte, Branwell, Emily Anne Brontà «: Lawrence and Elisabeth Hanson, 1967.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Management Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Management Information Systems - Essay Example It can also be stated that multitasking functionality of information systems helps in saving valuable time. The multifold data operations are enabled through the multiprocessing capabilities of the information systems. The other major positive impact is that information system enhances the level of accuracy in data processing. The accuracy level is very important in handling huge volumes of data and the automated systems helps to maintain this accuracy in data handling and even facilitates faster processing. The third positive impact is that it reduces the risk in terms of losing data that was previously a big challenge as people used to have important data written on papers. The information system provides a scope through which large volumes of data can be stored in small space in the electronic devices which can be easily accessed as and when required. The negative impacts of the information systems are even widespread across different sectors. The first major negative impact is that the factor of piracy that gained its importance at a large scale after the evolution of information systems. The information systems comprise of certain methods through which the data stored in the systems can be misused by an individual. The other negative impact is that the speed and accuracy that is maintained by information systems leads to increase in rate of unemployment. The systems are capable enough to perform all the manual work making it advantageous for organizations but limit the scope for employment. The third negative impact is that of data security and data integrity. The information systems enables risk factor as volumes of data can be lost which would increase the cost and time. The malfunction that is caused by information systems often leads to loss of information and huge volumes of data. The information systems can be considered as a production factor that is easily substituted for labor and capital. In an organization the entire

Friday, October 18, 2019

Responding to a Bioterrorist Attack from the Department of Health and Essay

Responding to a Bioterrorist Attack from the Department of Health and Human Services - Essay Example (Task Force on Bioterrorism makes plans to educate doctors, public. 2001). As the researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health concluded, another important consideration in managing the public education on such possible bioterrorist attacks should be that public panic is rare and preventable. They also point out that the public is an active participant in responding to such an attack. Civic organizations like churches, charity trusts, and other associations may be effectively used to distribute information and medications, and to educate the public on such potential threat. The biodefence planners and leaders should continually educate the public on preparedness and response plans for bioterrorism. (Hopkins study dispels ‘panic’ myth and suggests ways to involve public in response to a bioterrorist attack. 2001). Thus, the education of the public must be directed towards the real awareness among people trusting their potentials in involving in such efforts. A. Botulinum toxin is one of the most poisonous substances in the world. Ironically, it has also positive uses such as in the treatment of painful muscle spasms and as a cosmetic treatment. No wonder, its use is a reason for confusion to the public. The use of BoTox as a bio-weapon has been a serious reason for worries for many a nation, especially the US. There is a view that discounts its use as a bio-weapon due to the limitations in concentrating and stabilizing the toxin for aerosol dissemination. Contrary to this view, botox can cause disruption and distress among people. (Botulinum toxinas a Biological weapon. 2001). There are many such instances before us. This weapon â€Å"causes botulism—a potentially fatal disease with symptoms that include severe paralysis of the limbs and respiratory muscles.† (Schwartz, Mark 2006). Terrorists can use botox for

Assessment and Practice of Mental Health care needs Essay

Assessment and Practice of Mental Health care needs - Essay Example OBJECTIVES: To explore the associative structure between a screening test for dementia, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and a neuropsychological battery for the detection of dementia, the Mental Deterioration Battery (MDB). DESIGN: A retrospective analysis. SETTING: Psychology unit of a general hospital in Rome, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred consecutive outpatients and inpatients referred to our hospital on the basis of suspected cognitive impairment and evaluated between January 1999 and March 2000. MEASUREMENTS: MMSE and MDB. RESULTS: Of the 300 subjects evaluated by the MMSE score, 142 (47.3%) were considered to be cognitively healthy, and 116 (38.7%) were mildly and 42 (14.0%) moderately impaired. Factor analysis of MDB extracted three factors able to account for 75% of the total variance: a visuospatial factor, verbal memory ability, and a language skill. Using MMSE as an independent variable, a linear regression model could account for the visuospatial and langua ge factors and a cubic regression model for the verbal memory factor. Within the normal MMSE boundaries (24-30), a dramatic decrease of verbal memory could be documented, whereas the slope is less steep in the mild impairment group (16-23). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate the presence of a warning range within the normal MMSE interval. Thus, the traditional MMSE cutoff values may not be appropriate in detecting early phases of dementia. When patients score about 27 on MMSE, it should be of interest to check whether they fail only on long-term memory tests, because this could be a first signal of a preclinical condition heralding clear dementia (e.g., mild cognitive impairment).Mini-Mental State Examination and Mental Deterioration Battery: analysis of the relationship and clinical

I haven't picked a topic as yet but I would like it to be something Thesis

I haven't picked a topic as yet but I would like it to be something about education in adulthood - Thesis Example The rationale for undertaking this research was the researchers expectations to make recommendations to the educational institutes about using different teaching styles and methods while teaching the adult learners. The current research was undertaken using an interview method where 5 teachers from pre-adult school and teaching children between the ages of 4-11 years, and another 5 teachers from an adult learning center who taught in higher educational institute years were selected. These respondents were selected on the basis of convenience sampling as both the institutes were easily approachable to the researcher. Further, the researcher himself had taught at the pre-adult school earlier and was currently teaching at the higher educational institute, and as such, it was easier for him to interact with the faculty and get their responses. The research findings revealed that the teachers were indeed making use of some different teaching methods. For example, teachers of adult learners made use of discussion and case study methods in addition to the lecture and question answer methods. In the case of children, the most reported method of teaching was lecture, question and answer, and periodical assessment. The research findings indicate that there is further scope for the teachers to make use of more teaching methods in order to facilitate better learning, For example, there are several methods like the case story method, the course portfolio method, interactive multi-media, critical thinking and demonstration and role playing methods, which have been reported to bring a better understanding of the subject material for the adult students. The research revealed that the teachers were aware of the different motivations and approaches of their adult and children learners and tried to modulate their teaching styles and behaviors in the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Eradication of Smallpox Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Eradication of Smallpox - Research Paper Example The present research has identified that since smallpox was spread by air, it was very difficult to contain it in congested human settlements such as cities.   Not until the discovery of medical vaccination were humans able to protect themselves against smallpox. While vaccination option remained controversial throughout, there is no doubt that it greatly helped contain the disease and save thousands of lives. The improvement in sanitary conditions in cities and hygiene levels in hospitals had also contributed to controlling the disease. As statistics from Britains National Health Service shows, the first stage in the elimination of smallpox was achieved during the middle of last century, when â€Å"virulent smallpox (variola) was replaced naturally in Britain by a milder type (alastrim), antigenically identical but with a much lower mortality (1 percent). This was then gradually eliminated by increased attention to isolation and contact tracing†. However, the threat of smal lpox still persisted as sporadic outbreaks of both these variants remained till the 1960s. But through a combination of vaccination, safety legislation and improvement in sanitary conditions, smallpox was completely eradicated from Europe and America by 1970. The World Health Organization was encouraged by the success in advanced countries and attempted to replicate this success in the rest of the world. But the medical community always had hope, for smallpox was an ideal candidate for eradication. For example, the immune system of the affected individual got boosted after about. Secondly, â€Å"the virus was antigenically stable (unlike influenza); there were no carriers (unlike typhoid) or animal reservoirs (unlike malaria)†. To add to this, effective vaccines were being developed. And the medical community was also aware that robust control measures can be implemented to contain an emerging epidemic. So in the 1970s, a worldwide eradication drive was implemented. Surveilla nce-containment was the buzzword associated with this drive. This involved â€Å"trained workers searching for cases, with rewards for those who found them.

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

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Eradication of Smallpox Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Eradication of Smallpox - Research Paper Example The present research has identified that since smallpox was spread by air, it was very difficult to contain it in congested human settlements such as cities.   Not until the discovery of medical vaccination were humans able to protect themselves against smallpox. While vaccination option remained controversial throughout, there is no doubt that it greatly helped contain the disease and save thousands of lives. The improvement in sanitary conditions in cities and hygiene levels in hospitals had also contributed to controlling the disease. As statistics from Britains National Health Service shows, the first stage in the elimination of smallpox was achieved during the middle of last century, when â€Å"virulent smallpox (variola) was replaced naturally in Britain by a milder type (alastrim), antigenically identical but with a much lower mortality (1 percent). This was then gradually eliminated by increased attention to isolation and contact tracing†. However, the threat of smal lpox still persisted as sporadic outbreaks of both these variants remained till the 1960s. But through a combination of vaccination, safety legislation and improvement in sanitary conditions, smallpox was completely eradicated from Europe and America by 1970. The World Health Organization was encouraged by the success in advanced countries and attempted to replicate this success in the rest of the world. But the medical community always had hope, for smallpox was an ideal candidate for eradication. For example, the immune system of the affected individual got boosted after about. Secondly, â€Å"the virus was antigenically stable (unlike influenza); there were no carriers (unlike typhoid) or animal reservoirs (unlike malaria)†. To add to this, effective vaccines were being developed. And the medical community was also aware that robust control measures can be implemented to contain an emerging epidemic. So in the 1970s, a worldwide eradication drive was implemented. Surveilla nce-containment was the buzzword associated with this drive. This involved â€Å"trained workers searching for cases, with rewards for those who found them.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Retail Failure of Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retail Failure of Tesco - Essay Example The present research has identified that the Tesco management employs the marketing concepts. Pricing is one marketing concept. Promotion is another viable concept. Product quality is a necessary product concept. The place is an important marketing concept. Further, Tesco management institutes the complicated management functions. Controlling is one of the functions. Organizing is another management function. Staffing is a third management function. Planning is the fourth management function. Directing is the last management function. Furthermore, the first United States branch was set up during 2007. The branches are strategically located in California. With the huge population in California, The United States Tesco branch investment was estimated at around  £250 million during the 2007 groundbreaking operations. The company is expected to fund additional  £250 million during the 2008 and future years. Additionally, the additional yearly investments are pegged to set up branches in other major cities in the United States. Tesco’ Chief Operating Officer Terry Leahy mentioned that â€Å"the investment in the Tesco United States is another leg in the Tesco United Kingdom’s expansion into internationally lucrative nations.† The Chief Operating Officer enthusiastically claims that the United States expansion is very bold and profitable venture. The officer is correct for the United States is one of the biggest economies in the world. With a nation of the huge number of prospective customers, the Tesco United States branch is expected to play a significant role in augmenting the revenues generated by the Tesco home office branches located in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the company planned to set up an estimated 1,000 Tesco United States branches starting in 2007, where the initial branch was established in California. During 2008, the company targeted the setting of an additional 200 Tesco United States branches during 2008 alone.

Monday, October 14, 2019

A Case Study Of Apple Inc

A Case Study Of Apple Inc In the course of this paper, the author discusses about the practices of Reverse Logistics in Enterprise with Apple Inc being the case study of this discussion. This course work will be focusing on the key characteristics, benefits, implementation issues, barriers to implementation and risks of the practice. All the practices of reverse logistics would be correlated with the case study so a clear understanding is achieved on how reverse logistics really works, also a brief history of the case study is discussed herein. In previous years Reverse Logistics has been side lined and never given a serious thought, companies/organizations did not welcome the idea until recently, this was due to the fact that its introduction and implementation was perceived as a cumbersome, mainly because of its broad impact on environmental and human health (Rogers and Tibben Lembke, 1999). However today this is not the case as consumer electronics firms such as Apple, Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, etc. are now in stiff competition with each because they all practice a well organised reverse logistics scheme, this is so because such companies have come to a realisation that reverse logistics really does work boost profits, profits being the ultimate goal for every company. Furthermore firms that have not embraced and accepted the importance of an effective RL program are at very high risk of harming their organisations reputation and customers. However before one can understand the term Reverse Logistics we must first know and understand what Logistics is and what it is really all about. Gen.3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW Logistics is the planning and management of the flow of resources between the initial point of manufacture to the final point of sale or destination. These resources can be from manufacture, production, packaging, inventory, transportation, warehousing, information flow etc. (Council of logistics management, 2004) Logistics simply emphasizes the movement of products from one stage to the other (manufactures to customers), it has a number of fields but in the course of this work we will look at just one which is Reverse Logistics. Reverse Logistics is very similar to Logistics, as all the afore mentioned processes are carried out the only difference being that the activities or processes take place in the reverse or opposite direction. Reverse logistics according to Aviral Gupta 2009 can be explained in two simple steps: 1. Removal of new or used products from their original point in a supply chain and this includes, returns from consumers, over stocked inventory, or redundant merchandise. 2. Redistributing products using product return management procedure that will result in maximized value at the end of the products original useful life. Reverse Logistics is the process of removing original or used products from consumers back to the manufacturer; it is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of re-capturing value, recycling or proper disposal. It is the process of removing new, old, unwanted or used products from one point to another, for the purpose of revalue or proper disposal. (REVLOG, 2004) Reverse Logistics is basically the process of returning a faulty, defective or no longer in use products from the customer to the manufacturer in order to recapture value, for example if one was to recycle a bottle or a piece of paper that is taking part in the reverse logistics process. 1.3 PRM and SPM The two important points within any reverse logistics process come under the areas of products return management (PRM) and service parts management (SPM). PRM is based on the receiving, processing, and nature of product that come back from the customer to the manufacturer, while the service part management focuses on having the right inventory and management at the appropriate location to support service repair operations with spare parts. An effective PRM programme offers the possibility for value improvement and cost reduction. (Michael, 2012) CHARACTERISTICS OF REVERSE LOGISTICS Some of the characteristics of a good reverse logistics process are: A reverse logistics operation must have suitable collection and service support points to receive the used products from the customer. Packaging and storage systems must ensure that the remaining value in the used product is not lost due to careless or poor handling. The transportation mode must be compatible with existing forward logistic system. Disposition includes returning goods to storage warehouses, returning goods to the original manufacturer, selling goods in secondary markets, recycling, to get maximum value realization. Landfill has to do with disposal of products or parts that cannot be used. (Aviral,2009) Below is a cycle of the process of reverse logistics. Customer Production Dept Packaging Dept Distributor Testing Disassembling Service Support Receiving Dept Re-use/Re-sell Recycling Remanufacturing Figure 1.1 The cycle explains that the product comes from the customer and goes back to the manufacturer. The customer returns the product, the product goes either to the distributor or the service and support department this then goes to the test and disassembling department when it is tested and when the problem has been diagnosed it goes to the remanufacturing department it is either the product is refurbished and re-sold or recycled and most times when the products cannot be recycled it has to be disposed of (Landfill). Regardless of the issues all products need to be collected and sorted before transporting to the next phase. People return goods for various reasons and these reasons are stated below: Commercial Returns- customers dissatisfaction or due to catalogue sales. Repairable Returns- if the product has defective components. End-of-Use Returns- when the components are no longer useful to the original owner but can be useful to another person. E.g. trade-in End-of-Life Returns- Recalled by the manufacturer LeBlanc, H.M in his PhD thesis stated that there are 5 stages in the processing of returned goods, which are: Product Acquisition Collection sorting, testing Disposition Recovering Redistribution sales. This also agrees with the process in fig 1.1 BENEFITS OF REVERSE LOGISTICS Reverse Logistics is beneficial to both customers and manufacturers, below are some benefits of reserve logistics. (Liz et al, 2000) Consistency Transport costs Improved customer service Labour saving and expertise Increased flexibility and agility through management by exception Improved partner retention and satisfaction. More key benefits are improved inventory management and high revenue by offering new products in place of the old one. (Aviral, 2009).Reverse logistics is a tool to cut cost and improve customer satisfaction; it is also a competitive strategy. The drivers of reverse logistics can act as both benefits/incentive and as barriers depending on the company. BARRIERS TO REVERSE LOGISTICS There are several reasons and explanations why companies in the past did not accept and introduce reverse logistics but today a change in the perception and understanding of RL has been noticed as several companies have not only embraced but also implemented this idea. Change for the better they say is always met with obstacles and barriers, little wonder that such a great idea that would frontier a major positive change production and manufacture has been faced with barrier and implementation issues, it is important to differentiate between these two issues, the main difference being Barriers are legal related whilst implementation issues pertains to issues relating to the company and organization. (Rogers Tibben-Lembke,1999). Some of these barriers are as follows: Legal issues Environmental issues The government has strict rules and regulations about recycling sites and also companies do not want to have to carry the extra burden of paying tax for recycling sites. The major proof of environmental problems comes from the rapid need of waste disposal. Previously the majority of the public wastes disposal was land filled, and this however poses an unacceptable environmental risk because of location of the landfill, which in hindsight have posed hazardous risks to human health through ground water contamination and toxic air emissions. (Gungor, A., Gupta, S. M., 1999) Landfill sites have become a major issue as it pertains to the environment and human health because it has played out that the cons of having a landfill far outweighs its pros, strains on the natural environment as well as sickness from contamination became the order of the day. Hence the government, environmental bodies and individual are very sceptical about Landfill sites. 4.1 ISSUES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND RISKS Lack of publicity and knowledge of Reverse Logistics Under-development of recycling technology Misconception Lack of management attention and company policy Companies with little or no knowledge of reverse logistics think that reverse logistics has a high cost of operation and most of these companies have low financial resources. (Kwok, H U. Yiming, W., 2009) Many companies are of the opinion that returns compared to sales generate little or no money but with the introduction and initiative of the internet, sales returns of goods products by customers have improved. (Anindya R, 2003) Forward logistics systems are not designed for reverse logistics system, some companies do not understand this fact and it leads to poor services and eventually to failure. (Laura M. Joseph S, 2002) Poor inventory deployment is also a factor because if the inventory is not managed and organised properly then companies would not know what is in their inventory and what parts they need to ask their suppliers for, when there is lack of knowledge of reverse logistics then there is bound to be risks of failure. But these issues of implementation to reverse logistics were a traditional way of thinking because these days companies have embraced the practice of reverse logistics. Financial risks are also involved when a company does not have the means and financial status to run a reverse logistics practice, practicing a good and organised forward logistics does not necessarily mean that the same company can manage a successful reverse logistics scheme without adequate knowledge and top management planning. Another issue of implementing reverse logistics is the decision to carry out the operation in-house or to outsource, this decision can be based on a number of factors; Volume: if returned goods are low in number then the need to outsource isnt necessary. Cost-control: if the subcontract can perform the tasks more cost effective then the enterprise in question then the need to outsource can be considered. Complexity of Task: if there are varieties of tasks like inspection, testing, repair, repackaging, recycling, refurbishing etc, all these are time consuming for an enterprise that isnt well into the reverse operation then the enterprise can decide to outsource. Other factors of outsourcing may include: accuracy and data control, security etc. (Jade, 2002) REVERSE LOGISTICS: IMPACT ON THE PERMONANCE OF SUPPLY CHAIN The performance of reverse logistics can directly influence the entire supply chain system (Blumberg, 2005). Reverse logistics is better in information sharing between customer, supplier and manufacturers (Curran Ladd, 2000).It improves the flexibility, reliability of the supply chain system (Chopra Meindl, 2001). It helps in product development, shortened product life and development cycles can help companies to improve on their products and services. Reverse logistics helps in operational excellence and expertise, the management of products from manufacturing and into the closing stage which is sales and brings about cost and efficiency benefits of reverse logistics to the supply chain. The result of reverse logistics improves services to customers and better financial performance for the supply chain as a whole and its members individually, it reduces cost, increases revenue and customer services and help to obtain market advantage. (James, 2007) CASE STUDY: APPLE INC. 6.1 A Brief History: Apple Inc is an American worldwide enterprise which was established on April 1, 1976 and founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne with headquarters in California. According to statistics it is the worlds third largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia (Linzmayer, 1999). Apple manufactures and sells a variety of electronics computers (Mac), phones (iphones), iPods, ipads, application software printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones etc. It is a highly competitive market. Apples brand is driven by 3 elements: confidence, competence and customers, it sells worldwide through its online stores and retail stores, third-party, resellers etc. Apple sold more than 45 million units of iPod according to their annual sales report in 2007, on May 19, 2001 and it opened its first official Apple retail store in Virginia and California. 6.2 Reverse Logistics Operations: Previously their take-back (reverse logistics) program comprised of 2 methods: Customer drop-off Direct shipment to their centralized return centre When customers drop off the products at the service centres the products are merged before being shipped to the centralized return centre and customers do not have to pay for shipping and handling. In recent times Apple has added an online return system, in which a customer fills out the return form and once the application is completed successfully and it meets all required criteria Apple Inc sends a packaging box for the customer to ship the product back to them for either trade-in or whatever the case maybe. A case was published in an SC Digest about a customer who requested for his defective iPod to be returned online at the Apple website. He keyed in relevant information asked and within 12hours he got a mail from Apple confirming that the product was still under warranty and approving the return. Within 2days Apple delivered via express package service a box for shipping the product back to one of its source centres, within weeks a new iPod was delivered to him.( SC digest, 2009) Basically even if a customer goes to a service and support centre of one of the retail centres and asks for a take back or replace, the product is checked and if it is still under warranty or has a defect it is taken and shipped to the testing and disassembling centre for testing, remanufacturing, recycling or disposal if necessary and the customer does not have to pay for shipment. A personal case happened that a customer went to an Apple retail shop with a defective product for a trade-in, the product was tested and within 1week a new phone was sent to the customer. 6.3 Environmental issues and means of improving For many years Apple has been working on means to minimize the impact their products have on the environment. Their first policy was developed in 1990, since then they have been designing new means of energy efficiency, reducing environmental impact via digital consumption. In 2010 Apple introduced the Apple Battery charger for recharging batteries, instead of the disposal alkaline batteries and this reduces waste by 78%. (Apple Inc, 2012). In recent times Apple faced an enormous number of concerns about toxic pollution and industrial unit accidents at an overseas suppliers factory in China, and that environmental examinations would be separate from an independent investigate of working conditions at the overseas factory of the supplier. Apple Inc reviewed this problem and hopes to make public the results of the review. (Kathy, 2012) Greenpeace international campaigned against Apple on various environmental issues regarding a particular chemical called polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants BFRs toxins in their products, on the 2nd of May 2007 Steve Jobs released a statement announcing the policy to eliminate the toxins by the end of 2008 (Apple Inc, 2008), the enterprise has since eliminated the toxins from their products becoming the first laptop manufacturer to do so. (ABC News, 2007) Because of the issues about landfill sites Apple has devised a means to meet the energy requirements of their landfill site in Carolina using renewable resources. The energy efficient design element of Apples facility will include a construction process that utilizes 14% recycled materials diverted 93% of construction waste from landfill and sourced 41% of purchased materials within 500 miles of the site (Apple,2012). Apple is devoted to protecting and shielding the environment, health and safety of employees, customers; in fact the whole planet from environmental hazards and this is stated in their environment health and safety policy statement. Apple Inc has a life cycle assessment process that evaluates the effect a product has on the environment throughout its life cycle and the objective of the assessment does is to improve resource efficiency while trying at the same time to reduce the impact the product has on the environment during the activities of recycling, manufacturing, re-manufacturing, distribution, usage and disposal. Apple is market driven, has strong leadership, strong direction, and great software support, has a good financial analysis report so the basic implementation issues like financial issues, lack of knowledge of reverse logistics, misconception etc are not factors for Apple as compared to some other companies. 6.4 Success/benefits of implementation. Apple has mastered the act of reverse logistics and they have success stories in the following fields: impact on supply chain management, relative price performance, product quality, reliability, design innovation, marketing and distribution capacity, service and support, corporate reputation, constant development etc (John, 2010) A previous challenge that Apple had was the consumer mindset about environmental issues but the public have a better opinion about Apple products in recent years because of the extent on how Apple has gone to tackle and improve the environmental issues they had in the past. Reverse logistics has helped to improve expertise and also helped to satisfy customers. According to the table below Apple has a 45% inventory return. source:http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/amr-research-apple-has-the-best-supply-chain-dell-no-2/18791 CONCLUSION: In the course of this paper, the author attempted to analyze reverse logistics activities in the manufacturing/ consumer company. There are several issues in the recycling, reuse, refurbishing, or appropriate disposal of products. The primary barrier to the practice of reverse logistics programs in some organisations is lack of knowledge and misconception. The reasons to implement reverse logistics are very basic; to reuse products and salvage redistributing unsold products. Though initial studies indicate that reverse logistics practises once implemented, yield cost-savings, these examples are far and few between as has been seen with the case of Apple Inc. Information Technology plays a vital role in reverse logistics because its applications are used to trace and track the goods and products on their return trip from the customer to the initial point of manufacture. Apple has grasped this fact and it has enabled them operate in the reverse supply chain channels efficiently.