Bae Assignment

BAE Business Case Study Submitted by: Susan Pacheco April 17, 2013 Table of Contents Part 1: Executive Summary3 Part 2: Main Issue4 Part 3: Systemic Issues4 Leadership & Project Management issues4 Political Pressure to Fast-Track Project5 Design Issues5 Communication Breakdowns6 City Involvement (Delays)6 BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)6 Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis7 Qualitative Analysis:7 Project Management7 People (Unqualified):8 Build-Design8 Economic & Political Considerations8 Success with United Airlines9 Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options:9 Alternative A9Alternative B11 Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation11 Recommendation:11 Recommendations Implementation Plan:12 Part 7: Monitor and Control:13 Part 8: Conclusion:13 Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes13 Part 1: Executive Summary In order to address the immediate issue of the letter received by the City Mayor holding us responsible for the delay of the new baggage system by charging BAE a penalty of $12k/day backdated to October 29, 1993 and also requesting a charge back for the $50M tug-and-cart baggage backup system, immediate action and priority needs to be given to address this accusation.A prompt analysis of our project plan and missed milestones with reasons and factual data is critical in defending our position. We need to prove where certain milestones outside our control were missed and the domino effect it created and where dependencies to our commitments were broken and by whom. There were many points at which we voiced our concerns on the project delays and access issues that further hindered our ability to perform but no one took responsibility or acknowledged the delay.In addition, the Build-Design approach has in itself created many hurdles and time delays outside our control as well as created unfavourable working conditions that were unsustainable for our teams. Our current situation is a mere symptom of a lack of a proper project management s tructure and qualified personnel at DIA. Also lack of sponsorship by the city Mayor has created silos and a negative effect on the project flow. The build-design approach is one of the biggest issues but with proper management it can be overcome.Based on BAE’s experience and successful past projects, we can confidently recommend a new structure that has worked in past projects. Given that history I feel we need to propose a drastic change to DIA’s Project Management team and propose a new structure which includes a new Project Manager to oversee the entire project team, appointment of additional team members (see Appendix 1) and new hires with the right skill sets. See Appendix 2 to see RACI Matrix proposal.The proposal is to continue with the new airport wide baggage system implementation only under the condition that DIA restructure their project management team and obtains sponsorship from the City Mayor and Aviation Director. A team approach must be understood by a ll parties involved as there are too many moving parts and it is impossible to expect BAE to independently manage all moving parts for what is out of our control especially with a Build-Design plan.This new platform will allow BAE and DIA’s members to educate, make timely critical decisions, identify risks and critical milestones and hold members accountable for their respective roles. Assuming our proposal is accepted, the overall expected timing from initial contact to identifying risks under the new team structure is 9 weeks. With this plan, a backup system would not be required, thereby avoiding this $50M additional cost. The seriousness of this accusation would put BAE at permanent financial risk if not bankruptcy.Promptness and priority in handling this situation is critical. Beyond the financial impact, there is also the reputation BAE has always enjoyed as being a leader in the marketplace worldwide can also have a negative effect on current and future projects with o ther institutions. Part 2: Main Issue City of Denver issued a penalty request of $12k/day backdated to original start-up completion date of October 29, 1993 including a $50 M charge back for a tug-and-cart baggage backup system. This main issue is a result of the systemic issues which are listed below. Part 3: Systemic IssuesLeadership & Project Management issues Shared leadership between city of Denver & Consultant team created many inefficiencies, duplicate work and lack of real ownership. Additionally no organizational structure change at DIA was ever made to accommodate this new baggage system project. Further complicating the matter was the communication channels and roles between city, PMT and consultants were not defined or controlled. All were working in silos. Engineers are inefficiently creating piles of change documentation that are not really managed or communicated.Waste of time just to cover their tracks. There is NO real qualified Project Manager to oversee the entire project and bridge the gap between DIA and their top Carriers United & Continental, City Council and BAE. We have been expected to manage the project with everyone working in their silos with no real support or team goal or management as a whole. In order to keep things moving along, we need a DIA counterpart to produce engineering alternatives and make quick decisions on cost, alternatives, scheduling etc.Currently there are too many chefs in the kitchen with no real one person in charge. They had to balance project administration political and social responsibilities. The Working Area 4 Managers that was assigned to us have no experience in airport construction, baggage system technologies or new technologies, their main experience is in construction project control management. As such they don’t know how to properly support our requests and needs to keep the project going forward.In addition to this since there is no project manager in charge and lack of proper structure we have to liaise with and to obtain feedback from each Concourse Senior manager and Main terminal manager. It is apparent that they each operate independently making any agreement difficult as we need to transcend the decisions and get agreement across all four managers. It is apparent that they each are making independant decisions and trying to tie them all together is very difficult. This creates further bottlenecks for us.Lack of a designated project manager to oversee and manage inputs/outputs from the City, DIA and BAE created a painful process, hurt relationships and lack of accountability and control. Head of DIA project resigned and death of Chief Airport Engineer Walter Slinger (Oct. 1992), a strong proponent of the baggage system and closely involved in negotiations with us had a significant impact on the project. He was a decisive, empowered decision maker who knew how to address problems and get them resolved promptly. His successor Gail Edmond was not successful in ca rrying ut the same duties as she was much less experienced and lacked the autonomy, experience and guts to make much needed quick decisions. Her hands were tied with red tape and took much longer to make any decisions. Overall we had a poor relationship with the management team who had no prior baggage handling competence or experience. The project was mainly treated as a major public works project resulting in a lack of support when we needed it for any of our complaints on timing, access etc†¦ Political Pressure to Fast-Track ProjectThere were many factors that influenced and pressured this project to a fast-track pace which had some resulting serious consequences both in delays and cost. This pushed the project into a Build-Design project which had created some major delays and cost increases. Some of the other influencing factors are as follows: * DBO Date of Beneficial Occupancy payback date of January 1, 1994 * Project Management Team pressured to push project ahead at al l cost due to long periods of assessment, negotiation and final approvals. Political pressure from Mayor to force project through a fast-track for their own political stature gain and public optics Design Issues The decision to install a new large scale airport-wide baggage system came after the building design was already determined and we were faced with fully defined project specs which underplayed the importance and significance of some important requirements of a baggage system (space, electrical power needs, building structure requirements, ventilation and air conditioning to dissipate) These issues created further bottlenecks and delays in our implementation.Further delays and changes resulted from DIA’s lack of consulting with and conducting a needs assessment with their two top carriers United & Continental which accounted for more than 70% of passenger traffic prior to project start. Their needs were never incorporated into the initial design and program, as a resul t further changes were requested to design and software just 6 months prior to the needed opening date. We had to deal with this even though the mechanical and software designs were supposed to be frozen. Communication BreakdownsWe communicated to United we would need 1 more year to get system up and running but no one listened nor was the message passed along to DIA or the City. We also at many points tried to engage DIA about the delays, access issues and construction bottlenecks that was causing direct delays in our work and we were not given precedent or access when needed. Infact the attitude was that these construction workers were not reporting to BAE to have to listen. City Involvement (Delays) Law restrictions forcing 30% of minority-owned firms and 6% women.This law forced us to forgo our original proposal of using our own qualified employees in lieu of external outside contractors which estimated an increased cost of approximately 60%. Some of our expertise was lost due t o this fact in addition to causing further delays to our project. In Sept. 1993 we went into maintenance negotiations which lead to a 2 day strike of 300 millwrights that was joined by 200 electricians over a $8/hr delta pay dispute. We lost the maintenance contract as well as a 2 day delay. BAE Conditions on Contract Signing (April 1992)The conditions and milestones we placed upon accepting the job was not respected by the city or adhered to, nor was there any provisions made to address issues along the way. ( i. e. freeze dates for mechanical design, software design, power requirements and the like, all around access, timely completion of certain areas, provision of permanent power, computer rooms†¦ these were all set as milestones in our project plan. The city had agreed to these conditions with unrestricted access with priority for BAE equipment yet we didn’t even have reasonable access.For example: * Electricians had to leave work where concrete grinders were creati ng clouds of dust, * Fumes from chemical sealants forced others to flea * Trucks blocking and restricting * Design Freeze dates not adhered to: Airlines requested changes to system designing even though mechanical/software designs were frozen. (6 months prior to opening airport, still moving equipment around, changing controls and software design! * Energy issues – City unable to supply â€Å"clean† electricity to the baggage system. Motors and circuitry used in system extremely sensitive to power surges and fluctuations.Filters were purchased to correct the problem and a City Worker cancelled a contract without realising that the filters were part of it. Filters arrived several months later in March 1994. 1. Construction already begun on terminal and concourses with substantial changes needed on construction to accommodate expanded system. We wrote a letter to city (Jan, 29, 1995) to request prompt action advising of inability to complete project under these condition s with no response or support. Part 4: Environmental & Root cause Analysis Qualitative Analysis:BAE is a highly qualified with a revered reputation, experienced in projects across the US, Europe and Australia in the development, design, manufacture and install and support of every project it undertook from start to finish. We established a strong position in the US accounting for about 90% of U. S. baggage sorting equipment sales. Since 1972 – 1994 we had successfully designed, manufactured and installed nearly 70 automated baggage handling systems worth almost $50M at major airports in the US, New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Newark and Pittsburgh.We also consulted in the installation of a $550M terminal for the New Seoul Metropolitan Airport in South Korea. Given our successful history and past accomplishments, it is without a doubt that our management capabilities and expertise in handling various types of projects, with various types of people a nd countries, proves our commitment, capabilities and expertise in handling complex variables and situations for every project we undertake. Knowing the strategic importance and complexity of this particular project, we had agreed to take on the project only upon acceptance of certain conditions which was accepted by the City.Many of these conditions were not honored throughout the process causing unnecessary delays, additional costs, strained relationships both with the City and DIA management and hurt our reputation Project Management Lack of communication, ownership and project management both at DIA & the City of Denver was the source of this pivotal problem. Since the contract was awarded by the City, they were responsible to enforce the compliance of the agreed upon conditions and communicate and enforce these conditions to DIA and their employees.In turn DIA did not have a specific Project manager to oversee the entire project as a whole and to act as a liaison between us, th e City and their Carriers. Instead we were forced to deal with their respective â€Å"Area† managers one on one which was counterproductive, time consuming and ineffective. We also had to deal with direct changes from the Carriers themselves which further haulted our project. We were setup for failure given the lack of direction and control at DIA’s side and the City’s dogmatic approach to making decisions.For a project of this magnitude, there was no consideration made to employ either Key Managers or Project Manager to oversee, manage and liaise between the three concourse areas. This created some major gaps and no one was there to keep the pulse on the project itself. This was not implemented thus creating a gap in communication, a silo-type attitude amongst decision makers creating no support-system for the major role we played in this implementation. It was apparent that roles between the City, PMT at DIA and Consultants were not defined or controlled.Every one was working in silos. People (Unqualified): In addition to the management issues, our Assigned Area 4 Managers, lacked the experience in airport construction and baggage system technologies, therefore could not understand the importance and properly support our needs nonetheless handle our requests in a prompt manor. In order to keep things moving along, we needed a DIA counterpart who would be able to produce engineering alternatives and have the autonomy to make decisions. The death of DIA’s Chief Airport Engineer, Walter Slinger created significant impact to our operations as he was decisive and addressed problems promptly. This was an important critical role required for the success of this project. His successor, Gail Edmond lacked the experience, know-how, decision making capabilities and autonomy that further haulted the process. Build-Design The Political pressure to fast-track this project lead to a Build-Design approach to this airport construction which caused many unknown risks and design issues that we had to deal with upon commencement.We were unaware of the construction scope and details to be able to fully understand the scope of the project before undertaking. This also lead to a reactive vs. proactive planning. This posed many unknown risks, changes and modifications to our plans along the way. The instability of this process created many points of change, delays and cost additions and we did our best to manage what was in our control. The point is that many of these delays were NOT within our control, nor did we have any support from the city to enforce DIA’s construction project to meet our agreed upon milestones to meet our own obligations.Economic & Political Considerations The economy in mid 1980’s was plummeting with a 37% job loss average across Stapeltons Employment Industries. The Pena administration aggressively promoted the airport relocation, marketing the new airport as a technologically advanced, state-o f-the – art structure to draw businesses, import federal capital and fund the creation of new jobs with bonded debts to overcome the short-term decline in the economy. It was to become a grand project that would be the main showcase for the Public Works Department.The relationship between BAE and the City was strained primarily because their focus was on airport project speed and bond re-payment and not on the project itself. They were motivated by their own public perception in the political realm. Their â€Å"hands-off† approach was detrimental in the success of this project and served more as a crutch and hinderance. When it came to asking for support it felt like they were working against us and not with us. Their strength was not in project management but they had the power to make key decisions which influenced and affected our overall success.The added pressure of paying the DBO by Jan 1, 1994 forced quick management decisions, early construction without a full scope analysis and risk mitigation not just with BAE but also with DIA. Forced the Build-Design approach which inherently greatly affected our ability to succeed given the lack of adherence to the agreed conditions. Success with United Airlines Once the contract was signed with United exclusively things went smoothly. The successful implementation of the baggage system with United highlighted what was lacking in dealing with DIA and City directly.The success highlighted and confirmed our ability to manage the project with a partner who understood the technical and project management needs. Part 5: Alternatives and/or Options: Alternative A Continue with the contract for installing the baggage handling system conditional upon the following restructuring & requirements: Hiring of new qualified members at DIA. 1. DIA to hire a dedicated qualified Project Manager for the baggage handling system overall project with prior project management experience.One whom understands the key tasks, key players has a strong construction and technological background with project management skills to document, track, address and facilitate the communications between all DIA parties and that of BAE and City Administration. A clear definition of this person’s role, decision-making authority and sponsorship by Senior Management is critical. 2. DIA to hire a new Chief Airport Engineer with strong decision making and leadership skills with the autonomy to make decisions and propose Gail Edmond work under him/her as Chief Associate Engineer. . The new Project Manager’s goal is to gather all appropriate key stakeholders as proposed in Appendix 1 to conduct 3 main initial sessions with all key stakeholders (*see Appendix 1) to: I. Conduct a full risk assessment whereby identifying all risks, prioritise them, have an action plan to mitigate some of them, formulate contingency plans and assign responsible persons to manage the risks. II. Establish a Project Objective Statemen t, and Create a new project master plan, III.Team member establishment: Establish who key players are, their strengths, weaknesses, outlining roles and create a RACI matrix *See Appendix 2 for DIA, BAE, and City for roles and responsibilities for all planning and execution tasks of the project 4. City to hire or appoint a qualified Liaison with construction, engineering and or technical background experience who is solely assigned to this project with no other conflicting priorities with the autonomy to make decisions.This person’s role is to ensure that legislation doesn’t interfere or adversely cause timing risks to the project plan and expedite issues/roadblocks when they arise between DIA, BAE and the city. This proposal is supported by the fact that our design has proven it will work given the proper management setup framework as demonstrated by our successful implemention of the new baggage handling system with United Airlines. The current lack of the â€Å"righ t† project team members will be addressed by this new proposed structure. With the right sponsorship and roject management setup, this will encourage all to be on the same page and working towards the same goal. The added benefit of this is that timelines will be clear and visible and will hold those truly responsible for delays in their respective areas and help them and all team members understand the domino affect and impact it can have on the entire project as a whole. This will discourage the current work â€Å"silo† mentality and will promote an integrated meeting of the minds where risks and opportunities for improvement can be quickly identified, communicated and cascaded to the right people.This will also ensure that the right decision makers are present to make judgement calls on plan changes as they come along and not further hold up the process. This should put the plan back on target and give us a working plan going forward where all key players are informe d, consulted and responsible for outcomes. The cost of setting up this new structure is by far a more economical way to get the task done without the added financial burden of creating a new â€Å"backup† system. Pros: * Renewed Focus on project with key roles and responsibilities outlined set’s clear goals, accountability and ownership. Address risks and enable the team to mitigate them * Clear direction and leadership by all stakeholders and their inputs * Expedite critical milestones and ensure we are on the path * Maintain reputation * No further $ investment for backup system Cons: * New hires required Alternative B Cancel the contract with Denver. Discontinue involvement in any further development unless directly contracted by Carriers. Pros: * Focus on core business Cons * Damaged reputation for BAE * Litigation costs * $12k / day penalty Law suit risk – Pay back of $50M Baggage system backup plan Part 6: Recommendations and Implementation Recommendation: Based on my analysis the strategic impact of cancelling the project at this point would further create a bad reputation for BAE, especially considering the current damage already made to BAE by the unsolicited test plan executed by the mayor and the bad press that has already caused. The decision to continue with the project conditional upon a new team structure is a reasonable request given our past successful history and project management expertise.I feel that we have a strong argument for our position backed up by facts that are undeniable and can thus prove our innocence and lack of responsibility for the delay. This will prove to be a sensitive topic as it appears that it is easier to blame us for the delays. With a mutual understanding about the current situation, I believe it will be easier to convince the Mayor and Aviation director the value the new structure would bring and that a new backup system is not the answer and would cause unnecessary further financial burden, h urt relationships and bad press which no one wants.The success of BAE in installing United’s baggage system will be highlighted as an example of the right team structure and how we can achieve the same if we are united in the goal and agree to this plan. Recommendations Implementation Plan: Some of the short term elements of the recommendations are already completed or in progress such as building our case / position with regards to reasons for the delays. The following outlines the steps required to make this happen. Task| Responsible| Timing| Build case.Engage with Project Manager BAE to identify original plan & milestones and detailed reasons for incomplete tasks. Prepare PPT presentation with key dataWrite back to City Mayor, acknowledging letter and request for a formal meeting to present response with a set date. | BAE Project MgrBAE AdminGene DiFonso| 3 days2 days1 day| Invite to meet with DIA Director of Aviation to present challenges/issues faced throughout the proje ct and the delay outcome. Explain the current position we are in with regards to the city’s demands with the objective to gain support for the new proposed structure. Gene DiFonso| 1 day fixed| Invite DIA Director of Aviation & City Mayor to formal meeting to present project delay reasons/issues & recommendation for continuation of project with recommended structure| Gene DiFonso| 1 day (fixed)| Prepare & Present the proposed structure and Project Team Method Matrix and explain it’s criticality and past effectiveness in other successful projects and why this is necessary even if a backup baggage system is implemented | Gene DiFonso| 3 days| Assume DIA’s buy – in and that it takes DIA 1 month to hire Project Manager and restructure the Project Management Team| Director of Aviation| 30 days| Work with new Project Management Team to identify construction risks that interfere with our design/implementation plans & come up with alternate solutions. | Gene DiFo nso & PMT| 1 week| Develop new Strategy with new key Milestones | Gene DiFonso, | 2 weeks| Obtain Buy-In & Committment from key stakeholders| City Mayor, Director of Aviation| 1 day (fixed| | Total| 9 weeks| 1st Meeting with new Project Team Members| | | | | | Any critical changes to the original plans will be reported promptly to DIA Project Manager and voiced in Team Meetings. Any critical plan changes will equire Sponsor sign offs (acknowledgment and approval of change to plan for reasons outside BAE’s control) before BAE continues with implementation. Part 7: Monitor and Control: * Weekly internal meetings with BAE’s project management team will be conducted to keep pulse on project timelines and areas of risk. * Attend weekly Project Meeting Team meetings to identify risks, action items, schedule changes and react to them. * Submit bi-weekly reports on status to key sponsors & stakeholders. * Hold monthly review meetings with Sponsors Part 8: Conclusion: In conclu sion, the current difficulties we are experiencing with DIA and City Administration has served as a costly example of lack of poor management structure for a project of this magnitude.Our past successes can speak for itself in approaching DIA and City Mayor for their support to the new proposal based on our experience. If this new approach is accepted, this will save BAE millions of dollars in lawsuits and cost of new baggage system as charged by the City Mayor. The optics of getting back on track, having a strong management team and continuing with the original plan will serve in favour of all, the Mayor, our shareholders, as well as redeem our own reputation as leaders in the market. We will then be positioned without a tarnished brand and enjoy further growth opportunities. Part 9: References, Exhibits and Appendixes Appendix 1 – New Project Management Team Structure Appendix 2 – RACI Matrix example (for initial phase) of new structure

Gearing and Capital Structure

The profit & loss statement of Biro Co is given below: Revenue 15,000 Cost of Sales (3,000) Gross profit 12,000 Expenses (2,500) Profit before interest & tax 9,500 Interest (2,200) Tax (1,300) Net Profit 6,000If 15% Expenses & 50% Cost of sales are variable costs. What is the operational gearing of Biro Co. nearest two decimal places using (Contribution à · PBIT)? (FIB)95256604000(2 marks)Q2. Hutt Co. has a debt of $200m with equity of $400m. The new investors are confused on the gearing level of Hutt Co. If the investors use debt to debt plus equity method which stage of gearing level is Hutt Co at? (MCQ)UngearedNormal GearedHighly GearedLow Geared(2 marks)Q3. What will be the effect on the financial risk of a company if the interest covers are as follows? (HA)Interest Cover is 6.5 times HIGH LOWInterest Cover is 3 times HIGH LOW(2 marks)Q4. The ordinary shares of a company have a face value of $0.3/share & are currently traded on the market for $5/share. The bonds have a face value of $100 and currently, trade at $110. The preference shares have a face value of $1 and currently, trade at 60 cents. What is the market value based gearing of the company, defined as prior charge capital/equity using the following information giving an answer to the nearest %? (FIB)$000 $000Equity Reserves 10,000 Ordinary Shares 4,200 14,200Non-current liabilities Bank loans 5,100 Bonds 3,500 Preference shares 6,000 14,600Current Liabilities Overdraft 2,000 Payables 3,200 5,20034,000-2032014541500(2 marks)Q5. Which of the following ratios relate to either Financial Risk or Business Risk? (HA)(Debt/Equity) Ãâ€" 100 FINANCIAL BUSINESS(PBIT/Interest) FINANCIAL BUSINESS(Fixed Cost/Variable Cost) FINANCIAL BUSINESS(2 marks)Q6. At 15th December 2011, a marketing agency declares an interim ordinary dividend of 9.3c/share and a final ordinary dividend of 10.2c/share. Assuming an ex-div share price of 612c, what is the dividend yield? (MCQ)1.52%1.67%3.19%3.74%(2 marks)Q7. A company has $205m assets and has liabilities of $70m. Current liabilities make up 20% of the total liabilities. The company has a profit after tax of $130 and the corporation tax in the market is 25%. The company has no interest paying loans. What is the return on capital employed? (MCQ)63%68%79%85%(2 marks)Q8. A group of shareholders was expecting an overall bad result for dividends but when the results were announced the results were not as bad as it was expected by the shareholders. This would probably have the following impact: (HA)Dividend Yield INCREASE UN-EFFECTED DECREASEPrice/ Earnings ratio INCREASE UN-EFFECTED DECREASE (2 marks)Q9. Warden Co. has a current share price of $8.5/share which was previously $4.7/share. The company paid a dividend of $2.6/share. What return would the shareholders likely to be given on their investment? (FIB)400055461000(2 marks)Q10. Which of the following statement relates to the ratios given below? (P&D)It provides a basic measure of the company performance This is the basic measure of a company's performance from an ordinary shareholder's point of view An indication of the effect on shareholders wealth RETURN OF SHAREHOLDERS PRICE/EARNINGS RATIO EARNINGS PER SHARE(2 marks)GEARING AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE (ANSWERS)Q1. 1.38Cost of sales = 3,000 Ãâ€" 50% = 1,500Expenses = 2,500 Ãâ€" 15% = 375Total variable cost = 1,875Contribution = 15,000 – 1,875 = 13,125Operational Gearing = 13,125 à · 9,500 = 1.38 Q2. DGearing = [200 à · (400+200)] Ãâ€" 100 = 33.33%Ungeared (0%), Normal Geared (=50%), Highly Geared (>50%) & Low Geared (

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International Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example A key issue for the company is the positioning strategy for the products; whether it should sustain the luxury image line or give in to modern design trends in order to broaden its target markets. This paper critically analyzes the influence of cultural environmental changes on Wedgwood's international marketing strategy in UK, Japan and USA. In the end, the paper summarizes a range of proposed strategies for the Wedgwood brands. Traditionally the houseware and specialties market, including the tableware market, has been characterized by slow yet steady market growth (Morgan et al, 2005). The compound annual growth rate for the market between 2000 and 2004 is 5.1% (Datamonitor, 2005). The market performance, respectively Wedgwood's sales have been driven by some strong consumer shopping preferences and spending patterns in several of the world's developed economies (Datamonitor, 2005). Internationally, Wedgwood operates in eastern (Japan) and western (Europe and USA) markets that have different cultural characteristics in terms of language, religion, and context in communications, values and many other aspects. For a product category like tableware that is culture-dependent, the socio-cultural aspects in Japan, United Kingdom and USA exercise key influence on local demand. These factors determine local branding and positioning and should guide Wedgwood in developing local marketing and communications strategies. The cultural elements that shape demand are grouped by Geert Hofstede according to five large dimensions - power distance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long versus short term orientation (Wikipedia, Geert Hofstede, 2006). All the three markets are masculine cultures (Wikidedia, Geert Hofstede, 2006), which reflects in more assertive behaviour, and visible search for achievements and self-expression (Wikipedia, Masculine and Feminine Cultures, 2006). The US market is characterized to be the most individualistic culture, whereas Japan is characterized by Hofstede as a collectivistic culture of the so called "community man" (Wikipedia, Collectivist and Individualist cultures, 2006). Still, social and economic changes in the Japanese society, "the end of guaranteed lifetime employment, [] and the loss of confidence in Government and financial institutions []" have shifted the collectivistic behaviour towards greater expressed indiv iduality and customization. What this means to Wedgwood is that it is increasingly facing similar demographic and cultural patterns on a global scale. Cultural changes are reflected in the need for self-expression, uniqueness and independence (Wikipedia, Collectivism and Individualism Cultures, 2006). Consumers look for products that closely fit their lifestyle and express their individuality better. Casual dining, frequent eating out, the decrease in importance

I.B T.o.K (Theory of Knowledge) - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

I.B T.o.K (Theory of Knowledge) - - Essay Example Indeed, ToK can raise many questions: exactly how is a problem defined, what is one’s approach to solving the problem, is it valid, is the information associated with the problem fact or truth, and then how are those concepts measured. These and other questions are important with ToK, and equally appropriate in selecting criteria distinguishing between knowledge, opinion, and propaganda. With ToK, a question does not always get a direct answer. Trying to select criteria to distinguish between the three types of information noted, considering ToK, cannot yield a definite answer either. Each of the three listed words has varied definitions, often as a function of the author of the definition. For example, for the word knowledge, John Locke (1689) stated, â€Å"Knowledge is the perception of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas.† (â€Å"Book IV, Of Knowledge and Probability,† Knowledge). Almost five centuries later, Princeton’s WordNet Search 2.1 defines knowledge as, â€Å"the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning.† (â€Å"Knowledge,† WordNet Search). The Random House Dictionary of the English Language has a 10-part definition, the first part defining knowledge as â€Å"acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles, as from study or investigation; general erudition.† (â€Å"Knowledge,† Random House Dictionary). The varied definitions directly impact the differentiation. The Princeton definition is psychologically based, similar to opinion. Using the Random House definition, knowledge is not similar to opinion, and clear differentiation could be possible. Selecting a definition becomes a matter of value judgment and inherent bias as a function of who selects the definitions. Though injecting bias, selecting working definitions was necessary to perform the task at hand. It is acknowledged that the outcome of the paper could have been

Significance of Social Factor that Shapes National Business Essay

Significance of Social Factor that Shapes National Business - Essay Example As highlighted by Grimwade (2000), this trade has thrived over the years owing to a number of advantages it has offered various nations across the world. These advantages have significantly benefited a number of UK business organizations. One of the most significant benefits of international trade to UK business organizations is in terms broadening its horizon and markets (EconomyWatch, 2010). If a business organization in the UK was to only sell their goods or services locally without pushing their goods or services to consumers in other nations, the UK would be completely limiting the potential of such business organizations. Such business organizations may more often than not be assured of a steady trade from their UK consumers, but they may not grow to their full capacity if they were trading with seven other nations, for instance. International trade is important to the UK business organizations as it helps the organizations in terms of increasing customer figures and sales. A s ignificant example of a business organization in the UK that has benefited from international trade in terms of broadening its horizon and markets is Marks & Spencer. As a company within the retailing industry, Marks & Spencer has about 155 stores managed under franchise in 28 regions globally due to growth in international trade (Marks & Spencer Company Website, 2012). ... to open themselves up to lowered/reduced production costs, for instance, a business organization in the manufacturing televisions UK may find out that its products could be produced at a substantially less cost in a factory in Japan. This not only helps the business organization save money, but also helps the consumers as the televisions can be sold to them at a cheaper cost. Tesco, a UK supermarket brand and a firm within the retailing industry forms a good example of a company that has benefited from international business. The supermarket opened up about 18 franchise stores outside the UK and has seen it and the franchisees share the cost of opening the stores as well as the subsequent profits, as a result benefiting from reduced cost (Fletcher, 2010). Another significant benefit the UK business organizations accrue from international business is in terms of raw materials (EconomyWatch, 2010). If it was not for international trade, the UK wouldn’t have been able to acquire or get its hand on raw materials needed to make a number of products especially within the food industry. As a colder nation, the UK depends on hotter nations for fruits such as mangoes, and the hotter nations depend on the UK for items such as potatoes. Therefore, without international business/economic integration of trade, the UK business organizations would have had a very scarce choice in terms of raw materials for production. Marks & Spencer as a small user of palm oil relies on palm oil imported from other countries, a benefit it has accrued as a result of expansion in international trade (Marks & Spencer Company Website, 2012). Another significant benefit accrued as a result of the expansion of international trade by the UK business organizations has been in terms of increased global

Carrie Chapman Catt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Carrie Chapman Catt - Essay Example After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, she organized the League of Women Voters for the political education of women (Levin 2006). Carrie assisted in the arrangement of the International Women Suffrage Alliance at the Berlin Conference. She then committed and restricted herself to the peace movements in 1923.This she made work through lecturing, writing and also recruiting in the Suffrage movement. Her moves were mainly to free women and be allowed to vote and b heard as the. In a nutshell it was all about eradicating male chauvinism (Keller 2006). She was a hardworking lady who never lost hope an even after some members led by Alice Paul had left the union, she strategized and developed a future plan to keep the group alive. After her great achievement of the successful amendment of the constitution, she began a worldwide campaign and tour to help the women develop the right to vote (Levin

Leadership and Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Leadership and Change Management - Essay Example Leadership development is a complex process as I witnessed over last year and the issues covered by the meetings proved vital in changing my perception of human resource management and how to influence change in the organization structure. The failure to address challenges in the process could be highlighted in the preceding meeting. The process was a complex one although the challenges were diverse. I learned vital issues in change management, which will be addressed later in this reflective analysis. One of the vital issues addressed by the meeting is group cohesion and participation. The participation of individuals in the meeting helped to make the meetings interesting. In fact, the availability of the group members ensured that the objectives of the meeting were met. The individual performance of the group members ensured that all the vital issues in management were handled perfectly and even resolved amicably. The delegation of duties to the individual made the tasks easy to co mplete (Paton, Paton, & McCalman, 2008, p. 56). I learned from the process the vital nature of communication when handling human labor or education members. It was not easy to establish the code of practice among the members, but we were able to work due to mutual trust and cohesion. The change management strategy and collective responsibility are essential issues on the addressing of change within the organization such as the development of leadership skills and experience. As the meeting progressed, several issues could be raised that needed to be solved by the group members. Planning for the meeting was left to the chair-lady because she was the facilitator of the meeting and could handle leadership issues effectively. Under her leadership, several issues were addressed and the issues include the role of every group member. Through the development of group cohesion, she ensured that the group could operate better than expected. The resistance to change was evident within the grou p during the initial stages of operation. This indicated the power of inertia and the role of perception in trying to reach and change an established system (Okbor, 2001, p. 23). The planning of the meeting was perfect and led to the effective completion of the project and attainment of the set goals and objectives of the study. The planning of the ideas or themes to be discussed during the meeting was done by the chair lady with the support from the group members. The group used consensus building in the development of a meeting planner and the issues to be addressed by the group. It was not easy to resolve certain issues in the first meeting. Such vital issues were deferred and were addressed in the later meetings including the third meeting (Lusardi, 2012, p. 89). However, after the completion of the planning process, it was easier to develop and come up with the necessary plan of the meetings throughout the year. The direction and facilitation of the meeting were left to the cha ir-lady and the group members were in charge of the participation. The participation of the various members was monitored by the facilitator who recommended a plan of action, which included the probing of the group members and evaluating their understanding of the concepts discussed through the meetings.

Opinion on Diop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Opinion on Diop - Essay Example He was obsessed by the same self serving misinformation held by racist white scholars implying that Africans had no significant civilization and strongly opposed their notion. He argued that the civilization was started by the Egyptians who were black and not by foreigners who trekked into Egypt as suggested by the white scholars. He proposed that Africans could not be categorized into one group that existed in the south of the Sahara. This was in opposition to the claim by white scholars that the inhabitants of Egypt in North Africa were white. He argued that rather, Africans had a wide variation in skin color, hair type and facial shape just as happens among other human races. I believe Diop was as racist as the white scholars. His perception was that the scholars conveniently selected white pharaohs and ignored the original black ones to show Egypt as a white civilization. Diop did researches determined to prove that ancient Egyptians bore similar physical traits as present day black Africans. He went further to claim that, linguistically, ancient Egyptian was related to his contemporary Wolof language of West Africa. In conclusion, I believe most of Diop’s efforts and work were aimed at wrestling civilization claims from the Western world. He was filled with an inferiority complex and tried to overcome it by attempting to link his Wolof ethnicity with the Egyptians. I also believe that is the reason he insisted on placing the human civilization credit upon the Egyptians, whom he claimed to be black.

Types of contraception Essay Example for Free

Types of contraception Essay There are many different types of contraception available on the market today. Each type of contraception offers different advantages and disadvantages, and is not a one size fits all thing. Each person has different needs that need to be considered with choosing their birth control, and some people may choose to not be on any sort of birth control. Religion and differing views may also play a factor in choosing a type of birth control. Tina and Dan are a newly married couple who, prior to marriage, practiced abstinence, and are hoping to start a family within a year. There are many different types of birth control for them to choose from, though the two options that may be best are either a low hormone birth control pill or a condom. The advantage of a birth control pill is that it can be highly effective, and when a couple is not concerned with sexually transmitted infections, it can help to regulate periods, reduce cramping, and is over 99% effective when used properly. Also, a birth control pill can be stopped at virtually any time without serious repercussions, and once the pill is stopped, the woman can conceive during her next ovulation cycle. A disadvantage of the pill is that it is sometimes hard to remember to take, and missing even one dose reduces how effective it is. The other option is using condoms. Condoms have been said to lower both male and female sensation, and can tear, though this is rare. However, a condom is a very temporary form of birth control, and the protection is gone as soon as the condom is, allowing it to not interfere with fertility longer than the time it is worn. Linda is young and enjoys dating. She also enjoys intimacy with a long-term committed partner, but is not interested in being a single mother, or sexually transmitted infections. Linda should consider an inter-uterine device (IUD), the shot, condoms, or the implant. The benefits to the IUD and the implant are that they are long term birth control, and rarely effect fertility after being removed. However, they also do not protect against STI’s. The shot is an option that also does not protect against STI’s, but does last for 3 months. A condom protects against STI’s, but is only a one time usage. Linda may be best suited for using a combination of hormonal  birth control, combined with a condom to best protect herself against STI’s as well as pregnancy.

How Does Age Influence Linguistic Knowledge English Language Essay

How Does Age Influence Linguistic Knowledge English Language Essay From my experience in teaching English in a great number of mixed-age classes at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology foreign language center, I have received completely contrasting feedback from my students at the end of every course. By applying the same teaching method when I work with both young learners and adult learners, I discover a big gap in the result of their learning. In the pronunciation section, younger learners acquire successfully and effectively while older learners seem to fail in learning English sounds. From what I observe, most of young learners in my classroom have native-like pronunciation. In contrast, the complexity of English phonological system leads to adults failure in getting phonology accuracy when they have to fight with many non-existent sounds in their mother tongue. Unlike pronunciation, the success in learning vocabulary and grammar is in a reverse order. Adults find it easy to understand and use almost complicated vocabulary as well as gramm ar structures whereas young learners often make mistakes when learning new words and doing grammar exercises. Indeed, older learners feel at ease with most English grammar points while younger learners claim that vocabulary and grammar are beyond their reach. These differences lead me to the wonder whether or not there is a correlation between age and second language acquisition (SLA). Hence, my paper examines the role of age in SLA in terms of the rate and success of learners linguistic knowledge. From the explanation of the effect of age, I suggest some implications to help not only young learners but also older learners to acquire their language knowledge perfectly. SLA refers to the process of learning of individuals and groups who are learning a language subsequent to learning their first and that language (Saville-troike, 2006, p. 3). In learning a second language, a number of variables influence students actual acquisition including age, personality, motivation, learning style, group dynamics, aptitude, attitude to the teacher and course materials and so on. Among them, age the most frequently discussed factor has been paid much attention by many linguists. Countless studies and researches have recently been conducted on this topic in order to know how age affects second language acquisition It is a common belief that children are more successful L2 learners than adults. Meanwhile, many linguistic researchers argue that the older are better. However, the belief about SLA in different ages is actually equivocal. Saville-Troike (2006) explained this controversy in his study. Some studies define success as initial rate of learning where older learners have an advantage while other studies define it as ultimate achievement where learners who are introduced to the L2 in childhood indeed do appear to have an edge. Also, some studies define success in terms of how close the learners pronunciation is to a native speakers where children are superior to adults, others in terms of how closely a learner approximates native grammaticality judgments where older learners are better than younger learners (p. 82) In terms of the effect of age on the rate of SLA, according to Ekstrand (1976), Snow and Hoefnagel-Hà ¶hle (1978) and Snow (1983), in naturalistic situations, children normally have a slower rate of development in the target language and do not perform as well as older learners in the short term, but they quite often surpass older learners in the long run (as cited in Miralpeix, 2007, p. 62). Undoubtedly, younger learners are better at SLA in the long run while older learners are better at learning languages in the short run. Concerning grammar and glossary, Krashen, Long and Scarcellas research paper pointed out that adults proceed through early stages of syntactic and morphological development faster than children (p. 573). In comparison with younger learners, older learners have an initial advantage in the rate of SLA when they deal with a complicated system of syntax as well as morphology. Ellis (1985) supported advantages of older learners that when we take the rate into consideration, older learners are better then younger learners as they can reach higher proficiency levels if learners at various ages are matched according to the amount of time they are supposed to the target language (p. 105). However, other studies suggest that adults do not make progress as rapidly as children when acquiring pronunciation. According to Harmer (2007), children who learn a new language early have a facility with pronunciation which is denied by older learners (p. 81). Also, Cochrane (1980) gave a clear illustration to this belief. He investigated the ability of 54 Japanese children and 24 adults to discriminate /r/ and /l/. The average length of naturalistic exposure was calculated as 245 hours for the adults and 193 hours for the children (i.e. relatively little). The children outperformed the adults. (as cited in Ellis, 1994, p.486) In general, adults seem to be able to acquire grammar as well as lexis more quickly than children and vice versa in the field of pronunciation. Where success is concerned, it goes without saying that the longer the exposure to the L2, the more native-like L2 proficiency becomes (Ellis, 1985, p. 106). Actually, Ehrman and Oxford (1995) pointed out younger learners are more likely to attain fluency and native-like pronunciation, while older learners have an advantage in understanding the grammatical system and in bringing greater world knowledge to the language learning context (p. 68). Hence, it is likely that younger learners will pronounce in a more natural way than older learners. Most young individuals who begin their studies of the L2 at the early age do achieve native-like fluency. The earlier they start the more professional at pronunciation they become. Supporters of this belief claim that children are able to learn second language pronunciation easily, automatically, effortlessly and gain an indistinguishable frequency level from that of native speakers. As Ellis (1994) indicated, learners who start as children achie ve more native-like accent than those who start as adolescents and adults (p. 489). Oyama (1976) also supported the younger-is-better notion in her investigation of 60 male immigrants settling down in USA at various ages from 6 to 20. She found that the youngest arrivals performed in the same range as native-speakers control (as cited in Ellis, 1994, p. 489). Conversely, some adult learners may succeed in acquiring native levels of grammatical accuracy in full linguistic competence (Ellis, 1994, p. 492). When the success of second language lexical acquisition, younger learners do not perform as well as older learners in the short term (Muà ±oz, 2006, p. 90). Snow and Hoefnagel-Hà ¶hle (1978) conducted a research in the Netherlands with English learners of Dutch and then showed that adolescent and adult learners results in the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test were better than those of the younger learners. (as cited in Muà ±oz, 2006, p. 90) We clearly see that there is a great difference in the rate and success of SLA between adult learners and young learners in the aforementioned empirical researches. Hence, the question Why do the contrasting results exist? is raised. When we know the causes we will know how to deal with the problems both younger and older learners encounter in SLA. A number of studies in the light of explaining the role of age in SLA point out that neurological, cognitive and affective factors account for this issue. Many longitudinal and cross-sectional researches assert that the ability to learn a foreign language is biologically linked to age. The biological factor is supported by the Critical Period Hypothesis which claims that learners past the age of puberty are in all probability unable to achieve native-like pronunciation in any case (Saville-Troike, 2006, p. 142). There is a time when language acquisition is easy and complete. However, beyond that time SLA is difficult and almost incomplete. If SLA takes place during that period, in all likelihood learners will achieve native-speaker ability. That is why Pujol (2008) divided the hypothesis into two versions. The strong version is that language must be learned by puberty or it will be never learned from subsequent exposure; the weak version is that after puberty language learning will be more difficult and incomplete (p. 13). Various studies about the critical period hypothesis suggest that younger learners are superior to older learners as they acquire a foreign language before the puberty. Penfield and Roberts (1959) study explained why it is easier to learn the target language within the first ten years of life. During this period the brain retains plasticity, but with the onset of the puberty this plasticity begins to disappear. We suggested that this was the result of the lateralization of the language function in the left hemisphere of the brain. That is, the neurological capacity for understanding and producing language, which initially involves both hemispheres of the brain, is slowly concentrated in the left hemisphere for most people (as cited in Ellis, 1985, p. 107). With regard to pronunciation acquisition, Seliger (1978) indicated that there are many critical periods for different aspects of language. The period during which a native accent is easily acquirable appears to end sooner than the period governing the acquisition of a native grammar (as cited in Ellis, 1994, p. 492). Actually, learners who begin studying L2 as adults are unlikely to have native-speaker competence in pronunciation. Not only neurolinguistic studies but also affective researches have been carried out to explain that children are better than adults. As Brown (1980b) proposed, SLA is related to stages of acculturation including initial excitement and euphoria, culture shock, culture stress and assimilation (as cited in Ellis, 1985, p. 109). The ability of learner to relate and respond easily to the foreign language culture strongly determines the success of SLA. Schumann came to conclusion that the learner will acquire the second language only to the degree that he acculturates (n.d., p. 29). Valdes (1986) offered a more persuasive account of the notion the younger, the better. A young child, because he has not built up years and years of cultural-bound view and view of himself, has fewer perspective filter to readjust, and therefore moves through stages of acculturation more quickly, and of course acquires languages more quickly. (as cited in Tallapessy, n.d., p. 16) At the early age, young learners have socio-cultural resilience as they are much less culture-bound than older learners. Thanks to their strong resiliency, children can overcome stages of acculturation quickly and then acquire the target language rapidly. In addition, as Ellis concluded, child learners are more strongly motivated to communicate with native speakers and to integrate culturally. Also, child learners are less conscious and therefore suffer less from anxiety about communicating in an L2 (1994, p. 494). They learn a foreign language because of the need to be accepted by the native community. That is why most of younger learners can successfully achieve native-like pronunciation as they are exposed to the first language environment. Besides the biological and emotional factors aforementioned, various cognitive abilities between younger learners and older learners lead to their differences in SLA. Leaver, Ehrman and Shekhtman (2005) defined cognition as thinking. There are many processes involved in thinking, and all of them are considered part of cognition. Some examples are noticing, paying attention, making guesses and hypotheses, monitoring what you say, interpreting what you read or hear, and so on (p. 38). Cognitive strategies enable the students thinking process to be unique. This uniqueness is called high level control i.e. consciousness. Ellis (1985) noted that older learners can learn about the language by consciously studying linguistic rules and apply these rules when they use the language whereas younger children consider language as a tool for expressing meaning (p. 108). According to Halliday (1973), the young child responds not so much to what language is as to what it does (as cited in Ellis, 198 5, p. 108). Additionally, Rosansky (1975) believed that L2 development can take place in two different ways. While the young child sees only similarities, lacks flexible thinking and is self-centered older learners are predisposed to recognize both common and different features about the language, to think flexibly and to become increasingly de-centered (as cited in Ellis, 1985, p. 108). Understandably, most social attitudes towards the use of a certain language in younger learners have not been developed, Furthermore, at the early age, children often lack meta-awareness, which results in their open cognition of a new language. Unlike children, older learners own a strong meta-awareness and hold social attitudes towards the target language. That is the reason why Ellis (1994) pointed out that adults possess more fully developed cognitive skills, which enable them to apply themselves studiedly to the task of learning a L2 (p. 493). Thus they will experience more negotiation of meanin g and better input by using general and inductive learning abilities. Actually, various studies and researches show that adults are better language learners because they have not only better cognitive skills but a better memory as well. Whenever they deal with syntax and morphology system they will memorize them quickly and easily. Moreover, many teachers commonly notice that adults have a longer concentration span than children. Children cannot concentrate on certain activities as long as adults. As Hermar explained, older learners do exhibit noticeable superiority because they tend to be more self-disciplined. (2007, p. 288) From the analysis of the strong correlation between age and SLA, I clearly realize that my teaching methodology should be various when I work with younger learners and older learners although I carry out the same lesson about pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary. With the same content, I should change my teaching way in order to suit students of different ages. On the basis of the theoretical framework, younger learners are more intelligible then older learners in the process of acquiring native-like pronunciation. The former are not strongly affected by old habits of their mother tongue whereas the latter find it difficult to form new habits of L2 because of the influence of the first language. Nevertheless, adults have higher awareness than children. As a result, when I teach pronunciation I usually use some kinds of explicit explanation to enable adults to use their critical thinking. For sound formation, I use a sketch of mouth to describe the pronunciation of sound in terms of lips, tongue, teeth, etc. For example, when I teach the target sound /ÃŽÂ ¸/, I will show the following picture and give the description. In order to pronounce it, you should put your tongue between your teeth. Then blow out air between your tongue and your top teeth. Explicit explanation will be followed by demonstration, imitation and practice. (Baker, 2003,p. 133) Moreover, older learners feel at ease with distinguishing two similar sounds thanks to their problem-solving talent. That is why I consider minimal pairs as a powerful tool to draw their attention to differences among some English sounds. Lets take the vowel /I/ as an example. Firstly, I ask them to say the sound /i:/ by opening the mouth a little and lengthening it. Then open the mouth a little more to make the sound /I/. Contrasting two seemingly similar sounds will help adults produce the sounds more accurately. (Baker, 2003,p. 6) On the contrary, when I teach children pronunciation, I overuse imitation and repetition with a model video clip of English sounds. As you know, children are quick at imitating a certain sound even when the sound does not exist in their mother tongue. As a result, I often use clips from the program English have a go in which a native speaker Professor Say It will pronounce the target sound slowly enough for young children to imitate. Because the lecturer in the clip has a good sense of humor to add fun to pronunciation, I find it useful especially when I work with younger learners. As I know both children and adults suffer a lot from such boring pronunciation lessons, I always think of some games to arouse students interest and let for them relax during the lesson. They will not have a feeling of suffering from language learning. Who is a poet? is a common game in my teaching pronunciation. I ask my students (intermediate level) to make a poem with the last word containing the target sound. I will begin with the sentence Jim has a wife (the diphthong /ai/ is the objective of my lesson). Then my students make a poem like this. Jim has a wife She is very nice She is only 25 She has big eyes They have a happy life But Jim suddenly died Then she ends her life They never say goodbye Wish them happy life In the paradise In regard to teaching grammar, three very most important sources of interest for children in the classroom are pictures, stories and games to enhance young learners intrinsic motivation (Ur, 1996, p. 288). Hence, when teaching my younger learners I use a great number of pictures to contribute towards their interest in learning process. As a result of childrens low cognitive capability, I conduct mechanical drills, gap-fills, and sentence transformations to familiarize them with the structure and help them have the confidence to use it in a controlled environment. These tasks can be made into games through which they can get enjoyment, fun and pleasure. For instance, I ask my young children (Lets go) to recognize verbs of past tense in terms of regular ones and irregular ones by marking them with different colors as children are keen on coloring very much. Firstly, I set the rule regular verbs = green, irregular verbs = blue. Secondly, I divide the class first into teams and then show them sentences one by one. In the end, the group which can get the most correct answers is the winner. Conversely, so as to make adults learn structures thoroughly and produce correctly, I use a sequence of activities from accuracy-oriented exercises in the beginning to fluency tasks for the free use of the grammar in a certain context in the end. As Ur (1996) suggested, there are seven types of grammar practice like awareness, controlled drills, meaningful drills, guided, meaning practice, free sentence composition, discourse composition and free discourse (p. 84). These kinds of activities focus mainly on both form and meaning practice with the aim of promoting adults cognitive skill and self-discipline. In terms of vocabulary, I consider visual aids a useful artifact to convey the meaning of the new word when I teach younger learners vocabulary items. I put a lot of efforts in preparing the pictures as well as concrete objects for my young children to learn effectively as what we hear, we forget; what we see, we remember. In contrast, older learners are provided with concise explanations, detailed descriptions, antonyms, synonyms, hyponyms or co-hyponyms whenever they study vocabulary items. Another difference in my vocabulary teaching between children and adults is that I draw the formers attention to the form, meaning, spelling and grammar of a new word while I further introduce the latter the denotation, connotation and appropriateness of a vocabulary item. In short, we can clearly see that age differences have a strong influence on SLA between younger learners and older learners. While children who start to learn a language at the early age have a facility with the pronunciation while adults possess high cognitive abilities which help them benefit from abstract language teaching approaches. We can jump to conclusion that an early start to foreign language learning is likely to lead to better long-term results. Start as early as you can. Furthermore, the age of students is a major factor in our decision about what and how to teach. Students of different ages will have different advantages and learning styles in acquiring L2 linguistic knowledge. As teachers, we should know their strength and weakness to guide them study more efficiently and effectively. Thanks to this paper, I know I should adjust my teaching approach in a way more flexible and appropriate to students of various ages, thus I can be a better language instructor. In this way, I should ensure that my materials and tasks are age-appropriate so that all individuals can learn best regardless of being young and old.

Friday :: essays research papers

The movie Friday was one of the best comedies I have ever seen. It had a great director, a talented cast, a good plot, a spectacular soundtrack, and is filled with funny gags and jokes. It was by far the most hilarious movie of the decade. I have never laughed so hard in all of my life. I loved this movie. The cast of the movie was sensational. Playing the main character was famous musician and actor, Ice Cube. He is such a serious person that at first I was skeptical of his performance in a comedy. He has played in such movies as Dangerous Ground, Higher Learning, and Boyz 'N Tha Hood. Playing opposite of him was Chris Tucker who is one of the most gifted performers that I've have seen. He has stared in hits such as Rush Hour, The Fifth Element, and Money Talks. These two along with other big comics like Bernie Mac, John Whitherspoon, and Fazion Love bring big laughs to the big screen. Tiny "Zeus" Lester, Nia Long and Regina King do there part as well, to serve up laughs. It is so important to have a good cast that can play their parts well, and get along. If I watch a movie and it is evident that the actors are acting, then I lose interest very quickly. These actors and actresses did a very good job of making every character believable. Cast is important, but a good plot is crucial in the success of a film. So many movies have had great marketing and bombed because the plot was not good. I hate when I go to see a movie and the plot is not interesting. If I pay money for a movie, I want it to be worth it. In a comedy, I look for, a lot of, laughs. That is exactly what this movie gave me, it had it all. They had midgets, catching wives in bed with preachers and anything else you could look for to make you laugh. To fulfill this requirement on my movie list is very important. This movie did just that and exceeded the expectations I had for it. As with any successful movie you must have a good Quentin Terintino, Mel Brooks, or Stephen Spilburg working behind the scenes. This film had a gifted director by the name of F. Gary Gray. I personally think that he is one of the best directors ever.

Software Outsourcing: Is the End of the American Programmer Near? :: Outsourcing Software Jobs Globalization

Software Outsourcing: Is the End of the American Programmer Near? Introduction Former U.S. Presidential candidate Ross Perot once warned of the U.S. entry into the North American Free Trade Agreement as "a great sucking sound" as U.S. jobs "run" to Mexico. 1 Many Americans feared that cheap labor in Mexico would cause many Americans to lose their jobs as U.S. companies could find cheaper labor south of the border. In the ten years since the beginning of NAFTA, the U.S. job market has remained strong. 2 The types of jobs may have changed to a certain degree, but the number of jobs has only increased despite the fears of many. Today, many people are worried about the effects of the outsourcing of software upon U.S. jobs. Many people fear the "great sucking sound" as software jobs are outsourced to cheaper labor in foreign countries, such as India. U.S. legislators have faced the issue and are trying to reduce the incentives of companies to hire workers abroad. 3 There are many fears and uncertainties about globalization and the new global economy as many people f ear change and competition from cheaper foreign labor. Are these fears justified? Is the American job market going to collapse? In the words of Ed Yourdon, has the "decline and fall of the American programmer" come? 4 Also, is it ethical to outsource software for cheaper labor? The Global Economy and Modern Economics In recent years, especially with the rise of the World Wide Web, there has been a steady increase in a more global economy. New technology has made the world more connected. It is much easier and less costly to communicate and interact with people around the world. Telecommunications makes it more possible to work from a remote location rather than working in a specific building. Cellular phones, laptops, and wireless internet make it much more possible to work from just about anywhere. The rise of the global economy has also led to the rise of employment outsourcing. Labor is being treated much like goods. Employers are seeking to lower costs and increase profits. As with the practice of buying cheap materials in foreign markets, companies are increasingly trying to buy cheap labor in foreign markets. From the standpoint of modern economics, this is just supply and demand. Therefore, does this mean that much of the labor in the U.S. will be imported from other countries? Software Outsourcing: Is the End of the American Programmer Near? :: Outsourcing Software Jobs Globalization Software Outsourcing: Is the End of the American Programmer Near? Introduction Former U.S. Presidential candidate Ross Perot once warned of the U.S. entry into the North American Free Trade Agreement as "a great sucking sound" as U.S. jobs "run" to Mexico. 1 Many Americans feared that cheap labor in Mexico would cause many Americans to lose their jobs as U.S. companies could find cheaper labor south of the border. In the ten years since the beginning of NAFTA, the U.S. job market has remained strong. 2 The types of jobs may have changed to a certain degree, but the number of jobs has only increased despite the fears of many. Today, many people are worried about the effects of the outsourcing of software upon U.S. jobs. Many people fear the "great sucking sound" as software jobs are outsourced to cheaper labor in foreign countries, such as India. U.S. legislators have faced the issue and are trying to reduce the incentives of companies to hire workers abroad. 3 There are many fears and uncertainties about globalization and the new global economy as many people f ear change and competition from cheaper foreign labor. Are these fears justified? Is the American job market going to collapse? In the words of Ed Yourdon, has the "decline and fall of the American programmer" come? 4 Also, is it ethical to outsource software for cheaper labor? The Global Economy and Modern Economics In recent years, especially with the rise of the World Wide Web, there has been a steady increase in a more global economy. New technology has made the world more connected. It is much easier and less costly to communicate and interact with people around the world. Telecommunications makes it more possible to work from a remote location rather than working in a specific building. Cellular phones, laptops, and wireless internet make it much more possible to work from just about anywhere. The rise of the global economy has also led to the rise of employment outsourcing. Labor is being treated much like goods. Employers are seeking to lower costs and increase profits. As with the practice of buying cheap materials in foreign markets, companies are increasingly trying to buy cheap labor in foreign markets. From the standpoint of modern economics, this is just supply and demand. Therefore, does this mean that much of the labor in the U.S. will be imported from other countries?

Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal Essay -- Literary Analysis

A satire uses irony or sarcasm to make a point. Many authors use satire to bring society’s attention to political, social, or economic problems in a somewhat humorous way. Some authors even use satire in an attempt to correct the religious practices of the society. Satire is an effective way to highlight problems because it is non-threatening but it grabs the attention of the reader. Jonathan Swift wrote his satirical essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal† to bring attention to the political, economic, and social problems of Ireland in 1729. For many years, England, and later the United Kingdom, controlled Ireland. This imperialism started when the Irish king lost part of his kingdom in 1169 and asked for help from the Normans, who were French-speaking people who then controlled England. To thank the Normans for their help, the king of Ireland gave his daughter in marriage to Strongbow, the Norman king. Strongbow then became king over Ireland, and the English have controlled Ireland ever since. It was not until the late fifthteenth and early sixteenth centuries that England started to exercise its full control over Ireland. In gaining control over the island, the English â€Å"drove the Irish leaders from Ireland† (Arthurton). During this time a process called â€Å"plantation† was introduced in Ireland. According to the journal â€Å"Experience England,† to plantation was when â€Å"†¦England took land and property from Catholic Irish landowners and gave them to English settlers who were Prot estant.† This forced the Irish men and women to become tenant farmers for the British landowners, making barely enough money to feed their families (Arthurton). When England had a civil war in the 1640s the Irish Catholics took one side. On the other side was the Protest... ....udel.edu/udireland/news/1_23_english_irish.htm> Chowdhury, Ahsan. "Splenetic Ogres and Heroic Cannibals in Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal (1729)." English Studies in Canada 34.2/3 (2008): 131-157. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2010. Lestringant, Frank. â€Å"Travels in Eucharistia: Formosa and Ireland from George Psalmaanazaar to Jonathan Swift.† Trans. Noah Guynn. Yale French Studies 86(2010) 109-25 Richardson, John. "Swift, A Modest Proposal[/em] and Slavery." Essays in Criticism 51.4 (2001): 404. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2010. Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland From Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and or Making Them Beneficial to the Public." The Norton Anthology. Eighth Edition. Ed. Greenblatt, Stephen. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 1114-1119.

Marketing Reserach

Question â€Å"Marketing Research† Respond to the following: . -Of the marketing research tools identified in the textbook, evaluate those that would be most appropriate for a small business. Textbook=[Iacobucci, D. (2012). MM, 2nd Edition. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning] -When it comes to marketing research, speculate to the blunders that beginning marketers commonly make. Provide a rationale with your response. Answer :- Market research is an effective way to learn about potential customers, their opinions, habits, trends and future plans.It is used to determine the geographic area of a business and demographic characteristics of customers such as age, gender, income and educational level. Marketing research helps a firm identify and solve problems, identify and evaluate market opportunity and develop the effort needed to exploit it. Steps of the Marketing Research Process 1. Identify and Define the Problem/Opportunity – This is the first step in finding a solution; a poor diagnosis will lead to an ineffective solution. 2. Conduct a Preliminary Exploration – Confirming a rejection, the problem as stated by the decision maker is a crucial phase of the research project.In order to do this the researcher must talk to knowledgeable persons both inside and outside the firm. This often gives the researcher a new perspective on the problem. 3. Determine Research Objectives – The earlier steps have given the researcher a better understanding of the problem, and he or she can now begin to formulate hypothesis to fit it. Hypothesis are tentative explanations of a problem, formulated on the basis of weight and knowledge about the problem. The hypothesis may prove to be either right or wrong. 4. Determine Data Needs – Researcher use primary and secondary data.Primary data are originated and collected for a specific problem. They must be generated by original research through observation and/or inquiry. The advantage of such data is that they relate specifically to the problem at hand. In gathering them, new problem may be uncovered and the focus of the research project sharpened. The main disadvantages are the cost and time required to collect them. Secondary data already exist, they are historical data gathered by people either inside or outside the firm to meet their needs.If those needs are similar to the researcher’s needs secondary data can be useful. Although they are cheaper and faster to collect than primary data, their relevance, accuracy, credibility and timeliness must be established before they can be used. 5. Determine Data Sources – The major internal source of primary data is company personals, Retailers, wholesales, customers and competitors are important external sources of primary data. Knowing what primary data are needed gives an indication of who might have them. The major internal source of secondary data is company records.Libraries, trade associations and government publication s are important external sources of secondary data. 6. Create the Research Design – The research design specifies the overall framework and the specific procedures for collecting and analyzing the data. This is the most important step in the research process. Research Design can be classified by function and by methodology. Functional Categories – (a). Exploratory Research. (b). Descriptive Research (c). Casual Research (d). Predictive Research. Methodological Research – (a). Historical (b) Survey (c) Experimental (d) Motivational 7.Collect the Data – Once the researcher has determined data needs, data sources, and the framework and procedures to collect and analyze them, the problem becomes one of searching for and securing data. In collecting data, the researcher implements the research design. For secondary data, a good understanding of internal and external sources is necessary. Primary data, however , must be collected through observation and inquiry . 8. Analyses Data and Convert to Information – The data that have been collected according to the research design must be analyzed and interpreted.This leads the researcher to either accept or reject the research hypothesis After coding and editing, data are analyzed. This involves descriptive responses, calculating averages etc. in order to convert raw data into an understandable form for the purpose of interpreting the data. Tabulation, for example, involves arranging the data in a table, graph, or other summery format to facilitate their interpretation. More sophisticated data analysis techniques may also be used as the research moves beyond the description of the data to sophisticated statistical analysis of them.Cross tabulation is often used to show how variable relates to another variable. 9. Communicate the Information – Communicating research findings to decision makers is a crucial step in a research project because the project will be a failure if the resul ts are not communicated effectively. Among the criteria for judging the quality of a research report are completeness, organization, understandability, interest level, accuracy, clarity, conciseness include : specific sections of the report typically (a) Title page (b) Table of contents (c)Executive summery (d) Introduction (e) Body (f) Conclusions and recommendations and (g) Appendices.

Healthcare Technology: A Summary Report Essay

In 1992, the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Congress of Nursing Practice supported the recommendation of the Council on Computer Applications in Nursing to officially recognize nursing informatics (NI) as a nursing specialty. The ANA currently defines NI as a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2008). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current use of healthcare information technology (HIT) in the acute care setting by interviewing a nurse working in HIT and analyze its impact on the professional nursing practice. The Interview Jayne Thompson, RN, BC, MSN is employed at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois as a Clinical Application Support Specialist. Memorial Medical Center, is a 504 bed, Magnet designated, level one trauma center located in Central Illinois and the flagship hospital of the Memorial Health System, which is comprised of four hospitals and affiliated with Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. A one-hour interview with Jayne was scheduled and held on March 13th 2013 at 7:00 AM in her office. Interviewee Jayne has worked at Memorial Medical Center for twenty-five years and began her career as a staff nurse on the cardiac surgery unit where she developed a passion for nursing research. This led to a position as a research nurse for the Prairie Education and Research Cooperative (PERC) in Springfield, IL where she coordinated clinical trials on cardiac stents. As a research nurse, Jayne’s need for gathering and sharing data spurred an interest in healthcare informatics and in 2008 she enrolled in Walden University’s Masters degree program in Healthcare Informatics. Upon graduation in 2010 Jayne moved into her current position as Clinical Application Support Specialist. In 2012 she completed her certification in Nursing Informatics. Jayne’s responsibilities include ensuring the effective performance of the computer information system, Cerner, which is used within the Memorial Health System. She sees her role as a liaison between nursing and information technology (IT) to guarantee that nursing is represented in decisions that impact clinical systems in the acute care setting. Jayne gathers end users’ (users for which the product is designed) concerns, suggestions and, criticisms regarding the workflow process and brings them to the attention of the IT department. Together they build, trial and implement computer system changes, which are then taken back to the end user. Education and Training The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) describes an informatics nurse specialist (INS) as a master’s prepared nurse. In order to qualify to take the ANCC exam, a nurse must be, at minimum, bachelor’s prepared (nursing or other related field of study), complete a minimum number of hours of work experience and graduate study. Currently two designations for certification in NI are available through the ANCC. Nurses certifying with a baccalaureate degree or higher degree in nursing use the designator RN, BC while nurses certifying with a degree in a related field, i. . computer sciences use the designator RN, C. (Hunt, Sproat, & Kitzmiller, 2004). The nurse, new to an informatics role needs to become familiar with current definitions, literature and know the scope and standards of the profession as established by the ANA (ANA, 2008). Following the completion of her MSN, Jayne needed her role as Clinical Application Support Specialist further defined based on the sc ope of responsibilities and relationships expected for the proposed implementations of the Cerner system. Challenges Jayne sees advancing evidence based nursing (EBN) as one of the biggest challenges facing nursing. The INS must focus on converting available data information into practical, accessible information that can enlighten practice. This is accomplished through alerts and computerized decision support (CDS), which make evidence-based guidelines available at the point of care (Simpson, 2007) Finding the best tools and methods for managing vast amounts of information requires the INS to develop methods for storing data, in both the short and long term and garnering information and knowledge eeded to support clinical practice, research and education. A second challenge facing the INS is the cost of delivering health care. Health care costs are a burden to society as a whole and likely to increase along with the number of uninsured individuals (McCormick et al. , 2007). Of concern is a shortage of registered nurses projected to spread across the country between 2009 and 2030 (American Associat ion of College of Nursing [AACN], 2012). The INS serves as a liaison with nursing and IT in developing technology and providing educational programs necessary to support care delivery. The goal is to optimize the existing and projected nursing workforce and ensure continuing quality of care amid the anticipated nursing shortages. Role of Information Systems â€Å"Informational systems (IS) deal with the development, use and management of an organization’s information technology (IT) infrastructure† (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012, p. 29). As an INS, Jayne acknowledges that nurses spend the majority of their time providing direct care to patients and hope that an EHR will increase this patient-interaction time and consequently the quality of care delivered. Conversely, providing care requires the documentation of clinical information as an inherent aspect of routine care and is essential from both professional and legal standpoints. Nurses, according to Jayne consider an IS to be efficient if the system reduces their documentation time, even if the time savings do not translate into better patient care. Developing and introducing a new aspect of an IS for clinical practice can be frustrating, according to Jayne who often sees healthcare professionals preferring to work in silos (operating in isolation from others), rather than collaborating with other professionals in related fields of practice. Information comprises a wide range of aspects including patient-specific data, research information and procedure information. IS offer tremendous opportunities to enhance clinical practice and appropriateness of care and to increase efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare organizations (Oroviogoicoechea, Elliott, & Watson, 2008). It is important to develop and refine functional ISs that meet the needs of today’s healthcare industry while evolving to handle future demands of the healthcare community. Role of Privacy Patients cite privacy, together with security, as their issues of greatest concern about electronic records. The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements mandates that nurses protect a patients right to privacy and confidentiality (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010). The use of an electronic health record (EHR) makes it difficult for an unauthorized person to gain access. According to Jayne, the IT department serves as the gatekeeper for data security. Within the Memorial Health System a provider needs a login name and a password to access the Cerner EHS. Additionally, Cerner maintains an audit trail, required by the privacy rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), that documents who has accessed individual records, as well as what part of the record was viewed. Firewalls and antivirus software protect the organization from hackers and viruses, encryption of data exiting the health system is essential since under (HIPPA) if data is stolen but encrypted the organization is exempt from fines. Physical access to computers and software is a foundation of computer security. Placement of computer monitors, privacy screens and a 30-second time-out feature prevent inadvertent viewing of protected health information (PHI). Greatest Learning EHRs have a huge impact on nursing documentation. Although nurses are the largest group of end-users they have had minimal input in the design of EHRs. The INS works synergistically with nursing and IT to design and implement documentation software, which is integrated into the clinical workflow and functions optimally in clinical practice. If this collaboration does not occur, â€Å"the frustrations of nurses may lead to an ‘EHR–practice gap’ similar to the long-existing ‘theory–practice gap’, or nurses may alter their clinical practice to fit in with rigid systems, thereby losing the heart and soul of nursing as a profession† (Stevenson, Nilsson, Petersson, & Johansson, 2010, p. 70). To ensure that the essence and complexity of nursing are not lost, the INS must be aware of the clinical needs of the nurse and the benefits of the IS which best supports patient care.

Brand Management Case Study Essay

1.0 Summary Communities across the United States are enjoying healthier food grown by local farmers; and farmers are reaping better returns and helping to revitalize rural and urban communities by selling close to home instead of through distant markets. Local marketing has expanded beyond farmers’ markets and farmlands, although these are still popular and the number of US farmers’ markets is growing rapidly. New regional supply networks are linking farmers with their customers in innovative ways and taking advantage of opportunities for marketing to institutions such as public schools, hospitals and universities. In the process, they are bringing a host of other benefits to communities within the networks. But significant barriers must be overcome to increase the potential of these new marketing mechanisms and expand them to meet the needs of underserved farmers and customers. 2.0 Different Policies To do marketing easily, there are different policies that we should adopt. Some of the key policies are given below: †¢ Identify infrastructural gaps and other barriers that prevent local and regional farmers from marketing more of their crops, livestock and value added products within the region. †¢ Give small†scale and mid†scale farmers the tools they need to meet growing consumer demand for local and regional products, such as financing and technical assistance to make the transition to crops customers want and more sustainable production methods. †¢ Expand the infrastructure needed for local agricultural production and the processing and distribution of locally grown produce, meats, dairy, and other products. †¢ Ensure that farmers and consumers who have been underserved by farm and food policy benefit from these steps. Underserved farmers, including socially disadvantaged, women, and beginning farmers, benefit particularly from local and regional markets because they can accommodate small scale producers. †¢ Support mechanisms and access to information that farmers can use to aggregate regional supply in order to access high†volume markets such as large institutions. †¢ Enforce existing restrictions against excessive concentration of buying power and tighten up legislation to allow fair competition for smaller†scale processors, distributors and retailers. †¢ Support training, resources, assistance and credit for beginning farmers and youth interested in farming and food†related careers. †¢ Accommodate needs of small†scale and mid†scale enterprises in food processing regulations. †¢ Facilitate the development of convenient local and regional retail outlets for small†scale and mid†scale farmers. †¢ Compensate farmers for protecting the environment and maintaining the cultural and aesthetic values of working farmland. †¢ Educate the public about advantages of buying locally and regionally grown food. †¢ Fund the establishment of local and regional food policy councils. 3.0 Scopes of new marketing opportunities †¢ Remove of infrastructure gap and other barriers according to the policy local and regional farmers can expand their business and can inform the broader target customers to fulfil their demands with their products. †¢ If funding is possible for small and mid level farmers they supply the accurate quantity of product during the time in the time of increasing demand which will provide trust and strong customer relationship with them. †¢ Infrastructure expansion will lead to produce better quality of agricultural production and distribution that will create a brand image of the regional farmer toward the customers. †¢ Support mechanism and access of adequate information about customer’s demand and wants will help farmers gain the satisfied and loyal customers. †¢ Training, resources, assistance and credit for beginning farmers will make them competitive and efficient to agricultural field. †¢ Improvement in food processing area will improve the quality of goods as well as the health condition of the customers. †¢ When people will learn the advantage of having regional grown food the farmers will get more opportunities to produce and serve the customers according to the demands.[pic]