How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Research Paper

How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - Research Paper Example The purpose of writing this paper is to analyze how the history of freight trains in America reflects on the subjects of operation management. In order to understand the subject, I will analyze the train freight process. First we have the order perspective and train perspective. The order perspective involves receiving orders, booking trains for the particular orders and receiving containers and invoice. The train perspective involves finding the desired train depending on the cargo that needs to be transported. In the paper, I will show how the strategic operations of the freight railway systems have made the industry competitive and profitable. I will also discuss how specialized freight scheduling system is used to streamline the operations, control the cost and to respond to changes in demand in the railway industry. It is important to note that most of the transformations in the freight train industry occurred during the industrial revolution. The trains from the different parts of the world arrive at the bailey train yard where they are sorted and reassigned to ensure they arrive at the desired destination. Everything that is produced in the United States is transported through the railway system. All the train activity in the railway yard is monitored from the computer screens of the command centre. In the command centre scheduling takes place where the movement of the trains is coordinated to ensure efficient operation of the train yard. By utilizing the latest computer control software, the command centre monitors all the traffic in the yard. Scheduling ensures the times the freight trains spend in the yard to be minimized by ensuring that traffic is controlled and sorted out in the shortest time possible (Aalam, 2014). The trains are then sorted in the classification yard where the incoming trains are reassigned to their intended

Music and Literature Essay Example for Free

Music and Literature Essay Music and literature have played an important role in our community and society since not only humans but the earth was born. It’s still a great mystery as to who invented or made music first. But first of all we shouldnt focus as to when was music made but should see that what actually music is? How to define music has long been the subject of debate; philosophers, musicians, and, more recently, various social and natural scientists have argued about what constitutes music. The definition has varied through history, in different regions, and within societies. Definitions vary as music, like art, is a subjectively perceived phenomenon. Its definition has been tackled by philosophers of art, lexicographers, composers, music critics, musicians, linguists, sociologists, and neurologists. Music may be defined according to various criteria including organization, pleasantness, intent, social construction, perceptual processes and engagement, universal aspects or family resemblances, and through contrast or negative definition. Music is sometime said to be a branch of literature. Now the question stands that what is literature? Literature is the body of all written works; the collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture; all the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject. Its particularly hard to understand but in simple words literature means a piece of work written deeply form the or whatever your experiences and brain say and to put that experience and the work of brain into a piece of writing. Literature comes from the Latin word literra meaning a piece of writing. Literature has many branches like narrative stories, novels, poems and etc. Music is also a famous branch of literature. There are many music lovers found all over the world. Music is further separated into many other branches e.g. jazz, pop and etc. Music has been with us since the start of our beautiful earth.

Essay --

Shinji vs. Yasuo: The Use of Foils in The Sound of Waves Yukio Mishima’s The Sound of Waves tells of a timeless love story between Shinji, a young fisherman, and Hatsu, the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in the village of Uta-Jima. But rumors and gossip throughout the whole village attempts to separate them. The concept of foils is used in this novel to emphasize the characteristics of Shinji, a good moral man who values the importance of hard work, and Yasuo, a man of lust, power, and selfishness. These two characters conflict throughout the novel to win Hatsue’s heart. As they chase after the girl, Mishima reveals significant traits that are demonstrated throughout The Sound of Waves. Mishima uses Hatsue, the girl that Yasuo and Shinji are after, to demonstrate Shinji’s respectful nature and also Yasuo’s disrespectful nature. The meeting between Shinji and Hatsue at the observation tower reveals Shinji’s characteristics of respect and moral values. As Shinji confronts Hatsue’s body, he treats her with respect because â€Å"Shinji had a sort of haphazard respect for moral things† (Mishima 77). Having respected Hatsue’s decision of abstinence, Shinji received Hatsue’s respect and kindness. However, Yasuo does not respect Hatsue and has even attempt to rape her. Through nature’s intervention by the hornet, Hatsue was able to escape Yasuo’s grasp. Through Yasuo’s actions of attempting to rape Hatsue and trying to conceal the incident by making a deal, Mishima reveals Yasuo as lustful and selfish, the opposite of Shinji. Mishima signifies the concept of foils as the setting takes place in the Utajima-maru, the ship where Shinji and Yasuo â€Å"began their maritime training in the capacity of rice-rinsers†, to demonstrate Shinji’s ... ...ffected Shinji. He was able to adapt to the situation and did not react to Yasuo’s desires of anger and revenge. Shinji was able to stay calm and to remain faithful towards Hatsue. Mishima had revealed Shinji as tolerant as he was able to communicate with others despite the false gossip and serene as he let the gossip die down as well as Yasuo’s hopes for Hatsue’s heart. In conclusion, Mishima brings Yasuo and Shinji together to highlight the foils between two characters. Mishima reveals Yasuo as a jealous, lustful, and selfish character and Shinji as being the hardworking, respectful, and of good moral character through various incidents throughout The Sound of Waves. Having these traits demonstrated to be morally good, Shinji was able to win Terukichi’s approval by doing â€Å"that great thing at Okinawa† and Hatsue’s heart through kindness and respect (Mishima 175).

Ips Cells

Recently, there has been a debate about rather or not laws that govern induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells differ from those currently in place for human embryonic stem (ES) cells. An IPS cell is created artificially from skin, fat and fibroblasts by reprogramming patient's own cells. Scientists believe IPS cells to be a promising source for treating diseases. An ES cell is created by destroying an embryo. Other scientists think ES cells will also be a promising source because it is composed of your own DNA, so the immune system won't reject the cell.While scientists would agree that the same laws should apply because they believe in finding a cure to diseases, other people would disagree. Some people would say that ES cells are unethical because scientists need a human egg donor, and they must destroy a human embryo. The laws should not be the same for ES cells as they are for IPS cells because the creation for ES cells are unethical. (learn. genetics. utah. edu) â€Å"Abortion is murder in the womb†¦ A child is a gift of God. If you do not want him, give him to me. ~Mother Teresa (gardenias4lina. com) An elementary scientific textbook called â€Å"Basics of Biology† gives five characteristics of living things; these five criteria are found in all modern elementary scientific textbooks: 1. Living things are highly organized. 2. All living things have an ability to acquire materials and energy. 3. All living things have an ability to respond to their environment. 4. All living things have an ability to reproduce. 5. All living things have an ability to adapt.According to this basic definition of life, life begins at fertilization, when a sperm unites with an oocyte. (prolifephysicians. org) Some people may disagree, but if they can teach this to elementary students, then adults, especially scientists should be able to understand. Also, by destroying an embryo, you are destroying a human life; not only destroying the life, but infringing upon the b asic rights. The basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law.Other people find nothing wrong with destroying an embryo, murdering a human being. They think that from a medical and scientifical stand point, destroying one embryo to possibly cure a disease is worth it. The life they just took, may have found the cure without taking a life. The government spending money on creating ES cells, (which are time consuming, destroy the embryos and need a human egg donor)on something that a lot of people find unethical, and is even against religion is wrong.The United States is supposed to have seperation of state and church, therefore someone's tax dollars should not go towards something that their religion is against. Laws that govern IPS cells should differ from those currently in place for human ES cells. ES cells are unethical, and is against the religion of some people. Also, ES research is just as wrongful and disterbing as abortion. Scientists in the United States are not allowed to impregnate a women, but they are allowed to use â€Å"leftovers† from fertility clinics with the consent from donors.Human embryos are not â€Å"leftovers†, that is like saying the corps of your grandmother are â€Å"leftovers†; just because you took the life before it reached full maturity, doesn't make it a â€Å"leftover†. Abortion is legal for any women regaurdless of her age, and is allowed throughout the first six months of prgnancy, and for almost any reason after the six months as well. America is full of murders. If you were to look at a baby and say that you could kill it for no reason, you are sick!So, why would you do it before the baby gets a chance to live? Using an embryo to save a life does not justify taking a life. An eye for an eye: The notion that for every wrong done there should be a compensating measure of justice. (phrases. org. uk) Someone please find these embryos justice. Do not allow ES research, it is unethical. Citations citizenlink. com gardenias4lina. com learn. genetics. utah. edu phrases. org. uk prolifephysicians. org thefreedictionary. com

Brand management Essay

1) What is the product mix of Trung Nguyen? What are the key attributes of its coffee? How do these attributes help Trung Nguyen to differentiate itself from its competitors? The product mix refers to the total composite of products offered by Trung Nguyen coffee. It consists of different product lines, various product items in each product line and within each item is the product depth. Firstly, the product line is a group of product or service items that are closely related because they are sold to the same consumer groups, are marketed through the same types of outlets, have similar usage or fall within given price ranges. Thus, Trung Nguyen Coffee’s product lines are: Trung Nguyen Coffee, Passiona Coffee and G7 Instant Coffee. The Passiona Coffee targets at consumers looking for low-caffeine coffee and especially women, while the G7 Instant coffees are made for people who are too busy to brew a cup of coffee themselves. Trung Nguyen Coffee has 3 different product items, namely Creative Coffee, Blend Coffee and Espresso Coffee. Passiona Coffee consists of 2 product item, Passiona roasted coffee and Instant Passiona coffee. As for the G7 Instant Coffees, the product items are G7 Pure soluble, G7 Cappuccino and G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee. Lastly, product depth is the number of variants in a product item. Trung Nguyen’s product depth of Creative coffee includes the Weasel Coffee and Legendee Coffee. Also, some variations of G7 Cappuccino are the Mocha G7 cappuccino and Hazelnut G7 cappuccino. Different sizes of coffees are considered as product depth as well. For example, the G7 Instant 3-in-1 coffee is sold in 3 different sizes: a box of 18 cafe sticks, a bag of 22 sachets or a bulk pack bag of 100 sachets. Table1: Summary of product mix of Trung Nguyen | Product lines| | Trung Nguyen Coffee| Passiona Coffee| G7 Instant Coffee| Product items| -Blend coffee-Espresso coffee-Creative coffee Product depth: Weasel coffeeLegendee coffee| -Passiona roasted coffee-Passiona instant coffee| -G7 Pure soluble-G7 cappuccinoProduct depth:Mocha G7 cappuccinoHazelnut G7 cappuccino-G7 instant 3-in-1Product depth:box of 18 cafe sticksbag of 22 sachetsbulk pack bag of 100 sachets| Key attributes refer to the most important characteristics of a product. Trung Nguyen makes its point of difference through its key attributes like using the best coffee beans, unique brewing style and the new coffee concept. Trung Nguyen has a unique selling point because some coffees offered cannot be found anywhere else. Its coffees are authentically Vietnamese. For example, the Weasel coffee is produced based on the legend in Vietnam. To differentiate itself from its competitors, these key attributes must communicate benefits for consumers. The coffee offered by Trung Nguyen is of a higher quality compared to other coffee brands because they use the best coffee beans sourced from four of the world’s best coffee-growing regions. In addition, Trung Nguyen is awarded with the EureGAP certificate for its good agricultural practices such as having consistently good quality coffee beans and using environmentally friendly technologies. Coupled with their oriental secrets, consumers would prefer Trung Nguyen because their coffee is brewed much more aromatic and rich. Trung Nguyen used their new concept of coffee to set up a â€Å"Creative Coffee House† in order to differentiate itself and gain market share. It is now well-known for the innovative clubhouse whereby customers can enjoy coffee in a beautiful and sentimental ambience while experiencing Vietnamese cultural events and exhibitions. For consumers who value such innovative product services, they will choose Trung Nguyen’s coffee over the other â€Å"grab a coffee to go† coffee styles. 2) What are the roles of branding? What are the benefits of branding to sellers and buyers in the coffee market. The role of branding is to create an identity for the product. The identity created can have some personalities and can gain brand equity. Benefits of branding Some benefits of branding for sellers of the Trung Nguyen coffee are that they are able to accentuate the bases of differentiation from its competitors due to its distinct identity. They can obtain legal protection like trademarks to avoid copycats of their brand. The counterfeit products are capable of stealing Trung Nguyen’s sales when consumers are unsure of how the real packaging of coffee looks like. There is also a chance for the counterfeit coffee to ruin Trung Nguyen’s reputation. Consumers who bought the counterfeit coffee by mistake may view Trung Nguyen to be of a lousier quality instead. All this would be effectively prevented by branding because counterfeiting is an offense. Brand equity is created by branding and careful marketing. Trung Nguyen can in turn earn higher profits as consumers are willing to pay a higher price for this particular brand of coffee. Also, brand equity can lead to higher economic value of the brand, whereby it becomes an asset for Trung Nguyen when it wishes to sell its brand. Last but not least, Trung Nguyen can achieve brand loyalty through creating preferences towards their brand. If Trung Nguyen coffee is able to sustain a consistently good quality coffee product, consumers would remember the brand, spread the word around and continually purchase its coffee. On the buyers end, they may reap the most benefits from Trung Nguyen’s branding. Coffee is a convenience product and it is important to make it easy to find. Consumers will be able to correctly identify the products in a short period of time due to Trung Nguyen’s branding thus becoming more efficient shoppers. Furthermore, consumers may gain assurance of product quality and performance. Employees need to ensure products offered are of consistently good quality and so are specially trained to deliver this promise. Consumers will remain loyal to Trung Nguyen coffee because they are satisfied with this brand and have no need to search for another. 3) What constitutes the brand identity of Trung Nguyen? What is your evaluation of this identity? How can the brand identity be improved? Brand identity is the noticeable elements of a brand and also what the organization wants consumers to perceive the brand as. It constitutes of â€Å"Trung Nguyen† as its name, the logo and its tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† A successful brand name should reflect the personality and values of the brand, be simple, memorable, positive and emotional. A logo is the image that embodies an organization. It is one of the most prominent branding elements that consumers will think of when someone mentions the company. A good brand logo should be memorable, futuristic and consistent and be able to portray the benefits to its target audience. The tagline must be simple and easy to remember. It also needs to remain short since the tagline is always incorporated into many marketing pieces. Evaluation of brand name: Consumers associate Trung Nguyen to â€Å"Central highlands† which refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee where green coffee is grown. This gives an advantageous association between Trung Nguyen and high quality and fresh coffee beans. Also, the brand name represents the uniqueness and richness of the Vietnamese culture. However, the name Trung Nguyen does not hold any meaning for non-Vietnamese. This may alienate consumers from other parts of the world. Another bad point could be that its name is hard to pronounce for non- Vietnamese consumers. Possible improvements: Because the company’s name has been around since 1996 when it was founded, it cannot be changed otherwise the company has to build up brand awareness from scratch all over again. Thus, the company should work hard in educating people and let them understand the positive association between Trung Nguyen and â€Å"Central highlands†. For example, they could use their existing Internet website and include this under the â€Å"learn more† option. People visiting the website can then learn about the association and slowly adopt Trung Nguyen as their favourite coffee. Evaluation of logo In my opinion, the logo might be a little small and insignificant. Psychological influences such as selective exposure and retention affects consumer buying behaviour. For example, the appealing cup of coffee printed on its packaging of Creative coffee may distract the consumers from the brand name. The logo is also unattractive and boring due to the usage of dull and non-contrasting colours. The font used in the logo has little stylistic variations making it rather boring as well. Possible improvements Firstly, the logo should be scaled to a bigger size. Also, the marketing manager of Trung Nguyen can make use of brighter and more contrasting colours to make its logo more outstanding and attention-catching. The font could be changed to something cursive. This can better capture consumer’s attention thus leaving a deeper impression and resulting in better brand memory and recognition. For example Coca Cola, with its logo in a strikingly bright red background and white cursive words, is very successful at making sure that every consumer remembers it. Evaluation of tagline: Trung Nguyen’s tagline â€Å"Explore creative inspiration† consists of only 3 simple words hence should be relatively easy for everyone to remember. However, Trung Nguyen tagline is still quite foreign to people across the globe as they do not use much above-the-line marketing. Possible improvements Through the print media and mass media, Trung Nguyen can improve this aspect of its brand identity. The marketing manager could set up a Facebook page and make it known to people. Maintaining a Facebook page is relatively low-cost as compared to constant TV advertisements. Because millions of people are using Facebook, it is very effective for Trung Nguyen to get their brand identity across. Another point of improvement also through the mass media is through its online website. Perhaps the tagline can be added in the â€Å"history of Trung Nguyen† tab as it is currently not. On top of that, they can make use of emotional branding to elicit a favourable emotional response. Adding emotional words like â€Å"Happy†, â€Å"Healthy† and â€Å"Beautiful† could boost sales of their coffee. As consumers become increasingly aware of health and beauty these days, Trung Nguyen can market more of their Passiona coffee which is enriched with collagen, vitamin PP and other rare oriental herbs through its tagline. 4) What is the branding strategy of Trung Nguyen? What are the advantages and risks of this branding strategy? Trung Nguyen uses an umbrella branding strategy. Different types of coffees have a sub-brand which combines the corporate brand with a new brand. Trung Nguyen’s Passiona Roasted coffee and Trung Nguyen’s Espresso coffee are 2 examples. Advantages of umbrella branding: Capitalizing on the existing brand equity of Trung Nguyen, it can sell newly introduced products quickly. Consumers who have had a good experience with its coffee will transfer this favourable attitude to new items. For instance, Trung Nguyen’s Creative coffee may have been developed earlier than Passiona coffee. Consumers who liked Creative coffee would have a higher chance of buying the Passiona coffee because they are under the same brand and so would also be of an equally good quality. Furthermore, the Passiona coffee can be set at a higher price as consumers are willing to pay more for brand value. This can bring about additional profits for Trung Nguyen. Another advantage of using an umbrella brand is a lower advertising and promotion costs. Trung Nguyen only needs to come up with a single advertisement because its coffees share one identity. Also, because Trung Nguyen is used on all of the products, level of brand awareness is easy to raise. To name an example of a successful sub-branding strategy, Gatorade has developed and introduced Gatorade Frost, Gatorade G2, Gatorade energy bar, etc into the market and stayed popular being the leading sports drink brand in many countries. Risks of umbrella branding: In every marketing strategy there is bound to be a down side. Some risks of umbrella branding are that the failure of one type of coffee may affect the sales of the whole Trung Nguyen branded products. It is inadvisable to put all the eggs into one basket. For instance, if the production G7 Mocha had some discrepancy that caused the coffee to be too sweet, consumers may feel that the rest of Trung Nguyen packet instant coffees are as sweet and so switch over to Nescafe coffee instead. Secondly, sales of one product item may come at the expense of other items offered in the same product line. Lastly, the meaning of Trung Nguyen may also be diluted with an umbrella branding strategy. Apart from coffee, Trung Nguyen also has other product such as Green Tea, Oolong tea, etc. However, Trung Nguyen refers to Dak Lak, the county capital of coffee and so offering tea as an alternative beverage is not so relevant to the brand name.

Information Strategy and Strategic Management The WritePass Journal

Information Strategy and Strategic Management Block 1 Information Strategy and Strategic Management Block 1Six elements of strategy with reference to appropriate information contentBlock 2Impact of Porter’s five forces model on the development and provision of strategically useful informationHow consensus management can help provide directed and focused organizational informationDifference between strategic, tactical and operational organization information in ArgosBlock 3Importance of strategic alignment on ArgosStrategic alignment improves the market penetration potential of ArgosLack of strategic alignment might impede market penetration by ArgosExamples of core and distinctive competence in ArgosMain problems relating to competitive advantage as may be apparent in the retail tradeBlock 4Is knowledge the ultimate competitive advantage?The growing importance of contingent work in information industries affects the development of knowledge for competitive advantageImpact of knowledge transfer on competitive advantageWhat is the impact of internal knowledge development?Discu ss why the disenfranchising of the individual during the change process is a problem for the organizationSuggest ways in which the disenfranchised might be empowered within the change scenarioContrast Kotter’s and Satir’s approaches to changeArguments for the Kotter approachArguments against the Kotter approachArguments for the Satir approachArguments against this approachPreferred approachBlock 5AdvantageDisadvantage Aspects of information systems advocated for outsourcingAspects of information systems not advocated for outsourcingDiscuss the effectiveness in combating threats to an information system of the following control mechanismsBlock 6The limits of computingReferencesRelated Block 1 Organizational development requires the use of information available to develop knowledge which can be used to enhance success and attainment of organizational objectives. Waggoner stresses the primacy of information in knowledge development in his assertion that, â€Å"One can have information without knowledge, but it is impossible to have knowledge without information.† The search and use of information can be enhanced using the building blocks of information which include tool literacy which the ability to use sources of information both print and electronic including software in the search for information, and resource literacy which is the understanding of location, form, format, and methods of access of the information resources enabling the understanding of methods of use of the information sought. These two building blocks enable the search of information and its use which is applicable to Waggoner’s assertion on information literacy which he describes as, â€Å"knowing where and how to find information sources as well as how to locate information within those sources † Also applicable is the social-structural literacy which is the knowledge of the social situation and production of knowledge including an understanding of the scholarly publishing process applicable in the determination of whether the information found is accurate, reliable, and valid. Another building block is research literacy which is the understanding and use of information technology tools including discipline-related software to carry out research and to further knowledge. Six elements of strategy with reference to appropriate information content The six elements of strategy include; direction, market/scope, advantage, resources, environment, and stakeholders. Direction is the destination the business is trying to get to and it consists of the visions and the goals of the organization, the purpose for which it exists. This is a primary consideration, a broad strategic foundation covering all aspects for the business. It includes mission and vision statements, business plans and performance projections, core and distinctive competencies, competitor and market analyses, and overall business strategy (Mintzberg 1995). Market/scope is the kind of markets that a business should compete in and the kinds of activities involved in such market. This is also a key strategy which encompasses the need that the business seeks to fill so as to gain commercial value. It includes information focusing on the market aspects or scope for the business including trends, information on competition and their activity, the company’s positioning and penetration capacity, costs, and overall expected success of strategy (Barney 2001). Advantage refers to the ability of a business to perform better than the competition it the markets and it includes a company’s distinctive competence which enables differentiation. Appropriate information content for this strategy include competitor activity, analysis of capacity and areas of differentiation, analyses of specific market needs, and customer feedback/market response (Pine 1999). Environment includes the external, environmental factors that affect a businesses’ potential to compete and influence the success of its objectives. Information relevant to this strategy would include analysis of political climate, demographics, analysis of needs and acceptance, and foregoing trends in the markets (Barney 2001). Resources are the factors that the company employs to build its capacity and ability to compete including skills, assets, finances, relationships, technical competence and facilities that a company requires to perform its activities. Information content appropriate to this strategy would include the capital requirement and availability, skills and technical competence required and availability, availability of strategic partners and relationships with the various players needed for success of objective, as well as the need and acceptance for a company’s product mix in the market. Stakeholders refer to those who have power in and around the business, their values and expectations. This strategy emphasizes focus on the various needs of the various individuals including customers, employees, investors, service providers, suppliers, government. Relevant information would include customer feedback, market regulations, availability of suppliers and service providers and their capacity, investor expectations and goodwill, and employee relations and their resourcefulness (Mintzberg 1995). Block 2 Impact of Porter’s five forces model on the development and provision of strategically useful information To strategically position itself in a market and to develop information that can be strategically useful, it is imperative that a company takes into consideration the Porter five forces which describe the forces that surround any economic venture affecting business success and potential. These include the power exerted by buyers and suppliers, the threats of substitute products and competition, and the barriers within the market that challenge the entry of new firms (competitors) into the market (Barney 2001). When developing its strategy, information on the existence of products that could be close substitutes to those offered by the firm is essential as they could be a threat to the company’s potential and profitability through the increase in the propensity of customers switching to these alternatives in response to price increases. Factors that need to be considered and monitored when considering this threat are the performance of these substitutes in the market including its strengths and weaknesses, the cost of switching to alternatives which could influence the decision to switch to the alternative, and the willingness of the buyer which can also influence the shift to the alternative (Barney 2001). Information on the presence and capacity of competition is also essential to the development of strategy as these would present a challenge to the profitability of the company. Factors that need be considered to have relevant information on this threat include the number and diversity of competitors, their differentiation, niche or quality, the industry concentration, and the costs of switching which are essential factors to consider as the company seeks its competitive advantage (Barney 2001). Also necessary to consider is the barrier to entry into the market of new competitors. Profitable markets that yield high returns will draw new entrant firms and will consequently lead to a decrease in profitability. The profit rate will fall towards a competitive level (a level of perfect competition) unless the entry of new firms can be blocked by incumbents. This threat is influenced by barriers such as time and cost of entry, the knowledge required, economies of scale, cost advantages, and technology among other barriers (Barney 2001). Upstream information from the customers to the firm, inherent in their bargaining power, is also an essential consideration as customers have the ability to put the firm under pressure, affecting their sensitivity to price changes and overall allegiance. Factors that could influence this bargaining power include the number of customers, their buying volumes, and differentiation in the market, price elasticity, incentives, the brand identity and switching costs to alternatives that could influence shift to substitutes. Downstream information also has an impact in the development of useful strategy. This is the bargaining power of suppliers which is the power that suppliers of raw materials, components, labour and services/expertise to the firm can field over the firm. With this power, suppliers can refuse to work with the firm or offer their services, or can charge exorbitantly for their unique resources. Factors that can influence this bargaining power include the number of suppliers and their size, the ability to substitute and costs of switching, and the unique service or product provided (Barney 2001). How consensus management can help provide directed and focused organizational information Consensus management consists of the agreement between various players in the market place to align their business services, share tasks, as well as pool resources in a market for mutual benefit and for effective and efficient attainment of results (Mintzberg 1995). Taking an example of the Lloyd’s of London which operates primarily in the specialist insurance market, providing insurance to their clients, there has to be consensus between the various parties in its market. These parties include clients seeking the insurance services; brokers representing the clients in seeking insurance, using their specialist knowledge to arrange insurance with underwriters at the best quality, value and price; underwriters working for syndicates with their responsibility entailing the use of their specialist knowledge to assess and accept or decline risks on behalf of the syndicate; members who provide capital required to cover the risks; and the corporation (the administrative body of the Lloyd’s market) which is the structure that oversees these processes, providing the infrastructure for the underwriters and brokers to do business. Such undertakings requiring the involvement of several players for the success of a business venture requires all the parties involved to mutually understand the terms of their agreement or reference, and providing their unique specialized input focused and directed to the overall objective of the business venture. Therefore, consensus management in such an endeavour is essential. Difference between strategic, tactical and operational organization information in Argos Strategic information includes all applications which are critical to achieving future business strategy. It consists of highly aggregated information with overall business scope and impact affecting the entire organization. It is mainly an exploration of known data from current trading and market activities in developing the organizations plan or blue-print for the future. Strategic information is subject to market variations and political constraints and is liable to change at any moment (Collins 2008). With regard to Argos, its strategic information includes its awareness of the needs of people in its market for the comfort and convenience of home selection via the catalogue. This it endeavours to combine with the closeness of high street stores and the creation of stronger presence with the opening up of additional stores to reach a greater percentage of the population in its market, its customers, with its long run target to have 600 stores (Argos case study 2004). Tactical information includes all information used to implement the plan. It consists of comprehensive information regarding overall implementation including progress, and market penetration. This information needs be precise enough to allow the tweaking and amendment of the strategy as well as to control operational decisions (Collins 2008). In the case of Argos, tactical information includes the profound impact of new technologies on the companys functions as a retailer including the collection of feedback through various communication channels, as well as, its use of technology to integrate its functions using ICT to monitor stock levels, to recognize market trends early and to avoid stock out situations, and to communicate with its customers and suppliers (Argos case study 2004). Operational information includes application upon which the organization currently depends on for its success. It consists of highly detailed performance information used to monitor the day to day impact of the strategy and tends to be restricted to departments in its requirement and use relevant to a particular area of influence (Collins 1998). Operational information in the case of Argos includes the strategies for the enlargement of its business through innovative use of evolving technologies in information, its multi-channel approach that offers greater presence to the company and a wider reach to customers unlike stores approach reliant on customers that walk in, and the outsourcing of its supply chain management in its Nominated carrier scheme and its warehousing in its Advanced inventory planning scheme, solutions that enable the company to efficiently manage flow of merchandising from its extensive base of 750 suppliers to its distribution centres throughout the UK (Argos cas e study 2004). Block 3 Importance of strategic alignment on Argos Strategic alignment is the matching up of two or more organizational strategies so as to ensure that the overall objectives of the organization are met. Entities with unique and varied specialty, for example, deliver information one to the other that is necessary in facilitating the realization of the overall organizational objective (Barney 2001). This alignment is useful as it enhances effectiveness and efficiency overall and in the case of Argos, an example of this strategic alignment is the multi-channel approach with the combined use of physical store presence and online presence both offering the capability to browse, reserve, order and make purchases, enhancing the company’s overall presence (Argos case study 2004). Another example of strategic alignment is the adoption of various solutions (including the delegation of responsibilities to service providers) so as to manage complex functions essential for its success including management of its supply chain and warehousing in its â€Å"Nominated carrier scheme† and â€Å"Advanced Inventory planning scheme† solutions delegated to UPS and Retek respectively, and its teaming up with Vodafone Live enabling customers to check stock availability and reserve goods, and to view the catalogue on their mobile phones, all linked to a home or store delivery options (Argos case study 2004). These are organizations that are themselves specialized in these particular fields. This alignment enables greater effectiveness and efficiency for Argos as it enables it to enhance its operations focusing on the key areas with these complex functions left to able providers. Strategic alignment improves the market penetration potential of Argos This strategic alignment improves market penetration of Argos as its multi-channel approach and especially its online presence enables it reach customers who might have hitherto not visited the physical stores. Another example of strategic alignment at Argos is its teaming up with Vodafone enabling customers to view catalogue and stock and to reserve goods enables its reach to the wider Vodafone’s customer base hence enhancing its market penetration more than it would have if it had focused only on its stores (Argos case study 2004). Lack of strategic alignment might impede market penetration by Argos A lack of strategic alignment might impede market penetration by Argos as it will result in uncoordinated approaches that will challenge overall efficiency and therefore success of its objectives. For a retailer such as Argos whose business involves the purchase and resale of a variety of products, differentiation and value addition involves the enhancement of efficiency in its system as its only source of advantage. Without strategic alignment and enhanced focus on overall strategy, this will not obtain limiting the company’s market penetration. Examples of core and distinctive competence in Argos Core competence is the specific skill sets or techniques that are critical to the business and which deliver value to the customer. It includes areas of expertise distinctive to the company and critical for its long term growth (Prahalad 1990). It includes areas central to a company’s business where most value is added and in the case of Argos (Argos case study 2004), they are; Its reliable and efficient delivery infrastructure covering product picking, distribution and customer satisfaction handling. Its design and delivery of a simplified online customer interface that makes shopping efficient for its customers through its various channels. Its design and implementation of an efficient supply system with supply chain management, warehousing solutions and home delivery systems that are effectively linked. Distinctive competence comprises traits unique to an organization enabling the creation of a unique value superior to those of competing organizations forming the basis for its competitive advantage (Collins 1998). In Argos’ case (Argos case study 2004), these comprise elements in its business approach that enhance efficiency in service delivery and the attainment of its overall objective such as; Its innovative use of technology to enhance its retail trade and efficiency with its use of a multi-channel approach. Its strategic integration of elements in its business model which are complementary such as warehousing, supply chain management and use of technology into its powerful business solution and to enhance its efficiency. Its use of enhanced efficiency in its business processes and good relations with its suppliers to drive down costs to the customer. Main problems relating to competitive advantage as may be apparent in the retail trade Competitive advantage for a retailer like Argos tends to be from its differentiated service and efficiency, with its major advantage coming through external elements such as innovative employment of technology and price. Its product mix cannot form a basis for its competitive advantage as retail trade entails the purchase and resale of various products which are similar to competitor products. Such a competitive advantage is not sustainable in the long term as the market evolves and competition intensifies and therefore there is always a need to tweak the company’s competencies to enhance value to the customer and ward off potential switch. The price war in a market as the retailer seeks to differentiate from its competition comes at a cost to overall profitability and therefore needs to be well designed and implemented for it to have meaningful benefit to the overall objective of the company. Block 4 Is knowledge the ultimate competitive advantage? Competitive advantage is a condition which enables a company to operate more efficiently or at a higher quality than its competition resulting in benefits accruing to the company (Prahalad 1990). Knowledge is indeed the ultimate competitive advantage as it comprises a sustainable competitive advantage, a capability which is not easily duplicated or surpassed by competitors. Taking an example from the Lloyd’s of London, its underwriters are famous for recognizing new insurance opportunities and requirements, and for meeting them using their specialty knowledge and that of their partner brokers.   The Lloyds market, for example, covers offshore wind farms of the energy industry, an area that the government is planning to expand. Knowledge, as in this case, helps in developing differentiation and value creation through the use of information available to a company and apt analysis to reach better decisions which can then be used with enhanced efficiency or unique approaches to acquire competitive advantage. Analysis and efficiency or unique approaches are subject to the availability and use of information and they can be easily duplicated and surpassed by competitors. Knowledge is therefore the ultimate competitive advantage. The growing importance of contingent work in information industries affects the development of knowledge for competitive advantage The growing importance of contingent work in information industries affects the development of knowledge for competitive advantage as the contractor often seeks to retain as much knowledge gained from their experience to themselves so as to retain the capacity to offer services they are contracted for which would not be if there were people within the company gained such knowledge and capacity. Impact of knowledge transfer on competitive advantage Knowledge transfer has a positive effect on competitive advantage if it is effective and efficient as it enhances overall understanding, consensus, and therefore helps in the realization of the overall objective of the organization. However, a negative effect could result from the unsecured transfer of sensitive information which can be obtained by the competition and used to challenge the organization’s competitive strategy. What is the impact of internal knowledge development? Internal knowledge development consists of four approaches including socialization which entails the sharing of tacit information by individuals and especially learning by doing; externalization in which individuals link the tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge; combination which entails individuals combining different explicit ideas to create knowledge; and internalization in which individuals extract knowledge from newly created organizational tacit and explicit knowledge through learning by doing. Discuss why the disenfranchising of the individual during the change process is a problem for the organization The disenfranchising of an individual in the change process can be disastrous to the organizations change objective if the individual, victim of the change process is powerful enough to influence the environment, an undesired outcome if the change is not well planned and carefully controlled. This could result from the perspective of employees of organizational change as a negative process over which they have no control. Such individuals would act as deterrents to the realization of the overall organizational objective if this objective requires their input and wholesome involvement with their resultant de-motivation, feeling of being left out, and their participation not being appreciated. This would lead to the lowering of overall efficiency and effectiveness and would therefore be a problem to the organization. Empowering the disenfranchised is therefore an important aspect of well managed change. Suggest ways in which the disenfranchised might be empowered within the change scenario To empower the disenfranchised individual, the organization should seek to keep these individuals in the loop to create an environment in which there is mutual trust and an appreciation of the overall picture and an understanding of the benefit and necessity for change. The main ways through which this can be achieved include giving them an understanding of the necessity for change and what benefits would accrue, creating a guide for the process for clarity and consistency, developing a clear shared vision and communicating it including explaining to the individual its effect on them, empowering the people to act on the vision (to be the change), splitting the process into realizable milestones and benchmarks to ease the overall process. Contrast Kotter’s and Satir’s approaches to change Kotters approach, referred to as the organizational approach as it focuses on institutional change, is a structured method through which change can be managed and followed through within an institution. It is a linear approach which comprises eight steps to follow in the management of the process including the initiation of the urgency, the institution of people to guide the process, the development of a shared vision, communication of the vision, the empowerment of the people to act on the vision, the creation of short term wins to enhance motivation, consolidation and building on the gains, and finally the institutionalization of the change, embedding it in the organization’s culture (Mintzberg 1995). This is a clarified linear approach with a destination and discrete steps to follow. Satirs approach/model, on the other hand, is referred to as the human approach and is composed of a number of stages and with highlights of key events that disturb and move an individuals experience from a position referred to as a status quo (all the usual activities of a normal day) through the change process to a new level (status quo). These key events include the foreign element and the transforming idea. It comprises a cyclical iteration of steps stimulated by the key events in the change process through a position referred to as chaos, then to integration which with time eventually develops into the new status quo (Mintzberg 1995). These steps however have several iterations depending on the stimuli of the key events and unlike the Kotter’s approach, it perceives change as a continuous process rather than linear events that are followed through. Arguments for the Kotter approach Change is seen as linear and the aim of the change can therefore be reached directly following through the various steps. Its linearity is useful in the analysis of the change process and benchmarking so as to gauge success. It provides an excellent process for the management of the change process with clear and discrete steps useful for successful realization of objectives. Arguments against the Kotter approach This approach takes an abstract approach to the change process, focusing on the process management but failing to identify the actual internal change among the individuals involved that result in the acceptance of the change. Kotter’s approach is criticized for it mainly focuses on the concerns of management rather than those of the organization as a whole. It is criticized for its view that there is the one best way in which change can happen forming the basis for the process. The style or path of change, however, may vary influenced by various factors including receptivity to the change, the change management, performance of the organization, among other factors. Arguments for the Satir approach This approach identifies the actual change process within the individual which can then be extrapolated when considering the involvement of a number of other people. It perceives change as a continuous process rather than a destination which can be reached. It takes cognizance of the fact that the change process no matter the size of organization is still an individualized process and that overall change depends on the acceptance of the change by individuals. Arguments against this approach The Satir approach comprises of several cyclical iterations which are mainly a description of the process which offer no steps towards management of the process. This approach makes benchmarking and measuring of success of the process difficult. Difficult to manage in large scale change processes entailing huge organizations. Preferred approach My preferred approach in the management of a project associated with the change would be the Kotter approach as it has a clarified and well defined process and steps to take unlike the Satir model which has a lot of cyclic iterations depending on results and influence of the key events. The Kotter approach with its linearity offers greater advantage in the management of the change process enabling analysis and recognition of the various steps, and the gauging of success at every stage, as well as, in its simplicity and forthrightness when dealing with change in large organizations comprising several individuals. Block 5 Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities that are traditionally handled internally. It is a management strategy in which an organization delegates major, non-core functions to specialized service providers (Barney 2001). Advantage The main advantage of outsourcing is the enhancement of focus on core business that it enables in a company through the transfer of costly, non-core activities to service providers (Luftman 2008). This focus enables enhanced performance on core activities as there is less interruption of the main activities from the non-core activities, and also enhanced performance on the non-core activities as they are delegated to specialized providers specially organized for such activities. Disadvantage The main disadvantage of outsourcing is the abdication of control on certain activities and/or sectors of the organization that is necessitated by the delegation of tasks to external service providers (Luftman 2008). This creates a dependence on the external providers which is a potential liability to the company/organization in terms of confidentiality with these delegated functions and tasks often essential to the performance of its core activities. Aspects of information systems advocated for outsourcing Some aspects of an organization’s information system that can be advocated for outsourcing include non-critical/non-core functions that application development and maintenance, network management, customer care and helpdesk services, data centre management, among other important but non-core aspects. Aspects of information systems not advocated for outsourcing Aspects that hold sensitive information for the organization or are critical components for its competitive advantage should have tight internal control and should not be outsourced as these could become possible points of compromise in terms of leaked information or opening up the system to a variety of threats. Such aspects include; Databases containing a variety of sensitive information including customer information and sensitive data, Discuss the effectiveness in combating threats to an information system of the following control mechanisms Redundancy entails the use of more than one path to reach the destination in information transmission through the network. This is effective in combating threats of compromise in the transmission of information by providing resiliency. Anti-virus software programs form an effective method of preventing attacks on the system by viruses and other suspicious programs that could threaten the composition of the system. Passwords form an effective barrier at points of access preventing unauthorized entry to sensitive system areas and controlling and managing the use of resources. Encryption provides secrecy which is effective in deterring unauthorized use of information. Firewalls filter out dangerous transmissions blocking out unwanted and suspicious activities and thereby effectively helps in maintaining the system’s integrity. Block 6 The limits of computing The extent to which human and computer attribute overlap and differ exist as the designers of computers have made immense effort at creating a machine that mirrors brain function, or even surpasses it. However, wide differences still exist, especially with the acknowledgement that scientists have not been able to fully map the brain, its functions, capacity and potential. This unmapped potential therefore gives humans a higher capacity than machines in tasks including the capability enabling abstract thinking, a capability that challenges the computer (Chan 1992). Abstract thinking refers to the derivation of higher concepts in thought from the classification and usage of literal or concrete concepts or methods connecting any relations among various fields, a high level thought process in which the consideration of a concept is broad, general and non-specific. Human intelligence and expertise depends significantly on unconscious instincts which can hardly be measured or captured rather than conscious manipulation of symbols, with mental states such as beliefs and desires being relations between individuals and their mental representations. The variation results from a humans emotional intelligence combined with the logic and scholastic intelligence which the computer, a machine, can hardly be thought to possess in the near future (Hawkins 2005). Computers are successful in information processing as they are designed to perform iterations with a lot of effort focused on reliability. It is quite efficient in conducting processes that feature repetitive activity better than humans who have inefficiencies in this particular aspect. The challenge still remains the convergence of consciousness and computation and therefore the computer is challenged with regard to abstract thinking though it can mimic several aspects of thought and decision making (Davis 2000). References Barney, B., and A., Arikan, 2001. â€Å"The resource-based view: Origins and implications.† In M. A. Hitt, R. F. Freeman J. S. Harrison (Eds.), Handbook of strategic management (pp. 124-188). Oxford: Blackwell. Chan, Y., and S., Huff, 1992. â€Å"Strategy: An Information Systems Research Perspective.† In: Journal of Strategic Information Systems (1:4), pp. 191-204. Collis, D., and C., Montgomery, 1998. Creating corporate advantage. Harvard Business Review, 76(3):71–83 Davis, G., 2000. â€Å"Information Systems Conceptual Foundations: Looking Backward and Forward.† In: Baskerville, R., J. Stage, and J., DeGross (eds.), Organizational and Social Perspectives on Information Technology, pp. 61-82. Boston: Springer. Hawkins, et al., 2005. On Intelligence, New York, NY: Owl Books Mintzberg, H., B., Quinn, and S., Ghoshal, 1995. The Strategy Process. London: Prentice Hall. Luftman, J., and R., Kempaiah, 2008. â€Å"Key Issues for IT Executives 2007.† In: MIS Quarterly Executive (7:2), pp. 99-112. Pine, J., and J., Gilmore, 1999. The Experience Economy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Prahalad, C., and G., Hamel, 1990. The core competence of the corporation. Harvard Business Review, 68 (3):79–91.

Banning of Human Cloning in the United States and Internationally Essays

Banning of Human Cloning in the United States and Internationally Essays Banning of Human Cloning in the United States and Internationally Paper Banning of Human Cloning in the United States and Internationally Paper The banning of human cloning in both the United States and other countries has become a main topic of concern since the development of Dolly, the first cloned sheep. Issues of morality and personal beliefs conflict, causing many discussions to become irrational and non-objective while other issues arise that cross borders such as religion, science, and social concerns that effect the moral and ethical aspects of the world. We have no long-term effects for it at this time nor a large number of case studies. The field of human body parts and scientific technology has already led to conflicts over adult and embryonic stem cell research, along with human and animal cloning. . The final decision regarding the banning of human cloning, and whether the cloning is beneficial to humanity or not, will not be an easy one. In â€Å"Human Cloning† by author Rob Weekes and â€Å"Mohler Argues Human Cloning Should Be Banned† by Michael Foust, both authors present two excellent views regarding human banning in their articles, stating both the pro and con side while attempting to be objective in the sense that we, as the reader, can understand better what it is we want. Robert Weeks states that there are more than one reason for human cloning therapeutic, DNA, and reproductive cloning – which all needs to be fully understood before making any type of decision or judgment call. The thing to remember is that by allowing human cloning, many things will be effected, not just one. According to author Rob Weekes and his pro views, those who are against cloning feel it is unsafe and intervening in God’s plan for humanity. The â€Å"creation of a new and wholly unnatural process of asexual reproduction† is the act of playing God by our scientists, whose reproductive cloning does very little good for the family core which is already in trouble. The argument he makes with the most impact is when he refers to the fact the unborn children will not have a normal family life, with only one parent to care for it, or two parents of the same sex. The facts have been recognized that parents who are childless will eventually utilize this technology to get a child. And while this may be true, cloning will also be used for other reasons other than reproductive cloning. The life of the embryo will be started in a cold and unfeeling laboratory which will be hard to deal with – especially when the child’s most memorable thoughts and feelings will occur during these early moments. Which is why Michael Foust in his article states that human cloning is â€Å"inherently wrong, has no ethical basis and should be banned by Congress†. With a 98% failure rate in animals, he feels that human cloning is considered unethical as human experiments, while stating that there will be a complete breakdown of medical ethics and human personhood if it goes on. The fact many countries destroy the embryoes after 10 days of life is even worse, with no thought of the lives involved in the destruction. This view is parallel by the Catholic church, having made it very clear that they consider cloning is morally wrong also. A supporter of the human cloning, John Greeny in his article, â€Å"In Support of the Argument for Human Cloning,† feels that human cloning is acceptable and is important for the scientific work, that needs to use the cloning to study ourself with for many reasons. The article states that nothing has been done to humanity to harm them through this practice of cloning. In Bob Weeke’s article he also sides with Greenery in his pro side. His top of the list shows that cloning is no different than any other medical technology of today. He states that many other countries are practicing embryonic studies and human cloning without any problems, feeling that the â€Å"spare† embryos could be used to do human research.  ¬ In his article, several panelists mentioned that they had an issue with the reproduction cloning, yet would accepted the therapeutic cloning. Mohler told the panelists that one or the other would be accepted. With human cloning possibly being banned in the future – we as intellectuals now may lose the ability, through technical growth and science, to contribute through direct intervention for diseases and unknown fields of science. Yet, science and technology have never been able to successfully study the other side of the picture God and the natural process of evolution that is still an unknown factor in the total picture not being able to disprove or prove it. And because of this, human cloning should not be able to run rampant in the world as part of a scientific factory for perfect babies, in a world that can so easily throw away what is not politically correct or needed. 1 Foust, Michael. [2001]. â€Å"Moler, on TV panel, argues human cloning should be banned. † BP News. [Online]. Available at World Wide Web: bpnews. net/bpnews. asp? ID=10667 2 The Human Cloning Foundation: John Greeney. . â€Å"In Support of the Argument for Human Cloning. † Available at World Wide Web: humancloning. org/essays/john3. htm 3 Weeks, Rob. [2000]. â€Å"Human Cloning†, Debate Topics and Debate Motions. Available at World Wide Web: idebate. org/debatabase/topic_details. php? topicID=26

Learn 10 Geographic Facts About Cape Town

Learn 10 Geographic Facts About Cape Town Cape Town is a large city located in South Africa. It is the second largest city in that country based on population and is the largest in land area (at 948 square miles or 2,455 square kilometers). As of 2007, the Cape Towns population was 3,497,097. It is also the legislative capital of South Africa and is the provincial capital for its region. As the legislative capital of South Africa, many of the citys functions are related to government operations.Cape Town is well known as one of Africas most popular tourist destinations and it is famous for its harbor, biodiversity and various landmarks. The city is located within the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and as a result, ecotourism is popular in the city as well. In June 2010, Cape Town was also one of several South African cities to host World Cup games.The following is a list of ten geographic facts to know about Cape Town:1) Cape Town was originally developed by the Dutch East India Company as a supply station for its shi ps. The first permanent settlement at Cape Town was established by 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck and the Dutch controlled the area until 1795 when the English took control of the area. In 1803, the Dutch regained control of Cape Town via treaty.2) In 1867, diamonds were discovered and immigration to South Africa greatly increased. This caused the Second Boer War of 1889-1902 when conflicts between the Dutch Boer republics and the British arose. Britain won the war and in 1910 it established the Union of South Africa. Cape Town then became the legislative capital of the union and later of the country of South Africa.3) During the anti-apartheid movement, Cape Town was home to many of its leaders. Robben Island, located 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from the city, was where many of these leaders were imprisoned. Following his release from prison, Nelson Mandela gave a speech at the Cape Town City Hall on February 11, 1990.4) Today, Cape Town is divided into its main City Bowl- an area surrounded b y Signal Hill, Lions Head, Table Mountain and Devils Peak- as well as its northern and southern suburbs and the Atlantic Seaboard and the South Peninsula. The City Bowl includes Cape Towns main business district and its world famous harbor. In addition, Cape Town has a region called Cape Flats. This area is a flat, low-lying area to the southeast of the city center.5) As of 2007, Cape Town had population of 3,497,097 and a population density of 3,689.9 persons per square mile (1,424.6 persons per square kilometer). The ethnic breakdown of the citys population is 48% Colored (the South African term for ethnically mixed race peoples with ancestry in Sub-Saharan Africa), 31% Black African, 19% white and 1.43% Asian.6) Cape Town is considered the main economic center of the Western Cape Province. As such, it is the regional manufacturing center for the Western Cape and it is the main harbor and airport in the area. The city also recently experienced growth due to the 2010 World Cup. Cape Town hosted nine of the games which spurred construction, rehabilitation of run-down parts of the city and a population boom.7) The city center of Cape T own is located on the Cape Peninsula. The famous Table Mountain forms the backdrop of the city and rises to an elevation of 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). The rest of the city is situated on the Cape Peninsula between the various peaks jutting into the Atlantic Ocean.8) Most of Cape Towns suburbs are within the Cape Flats neighborhood- a large flat plain that joins the Cape Peninsula with the main land. The geology of the region consists of a rising marine plain.9) The climate of Cape Town is considered Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and dry, hot summers. The average July low temperature is 45Â °F (7Â °C) while the average January high is 79Â °F (26Â °C).10) Cape Town is one of Africas most popular international tourist destinations. This is because it has a favorable climate, beaches, a well developed infrastructure and a beautiful natural setting. Cape Town is also located within the Cape Floristic Region which means it has high plant biodiversity and animals such as humpback whales, Orca whales and African peng uins live in the area. ReferencesWikipedia. (20 June, 2010). Cape Town - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town

Reflective Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reflective Journal - Essay Example The primary audiences for this journal are the different marketers and the organizations who are rowed in a competition for their success in a market. This journal helps them to gain insight on the various marketing trends. On the other hand, the journal provides secondary information to students and researchers to study and analyze the emerging marketing strategies and how companies are adopting new modes to compete with each other. Marketers and different organizations are the primary audience for this journal because these two groups remain in constant struggle to adopt different marketing strategies to compete with other marketers and organizations in marketing their products. This helps them to constantly monitor and analyze the various emerging trends. This research will help the primary audience to gain insight to the various strategies adopted by the different key players and how these marketers would consider marketing their product according to the new demands. For a marketer, it is important to know about the targeted customer and a particular segment but this study would have made them think that segmentation and knowing your customer is not important anymore to compete in a dynamic world of today but the main focus should be emphasized on what these marketers and organizations are offering to the customers which is more important in today’s market. Bailey, C., Baines, R. P., Wilson, H. and Clark, M. (2009). Segmentation and Customer Insight in Contemporary Services Marketing Practice: Why Grouping Customers Is No Longer Enough. Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 25, Issue 3 & 4 April 2009, Pages

Consumer Borrowing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Borrowing - Essay Example On the other hand, there are users whose spending needs exceed their current income levels so they have a deficit. Therefore, they require additional funds to make up the difference. These funds can be trasferred from suppliers to demanders of money in two ways. First is through Financial institutions that are of two types including depository insitutions such as commercial banks, saving and credit unions (also known as financial intermediaries) and non-depository instituions such as life insurance companies, pension funds and finance companies. Depository institutions especially banks accept deposits from savers (lenders) of money that they can withdraw on demand. They pool customer deposits and use these funds to make loans or investments to demanders or borrowers of money (consumers and businesses). These institutions make money because of interests rate that they charge from demanders, which is higher than what they to pay to savers or depositors of money. On the other hand, non-depositry institutions such as insurance companies accept business risks of their customers in return for a series of payments called premiums. They then invest their excessive funds after meeting their operating expenses (insurance claims, salaries etc). Finance companies offer short-term loans to borrowers. They usually sell securities or borrow funds from commercial banks therefore they tend to charge higher interest rates as compared to banks. Second is through financial markets where people and organizations wanting to borrow money are brought together with those having surplus funds. Financial markets are primarily divided into primary and secondary markets. Primary market are those in which corporations raise funds by issuing new securities. In Secondary markets, on the other hand, previously issued securities such as mortgages, bonds and stocks are traded among investors. Stock exchanges are perhaps the best example of these type of markets.

Case Study on Apple Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

On Apple - Case Study Example â€Å"Mike† Markkula, Jr. have experienced the ups and downs of the organization due to competitive pressures and changes in the external environment. With the latest generated success from non-PC products, Jobs, currently the CEO is faced with the dilemma of evaluating Apple’s current performance in view of future prospects. The question that is to be responded to is: Was Apple’s recent success just another temporary â€Å"up† in its up- and-down history, or had he finally established a sustainable strategy for the company? The case is hereby assessed by addressing the questions enumerated below. I. Current Situation A. Current Performance In the 1980’s Apple’s competitive advantages focused on the following: (1) possessed strong corporate position and image as a pioneer manufacturer and marketing of easy-to-use computer for a wide range of clientele; (2) begun to exhibit excellence in product design; and (4) launched a successful Initial Pu blic Offering of their shares. However, during this period, Apple was reported to â€Å"rely on proprietary designs that only Apply could produce† (Yoffie & Slind, 2008, p. 2) in contrast to IBM’s â€Å"open† system which enabled other computer producers to clone. The result of this on Apple’s financial performance during the 1980s was a drop in their market share by 6.2% in 1982; decreased net income from 1982 to 1984 by a significant 17%. The condition necessitated removal of Jobs as in charge of operations and eventually made him to decide leaving the position to Sculley, a previous CEO from Pepsi-Cola in 1983. The financial performance of Apple reflected an up-and-down history of financial success. The selected financial highlights presented in Exhibit 1 indicate increasing trends from 1981 to 1996 with a sharp decline in 1998. The upward trend likewise continued to be exemplified from 1998 onwards. The latest financial figures from the time Apple foc used on non-PC products in 2001 attest to the increasing pattern, ending with net sales of $24 billion in 2007 to $24.6 billion for the first to third quarters of 2008. Likewise, net income improved considerably from only $65 million in 2002 to almost double to $3.7 billion for the first three quarters of 2008 (Yoffie & Slind, 2008, p. 16). The composition of net revenues for Apple come from Macintosh products and non-PC products with majority of revenues accounted for by the non-PC products (70%). From Exhibit 1b, it can be deduced that financial success was mostly attributable to the iPod, seconded by portables. Other fast moving products were desktops and other music products. Data from Exhibit 1c provides information that supports that more than 61% of net sales in the first three quarters of 2008 came from the U.S., followed by Europe (33%) and the remaining sales coming from Japan. Exhibit 2 indicated that the share prices for Apple rose sharply, starting in 2002 and more abru ptly after 2006, consistent with the introduction of the iPhone in the market. On a global scale, however, the financial figures indicate that worldwide PC share had actually been steady at an average of 2.5% since 1997 (Exhibit 3). Apple’s gross margin has bested other competitors, particularly Hewlett-Packard and Dell (35% in 2007) (Exhibit 5). Comparing their net income to those of its competitors, Apple’s net income of $3.5 billion in 2007 was only almost similar in amount to Dell ($2.9 billion). All other competitors topped the net income according to the following positions: Microsoft ($14 billion), Hewlett-Packard ($7.3billion), and Intel ($7 billion). B. Strategic Posture During the governance of Sculley and just

Project management for a building conversion Essay

Project management for a building conversion - Essay Example It has been selected to be a Grade B office building. This paper seeks to present key activities involved in conversion to Grade B office integrated in the project management perspective. We will see how activities will be schedule, resource management, and quality assurance among other fundamental principles surrounding any project. PREDECESSOR ACTIVITIES The first crucial step is to seek permission from the local authority in form of an application for change of user. This will need the approval of the local authority’s plans for the area. (IEEE, 2005).That is, whether the area is official recognized as an industrial area only or a residential area. Depending on the prevailing by-laws, the approval may be issued or not. Afterwards, we can proceed to the preliminary design of the office. That is, the floor layout of the offices required among other things. These specifications will be tailored to the client in Hong Kong. A detailed assessment of the existing building will be done to check integrity of the current building, the kind of foundation, parts of the building that are intact or need re-designing to fit in the preliminary design. ... Once the building permit is issued, the conversion works can officially commence with other revisions being made on the prior design if necessary but still approval from relevant authorities is mandatory. This is how this conversion will generally go. The detailed procedures will be modelled within the Microsoft Project 2007. KEY AREAS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT In any project, whether product manufacturing, or service delivery, there are crucial aspects of activities that need to be addressed should we desire a successful project. These factors are necessary for the project manager. How he or she addresses these issues will show his capability and skills and project is no exception. Besides time, there are various key areas in project management (PMBOK, 2008) and these include cost management, project quality management, human resource management, project scope management, Risk management These are discussed as follows 1. Time Management Time management ensures that the project is comple ted as planned. This has an impact costs and effectiveness in running the project. This sector covers the processes required to ensure timely completion of the project (Dennis 2007).The sequencing aspects is crucial. Certain activities can only commence after predecessor activities are completed. For this project we applied the fundamental activities involved in the conversion of an industrial building to an office building. We will also cover the critical path. This is basically the path that should not be delayed as it will determine the overall project conclusion time. Milestones will help us monitor project course. From the MS Project we came

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a viral marketing Research Paper

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a viral marketing strategy and enterprise 2.0 tools - Research Paper Example Moreover there are other enhanced functionalities of Web 2.0 that are comprised of open interaction with a prominence on Web-based community of users. Hence this aspect facilitates the people through more open sharing of information. We can classify this marketing term when we make use of it in  Blogs, wikis, and  Web services  are the entirely seen as part of Web 2.0 (Webopedia, 2011). Web 2.0 Tools and Technologies When we talk about web 2.0 technological aspects, we see a lot of Web 2.0 tools and technologies available in the market. In this scenario various online tools and platforms are available that help us a lot in defining how citizens can share their point of views, ideas, opinions, thoughts, data and information and knowledge. In this scenario, we have various examples of Web 2.0 tools such as weblogs, RSS, video-casting, collective bookmarking, podcasts; multimedia sharing sites and social networking. These tools are helpful for the organizations for attracting more and more people and services. But the most important aspect is that majority of Web 2.0 tools are free of cost and we can use them online. There are numerous Web 2.0 tools such as Blogger, Digg, Word press, Metacafe, Furl, Twitter and YouTube (Scott, 2011). Podcasting If someone wants to play video games, he/she can easily explore a podcast submission Web-site such as www.Podcast.net. By using this site a user might download an auditory review of a competition (game) to use it on their system (Scott, 2011). Blogs Blogs are basically sequential, online diary. We can comment or put forward any suggestion through Blogger or else Word press blog (Scott, 2011). RSS RSS is normally abbreviated as Really Simple Syndication. We can think RSS as a technique for distribution of frequently changing Web contents. However various blogs along with Internet publishers collect their content as an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed to permit people to subscribe it without any difficulty (Scott, 2 011) (Scott, 2011). Social Bookmarking The aspect of social bookmarking facilitates people to visualize and comment on the blog post. In this way a user can carry out this task by distributing it to some blog post to a social bookmarking site. In this scenario there is a well known example that is www. Del.icio.us. Moreover it is a normal viewpoint that social bookmarking sites are Web pages that are helpful in maintaining common lists of user- formed Internet bookmarks for displaying comment related aspects (Scott, 2011). Social Networking Social networking is a famous term that we hear every day in our normal life. Individuals who visit bookmark web-site for these ‘game assessment’ tags are probably used for our bookmark. Thus large number of individuals can easily explore our bookmark as well as make a comment on it of their choice. Consequently we will think ourselves to be a part of a group of persons who have a common interest in video games although we have examp le of an important social networking site like Digg (Scott, 2011). Viral Marketing Definition Viral marketing is a  term that is commonly used to discuss marketing strategy factors. It is also referred as a marketing methodology that allows and support people to pass along a market related message (MarketingTerms, 2011). The idea of viral marketing is a little bit different as it spreads a thought while its distribution actually

Project management for a building conversion Essay

Project management for a building conversion - Essay Example It has been selected to be a Grade B office building. This paper seeks to present key activities involved in conversion to Grade B office integrated in the project management perspective. We will see how activities will be schedule, resource management, and quality assurance among other fundamental principles surrounding any project. PREDECESSOR ACTIVITIES The first crucial step is to seek permission from the local authority in form of an application for change of user. This will need the approval of the local authority’s plans for the area. (IEEE, 2005).That is, whether the area is official recognized as an industrial area only or a residential area. Depending on the prevailing by-laws, the approval may be issued or not. Afterwards, we can proceed to the preliminary design of the office. That is, the floor layout of the offices required among other things. These specifications will be tailored to the client in Hong Kong. A detailed assessment of the existing building will be done to check integrity of the current building, the kind of foundation, parts of the building that are intact or need re-designing to fit in the preliminary design. ... Once the building permit is issued, the conversion works can officially commence with other revisions being made on the prior design if necessary but still approval from relevant authorities is mandatory. This is how this conversion will generally go. The detailed procedures will be modelled within the Microsoft Project 2007. KEY AREAS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT In any project, whether product manufacturing, or service delivery, there are crucial aspects of activities that need to be addressed should we desire a successful project. These factors are necessary for the project manager. How he or she addresses these issues will show his capability and skills and project is no exception. Besides time, there are various key areas in project management (PMBOK, 2008) and these include cost management, project quality management, human resource management, project scope management, Risk management These are discussed as follows 1. Time Management Time management ensures that the project is comple ted as planned. This has an impact costs and effectiveness in running the project. This sector covers the processes required to ensure timely completion of the project (Dennis 2007).The sequencing aspects is crucial. Certain activities can only commence after predecessor activities are completed. For this project we applied the fundamental activities involved in the conversion of an industrial building to an office building. We will also cover the critical path. This is basically the path that should not be delayed as it will determine the overall project conclusion time. Milestones will help us monitor project course. From the MS Project we came

Critical evaluation of Emerging NMS and Analysis Research Paper

Critical evaluation of Emerging NMS and Analysis - Research Paper Example Fault Management is the first element of FACPS. In order to manage faults, it is essential to detect it, log it and notify the concerned users. It is also necessary that the best possible ways are used to automatically fix the network faults in such a way that the network continues to run effectively. Network faults degrade network and cause downtime and therefore it is an important element that is implemented most widely in all networks (Network dictionary, n.d.) Configuration Management is the second element of FCAPS. It is the act of monitoring configuration information of the network and system. The aim of this is to track and manage effects of network operations on different hardware and software versions (Network dictionary n.d.) Accounting Management is the third element of FCAPS. It is the act of measuring the extent of network utilization by individuals and groups. All the activities of network users are measured on the basis of individuals and groups. The aim of this is to regulate the usage of network and bill the users according to their usage (Network dictionary n.d.) Performance Management is the fourth element of FCAPS. It is the act of measuring performance of network based on various aspects such as consistency, rates of faults and utilization. It also requires collection and analysis of network performance data such as throughput, latency, delay and jitter. The aim of this is to optimize the network performance; that is to keep the network effective and efficient (Network dictionary n.d.) Security Management is the fifth element of FCAPS. It is the act of controlling access and usage of network resources through the process of authentication, verification and assignments of rights based on privileges, positions and needs of the users. The aim is to prevent any sabotage or unauthorised access of private and sensitive information

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were very important to our country’s history. They are revolutionary men. They fought battles against a bigoted nation. They fought for what they believed was right. The two gentlemen however fought very different battles although they seem to be fighting the same prejudice. If you ask anyone today, that remembers the movement, ‘Who was Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr? The opinions you will hear will be quite contrary to each other. The two men were very influential in American culture. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were able to use the media to allow their voices to be heard. I will be explaining the reasons why these two gentlemen fought such extreme battles fueled by passion and hate. The media have always been a presence during the movement of the 60’s. During the time of the movement the nation was glued to the media. Martin Luther King, Jr. , is known for his nonviolent manner for leading a protest. As Martin Luther King led his followers, he taught them protest with respect and dignity. Martin Luther King once said, in regard to his nonviolent approach, â€Å"Violence, as a way of achieving racial justice, is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. †(Cassutto, 2008). Martin Luther King grew up in a religious family. He comes from educated parents that taught him to be humble. One of the famous non violent protests that Martin Luther King led was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Instead of fighting the cause with violence, King chose to simply stop riding the buses all together in protest of the segregation police preventing blacks to ride anywhere other than the back of the bus according to (Moultan, Phillips, Styza, Gonzales, 2007). Instead of violence, King and others posted signs at every bus stop that read, â€Å"Don’t ride the bus today, don’t ride it for freedom†, as stated by (Moultan, Phillips, Styza, Gonzales, 2007) According to, (Moultan, Phillips, Styza, Gonzales, 2007), the protesters would not fight back when the whites against segregation would fight or attack the protesters which turned out to be a very powerful move. According to (Moultan, Phillips, Styza, Gonzales, 2007), after 381 days of boycotting the bus system they went to the Supreme Court. Eventually they Supreme Court ruled that is unconstitutional to separate people based on the color of their skin. This is proof that with determination and patience, laws can be changed without the use of violence. Malcolm X wanted the same thing Malcolm X did, freedom. Malcolm X, however, took a very different approach than Martin Luther King did. He felt violence was a way to handle the injustice of segregation. Malcolm X was a follower of the Nation of Islam. Until he made his journey to Mecca, he preached about how all whites are the devils. After his journey to Mecca he saw a different way of approaching the segregation and hatred of whites. Malcolm X still believed in violence when came to fighting for what he felt was right according to, (Simkin, 2003). (Simkin, 2003) states that Malcolm X said in a speech in March of 19I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black mans problem just to avoid violence. I dont go for non-violence if it also means a delayed solution. To me a delayed solution is a non-solution. Or Ill say it another way. If it must take violence to get the black man his human rights in this country, Im for violence exactly as you know the Irish, the Poles, or Jews would be if they were flagrantly discriminated against. (Simkin, 2003) In conclusion, the two men had an extraordinary will to change the future for what they believed was right. The Medias involvement is how we still know today what these men did for this country. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King both took a different approach when they fought for their beliefs. The one thing they had in common was the cause, freedom.

Theory of Two Magnetically Coupled RLC Circuits

Theory of Two Magnetically Coupled RLC Circuits CHAPTER 3 In many physical situations coupling can be created between two or more oscillatory systems. For instance, two pendulum clocks which are mounted on the same wall will be coupled by the flexing of the wall as each swing. Similarly, electronic devices frequently contain several tuned circuits that may be deliberately coupled by another circuit element, or even accidentally by stray fields. In all these situations, energy can be transferred when the frequency of one or both of the oscillators will be shifted. (Anon, 2011) 3.1 Theory of two magnetically coupled RLC circuits Two inductively coupled RLC circuits are shown below (Figure 1). Two resonant frequencies are obtained owing to the fact that there are two circuits. The separation of the two frequencies depends on the value of the mutual inductance M, defined as the ratio of the voltage in the secondary to the rate of change of primary current with time. It has a reactance at the operating frequency. (Arkadi, 2004) Applying Kirchhoff’s voltage law equations for both the primary and secondary loops yield (it is assumed here that ) These equations can be written in the matrix form as follows: where, and Following Cramer’s rule, where Thus, the solution from which the frequency response can be obtained is Resonance occurs at the two frequencies given by the following equations: The behavior of the circuit can qualitatively be understood on the basis of the reflected impedance (or coupled impedance). An inductively coupled circuit is said to reflect impedance in the secondary into the primary circuit. For a further explanation, the coupled circuits shown in Fig 2, is considered. The positive direction of the currents is chosen into the polarity mark on the generator representing the induced voltages, so that Kirchhoffs equations are is the mutual impedance , includes the source impedance and the secondary load. These equations may be solved for the equivalent primary impedance The reflected impedance is then A resistance is reflected as a resistance, whereas a capacitance is reflected as an inductance , and an inductance reflected as a capacitance . At resonance condition, the reflected impedance is resistive, and therefore acts to lower the Q-factor of the primary, and thereby reducing the output. This is however counteracted by an increase in coupling, which increases the output. The lower Q-factor gives a wider bandwidth. At lower frequencies than exact resonance, the reflected impedance is said to be inductive, which contributes to the inductance of the primary and consequently resonates at a lower frequency, producing a peak in the output. At higher frequencies than exact resonance, the reflected impedance is said to be capacitive, which cancels part of the inductance and eventually causes the circuit to resonate at a higher frequency, producing the second peak. (Arkadi, 2004) 3.2 Theory of couplings between two resonators The operation of resonators is very similar to that of the lumped-element resonators (series and RLC resonant circuits). Generally, two eigen frequencies can be obtained in association with the coupling between two coupled resonators, despite whether ther are synchronously or asynchronously tuned. The coupling coefficient , can therefore be extracted from these two frequencies, which can be obtained using eqn () and eqn (). However, these two frequencies can also be easily and directly identified in experiments without doing any calculations. According to (Hong, 2004), the formula for the computation of the coupling coefficient for synchronously tuned resonators does not yield the appropriate results when used to compute the coupling coefficient of asynchronously tuned resonators. Therefore it is of fundamental importance to present comprehensive treatment and derive a proper formulation to extract the coupling coefficient for asynchronously tuned resonators. In general, for different structure resonator (Figure ), the coupling coefficient may have different self-resonant frequencies. It may be defined on the basis of a ratio of coupled energy to stored energy, that is, Electric coupling magnetic coupling where all fields are determined at resonance. The volume integrals are over entire regions with permittivity of Æ  and permeability of ÃŽ ¼. However the direct evaluation of from eqn. would require a complete knowledge of the field distributions and would need to perform space integral. This would certainly not be an easy piece of work unless analytical solutions of the fields exist. However, Hong et al. (2004) found that there exists a relation between the coupling coefficient and resonant frequencies of the resonators which eases our task in computing the coupling coefficient.The coupling is due to both electric and magnetic effects. It is therefore essential to formulate expressions for each type of coupling separately. 3.3 Formulation for coupling coefficients 3.3.1 Electric coupling For electric coupling alone, an equivalent lumped-element circuit (Figure ) is designed to represent the coupled resonators. The two resonators resonate at frequencies and . They are coupled to each other through mutual capacitance . For natural resonance to occur, the condition is (as mentioned previously in 2.2.3). The resonant condition leads to an eigen equation After some manipulations eqn () reduces to This equation has four eigenvalues or solutions. However, out of the four, only the two positive real solutions are of interest to us. This is because they represent the resonant frequencies which are identifiable, namely A new parameter is defined, where it is assumed that . Substituting and in eqn (), Defining the electric coupling coefficient, according to the ratio of the coupled electric energy to the average stored energy. 3.3.2 Magnetic coupling A lumped-element circuit model like Figure is used to show the magnetic coupling through mutual inductance, of asynchronously tuned resonators. and are the two resonant frequencies of the uncoupled resonators. For natural resonance to occur, the condition is, . This leads to After expanding, Like in 3.3.1, this equation has four solutions, of which only the two positive real ones are of interest to us, We define a parameter, Assuming , and recalling and , substitute in eqn () Defining the magnetic coupling coefficient as the ratio of the coupled magnetic energy to the average stored energy, 3.3.3 Mixed coupling There is a mixture of both electric and magnetic coupling in the case of the experiments that will be performed in this project. Therefore to derive the coupling coefficient of the two resonators, we may have a circuit model as shown in Fig. Fig. The electric coupling is represented by an admittance inverter with while the magnetic coupling is represented by an impedance inverter with . Based on the circuit model of Fig. , and assuming all internal currents flow outward each node, a definite nodal admittance matrix can be define with a reference at node ‘0’ with For natural resonance, it implies that This requires that the determinant of admittance matrix to be zero, that is, After some manipulations, we can arrive at This biquadratic equation is the eigen-equation for an asynchronously tuned coupled resonator circuit with the mixed coupling. Letting either or in eqn. reduces the equation to either coupling, which is what should be expected. There are four solutions of eqn. However, only the two positive ones are of interest, and they may be expressed as with Define For narrow-band applications we can assume that and the latter actually represents a ration of an arithmetic mean to a geometric mean of two resonant frequencies. Thus we have in which Now, it is clear that is nothing else but the mixed coupling coefficient defined as The derived formula for extracting the coupling coefficients of any two asynchronously resonators can thus be formulated as This formula can also be used in computing the coupling coefficient of two synchronously tuned resonators, and in that case it reduces to We will demonstrate the application of the derived formulation in this project through the construction of two identical coupled spiral coil resonators and identify their respective resonant frequencies as well as determining the mixed coupling between them through the use of capacitors added to them.