Pricing Decision Essay

Companies in their endeavor to succeed in the highly competitive and dynamic market are now considering a clear focus on their marketing strategies. This is in order that they may remain relevant in the fast changing business environment, market conditions and consumer preferences. It is important that a company considers the effects of the changes in the business environment including price variations initiated by its competitors This is best done by first analyzing the prices offered by the competitors visa vie the company’s cost structure and the competitor’s chances to change in response to the company’s new price offers (Kotler 2003. p 66). Pricing Strategies The company needs to figure out the best strategy to implement in order to achieve the optimum prices for its products. To initiate cost-cutting with a view to improve on the profitability of the company the company must have an understanding of the type of cost that it needs to manage. This will be to a large extent influenced by its style of management, sources of professional advice, the broader vision of the company’s goals, communication strategy, and company’s capitalization in relation to debt-equity ratio and the cost of borrowing (Sherman 2007. p 3-4). The company also needs to understand the several types of costs that it incurs. The various types of costs are research and development costs, the overheads and administrative costs, human capital costs including health care costs, salaries and employee benefits, infrastructure and system costs, advertising and promotional costs, fixed and variable costs, and debt-servicing costs. The bottom line is to thoroughly examine each of these cost categories and weigh their importance to the company’s business operations, consider more efficient available alternatives, and the possible implications of the cost reduction strategy (Sherman 2007. p5 &9). A company such as Wal-Mart that has for years been ahead of its competitors by offering the lowest prices for its goods. Wal-Mart is able to manage favorable price cuts by implementing price cut strategies such as endeavoring to reduce its costs by pursuing a tax reduction strategy. This has been through its investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in order to exploit tax loopholes and avoid some of the taxes levied in particular states (Moore 2007. p. 2). Having accomplished the above cost reduction strategy, the company may the come up with appropriate pricing for its products. This is done by first understanding pricing methods. There are six pricing methods that would lead to an informed decision in fixing prices. These are markup pricing method, the target return pricing method, perceived value method of pricing, value based pricing, the going-rate method of pricing and the sealed-bid method of pricing (Kotler 2003. p 66). Implications of Price Cuts and Conclusion The price of the product or service is a major factor that influences customer’s purchase decision is the marketing mix. A combination of the cost reduction strategy and an appropriate pricing strategy is more likely to benefit the company and enable it attain a competitive advantage over its competitors. By adopting market responsive cost cutting strategies in the communication industry, companies in turn helped create a better way of life whereby customers are now able to communicate more often and at lower prices Salazar 2007. p. 1). This translates to increased profits to the service providers as they are able to sell more units than before. References Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Management. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Moore, M. (2007). Taxing Strategies: Always Cutting Prices, Wal-Mart Attempts to Rollback Taxes. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://walmartwatch. com/img/blog/NIMSP_tax_strategies. pdf Salazar, L. C. Cost Cutting Strategies at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. lirneasia. net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/2-lcs-shoestrings-sing-28feb07. pps Sherman, A. J. (2007). Strategies for Cutting Costs and Improving Profitability. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. sbecouncil. org/uploads/PPT%20Cost%20Cutting%20for%20Growth%20and%20Profitability. ppt

My Favorite Movie

My Favorite Movie There are thousands of movies in the United States. Many people have several favorite movies throughout their lifetime. Some people have favorites from each decade. Though many movies have grabbed my attention, my favorite is the eighties movie The Breakfast Club. I love the main characters, the amazing storyline, and the original ending. I have watched this movie many times and it never gets old to me. The reason I love this movie is that I can relate many of the characters to people I know or have met throughout my life. I relate myself to Alisson Reynolds, who comes off as strange and reserved.She is insecure and alone, but she wants to be noticed. John Bender (the bad boy of the group) has a hard shell but he is soft at heart. John reminds me of many gentlemen I enountered in high school. The popular girl, Claire Standish, and my best friend are so similar it is scary. They are insecure and feel neglected by their parents, but are envied by outsiders for their l ooks and financial stability. As the movie starts, the storyline captures my attention and glues me to the screen. In the beginning, five high school students with nothing in common face spending a Saturday in detention together in their high school library.Detention starts out kind of rocky at first. The students see each other as different and make judgements based on social statuses. As the movie progresses, the students start to open up to one another. Allison is a compulsive liar and craves attention because she feels invisable. Brian and Claire are ashamed of their virginity. Andrew even tells his classmates the real reason he is in detention. Later, it is also discovered that each person in the group has a strained relationship with at least one of their parents. I think that the storyline shows that Andrew is right, â€Å"We’re all pretty bizarre.Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all. †-Andrew (The Jock), The Breakfast Club. The ending of t he movie is the icing on the cake because everyone becomes a friend. Andrew seems to be interested in Alisson. Claire kisses John and it looks like the two characters might start a relationship. The group decides to have Brian write about the assigned topic. He writes a letter to the principal objecting to his request to describe who they are, stating that the principal has already judged who they are and he will not accept anything different from the students.To the outside world they are simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess, and the Basket Case, but to each other, they will always be the Breakfast Club. As many times as I have seen this movie, it still keeps me entertained. The main characters still remind me of friends and family. The plot entrances me like no other movie I have seen. More than anything else, the ending makes me want to watch the movie all over again. Everyone should see this movie at least once in his or her lifetime. It has been my favorite fo r many years and I think that it will be a hard film to top. My Favorite Movie My Favorite Movie There are thousands of movies in the United States. Many people have several favorite movies throughout their lifetime. Some people have favorites from each decade. Though many movies have grabbed my attention, my favorite is the eighties movie The Breakfast Club. I love the main characters, the amazing storyline, and the original ending. I have watched this movie many times and it never gets old to me. The reason I love this movie is that I can relate many of the characters to people I know or have met throughout my life. I relate myself to Alisson Reynolds, who comes off as strange and reserved.She is insecure and alone, but she wants to be noticed. John Bender (the bad boy of the group) has a hard shell but he is soft at heart. John reminds me of many gentlemen I enountered in high school. The popular girl, Claire Standish, and my best friend are so similar it is scary. They are insecure and feel neglected by their parents, but are envied by outsiders for their l ooks and financial stability. As the movie starts, the storyline captures my attention and glues me to the screen. In the beginning, five high school students with nothing in common face spending a Saturday in detention together in their high school library.Detention starts out kind of rocky at first. The students see each other as different and make judgements based on social statuses. As the movie progresses, the students start to open up to one another. Allison is a compulsive liar and craves attention because she feels invisable. Brian and Claire are ashamed of their virginity. Andrew even tells his classmates the real reason he is in detention. Later, it is also discovered that each person in the group has a strained relationship with at least one of their parents. I think that the storyline shows that Andrew is right, â€Å"We’re all pretty bizarre.Some of us are just better at hiding it, that’s all. †-Andrew (The Jock), The Breakfast Club. The ending of t he movie is the icing on the cake because everyone becomes a friend. Andrew seems to be interested in Alisson. Claire kisses John and it looks like the two characters might start a relationship. The group decides to have Brian write about the assigned topic. He writes a letter to the principal objecting to his request to describe who they are, stating that the principal has already judged who they are and he will not accept anything different from the students.To the outside world they are simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess, and the Basket Case, but to each other, they will always be the Breakfast Club. As many times as I have seen this movie, it still keeps me entertained. The main characters still remind me of friends and family. The plot entrances me like no other movie I have seen. More than anything else, the ending makes me want to watch the movie all over again. Everyone should see this movie at least once in his or her lifetime. It has been my favorite fo r many years and I think that it will be a hard film to top.

Business Communication Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Communication - Coursework Example In an email situation, long supporting arguments appear as rambling to the recipient, which leads to loss of interest. The writer uses a casual tone in describing his daughter’s reaction in an official email. Use of a casual tone in official emails undermines the importance of the email to the recipients. Since the writer needs the recipients to make a supportive decision, using the daughter’s reaction is not advisable in this form of writing. At some point in the email, the writer discusses the daughter’s opinion on the main subject of the email, which is inappropriate in email writing. In a persuasive email, the recipients care about the opinion of the sender not what other people think about the opinion. The writer’s arguments should be on his own thoughts and ideas as opposed to those of his daughter. The writer uses poor grammar in communicating to the recipient. In professional arrangements, use of proficient grammar attracts the recipient to pay attention to the rest of the letter. Since the letter is an official document, the language used should be correct and free of simple mistakes such as poor prepositional use. The writer fails to appreciate the recipient despite the fact that the writer is asking for a favor. The latter puts the writer in a negative standing with the recipient. At some point in the letter, the writer states that, â€Å"I heard that you made a good presentation at your local chapter in Los Angeles recently, I think you gave a talk called ‘Avoiding the seven capital sins in food service’ or something like that. Whatever it was I’m sure we would like to hear a similar presentation† (Guffrey, 2010).The quoted statement is unappreciative and rude and such statements are wrong when asking for favors. The writer also fails to acknowledge that the recipient is helping and attempts to attract the recipient by suggesting the

The logic of alliance Value Creation model on case study Renault and Assignment

The logic of alliance Value Creation model on case study Renault and Nissan - Assignment Example In this manner the alliance has proved to be a success for both Nissan and Renault. However the two companies are still facing challenges in creating an organizational culture that can maximize cooperation between the human resources from the two companies. In order to create the maximum value from this alliance, Nissan and Renault need to share their core competencies to synergistic effects. This will enable both companies to improve their specifications and standards in a continuous process so that the competitive advantages of both companies are made sustainable. Strengths and weaknesses Nissan’s strength is the worldwide market share while Renault’s strength is in financial management (Glover, 2006). By forming this alliance, both companies will be able to address these structural problems. In order to maintain its financial strength, the French car maker Renault has to access new markets and this objective is met by forming the alliance with the Japanese car maker Nissan. Both companies will be able to implement the practice of benchmarking which is defined as comparing an organization’s performance against the best practices in the industry. This alliance will enable Nissan to compare its financing strategies against those of Renault and thus identify the areas of improvement. Renault will be able to compare its product development practices with those implemented by Nissan. As a result both companies can improve their efficiencies in these operational processes and thus strengthen their competitive advantages. ... The main weakness is the different focus in each organization design. Nissan places strategic focus upon supply chain management while Renault’s strategic focus is upon product development. Therefore there are structural dissimilarities which must be addressed if the alliance is to enable Nissan and Renault to capitalize upon each other’s assets. The challenge in front of the management is to create a decision making process which will enable the human resources from both companies to coordinate their efforts so that there is no duplication. This can address the company-specific weaknesses. Nissan’s financial weakness can be addressed by importing the financial management practices from Renault. Similarly Renault can access additional geographic markets in order to maximize its market reach. However in order to meet the demand from additional markets, Renault has to focus upon supply chain management which is Nissan’s strength. Nissan has embarked upon a c ost-cutting initiative to create greater demand for its products. If Nissan can reduce its cost of operations, then it will be able to price its automobiles more competitively. Because of its financial management practices, Renault has been successful in maintaining demand for its products in the market that the automaker currently operates in. However demand in these markets is shrinking. Therefore Renault needs to access additional markets in those regions which have growing demand. By forming the alliance with Nissan, Renault has been able to meet this objective. By forming this alliance, Renault will be able to access those markets that Nissan operates in. As a result, Renault will be able to sell more cars and enhance scale economies. Because of the high costs of new

Create my own exam Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Create my own exam - Math Problem Example A line passing through the centre of a circle is the diameter of the circle (Mosteller 109). If two or more diameters are in the same circle then all of them are equal in length irrespective of their position. Therefore, if the two sides from both triangles that pass through the middle of the circle were taken as o for Triangle A and x for triangle B, then o will be equal to x. The side will also be the longest on either triangle. In the equation o + p + q = x + y + z we can eliminate o and x since they cancel each other keeping in mind that o = x, hence we will be left to prove that p + q = y + z. To prove this we will first have to identify the angles formed by the two triangles. If triangle A has angles O, P, Q where angle P and Q join sides p and q to side o respectively, then angle O is opposite to side o. On the other hand, triangle B has angles X, Y, Z where by angle X is opposite to side x and angles Y and Z join sides y and z to side x respectively. If we start with both tri angles as isosceles triangles then sides p + q = y + z because for both triangles the longer side is equal (Kac and Ulam 167). In the event that the shape of either triangle changes then the following, changes will also take place. Let us start with triangle A, a change in the shape of the triangle from an isosceles triangle an irregular triangle this will cause angle O to increase. The change will also be associated with change in length of side p and q, where with every increase in side p side q will be subsequently decreasing and vice versa. The total length of the two sides will be maintained that is p + q for all the changes will remain the same. In triangle B the same principle will also apply such that a change in the shape of the triangle from an isosceles triangle to an irregular triangle then angle X will be increasing and an increase in side y will lead to a decrease in side z and vice versa. The total length in this case will be maintained that is to say that y + z will remain the same in whichever shape the triangle changes. Since p + q = y + z for the isosceles triangle then the same principle will apply for a change in shape of the triangles. Theorem 2 If a rectangle is drawn inside a chessboard with its sides parallel to the sides of the chessboard, then the number of complete dark squares will NOT be equal to the number of light squares covered by the rectangle. That is if the rectangle covers m complete dark squares and n complete light squares then m ? n. Taking note that not necessarily that all the squares covered by the rectangle will be complete. Proof: Suppose we take a chessboard (which is square in shape) with sides C and D where C = D and inside the chessboard there are ‘n’ equal squares, which are made of one unit of each side, therefore n = C ? D (Garder 510). The dark squares are denoted by b and the light squares denoted as w. A rectangle with length J and width K is drawn inside the chessboard where the side J is pa rallel to C and K is parallel to D. Further, J should not be equal to C and K should not be equal to D, meaning the rectangle is smaller than the chessboard and there should be no three sides of the rectangle touching the sides of the chessboard. If the rectangle is drawn to fit exactly two units of C and one unit of D then the rectangle will

Working with Children Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Working with Children Case Study - Essay Example Each member of the family focuses on personal difficulties and has little interaction with others. Kerry, age 2 Under Theory of Mind, a securely attached child sees an image of self in a caregiver and this offers security. It is obvious Kerry is lacking the connection to her mother that she needs to form emotional attachments. Although the fact that she seldom speaks is not a real concern--children younger than 3 often hold back on conversation until they feel secure about communicating--it still might be an indication of a more serious problem. Since she would at her age be expected to use two or three word sentences, her development would appear to be slower than normal. Shouting or crying for what she wants is a definite bid for attention. There is a universal human need to form close emotional bonds, and Kerry seems to be lacking any positive connection to her family. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. Attendance at a Sure Start Children’s Centre might offer Kerry the opportunity to make friends and learn how to communicate with others. Sure Start local programmes, in use since 1999, bring together childcare, early education, health and family support services for families with children from before birth to 4 years old. It has been targeted at the most disadvantaged areas of the country such as the industrial areas of the Midlands. Kerry might be a candidate for the Talking and Learning Together Project which addresses speech and language issues. The holistic approach with multi-disciplinary teams of professionals goes beyond childcare and supports families in parenting and employment aspirations (Sure Start: local programmes, 2006). Alcohol, drugs and physical abuse are possible concerns in this family. Declan appears to be at loose ends as far as being employed, and, although he claims to be looking for work, it is not clear if he is actually utilising the Job Centre as a source. He doesn’t have any specific work

(Can the writer help me decide) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

(Can the writer help me decide) - Essay Example ls of counterinsurgency in two articles, â€Å"The New (and Old) Classics of Counterinsurgency† and â€Å"Scholar, Pope, Soldier, Spy.† She depicts the idea of counterinsurgency that militarizes â€Å"social work† in other countries. Counterinsurgency is â€Å"armed social work† that merges military and media-rich storytelling that can undermine nationalist endeavors and control women and other local sectors through specific social and economic programs and projects and America-as-savior media narrative. Counterinsurgency is â€Å"armed social work† because it has the usual armed component that employs brutal strategies and tactics against local guerillas (Khalili â€Å"The New†16). Khalili narrates that counterinsurgency has its roots in colonization. She explains that many people naturally oppose foreign forces that intend to control their local political, social, and economic systems, and when this happens, one of the past counterinsurgent strategy is â€Å"butcher-and-bolt† (Khalili â€Å"Scholar† 427). It pertains to the swift and violent destroying of villages, crops, and livestock for the â€Å"infractions† of the locals, such as leading revolts or supporting insurgents (Khalili â€Å"Scholar† 427). Though not directly illustrated, this strategy is common in the counterinsurgency against Native Americans, whose lands were burned and whose people were nearly decimated. The â€Å"race† factor is clear because those who were not w hites were easily slaughtered, while their lands and remaining human and natural resources were taken away. Counterinsurgency, nevertheless, is more â€Å"social work† than armed warfare because the military and related personnel are trained to influence the hearts and minds of the local people, especially women and other marginalized sectors, through social programs and the media. By social work, this includes outright colonial administration. General David Petraeus acted as a colonial administrator in Mosul, Iraq, where he rebuilt some of the

Rasing minimun wage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rasing minimun wage - Essay Example Whereas it is true that minimum wage workers are our Lady constrained with respect to the degree and extent to which they can afford consumer goods, raising the minimum wage and negatively impacting upon inflation is not solution towards maximizing the success of these individuals and improving the overall level of integration consumer markets (MEJEUR 15). Another issue that is oftentimes misunderstood with regard to raising the minimum wage has to do with the overall ability that employers will have to pay the higher wages. Whereas it is true that minimum wage increases lead to inflation, this inflation is not felt within the broader economy are certain periods (Willis and Linneker 182). Accordingly, employers face an extraordinarily difficult time meeting profitability goals, affording inputs, while at the same time paying their workers. As anyone with a certain level of business understanding can indicate, human resource expenses are invariably the highest expenses that a company responsible for either product or service representation is responsible. Because of this, increasing these costs to a measurable extent places unnecessary hardship on businesses that are already operating margins. This concern, perhaps more than any other is the single biggest reason for why increasing the minimum wage would be effectively harmful to the w ay in which businesses operate within the United States and seek to develop their own needs based upon the extant environment that exists around them. Furthermore, due to the fact that more and more companies are seeking to promote profitability and business success by hiring their minimum of employees, increasing the minimum wage is potentially something that could cause many of these â€Å"operation at the margin† companies to close another valid concern that is oftentimes not considered has to do with the fact that increasing the minimum wage would also encourage employers

New York Times, the Boulevard to Imperative Facts Research Paper

New York Times, the Boulevard to Imperative Facts - Research Paper Example Immediately after its founding, its editorials as well as articles became acknowledged not only within United States but also in Europe. The New York Time Company owns the newspaper in addition to several other newspapers and media houses. The company runs under the competent leadership of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger from 1986. The newspaper has some of the most diligent and linked journalists who share news and happenings from all over the world. The paper offers comprehensive channel for politics, business, sport, science, art just to mention, but a few. This paper centres on the historical background of New York Times, challenges it has faced as well as the ideologies that have led to its triumph. Historical Background of New York Times The New York Times Was launched between 1951 and 1959. It was initially referred to as New York Daily Times before adopting its current title. The paper was established at a time there was great yearning for journalism in New York. The newspaper was a h it from the start and by 1990, the paper had established spectacular eminence. Originally, the paper was published daily other than on Sunday but as the civil war aggravated, the public instigated Sunday publication to boost better coverage on the war. The newspaper editor Raymond gave people what they desired. Raymond provided news that was free from distortion as well as extreme fantasies (The New York Times, 2011). The New York Times was commonsensical and sensible from the start, which significantly contributed to a great foundation of a newspaper that remains pertinent to date. The newspaper’s fame spread rapidly being read by the entire New York and beyond. To the New Yorkers, a novel but appropriate spring of information was the greatest possession of the just established conurbation (Hoffman, 2012; Talese, 1978). At the initial stages the news were sent through telegraph, which was still a novel expertise in the 1850’s. The content as well as the form of newspa pers then was very different and primitive compared to todays. The hottest news update sent through telegraph was a caption apposite to stand over a column with vast of the details impending to be received later through mail (Wahi-Jorgensen & Hanitzsch, 2008). Primarily, the front pages were dedicated to news on congress activities as well as administration but at times European news would be featured. In 1858, some hope showed up for New York Times when first Atlantic cable was established (Hoffman, 2012). However, the bliss did not last for long and botched until a decade later when a permanent cable was created. In the 1870’s, the paper received much publicity when it uncovered Boss tweed ending his control over New York City Hall. In the 1880’s the paper was critically affected by the attempt to side with republicans, candidates but later regained its reputation. In 1940s, the paper expanded it coverage and included features such as crossword as well as a section o n fashion (Grossmark, 2002). The paper’s slogan is â€Å"All the News That’s Fit to print† and currently has subdivisions on issues dealing with news, Arts, science, Style, sports, Home, and an extra section on Features. However, the three major sections are News, Opinion, and Features. The News section covers aspects such as international and national reports, Weather, Business, Science and Technology,

Way in Which Piaget and Vygotsky Share Similar Ideas Essay Example for Free

Way in Which Piaget and Vygotsky Share Similar Ideas Essay While both Piaget and Vygotsky were similar in their views in certain ways. Most commonly shared were their views as constructivists (the idea of learning by doing) and believed that social forces set the limits of development. The most obvious difference is their view of cognitive development. Where Piaget felt that cognition develops in four discreet stages that are limited, Vygotsky believed the opposite, that there are no stages and development is continuous. Where there are a few areas that I relate with the theoretical views of John Piaget, I tend to relate more so with those of Vygotsky. Both were strong advocates for students having active participation in their learning. Like Vygotsky, I feel that learning and development are intertwined and in some cases learning can precede development. Vygotsky compared a learner’s actual development to their potential development; this potential area is called the â€Å"zone of proximal development†. When working with the children it is in this area that I observe any potential problem areas where a child might need help as well as recognize where I can push a child a little further in order to get them to reach their maximum potential. As far as instructional strategies, I tend to rely heavily on a Montessori style environment; where discovery, project based learning, and curiosity inducing strategies expands a child’s intellect. As a child care provider I often try to engage my pupil with activities and materials that challenge them. Most toys and instructional material I present to the children are usually slightly above their ages. Where Vygotsky felt that culture plays a large role in development, I too agree that development is improved when social interaction is guided by highly skilled people in the same culture.

Murder Of Duncan In Macbeth

Murder Of Duncan In Macbeth Duncans murder, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, was a complete disaster. This deed, performed by Macbeth, but this cannot be totally blamed on him. The three witches are to blame. Their prophecies of Macbeth becoming King sparked ambition in Macbeth, causing him to suffocate himself with the ideas to turn it to reality. Lady Macbeth is also at responsible. Macbeth decides not to go ahead with the plan to kill Duncan, but, she also becomes obsessed with the idea of Macbeth being king and her becoming Queen forces Macbeth into committing the crime. Macbeth played a major role in the murder of Duncan. He, however being in control by others, he was in full control of himself. He knew what he was doing and did it. The three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are presented right at the beginning of the play. They recount to Macbeth three prophesies. That Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis (that he already is), Thane of Cawdor and King All hail Macbeth ,that shalt be King thereafter. Macbeth takes this into account and asks them to tell him more meaning that Macbeth may believe that he will become king. These advices introduce Macbeth to ideas of greatness. When the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth talks aside to Banquo Two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme (1.3.140-141). Macbeth is telling Banquo that so far the witches have told him things that have come true, so it seems to him that this will culminate in him becoming king. In the second visit, the witches reveal to Macbeth three apparitions. The first apparition warned Macbeth about Macduff, Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. The second apparition tol d Macbeth that no man born from a woman will harm him, Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of women born shall harm Macbeth. The third apparition said that Macbeth never be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight him at Dunsinane Hill. Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him. Macbeth does not care anymore about anything expect killing Macduff , because he thinks Birnam woods will never march to fight him , and there is no such thing as a man not born from a women , so , hes all out of harm. Macbeth chooses to kill Macduff because the witches said to watch out for him. If the witches would have never told him to watch out for Macduff he would not have decided to kill him. The play Macbeth is a play about killing and greed. After the witches prophesize his future and becoming king, he decides t o kill to get to the position of king. The witches have control over Macbeth throughout the play. Macbeth follows his conscious in choosing to do wrong. Macbeth fights at times between right and wrong but, because of what the witches have told him he decides to do everything wrong, so he can take a step higher in his journey up the ladder to king. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in influencing her husband to take the path he did. She serves much the same role as the witches do in manipulating Macbeth to murder Duncan, but her influence is more frightening nature. She would always question his manliness to commit the murder, Lady Macbeth desire to see her husband succeed so much, that shed tell him anything to get him to kill Duncan. She worries that Macbeth is too full o the milk of human kindness(1.5.16-17) that he is really too good inside to follow through with killing Duncan. (Ironic, then, that she is the one later who cannot make herself stab Duncan as he reminds her too much of her father.) There is proof that Lady Macbeth understands Macbeths thoughts and feeling are visible in her thoughts. Thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it. (1.5.19-21). From the very same speech and small implications from the letter, Macbeth was ambitious enough to want to be the King, but wou ld not think of murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth knew this, she also knew that she would have to push Macbeth into performing the deed and she starts by telling him Thy letters have transported me beyond this ignorant present and I feel now the future in the present (1.5.62-65). Lady Macbeth explains to Macbeth telling him that she feels that future is almost present. During the play we see that Macbeth just wants to be Thane of Cowdar. However, Lady Macbeth starts to influence him again, but this time she questions his manhood, saying When you durst do it, then you were a man: And to be more then what you were you would be so much more the man. (1.7.55-56). Then after Macbeth is influenced by Lady Macbeth and kills Duncan, Not only she got him to commit the murder, she even knew what to say after he had started thinking about the murder. Lady Macbeths manipulation to Macbeth had affected him, when she would question his manhood and show how much she loves her husband, she would touch his weakness. Thats how she got him to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth plays a major role in the responsibility of Duncans death. Macbeth was the one who stabbed the king, and he freely admits this during the play. I have done the deed Macbeth relates to his Lady after he completed the objective (2.2.19). Macbeth was never forced to the deed, he did it because he was ambitious. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis and the Thane of Cawdor, holds the major responsibility for the death of Duncan. He was the one who performed the murder by his own hands. He was ambitious and understood the relation of the foretelling. Finally, Macbeth understood and accepted the plan for the murder of the King. In these three ways, Macbeth bore the leading burden for the death of Duncan. The responsibility of Duncans murder falls on everyones head, the three witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. The witches are responsible because they recounted to Macbeth three prophesies. That led him to kill Duncan and Macduff. When the witches told Macbeth that he is going to become Thane of Cowdar, and that prophecy became true, he started thinking how he could become king. Then in the second visit they warned Macbeth about Macduff. Macbeth was like a ring in the witches hands, whenever they told Macbeth to do something, he would do it. Lady Macbeth also holds the same responsibility as the witches. Lady Macbeth would hit on Macbeths weakness, and attack with her love, and ask him if he was a real man or not. The only way Lady Macbeth could get Macbeth to commit the murder was when she would question is manliness. The only thing that Lady Macbeth wanted was to see her husband successful, either by committing a murder or anything else. Macbeth was responsible for everything as well, Macbeth was never forced to do anything, the witches nor did Lady Macbeth force him to commit any murder. No one is forced to do anything, he should have thought before he did anything. The responsibility of Duncans murder is clear, that all five characters are responsible.

Computer Viruses :: essays research papers fc

IntroductionIn the past decade, computer and networking technology has seen enormous growth. This growth however, has not come without a price. With the advent of the "Information Highway", as it's coined, a new methodology in crime has been created. Electronic crime has been responsible for some of the most financially devastating victimizations in society. In the recent past, society has seen malicious editing of the Justice Department web page (1), unauthorized access into classified government computer files, phone card and credit card fraud, and electronic embezzlement. All these crimes are committed in the name of "free speech." These new breed of criminals claim that information should not be suppressed or protected and that the crimes they commit are really not crimes at all. What they choose to deny is that the nature of their actions are slowly consuming the fabric of our country's moral and ethical trust in the information age.Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as commercial computer companies, have been scrambling around in an attempt to "educate" the public on how to prevent computer crime from happening to them. They inform us whenever there is an attack, provide us with mostly ineffective anti-virus software, and we are left feeling isolated and vulnerable. I do not feel that this defensive posture is effective because it is not pro-active. Society is still being attacked by highly skilled computer criminals of which we know very little about them, their motives, and their tools of the trade. Therefore, to be effective in defense, we must understand how these attacks take place from a technical stand-point. To some degree, we must learn to become a computer criminal. Then we will be in a better position to defend against these victimizations that affect us on both the financial and emotional level. In this paper, we will explore these areas of which we know so little, and will also see that computers are really extensions of people. An attack on a computer's vulnerabilities are really an attack on peoples' vulnerabilities. Today, computer systems are under attack from a multitude of sources. These range from malicious code, such as viruses and worms, to human threats, such as hackers and phone "phreaks." These attacks target different characteristics of a system. This leads to the possibility that a particular system is more susceptible to certain kinds of attacks. Malicious code, such as viruses and worms, attack a system in one of two ways, either internally or externally.

Business Plan for Internet Site - Crowdz.com Essays -- essays research

Business Plan for Internet Site - Crowdz.com 1. 0 Executive Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are 3 major elements that helped incubate the idea behind Crowdz.comâ„ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢. The first element would be individuals, the average Joe on the street. The second, organizations that cater solely to entertainment more specifically, Clubs. Third the banning of cigarette companies from advertising direct nor indirectly in Malaysia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crowdz.comâ„ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢ has its total idea, image, and vision to thank for by the presences of individuals, specific age group 18 – 35 years old, with no idea as to where to party for the weekend or any other day for that matter. A group of four guys were sitting down at a cafà © down town at Bangsar. Then the question came, â€Å"Where shall we party tonight?† There were silence for the next 10 minutes, serious brainstorming was at work. However none had a clue as to where to go. Hence ending up in a lousy joint where they had partied last week. Spending at a place, which cannot really give the satisfaction that, they were really looking for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now, this is a true story. Clubbers, partygoers in general don’t really know where to go for a good night out. It’s boring to be venturing the same old place. There is not much advertisement for new and up coming clubs, even if there is, it doesn’t really hit the market that well, as due to lack of funds to be splurged on advertising. The advertising would be minimal and hence not create a big BANG so to speak to the masses. A few questions had been thrown in for the idea behind Crowdz.comâ„ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢. Questions pertaining to Clubs: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In what ways can small middle and even large scale clubs able to adve... ... Office Fixtures and Portal Designing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost / Month is RM 28,500 inclusive of Salaries. Actual initial 3 months is projected not to have any Sales.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A sponsored cigarette company will gain from indirect advertising via the internet, which complies to the banning of advertisments by cigarette companies, under the Malaysia Law. Hence providing the Sponsored Capital of RM 2 Million.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Projected Balance Sheet and Income statements are based on a tax projection of 28%   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A projected assumption of how many members and club that will sign up with Crowdz.comâ„ ¢ is provided. This is vital to comprehend as it will give a basic understanding of the Projected Income Statement and Balance Sheet that is provided.

DBQ on Jackson and the Indian Removal Essay -- essays research papers

Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The generalization that, â€Å"The decision of the Jackson administration to remove the Cherokee Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s was more a reformulation of the national policy that had been in effect since the 1790s than a change in that policy,† is valid. Ever since the American people arrived at the New World they have continually driven the Native Americans out of their native lands. Many people wanted to contribute to this removal of the Cherokees and their society. Knox proposed a â€Å"civilization† of the Indians. President Monroe continued Knox’s plan by developing ways to rid of the Indians, claiming it would be beneficial to all. Andrew Jackson ultimately fulfilled the plan.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the map [Document A] indicates the relationship between time, land, and policies, which affected the Indians. The Indian Tribes have been forced to give up their land as early as the 1720s. Between the years of 1721 and 1785, the Colonial and Confederation treaties forced the Indians to give up huge portions of their land. During Washington's, Monroe's, and Jefferson's administration, more and more Indian land was being commandeered by the colonists. The Washington administration signed the Treaty of Holston and other supplements between the time periods of 1791 until 1798 that made the Native Americans give up more of their homeland land. The administrations during the 1790's to the 1830's had gradually acquired more and more land from the Cherokee Indians. Jackson followed that precedent by the acquisition of more Cherokee lands.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In later years, those speaking on behalf of the United States government believed that teaching the Indians how to live a more civilized life would only benefit them. Rather than only thinking of benefiting the Indians, we were also trying to benefit ourselves. We were looking to acquire the Indians’ l and. In a letter to George Washington, Knox says we should first is to destroy the Indians with an army, and the second is to make peace with them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1793 began to put Knox’s plan into effect. The federal government’s promise of supplying the Indians with animals, agricultural tool... ... the unwilling tribes west of the Mississippi. In Jackson’s letter to General John Coffee on April 7, 1832, he explained that the Cherokees were still in Georgia, and that they ought to leave for their own benefit because destruction will come upon them if they stay. By 1835, most eastern tribes had unwillingly complied and moved west. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was created in 1836 to help out the resettled tribes. Most Cherokees rejected the settlement of 1835, which provided land in the Indian territory. It was not until 1838, after Jackson had left office, that the U.S. Army forced 15,000 Cherokees to leave Georgia. The hardships on the â€Å"trail of tears† were so great that over 4,000 Cherokees died on their heartbreaking westward journey.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, the above statement is valid and true. The decision the Jackson administration made to remove the Cherokee Indians to lands west of the Mississippi River was a reformulation of the nationa l policy. Jackson, along with past Presidents George Washington, James Monroe, and Thomas Jefferson, tried to rid the south of Indians This process of removing the native people was continuous as the years went on.

Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans on French Revolution

Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans on French Revolution The Federalists wanted to remain neutral regarding the issue of French Revolution in order to avoid to a trade conflict with Britain. However, the Jeffersonian Republicans wanted to help France achieve independence from a cruel monarchy and help the Frenchmen support the idea of freedom just like the United States. The Federalist Party was led by Alexander Hamilton.Federalists favored a strong federal government, believed that the government should be ruled by educated, wealthy men, wanted to pay off national debt, establishing a national credit, promoted entrepreneurship & manufacturing, and interpreted the United States Constitution with an open mind. These views supported the Federalists’ view on the French Revolution and so did Jefferson’s party. Thomas Jefferson led his party known as the Jeffersonian Republicans.The Jeffersonian Republicans supported the idea of government ruled by informed men, bel ieved in a strong state government, wanted to cultivate an economy by cultivating crops, and followed the U. S. Constitution verbatim. Jefferson’s party too had an opinion on the French Revolution. Hamilton and Jefferson supported their party’s views. The Federalists wanted to remain neutral to avoid a sanction from Britain on American goods because they were highly concerned about paying off the national debt and ensure a strong economy by exporting manufactured goods.Conversely, Jeffersonian Republicans and his leader, an author of the Declaration of Independence, supported the motif of the French Revolution and believed that the Americans should support one similar to theirs. In conclusion, the Federalist Party wanted to remain neutral regarding the issue of French Revolution to avoid a sanction from Britain. Though, the Jeffersonian Republicans supported the French citizens to remove a feudal system, revolt against a tyranny and achieve independence similar to Amer ica.

Political Control in South Asia

Establishing political control in South Asia, was something that the British was able to accomplish in the late 70s and early 80s. The British saw certain opportunities that led for them to start trading and commerce from India to outside world. The British had plans for India, which later led to collection of revenues on behalf of the Mughal Emperor, resulting decline of power by the Mughals side. The expansion of the British into newer territories, it was to keep the allies at a distance. As for the Ryotwari system in India that played a role as land revenue systems before-hand, after the British came along. It affected India because the ownership of the land was given to the peasants and the British government collected the tax which demonstrated not fair to the peasants. The revenue rates as per the Ryotwari system were 50% with land being dry and irrigated with 60%. The Zamindars were never the owners of their own land and the rent collectors would not be fair towards them. The British were able to establish political control in South Asia because of confusion created by the decline in power of the Mughal Empire, the compulsion to take over new territories, and the implementation of the Ryotwari system over India. During the 1700s, the Mughal Empire had a significant decline in power, and was unable to directly govern or control its territories. Afterwards, the local rulers, called the Raja's and Sultan's, greedy for power over India made claims to power causing trouble and violence to spread over local territories . This caused confusion within India's government because, the Raja's and Sultans were not able to clearly identify their territories and rules, For example, Bernard Cohn's essay on the Banaras region clearly marked that â€Å"it was precisely because there were always ‘many sharers in the dignity and power of kingship with overlapping rights and obligations that 'empire and ‘state' represented ‘limited political entities in India'† (11). Resulting with no leadership or general politics which were formed at critical movements that highlights the causes of decline and it was important for the structure of the Mughal administrative system. Adding to the British control over the political establishment for South Asia, the peasants and the zamindars from the northern and the westerns part of India were added towards this problem. For the British, it was easier to target the zamindars for collecting revenues, as they show loyalty and mostly were the powerful class of a local populations. The zamindars were enjoying the given power from the British, as they would collect money from the peasants and the British government officials would take money from zamindars. The zamindars would have to pay a fixed revenue towards to the government officials as their fees. The book states, â€Å"The Ryotwari system defined the state itself as the supreme zamindar and vested a ryot with individual proprietary rights in land in return for annual cash payment or revenue assessments to the government (ibid.)† (73). The revenue that was collected by the zamindar was fixed and to be collected from each village. Focusing on empire-building for India, it ended up being under the rule of the British. British took advantage of India in ways of getting everything flushed out. By being in control for their profits from raw material goods and the fact of having larger populations and the diversity towards the markets. Later, after they had settled for some time the British took interest in Indian economy where the focus was to grow. The book had mentioned about Europeans traders to have strong control over the Mughal Empire, and that later on had faced decline and the British took advantage of that decline to make their win other territories within India. Because the British took the rejection of the Mughal empire, India was regulated by the British government and had developed all over India. The successful established of the British within India was the occurrence of these events that took place because India was lacking unity within the political section at that time period. British rule not only took over the political but also the economy, textiles industries, and the import ; export of the products from India to other countries around the world, leading to get more profits and take in-charge of the nation.

Research science fiction Essay

During the summer I met up with Harinder to start building our website and to get an idea of what it would include and look like. We decided to use the program Dream Weaver since it was more flexible compared to word or Frontpage and it had many features that we could use for our website, such as different backgrounds and texts. Dream weaver enabled us to use Flash MX which has much more effective graphics which we couldn’t get on Front Page such as the flash buttons and 3-d backgrounds all to make our website suit the Sc-Fi theme. We targeted our audience immediately by choosing the theme Science Fiction which appeals to teen and young adult males. We kept the audience involved furthermore by the type of language we chose to use which wasn’t too complicated yet not too patronising. The set up of the page was kept colourful, yet formal, by not having the hyperlinks and pictures all over the page. It would therefore appeal to the younger and older generations of our audience. We also targeted the audience by adding more features to our website like voting and a guest book so they feel welcome and give feed back on what they thought of our website. The strengths and weaknesses of our production are fairly clear. Some of the strengths are that it appeals to a wide range of audiences which means that more people are attracted to our website and it would be popular. Another strength would be the different kinds of features that make up our website, from the different types of flash buttons to the backgrounds, wallpapers and pictures. The weaknesses of our website include the appearance of the homepage; it looks too cluttered at the top then too empty at the bottom. The colours don’t match especially with the different coloured buttons. Another weakness would be that on a page like the picture page all of the links are down on one side of the page and the rest of the page looks empty. We could have avoided this problem by putting more pictures and links on the page. One more weakness I could pick out would probably be that it takes quite a long time to load up the site. This could be put down to the fact that there is a lot of links and features on our webpage which slows down the connection and makes it harder for the computer to find the proxy settings. The responses from our target audience were good. We asked people between the ages of 15-30 years of age what they thought of our website. We got some good responses especially from the younger members of our audiences, such as the layout of the website and the features is good quality. They did offer some improvements, such as it needed more information put into the site. The point came up again that the home page was too cluttered and looked over crowded. The older generation of our audience also thought the site was very effective. Some proposed improvements were that we needed to take more care when writing the movie reviews since there was a lot of spelling mistakes. Also that some of the other pages seemed empty with only a few links on them. It was proposed we should have either not made a links page for the pictures page or made more links and pictures. Another improvement suggested that we should have made our website even more formal if we wanted to aim at a wider range of 25 year olds upward, by not having the colourful buttons or backgrounds but having them black and white. I feel I learnt that we needed to have deadlines between ourselves to get certain things finished and then move on to the next thing instead of going back and finishing off pictures or reviews. You need to have people in your group that you can rely on to have work finished and handed in. Appendix 1. Google – Search Engine 2. Science Fiction Websites- * Sci-fi.com * Sciencefic.com * Science Fiction Movie Reviews Pages * Science Fiction Picture Pages 3. Ask- Search Engine 4. Lycos- Search Engine

Macbeth: Illusion vs. Reality

Kendall Dawson 1/23/12 Macbeth- Illusion v Reality Thesis: In Shakespeare Macbeth the theme illusion v Reality was an important theme that was displayed throughout the play. The Illusions are what influenced the characters reality. When the illusions were displayed they were interpreted in reality and majority of the time sparked a negative outcome. â€Å"Foul is Fair, Fair is Soul (Act 1. p. 7)† is repeatedly quoted throughout the play. The Interpretation of this quote relates in depth to what seems right in this story actually is not, pertaining to the misleading illusions throughout the essay that caused him to kill people and to be haunted by his sins endlessly. Evidence/Supporting Sentence Witches prophecies were illusions because in reality some were misleading to Macbeth causing him further trouble throughout the play. Their appearance as well is an illusion. â€Å"You appear to have beards, but you also look like women (Act 1). Macbeth should have realized that if he could not believe if their external appearance he should have not trusted in their prophecies. â€Å"It is an accustomed action with her to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her to continue in this a quarter of an hour (Act 5. sc. 1). † Lady Macbeth believes her hands are stained of the blood of those she has slain and she is haunted by it so she continues to wash them even though there is not any blood. False face must hide what the false heart doth know (Act 4). † Macbeth had given this advice to Lady Macbeth who has begun to be haunted by the slaying. He wanted her to mask her discern, as well as black out the haunting nightmares and keep a happy face to the public. At the end of the play Lady Macbeth became very regretful and concerns her for life. She admitted to the crimes her and her husband committed as well as knew she was going to be slain in return.

CONTRACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CONTRACT - Essay Example The facts at hand clearly do not point to common mistake. The mistake that is relevant in respect of the facts is one whereby consent is negative because one party is under a mistake. As Professor Goodhart (1941) states ‘there is no breach of the law of contract which is more uncertain and difficult than that which is concerned with the effect of mistake on the formation of a contract’. In respect of the facts at hand the mistake that is relevant is the one of identity of the other contracting party. Generally the identity of the other party is immaterial. In respect of the claims of ES against the third party an action under tort can be brought about whereby the English Law principle of nemo dat quad non habet (you cannot give what you do not have) would apply and if the person who sold the goods to the third party does not own any right to them then such goods have to be returned. As far as ES and IE are concerned under contract if there has been an assumption of false identity then a claim of fraud can also be made against the rogue. Fraudulent misrepresentation in this respect would lead to the contract being held voidable. Thus if there has been a mistake as to identity of the person who was under such mistaken belief can argue that the contract b set aside on the basis that the contract was entered into on the basis of mistake and thus is void tthereby having no legal effects whatsoever. Thus mistake is a better option as compared to fraud (Lord Nicholls in Shogun Finance Ltd. v. Hudson 2. In respect of mistake as to identity there is necessity to distinguish between contracts that have been entered into orally and those that have been entered into in writing. After the decision of Shogun the courts have found that where the dealing between the parties is fact to fact, there is a presumption in law that the parties intend on dealing with each other. Thus mistake as to true name would not be a sufficient reason. In respect of contracts in writ ing, the names of the parties bear greater significance because of the need for certainty in respect of written contract. Thus Lord Nicholls in Shogun stated that ‘there is no magic attaching to a misrepresentation made in writing rather than by word of mouth’. The reason for the difference in oral and contracts in writing is because of the fact that the innocent party would be unaware of who is standing in front of him when entering into the contract orally. The courts have therefore been given authority to determine the intention of the parties based on the documents and without any presumptions to such intentional. An important decision in respect of written contracts is the House of Lords in Cundy v. Lindsay3 whereby a dishonest person by giving wrong address and name of company dealt with an innocent party. The court deciding in favour of the claimants stated the reasoning that the order form had been signed with incorrect name and the claimants were aware of the n ame of the firm and had the intention of dealing with them. However, the courts in King’s Norton Metal Co. v. Edridge Merrett and Co. Ltd.4 held that where letters had been sent by a rogue the claimant purported to deal with the person sending the letter and not the company. The main distinction between the two earlier cited authorities is that in the latter no

Objects and Non-Traditional Media in Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Objects and Non-Traditional Media in Art - Essay Example This trend continued into the 19th century as Vincent Van Gogh experimented with impression, and well into the 20th century, as artists such as Pablo Picasso and later Jackson Pollock revolutionized the medium through increasing forays into abstract modes of expression (Gombrich, 1994). While the subject matter of these visual works greatly changed over time, their overriding medium remained largely constant. Through conceptual and minimalist movements, art in the second half of the 20th century began to step outside the canvas-painting trend (Osbourne 2011). Today artists regularly use or manipulate objects and non-traditional media in creating art. Through a consideration of intentions and methods, this essay examines artists’ implementations of such objects and non-traditional media. Perhaps the 20th century’s most prominent non-traditional medium is assemblage art. This specific art form establishes two or three-dimensional art forms by combining found objects (Lock hart 2010). In better understanding the structural nature of this art, one considers that its parallel in literature is stories or novels formed from already existing texts (Lockhart 2010). While assemblage art forms date to as early as Picasso’s early 20th century cubist constructions, the term was first articulated in the 1950s after Jean Dubuffet’s work ‘assemblages d'empreintes’ (Lockhart 2010). ... While assemblage art refers to a specific type of non-traditional production, one also considers the implications of transcending mainstream modes of artistic expression. In gaining interpretive insight into such an event, it is necessary to step outside traditional art criticism into perspectives that analyze the broader media. One of the most seminal such perspectives in this arena is that of Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan (1964) argued that the medium is the message. While such a statement makes a variety of complex arguments, one element is that the very nature of the medium necessitates shifts in meaning. When such a perspective is extended to artists working in non-traditional mediums, one comes to recognize that such expression not only functions as a means of the artist creating a unique work, but is necessary to capture the increasingly complex cultural signs operating within modern social contexts. It will be seen that the central thorough-put in assemblage and non-traditional a rt is an effort to codify and comment on this complexity. When considering the use of non-traditional forms of expression one of the seminal early assemblage artists is Joseph Cornell. Cornell’s work largely was created around the mid-20th century, paving the way for future forays into assemblage (Soloman 1996). While the Cornell’s exact motivation for venturing into non-traditional mediums is unknown, today his work carries with it a haunting, yet characteristic aesthetic (Soloman 1996). Cornell’s work mainly centered on small boxes that he would meticulously fill and arrange with objects. Fig. 1 below is an image of Cornell’s 1950 work ‘Planet Set.’ From observation one recognizes the highly uncharacteristic and unique assemblage of

Critical dialogs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical dialogs - Essay Example However, one has to have impressions to a substance despite not knowing it (Bronner 17). Therefore, democracy is viewed as a complete system and tries to accomplish incompleteness. Fitche together with Kant, made a donation to critical theory by reinforcing the ideas of the theory. They and termed it as a dual relationship between nature and persons in terms of ideas. In addition, he stressed on key thoughts such as that of alienation improvement and importance of freedom. Alienation of improvement (disagreement between mind and nature) this is always occurred when there is the disparity of purposeful effort of concern with involvement of freedom. (Bronner 18). On the other hand, language is also key factor when studying emotional realm; the relationship between history of individual subject and the determination of the subject, in addition, record is made perfect though language; language expresses one event better and it is also a mechanism which conveys accuracy of the subject. (Bronner 101). Therefore, better understanding of communication will allow one to discuss a topic well whether in politic of proper context; this implies that it will provide a participant the proper value it stands in it place. Hence reducing chances of misinterpretation of the subject or object; this implies that an individual will improve his or her ability understand issues of life. Therefore, clear understanding about key theory nurtures one’s conceptual abilities; it outlines qualitative and quantitative interpretation of a research analysis. Thurs, one can easily show that critical theory is more of encouraging to an issue than destructive; brings a function of positivity than indifference in essence that it brings certainty in when judging (Bronner 102). Decision making is made easier since an outline for judgment is provided; an individual can easily for the procedures set for wise decision

ARE HERBAL REMEDIES SAFE AND EFFECTIVE Research Paper

ARE HERBAL REMEDIES SAFE AND EFFECTIVE - Research Paper Example A herbal remedy that relieves inflammation and pain called Chinese Thunder God Vine weakens the immune system. The remedy is famous in for causing osteoporosis. Most of the herbs are ineffective unless their maintenance is in small quantities such as nutmeg and its cooking properties. When the nutmeg herbal is in large quantities, it cause liver failure and can at times lead to death. Many types of herbal remedies line the shelves of health food stores and pharmacies. Most people consider that any drug having the label â€Å"natural† as effective and safe. Herbal remedies have been in existence for a long time. Some of the remedies, even those carrying the natural label, can have serious and powerful negative drug effects in the body. The FDA regulates herbal supplements though not in the same manner it does with medicine of food. Herbal remedies form part of the dietary supplements. Regulations that apply to dietary supplements are not strict as those of drugs and food. Manufacturers of herbal drugs, for example, do no need the approval of the FDA before availing them to the markets. When the herbal remedy gets to the market, it is the duty of FDA to ensure its safety. FDA, however, lacks the capacity and funding to check the standards of the many new drugs. When FDA finds an herbal remedy that is not safe, it issues some requirements or orders to the distributor or manufacturer to remove it from the market (Harte 2-3). Soy provides dietary phytoestrogens that possess weak estrogenic activities. The soy herb treats menopausal symptoms and reduces the levels of cholesterol in the body. A review on the Soy’s effectiveness was done on nine clinical trials to examine the impacts of increasing dietary soy. Nine more trials were done to determine the efficiency of Soy extracts. The review gave a conclusion that neither Soy extracts nor increased Soy

Contemporary issues in human resource management Assignment

Contemporary issues in human resource management - Assignment Example The study aims at highlighting the contemporary issues involved in human resource management, such as discriminations, job stress, safety issues, emotional labour, diversity, and employee burnout. In this report specifically the issue of Virgin Australia Airline has been chosen and their new policy of not allowing male passengers to sit beside children, as they are considered unsafe. This policy was regarded as a discrimination approach of Virgin Airlines, by its male customer. In such cases the role of human resource management and the department needs to be evaluated. Human resource management (HRM) plays a very important role in the development of modern economies. The difference between developed and developing countries lies in difference in their human resources, otherwise most of the resources are same. It has been seen that though exploiting the financial, physical, natural resources are very important in modern times, but none of them are as important as committed and efficient work force. It is often said that most of the development come from the human minds (Robbins, and Coulter, 2008, p. 366-367). The traditional importance of HRM was due to the recruitment and selection process which they handled, but now a strategic approach of HRM in administration, personnel management and other accomplishments have made the role of HRM momentous in organizations. There are numerous additional roles that the human resource department of the company has to supervise along with staffing and selection of the employees. These roles includes training the employees, monitoring performance of the employee for appraisal, job analysis, ascertaining the remuneration for a particular job position.., allotting incentives for good performance, taking care of the employee benefit policies of the company, acting as a communication channel between the employees and the top level management, developing employee welfare, safety and health care plans, taking care of promotions, transfers, maintaining industrial relationships, handling the issues of the Trade Union, solving disputes within the employees or departments, assessing the ethical issues in the department or organization, etc (Aswathappa, 2008, p. 5-6). The human resource department also has the responsibility to ensure that gender discrimination does not prevail in the organisation on the basis of gend er, according to the Civil Rights Act 1964 (Kurtz, and Boone, 2008, p. 54). Problem Areas This section involves the contemporary issues of human resource with respect to Virgin Australia Airline. The company has recently reviewed its policies in which they have restricted men to sit beside children on the flights. The policy

Comparing state,federal,county correctional officers Essay

Comparing state,federal,county correctional officers - Essay Example encourage public safety by inducing the prison inmates to be at the right side of the law although the extent of their emphasis on either role – law enforcement or social work, may differ in different community corrections agencies in various jurisdictions (U.S. Courts). Federal correctional officers work under the judicial branch of the government, maintaining a close relationship to courts, while at state and local level, probation is a function of executive branch. Federal corrections officers not only take on-the-job training like their counterparts in state and local levels in their districts but also get national training. This training in core responsibilities and fire-arms is provided to officers at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, South Carolina. These officers at all levels handle ‘specialized caseloads’ of a particular section of criminals like substance abusers, the mentally ill and the gang members, offering challenging duties to these officers. Although it is not compulsory to carry fire-arms, but officers dealing with violent offenders are, generally, allowed to carry firearms. They are community partners, providing services, which include substance abuse and mental health treatment, medical care , education and training, and employment assistance (U.S.Courts). According to the Congress of the United States Paper (2005), corrections officer are 18% of the total task force of federal law enforcement officers, using the data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. According to the census’s categorization of law enforcement jobs, the duties of corrections officers would include court operations including security and protection. As per Congress Budget Office (CBO) analysis, federal officers earn more than state and county level officers’, which is because of differences in job responsibilities, accounting to a certain extent for such pay differentials. This earning differential, which is the percentage difference

Concert Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concert Report - Essay Example Esber Recital Hall is a famous hall that provided superior sound quality and actually made the piano played by the performing group sound nice and complete whilst New Horizon Brass Ensemble played their piano. There were several performances during this particular night, which included Salve Venere, Salve Marte by John Stevens; sonatas such as Allegro Leggero, Aria ,and Allegro Moderato; there were also French sets, which included Apre un Reve by Gabriel, Improvisation by Francis, and Nuit d’Etoiles by Claude; and dances such as spooky, insouciant, impudent/ponderous, bluesy, con ritmo Latino, and slowly declamatory/fast (Range & Smith, 1999). Candidly, this night turned out to be a most memorable attendance at Esber Recital Hall, primarily because it took no lengths for me to be lost in the performances such as Salve Venere, Salve Marte by John Stevens, originally composed by Kate. From the performance, my favorite dance was bluesy dance, which was vigorously performed, and i t brought the whole house down. The Salve Venere, Salve Marte performance was starling one in the entire concert because this performance really embraced the key elements related to music (Range & Smith, 1999). ... In allegro, there were numerous dynamic changes, and in some moments that ignited the fresh moments of Haydn’s astonishment. Salve Venere, Salve Marte was composed in the Romantic era. The instruments heard comprise the trombone, bassoon, flute, oboe, which belong to the aero-phone family; and the violin, cello, viola, and double bass, which belong to the chordophones family of instruments. This piece has a general homophonic texture. The genre is a piece of music that is divided into two key movements: Andante con moto, and Allegro moderato. The Allegro moderato movement follows sonata-allegro form. There are two themes that were evident from this starling performance, as well as the movement is in triple meter in a small key. It starts at a soft dynamic level and progresses in a crescendo (Range & Smith, 1999). It is usually conjunct with a fine range that finally expands into a broad range. The softness of the opening creates a theatrical atmosphere full of emotions. This m ovement demonstrates a recapitulation — the summary of the themes because the major two themes reappear all through the piece. The other set of piece that made my day was Apre un Reve by Gabriel under Blue Band. Like in the first piece, the volume varied from mezzo forte to strong suit yet down to some moments of piano; however, in general the volume remained more constantly within the mezzo ranges. In addition, when there were variations in volume, pitch and tone were steady and appeared to fit satisfactorily as opposed to just being haphazard. There was much more of a principle in this work and the polyphonic scenery of the piece, a constant of the Baroque,

Bodhi-Dharma Definition Essay Example for Free

Bodhi-Dharma Definition Essay Historical Background Bodhi-Dharma (è  ©Ã¦  Ã© â€Ã¦â€˜ ©) was an Indian Buddhist monk who came to China from India in the first quarter of the sixth century. He brought Mahayana Buddhism to China. Coming to China, he stayed nine years at the Shao-lin Temple (Ã¥ °â€˜Ã¦Å¾â€"Ã¥ ¯ º), located in He-nan Province (æ ² ³Ã¥ â€"çÅ" ). Bodhi-Dharma is well-known in connection to a story expressed by the phrase â€Å"Wall Contemplation Nine Years (é  ¢Ã¥ £ Ã¤ ¹ Ã¥ ¹ ´)†. From the philosophy and practice represented by this phrase, the Chinese Zen Buddhism originated and developed in ensuing generations. The Bodhi-Dharma is respected as the First Zu (First patriarch) of Chinese Zen Buddhism. It is said that he was born as the third prince of a kingdom of south India. Name of the kingdom is expressed with two Chinese characters é ¦â„¢Ã¨â€¡ ³. Late in his life, he left India. It was the year 520 CE (or 527 CE) when he arrived at Guang-zhou of south China by taking a sea route. It is not welll known which course he took on the way. This article proposes a tentative account that the route he took was the Sea Silk-Road. Chinese historical literature describes what took place at the time when he left India. â€Å"He met the King and told him of his wish to go to China. The King tried to persuade him to stay in his home land, but Bodhi-Dharma was determined to go. There was no longer anything for the King to do but to prepare a large boat with necessary items for a safe voyage. His hope was for the future return of Bodhi-Dharma (preferably with the same boat). On the day of departure, the King accompanied Bodhi-Dharma up to the harbor, together with the families of his relatives and vassals. At this moment, there were none who were not in tears. After a three-year voyage, the ship of Bodhi-Dharma arrived at Guang-zhou of south 1 China. There, the local governor came to greet him. It was September of the year 520. It was the time of Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty (æ ¢ Ã¦Å" , æ ­ ¦Ã¥ ¸ )。 was informed of this event. He  Knowing it, the emperor invited Bodhi-Dharma to the capital Jian-kang (now Nan-jing). During his stay at the capital, it is said that there was the following dialogue between the Emperor Wu and Bodhi-Dharma. The Emperor  asked: â€Å"I have constructed many temples for Buddhists and used to serve for transcribing a number of Buddhism sutras. What karmic merit is promised?† Bodhi-Dharma replied: â€Å"No merit (ç„ ¡Ã¥Å Å¸Ã¥ ¾ ³)†. The kingdom where Bodhi-Dharma was born is recorded as †Ã© ¦â„¢Ã¨â€¡ ³Ã¢â‚¬  in Chinese literatures. At the time of Tang dynasty (618 907) established a hundred years later from the time of Bodhi-Dharma, it is likely that é ¦â„¢Ã¨â€¡ ³ is pronounced as â€Å"Kang-zhi†. This is close to â€Å"Kanchi† (-puram), an old capital town in the state Tamil-Nadu of south India (the part ‘puram’ means a town or a state in the sense of earlier times). It was a capital of Pallava Dynasty at the time when Bodhi-Dharma was living. The Pallava Dynasty is recorded as an oceanic state, trading with Mediterranean countries to the west and with China, Siam, Fiji and others to the east. It is conjectured that Bodhi-Dharma departed from Kanchipuram to the nearest port Mamallapuram and emba rked from there. On the other hand, from the time of Former Han Dynasty (å‰ Ã¦ ¼ ¢, established in 206BC) more than two thousands years ago, China also traded by sea with south-east Asia, India, Middle-east and Mediterranean countries by using large oceanic boats. It is said that return journey took four years or so between China and Middle-east. In China at the time of 3rd century, oceanic boats were called â€Å"Konron-chuan†. â€Å"Konron (Ã¥ ´â€˜Ã¥ ´â„¢)† meant the area of south-east Asia in general. A picture shows that an early-time trading boat is equipped with wooden arms on its both sides (supposed, for stability). It is noteworthy that there are remains described as China-Pagoda in a trading harbor-town (Nakapattinam) of south India near Sri-Lanka island. This was built by the order of a Chinese king for the sake of Chinese Buddhists who came to India from China for trade or for pilgrimage (perhaps in the 8th century). Kanchipuram is famous now in India as a town of quality silk cloths. Even Indian Buddhist monks used silk goods. This is written in the travel record [2] by Yi Jing (ç ¾ ©Ã¦ µâ€ž, 635 713). Original silks were likely imported from China, although mulberry trees (for silkworms) were planted in south India too. Some sources record that Yi Jing wrote a letter during his stay in Java (691) and sent it to the authorities of Tang Dynasty (at the time of Wu Zetian æ ­ ¦Ã¥â€°â€¡Ã¥ ¤ ©), in which he asked to construct a China Pagoda in India. This corresponds to the above record in India. Sea Route of Fa-Xian (Buddhist monk, 335 -423) A number of Buddhist monks visited India from China and vice versa. A record of most famous travel is that of Xuan-Zang (629-645), who took the land route both ways to and from India. In an earlier travel by Fa-Xian (399 412), he took a land (mountain) route on his way to India and returned back by a sea route. Why Fa-Xian took the sea route on his return is not written in his travel record. It is conjectured that he wanted to avoid steep and dangerous mountain routes because his age had advanced to over seventy at the time. Beginning his way back to China, he stayed at a town at the mouth of the Ganges river and waited for two years to take a large commercial ship. During his stay, he has transcribed Buddhism texts (and possibly looked for a person or a merchant who would assist him on his return journey). By taking advantage of seasonal (monsoon) wind in the beginning of winter, his ship arrived at the island of Simhala (now Sri-Lanka) after fourteen days. It is well known that there is a seasonal wind from the north-east along the east coast of India in the Bengal Bay. After he had stayed for two years in Sri-Lanka too, he took a large ship (possibly helped by another merchant). The number of passengers on board was more than two hundreds. They embarked for the east. In the beginning there was favorable seasonal wind, but from the third day a storm occurred. After thirteen days, they arrived at an island. It is speculated that it was one of Nicobal islands. Tending to repairs due to flooding of the ship, they resumed their journey. After nine or ten days (or ninety days by another reading) by passing through the Strait of Malacca, they arrived at a harbor in Sumatra or Java islands. Fa-Xian stayed there for five months. His trip route is shown by the thick solid curve in the figure (Reference [3]). Route of Fa-Xian (thick solid line) and a speculated route of Bodhi Dharma (dotted line) Helped by another merchant, he took a large ship bound for China where two hundred passengers were on board. Guessing the size of the ship, it could be one corresponding to two carriage cars of a modern electric train connected  side by side and one underneath them. A relief of a big ship remains in Borobudur’s Buddhist structures (below) on the Java Island, which suggests such a ship as Fa-Xian took. Ship relief in Borobudur. They embarked with food on board of fifty days, but they encountered a storm on the way and drifted on the East China Sea. Eighty days after their departure, they arrived at a place on the south coast of Shan-dong Peninsula of China. This was a voyage that occurred at a time a hundred years before Bodhi Dharma. At his time, it appears that voyages across the Indian Ocean by using the monsoon seasonal wind are well-known. It is likely that such a sea route would have been recommended to Fa-Xian. According to modern data of observation, there is Monsoon wind in the Indian Ocean from Indian side to Malay Peninsula from May to September every year. Sea Route of Bodhi Dharma Bodhi Dharma’s ship departed Mamallapuram, a main port closest to Kanchipuram, and headed for Sri-Lanka. This is just a conjecture. It is likely that they stayed there a couple of months waiting for favorable monsoon wind, preparing for the great journey crossing the Indian Ocean. It might take another couple of months to get to a port in Sumatra or Java island. It may have taken a half or more of a year (depending on circumstances) since he departed his home country Kanchipuram. It is likely that he may have been invited by a royal family at the place he was staying, or that he stayed at a temple for rain retreat in summer time according to the Buddhist custum, or that he spent half a year by preparing his next journey, waiting for a favorable wind, or trading. Once everything was ready, they finally embarked for Guang-Zhou, China. It may have taken two months or so to get to their destination. Two years should have been sufficient time for the whole journey. The â€Å"three years† written in the record may imply that it was the third year since he departed his home country, rather than that it took full three years. Bodhi Dharma according  to old records was born in Kanchipuram of south India., and his final place of rest was at the Bear-Ear Mountain of He-Nan Province of China, where there is a temple Kong-Xing Si to commemorate Bodhi-Dharma. However, in the ancient town Kanchipuram where Bodhi-Dharma is supposed to have grown up, there is nothing to remind us of him. It is considerd that there were many Buddhist structures in Kanchipuram, but most of them were destroyed by the ravages of time and by the opponents of Buddhism. At the present time, it is a sacred town of Hinduism. Historical remains related to Buddhism found in that region are very limited in number, although one can come across a large number of Buddhist remains in the Hindu temples of this antique city. Devotees and interested individuals from different countries may wish to be informed and experience some sense of this great person Bodhi-Dharma in Kanchipuram. Currently, a project is being planned by those who intend to build a memorial structure at the land (in Kanchipuram) owned by the Institute of Asian Studies (Chennai, India). This article is written with the hope and confidence in worldwide spiritual support for this endeavor.

Total quality management has not changed but evolved

Total quality management has not changed but evolved TQM is not a new challenge for ST since this approach has been adopted since the early 1990s. This concept remained the primary concern for ST and since then it has not changed but evolved. It has always been a means to achieve Excellence for the entire organisation. TQM is about PEOPLE. It has become the practical way of working at ST; an integrated part of the day-today managerial process, a better way of organizing and doing ones job. At ST, employees have to share the same values of the organisation. ‘People do not come to work with their hands and minds only; they also come with their hearts and emotions. Therefore, to obtain a totally efficient approach, it is essential that everybody in the organization knows and fully adheres to these principles. Georges Auguste Corporate Vice President TQEM In their journal ‘A meta-analysis of the effect of TQM on competitive advantage the authors Eman El Shenawy, Tim Baker and David J. Lemak quoted that ‘Culture is the values, beliefs, and norms that guide behaviour in organizations (Reed et al., 2000, p. 15). Culture is also necessary for providing employee empowerment that guides employees to focus on quality and inspect their own mistakes (Ahire et al., 1996). ST has specifically developed and deployed Training Programs through ST University, at all sites. Empowerment must be based on properly trained employees. Knowledge sharing gives people the right knowledge, helping them making the right decision. What is Total Quality Management? ‘a powerful blend of philosophy and tools to achieve Excellence TQM has been developed over the years in many different contexts and implemented by many companies worldwide. It has evolved. Several countries have promoted this aspect through national quality awards. Studies highlight a very important fact. Organisations which have adopted TQM do perform better than those that have not adopted it. TQM has been defined as ‘the management of the total organization to achieve excellence. It is about management and people, not just about quality. Everyone in an organization is involved in the final product or service to the customer. The evolving path of TQM: towards business excellence and stakeholder value Cristina Mele and Maria Colurcio define TQM as a systemic and global approach based on management by process and continuous improvement of business performances by all human resources in order to satisfy explicit or implicit expectations of customers and other stakeholders (Shiba et al., 1993; Dean and Bowen, 1994; Grant et al., 1994). Over the years, TQM has evolved in sustaining Business Excellence through a framework of best practices. Excellence is the never-ending quest for perfection; going beyond the traditional concept of quality. It is a dynamic and continuous improvement process involving every activity in the organization. This is highlighted by Cristina Mele and Maria Colurcio where they have stated that TQM lead organisations to understand the competitive issues and to continuously change the way in which business is managed according to market changes. El Shenawy, Baker and Lemak have also confirmed this aspect. Research on TQM has generally proven its value to those firms who take its implementation seriously (Hendricks and Singhal, 2001; Lemak et al., 2002). Reed et al. (1996) argue that achieving competitive advantage comes from finding ‘a fit between the proper strategy content and the firms external environment. Reed et al. (2000) defined TQM as a ‘business strategy with regard to process, identifying leadership/top management commitment, employees training and education, teams, and culture as the critical processes. These key processes give the firm a sustained competitive advantage over competitors. STs Guiding Principles Customer satisfaction is the key to competitive success. This can be achieved by listening to customers, by striving to anticipate and fulfil their needs and expectations. Every employee within an organisation must do his/her best to provide world-class Service, Quality, Time to Market and Value. Business integrity is about conducting business with the highest ethical standards, honouring commitments, delivering promises, being loyal and fair, and standing up for what is right. When dealing with People, management has to adapt itself in such a way that it will enhance openness, trust, simplicity and humility. Everyones contribution has to be encouraged and achievements have to be recognized. Gatchalian (1997), affirmed that the competence of an organisation to satisfy the customers lies within its internal customers. Every employee within an organisation shall give his or her contribution and takes his or her responsibilities. A world-class network of sharing best practices will ensure that individual successes can be duplicated elsewhere in the company. TQM will integrate active participation in best-practice sharing in the management evaluation system and introduce awards and non financial incentives to promote the process. Siemens Excellence can be achieved through a continuous challenge for the better. In all aspects of the activities that are carried out, one must strive for excellence, quality, competency and efficiency in being flexible. Innovation and creativity have to be encouraged in every aspect of work activities. Business Excellence is the goal of every modern organization and can be defined as the next step after TQM, for the success of enterprise on the competitive path (Vora, 2002; McAdam et al., 1998). Innovation is what an organization the ‘push from TQM level to business excellence level. It all lies in innovation as it creates value and customer satisfaction. This allows organisations to gain sustainable competitive advantage (Stampacchia et al., 2002. Kanji (1998). Most organisations have affirmed that the strategy of quality is evolving towards a strategy of innovation. Quality has become a basis condition, What has become essential is customer value and satisfaction through innovation. The orientation is towards an innovative perspective is closely linked to the principle of continuous improvement and of customers satisfaction; the base to achieve business excellence. Business excellence represents the present evolving state of the approach for total quality (Kanji, 1998). It refers to some superiority achieved by the organisation towards the market where it operates. It is the achievement of a position of excellence in relation to superior results obtained over competitors on behalf of customers. Excellence has many different aspects linked to TQM: orientation to customer and to results leadership and coherence with objectives management in terms of processes and facts development of partnership learning, continuous improvement and innovation public responsibility For Siemens the fundamental activities in the different operative units of the enterprise in the world are based on the principle of â€Å"excellence in everything we start† aimed to the customers satisfaction and then on concepts of continuous improvement. The following list shows Siemens commitment and mission to business excellence: (1) The firm commitment to business excellence: we will focus on our customer . . . to anticipate and exceed their needs; we will continuously improve . . . our process, products and services toward world class benchmarks; and we will involve every tier . . . in achieving excellence in all we do, and in growing toward their full potential. (2) The firms mission: we will achieve leadership in business excellence by: creating a culture that values all employees, encourages and rewards high performance and   continuous improvement, and fosters teamwork and organizational learning through the involvement, development and empowerment of employees; providing quality products and services that exceed the expectations of customers by pro- actively adapting to an ever changing marketplace; and maintaining a close and strategic partnership with firm worldwide organization and gaining synergy across firm business unit. The key aspects for business excellence on which firms focus their attention: focus on customer and on market; focus on core competences; develop knowledge and capabilities; use of conventional and revolutionary tools and methodologies; continuous improvement; recognize potentiality and exploit it; develop breakthrough systems; and develop value innovations. ‘Total quality is about changing the mental models of management in order to enhance an organisations capability to determine its own future revolutionising managements way of thinking. This change requires more than a one tine shift in thinking; it means a continuous rethinking of the way managers think (Kim, 1990, p. 5). focus on the firm core competencies on key competitive drivers on the use and development of conventional and revolutionary tools and techniques on breakthrough systems on knowledge management Profitability through these activities is the main source of the funds that are needed by the organisation to prosper and grow. Profits are necessary to provide security and future opportunities, It allows the company to meet its other social and business responsibilities. Management Guidelines and Principles @ ST ST promotes three groups of guidelines or principles that have been developed over the years. These have become an integral part of STs culture: The Five TQM Principles Management commitment People empowerment Fact based-decision making Continuous improvement Customer focus The Four TQM Imperatives Never compromise Quality Institutionalize prevention Practice continuous improvement Develop cross-fertilization Management Emphasis Speed: Eliminate delays in all our processes, especially decision-making. Focus: Prioritize, and concentrate on the â€Å"vital few†. Balance: Avoid over-dependence on a narrow range of skills, products, customers, and managers. Consistency: Make sure that our practices are coherent with our values. TQM Guide Since TQM has been implemented by ST, these five TQM principles have been the most important guidelines. Being of equal importance, these can be applied to any aspect of the activities carried out. Customer satisfaction is the number one priority; achieved through continuous improvement and fact based decision-making, involving and empowering people, with the managements support and commitment. Management commitment For TQM to be successful there has to be a prerequisite management commitment, active involvement, leadership and ownership. Management must first understand TQM and be ‘convinced. Their belief and commitment will be reflected through their daily practices. Leadership and top management commitment is the most effective factor. TQM is a change strategy that requires transformational leadership skills (Reed et al., 2000). Top management has a vital role to provide value and satisfaction for customers. Management must provide the necessary resources to accomplish goals and commit to continuous improvement. This is done through implementation of teams, providing training for them, as well as individuals, communicating the values of the organization culture, and providing resources for improvements in process efficiencies (Reed et al., 2000; Wilson and Collier, 2000). Top management is responsible for quality commitment and to co-ordinate resources in order to achieve quality objectives (Zairi and Youssef, 1995a; b; Deming, 1986; Schoenberger, 1994; Scarnati and Scarnati, 2002). â€Å"Leadership in the context of TQM is not about power, authority and control, it is more about empowerment, recognition, coaching and developing others† (Zairi and Youssef, 1995b, p. 38). The role of top management is to guide and direct the organisation to adopt and implement TQM. Top management takes the early decision to adopt any managerial innovations. However, institutional factors have more effect on the long run (Young et al. (2001). Customer focus A primary pre-requisite of TQM is definitely ‘Customer focus, dealing with both internal and external customers. Exceeding customers expectations at the lower possible cost and not quality is the ultimate goal. In order to satisfy the customer, either internal or external, one must understand their expectations through dialog; avoiding creating unrealistic expectations. It is always better to under-promise and over-perform. Like customer focus, supplier partnership also applies to both internal and external suppliers. As a customer, the needs of an organisation must be satisfied. One way to achieve this goal is by working closely with the supplier. Achieving a good supplier partnership requires a proactive effort. To be a good customer, one must help the suppliers become better suppliers. In all investigated enterprises quality is a synonym for customer satisfaction (Edosomwan, 1993; Shiba et al., 1993). Organisations modify their ways to work on the basis of the need to create customer satisfaction and trust strategies (Webster, 1994; Lagrosen, 2001). Nevertheless, there are some very important aspects within customer orientation that one must keep in mind: The need to create value not only for the customer, but with customer; The need to learn about the customer, not only from them; More inter-functional relationships to share knowledge; and More focus on knowledge and capabilities needed to improve customer value. People Empowerment Having all employees contributing the maximum of their discretionary capability is the ultimate goal of employee empowerment. People are motivated when: They understand what is expected from them Goals and measurements are consistent They are given the skills and tools to do the job They are recognized for their contributions They know the score through positive communication They perform with discipline. Empowerment is considered as a powerful motivator as well as a management time-saver; it gives a sense of personal satisfaction and fulfilment. Continuous improvement the purpose of all our activities, the never-ending journey to excellence Continuous improvement is not only important with improving results, but more importantly it must deal with improving capabilities to produce better results. Prevention Continuous improvement is much associated with problem prevention. This can be achieved through root cause analysis by either removing or preventing root causes. Errors are best eliminated through prevention which also helps improving cycle time. Errors can be categorised as either doing things wrong (resulting in rework or defects), or doing wrong things (unnecessary or non-value added activities). All of these will damage Quality through defects, Service through rework and cycle time, and Cost through adding cost without adding value. Cross-fertilization and Knowledge Sharing â€Å"Learning faster than your competitor may be the only sustainable competitive advantage†. Peter Drucker The competitive advantage of individuals, companies and even nations is becoming more dependent on the ability to apply knowledge and to leverage it in a continuous manner. Learning quickly and responding immediately to changing conditions will give a competitive advantage over other organisations No company can successfully practice TQM without becoming a learning organisation. Nowadays, training and knowledge sharing has become even more fundamental for organizations to build their ‘human capital. Employees have to be provided with new techniques and practices necessary to implement TQM successfully. This is also necessary for teaching all the TQM aspects as it requires permanent change in individual behaviours and attitudes (Reed et al., 2000). Roth et al. (1999, p. 950) affirmed: â€Å"the essence of continuous improvement is an ongoing process of knowledge creation with the purpose of over time continually learning and improving, in the sense that the company should be able to learn by experience and thereby produce better products in a more sufficient way.† TQM is essential for the learning processes both at an individual and organizational level. It recognises and emphasises knowledge value and the importance of human resources. A learning organization is characterised by the continuous evolution towards positions of excellence. The enterprise believes that the achievement of the enterprises goals is closely dependent on the employee, in details on their knowledge, on their competencies, on their attitude towards change, on their motivation and their potential. The consciousness of the value of employees becomes an attentive human resources and learning processes management, and skills and capabilities increment. The firms develop several initiatives to foster individual and organizational learning, however, in the following list, we identify some points for improvement: (1) Actions: learning on job; use of new technologies (like internet) to foster individual and team learning; skill planning; human resource empowerment; to plan the improvement of the employees knowledge and skills; quality improvement teams; self-assessment; and to strengthen organizational memory. (2) Points to be improved: wider use of innovative methodologies versus traditional methods of learning; deeper evaluation of what individuals learn (ex-post); higher focus on individual capabilities; higher focus on organization and on organizational knowledge and competences; and right mix between learning on the job and out of the job.