Staples Market Structure - 1594 Words

Staples Market Structure ECO/365 August 1, 2012 Moises Rodriguez Abstract â€Å"Market structure refers to the physical characteristics of the market within which firms interact.† Currently the office supply market is saturated and the competition is tight. The leading contenders for this type of market are Staples and Office Depot, but there are many choices available to consumers looking to get the most value for office supplies. It is ironic that both Staples and Office Depot opened for business in 1986. These companies fall under a monopolistic competition structure. Staples and Office Depot maintain a high marketing presence and are recognized in the office supply industry. But because of the fierceness of the†¦show more content†¦This company has worked hard to create a positive image and it will more than likely be around to meet the needs of Fort Bliss, SBA and GSA business contracts. Market Structure Choice Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, Reliable, Medical Arts Press, Quill, and Pencil Cup are all office supply vendors and the difference between all these vendors are minuscule. Staples and Office Depot each manufacture their own private label. Each vendor then provides the customer with a substitute to purchase against a name brand item. For example, sticky notes are a popular office item and for the longest time the market was held by Post It Notes. The times are changing and many items are being cloned by these big vendors and the pricing comparison against the name brand result in cost savings with the use of the private label items. Both Staples and Office Depot are in an elastic relationship with their customers. With the availability of substitutes and price savings, ultimately the factor separating Staples and Office Depot is price. These businesses fall under monopolistic competition and the activity is watched closely by each other. Competitive Strategies Staples has the buying power to provide the lowest pricing to its valued customers. Staples meets with potential clients and works with them to provide cost savings over the current vendor. Usually, the competition is Office Depot. In preparing anShow MoreRelatedDifferentiating Between Market Structures Essay1077 Words   |  5 PagesDifferentiating between Market Structures The structure of a market is defined by the number of firms in the market, the existence or otherwise of barriers to entry of new firms, and the interdependence among firms in determining pricing and output to maximize profits. The author of this paper will cover: the advantages and limitation of supply and demand identified in the simulation, the effectiveness of the organization in which the author knows, and how the organizations in each market structure maximizesRead MoreEssay on The Ofiice Superstore Case Study1655 Words   |  7 Pagesthat lead to this conclusion? Today’s office superstore industry in the United States provides a convenient one-stop shopping experience for small businesses and individuals with home offices. The main competitors in the industry are Office Depot, Staples, and Office Max. All of them offer a variety of office supplies, as well as computers, office furniture and other business related items. Office Depot is the largest office superstore chain in the United States. Office Depot is first in total numberRead MoreProposed Merger Between Staples And Office Depot972 Words   |  4 Pagesand Price Effects: Proposed Merger between Staples and Office Depot (1997) Xueqi Ji 6252074952 Abstract FTC employed structural, documentary, statistical, econometrics and financial evidence to verify that the proposed merger of Staples and Office Depot will lead to increase in market concentration, market prices and stock prices, and thus support FTC’s contention that this merger will cause an anticompetitive effect on Office Superstore market. Staples and Office Depot made a plain and useless contradictionRead MoreA New Business Adventure Of Fice Supply Industry1083 Words   |  5 PagesStaples was founded by two gentlemen, Tom Stemberg and Leo Kahn that were ready to start a new business adventure in the office supply industry. Both men had worked in the retail industry, and was open to building a company with a design twist of â€Å"Toys R Us†, which would be a business model structure into an office chain supply company that would service smaller business owner. According to Alan (2009) the business idea was created by Tom Stemberg from the concept being able to su pply consumer withRead More History in the Staples Approach Essay1279 Words   |  6 Pagesartifact within the history of economic thought, as economics has moved on to non-historical, modeling approaches to understanding, the staples approach can serve to show how economics can be enriched by a historical dimension. What is the staples approach and what makes it especially suitable to an investigation of how history informs economic understanding? The staple theory has been Canadas original contribution to the world of economic ideas (along with the notion of effective protection devisedRead MoreTaking a Look at Polyester Fiber1106 Words   |  4 PagesProperties of Polyester Fiber Polyesters are those fibers containing at least 85% of a polymeric ester of a substituted aromatic carboxylic acid including but not restricted to terephthalic acid and f-hydroxybenzoic acid. The major polyester in the market is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), an ester formed by step growth polymerization of terephthalic acid and the diol ethylene glycol. The polyester fibers all have similar properties, are highly resilient and resistant to wrinkling, possess high durabililyRead MoreStaples Inc. Description.963 Words   |  4 PagesSTAPLES INC. Description Staples Inc. was founded in 1985 and was incorporated on January 23, 1986, and has its headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts (Liang, 2012). The company has three principal subdivisions: North American Stores and online, North American Commercial and International Operations encompassing 2000 stores globally in 26 nations. The corporation offers a comprehensive variety of merchandises that include: office provisions, business equipment merchandises and amenities, facilityRead MoreFinancial Analysis of Office Depot1312 Words   |  6 Pagesaccounted for only 20.9% of all, the ratio were 44.6% and 40% compared with Staples and Office Max respectively. 2. Weak Financial Performance A significant number of its vendors demand accelerated payments or require cash on delivery, such demands could have an adverse impact on its operating cash flow and result in severe stress on its liquidity. A downgrade in its credit ratings or a general disruption in the credit markets could make it more difficult for it to access funds, refinance indebtednessRead MoreAmazon s Business Model Analysis Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesE-commerce Retailers (ranked by annual sales) as of 2016 (Zaczkiewicz, p 1). Amazon ranks above many other e-commerce retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Apple, Staples, and Macy s. The business model, customer value propositions, revenue model, marketspace, main competitors, comparative advantages, market strategy, management team, and organizational structure has helped Amazon to stay in business since 1996. Business Model Amazon s business model is selling products (basically anything or everything a personRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Vertical Integration Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagescommitment to the third party and the goodwill of a firm will come to an end. Organizational inferences; If the supplier supplying the raw materials to a firm is big, in terms of size and structure, then it will dictate the terms and conditions. On the other hand if an in-house source is used then there will be no market variation and the supplier can not impose any unfavourable conditions. Due to this reason in November 1999, Exxon Corporation and Mobil Corporation, two of the largest petroleum and petrochemical

Pcr Rflp Report Pcr - 1166 Words

PCR-RFLP Report PCR What is it: The Polymerase Chain Reaction is a method that uses the capability of DNA polymerase to synthesize to new DNA strands which are matching to the template strand. A primer needs to be added to the first nucleotide due to the fact that DNA polymerase only can add a nucleotide only onto a 3 -OH group that already exists. Because of this condition, we are able to define a chosen region of template sequence which we can then generate millions to billions of copies. This technique was developed by Kary Mullis in 1983 and is a very common indispensable technique which has a variety of uses such as DNA cloning for sequencing, genetic fingerprints, detection and diagnosis of infectious disease (often cancer) etc...†¦show more content†¦To achieve this, the reaction must be heated to 94-98 Degrees Celsius for about 20 to 30 seconds. Annealing Steps: Annealing must take place in order for the hybridization of primers to the single stranded DNA template. This temperature must be high enough in order for the hybridizations to bind specifically and low enough that it is possible for hybridization of primers to occur. Annealing temperature is usually 3-5 Degrees Celsius lower than the melting temperature of the primers. Extension/elongation step: This step consists of DNA polymerase synthesizing with a new DNA strand which is complementary to the DNA template strand. This is done by adding dNTP s which complement the template in the 5 -3 strand, condensing the 5 -Phosphate group of the dNTP along with the 3 -hydroxyl group at the end of the nascent extending DNA strand. The temperature at which the reaction is treated depends upon the primer used. The duration of this step also depends on the DNA polymerase used also, and the length of DNA fragment used. Under optimal required temperature of the primer, the DNA polymerase will polymerize a thousand base pairs per minute. Final elongation: After the last PCR cycle is completed, the reaction is cooled to a temperature of 70-74 Degrees Celsius (optimal temperature needed for activity for most polymerases

The Personal Attack The Logical Fallacy of Argumentum Free Essays

The term â€Å"ad hominem† is a Latin phrase that translates to â€Å"against the man† (â€Å"Ad hominem†).   It is one of several logical fallacies that may appear (intentionally or otherwise) in the rhetorical mode of writing or speaking known as Argument.   The use of the ad hominem indicates that an argument (or counter-argument) is focusing not on the issue or cause, but on the issue’s presenter, and it generally takes the form of a personal attack of the presenter’s character (â€Å"Introduction to Ad Hominem Fallacies†). We will write a custom essay sample on The Personal Attack: The Logical Fallacy of Argumentum or any similar topic only for you Order Now The soundest ad hominem attacks are made up of two steps.   The first step is to discredit the speaker/presenter/sponsor, and the second step is to imply that because the speaker/presenter/sponsor is a â€Å"bad† person, the issue or cause must be bad as well (â€Å"Introduction to Ad Hominem Fallacies†). For example, prior to the last local election, I attended a debate between two city council candidates regarding a public school bond measure.   Having read about the issue, I was aware that the facts proved the bond’s cost would far outweigh the anticipated minimal benefits—benefits that had not been shown to occur in similar communities.   I had seen no evidence to support any logical argument to encourage citizen’s to support the bond issue, so I was not surprised when one candidate turned the factual debate into a personal attack of his opponent. The argument: that his opponent had no school-aged children and because of this, his opponent has no vested interest in the success or failure of the community’s public school system. Obviously the candidate who was attacking his opponent (via the ad hominem) hoped that people would equate his opponent’s lacking school-aged children with an inability to assess a public school bond issue properly. The logical counter to this fallacious argument would be to return the focus to the facts: if  passed, would the school bond result in improvements or would it not?   If passed, would the  costs of the school bond be worth the benefits or not?   I would quickly point out that whether or  not one has children has no bearing on one’s ability to assess the fiscal impact of a set of facts,  and I would add to that, that if this were a logical supposition, that only those who had children  should be allowed to vote on the bond issue as obviously only those with children have  the capacity to make a sound decision in this area. References Ad hominem.   (2000).   In The American heritage dictionary of the English language (4th ed.).   Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Introduction to ad hominem fallacies.   (n.d.).   Mission Critical.   Retrieved October 17, 2006, from http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/adhom/adhom.html How to cite The Personal Attack: The Logical Fallacy of Argumentum, Essay examples

Healthcare Service As A Social Issue Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Healthcare Service As A Social Issue. Answer: The purpose of this essay is to examine healthcare service as a social issue and the essay further highlights on the past and after those theoretically informed recommendations are provided in the essay. It is a matter of fact that healthcare in the land of Australia is provided by hospitals and nursing homes operated by either government or by public organizations and also by private medical practitioners and medical clinics. In most cases the cost of medical support or treatment is paid by the insurance companies and if the sum surpasses the insured amount then the patient has to pay that sum. It is seen that Medicare can be referred to as Australias universal healthcare system and it is the main health scheme that provides subsidiaries most of the medical costs of all the Australian citizens and the residents of the country (Touati Tabish, 2013). There are also some other schemes that supports the medical costs in some special situations , like those schemes subsidizes the medica l costs of the war veterans or the indigenous people of Australia. In some cases for the tourists, there are some travel insurance schemes that cover the medical costs of the tourists. It is seen that Australian healthcare system actually provides a global access to a comprehensive range of various services which is hugely funded by the general taxation of the government (Srinivasan Arunasalam, 2013). Medicare, Australias healthcare system was initially introduced in the year of 11984 that supports the medical costs of in public hospitals health clinics and also provides subsidiaries to various medical services. The success of Australian healthcare system becomes clear when a statistics came in front stating that in general the life expectancy of the people of Australia ranks third among all the nations worldwide (Sturmberg, O'halloran Martin, 2012). There are some matter of concerns also preset in Australian healthcare services, such as increasing rate of obesity, diabetes, aging and mental illness and many more. Apart from that a long gap is seen in the healthcare services provided for the regular citizens of Australia and the indigenous people of Australia. Most of the medical practitioners are engaged in private medical practices who take fees for the services they offer. MBS (Medical Benefits Schedule) fixes a price or fee for each objects or service that is covered by Medicare for which the federal government provides a fixed rebate. The Medicare Benefit Schedule provides all the medical services provided by the hospitals and also in-hospital medical services for the private patients. It is also a fact that the government allows the private practitioners to set their own fees that expose the patients in front of extra charges. In most cases e 70% medical costs gets covered by Medicare, and the rest has to be paid by the individuals. In Australia, a strong medical care unit is seen and the general practitioners serve the role of a gate keeper, as they check the patients and refer them to the specialists. The treatments done by the specialists get covered by Medicare if only the patient has been referred to a specialist by a general pr actitioner. In the land of Australia, it is seen that government is trying very hard to provide medical supports to the citizens of the country, but in some cases a huge partiality is seen. Such as, in todays world, the aboriginal people of Australia are seen not getting proper medical support from the government due to various reasons. It is seen that Australian government has stopped the educational programs specially designed for the aboriginal people, because they thought that it might affect the teaching of English language in their country. Due to lack of proper education the aboriginal people often gets exposed in front of various diseases (Selkirk et al., 2013). It is also seen that many aboriginal people reside at the remote areas of the country where there are no proper communication system and people who live there are deprived of the medical supports provided by the government. In most cases the aged aboriginal people of Australia gets deprived of these medical supports provided by t he government. In the year of 1850 the New South Wales Board of Health was established after an epidemic caused by small pox disease. The purpose behind the forming of this board was to provide medical advice and to assist people for preventing the spread of the disease. The first ever public health act was introduced in the year of 1896 that clarified the powers of the medical board. In the year 1902 the act was amended and it was said that there will be 10 board members and out of them 4 people has to be medical practitioners. In 1904 the department of public health was established and numerous amendments in the acts strengthened the powers of the board (Radnor, Holweg Waring, 2012). On and from the year of 1902 the board emerged as responsible for supervision of numerous public health acts that involves Abattoir Act of 1850, Leprosy Act of 189, Pure Food Act of 1908, Private Hospital acts 1908 and many more. In the year of 1929 Public Hospital Act emerged as a milestone in the history of public health service in Australia (Hoare, Mills Francis, 2012). By the introduction of this act assurance from the government regarding medical support was initially seen. The act also established Hospitals Commission in New South Wales which had the power of operating separately from the Board of Health. The Board of Health had the responsibility to report to the Health Commission regarding pulic health. In the year of 1973 NSW Health Commission was also established that brought in psychiatric hospitals, public health services and public health programs under a same governing body (Drummond et al., 2015). Later various amendments were made for the betterment of the public health. In 1982 NSW Department of Health was established under Health Administration Act for simplifying the structure of the organization to meet up the changing needs of the society (Britt et al., 2012). Later in the year of 1986 Are Health Boards were also established replacing numerous Hospital Boards. After that during the last decade of 20th century mane much needed amendments were done where amalgamation of Eastern Sydney and Southern Sydneys health services was done and also formation of 8 rural health services were introduced replacing 23 separate District Health Services (Britt et al., 2013). Later in 1997 The Health Service Act was introduced which replaced Public Hospital Act of 1929 and Area Health Service of 1986. This new act strengthens the provisions of the previous acts and introduced numerous new provisions for a modern healthcare system in Australia (Bhm et al., 2013). For further betterment of the healthcare system of Australia some necessary recommendations are provided in this section of the essay. It is a matter of fact that the government needs to invest a lot for technological advancement to provide the best medical support to the residents of Australia (Bergan Bunke-Paquette, 2014). In some remote areas of Australia, the government needs to improve the communication system as due to lack of proper roads or transportation each year a number of people die being deprived of proper medical support and most of them are aboriginal people of Australia, as in the remote areas like coastal areas, or by the woods the aboriginal people reside mainly. The government also needs to restart the educational programs for the aboriginal people they have previously shut down due to some reasons, for generating more social awareness regarding health issues among the aboriginal people. Apart from all these the government must try to generate more awareness rega rding the health issues among all the residents of Australia for the further betterment of the situation (Aminian Naji, 2013). Thus to conclude, it can be said that, improving the general medical condition of the country. The general life expectancy of Australian people is on the higher side, but still it is a duty of the government to provide healthcare support to all the residents of Australia. The government also needs to improve the communication system in many areas so that the medical team could reach up to the people who are deprived of proper medical support. It cannot be denied that the medical support should be equal for all and there are some instances where the aboriginal people are deprived of these supports due to many reasons. Thus it is the duty of the government to maintain equality when it comes to a sensitive issue like receiving proper medical supports, as it is a well known thing that white Australia has a black past, so the government should try hard to bring back the aboriginal people to the regular path of life and provide them with the social security just like the other people recei ve in Australia. References Aminian, M., Naji, H. R. (2013). A hospital healthcare monitoring system using wireless sensor networks.J. Health Med. Inform,4(02), 121. Bergan, J. J., Bunke-Paquette, N. (Eds.). (2014).The vein book. Oxford University Press. Bhm, K., Schmid, A., Gtze, R., Landwehr, C., Rothgang, H. (2013). Five types of OECD healthcare systems: empirical results of a deductive classification.Health Policy,113(3), 258-269. Britt, H., Miller, G. C., Henderson, J., Bayram, C., Valenti, L., Harrison, C., ... O'Halloran, J. (2013).General Practice Activity in Australia 2012-13: BEACH: Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health(No. 33). Sydney University Press. Britt, H., Miller, G. C., Henderson, J., Charles, J., Valenti, L., Harrison, C., ... Pan, Y. (2012).General practice activity in Australia 2011-12(Vol. 31). Sydney University Press. Drummond, M. F., Sculpher, M. J., Claxton, K., Stoddart, G. L., Torrance, G. W. (2015).Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. Oxford university press. Hoare, K. J., Mills, J., Francis, K. (2012). The role of Government policy in supporting nurse?led care in general practice in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia: an adapted realist review.Journal of advanced Nursing,68(5), 963-980. Radnor, Z. J., Holweg, M., Waring, J. (2012). Lean in healthcare: the unfilled promise?.Social science medicine,74(3), 364-371. Selkirk, C. G., Weissman, S. M., Anderson, A., Hulick, P. J. (2013). Physicians' preparedness for integration of genomic and pharmacogenetic testing into practice within a major healthcare system.Genetic testing and molecular biomarkers,17(3), 219-225. Srinivasan, U., Arunasalam, B. (2013). Leveraging big data analytics to reduce healthcare costs.IT professional,15(6), 21-28. Sturmberg, J. P., O'halloran, D. M., Martin, C. M. (2012). Understanding health system reforma complex adaptive systems perspective.Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice,18(1), 202-208. Touati, F., Tabish, R. (2013). U-healthcare system: State-of-the-art review and challenges.Journal of medical systems,37(3), 9949.

The Consumer Behavior in Hospitality Industry

women in music essays

women in music essays History shows that women were not as big of participants in music as men until later in the medieval era. This is due to many obstacles that faced women disabling them from singing, playing any instruments, or even composing music. Although barriers were present, many women and nuns were able to surpass them, and make use of their abilities and skills. Women composers had many barriers to pass in order to be able to use their skills and compose music and chants. One main obstacle blocking their way was the inability to learn and understand the art and sciences due to the lack of schooling. Education was vital for such musicians; especially that acceleration of specialization in western music broke many of the traditional links between women and music. The complexity required notation, sometimes separating the composer from those who performed the score. Development of musical establishments and institutions, to which women were denied access, was a main obstacle in the way of women who desire to pursue their musical interest. Women were required to fulfill their "traditional roles ", and forget the idea of pursuing music. As illustrated in a dialogue between Christine de Pisan and Reason: [Christine]"My lady, since they [women] have minds skilled in conceptualizing and learning, just like men, why don't women learn more?" She [Reason] replied, "Because, my daughter, the public does not require them to get involved in the affairs which men are commissioned to execute.... It is enough for women to perform the usual duties to which the are ordained." (Marshall, 141) These "usual duties" were meant to be those of keeping a house and mothering children; they did not include developing specialized musical skills. It is easy to explain the scarcity of musical works by women as a result of the educational and social obstacles confronting female musicians. However, few clearly managed to overcome these obstacles and th...

Mass Media's Negative Impact on American Society Essay

Mass Media's Negative Impact on American Society - Essay Example A major role in the impeachment of President Clinton was played by the media of the country as well. But today, the unconcealed public anxiety, which concerns functioning, tasks, content of the media, sounds louder. Many prominent figures of our society, as well as many ordinary people, express dissatisfaction concerning an increasingly negative impact of mass media not only on journalism itself, but on society as a whole. This primarily concerns the quality of today’s American journalism within a moral and ethical point of view. Most of the public is deeply concerned also, that the media tries to teach us morality, â€Å"passing some inherited moral norms from generation to generation†. However, the very essence of this social heritage has been vigorously debated. In spite of the fact that in very few media reports and television broadcasts morality is perceptible and obvious, hints at some or other moral values are always present, especially on TV. At the same time th e media is flooded with scenes of violence in action and horror films and cartoons even, endless shootings, crime reports, aggressive music and games that, so some extend, popularize the criminal culture. In many cases the media does not consciously want to provoke violence in society – it just covers over a weak storyline of a picture or lack of really important news with scenes of violence, which surely attract attention of common people. Such scenes have a direct impact on subconsciousness, because they influence on the feelings rather than senses. The media forms in teenagers’ heads some stable mechanism, according to which they will act in this or that reality situation (Moy and... This essay stresses that sex in mass media is not limited to explicit images of copulation or nudity; it may include any model implying sexual behavior, interest or motivation. The most alarming in the behavioral effects of viewing erotic materials is that there is a traced direct connection between it and commission of sexual assaults. There were a lot of studies conducted, which considered the ratings of such crimes as rapes, exhibitionism, sexual abuse of minors, depending on changes in availability of sexually explicit materials. This report makes a conclusion that the last decades witnessed the rapid development of new communication technologies. E-mail, Internet, digital television, have become a part of our lives, often pushing to the sidelines the traditional media. Communication ceases to be one-way, there appear elements of interactivity. The question of the influence of the media appears in a new perspective. The amount of information available to each member of society increases many times; the process of news diffusion becomes swift and varied. At the same time the content quality of mass media lives much to be desired. It’s full to the brim with violence, advertising, false ideals and tons of shallow information a normal man will never need. Everyday impact of the media on society leads to creation of stereotypes, simplification of thinking and psychological patterns, as information is presented in ready-made form with a certain emotional coloring, which leaves no space for creative conceptua lization.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Report - Essay Example Sub-normal rainfall, with less than 100mm of rain per year can occur every 3-4 years. The region is characterised by one wet season, between April-August, followed by a prolonged dry season. Average rainfall varies from 600mm in lowland areas to 1500mm in the highlands. Temperatures range from 16Â °-30Â °c (BDVS, 2005). 1.4 Population The mean density of people is 33.1 per km? (BDVS, 2005). However, this figure varies, and most settlements and populations are found near water resources. 62% of the population don’t have enough food to maintain a healthy living. 1.5 Land use 20,000 Ha of land is used for cultivation of food and cash crops. However, despite the large size of farmed land, the water supply from rivers and lakes is inadequate to meet domestic, livestock and irrigation needs. 2 Water Provision and Scarcity The WWF (World Wide Fund) states that ‘freshwater is essential to human health, agriculture, industry and natural ecosystems, but is now running scarce in many regions of the world. Figure 2 highlights reasons for current water shortages. Figure 2 – Reasons For Water Shortages Adapted from Sub-sea Infrastructure Report (2006) According to Lomborg (2001), the world’s water consumption has almost quadrupled since 1940. Many experts and environmental agencies including the UN Environmental Report GEO 2000 claim that the water shortage constitutes a ‘full scale emergency’, where ‘the world water cycle seems unlikely to be able to cope with increased demands over the coming decades’. 3 The World’s Arid Regions Arid and semi-arid regions cover 30% of the total area (see Figure 3) of the world’s land surface (Balon and Dehnad, 2010) and over 40% of the world’s population live in these areas. Source: http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/y1899e/y1899e50.gif 4 Methods of Water Provision Mismanagement of existing boreholes, irrigation furrows and dams have lead to lengthy periods of disrepair , siltation and dereliction of Baringo’s water supplies. Facilities are also often polluted by human and animal waste. For a district that is water-deficient, most of the rainwater that does fall goes to waste due to a lack of appropriate harvesting technologies, especially at household level according to the Baringo District Vision and Strategy: 2005-2015. I aim to highlight how mitigation strategies and water supply management can improve the effectiveness of water resources and provide long-term sustainable solutions. 4.1 Surface Water Capture and Storage ‘There is a need to improve the efficiency of distribution and use of water’ (Gange, 1965). Kenya’s current National Development Plan emphasises the promotion and utilization of rainwater for sustainable development. Non-profit organisations such as Kenya Rainwater Association (KRA) aim to unite communities and bring individuals, institutions, landowners and organisations together to enhance rainwater harvest and utilization techniques. They are currently investing in methods for reducing losses such as evaporation from large storages, seepage from supply channels and other wastage that occurs within the distribution system. They’ve also built roof water tanks for schools that collects and provides safe drinking water. 4.2 Irrigation Agriculture Use of water from the Chemeron Reservoir is a critical issue in Baringo. Current methods of informal basin and channel irrigation involve little monitoring of water application. Modern irrigation

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection - Essay Example The challenges come from in diverse forms, from the selection of specific topics to satisfy each academic need, to preparations for preliminary drafts taking into account critical elements that need to be incorporated in essay writing. Aside from the crucial requisite to perennially observe correct grammatical rules, to ensure that the detailed objectives for the essay are attained, there is this relevant element of writing the essay with the intended audience to be taken into consideration. Particularly for the purpose of this reflective essay, I have to bear in mind that I relay the improvements and transformations noted from personal perspectives on these various literary works written during the course. Essays that required a comparative analysis of a situation, of personalities, or of themes (of which I compared two Batman movies) assisted in developing analytical skills that required making in depth assessments of various elements of the movie: the actors, the plot, the charact ers, cinematography, sounds, and awards received, accordingly. The activity honed, not only writing in correct grammar, spelling and structure; but more so on delving into details to achieve the objective of selecting and justifying from among those elements identified, the best movie from one’s point of view.

Different Styles of Leadership in different Situations

Different Styles of Leadership in different Situations In this project we have selected a case of Pakistan International Airline and applied different styles of leadership that could be implemented according to different situations PIAC is a government organization under the influence of bureaucratic leadership. they follow one way communications. Decisions are always made by higher management and then announced to the lower staff to follow without considering their consent or agreement. This leads to an increase level of dissatisfaction in work force followed by absenteeism and lack of concern. There is severe lacking of target oriented approach in the employees. Their level of productivity and quality services tends to reduce day by day which is persistently taking the organization to huge loss. As compared to the productivity level there is a significant number of overstaffed workforces which are not even providing low services but also demand for high salaries. If we talk about customer services or flight operations we see a huge gap between the mission statement and the actual practice We have recommended different leadership styles to take the company out of that chaos like retrenchment, downsizing. Hire more qualified and efficient staff, empowerment of subordinates, decentralization of decision making process, two way communication between upper and lower management, motivating the employees. Building self confidence, reducing their dissatisfaction, giving them authority to achieve the objectives their own way, assign a common objective in their favor and for the company as well. After taking all these necessary measures pia current situation will definitely be improved and it would be able to attain the best position as I was supposed to be. Currently they are enjoying the benefit of monopoly in air traffic industry in Pakistan but later on when market gets saturated with new private companies in future it might get impossible to with stand the competition with current practices Intorduction This Report is to discuss Leadership style and recommend Pakistan International Airline best style in situations. The Company Established in 1955, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is a national airline with a vast experience in the industry and runs a fleet of forty aircrafts. It operates passenger and cargo services covering eighty-two domestic and foreign destinations.. PIA is a huge corporation with more than 17,000 employees. This organization is divided into following departments: Human Resource and Administration, Marketing, Corporate Planning, Information Services, Finance, Flight Services, Flight Operation, Engineering, Procurement and Logistics, Customer Services, Training and Development, Quality Assurance. The organogram of the organization follows, with the Chairman at the top and directors of departments reporting to him. The structure is centralized with the top-level management making the decisions. Vision To be a world class airline exceeding customer expectations through dedicated employees committed to excellence. Mission As a Symbol of National Pride, We aspire to be a Choice Airline, Operating Profitable on Modern Commercial concepts and Capable of Competing With the Best in the International as well as Domestic markets Values Customer Expectations: Convenience, Care and Competitive Tariff Service: Personalized and Courteous Innovation: Cherishing new ideas, Translating into actions Reliability: Loyalty and Consistency Safety: Passengers, Employees, Environment and Health Cohesiveness: Respect of individuals, Teamwork and effective communication Integrity: Business ethics, Accountability and Transparency. Culture The vision and values of PIA communicates the distinct culture to the organizational members and the customers as well. Despite of being beurucratic organization, bearing cultural similarities with other government organization, PIA is improving its practices, to meet its objectives. Organizational Attributes Organizational Attiributes PIA focuses on goals rather than focusing on the ways to accomplish it. The behavior of its employees and the overall business generation is a rational outcome of the oganization attributes and characteristics. PIA needs radical changes in the way it focuses their objective. It needs to intensify the focus on means of achieving it. The Companys Leadership The Companys Leadership is structured through the hierarchy, which is governed by the Board of Director and Chairman, going through the director down to the Middle Management. We can say it is much more Centralized. Situation Analysis PIAC is a Public sector organization, which has a decision making process down the hierarchy. The company is oversizedn upto 17,000 eployees. Employee Attitudes: At PIAC, every employee is expected to behave responsibily and prevent direct clash with the organizations interest. In case of abnormal behaviour, administrative actions are taken by the standing rules of PIAC against the employee. All HR problems are resolved according to the POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, which cover a complet scope of employee behavior, however being a part of Public Sector, the policies leaverage the employee more than necessary. Employee Dissatisfaction: PIAC believes that employees dissatisfaction affects the productivity level of employees and the root causes of such factors are identified. On the emergence of genuine reasons, the employees are helped in rectifying factors. If they are unable to do so, then the employee might get a letter of warning. Employees at PIAC expresses their dissatisfaction through the Suggestion Boxes, which are placed at various location. Whereas, employee co-ordination meetings (ECM) are organized, to allow all employees to share their views with their bosses as well as their subordinates. Recruitment and Hiring: In HR Adminstration Department, there is a Recruitment and Selection. Regarding the attribute rewuired for a position, decisions are taken by the top management at PIAC. Recruitment and hiring process is also influenced by the political situation of the country. Employee Promotion PIAC believes that experienced employees have the knowledge and expertise, gained over years, to handle diverse employees and unprecedented situations. Sharing information: Relevant Information Sharing systems has been improvised and rebuilt with a more candid approach. However, information through grapevine still exists. Influence of groups in decision making: PIAC has various formal and informal group due to its sheer size. There is an influence of the informal groups on the decision making process to some extent due to the nature of the workplace. These informal groups are formed because of many reason, one of which is that many employees sharing common interests, are in the organization for several. SWOT What is Leadership Leadership derived from the word LEAD, a person who motivates the people and show out the path to a group of people towards the accomplishment of their common goals is called a leader. And a process by which leader moves a group of people to their organizational objectives is said to be the leadership. Leader vs. Manager Many of the organization workers didnt understand the difference between leading and managing, there fore they were in a state of misconceptions which will not compel them to perform their jobs in proper directions. The simple differences between these two are manager is a career and leadership is calling. For leadership you dont need to be good looking, very well dressed, very well spoken and you dont have to have a very special something is inside you. But for leadership you have to have well defined convictions and most importantly you have courage in your visions to manifest them into reality. Managing is much broader in sense then leading which focuses on narrowing issues. Like mangers are looking for the issues related to the non behavioral as well as behavioral characteristics while if we talk about leader then it emphasize only on behavioral issues. Make it clear that not all mangers are leaders but most effective mangers over a long period of experiences will become leader. Situational Approach Situational approach is also known as contingency theory; it was given by Herbert Spencer in (1884). He said in his theory that the time and the situation makes the person a leader and not the other way around. This theory suggests that different situations calls different style of characteristics of leader. According to the Herbert spencer, in this theory of groups none of the single psychographic profile of the leader exist. The theory defines the two types of the leader one is Relationship oriented and other one is Task oriented. In relationship orientated the leader must achieve their task and objectives by holding good relationship with the group, while on the other hand in task oriented the leader have its prime concern to carry out the task himself. According to the theory there is no ideal leader, in both the situation the leader can be effective if and only he fits in the situation. Situations and Decisions As it is obvious that one of the most important part of the leadership is to make smart decisions. So The Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum wrote an article in 1995 which deal with the study of leaders appropriate decisions along with the behavioral characteristics of leader. That model defines the whole range of manager decisions and the situations where they use and got the best result out. The following are the decisions situational behavior of the leader: The manger make the decision and announces it In that situation the leader will follow these steps: Identify the problem. Analyze the different alternatives. Select the best alternative. Require the workers to implement the decision on the chosen one. The Manager sells the decision As it was mention above that the leader will identify the problem and find out the subordinator to implement the decision, but some time leader want to persuade the subordinate to accept the decision. The manager presents the ideas and invites questions- This situation of the decision allows the sub ordinate to raise the question on the decision that manger took himself in order to implement the solution of the problem. The manager presents a tentative decision that is subjected to change- Here in this situation the manager is subjected to change the decision accordingly, in that process the decision will not be the one side the subordinators are also the part of it. But the final decision will be taken by manager. The manager presents the problem, gets suggestions, and then makes the decisions- The manger will allow his co-worker to compliment on the problem and make the decision based on the suggestion given by the subordinators. It is the better solution of taking decisions. The manger defines the limit and asks the group to take the decisions In that situation the subordinators are subjected to take the decision with keeping in mind the problem, but the limits are also defined already so that no one can cross it. In that way a democratic decision came into being and it is very effective and efficient way of taking decisions. Forces influencing Managers Decision Making There are many factors that influencing in manger decision making some are briefed below: Individual forces Organizational forces Environmental forces Cross interactions forces. The above mentioned forces are few that influenced in a decision making process. Firstly the individual forces, as it was observed that there is a diversification factor in every organization. That diversification influences the impact on decision that is taken by the managerial staff because every one believes to have the decision in their benefits. The second factors is organizational forces, In that force the factors that effect are individual attitudes towards change, organization culture, expectations of the embodies that are responsible for openness, changes and risk taking. The last forces are assumed to be relevant because innovation adoption is likely to vary depending on the type of business and the nature of the competitors landscape. Fources influenceing Managers Decision Making Forces in Manager There are four factors that manager should feel inside them, without them the manager is not emphasize on a proper direction by which he has a chance to solve the problems efficiently. The first factor is managers values, as the manager in any department is the most responsible person who is able to take decision accordingly and who is responsible for the growth of efficiency, growth of subordinate, and company profit. Therefore it is very important to find out your position in an organization. The second factor is the level of confidence on your subordinates. It is obvious if you trust more in your subordinators the decision style will be more relevant to the democratic style, and if your lesser believers in your co-workers then the decision will be one sided which is not good. The third factor is personal leadership strength. Manager should find out the strength in them and ability to work in a worst situation very effectively. If manager is not clear with his piece of mind then he or she would not be able to direct their subordinate in a correct way. The fourth factor in the manager is tolerance for ambiguity. Being a manager it is his responsibility to take decision after listening to their subordinates but if the situation is exactly opposite to it then the style will be converted from boss centered to subordinate centered style. A manger who is disturbed by this loss of certainty will find him self in a complete ambiguity situation and will not be successful as a subordinate centered leader. Forces in Situations There are many situational factors which force the manager to take decision. In an organization to work in group are beneficiary factors to all. In order to achieve the organizational common goals it is to be required to work as one team. The second factor that influences in a situation is effectiveness of a group. As manager want to take a decision then first manager should analyze the performance of their subordinate either they are effective to achieve that goal or not. The third force of situation is the problem to be solved. It is required in an organization to be co-ordinate the groups with each other in order to get the best result com up with. And if the question is to solve the problem then it is to be sure that every one pays deep attention to solve it. The fourth situational force is the time available to make decision. It is obvious that group can took a long time to accomplish a task rather then individual can do it before. So before taking decision there has to be time defined. Empowerment Distribution What does empower mean: to give authority taking or seizing power Process of gaining profit by giving strength. Empowerment is a Process by which individuals and groups gain power, access to resources and control over their own lives. After doing so the workers will attain the power and strength to attain their highest personal and objectives goal of an organization. Empowerment can be distributing the following factors: Resource Consultant role Sensitizer role Cooperator role Firstly we discuss resource consultant role: Linking subordinators to resources so that they enhance their self-esteem and problem solving skills. Linking co-workers to resources so they can also work towards achieving their own independence and own control over their lives. Secondly sensitizer role: Helping the subordinates to gain the knowledge which is necessary to take control of their own lives. Empowered person and reliable workers recognizes and identifies their own strengths and the strengths of others. Finally Corporate role: Subordinators are the one who is self-determining in achieving self-efficacy and empowerment. Connecting empowered person to others who share common histories, issues, and barriers. Limits of Authority As it was discussed above that there is the manager who defines the limits of authority to every subordinator. If the limits are not defined then every one will be the manager of the company or concerned department. So there must be applying of limits in each and every post of the organization. Types of Leadership Autocratic Leadership This kind of leader ship involves absolute power over team members. even if the concern and involvement of team member is important but it is not considered all the decisions are made solely by leader. It is normally applicable to control the unskilled work force and to take instant control over chaos in the organization Characteristics These leaders have following characteristics they take the whole responsibility on themselves and make the team members to accomplish the task appropriately they feel that the close monitoring and supervision of team is required they normally take the team members inexperienced and unable to fulfill the task independently they only make the decision and announce it in team they only rely on themselves to meet the objectives of organization Situations In PIAC current situation the level of task orientation is low where as aggressiveness of work force is also lacking .here is a gap between the level of productivity and skills of the employees. It seriously needs an autocratic leader who would lead the organization by his own decision and take full responsibility over himself in order to achieve the organizational objectives. At the same time he would monitor the whole working structure closely and with complete vigilance. As the staff currently working is not capable to take the organization out of such chaos. Beurucratic/Transactional Leadership It is quiet a mechanical sort of leadership as it involves only the designed rules and policies made by the organization that has to be followed at any cost by followers. Regardless of the fact that they accept it or make them feel comfortable or not. Such kind of leadership is applicable for those leaders who are leading factory workers involving machine handling and jobs involving precautionary measures Characteristics they show the supremacy of their powers on their followers and they have to obey they try to maintain strict and systematic discipline in the followers they promote the followers who are able to conform to the rules they need their followers to accomplish the task just according to specified rules Situations Currently bureaucratic leadership is being practiced in the whole organization it should be confined to only engineering department as p.i.a deals with air traveling and may face technical issues in the aircrafts mostly due to malfunctioning of machinery in planes. there are many planes in p.i.a that are still not operational. if they assign any bureaucratic leader to achieve the task of fixing up the impaired machinery by the mechanical staff and engineers he can definitely make them accomplish the task efficiently and within the defined period of time. he would make them follow the safety rules and policies of the company with full acceptance. it would be helpful in increasing the fleet of p.i.a and hence increasing the number of flights and thus productivity levels and profits are also increased Democratic/Pedagogical Leadership This kind of leadership attains the maximum level of satistfaction and motivation from the followers as it involves the decision making process to be done not only by leaders but also the followers participate in it.team members feel equal importance and take the ownership of the task to be accomplished.it emphasizes on team work Characteristics they help the team members to express their skills by open invitation to take part in decision making process they improve the productivity by emphasizing on team work they focus on the quality of end result to be achieved regardless of time they believe that financial rewards are not the only source of motivation but making them feel self governing is a major source Consultive Persuasive Situations In PIAC the employees face situations in which teamwork is mainly required for instance Human resource department plans a meeting to revise the hiring policy. Finance department decides to amend the obsolete salary structure. Marketing department plans to launch a new promotion to attract the customers. All these activities require team work effort rather than centralized decisions.If the whole department officials give their input in the decision making process it would definitely give a better picture of final objective The level of concern of team members will also be increased that enhance the overall performance of organization Laissez-Faire It is derived from French phrase leave it be.it involves the full empowerment of team members to achieve the task on their own.it is normally practiced to those teams in which every team member is a self starter and experienced indivisual Characteristics they rely mainly on their team member and normally dont take the whole responsibility of task accomplishment on their own they only communicate the requirement and then leave the members to perform the task their own way they may loose the control over the team by giving them complete authority they sometimes take the feedback of what is being achieved or to which extent Situations In PIAC this kind of leadership only applies in a situation where we hire highly experienced and qualified group of employee that doesnt need any kind of strict supervision and include mainly self starters and motivated individuals. it seems quite an ideal situation in p.i.a as its employees are dissatisfied with the current salary structure so competitive salary packages should be assigned for them so work with complete satisfaction and ownership Corrective Leadership It involves the empowerment of group members in order to facilitate the collaborative and synergized environment. it results in equal participation of leader with employees in the process of task accomplishment Characteristics They treat the team members equally and fairly They work with them as a team member to increase their motivation level They standby the group members at every step to show his concern as a team Situations In PIAC there is a total one way communication from upper management to lower staff. there is a serious need of manager who better take themselves as team player rather a dictator as the decision making process is centralized here so rather than imposing the goals on subordinates and just over see what is being done they better work along with them in order to motivate and get better results from them. Suppose if you are manager finance in p.i.a so you should not only make decisions to design the budget, cost cutting etc. but also participate with team to implement that in an appropriate manner Creative Leadership It involves facing new challenges, and recognizes and track new opportunities through bold innovations. Experimentation with changing the current practice involves a factor of uncertainty in the success of outcomes. Risk taking attitude is important in creative leadership Characteristics They are good at generating new ideas to change commonplace thing They try to experiment with those ideas which seems to be affective by their judgment They are quiet independent and require less approval from subordinates They have ability to manage the consequences of those experiments They often change the working pattern of group by introducing new ideas They have strong imagination to foresee how things would be after innovation Situations In PIAC if there is a situation that market gets saturated with competitors so marketing department requires a creative leader who can design an innovative plane to capture new customers and retain the old customer by taking many creative steps and experimenting new promotions and offers to capture the market share ,enhancing the quality of services and products etc Bridging/Synergical Leadership It involves the bridging of leader and follower relationship with confidence, trust and empathy by effective communication of leader with follower. It results in boosting the confidence level of group members thus motivating them to face the difficulty or challenge Characteristics They try to create a friendly relationship with employees by identifying their social need They counsel the team members to help them get rid of any personal issue They appreciate their achievements hence enhancing their confidence level They try to create an environment of trust and coordination within the whole group Situations In PIAC if there is a huge gap between managers and subordinates thats needs to be filled. They seriously need a bridging leadership style to gain the trust of employees and reduce their turnover. Issue like absenteeism which is due to lack of satisfaction of employees can be resolved by their counseling and seriously try to understand and resolve their internal issues. it would definitely help to improve the organizational environment and the overall impact would be positive in terms of employee performance and loyalty Change Leadership This style of leader ship involves supporting the alteration in current rules and policies. This results in thinking beyond resolving a single issue or individual concern and hence improving the whole system or whole organization Charateristics Such leaders focus on improving the current environment of organization They dont focus only on minor issues with in a specific department They tend to change the rules and policies of organization in its benefit They make decisions that affect the whole organization Situations If PIAC face severe deficit and over sizing of staff so it seriously needs a change leader that leads to change the policies of organization that emphasize on improving the current situation by making alteration in obsolete rules and restructure almost every department of company. Retrenchment and downsizing to recover the organization from further deficit might be one of the altering measures. there are some other modifications needed to improve the current condition of PIAC Leadership Styles Transformational Leadership In this type of leadership organizations success is achieved by profoundly affecting followers beliefs and values such as justice and integrity. Through this style of leadership a sense of duty is created, it promotes learning for organization and new ways of handling problems are encouraged. Working as a Transformational Leader is a wonderful and uplifting experience. You have to put passion and energy to achieve success. Charactersitics Task of Transformational Leaders First the leaders creates the awareness about organizations issues among followers by inspiring them to follow you and the way to get things done is by injecting enthusiasm and energy among the followers. Than they create a vision of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. The Transformational Leader should be very careful in developing the trust for him among followers, and their personal integrity is a very important and critical part of the package that they are selling. Their role is to be at front and central during the action. They are always visible and will stand up to be counted among others. Their attitudes and actions clearly reflects how everyone else should behave. Transformational Leaders make consistent efforts to motivate and rally their followers. Situations PIA needs transformation from the image of a white elephant, just making heavy losses to a profitable public organization as it had been in the past. Employees should be made aware of this need and he should always keep in mind what are the main goals of his organization. But employees needs, aspirations and interests should be fulfilled first only than he will be motivated to focus on achieving organizations goals. Coaching Leadership Its a style of leadership in which followers are instructed to how to meet the special organizational objectives. Coaching is a one to one relationship where coach instructs the followers to focus on and achieve what is important. Charactersitics Coaching is defined at four levels First its a belief system, coaches starts from making their followers to believe that their issues will be addressed and they will be solved . Coaching in a well defined Leadership style, where leaders seeks to keep the ownership of issues and problems faced by their followers. Third, coaching is defined by a set of tools and models like the GROW problem solving model so that they understand it better. Finally, there is a coaching skill-set which is deployed at followers very skillfully coaching them their tasks Situations In engineering, cabin crew and customer service department heads should instruct their followers to meet PIACs goal of better customer care and service. As a leader he should have good listening skills, insight, concern of welfare and patience towards followers to be able to lead them. Only by having good communication skills and attitude towards his employees he would be able to effectively instruct them Superleadership In this style the leader, leads his followers by showing them how to lead themselves. If he succeeds he develop followers who are very productive and needs minimum assistance from their leader in future. Charactersitics Here the leader teaches his followers how to think in different situations on their own and act constructively and independently. An organization cant succeed unless its members become proficient in leading themselves and thus today it is one of the very basic requirements of any organization. It is the job of the super leader to develop such followers who have these qualities in them. Situations Senior directors and other senior managers at PIAC could be best to act as a super leader as they have vast experience and they have performed in several critical situations they can make decision on their o

Essay --

The role of World Bank in the international political economy and its impact on the poverty. Zartashia Jahangir (15192) Muneeba Tariq (15389) Summyia Tanveer (15647) Khadija Bibi (15213) Vision (World Bank Mission Statement): "The World Bank Group, passion and professionalism for lasting results with is to fight poverty - from the production of resources to help themselves and to their environment, the ability to share knowledge construction, and private sector partners to build publican.† Introduction: IMF, World Bank and WTO in the global economy has been the central pillar, and called them "the architect of the global economy." In fact the IMF and the World Bank Bretton Woods conference established in 1944. The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty. ï  ¶ IBRD- Industrial Bank for Reconstruction & Development. ï  ¶ IDA-International Development Association. ï  ¶ IFC- International Finance Corporation. ï  ¶ MIGA-Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency. ï  ¶ ICSID-International Centre for Settlement of Disputes. The World Bank roads, power plants , schools, dams , bridges , ports and other " infrastructure " projects as governments to finance long -term loans makes . Countries â€Å"structural adjustment programs â€Å"(SAPs) have agreed to accept the World Bank will extend loans only. SAPs democratic debtor countries by people who are not decided upon. The former colonial world is forced down the throats of people. To pay off the debt, the World Bank demand government’s public assets and companies (privatization), and health care, education, childcare, and cutting spending on social services like pensions by selling off state funds. U.S. and other developed capitalist countries, policies workers both directly and indire... ...ased on poverty reduction, the country's financial and economic situation, with detailed analysis of a cross section of local groups by combining a World Bank strategy unique to the country in question. If the government’s priorities and identify targets for poverty reduction and the World Bank’s aid efforts correspondingly Aligns this. Forty- five countries " aid for the world's poorest countries ", in which the distribution of loans to poor countries, the World Bank's International Development Association ( IDA ) is a U.S. $ 25.1 billion in promised aid . Rich countries, occasional illnesses, including their support for their projects , funds and IDA recipient of criticism , although Robert B. Zoà « lick , World Bank president , was announced on 15 December 2007 loans when they said though that IDA money " poorest developing countries that rely on the basic grant ."

Buddhism: The Foundation, Development and Beliefs

Though the other divisions of Buddhism have altered their practices to accommodate the needs of a wider range of people, Theravada has remained virtually the same as it was at its founding. Theravada Buddhism is the original and most popular form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Theravada remains closest to the original teachings of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha Gautama is the original founder of all forms of Buddhism. He was born in present day Nepal around 563 B. C. E. He was a prince of the Shakyas clan, and likely heir to his father’s throne.He was named â€Å"Siddhartha† which means â€Å"he who has attained his goals. † Being the prince of the warrior caste, he trained in the arts of war and grew up to be a strong and handsome young man. When he was at the age of sixteen, he fought and defeated his competitors in a variety of sports, which won him the hand of the beautiful princess Yashodhara, who wa s also sixteen years old at the time. He continued living in the luxury of his palaces. Soon, however, he grew restless and began to wonder what happens outside the palace. He eventually insisted to be permitted to come out of the palace so he can see his people and his lands.For fear of the prince leading a religious life, the king ordered that only young and healthy people should greet the prince so that he will not see the kind of suffering. However, even with the king’s careful orders, he still caught sight of a couple of old men, who accidentally wandered near the parade route, at Kapilavatthu, the capital. Curious of who these people were, he chased after them. He then came to a place where some people are desperately ill and even came across a funeral ceremony by the side of the river, seeing death for the first time in his life.Siddhartha saw four sights: a sick man, a poor man, a beggar, and a corpse. When he caught sight of these, his heart soon filled with vast lon eliness for the suffering that humanity has to go through. He then asked his friend and squire Chandaka what those things meant. Chandaka told him that all of us grow old, sick and eventually, die, saying that these truths should have been told to him before. (Boeree, 1999). He said upon seeing these realities: â€Å"When ignorant people see someone who is old, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be old some day. I thought to myself: I don’t want to be like the ignorant people.After that, I couldn’t feel the usual intoxication with youth anymore. When ignorant people see someone who is sick, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be sick some day. I thought to myself: I don’t want to be like the ignorant people. After that, I couldn’t feel the usual intoxication with health anymore. When ignorant people see someone who is dead, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be dead some day. I tho ught to myself: I don’t want to be like the ignorant people. After than, I couldn’t feel the usual intoxication with life anymore. † (AN III.39, interpreted) (Boeree, 1999) He also saw an ascetic or a monk who has abandoned all the pleasures and cravings of the flesh. What struck Siddhartha the most is the peaceful expression on the monk’s face, which left a deep impression on him. Going back to the palace after this and despite having what appeared to be the perfect life of luxury, Siddhartha became very discontent with the material world and decided to leave his family. He realized that he could no longer live happy with the thought that, even with all their luxury, there would still come a time that he will suffer and die.With these thoughts, he soon wondered what he may do so that he can overcome suffering, more than anything else. He left his privileged life as a prince and ran away to the forest in search of spiritual understanding. For a while, he s tudied with two well-known gurus of that time but soon found that their practice is not enough to answer his question. That was when he began to follow the practices of a group of five ascetics: austerities and self-mortifications. For six years, he practiced with utmost sincerity and intensity that the five ascetics became his followers before long. However, he still did not find the answers he was looking for.He decided to double his efforts by refusing food and water until he was in a state of near death. One day, Sujata, a peasant girl saw this starving monk. She took pity on him and offered him to eat some of her milk-rice. Soon, he realized that self-mortification still do not help him answer his questions. He decided to carry out a practice that will be middle way between the extremes of luxurious and self-mortification life. For many days, Siddhartha sat beneath a particular fig tree, called the bodhi tree, in the town of Bodh Gaya, vowing that he will never stand up until h e found the answers to the problem of suffering.At first, he deeply concentrated in clearing his mind from all distractions, and later on, in mindless meditation. They said that he started to recall all his previous lives, and see everything that was going on in the entire universe. He became the Buddha, meaning â€Å"he who is awake†, with the rising of the morning star on the full moon of May, when he finally found the answers he was looking for (Hooker, 1996). He spent the next forty five years teaching others about the path to enlightenment. After an exhaustive ministry he died around 483 B. C. E. During his life, none of Siddhartha Gautama's teachings were ever written down.During the following 100 years after his death, Buddhism spread throughout India and Sri Lanka. A group of Buddhist monks held a council in the Capital city of Patna, during the third century B. C. E. , to come to a consensus on what the original teachings of Siddhartha were. When the council came to agreement about Siddhartha's true original teachings, the teachings became the doctrine of Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism has not deviated from this doctrine since. Theravada Buddhism's main goal is for the individual practitioner to reach Nirvana.This is accomplished by realizing the very foundation of Buddhism which was the â€Å"Four Noble Truths†: The Four Noble Truths: 1. ) All human life is suffering (dhukka ). 2. ) All suffering is caused by human desire, particularly the desire that impermanent things be permanent. 3. ) Human suffering can be ended by ending human desire. 4. ) Desire can be ended by following the â€Å"Eightfold Noble Path†: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (Bullitt, 2005).The practitioner must also follow the Eight Fold Path; 1. ) right view, 2. ) right resolve, 3. ) right speech, 4. ) right action, 5. ) right livelihood, 6. ) righ t effort, 7. ) right mindfulness, and 8. ) right concentration. The council all also agreed in practicing the â€Å"Four Cardinal virtues† which were friendliness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. During the onset of Buddhism, the religion comprised of only very few followers making it relatively insignificant among the vast variety of Hindu sects.But when Asoka, the great Mauryan emperor converted to Buddhism in the third century BC, the young and insignificant religion soon spread profusely throughout India and was carried across the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka. Just like rumors change as they are spread from person to person, Buddhism was slightly altered over time. The original form Theravada Buddhism, held its ground in Sri Lanka as the Buddhists of Sri Lanka maintained a form that was most similar to the original form of Siddhartha's teachings. On the other hand, the rest of India, then the world in general later on, Buddhism fragmented into a million sects and versions.T heravada Buddhism requires intensive meditation. To follow his form of Buddhism requires the practitioner to devote a lifetime to its practice, thus making it difficult or even imposable for the average modern person to commit to such an undertaking. Despite the extreme demands of Theravada Buddhism, it is gaining popularity in Singapore, Australia as well as other parts of the western world. There are over 100 million Theravada Buddhists worldwide. Theravada has had less success spreading than other forms of Buddhism.Forms of Buddhism such as Zen are much more user friendly and are less demanding. Theravada Buddhism might not be the most popular, but it remains true to teachings of the genius who founded the religion. Just as well, Buddhism is in fact, a way of life. References: Boeree, D. C. G. (1999). The Life of Siddhartha Gautama. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/siddhartha. html Bullitt, J. (2005). What is Theravada Buddhism? Hooker, R. (1996 ). The Historical Siddhartha [Electronic Version]. Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/BUDDHISM/SIDD. HTM.

Performance Appraisal Evaluation of ALARKO Group of Companies

Performance Appraisal Evaluation of ALARKO Group of Companies Table of contents1)What is Performance Appraisal?2)Performance Appraisal Methods:a)Rating Scalesb)Essay Methodsc)Management by Objectives3)Alarko Group4)Performance Appraisal System of Alarko Group5)Conclusion6)Bibliography1) WHAT IS PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL?Performance appraisal is the effort to determine, in a certain framework of job and mission description, the individual's level to realize this job and mission. It is the measurement of the employee's level of realizing determined missions in a given amount of time.Performance appraisal is a very important function of human resources management. It consists of studies on measuring the individual's level of efficiency and success in any given subject. To measure the level of efficiency and success is very complex task, because it involves evaluating an individual. Another challenge is that the concepts of performance and success are subjective.Performance appraisal is observing individual's work, efficiencies, deficiencies, surpluses and inefficiencies with every aspect.Both the individual's self, and the organization's evaluation of performance is important to observe their level of realization in the role they are occupying.Composite Flipcharts: From Chaos to Creative: Per...Organizational performance appraisal is also possible as well as individual appraisal.With performance appraisal, the individual sees he/she's own output of work and evaluates he/she's own performance. On the other hand, the organization observes at which levels the terms of job contract is realized, the employee's interests and abilities is reflected to the work, employee's success in business, if the employee is able to reach the standards in job description and how the career planning will be.At which level the expectation of success from the individual is realized is determined according to the outcomes. The outcomes are used for decision making process about promoting, planning the career of, increasing salary of, changing the missi on of, firing, enriching the job of the employee.

10 Words Often Misspelled in Business Correspondence

10 Words Often Misspelled in Business Correspondence 10 Words Often Misspelled in Business Correspondence 10 Words Often Misspelled in Business Correspondence By Maeve Maddox Most word processing programs have a built-in spell checker, but business correspondence still goes out with misspelled words that a checker would have caught. I’m not talking about words like bare and bear, which are both English words acceptable to an automatic spelling program, but words like definite and separate, which have no homophones, and typos like standarad for standard (one of my own recent embarrassments). Writers need to keep two things in mind about spell checkers: 1. They cannot catch any misspellings if a writer doesn’t let the application run. 2. They cannot be entirely trusted to catch every spelling error. For whatever reasonoverconfidence or sloththe same misspellings continue to appear in business emails, advertising copy, resumes, and on blog sites. The writer’s best defense is to take a good look at the most frequent misspellings and zero in on every letter in the word. Mastering a few at a time is a better way to approach the task than scanning long lists. Here are ten of the most frequent misspellings, their correct forms, and tips that may help you remember the differences. 1. Misspelled: seperate Correct: separate Tip: There’s a rat in sep-a-rate. 2. Misspelled: definate Correct: definite Tip: Take a close look at the final syllable: nite. 3. Misspelled: calender Correct: calendar Tip: You probably pronounce the last syllable as [er], so you have to think [ar] as you write it: cal-en-dar. 4. Misspelled: mispell Correct: misspell Tip: You know how to spell spell; add the prefix mis- to it: mis-spell. 5. Misspelled: privlege Correct: privilege Tip: You may pronounce this three-syllable word with only two syllables. Notice the second i: priv-i-lege. Another common misspelling is privilige. Note the e in the final syllable: priv-i-lege. 6. Misspelled: arguement Correct: argument Tip: The verb argue ends in e, but you must drop the e for ar-gu-ment. 7. Misspelled: concensus Correct: consensus Tip: The sensus in consensus has nothing to do with the word census. Our word census comes from Latin censare, â€Å"to rate, assess.† Consensus comes from Latin consensus, â€Å"agreement, accord, sympathy, common feeling.† Think SSS: Con-Sen-SuS. 8. Misspelled: pronounciation Correct: pronunciation Tip: There’s no â€Å"ounce† in pronunciation, but there is a â€Å"nun.† The verb is pronounce; the noun is pro-nun-ci-a-tion. 9. Misspelled: accomodate Correct: accommodate Tip: Two sets of double letters, cc and mm: accommodate 10. Misspelled: dependant Correct: dependent Tip: People who misspell this one may be thinking of defendant, which does end in –ant (although the –ant in defendant is also pronounced [ent].) Note the final syllable in dependent: de-pen-dENT. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadFor Sale vs. On Sale10 Functions of the Comma

JEMSS Keywords Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

JEMSS Keywords - Assignment Example JEMSS provides the same in collaboration with various universities. The key concepts taught in the JEMSS Masters course are advanced keyword research techniques and proven ways to use the social media to market any product successively in a short time. Major concepts related to keyword research starting from choosing a niche based topic to finding out the keywords used in the competitor’s website are covered. Keywords are nothing but the search phrases used by the internet surfers to browse for a certain topic. For example, JEMSS provides social media marketing courses. The website will be displayed to any person typing in the phrase social media marketing courses or other related wordings like ‘online marketing courses’, ‘digital marketing courses’ and ‘social media training’. The keywords most often used by the internet surfers are gathered through tools like Google Adwords, Google Trends, BootSuite etc. Typing in ‘social media marketing courses’ in any of these tools will give you a list of related keywords listed above. Effective SEO is the process of utilizing these keywords in proper places like the title, metatags and the paragraphs headings (Smith, 2008). This will increase the chance of search engines finding your website more frequently, resulting in your page being displayed in the Top 10 listing of the search engine. Being displayed on the first page of Google or Yahoo will get you more organic traffic and a steady stream of income in a short period of time. JEMSS courses train you to teach all the related tricks in the field to achieve the same. The three keywords ‘online marketing courses’, ‘digital marketing courses’ and ‘social media training’ were found using Google Trends. They are used effectively in the JEMSS website several times (Key word Research Bible, 2014). Once the keywords are selected, their relevance can be

BIOTECHNOLOGY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BIOTECHNOLOGY - Coursework Example Human cloning in its most basic form is the act of taking one individual and making an exact biological replica of that organism (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2013). Dolly the Sheep was conceived and born into the world; however she suffered from a few health conditions, including rapid aging, which ultimately claimed her life at half the life span of a normal sheep. This means that cloning does come with the some obvious and unavoidable side effects that cannot go unaddressed. At the same time, it, also, offers some amazing potential benefits that cannot be ignored. For this reason, the debate over cloning of any living thing will remain ever-present for some time to come. Cloning is at the top of the list of potential biotechnological advances. Given the provided definition of biotechnologies, cloning, ultimately, fits in nicely with that definition. Cloning could provide means to treat illness, eliminate the need for unrelated organ donors, and better the medical futures of generations of people. Some researchers believe that cloning of animal and plant life could be the solution to hunger; not only can the numbers be forcibly produced, but disease and weaknesses can be bred out. It is human beings stepping into the role of creator and providing themselves with what they â€Å"need.† In this case, it is the ability to develop clones of living people for whatever endeavors that they see fit. This may allow human beings, particularly, to breed for desired traits and eliminate those that are not; they may even be able to inbreed resistance to certain diseases. It could, also, be beneficial for people unable to produce offspring of their own; inf ertility could be completely overridden (Oak, 2011).The potential positive outcomes are inviting. However, there are side effects that are far less attractive. There is the possibility of misuse of the technology, of course. There are the concerns involving the limiting of genetic

Komodo dragons and their behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Komodo dragons and their behaviour - Essay Example Reptiles, belong to the class referred to as Reptilia, can be described as the evolutionary grade of those animals that comprise today’s snakes, tuatara, lizards, and crocodilians among others. It examines the life of their extinct relatives as well as the long-gone ancestors of the present-day mammals. Because of their diversity and evolutionary history, it is important to realize that the level of validity in this class has not been supported universally in various scientific circles. However, the practice has remained to be used by many laymen and biologists especially those in the media. Herpetology is the kind of study that specializes in reptiles, examining their history and evolutionary trends. It also examines the life of amphibians with the same motive as that highlighted above, for reptiles (Ariefiandy et al.67). Some of the earliest known reptiles originate from around 315M years. This happened, especially in the Carboniferous times. Some of the early examples of amphibians include Westlothiana and Hylonomus, Casineria, which according to history may be some of the only known land-dwelling amphibians (Ariefiandy et al. 70). Besides existing amphibians, many diverse groups have now become extinct due to many reasons including mass extinctions. However, the point of interest is to understand how the present day reptiles behave in their natural habitats, something that can help in the development of effective management and conservation approaches and strategies.

Role of a Manager within the Functional Areas of Business Essay Example for Free

Role of a Manager within the Functional Areas of Business Essay Abstract According to the University of Phoenix MBA Overview Module (n.d.), there are 11 functional areas of business that managers play an important role. However, for the purposes of this paper, we will focus on in my opinion the four major functional areas of a business (management, human resource, finance and marketing) that managers play a key role, regardless of the company size. Each line of business have specific duties and responsibilities, however, they all come together to work for the success of the company. Management Management is the practice of coordinating and overseeing the work of others so that organizational goals can be accomplished. Managers ensure business success through efficiency and the effective use of employees, the businesss most important resource (University of Phoenix, n.d.). Managers are the first line of defense to interpret the culture and atmosphere management wants to present to the business as a whole. In addition, they must provide the tools and resources to employees for the company to accomplish the goal’s management has implemented. If the goals are not being performed employees have to work with management to address the changes and make corrective actions to maintain positive stability in the business environment. Human Resource Managers use Human Resource management throughout the employee life cycle, including hiring, training, proper compensation for work, and taking disciplinary actions to remediate, if necessary (University of Phoenix, n.d.). Managers also use human resource to address educational and health benefits, complaints about other co-workers and immediate supervisors. One of Human Resource most important role is hiring new personnel. Managers have the responsibility to hire qualified candidates for positions available in the company. According to Dobre (2012) â€Å"in order to evaluate the ability of an employee, managers  should determine whether the worker has the right skills and knowledge to perform a certain job properly†. Managers must be proactive when a person shows weaknesses in position. Manager should identify the skills or experience employee lacks and offer solutions, such as training, coaching or better feedback (Dobre, 2102). Human Resource managers handle personnel issues, which allow immediate managers in all line of businesses to focus on the departmental goals. Finance Depending on the size of a business Accounting and Finance is one line of business, however, for the purposes of this paper Finance will be focused as one line of business. Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining the fiscal success of the firm, including revenue (University of Phoenix, n.d.). Finance is imperative for the survival of a business. Managers determine clear, precise goals at beginning of the year for company wide budgets that cover all line of businesses. Managers also must have detailed research strategies and make sound decisions for the financial investments of the company. Marketing Managers use marketing to identify what products or services to offer, how to advertise their wares to consumers, how to ensure they are meeting the needs of their customers, and how to create a good image for the firms b rand (University of Phoenix, n.d.). There must be a consensus from upper management trickled down of a budget that will allow the company to have a chance to benefit from marketing. Managers must employ various tools to get an edge over the competition that convince consumers to buy their product (also known as a competitive advantage). SWOT (strength weakness opportunity threat) analysis can also determine company strengths and weakness and external opportunities and threats from the competition or the demographics the company targets. According to Berri, Leeds, Leeds, and Mondello (2009), the most successful managers take advantage of market inefficiencies or find previously undiscovered niches. Managers must be aware of the different factors that determine the success of the company’s marketing campaign. Conclusion The role of managers within the functional areas of business was discussed briefly in four lines of businesses. The four lines of businesses also work together to support the operations of the company. Human Resource works with Finance to set company budgets so bonuses, incentives wages according  to performances can be determined. Management works with Marketing and Finance to determine strategies to capitalize on product market area and set budgets for the year. Management works with Human Resource to make sure policy and procedures are up to date with standards. Management works with Human Resource and Finance to determine profitability of company in terms of increasing, decreasing or no change in current staff positions. These are examples of several reasons line of businesses come together although not limited. Each line of business have specific duties and responsibilities, however, they all come together to work for the success of the company. References University of Phoenix. (n.d.). MBA Overview Module. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, MGT521-Management website. Berri, D.J., Leeds, M.A., Leeds, E.M. Mondello, M. (2009, May). The Role of Managers in Team Performance. International Journal of Sport Finance, 4(2), 75-93. ProQuest database. Dobre, O.I. (2012, December). The Impact of Human Resource Management on Organizational Performance. Management Research and Practice, 4(4), 37-46.

How hector berlioz transformed the conception of the symphony

How hector berlioz transformed the conception of the symphony How Hector Berlioz Transformed the Conception of the Symphony With his breakthrough symphony â€Å"Symphony Fantastique,† Hector Berlioz set the tone for a new type of composing that would amaze the 19th century. With his amazing symphony, he defined the way programmatic music was written. The in-depth story that correlated so well with the music changed the way people viewed composition and the symphony. As influential as this monster symphony was, Berliozs catalog contained many other works, all influential in their own ways. It is no secret that Hector Berlioz changed that way that works were composed in the 19th century. What is even more amazing is that he changed the way people listened to works as well. Over the course of his lifetime, Berlioz composed in many different styles and forms. This ranged from symphonies to overtures to operas. Berlioz presented a style of composing that was before this unheard of. Berlioz sought to portray the widest range of moods possible through his music, much like his idol William Shakespeare did with his literature. For his music, Berlioz enlarged the size of the orchestra to hundreds of people to allow for the wild swings of mood. Berlioz also experimented with new instruments to achieve the range in sounds he desired: the ophicleide, the English horn, the harp, the cornet, and the newly invented saxophone. Berlioz had a very unique approach to musical form and challenged many musical conventions. He rarely used strict sonata- allegro form or theme and variation. Although this was an interesting and innovative measure, other composers of his time were a lot more critical. They spoke out against his pieces, calling them monstrous and bizarre, and even suggested that Berlioz was insane. Some of his most remembered works include Les Troyens (The Trojans), â€Å"La Damnation of Faust, and Symphony Fantastique. Symphony Fantastique, his most celebrated work, can be considered one of the single most influential compositions of the entire 19th century. Although the form and orchestration were revolutionary, whats more is the vivid story it tells, and the fact that its the first complete program symphony. The story surrounding Symphonie Fantastique, involves Harriet Smithson, one of the many loves of Hectors life. Berlioz wrote the Symphonie Fantastique, not in the usual four movements of a symphony, but in five, an arrangement that may have been inspired Shakespeares use of a five- act format. Movements 1 and 5 balance each other in length and substance, as do 2 and 4, leaving the 3rd movement as the center of the work. Berlioz creates a single melody that reappears as a unifying force, movement after movement a total of 8 times during the symphony. Berlioz takes the technique of Beethoven recalling melodies by recalling it constantly, and associating it with an object his beloved Harriet. This musical fixation came to be called his idà ©e fixe (fixed idea.) As Berliozs feelings about Harriet changed from movement to movement, the idà ©e fixe changed along with them. Symphonie Fantastique had many things the audience had never heard before December 5, 1830 when it was first played: new instruments, novel playing effects, simultaneous melodies in different keys, and a form that grows out of the events, unlike any other. Throughout the story, Symphonie Fantastique tells the story of unrequited love, attempted suicide, imaginary murder, and hellish revenge. As in Symphonie Fantastique, Berlioz used his uniqueness to create many more musical works, and become somewhat of a ‘cutting- edge composer. Berlioz alters pitches and assigns different instruments to play the different pitches, as well as adding different tones, colors, and feelings in all of his compositions. These differences, along with his effort to be unlike those before him, may have been what made Louis Hector Berlioz one of the most important composers of the 19th, or any century.

Upcoming Initiatives within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit A

Legal Advice: Upcoming Initiatives within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) 1. Describe the company and the major initiative(s) they have planned for the next five years: In 1967, within the Washington DC metropolitan area, Congress authorized a government agency, created through an interstate compact, known as WMATA, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Since its start in 1976, WMATA has grown into five rail lines with over 106 miles of tracks, 1,500 buses, and 86 different stations, which provides services to a population of 3.4 million within a 1,500 square mile jurisdiction. (WMATA, 2012) Commonly known by many of the District of Columbia area residents as Metro, we rely on WMATA to provide alternative modes of transportation throughout much of the District, suburban Maryland, and northern Virginia areas, which include Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess services. In a 2008 WMATA News Release, Metro planners predicted there would be a 42 percent increase in consumer use within the next 25 years. (WMATA, 2008) In order for supply to meet demand, Metro officials have constructed an extensive six year Capital Improvement Pl an (CIP) that began in 2010 and will expire in mid-2016. Several constituents the CIP will cover includes: implementing past National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) safety recommendations, purchasing new system software and track maintenance equipment, new and/or rehabilitated rail cars and lines, and replacing several bus facilities. (Kissal, 2011) 2. Determine which elements of administrative law will be most relevant to the upcoming initiatives and what the impact of those laws will be. In the wake of the 2009 tragic accident and... ...have to worry so much about product reliability. References: Access Board, The United States. (n.d.). The United States Access Board. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from Access-Board.Gov: http://www.access-board.gov/about/laws/ada.htm Bagley, C. E. (2009). Managers and the Legal Environment. Mason: Cengage Learning. Kissal, C. D. (2011). Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2011. Washington DC: WMATA. WMATA. (2008, April 18). Metro details improvements to meet future capacity needs. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from WMATA: 2. http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2064 WMATA. (2010). August 13 2010 Response to FTA. Washington DC: Dougherty, James. WMATA. (2012). Metro - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from WMATA: http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/