America Should Have Stricter Gun Control

The scene is all too recognizable. A troubled person pulls out a gun in a school, an office, or a shopping center, and he or she slaughters innocent men, women, and children. Recently, mass murders have occurred at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Omaha’s Westroads Mall (Schwartz). These tragedies are not inevitable, so people wonder one question. Are guns in our society getting out of control? Four out of every ten Americans own a gun; which leads to the perception that America has returned to the Wild Wild West. In fact, it is to be assumed that where guns are present, there is a higher risk of drug abuse, crime, and accidents. About 31,224 people died from gun violence in 2007. In just one day, 268 people were shot in murders, assaults, suicides, accidents, or by police intervention (Grunwald). Not only do four out of ten Americans have gun ownership, but an additional three out of four Americans believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to carry a gun. Hypothetically, these people believe that they have a right to bear arms and that right should not be infringed. Part of the reason why there are such outrageous statistics is because there is lost momentum towards gun control (Schwartz). People are discomforted by the fact that a ridiculous 15 years have passed since there has been an urge for gun legislation on the federal level. In the 2008 presidential campaign, neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama talked at all about gun control. In fact, Obama received an F for leadership on gun control to prevent gun violence from â€Å"A Brady Campaign† (Grunwald). However, Barack Obama did acknowledge the gun control dilemma only enough to make it seem unimportant in comparison to other issues he takes on. Obama stated â€Å"We essentially have two realities when it comes to guns in this country. We can reconcile those two realities by making sure the Second Amendment is respected and that people are able to lawfully own guns, but that we also start cracking down on the kinds of abuses of firearms that we see on the streets† (Schwartz). Guns are given with laws, and when people continuously break those laws, the government should tackle the issue; America has returned to the Wild Wild West. Along with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ignoring the issue, Congress has done hardly anything to toughen gun control laws. In truth, Congress has relaxed the laws very little. For example, in 2003, Congress passed an amendment to block the government from publicly releasing most data that trace guns used in crimes. In 2005, Congress gave gun manufacturers immunity to lawsuits if their firearms were used in crimes. Andy Goddard’s son, Nick, who was injured in the Virginia Tech shooting said, â€Å"people don’t know how poorly protected they are† (Schwartz). Along with the lost momentum towards stricter gun control, America has become more dangerous. According to the article â€Å"In Congress, the Uphill Battle for Gun Control†, where guns are present, there are more likely to be drug abuse, crime, and accidents. Supposedly, the main challenge in discovering guns used in crimes is the insufficient amount of research on exactly which laws help cut down on gun shootings. Research by Emma Schwartz proved laws that demand owners to shield their children by keeping their guns locked or unloaded decreased deaths among children in Florida, but not in Connecticut or California. Laws that allow people to carry weapons, which advocates say tend to discourage criminals from shooting, have brought little meaningful decrease in crime. Therefore, America is violently out of control. Also, the article â€Å"Fire Away† states, â€Å"Nationally, less than 1% of all gun deaths involve self-defense; the rest are homicides, suicides, and accidents. In a study of 23 high-income countries, the U. S. had 80% of the gun deaths, along with a gun homicide rate nearly 20 times higher than the rest of the sample. Also, in one year, more than 100,000 people die from gun violence in America (Grunwald). Some people question the president’s concern. At one time, Barack Obama promised to reinstate a federal ban on certain semiautomatic assault guns. The ban was initially passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress in 1994 and lapsed five years ago. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a New York Democrat, is extremely impatient with the party’s silence. With every right to be impatient, a gunman randomly fired on a Long Island commuter train on Dec. , 1993 and murdered her husband while severely injuring her son. However, when she addressed the issue to Obama, the response given was, â€Å"that’s not for now, that’s for later† (Isikoff). To emphasize that America has become an unsafe society; On the morning of April 4, 2010, Richard Poplawski got into an argument with his mother. The argument was over the family‘s dog urinating on the carpet. Richard’s mother called the police to have her 22-year-old son confiscated from her house. Richard Poplawski and his mother live in what portrays to be, a rough neighborhood. Responding as police would to any other situation, two officers responded to the call, assuming that it was a typical familial dispute. Margaret Poplawski greeted them by saying, â€Å"Come and take his ass. † But little did they know Richard Poplawski, who recently was fired from his job in a glass factory, had other ideas. He went to a private, hidden section of the house, where he grabbed his guns and put on a bulletproof vest. Poplawski shot officer Paul J. Sciullo II, 37, inside the house and hit 29-year-old Stephen Mayhle on the stoop. Immediately, both men feel dead. Looking calm and collected, Poplawski stood in the doorway and fired two or three more bullets into Mayhle’s body, according to a witness. Then, he ran back into the house and fired hundreds of rounds, using an AK-47 assault rifle and other weapons to slay off a police SWAT team for four hours. He killed another officer, 41-year-old Eric Kelly, and wounded a cop (Isikoff). Poplawski’s cringing story is an ideal example of how America lacks gun control. Years ago, national political leaders would have raised questions or concerns about how such a person like Poplawski could easily get his hands on high-powered guns. They might have been even more driven because Poplawski’s cop-killing rampage was part of a rise of mass homicides that have caused 58 people dead over the past month. Or the fact that Mexico’s high violent drug cartels equip themselves with high-powered weapons, purchased at U. S. gun control measures are silent. These are including Obama White House officials who have put the lid on any talk in pushing further gun-control measures (Isikoff). With the increasing numbers in drug abuse, crime, and accidents, America has a bad reputation. Sadly, there is lost momentum towards gun control including relaxed gun laws, Obama ignoring the issue, and Congress doing hardly anything. Four out of every ten Americans own a gun; which leads to the perception that America has returned to the Wild Wild West. The fact that there were mass murders at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Omaha’s Westroads Mall is not okay. The fact that 31,224 people were dead from gun violence in the year of 2007 is not normal. The fact that four out of every ten Americans own a gun is not tolerable. Because America has lenient gun control makes our country wilder than the Wild Wild West.

Eternal Love Through Death in John Keats Bright Star Essay

Love, being one of the most debated topics in literature, often serves as a source of inspirations for many of writers and poets, including John Keats. Throughout his life, he wrote countless love poems and letters, addressing his lover – Fanny Brawne. The star, apart from being the symbol of steadfastness and constancy, it is also a metaphor representing Keats himself. Through Keats’ idea of â€Å"Mansion of life†, the poem is consisted of two floors where the first floor displays his passionate love for Brawne while the second floor talks about his inner desire for death. Keats first expresses his ideal, however paradoxical love. There are two essential yet conflicting qualities in this poem – the reality verses the ideal and the immortal verses the mortal. On one hand, he would like to be like a star, steadfast and unchanging. On the other, he dislikes the solitude of the star as it has to watch â€Å"the moving waters† and â€Å"the new soft-fallen mask/Of snow† from afar like a â€Å"sleepless Eremite†. He continues to state that if he â€Å"has to live ever†, he would rather â€Å"pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The ideas to be eternal and to love simultaneously do not go hand in hand. To love, one has to be human and therefore not an immortal, steadfast star. In the last line of the poem, Keats acknowledges that he would like to â€Å"live ever† in love, but he has to be human in order to experience love, which hints that the love between Keats and Brawne will not last and will eventually fade away as time goes by. The other possible alternative to immortalize their love is â€Å"swoon to death†. One of Keats’ letters from 3 May 1818 to Fanny Brawne echoes the idea of â€Å"swooning† and it says â€Å"†¦I love you; all I can bring you is a swooning admiration of your Beauty.†(Poet.org) This can be interpreted that he wants to die while experiencing intense, ecstatic love or according to the letter, overwhelmed by her beauty. While I was reading Bright Star, I could not help but catch the similarity between Keats and Shakespeare’s idea of love. In the opening of Shakespeare’s sonnet 116, â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.† (Shakespeare) Shakespeare talks about his ideal love and marriage. Keats, being a reader of Shakespeare, is in some way affected or inspired by him. Shakespeare describes love as an â€Å"ever-fixed marks† that â€Å"is never shaken† even in the wildest storms. Keats transformed Shakespeare’s â€Å"ever-fixed† into steadfastness. Keats then moves on to talk about a more sexual and sensuous love. With more explicit descriptions of â€Å"my [his] fair love’s† body parts, those descriptions hint the idea of sex and orgasm. He imagines himself â€Å"pilliow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast†. The word â€Å"ripening† gives a notion of youth, implicating that the lady is young and energetic. Keats also describes the rising and falling of her chest when she takes her â€Å"tender-taken breath†. If he could, he would â€Å"so live ever†. However, it is impossible to live forever and the only solution would be â€Å"swoon to death†. Keats did not explicitly tell the readers what it means to be â€Å"swoon to death† and leave us a lot of room for imaginations. The word â€Å"swoon† and other erotic images of the lady’s body parts bring us to the subtext of the poem – sex. La petite mort is a French idiom or euphemism for org asm, meaning little death. According to Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"swoon† means â€Å"to enter a state of ecstasy or rapture†. Whether he intended to talk about sex at the end of the poem is still indefinable as we have no idea of what Keats was thinking when he wrote the poem. Though Keats did not write any overly sexual poetry, there is always a strong erotic indication in many of his works. If the sexual subtext is intended in the poem, I believe that it creates a nice denouement to the poem. Keats’ obsession with death and his love for Fanny are intertwined seamlessly throughout the poem. In one of his letters, he states â€Å"I have two luxuries to brood over in my walks, your loveliness and the hour of my death† (Poet.org). Not only is Keats intimidated by death, to some extent he is also intrigued by it. Even though he is worried about the approaching death, to him the promise of death is comforting and soothing. The only resolution to achieve the paradoxical ideal of being eternal as well as experiencing love is death. Through death, immutability and steadfastness can be achieved. Keats has seen many people died in his lifetime. His father died when he was eight; his mother died from tuberculosis when he was 14; his brother Tom died also from tuberculosis when he was 19. Along with his family’s deaths, he has also seen a lot of patients died as he was also a medical student. Therefore, constantly seeing people die in a way reminds him of the tran sience and the mutability of life. There are some religious references in the second quatrain of the poem. All these references, other than conveying the loneliness and the solitude of the star, also illustrate his longing for the promising death. The poem was written in 1819, the same year when Keats contracted with tuberculosis. The word â€Å"ablution† is heavily loaded with connotations, both religion and about death. From the Oxford Dictionary, â€Å"ablution† refers to the washing or cleansing of the body†. In Christianity, there are different forms of ablution and one of them is the preparation before the burial of a dead person. Here Keats is hinting that his death is near and the priest will cleans his body after his death with â€Å"the moving waters†. Further Keats also mentions the â€Å"soft-fallen mask/Of snow† in the following two lines. Seasons always act as symbols of different stages of human life in literature. Spring refers to birth or new beginning; summer means m aturity; autumn represents old age while winter symbolizes death. In line 7-8, with â€Å"the mountains and moors† covered in snow, such explicit image suggests that death is approaching. Though death is coming, Keats is not browbeaten. Yet, he is fascinated with death as it helps him to accomplish the co-existence of eternity and love. Bright Star is a poem that can be read on many different levels. To me, the poem is not merely a declaration of his ardent love for Fanny Brawne. It is also an expressive lyric poem addressing his awe as well as obsession with death. The main themes of the poem are smoothly woven together and this showcases Keats’ expressiveness and his wit. Works Cited Keats, John. Bright Star. n.d. Oxford Dictionaies. Oxford Dictionaries. . Poet.org. Selected Love Letters to Fanny Brawne by John Keats. 17 October 2013 .

History of Film: Film Distribution

There were many changes in marketing and distribution of films from end of the silent period to the modern digital period. There was a studio system that existed at the end of the silent period and collapsed in 1949 with a court ruling. During this same time a sales era of marketing existed. After the Second World War the sales era was replaced with a new way of thinking and sales and marketing were not synonymous anymore.Marketing after World War II meant finding out what consumers’ needs and wants were and providing them with products to satisfy those needs and wants. Globalization began to occur rapidly in the 90’s and expansion in foreign market meant marketers had to concentrate on this market more than they had in the past. The digital period also meant changes of first runs and second runs for films. The studio system was a means of film production and distribution dominant in Hollywood from the early 1920s through the early 1950s.The term studio system refers to the practice of large motion picture studios (a) producing movies primarily on their own filmmaking lots with creative personnel under often long-term contract and (b) pursuing vertical integration through ownership or effective control of distributors and movie theaters, guaranteeing additional sales of films through manipulative booking techniques. A 1948 Supreme Court ruling against those distribution and exhibition practices hastened the end of the studio system.In 1954, the last of the operational links between a major production studio and theater chain was broken and the era of the studio system was officially dead. The period lasted from the introduction of sound to the court ruling and the beginning of the studio breakups; about 1927 to 1954, when the studios no longer participated in the theatre business. During the Golden Age, eight companies comprised the so-called major studios responsible for the studio system.Of these eight, five were fully integrated conglomerates, combining ownership of a production studio, distribution division, and substantial theater chain, and contracting with performers and filmmaking personnel: Fox (later 20th Century-Fox), Loew's Incorporated (owner of America's largest theater circuit and parent company to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), Paramount Pictures, RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum), and Warner Bros. Two majors, Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures were similarly organized, though they never owned more than small theater circuits.The eighth of the Golden Age majors, United Artists, owned a few theaters and had access to two production facilities owned by members of its controlling partnership group, but it functioned primarily as a backer-distributor, loaning money to independent producers and releasing their films. The ranking of the Big Five in terms of profitability (closely related to market share) was largely consistent during the Golden Age: MGM was number one eleven years running, 1931 to 41.With the exception of 193 2 when all the companies but MGM lost money. One of the techniques used to support the studio system was block booking, a system of selling multiple films to a theater as a unit. Such a unit, frequently twenty films, typically included no more than a few quality movies, the rest perceived as low-grade filler to bolster the studio's finances. On May 4, 1948, in a federal antitrust suit known as the Paramount case but brought against the entire Big Five, the U. S. Supreme Court specifically outlawed block booking.Holding that the conglomerates were indeed in violation of antitrust, the justices refrained from making a final decision as to how that fault should be remedied, but the case was sent back to the lower court from which it had come with language that suggested divorcement the complete separation of exhibition interests from producer-distributor operations was the answer. The Big Five, though, seemed united in their determination to fight on and drag out legal proceedings for years as they had already proven adept at after all, the Paramount suit had originally been filed on July 20, 1938.The sales era is called the sales era because many companies' main priority was to move their products out of the factory using a variety of selling techniques. The sales era lasted from the early 20’s to the end of the World War II. Compare this to the cinema and both the sales era and studio system era align closing on a time period. During The sales era, companies felt that they could enhance their sales by using a variety of promotional techniques designed to inform potential customers about and/or persuade them to buy their products. This type of thinking was initiated by the economic climate of the time.The selling concepts related markets that already existed, where globalization hadn’t yet occurred and creating profit pools hadn’t even been thought of yet. However October 29, 1929—†Black Tuesday†Ã¢â‚¬â€marked the beginnin g of the Great Depression. This was the single most devastating financial day in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. Within the first few hours that the stock market was open, prices fell so far as to wipe out all the gains that had been made in the previous year. Since the stock market was viewed as the chief indicator of the American economy, public confidence was shattered.Between October 29 and November 13 (when stock prices hit their lowest point), more than $30 billion disappeared from the American economy— comparable to the total amount the United States had spent on its involvement in World War I (Schultz, 1999). The amount of disposable and discretionary income that consumers had to spend on necessities and luxuries also decreased dramatically as the unemployment rate approached 25 percent. Companies found that they could no longer sell all the products that they produced, even though prices had been lowered via mass production.Firms now had to get rid of the ir excess products in order to convert those products into cash. In order to get rid of products, many firms developed sales forces and relied on personal selling, advertising signs, and singing commercials on the radio to â€Å"move† the product. Theodore Levitt(1960), a prominent marketing scholar, has noted that these firms were not necessarily concerned with satisfying the customer, but rather with selling the product. This sales orientation dominated business practice through the 1930s until World War II, when most firms' manufacturing facilities were adapted to making machinery and equipment for the war effort.Of course, the war dramatically changed the environment within which business was conducted. This also changed companies' philosophies of doing business. The marketing concept era, a crucial change in management philosophy can be linked to the shift from a seller’s market, where there were more buyers for few good and services, to a buyer’s market, w here there were more goods and services than people were willing to buy them. When World War II ended, factories stopped manufacturing war supplies and started turning out consumer products again, an activity that had practically stopped during the war.The relationship marketing era follows the marketing concept era. Relationship marketing succeeds the marketing concept era; however most firms are still practicing the marketing concept use of marketing. The advent of a strong buyers market created the need for consumer orientation by businesses. Companies had to market good and services, not just produce them, but sell them to. This realization has been identified as the emergence of the marketing concept. Marketing would no longer be regarded as supplemental activity performed after completion of the production process. Instead, the marketer ould play a leading role in product planning. Marketing and selling would no longer be synonymous terms. Today’s fully developed market ing concept is a companywide consumer with the objective of achieving long-run success. All facets and all levels of management of the organization must contribute first to assessing and then to satisfying customer wants and needs. Even during tough economic times, when companies tend to emphasize cutting costs and boosting revenues, the marketing concept focuses on the objective of achieving long-run success instead of short term profits.The firm’s survival and growth are built into the marketing concept; companywide consumer orientation should lead to greater long-run profits. Gone With the Wind, released December 15th 1939, was no doubt a cash cow. In the film’s 8th closing week it had already earned $5,567,000, where it began to see profit. By June 1st 1940 the film had already made its year and half goal of over 20 million; a very sizeable profit for the producers of the film. It did however require a large amount of investment from its producer David O. Selznick, of almost 4 million in production costs, and another million in marketing expenses.Adjusted for inflation it would have nearly been 50 million in production costs alone. David Selznick must have known his film was going to be a big hit. He paid $50,000 for the rights to a New York Times bestselling book. If the film was going to do as well as the book he knew he was going to see a large profit from his cash cow. It wasn’t common to have a worldwide release during the studio system era like it is today. Typically films would be released in their native country first and then a few months later it would be released in countries with speaking languages the same as the country of origin.In North America the first run of a film refers to the exhibition of theatres it would play in. A first run of a film would only play in the major cities in the downtown areas in the â€Å"de luxe† first run film theatre. These theatres would seat anywhere between 1500 to 5000 people in on e room to one screen. This is of course before the days of digitization where people can view the film on DVD, and before the days of multiplexes. First run films had a higher ticket premium than that of second run or subsequent runs of the film. Gone With the Wind is said to have charged $0. 5 for a matinee viewing of the film and up to $2. 20 at Manhattan’s Astor in its first run. Compare this to the $0. 23 average ticket price in that year, the price was very high. Gone With the Wind’s first run lasted two and half years and was seen by 203 million people. It played in 156 theatres in 150 cities domestically. Gone With the Wind was eventually released around the world. Box office revenue for foreign release is much harder to calculate. Gone With the Wind made $30 million in domestic revenue and $19 million in foreign revenue in its first run.Adjusted for inflation that amount would total about $755,821,500. 00 today. (Dollar Times) Most of Gone With the Wind’ s came from domestic revenue, about 63. 3 percent. Enter 2009. Many things have changed. Firstly a new marketing era is now in place. The studio system has collapsed. Globalization is not a competitive advantage of the studio system period, it is a competitive necessity. Films that do not compete in the global market do not compete at all. First runs last only weeks, months if the film is a really big hit.First runs are not only in the downtown theatres but also in the neighborhood theatres, and now in the muitlplex theatres. A second run in today’s language is when the film hits the new release section of the rental shop. In its third month Avatar is a big hit. At the time of this writing it is still playing in its first run. How does it compare to Gone With the Wind? Avatar is currently being seen on 3,452 theatres in hundreds of countries. Estimated to cost $280 million to make Avatar is much more expensive to make, even for adjusting inflation that Gone With the Wind.Curr ently domestic box office revenue is $710,842,764, and its foreign box office revenue amounts to $1,839,000,000. This is prove of the globalization of the cinema industry. The majority of the box office revenue no longer comes from domestic revenue but rather from the foreign market. Avatar is not only seen on the traditional 2D screens that Gone With the Wind was but it also seen on 3D screens, and IMAX screens, allowing for price alterations between the different formats the film is viewed in. It will be interesting to see how Avatar does when it ends its first run and enters its second run.A film that has ended its first run and second run is much more accurate to compare with Gone With the Wind since the film would have been shown at neighborhood theatres two and half years after it was first released. Titanic was released in 1997 and has ended both its first and second run. How did these two films compare? Titanic’s production budget was $200 million compared to Gone Wit h the Wind’s adjusted for inflation budget of 50 million. Total gross revenue for Titanic has reached $1,843,201,268, while Gone With the Wind has reached $400,176,459.Adjusted for inflation Titanic would have reached nearly 3 billion in total gross revenue at $2,996,049,690. If Gone With the Wind were adjusted for total gross revenue it would reach $3,099,918,548. Total gross revenue includes first run, second run, and all other revenue that comes from the film, including T. V rights, rentals, VHS and DVD sales. It can be concluded that the importance of globalization in the film industry is more important now than it was during the studio system period. The way in which films are exhibited today is very different than it was during the studio period.First run theatres do not exist in the same way they did during the studio system period. Second runs of films were in theatres and now they are a way in which the audience may view the film on their terms, following the marketi ng concept idea. Consumers choose the way in which they consume products. The industry adapts to this and finds new ways to market their ideas and invents new products for the consumer to consume.Works Cited ‘Avatar' Passes ‘Titanic's' Overseas Record. The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2010. Web. . Boone, Louis E. and David L. Kurtz. Contemporary Marketing. [Mason, Ohio]: Thomson South-Western, 2006. Print. Box Office, Associated Publications. â€Å"What If the Government Wins Its Suit? † Editorial. Boxoffice 1 June 1940. Print. Crane, Fredrick G. , Roger A. Kerin, Steven W. Hartley, Eric N. Berkowitz, and William Rudelius. Marketing 6th Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2006. Print. Frankly, My Dear â€Å"Gone with the Wind† Revisited. Yale University Press, 9 Feb. 2009. Web. . HBrothers. â€Å"Inflation Calculator The Changing Value of a Dollar. Web. IMDb. com, Inc. â€Å"Avatar, Titanic, Gone With the WInd. † Avatar, Titanic, Gone Wit h the WInd. IMDb. com, Inc. , 4 Mar. 2010. Web. . King, Clyde Lyndon, Frank A. Tichenor, and Gordon S. Watkins. The Motion Picture in Its Economic and Social Aspects. New York: Arno, 1970. Print. Rebecca Keegan, Rebecca. â€Å"How Much Did Avatar Really Cost? † Vanity Fair 22 Dec. 2009: 112. Print. Shindler, Colin. Hollywood in Crisis: Cinema and American Society, 1929-1939. London: Routledge, 1996. Print. TIME. â€Å"SHOW BUSINESS: Record Wind. † TIME

Human resource management plays a vitol role in every industry Essay

Human resource management plays a vitol role in every industry - Essay Example If at all there will be a marginal diference but not much. But the cost of human services is the most important cost, which requires an expertise management. It is Human Resource Mangement which manages the Human resources including the payments methods. The growth of industry largely depends up on the Human Resource Management. The cost of human services in an industry means and includes the payments made to the employees of an industry at factory, which is included in manufacturing cost, payments made to the employees in Shops which is included in selling and distribution over heads, payments made to the employees in offices which is included in administrative over heads. To maintain the balance between the quality, quantity and the cost of services the Human Resource Management shall plan and design suitable rewards to the employees by adopting an appropriate payment systems in these three sectors of industry say factory, shop and office. The rewards through payment systems are broadly classified into four major kinds such as 1.Performance related pay, 2.Competency Based Pay 3. Contribution pay, 4.Variable pay. Each system is suitable to the different sectors of the industry according their character. Adoption of ideal payment system enriches the industry. The ideal or appropriate systems of payments and the benefits which the employer to adopt for his employees are discussed below: Piecework Payment system is more appropriate system of p... The labor cost of production is directly related to the workers engaged on the machines. By introducing this method of reward worker motivation will be enhanced. The worker will endeavor to produce more by exerting their skills. The more production will result in reduction of marginal labour cost. This system is based on the principle of more pay for more production, this will lead to variation in wages among the same class of workers, but still they accept the variation since they know that the variation is connected with their rate of production and it will motivate the other idle workers to improve their productivity. This system gives an opportunity to utilize their skills to the optimum level and earn more money there by improving the standard of living. By paying more pay for more production the workers satisfaction on the equity is achieved and the marginal cost of labour is reduced. By this way both worker and the industry is benefited. Some writers argue that this system lea ds to low quality of production. Their argument is based on the fact that workers are inclined to more production and neglect the quality of the products. But the organization can overcome this defect by improving the quality control system and imposing a minor and moderate penalties for the low quality products. PBR method is most approprite for the following reasons:- 1. It provides greater freedom for employees with less supervision. 2. Employees take initiative for high level production. 3. It gives opportunity to the employees to achieve high earnings. 4. It benefits the employees with high level earnings and benefits the Organization/Industry with high level production reducing marginal labour cost, there by increaing

Paradox of Why Philosophy is Dangerous Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paradox of Why Philosophy is Dangerous - Essay Example Although a lot of people do not acknowledge philosophy, it is essential that some advantages are outlined. The research provides a number of reasons why philosophy is still an important area of study and evaluation in the current life. It is identified that a lot of ideas in today’s world are all associated with philosophy. For example, the language spoken has been identified as the disparity between actions and things, an idea proving that language is associated with philosophy. The research contrasts the given advantages by providing information on the dangers of associating with philosophers. Among the many dangers described, the essay provides clear ways explaining how philosophy is a dangerous method of acquiring information. In a quench to widen their scope of understanding statements, philosophers end up settling on the wrong meanings of the given statements. The research shows prove from two philosophers who proved that one prove in a philosophers world leads to a different finding. The essay provides information that shows how philosophy posses’ danger to everyone including children. Young philosophers are faced with different challenges that are elaborated in depth in the paper. Ragnar says that these challenges include the ability to identify the truth in philosophical statements yet according to philosophers, every statement is true. This does not only involve children because the research shows how philosophy becomes dangerous to the young people. In the quest to seek for knowledge, Young people end up getting caught up in expound able ideas of philosophy. Isn’t it strange how philosophy is far more dangerous than walking on all known slippery rocks? Probably, it would be better to ask why too much thinking causes immense intellectual strain, a basis for various philosophers going bonkers. Many of studies done in colleges are meant to educate people regarding a certain subject in all available details.

Residentual Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) at the Department of Essay

Residentual Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) at the Department of Correcti - Essay Example Drugs that fall under this category include alcohol, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methaqualone, and opioids. Depending on the jurisdictions of various countries, drug and substance abuse may lead one to be convicted of criminal offence and penalty. Another category of drug abuse misuse is the abuse of clinical drugs such as sedatives, analgesic, stimulants, and anxiolytic. Drug abuse with these substances occurs when prescriptions are misused, or administered inconsistently, or intentional use misuse in order to intoxicate oneself. Continued abuse of drugs creates in the victim a state of tolerance for the drugs. This means that his central nervous system gets addicted to the drugs and cannot function well without the drugs in its system. a halt to the use of the drugs creates withdrawal symptoms on the user, adversely affecting his functionality. The Residual Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) is a program for state prisoners aimed at enabling local governments and states to provide programs for treating substance abuse in their correction and detention facilities. Besides offering the services for the inmates while still in prison, the program extends its services to them after they are released as a form of community-based services. Those eligible for the services are prisoners in state prisons as individuals or groups. Requirements for the services include that the services last between 6-12 months, meaning that only prisoners imprisoned for such length of time only are legible. The second requirement is that the services be offered in a residential facility, a facility sent apart from the general population. The services focus duly on rehabilitation the inmate and nothing else such as the crimes he committed leading to his incarceration. The services are encompassing, integrating the inmate’s cognitive, behavioral,

Human Computer Interaction PowerPoint Presentation

Human Computer Interaction - PowerPoint Presentation Example On the other hand, most students described the second website as very good owing to the ease with, which one can navigate through it and detailed information provided therein. In the second website, readers can also download PDF documents in that contain detailed information. The main reason for selecting the two websites above is based on the fact that they provide relatively more elaborate information as compared to the other websites that were examined. They also included some background photos that basically attract web browsers. However, these websites can be improved by including more photos and provision of more pages with proper and attractive images to attract users. Moreover, user engagement on these websites can be improved through provision of contacts where users can seek for further information. The websites can also create user-feedback sections to ensure that their users are engaged by providing information in relation to the various features of their websites i.e. indicating whether the information in the website is useful and whether the website is easy to use. "Managing supply chain risk - A HCL perspective." HCL Technologies: Transformational Global Services for IT and Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. . "Perspective: HCL Technologies - Retail Technology Vendor Profile - AP9140603U." Perspective: HCL Technologies - Retail Technology Vendor Profile - AP9140603U. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.

The management challenges posed by the emergence of e-commerce Essay

The management challenges posed by the emergence of e-commerce - Essay Example Some of the most common examples are as follows: online buying, selling or investing; share business; electronic marketplaces like www.amazon.com or online auctions like www.ebay.com; e-bookstores and e-grocers; web-based reservation systems and ticket purchasing; electronic data interchange or marketing email and message postings on web-logs; music and video downloads; online discussion boards and learning facilities; open source projects; online banking or the electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, etc. Today, as each one of us knows technology is breaking through geographical barriers and distance, integrating the whole world into an interconnected village. The term global village is a commonly used metaphor to describe the mass media particularly the Internet and World Wide Web. This is only possible because of the inter-connectivity which is brought about by e-commerce. The Internet globalises communication by providing opportunity to people from around the world to connect with each other. Likewise, web-connected computers enable people to link their web sites together (Answers.com, 2008). An innovative medium of Internet has connected the whole world very closely. A person in America writes a mail and in less than a minute it reaches to someone in China. Similarly chats and web cam has made it possible to see people on the other side of the world and talk as if you were sitting next to each other (Sanchania, 2005). It took only a few years for these technological innovations spread across the world. Anyone having access to internet can communicate, shop, and even use internet banking system. The new world of internet provides information on anything to anyone who has access to a computer and a telephone. People can see each other, chat and talk as if they are physically present. As far as communication and the dissemination of information is

Lab report introduction Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction - Lab Report Example HindIII is commonly isolated from the Haemophilus bacteria d Bacteria. It has a polymorphic restriction site on the intron 19 of factor VIII gene. It recognizes rthe double stranded sequence of the DNA at AAGCTT and then cleaves after A-1 (Dubey, Hussain & Mittal n.d.).DNA is negatively charged. The working principle in gel electrophoresis involves the movement of the DNA sample in the agarose gel. The difference in the base pairs impact a difference in the molecular weight of the DNA and so when the current is introduced at the cathodic end of the electrophoretic chamber the DNA will move to the anode with the difference in weight causing the bands to be formed at different locations Francois 2010). Our reference sample (ÃŽ »DNA) has a restriction site for the enzyme and so presence of matching bands with our sample DNA will show the presence of the wild type gene. In the case of no match, then we will rule out the presence of the wild type gene to the presence of the mutant gene. The three samples will be run concurrently. The samples will be placed on the wells and when the power is switched on the movement will be monitored and images taken to do the comparison. With one sample being undigested and the other one digested we want to differentiate between the wild type and the mutant genes. With the wild type after digestion by the restriction enzyme HindIII the DNA is broken down and forms strands with 3236 base pairs and 1125 base pairs (Isaac & Stacey 1994). This implies that due to the digestion process the bulk DNA has been broken down into lighter fragments and so with reduced molecular weight it will move faster across the electrophoretic gel. The restriction process takes place at an optimum temperature of 370C. Dubey, A. O., Hussain, N., & Mittal, N., n.d., ‘HindIII-based restriction fragment length polymorphism in hemophilic and non-hemophilic patients,’ Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine, 1 (1), pp. 25-28, doi:Â  

Differential-Amp Circuits Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differential-Amp Circuits - Lab Report Example From figure 2, the input signal was equal to the output signal (unity amplification), and in the same phase (the non-inverting amplifier); both the upper and lower Op Amps were buffer circuits. The value of output was 19.9V because the Op Amp was not ideal. V1a = V1d = 0.2V; V1b= 0V; V3a = 1.16V; V3b = -0.96V; V3d = 2.12V; Afd = 10.6; Afd % Error = 4.4%; R4 = 0.97kâ„ ¦; R5 = 0.97kâ„ ¦; Average of R5 and R4= 0.97kâ„ ¦; R6 = 9.80kâ„ ¦; R7 = 9.84kâ„ ¦; Average of R7 and R6 = 9.82kâ„ ¦ For better suppression or reduction of common mode gain, there was a potentiometer connected to the LM1458C op amps. The potentiometer maintained output voltage at OV when differential input voltage is not applied. The nulling potentiometer improved common-mode gain of small input voltage by availing even smaller input voltages, V1a=0.2V was suppressed to V3a=1.16V as seen in figure 3. A bridge was made for the generation of two different voltages. There was a difference in between measured and calculated voltages due to tolerance or level of uncertainty. The differential gain was obtained through the connection of bridge to respective inputs of the amplifier. The output voltages at the connected bridge were nearly similar to the unconnected bridge; this is because they are connected to the Op Amp inputs that have input resistance of not less than several hundred kâ„ ¦ (LM1458C has 2Mâ„ ¦); V1a was equal to V1b with voltage of 0.197V which corresponded to output 21.3V. The measured differential gain was 107.878. There was minimal signal picked as observed from the oscilloscope, this was due to drifting and DC offset. This problem was caused by low-frequency DC signal; since DC is zero frequency. We could have constructed a high pass filter with very low cutoff frequency so that the Electro Cardiogram’s signal not to degrade. So both large capacitor of more than 1Â µF and large resistor of more than 1Mâ„ ¦ should have been put in place. The instrumentation

Anne Sexton Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anne Sexton - Research Paper Example The person responsible for Sexton picking up the pen is her psychiatrist Dr. Martin Orne. It was May 29, 1957 and at her second attempt at taking her own life when Dr. Orne came up to her and told her she has something to live for. Her poetry is something that people just like her may find emphatic. She was then 28 years old with two daughters when she was admitted to Glenside Hospital after another breakdown. It was barely a year since their doctor-patient relationship that lasted for a decade. Previously, Dr. Martha Brunner-Orne, Dr. Martin Orne’s mother was treating her. It was only because Orne left Boston for Philadelphia that their medical relationship stopped. Later, when Sexton died, her revered therapist even went so far as to condemn her two succeeding therapists. One was alleged to have had an unethical affair with Sexton while treating her while the second who forbade her to see Orne abruptly stopped treating her (Hughes, par.11-14). Her mental illness is so entwined with her poetry that despite reproach, Orne allowed biographer Diane Wood Middlebrook to listen to confidential tapes in Sexton’s psychotherapy sessions in 1991 (Hughes, par.6-10). Her personal demons are such an integral part of her writing that it cannot be dismissed as a focal point for a number of her works. â€Å"I checked out for the last time, on the first of May; graduate of the mental cases, with my analyst’s okay, my complete book of rhymes, my typewriter and my suitcases† (Sexton, â€Å"Double Image†). From one of her earlier works, â€Å"Double Image† carries a lot of ground and is forthright in her struggles with mental illness. It was also an account on how she got started with writing. Written as an open letter to her daughter, Joyce, Sexton winds back and forth between her childhood to her adult life to her motherhood. It was an account of the way she got started into poetry, determined to put

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example for Free

Sensory Perceptions Essay Provide at least three (3) reasons for believing in the accuracy or inaccuracy of sensory information. The inaccuracy of sensory information is based our experiences in life or what we experiencing at any given moment. Our sense organ is working when something arouses our nerve cells called receptor in a sense organ (Thinkquest.org. 2011, p.1). Our sight, smell, hearing, taste, and feel are part of our physical awareness. Each sense collects information about how we view the world, self and things, which detects changes within our body, mind and thought patterns (Carter, Aldridge, Page, and Parker. 2009, p.76). Our senses may not deliver accurate data to our brain if our thoughts are not clear. We have been alerted by scientist and philosophers that our sensory information is superficiality (Kirby and Goodpaster. 2007, p.56). All through our life, our senses have enriched our brain in which the senses and the brain are link as we think (p.55). Our inaccuracy of sensory information is limited when there’s an illness, lost of job, exhausted, or death. When demands we face exceeds our ability to meet them, we will feel stressed or anxiety, which affect our ability to use our sensory information. Also our sensory of information have limitations; what smells pleasant may not taste pleasant, a week ago, I brought four peaches from Giant, they were beautiful, nice color, firm texture, and they smelled good, however, they tasted horrible! not one, all of them. Basically, our senses are imperfect. My beliefs in the inaccuracy of sensory information. Identify and describe at least three (3) factors contributing to the accuracy of sensory data. Being observant, looking at things in small details and describing what you see in your owned words (Kirby and Goodpaster. 2007, p.58). Dr. Rita Carter tells us when we look at a scene, we have the impression of seeing all of it at in one glance or we just typically pick out just a few tiny details (2009, p.85). Once we change our habits how we see things, we will realized that no two things are alike. Hearing is the most crucial to our sensory data (Kirby and Goodpaster. 2007, p.59). To become a better listener, we must want to listen which a factor contributing to the accuracy of our  sensory data. According to the book Thinking (2007) â€Å"We can extend our senses by willing and by trying to absorb more intensely the sensual information around us†, this step would be contributing factor to the accuracy of sensory data. We can keep our thinking revitalized and razor-sharp through interaction by sharpening our sensory data by focusing on one sense at a time, writing with the opposite hand, going home or to work in a different direction. The tools I use to help me with my sensory data: (1) ask questions, (2) listening to my inner self or tune in to my conscious, (3) what is my mind set, angry, upset or depress, and (4) using the material in my book Thinking (2007) as a guide to improve my sensory data. Discuss the roles of â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† with regard to the interpretation and evaluation of sensory data. Nature and nurture are the two factors shaping the way our brain functions (Carter, Aldridge, Page, and Parker. 2009, p.192). Nature refers to an individual’s set of genes inherited from his or her parents. The brain is also altered by the nurture which is all the environmental in which an individual is exposed to throughout life (p.192). Nature is a persons biology is his or her destiny, ultimately, whatever experiences he/she has in life positive or negative. I have childhood friends, who came from well to do family, college graduate, great career in the government, lived in nice home, parents were always nice and pleasant. Later on in life, I found out she was sexual abused by her father and eventually she turned to drugs. The experience of my childhood friend has shape the way she behave as a person and changed my ways of believing and thinking what appears to be good is not always necessary true. I did not see the false face of her father, because he was always nice and pleasant. With my childhood friend’s experiences, I’m mindful of my sensory before I make any decision. Have I slipped, yes and I know why. Nature or nurture, every single life experience we have comes to us through our sensory data. References Carter, Rita. Aldridge, Susan., Page Martyn., and Parker Steve (2009). The Human Brain Book. Kirby, Gary and Jeffery Goodpaster. (2007). Thinking, (4th ed). Edition for Strayer University. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Thinkquest. (2010). Introduction to the senses Retrieved:

Enzo Ferrari Leadership Strategy

Enzo Ferrari Leadership Strategy Enzo Ferrari was born in Moddena (Italy).He was Italian race car driver and entrepreneur. He founded the great motor racing team in history The Scuderia Ferrari f1 team and Ferrari car manufacturers .During the world war one Ferrari served in the Italian army and upon his return from the army he found that his family business collapsed. he then settled for mechanic job ,he left this job at 1920 to work for Alfa Romeo and also racing their cars. Ferrari had lot of success in local racing. Ferrari was manager of the Alfa Romeo car factory and also had a team of 40 drivers including him to participate in races. This was done under the banner of Alfa Romeo in the early days. Then on Ferrari started to get more grip on Alfa Romeo Company. When Alfa Romeo took more control of the racing Ferrari left Alfa to form his own racing team . First formula 1 race of Ferrari was in 1950. Ferrari is the only team in history of formula one to participate in every single championship. After their first victory in the British grand prix in 1951 what happened that is all history return in golden words .Car manufacturer whose every car enter the market is a success and a formula one which every driver want to drive at some point in their career. This is what Ferrari is. He died at age of 90 in 1988 I have chosen Enzo Ferrari as my leader because I admire him on what he have achieved from being a mechanic in workshop to a leading car manufacturer . Whatever I do I do it with a passion . And the leader I have chosen was highly regarded for his passion for fast moving cars , racing, and above all success in his area of expertise manufacturing cars. He was determined and achieved the level of success he wanted to be in. He motivates me to achieve the impossible . So I didnt had second thought in picking Enzo from my favourites for the position of leader profile that I am gone to work on for the leadership assignment. Analysing the leader based on Leadership Theories Trait Theory Traits refer to the trend in personnel behaviour. Effectiveness of the leader can be valued based on the traits possessed by the leader .we get more information on traits when we keep constant eye on consistent pattern of behaviour. How people behave in weak situations also comes into account when referring to trait theory. Enzo Ferrari analysed based on trait theory . Enzo Ferrari is regarded as effective leader during his era. Ferrari possessed various traits. When considering all traits he had there are some traits worth mentioning here. Self confidence, trustworthiness, assertiveness, enthusiasm. Incidents which Ferrari showed immense self confidence were starting scuderia on 1929, serving as manager and driving high speed cars, his ability to put things together at bad times to ripe better results in future. Self confidence is trait which all leaders have in their custody .so what made Ferrari a stand out in that. Self confidence is one thing that each motor sport racer have in their pocket .Because when you are speeding at 100 mph per hour in old times with no much protective gears in the cars you ought have some confidence to press the pedal even on sharp bends. Ferrari also showed his self confidence while entered into formula one without much support or sponsorship. The confidence Enzo had is still seen in the Ferrari team evidently. Enzo Ferrari has transferred one of his trait to his team that is assertiveness. which Ferrari car manufacturer have and Ferrari formula one team always shows in the entire history of motorsport . This trait was seen in Ferrari either in selecting drivers , making strategic decisions ,resolving company issues etc . Enzo always valued trust . give and take policy was usually adopted in the case of trust by Enzo . Alfa Romeo ,and other partners of Ferrari sees Ferrari as a trust worthy person .Enzo Ferrari always created enthusiasm in the people who he deals with . As a person who is really enthusiastic about the formula 1 racing , he poured that enthusiasm into his workers and formula 1 drivers . The level of enthusiasm Scuderia Ferrari is showing now in motor sport was from their dear leader Enzo Ferrari .This is main reason why which Ferrari team is winning championship and hunger to go for more. High energy and physical stamina helped Ferrari to participate in racing events apart from being the manger of scuderia.Ferrari was a reserved character , and usually not found of interviews .Enzo had all qualities in work related characteristics of a leader , when Alfa Romeo withdraw their entire support Ferrari fought against the obstacles and hardships through determination and desire to excel. His friends and technicians were sure that one Enzo is going to be great man . Enzo was practical and had responsibility in achieving the goals. Every time his decisions were not right , like once they lost a championship due to wrong selection of tyres by Ferrari .Winning racing and making unbeatable sports cars are resulted from team effects but Ferrari consider himself only accountable for all wrong moves and for success he made sure that credits usually goes to his team members. Behavioural Theory This approach says that anyone who adopts appropriate behaviour can be good leader. We usually consider two approaches ( autocratic and democratic) to analysis a leader. Behavioural theory and Enzo Ferrari In the early days itself sucedria Ferrari had policy of splitting the responsibility .Enzo Ferrari usually delegates the responsibility among the his crew . when Enzo was working under Alfa Romeo , Alfa used to share responsibities with Enzo like giving the control of racing team , positioning the strategies etc. Ferrari when started his own car manufacturing he used to share the authority to good and sound technicians to develop some best cars. Enzo also valued the comments of his mechanics and drivers ,This is also due to the fact that his profession also demanded him to be a democratic leader. He is not a person who is leading a country but a person who leads group of mechanics to produce world class sports cars . country can be run by a autocratic leader but a car company cannot . According to the workers of Ferrari car company Enzo Ferrari was charismatic and affectionate leader. Leadership style of Ferrari was a combination of boss centred and subordinate centred leadership. Applying Gardners roles on Ferrari ,he had goal to become world class car manufacturer and wanted his cars to won in formula 1 races , he managed and fixed values for the team . Ferrari served as racer for initial time and manged Alfa Romeos racing department. Ferrari was successful in achieving a workable unit with him Ferrari roped in some finest drivers like Fangio, Hill etc and got some really good mechanics from British car companies and Italian companies like Bugatti . Rene Dreyfus an ex Bugatti driver Says that he learned the business of motor racing from Ferrari . Ferrari was a great motivating factor for the team ,in the initial years Ferrari was a manger and racer used to attend races while other drivers are driving for scuderia .In last few years he didnt attended much races ,he got information about the races over phone from his employees but this was not his workers and mechanics want to see him in the motor sport arena and in the paddock with them as motivational factor .Such was the effect of Enzo Ferrari on his team.Constant conversations and explanation happened between Ferrari and his racing team . He used to explain about the car to his formula one drivers because in this sport good understanding about the car is essential for the success.Also the conversation between mechanics and manager Enzo was crucial in developing some of finest formula 1 cars Ferrari has ever produced .Till death in 1988 Ferrari served as a symbol of Scuderia Ferrari motor sport . Ferrari named one their cars as Enzo Ferrari in the remembrance of their great founder. The team Ferrari was represented by Enzo not only in the name but also in and out of the formula 1 field. As a leader of Ferrari motor racing team and car manufacturing Enzo always representative for his mechanics and drivers in the public . Although Ferrari was a reserved character and rarely gave interviews to media, his passion for the motor sport and love for cars made him the ideal representation of sc uderia Ferrari . Enzo Ferrari was consistent but adaptable to change in situation , when Alfa Romeo wanted more control in racing Ferrari thought of starting own car manufacturing using all limited resources available and bringing in new talents to his team . During 1960s Ferrari had financial crisis so he had talks with Fiat and got their support and over these years Ferrari team also followed the same tactics ,that is getting new support like shell, Pirelli etc as partners in formula 1 sport. Enzo Ferrari in the Leadership context Taking whole leadership context into account, there are certain things which are really applicable to Ferrari . There is nothing much to say on his traits and behaviours as there are already mentioned above. There werent much values that Ferrari used to put into his leadership style, nor much of an ethical approach. Ferrari is considered as a pure business man, although he love cars there is no sentimental relation with cars that is he was ready to sell old cars for scrap value if they are not working properly .In a way Ferrari used path goal theory to accomplish his vision. At that time face to face was reliable communication method although telephone was also there. When Ferrari started to not attending races his employees would convey the information about the races over the phone to Ferrari . Ferrari was a charismatic leader according to his friends and I also fee l the same . He was more of a transactional leader .This is evident from the strategy he adopted when there was a sho rtage of money, drivers will get the percentage of the winning money from the races . Drivers who have passion for motor racing work for fun and money , the fun they get from driving high speed cars and money from winning races ,so being a transactional leader Ferrari was able to employ some 40 drivers during 1940s They won him races and he paid them well . Enzos contribution to Ferrari company is what made him truly special . His vision was to make some unbeatable cars in the history of formula one and he and his crew was able to achieve it . Also the entire motorsport industry benefited from the advanced techniques introduced by Ferrari .Enzo Ferrari was job oriented than people oriented but still took a good care about his racing drivers. He used to remember the drivers who shed their life in the track with great pain and agony. Ferrari had structural frame of reference than human resources frame in gather information, make decisions, and exercise power. During the last years of his careers may be due the experiences he gathered, Ferrari turned into human resource frame of reference . Power and influence Power means the ability of the Ferrari to influence the people in his organization to bring desired outcomes . Influence in this context means how Ferrari was able to influence people in attitudes, actions etc .Ferrari had personal power He was an expert in the field of motor racing ,the knowledge he acquired during the days as manager of Alfa Romeo racing department, through his relation and experience with drivers and mechanics is what made him an expert in his area .So subordinates followed his ideas .Referent power are visible if leader is charismatic , Ferrari is regarded charismatic leader . This has effect on Ferrari formula one team even after 21 years of Enzos death .Reason is that Ferrari team is made up of passion and love for fast cars and racing .The influence Enzo had on his team in the early days was hunger for victory .This is still continuing even after his death through the never lasting thirst for victory in races for ferrari formula one team . The response to the type power Ferrari had was commitment from his workers .This commitment was really essential for building up of successful formula one team. Conclusion In the entire human history we come across many varieties of leader ,some truly great and some people want to forget from their memory . So what makes one a great leader. There is no single recipe answer for that. All the ingredients in right mixture makes a good dish same for leader also , effective traits, behaviour, influence on people, the way leader carry himself etc will result in evaluating him as a successful leader or not . Enzo Ferrari was a great business man and visionary but was he one of the greatest leader of all time ?, not really because he was the leader of a business empire, he has not transformed any individual to another level of potential or hasnt done something exceptional for mankind. Then what makes Enzo Ferrari special, a man who started as a mechanic after the collapse of family business, went through all hardships, fought against all odds to build an empire, a truly amazing car company which glitters in the car industry world .Ferrari was able to convert h is passion into reality. He was combination all effective traits for leader but didnt had anything more than a limit, like everything in proportion, that made him stand out. More job oriented character invited some criticism from his friends in early days, but he didnt changed his style. Being consistent that is what I liked about Ferrari. The stamina and self confidence from being a race driver helped him in his decision making. Life is like a chocolate box you dont no what you going to get from it this is applicable for race driver. A race driver is not sure what will be the result at the end of the race he just push the pedal and hope for a win ,same was done by Ferrari he wanted to win in the races and in business his drivers won the races for him and his leadership style and strategies combined to form the success in business. From a simple life to a millionaire life the journey of Ferrari was as exciting as a formula one race from start to chequered flag. When we look back int o the life history of Enzo Ferrari only thing he likes to convey is dreams will go in speed of f1 car but the control should be yours.

Productivity Rate Of Roof Works For Project Scheduling Construction Essay

Productivity Rate Of Roof Works For Project Scheduling Construction Essay Abstract: In Malaysia, there is no research done specifically on collecting construction productivity data to serve as a guideline and standards for use by all players in the construction industry. Similar to JKR, as the largest implementers of government projects, the current practice on approval the schedule of works that submitted by contractors are mostly based on the engineers gut feeling/opinion and past experience. There is no standard procedure and guidelines to review and checking the duration and resources allocation in each activity in contractors work program. As an effort, this study will start with focusing on the identification of factors that influencing roofing works productivity in construction project. Those factors can be obtained through a series of statistical analysis based on the data collected from questionnaire and interview with the experts. Data from previous projects also very important in order to get the actual productivity rate for roof works. Finally, the expected finding for this study will be: a) List of factors that influence the productivity rate for roof works, b) The critical factors affecting most to productivity rate for roofing works, c) A metrics of productivity rate for roof works as a standard and guideline for improving JKR projects scheduling. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Managing construction projects always requires constant monitoring of project performance and the updating on project schedule. Project performance data and productivity data from the construction field is a key role in evaluating and predicting project performance in term of cost and schedule. According to Motwani et al. (1995), the productivity in construction has always been very difficult to measure and control. Even though, productivity in construction hard to measure, there is a need to use it for timely decisions and reduce the negative impacts on cost and schedule. Therefore, the integration of historical productivity data with the on-going performance data in construction field are required (Hwang and Liu, 2005). Hwang and Liu, (2009) presented that an accurate productivity prediction is important for managing construction projects. In fact, a construction project is commonly to be successful when it is delivering within its budget and timeline. The planning and control process also explains the importance of accurate productivity estimate which first, estimating time and cost of construction activities that inevitably requires productivity estimates (Hinze, 1998), and second, integrated management of time and cost must involved productivity factor (Dawood and Molson, 1997). There are most previous studies focusing on defining factors influence productivity and measuring limited parts of activities at micro level to investigate the relationship between factors and productivity. A standard construction productivity metric system that more reliable is a critical element in construction productivity performance evaluation and improvement process. There need a tool to drive performance improvement through internal and external benchmarking. Park, et al., (2005) present that nowadays, demand from the construction industry on developing acceptable construction productivity metrics and standardized productivity data are the main issues to focus by the industry players and researches. Problem Statement As the main technical agencies for the Government of Malaysia, Public Work Department (PWD) or Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) entrusted to implement development projects throughout the country. It is the goal of JKR to ensure that the organization is run efficiently and effectively in order to achieve the vision, mission and objectives of the department. JKR is responsible to ensure that all the projects must be implemented well, complete on time, within the budget and provide quality products. In 9th Malaysian Plan (RMK 9), most of JKR projects cannot be deliver on time. For example, about 41% of projects in JKR Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur cannot be delivering on time which is most of it are due to wrongly estimate the duration of the construction activities in project scheduling. It is also regarding to lack of competency of JKR officers in reviewing and giving advice to contractors especially in preparing realistic projects work program. This problem can be categorized as serious m atter and give high impact to the overall performance of JKR due to unsatisfaction of client with JKRs reputation. As the biggest technical government agency, there should be a way to solve the problem so that it will improve JKR image and give high reputation to the clients. 1 Master Student, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. 2 Supervisor, Professor Dr, Lecturer of Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. There should be a standard productivity rate of each activity in the project in order to guide the contractor and the JKR supervision team to plan and implement the projects successfully. Therefore, the study on productivity rate of roof works for building project scheduling as an effort and starting point to develop the standard productivity rate of project activities for JKRs projects. In fact, this study is consistent with JKR strategies and action plan in achieving Effective Implementation of Malaysia 5 Years Plan especially to ensure that projects are implemented through appropriate implementation methodologies to meet customer needs and outcomes. One of the action plans stated in JKR Strategic Framework is to establish effective project performance tracking system which is JKR must analyzing all data that related to the project in order to improve JKR project implementation (JKR, 2007). The Objectives The aim of this study is to establish the productivity rate of roof works for JKR building projects scheduling. In order to achieve this, the following are the objectives of the study: To identify the factors that influence the productivity of roof works To establish the relationship between influence factors and productivity of roof works To develop a metrics of productivity rate for roof works Scope of Study There are certain limitations to be follow to ensure that this study is completed within the time frame given. Firstly, this study only takes into consideration on all projects which implement in central region of Peninsular Malaysia i.e. projects in JKR Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and JKR Selangor. Second, the sample for this study is concentrate only in school projects which are the most of JKR projects implementation in 9th Malaysian Plan. Since standard design was using in school projects, the area of roof is fixed. This given the standardization to estimate the productivity rate for roofing works referring to the floor area involved. Roof trusses in construction projects can be classified in timber roof trusses, hot rolled roof trusses, cold form roof trusses and etc. The third limitation of this study is only taking into consideration of the cold form roof trusses because most of the school projects are using this type of trusses. In addition, JKR already has a list of 22 names of cold form roof trusses suppliers which their design have been reviewed and approved by the JKR Structure Expert Division. This list is for the JKR officers in state and district office to choose for their projects especially school projects. Forth, part of roof covering for this study only take into consideration one(1) types which is concrete roof tiles including insulations. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW Recently, construction productivity is on a long-term slide and it is recognized as industry challenge. System, people, materials, information and energy must flow effectively and efficiently to produce its objective at high productivity to complete construction at lowest possible cost with possible shortest timeframe (Picard, 2005). Productivity is critically important in construction industry. Many researchers have expressed their concern over productivity in construction industry. Defining productivity is not a simple task to everybody. Different people will give different definition and understanding. Most of them agreed that marketable output was essentially the main measure used. Increased productivity was a leading concern to all Committee stakeholders such as users, contractors, and construction labor unions and led by the owner. The construction users emphasized the need of collecting data directly relevant to productivity improvement. The Committee was concluded that the front-line construction foreman/supervisor would be a reliable source of information. These informants would be asked to provide their judgment of the greatest impediments to a productive construction project (Tucker, 2003). Definition of productivity Within these several decades, many researchers have defined the productivity term in their studies in a number of ways. The term productivity has different meanings to different people. Many individuals automatically think only of labor unions when the term productivity is mentioned. Others associate capital expenditures with the term. Each of these interpretations is only partly correct (Adrian, 1993). Many researchers have attempted to define precisely the meaning of productivity and below are some of it that referred from their studies: Oglesby et al. (1989), presented that productivity can be defined as in-place value divided by inputs. Some researchers have defined it as works-hours divided by the equivalent quantity of work. In construction, productivity normally can be understood as work quantity divided by man-hours (or work-hours) consumed to accomplish the work. Productivity = Work Quantity Man-hours According to Dolman, Parham, Zheng, (2007), productivity is a measure in order to know how much output is produced per unit of input. Diewert Lawrence, (2006) presented that productivity can be defined as the level of economic output per unit of input and also per worker. Productivity is important to the wealth and well-being of a nation and give efforts to improve productivity occur at all levels of society. Thomas and Mathew, (1986) presented that no standardized productivity definition had been established in the construction industry. It is difficult to define a standard productivity measure because companies use their own systems which are not standardized. Association simply illustrates the productivity between an output and an input. The form has been widely used and existing in literature over the years in construction industry is; Productivity = Input/Output 2.3 Measurement of productivity There is controversy surrounding productivity that rooted in the differences in data collection. It is due to incorrect in assuming productivity measured uniformly and that all published productivity values have the same basis (Whiteside, 2006). Overall conception of productivity is difficult to express or to measure. It is sometimes expressed either in terms of output from labor or from services or from capital invested. These parts of expressions often do not give an accurate picture of the overall position. Although, there are measurements of some or all of the inputs and outputs of the industry but they still failed to combine these measurements into any satisfactory measure of efficiency. In fact, the ratio is easy to compute if the unit uses a single input to produce a single output (Choy, 2008). Although there are numbers of publications exist on construction productivity, there is no agreed upon definition of work activities nor a standard productivity measurement system. Most of researchers have concluded that it is difficult to obtain a standard method to measure construction labor productivity because of project complexity and unique characteristics of the construction projects (Oglesby et al. 1989). The uniqueness and non repetitive of operation in construction projects make it is difficult to develop a standard productivity definition and measure (Sweis, 2000). Factors influence productivity in construction Lim et al., (1995) has studied that factors affecting productivity in the construction industry in Singapore, indicated the problems affecting productivity were difficulty with recruitment of supervisors, difficulty with recruitment of workers, high rate of labor turnover, absenteeism from the work site and communication problems with the foreign workers. Olomolaiye et al., (1996) also studied that factors affecting productivity of craftsmen in Indonesia show the findings indicating craftsmen in this country spent 75 % of their time working productively. There are five specific productivity problems were identified such as lack of materials, rework, absenteeism, lack of equipment and tools. Kane et al., (cited in Herbsman et al., 1990) has classified the factors affecting construction productivity into two main groups which is technological factors and administrative factors. The technological factors involved those related to the design of the project and the administrative group factors are related to the management and construction of the project. Technological factors are comprises of sub-groups such as design factors, material factors and location factors. Administrative factors are comprises of sub-groups, such as construction methods and procedural factors, equipment factors, labor factors and social factors. Based on Heizer and Render (1990), they classified that factors influencing site productivity into 3 groups which are labour characteristic factors, project work conditions factors and non-productive activities. Olomolaiye et al., (1998) also stated that factors affecting construction productivity are rarely constant and may vary from country to country, fro m project to project and even within the same project which are depending on circumstances. They classified the factors influencing construction productivity into 2 categories which are external and internal. That means its representing those outside the control of the firms management and those originating within the firm. The external factors included the nature of the industry, construction client knowledge of construction procedure, weather and level of economic development. The internal factors included management, technology, labor and labor unions. Choi, (2007), stated that based on his finding, weather and poor communication prove to be the greatest impediment to roofing productivity, whereas the field workers pointed out that roof pitch, height and age of the roof along weather were major causes for lack of productivity in their job at site. He also stressed that roofing contractor generally not consider safety as a high priority in their business. Metrics an overview According to Melnyk et al., (2004), they stated that metrics are fulfill with the fundamental activities measuring (evaluating how we are doing), educating (communicating what is important and how we intend to deliver value to our customers) and directing (flagging potential problems by size of gap between the metrics and standards). Ideally, metrics are consistent with the way operation delivers value to the customers. Based on Melnyk et al., (2005), they presented that metric is a verifiable measure which consists of three elements such as; a) the specific measure, b) the standard (the numerical values that identifies the minimum threshold of performance, and c) the environment which the activity or person being measured operates. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY In order to achieve the objectives, Figure 1.1 illustrated the schematic of research methodology for this study. Generally, it consists of four distinct phases, which are phase 1, phase 2, phase 3 and phase 4. 3.1 Phase 1 Selection of the topic has been done after gone through JKR listing of significance topics that can contribute to department as a whole. Topic of the study and proposed productivity rate of roof works is important to JKR building project scheduling to ensure all project can be completed on time with good quality. Based on previous researchers, there are several measurements on productivity rate in construction. This study will be focusing on the identification of factors that influencing roofing works productivity in JKR projects. From this scenario, the objectives of this study has been identified which are identifying of factors influence, the relationship and the establishing productivity rate of roof works. In such way, the focus of this topic must be in line with study limitation. In order to strengthen knowledge and ideas in this research area, extensive reading from journals and books must be thoroughly done. Besides that, preliminary site observation has been conducted to the selected site. Furthermore, the preliminary interview was conducted to get overview information about productivity rate of roof works. Due to time constraint, the observation has been done only for school projects. 3.2 Phase 2 A few samples of studies will be identifying purposely for running through the method of productivity measurement for getting accurate and practical data. Observation on quantity of roof works per man hours should be performing at site. During observation at site, interview with the expert is use as a tool to collect information data on how the productivity rate of roof works can be estimate and what are the factors influences the productivity rate Several interviewees will be selected based on qualification and experienced more than 10 years especially contractors and suppliers. Beside that, questionnaire will be distributed to technical person such as supervisor, engineer, manager and contractors to obtain their opinion in term of productivity rate of roof works. 3.3 Phase 3 In this stage, all the data from the questionnaires and interviews will compile. The data will be analyze accordingly and transform into productivity rate. Data analyzing, there will be a confirmation on what are the factors influence productivity rate of roof works will be getting through data analyzing, while standard productivity rate metrics of roof works will be producing after transform all the data into productivity rate by using appropriate statistical analysis. 3.4 Phase 4 Extract from data obtained in Phase 3, some proposal or recommendation will be highlighted in order to enhance a metrics of standard productivity rate for future building project scheduling. EXPECTED RESULTS The expected results of this study in next semester are: a) List of factors that influence the productivity rate for roof works, b) The critical factors affecting most to productivity rate for roofing works, c) A metrics of productivity rate for roof works as a standard and guideline for improving JKR projects scheduling. Selection of Topic Identify the Objective and Scope Phase 1 Preliminary Site Observation Literature Review Preliminary Interview Objective.(c) Objective.(b) Objective.(a) Case Studies Identify the factors influence Observation on quantity of works/ man hours DATA COLLECTION Interview with Experts Selecting several experts with experience more than 10 years Phase 2 DATA ANALYSIS Figure 1.1: Schematic of Research Methodology TENTATIVE SCHEDULE The following table is the tentative schedule for final project in next semester:

Looking Fo Alibrandi :: essays research papers

Growing up is complex, especially in a society with different cultural background. This is the major issue the novel â€Å"Looking for Alibrandi† discusses. A realistic view through the eyes of a seventeen-year old Italian girl, Josephine is presented. Josephine’s like many teenagers that have learned from their mistakes. This is the long road that everybody meets while growing up. Learning to become an adult has many different responsibilities and every teenager has to deal with these issues. Once they pass a certain age different responsibilities have to be dealt with. Taking care of yourself is necessary before you can begin to help others. Most teenagers have to know what they want. In reference to â€Å"Looking for Alibrandi† Josephine had trouble taking her responsibilities seriously. Either being a school captain for example, on school sports day Josephine was supposed to look after a group of students but instead went to the city with her friends. Her goal in life was to become a lawyer and after getting a scholarship she tried everything to get good marks. However she did not know how to be mature in front of adults. She kept proving that she was immature by the way she acted with her parents, Sister Gregory, grandmother and her boyfriend. By the end of the novel Josephine reflects on the way she has acted throughout the year and why she has act ed that way. The relationships within a family influence the way a young person grows up. Children who grow up without either parent will lack part of their growing up. For instance a male growing up without a father misses out on male companionship. Without a mother he will lack a part of his caring side. On the other hand a daughter growing up without her mother will miss the neutering and caring side, basically a mothers love. If she where to grow up without a father she would have a confusing time trying to relate to most men and the protection of a father around. In Josephine Alibrandi’s case she never knew what it was like to have a father around. In some parts of the novel she recounts the time when she felt he was needed most. There is the conflict between the Italian cultural traditions and values compared to the Australian way of life. Growing up can be difficult and confusing trying to adapt from one culture to another.

Plagiarism :: Cheating Internet Computer Ethics Essays

Plagiarism Plagiarism, or the unaccredited use of another's work or ideas, has become more and more of a problem in recent times than it was in the past. According to statistics found in a survey conducted by the Free Press, 58% of high school students let someone copy their work in 1969, but by 1989 this number had risen to 97%. The expansion of the World Wide Web and the number of people accessing the Web on a regular basis has caused an epidemic of plagiarism in this country, especially among students. This is a serious problem that must be addressed because many students feel that if they are not getting in trouble for cheating, than it is okay. Children are taught to use computers at incredibly young ages, and according to Ann Lanthrop plagiarism has become a problem even in the lowest levels of elementary education. It has become so easy for students to access information for their homework and papers on the Internet that some students feel they should not have to work even a little to receive the grades that they desire. High school students get out of reading novels for their English classes by reading "book notes" online. While in the past students had access to these materials, websites such as Spark Notes, Monkey Notes, and a number of other websites have made access to these "study guides" free to students, causing the temptation to cheat to be even harder to ignore. The Web also offers many ways for students to obtain term papers or essays at a low cost. In many cases, these students do not even bother to change any piece of the paper! The simplicity of the Internet has made cheating on assignments much more effortl ess than in the past, even if students are not directly copying and pasting from Websites, they can also email homework problems and essay questions to every member of the class. Plagiarism is a severe issue that needs to be addressed by both teachers and parents with children while they are still young enough to fear the consequences of their actions. In the United States it is illegal for one to plagiarize the copyrighted work of another human being. Not only does plagiarism violate legal statutes, but it also infringes on longstanding morals and ethics.

The Power of Concentration

The Power of Concentration By Remez Sasson When I was a child, I saw how a magnifying glass could burn a piece of paper, when the rays of the sun were focused through it. The fire could start only when the sun's rays were concentrated to a small point. When the magnifying glass was moved too far away or too close to the paper, the rays were not focused enough and nothing happened. This experience describes vividly the power of concentration. This power can be described as focused attention. It is the ability to direct the attention to one single thought or subject, to the exclusion of everything else.When our mind is focused, our energies are not dissipated on irrelevant activities or thoughts. This is why developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his or her life. This skill is essential for every kind of success. Without it, our efforts get scattered, but with it, we can accomplish great things. Concentration has many uses and  benefits. It assi sts in studying and understanding faster, improves the memory, and helps in focusing on any task, job, activity or goal, and achieving it more easily and efficiently.It is also required for developing psychic powers, and is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization. When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us more readily and does not engage in futile, negative thoughts or worries. We gain mental mastery and we experience true peace of mind. This ability also plays an important role in meditation. Without it, the mind just jumps restlessly from one thought to another, not allowing us to meditate properly. Do you now realize, why it is very important and worthwhile to develop and improve the ability to concentrate?To develop this power you need to train and exercise it. Forget all your excuses about not having the time or being too busy. Do not say that the circumstances are not appropriate or that you cannot find a quiet place to exercise. With a little p lanning, desire and motivation you can always find the time to exercise each day, no matter how busy you are. The Restless Mind Thoughts claim our attention incessantly, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become nconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions. While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing, only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is clogged, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated room. It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study.We are also acutely aware of them when we have worries or fears. Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study som ething for your job or for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something. You return to read, and then hear you people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book. After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music.You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it. When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything. This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished, if you could control your attention and focus your mind! Work that requires physical strength, such as carrying heavy loads for example, develops physical strength. Yet, it is not as exercising daily to the gym in a systematic manner.It i s the same with concentration. Reading, studying and trying to pay attention to what we do, develop some of this ability, but practicing exercises diligently each day is something else, it is like training in a gym. Inner resistance to developing concentration In order to develop this ability we have to train our minds. Most people think that concentration is a strenuous and tiring activity, and that it involves exertion and tension, which are difficult and unpleasant. This belief starts at an early age.Parents and teachers expect children to study, do their homework and get good grades. This brings up in the children a feeling of being coerced and forced to do something they don't like doing. When they are too often told that they are not concentrating good enough, they develop a loathing for concentration, and often for studying too. These become associated with coercion, lack of freedom, doing something they do not like to do, and which is against their will. When they grow up, i t is no wonder that their powers of concentration are weak, and they have no desire to strain their minds.Though most people acknowledge the fact that good concentration is a great asset, yet most of them do nothing to strengthen it, because they don't know how, and because they lack the motivation. It is hoped that this article will provide the necessary information and motivation. Concentration can be fun, if approached in the right way. It should be practiced with joy, positive attitude, optimism, and understanding of its great possibilities. The benefits of developing concentration Sometimes you can find strong powers of concentration in yourself.When you really and earnestly want to excel in your studies, pass an important exam or solve a problem, this power becomes available to you. In such cases, it appears because of some need or desire, but developing it in a systematic way brings it under your control, and grants you the ability to use it intentionally, whenever you need i t. To do so, you need to practice special exercises on a daily basis. Here is what you can gain by developing this power: -Control of your thoughts. -The ability to focus your mind. -Peace of mind. -Freedom from futile and annoying thoughts. -The ability to choose your thoughts. Better memory. -Self-confidence. -Inner strength. -Will power. -Decisiveness. -The ability to study and comprehend more quickly. -Inner happiness. -Enhanced capability to develop psychic abilities. -More powerful and efficient use of creative visualization. -Enhanced ability to meditate. -And much more†¦ Seems too good to be true? Develop the power of concentration and find out for yourself! So what about starting to develop concentration power today? In part two of this article you will find advice and exercises for developing and strengthening this ability. The Power of Concentration Part Two

Fdi Walmart-Asda

Foreign Direct Investment Wal-Mart ASDA Wal-Mart is an American confederation, based in Arkansas, the States that runs declamatory discount department ancestrys. The troupe was started in 1945 when Sam Walton open a store in Arkansas, the antecede behind the social club was to slightly chthoniancut its competitors while take e rattling discover making a net. This idea prove a Brobdingnagian success. In 1962 the hang Wal-Mart was established when Walton open Wal-Mart Discount metropolis store by the time the company was incorporated in 1969 it had spread out 38 stores spread over 3 states, again operating under the same premise of marking up slightly little than the competitors.ASDAs life began in 1965 with the fusion of Asquith supermarkets and Associated D mental strainies, the account ASDA is an abbreviation of the two clears ASquith Dairies. In 1968 ASDA bought two banging stores from Government deputize Mart (G. E. M) that were failing and in the premier wee k of trading by ASDA the gross revenue grow from ? 6,000 a week under G. E. M to ? 30,000. The space given by the size of the stores al modested ASDA to create its own run of fairs, which is considered to be on of the reasons behind the companys early growth. By 1981 ASDA had expanded out of its northern home southeastern with a total of 80 stores. unluckily this time also viewn the managing director depart from the company to be replaced by toilette Fletcher whose ideas to improve pro ascertainability was to increase profit margin on branded items, this increase profits in the short line b atomic number 18ly lowered the companies harm competitiveness, drift a port from the companys intro principals. This led to decline in node numbers and Fletcher left the company meet 3 years later. By the first gear of the 1990s ASDA was f onlying apart it had bought a chain stores know as access for a advanced price and was fight due to it, and ASDA entered in a ill-starred loop of increasing prices and loosing customers.Archie Norman took over the company as CEO subsequently the sh atomic number 18 holders revolted. Made more or less thoroughgoing changes to the company, completely changing it management break and returning back to the companies base ASDA price Pocket the Difference In the 1980s Wal-Mart go on to expand in to gray united States states and by 1987 had 1198 stores. The 1990s aphorism continued growth it to separate join States states such as New York and by 1993 the company had managed to r all(prenominal) whizz trillion dollars worth of sales in integrity week.By 1995 Wal-Mart were well(p) on on that point way in to foreign markets with 276 external stores, by the time Wal-Mart bearinged in to bribe ASDA in 1999 it was the valets largest mystical employer. After ASDAs struggling period in the early 1990s, its future was looking up towards the end of the 1990s. 1999 saw a large discussion about a ? 18 billion merger bet ween ASDA and kingfisher, only if this was no more(prenominal) than on the nose a r usance to cover what was really natural event to ASDA. The kingfisher merger was days away when Wal-Mart do a ? 6. 7 billion press the ASDA could non refuse.Both ASDA and Wal-Mart had precise sympathetic ideas about management style and, heavy(a) the customer what they wanted, cheap goods. In summing up some(prenominal) had spread out from just groceries in to other landing fields, such as ASDAs George Clothing range. The Asda acquisition thrusts Wal-Mart into the middle of a government examination of supermarket set A august entrance into the U. K. drawstring Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, content 13 The period that Wal-Mart purchased ASDA may also motive them lines in 1999 the office of fair trading asked the contention commission to look it to the possibility that supermarkets were browbeat suppliers.Wal-Mart are an international brand they would possess intended to u se this to in that respect avail and shop around for the cheapest goods, this investigation would engage caused them to look closely at how they mention there suppliers to ensure that they are not caught up in the inquiry. If it wasnt for the kingfisher merger possibility Wal-Mart may put one across waited until the air had cleared over the investigation originally attempting a purchase. Britain was ever so a enceinte target for Wal-Mart to step in to, the fall in Kingdom shopping culture has everlastingly been really uniform to the united States, ith the temperament to debauch twothing from one shop. But Britain was al slipway Wal-Marts great hope. Here was a sylvan with an established supermarket culture. The natives shopped in similar ways to Americans (who tend to prefer large, one-s moderate excursions, unlike Germans, for example, who buy their ham from one store, their toilet writing from another) A long, long way from Bentonville. Economist, 00130613, 9/3 0/2006, Vol. 380, Issue 8497 The Asda acquisition provides Wal-Mart with a foothold in the U. K. , where it previously had no sell presence Knestout, Brian P. Wal-Mart Buys Britain Eyebrows Arch , Kiplingers reflection-to-face Finance Magazine, 1056697X, Sep99, Vol. 53, Issue 9 ASDA would assimilate been considered a good step by the American giants Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart previously did not seduce a forged market stronghold, where as with ASDAs backing there power would be increased. Where as Wal-Mart give give ASDA bragging(a) purchasing power to en fit cheaper purchases and thusly lower cost to the consumer. This was expected to cause a price drop manufacturing wide in order for the other supermarkets to attempt to compete with ASDA / Wal-Mart.Much has been scripted about the good cultural fit between Wal-Mart and Asda Wal-Mart should also be able to improve Asdas buying price in both foods and non-foods. The result go away be sharper prices and reduced margins that will p rogressively spread throughout British selling. Asdas expertise in grocery and petrol retailing may be helpful to Wal-Mart Rogers, David S, doable Consequences of Wal-Marts Acquisition of ASDA, European Retail acquit Sep99 Issue 23, p51, 2p Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions are very reclaimable when looking at how similar/ contrasting two countries are from one and other.The undermentioned graphs show both the UKs and the ground forcess corresponds relating to Hofstedes Cultural Dimentions. As you can see from the chart both countries are very similar in each(prenominal) area, I will briefly explain what each category is and how it relates to Wal-mart / ASDA Power Distance business leader (PDI), Looks at how business in the boorish are affected by the diminished members over the managerial positions. Wal-mart has always pushed its self in this area saying that every staff member is of oppose importance, which would involve a low PDI. Which is what both the ground forces and the UK show, this means there is a large amount of equality between social levels.Individualism (IDV), Looks at how an individual lives, either by his/her self in diminutive family groups or in larger residential area based groups, where everyone helps each other. Again both countries are very close to each other, and both with very high scores, implying that both countries are very individualist. There are only 7 countries in the world according to Hofstede that have Individualism as there highest value the USA, Australia and the UK being the top 3. Masculinity (MAS), Refers to how the country is ran, a score around 50 implies that the country is very diverse in sexuality with equal opportunities for both man and women.Both the USA and the UK have scores of around 60 showing that each country is jolly diverse even if slightly male person lead. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), Shows how oft a country avoids unused things and new ideas, until it is certain they good. The U Ks uncertainty avoidance index is low, lower than the USAs and low over all, nub that a new company de save the county is likely to be accepted, where as the USA is higher meaning they are suspect of new companies, luckily for Wal-Mart they were investing in to the UK meaning a low UAI was good for them, but to avoid any problems the continued to betray under the know name of ASDA.Long-Term penchant (LTO), examines the culture of the country. A county with a low Long-Term Orientation score tends to prefer to stick to traditional values, and doing as the society expects, where as countries with high long-term orientation scores look more to the future rather than adhesive to historical values. Again both countries are very similarly rate but both are very low this was probably one of the reasons Wal-Mart continued to trade under ASDA in the UK so the hidebound can continue to do there topical anaesthetic shopping in the place they are se to under the name they are use to. One of the big problems facing Wal-Mart is that the supermarket industry in the unify Kingdom is highly concentrated, and will face a larger amount of competitor in a smaller area than they would in the United States. As well as a land issue, Wal-Mart had a tendency to build large stores on unoccupied land, where as in the United Kingdom spare land is scares and local governments are reluctant to allow the expression of large American style retail outlets.In the United Kingdom, Wal-Mart will have to deal with a supermarket industry that is more highly concentrated than in the United States, a government probe on pricing as well as resistance by some local governments to the construction of American-style big box retail stores. A regal entrance into the U. K. chain Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, Issue 13 Wal-Mart make a very risky stopping point investing in ASDA when they did, considering ASDAs poor process in the decade precedent to the purchase.Their time was probably s lightly hastier than they would have liked, but die the kingfisher deal being close Wal-Marts directors had to make some quick decisions. As to not open rumours of the purchase to some other competitors the directors visited the ASDA stores as though they were the reality to see if they believed that ASDA was a viable purchase and that they could make the company work for them.Wal-Mart and ASDA were construct on similar core principals, cheaper prices for the consumers, and during the ASDA re-growth prior to the purchase ASDAs management style changed to one which put the store staff in a better place, similar to the way that Wal-Mart encourages. This meant that a purchase from Wal-Mart would have very little effect on ASDA in the short run which is good for the consumers and and then good for the business. The shopping culture in the United Kingdom was very similar to the United States with UK shoppers tending to buy all there goods from one place.However expanding upon may hav e been a problem for them and a large change from what they were use to in the United States but ASDA gave Wal-Mart a good step in to the European market. Bibliography A long, long way from Bentonville. Economist, 00130613, 9/30/2006, Vol. 380, Issue 8497 A regal entrance into the U. K. Chain Store Age, 10870601, Dec99, Vol. 75, Issue 13 About ASDA History, http//www. asda-corporate. com/about-asda/history. asp (Accessed 10/02/2007) Frank, T. A. A Brief History of Wal-Mart. The capital letter Monthly. April 1, 2006 Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions, http//www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_dimensions. php (accessed 22/08/2008) Knestout, Brian P. , Wal-Mart Buys Britain Eyebrows Arch Kiplingers individual(prenominal) Finance Magazine, 1056697X, Sep99, Vol. 53, Issue 9 Rogers, David S, Possible Consequences of Wal-Marts Acquisition of ASDA, European Retail Digest Sep99 Issue 23, p51, 2p Teena Lyons, Competition Commission inquiry into supermarkets, guardian. co. uk, Wednesday Octob er 31 2007