Consumer Behavior of Starbucks - 2824 Words

Draft #1 Section I Starbucks In 1971, three friends with a passion for coffee opened a gourmet shop Ââ€" Starbucks was born. The coffee shops name comes from Herman Melvilles 19th century novel about the whaling industry, Moby Dick. The seafaring name seemed appropriate for the small shop, which imports the finest coffee. The cold weather and thirsty Seattle community seemed to be a perfect match for this endeavor. Starbucks caught on and, in less than a decade, became Washingtons largest coffee roaster. In 1982, Starbucks coffee changed forever. While traveling in Milan, Italy, head of marketing Howard Schultz was intrigued by the coffee shop atmosphere Ââ€" patrons sitting, relaxing and chatting over cafà © latte. Wanting to†¦show more content†¦A major factor in this astounding figure is the self-concept that Americans need to uphold. Americans feel the need to portray themselves as being wealthier than they truly are. For this same reason, the automobile industry manufactures semi-luxury cars for a more affordable price. The vehicle appears much more luxurious on the outside than it truly is. By drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee, a middle-class American feels as though they are rubbing elbows with the truly wealthy of our society. Not everyone in the world enjoys a nice warm cup of coffee. Starbucks has taken the coffee drinking segment of consumers and further dissected it in order to provide a chilled form of the drink. This further extends their sales. The same parent that enters a Starbucks coffee shop in order to fulfill their need for a cup of coffee, buys their child a chilled, coffee-free frappachino. Starbucks then went another step further and made their stores a destination rather than a stop. Customers are invited into every location by the warming smell of fresh brewed coffee, light relaxing music and comfortable sitting areas. Making a customer comfortable enough to sit down and enjoy their coffee also expands the companys sales. The customer can now enjoy another of Starbucks offerings such as a piece of cake or a sandwich. Having customers stay in their store creates a buzz around the facility. When a store is full of happy people talking and enjoyingShow MoreRelatedEffect on Starbucks Store Design on Consumer Behavior in China1634 Words   |  7 PagesHow Starbucks store design affect its consumer behavior in China. Starbucks Corporation is an American global coffee company, coffeehouse chain stores that adapt Italian-style coffeehouse. It is the largest multinational chain of coffee shops with 20,366 stores in 61 countries, including 13,123 in the United States and 732 stores in China. The first Starbucks opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971 by three partners: English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer GordonRead MoreStarbucks Case1468 Words   |  6 PagesMarketing Strategy in Action Starbucks-2008 Discussion Questions: 1. Based on the case information and your personal experiences, list at least five things you know about Starbucks. This list offers you some idea about your cognitions concerning the coffee shop chain. a. Starbucks is a 500 Fortune Company. b. They have coffee from different countries around the world. c. There is free Wi-Fi Internet connection. d. There are many Starbucks locations in the United States. e. TheRead MoreStarbucks Case Study1534 Words   |  7 PagesStarbucks - 2008 Cognition gives the companies information on how consumers respond to different marketing stimuli they face for the products used. It has to do with customer’s thinking and how do they behave toward a particular product. To be more specific and also reading the book â€Å"cognition refers to the mental structures and processes involved in thinking, understanding, and interpreting stimuli and events.† (Peter amp; Olson, pg. 21) Based on my personal experience I don’t really knowRead MoreStarbucks Case1078 Words   |  5 PagesStarbucks 1) Based on the case information and your personal experiences, list at least five things you know about Starbucks. This list offers you some idea about your cognitions concerning the coffee shop chain. The five key things that I know about Starbucks are the amount stores that opened rapidly. It grew from 6,000 stores in 2003, to 16,000 stores in 2008. I believe this was too extreme because they could miss out on some important marketing strategies such as the three elements; consumerRead MoreHow Would You Classify the Starbucks Product Using the Marketing Consideration for a Consumer Product? What Individual Product Decision Has Starbucks Made?973 Words   |  4 PagesQUESTION 2 How would you classify the Starbucks product using the marketing consideration for a consumer product? What individual product decision has Starbucks made? A product represents the heart of an organization s marketing program. Without a product, there were no price, design, target market, marketing mix, promotion strategy etc. simply, there were no business. Starbucks  products can be defined as Convenience Products because there are relatively inexpensive and limited shoppingRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility1375 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Running head:( STARBUCKS) Starbucks Aneez Mohammed Columbia Southern University Starbucks. 1.Starbucks has worked hard to act ethically and responsibly. Has it done a good job communicating it efforts to consumers? Do consumers believe Starbucks is a responsible company? Why or why not? Starbucks opened up in 1971 in Seattle as the first Italian company in United States to have a coffee house for customers. The idea was to have a setting of Italian elegance, a personal treatRead MoreCompetitive Forces Within The Industry ( Porter s Model )1416 Words   |  6 PagesForces in the Industry (Porter’s Model) Threat of Substitutes: High There are several substitutes to coffee that are considered reasonable by consumers such as tea, energy drinks, juices, sodas, water, etc. Another alternative to coffee retailers is simply brewing coffee at home at potentially a fraction of the cost. Additionally, switching costs for consumers to alternatives to coffee are fairly low. Hence, overall the threat of substitutes to coffee retailers is high. To combat this, many coffeeRead MoreStarbucks Ethics and Social Responsibility Practices: Analysis and Recommendations1624 Words   |  6 PagesStarbucks has worked hard to act ethically and responsibly. Has it done a good job communicating its efforts to consumers? Do consumers believe Starbucks is a responsible company? Why? Or Why not? In part, I do believe Starbucks has done a fair job in articulating its ethical value proposition to consumers. However, more can be done to insure the all customers know the companies values and efforts in regards to its socially responsible actions. Currently the company has numerous points of sale informationRead MoreSurvey Questions On Starbucks Corporation1448 Words   |  6 PagesSmall Fair Trade: Starbucks Corporation Methods Survey Questions The survey questions mostly consisted of multiple choice questions, two open-ended questions, allowing written responses, and one qualitative response question. These questions were chosen to establish consumers differences and comparative perspective of Starbuck’s competitors, their daily usage of the social media platforms, the coffee shops visited frequently, and their opinions on consumers who frequent Starbucks. The survey containsRead MoreStarbucks : Just Who Is The Starbucks Customer1085 Words   |  5 PagesStarbucks’: Just Who Is The Starbucks’ Customer? Case Study Introduction: Starbucks started out in Seattle by three friends who were passionate coffee lovers. The small coffee shop became an instant hit with the locals. It sold the finest coffee and satisfied the thirsty community and by 1980, after less than a decade since its inception, it had become Washington’s biggest coffee master. The unusual coffee shop caught the attention of an Italian; Howard Schultz, who saw a lot of potential in it

Coca Cola in Africa Essay - 683 Words

COCA-COLA IN AFRICA THE DECISION Table of Content Integrative Cases Study – Page 3 Case Study Analyses – Page 4 References – Page 6 Integrative Case 1.1 Coca-Cola in Africa 1. Why is Coca-Cola so interested in Africa, which is typically regarded as part of the base of the global economic pyramid? Coca-Cola is an organization that has been around since 1892. Coca-Cola is looking for new emerging growth markets and Africa has proven to be that. Combined, 12 of the African countries have a GDP greater than that of Chine. Coca-Cola has 29% of the market share in Africa. 2. What unique resources and capabilities does Coca-Cola have that will help it compete well in Africa? Coca-Cola has the†¦show more content†¦Sales in the United States are declining due to the public concern over sugar. Sales in Europe and Japan are flat, while markets in China and India offer up strong completion for Coca-Cola. Africa’s middle class population is growing at a steady rate, so the disposable income is increasing. This creates an opportunity for Coca-Cola to tap into growth opportunities (Natalia Cheverri 2012). How does it work? Although there are areas in Africa lacking infrastructure, Coca-Cola operates in every country. Coca-Cola utilized a franchising manufacturing model that works perfectly for operating in Africa. Coca-Cola partnered with local licensed bottling groups to help create the product. Coca-Cola manufactures the syrup concentrate and sells to the bottlers. The bottlers add filtered water, carbonation, and sweetener to make the final product. With this model, Coca-Cola is sharing the wealth with local investors/community members. This creates sustainable business and improves community buy-in with Coca-Cola’s existence in Africa (Maritz Jaco 2010). Because partnerships are formed with local bottlers and local members of the community, there is a vested interest by the locals to keep Coca-Cola’s business successful. Through these partnerships, Coca-Cola is able to help build the socio-economic system in different towns. Distribution Coca-Cola was having difficulty distributing product to different area of Africa with no roads. InShow MoreRelatedCoca Cola And South Africa Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction to Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola is the top selling soft drink in South Africa. South Africa is the largest market in Africa of Coca-Cola, they are part of Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa, which has a headquarters in Instanbul. Coca-Cola now has operations in more than 200 countries all over the world. Coca-Cola in South Africa currently employees over 9000 employees and has 15 facilities all over the country (Coca-Cola, 2015) In the year 1886 a doctor named John Pemberton he was a pharmacist fromRead MoreCoca Cola Research Paper1398 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment The government charged the Coca-Cola Company with marketing and selling a beverage that was injurious to health. They charged the company with producing a beverage that produced serious mental and motor deficits due to the use of synthetic caffeine. They also claimed that Coca-Cola was misbranded because its name implied that the product contained coca, yet it did not contain the whole coca leaf (because the cocaine was removed) and the name constituted aRead MoreCoca-Cola: the Real Story Behind the Real Thing1066 Words   |  5 Pagesamount of Cocaine, but this was eliminated from the ingredients in 1903. Coca-Cola is made of water, sugar, a few secret flavors and some bubbles. But behind the product itself is where marketing has played a key role in Coca-Cola’s domination of the market place. Coca-Cola promises more than a beverage, it promises good cheer and happy memories. In the early 1900’s it was exceptionally difficult to decipher between Coca-Cola and Coc a-Nola - amongst other competitors. Eventually Coke set itself apart withRead MoreCoca Colas Mission Statement1164 Words   |  5 Pagesthat has posted its mission and vision statement online is Coca- Cola. Coca-Cola’s mission statement is as follows: â€Å"Our Roadmap starts with our mission, which is enduring. It declares our purpose as a company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions. †¢ To refresh the world... †¢ To inspire moments of optimism and happiness... †¢ To create value and make a difference† (The Coca-Cola Company, 2016). Coca-Cola’s vision statement is: â€Å"Our vision serves as the frameworkRead MoreCoca-Cola: Marketing Plan1634 Words   |  7 PagesCoca-Cola: Marketing Plan Introduction [pic] The Coca-Cola Company was originally established in 1886 by Dr. John Styth Pemberton, since then the company has developed into one of the largest companies in the world and accomplishing more than they could ever imagine such as becoming the worlds number one manufacturer of soft drinks, operating worldwide in over 200 countries, having over a billion cans of Coca-Cola consumed everyday worldwide, to become the first company to both produce and useRead MoreThe Coca Cola Company Mission Statement Essay1443 Words   |  6 PagesMission and Vision The Coca-Cola Company mission statement declares â€Å"our purpose as a company and serves as the standard against which we weigh our actions and decisions†. †¢ To refresh the world... †¢ To inspire moments of optimism and happiness... †¢ To create value and make a difference Vision Statement The company’s vision statement â€Å"serves as the framework for our Roadmap and guides every aspect of our business by describing what we need to accomplish in order to continue achieving sustainableRead MoreThe Ethical And Green Management Practices939 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: This assignment is to demonstrate the ethical and green management practices that is put to training within the two selected organizations, Coco Cola and Pepsi, it is required to compare and contrast and to differentiate the types of project and challenges that are faced and produced from an organization to help the environment, in addition to come up with solutions. Green management is when a business that is working in a limit where there is no negative effect that has been createdRead MoreThe Origin Of The Beverage Industry1715 Words   |  7 Pagesmanufacturing.† Martin, J. (2001). The soda fountain was rising in popularity as a social gathering spot. Temperance was keeping patrons out of bars, so making a soda-fountain drink just made sense. According to Pendergrast (1993), by the time of 1886, Coca-Cola was invented by a pharmacist named John Pemberton, everything he made failed in pharmacies. He invented many drugs, but none of them made any money. After he moved to Atlanta, decided to try his invention in the beverage market. Pemberton associatedRead MoreAnalysis Of Global Leadership Practices For Coca Cola1675 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Global Leadership Practices for Coca-Cola Coca-Cola is a brand that can be found everywhere. Coca-Cola has been around since 1892 and is stronger than ever. Everyone knows of their products and with over 500 non-alcoholic beverages executed to date, they are highly recognizable as one of the world’s most popular carbonated beverage companies. The Company s segments include Europe, Asia. Africa, Europe, and Latin America as well as North America (Reuters, 2016). Leadership must be doingRead MoreCoca Cola s Internal Environment Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesTo understand the coca-cola company s internal environment, you have to understand its philosophy these next few paragraphs are the mission statement given by Roberto Goizueta in a booklet entitled ‘Coca-Cola, a Business System toward 2000: Our Mission in the 1990s’. â€Å"Bringing refreshment to a thirsty world is a unique OPPORTUNITY for our Company†¦ and for all of our Coca-Cola associates†¦ to create shareholder value. Ours is the only production and distribution system capable of realizing that opportunity

Feminism in bamas novels free essay sample

A Study of Bama’s Sangati â€Å"When I was born/ Mother wept, saying â€Å"A row of worries/Endless trouble. † (37) -Imayam Caste and gender are the two important identity building mechanisms that create a Dalit Feminist perspective. Dalit feminism redefines woman from the socio-political perspective of a Dalit, taking into account the caste and gender oppression. This critique focuses on three aspects, firstly the oral narrative style that Bama, a Tamil, Dalit writer adapts to tell the stories, secondly the legends and songs that she has woven into her text and thirdly using the food trope to narrate an alternate her story. Though this article focuses on Sangati, her second novel, I will also refer to Karrukku, Bamas seminal first work. Born as Fatima in 1958 in Puthupatti village in Viruthungar district in Southern Tamilnadu, Bama wrote Karukku in 1992 which brought with it the force of whirlwind to whip the literary world with its quintessentially Dalit theme and language. We will write a custom essay sample on Feminism in bamas novels or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Karukku which means the searing edges of palmyra leaves, discusses the life of a Dalit Catholic Christian woman in retrospect and focusses the caste based atrocities in her village, experiences of untouchability in the catholic convent and the final breaking away from the nunnery. Sangati, her next work bears the news of the plight of girls and women in her rural community. Kisumbukkaran and Vanmam are her other noteworthy works. Bama does not have a defined women’s literary tradition in Tamil. She observes, â€Å"until recently women writers in Tamil have moulded their writing on the male literary tradition† (Kanal 30). Bama pioneers in the creation of a Tamil Dalit Feminist tradition. A. Marx, writer and critic feels that African Americans were brought as slaves to America before four hundred years and their literature is two hundred years old whereas Dalits belong to India and two thousand years of Indian history has denied them literary space. Interestingly Bama uses the spoken language of her people for her works. She says, †¦every dominant literature should be inverted. This process of inversion can be seen in the Tamil oral traditionthe folklore. There are traces of the agony and ecstasy of the Dalits, the direct and emotional outbursts, the collective identity, the mockery and caricature of the immediate oppressors, the supernatural powers of oracle and the mythical heroism: these are the several elements for the construction of a conscious Dalit literature. (97-98) Bama uses a language unfamiliar to the mainstream, upper caste society to write her works. She discards the so called â€Å"chaste† Tamil made unavailable for her people but employs the oral folk language, which is familiar to her society. Unlike other writers who have dealt with Dalit life in Tamil like Sivakami, Vidivelli and Imayam, who use the Dalit language only in dialogues between their characters, Bama writes her whole work in the language of her community. Bama uses a language unfamiliar to the mainstream, upper caste society to write her works. She discards the so called â€Å"chaste† Tamil made unavailable for her people but employs the oral folk language, which is familiar to her society. Unlike writers like Sivakami, Vidivelli and Imayam, who use the Dalit language only in dialogues between their characters, Bama writes her whole work in the language of her community. This can pose a challenge to a reader unfamiliar to the nuances of the Dalit language. Sangati does justice to its title by narrating the news, happenings and events in the lives of several Dalit women. Bama records the struggles, tribulations, frustrations as well as the triumphs, joys and survival of Dalit women. The narrator who is a young girl in the early chapters grows pensive due to the myriad events happening around her. As she grows into a young woman she stresses on the need for change and is calling out for action against atrocities that happen to the girls and women in her community. What we notice is that struggle and success are discussed in most of the stories that are told. Be it Vellaimma Kizhavi, the narrator’s courageous grandmother, a single mother who pawned her thali,the sacred symbol of her marital status to feed her children, Katturaasa’s mother who bore her son by herself while cutting grass or the story of Marriamma who must get back to work soon after attaining puberty, there is no romantizisation of poverty, but a brave practical approach to it. In the process of narrating these incidents Bama discusses the many atrocities committed against girls and women in her community. The fact that boys are preferred to girls in families, women are beaten up by their husbands, women are paid much less though they do the same hard labour, the sexual harassment at workplace and the injustice meted out to Dalit women in village courts. In Sangati, Bama subverts mainstream legends and asks relevant questions pertaining to her culture. The story of Thiruvallvar, the great Tamil poet’s wife Vasuki, perceived as the epitome of chastity and devotion to husband is mentioned to illustrate the subordinate position of women in marriage. The story she feels is a reminder that wives ate after husbands even during Thiruvalluvar’s time. Bama offers an alternate folk song about Ananatamma of West street, who was beaten up for eating crab curry before serving her husband: O Crab, Crab, my pretty little crab, who wandered through all the fields I planted I pulled off your claws and put you on a pot, I gave the pot a boil and set it down. I waited and waited for him to come home, And began eating as came through the door. He came to hit me the, the hungry brute, He pounced at me to kill me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (30) Veliamma’s stories about the spirits that haunted Dalit women make Bama conclude that these stories are concocted to push women to subservient position. Dalit women are an easy prey to these stories because of their repressed state. Overworked and exploited both in the family and in society, these women give vent to their mental agony in their spirit-possessed state. In her attempt to write a ‘her story’, Bama makes interesting references to food enjoyed by her people. Traditionally in most homes the kitchen is a limited space designated for women. But over the years women have transformed this space into an area of discourse that gives them a semblance of power. In Sangati, Sammuga Kizhavi’s mouthwatering description of ragikuuzh eating is thought provoking. She describes it as â€Å"nectar from heaven† (37). Every sunday, the narrator’s patti made a special kuzhambu with cow’s intestine which went well with ragi kali. There is also mention of patti’s hot kuzhambu with dried fish. In Karukku Bama brings to light the gugapusai at Chinnamalai, the highlight of the festival is slaughter of rooster, goat or pig. There is immense joy in cooking the food and feasting the delicacy. By subverting simple acts of cooking, feeding and sharing food, Bama brings the novel alive before our eyes. KanchaIlliah in his thought provoking work Why I am Not A Hindu, mentions that certain kinds of rich food like ghee and milk were seldom available for the economically downtrodden dalits in the rural areas. But Bama celebrates the food that is cooked and served by the womenfolk in her community. There is great joy in discovering other more healthy and nutritious options. The food metaphor helps in the narrating of her stories earlier neglected or misrepresented in mainstream writing. By discussing the narratives of many women from the Dalit community Bama places before us the rural Dalit woman’s identity. Though the struggle is much owing to the double oppression of caste and gender, we notice that their strength is also revealed. The women stand by each other to help each other when there is injustice meted out not only in society but in family circles as well. Bama doesn’t shy away from describing violent domestic or street quarrels. In Sangati we hear the voices of many women, some in pain, some in anger, some in frustration and some out of courage. Sometimes the language is full of expletive with sexual undertones. Bama suggests that it is the sharp tongue of a woman that can protect her against her oppressors. The characters often break in to a song or a chant when the situation demands and there is a song for every occasion.. But what is thought provoking is Bama’s sketching a positive identity for the Dalit woman. An alternate her story as opposed to the mainstream is drawn with vivid descriptions of a marriage ceremony, attaining of puberty ceremony, joy of togetherness, singing songs, cooking and sharing food. In most rural homes the Dalit woman is an earning member, widow re-marriages are possible and tali or the sacred thread worn as a chain during the marriage is not this binding symbol as in other communities. It is interesting that the Dalit woman cannot be suppressed in spite of caste, gender oppression. FEMINISM The novel deals with the struggle, both in America and in Africa, of women to gain recognition as individuals who deserve fair and equal treatment. Male dominance is the norm in both countries. As Albert says Men spose to wear the pants. It takes various forms, not least of which is sexual aggression. In the very first letter, Celie tells of the abuse she suffers at the hands of the man she believes for a long time is her father. Mary Agnes is raped by the white uncle whom she approaches for help to get Sofia out of prison and Mr (Albert) also tries to force Nettie to submit to him before she leaves the house after fighting him off. Celies sexual encounters with her husband, Mr- are sordid and unloving Just do his business, get off, go to sleep As Shug remarks, Celie make it sound like he going to the toilet on you. Physical violence also seems to be a common occurrence, even in relationships which are quite loving, like that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. He beats her because the woman spose to mind. It is a respectable thing for a man to do to his wife, in his view. Women are exploited very seriously, especially Celie, who is married off to Albert to look after his children and is expected to work on the farm and submit without objection to all of Alberts demands and those of the children. She is also meant to accept Alberts affair with Shug Avery, which extends even to him sleeping with her under the same roof. In fact fidelity is not seen as an important quality by men, although the same behaviour in females is cause for comment. Notice how the preacher attacks Shug by implication because of her loose lifestyle, but men are allowed to behave as they wish. The novels message is that women must stand up against the unfair treatment they receive at the hands of men and that they must do this by helping one another. The women in the novel, even those who have interests in the same men, nevertheless band together to support and sustain one another throughout the novel. The bond of sisterhood is important, both literally in the persons of Nettie and Celie, Sofia and Odessa and metaphorically in the persons of Mary Agnes and Sofia, Alberts sister and Celie, Tashi and Olivia and of course Shug Avery and Celie, who embody the twin roles of sisters and lovers in their relationship. Some of the women in the novel have learned to fight for themselves. Sofia is powerful and physically strong. She is not subservient and has great strength of character as well. She can and does fight for what she wants, but of course her aggression results in her dreadful experience at the hands of the police  after she dares to talk back to the white mayor, and her subsequent sentence to drudgery as the mayors servant lasts for many years. The bond between her and Mary Agnes is stronger than their mutual claim on Harpos affections. Mary Agnes endures rape for Sofias sake in order to get her released from prison, and when Mary Agnes goes off to be a singer it is Sofia who looks after her child. Shug Avery is the most liberated of the women in the novel, although she also suffers verbal attack from the church elders because of her lifestyle. Her career as a blues singer enables her to experience much more freedom than the other women whose lives are bound by home, work and child care. She is also much more sexually liberated than many other females, having numerous affairs and enjoying her sexuality with no restraints or false guilt.. She has, also, a strong belief in God which is unfettered by convention and her relationship with Celie is a central theme of the novel. It is Shug who liberates Celie in all aspects of her life, guiding her into emotional, sexual and financial independence and combining the roles of sister, friend and lover. Snug possesses equality because of her own integrity as a person, and she passes this on to Celie. It is no accident that the enterprise which gains Celie her independence is, paradoxically, a womans job- sewing but the product is trousers, for women to wear. Masculine and feminine temperament are also addressed in the novel. Shug is described by Albert as being more manly than most men, but as Celie rightly points out to him, those qualities of independence, honesty and integrity are equally valid as womanly qualities. It is a barbaric custom and Nettie feels helpless to influence the tribe or to help the victims. The saddest part of the African experience is the way in which the people of the tribe are exploited by the white traders who drive their roads into the interior obliterating ancient settlements and destroying lifestyles which have lasted for centuries. The Olinka are hospitable and give the builders food while they destroy the village and the roof leaf supplies. Alice Walker gives us a sad portrait of a dying lifestyle and an obsolete people. There is a strong sense of outrage that people are driven out of their rightful homes for foreign (white) economic gain, forced to pay for the privilege of living in corrugated huts and becoming prey to disease because their yam crops are destroyed Ultimately Samuel and Nettie are forced to leave and return to America. The link between the people in Georgia and the Africans is that both are victims of white oppression, but tragically, despite their common heritage, they can be of no help to one another.

The Critical Role Of Information Systems Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper The Critical Role of Information Systems Today s information systems are both proficient and societal in nature. Management must understand the importance of information within the organisation. It is direction s occupation to understand how information is collected, processed, and distributed. We are all highly affected by information systems and must be willing to understand and work with them. Our planetary economic system does non let us to depend on face to confront minutess like in the 1980 s. Today, few directors can disregard the importance and impact of how information is handled by their organisation. Information systems play a critical function in today s concern organisation and society ( Laudon 5 ) . Since the outgrowth of the planetary economic system, the success of houses today and in the hereafter depends on their ability to run globally. The American economic system depends on imports and exports. Foreign trade, both imports and exports histories for a small over 25 per centum of goods and services produced in the United States, and even more in states like Japan and Germany. We will write a custom essay sample on The Critical Role Of Information Systems Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This per centum is presently and will go on to turn in the hereafter ( 5 ) . Globalization of the universe s industrial economic systems greatly enhances the value of information to the house and offers new chances to concerns. Today, information systems provide the communicating and analytic power that houses need to carry on trades and manage concerns on a planetary graduated table. Globalization and information engineering besides brings new menaces to domestic concern houses. This is brought on by the client s ability to shop in a world-wide market place, obtaining the monetary value and quality information faithfully, 24 hours a twenty-four hours. The worldwide market topographic point brings competition to a higher degree than of all time before, coercing all concerns to play a portion in this planetary economic system. In order to go a profitable participant in a world-wide market houses, need powerful information and communicating systems ( 5 ) . Many states are sing the 3rd economic revolution. These states include the United States, Japan, Germany and other major industrial powers. This revolution, which is now in advancement, is transforming itself into a cognition and information based service economic system. This revolution began at the bend of the century and by 1976 the figure of white-collar workers employed in offices surpassed the figure of farm workers, service workers, and blue-collar workers employed in fabrication. Today, most people no longer work in farms or mills, but alternatively are found in gross revenues, instruction, wellness attention, Bankss, insurance houses, computing machine engineering, and jurisprudence houses. In add-on, they provide concern services like copying, computing machine package, or bringings. These occupations chiefly involve working with, administering, or making new cognition and information. In fact, cognition and information Fieldss now account for 75 per centum of the American gross national merchandise ( GNP ) , and about 70 per centum of the labour force ( 7 ) . In a cognition and information based economic system, information engineering and systems take on great importance. For case, information engineering constitutes for more than 70 per centum of the invested capital in service industries like finance, insurance, and existent estate. This means that directors determinations about information engineering will be the most common investing determination ( 7 ) . Productiveness of employees depends greatly on the quality of information systems functioning them. Management determinations about information engineering are critically of import to the endurance of a house. See besides that the turning power of information engineering makes possible new services of great economic value. See that recognition cards, nightlong bundle bringing, and world-wide reserve systems are illustrations of services that are based on new information engineerings. Information systems have many utilizations. They non merely assist you track stock list but besides help you make determinations on where to open another shop and aid in calculating how much money it will be to keep it ( 7 ) . There are six major types of information systems. The first is the Executive Support Systems ( ESS ) . This is a strategic degree system that allows senior directors to undertake and turn to five-year tendencies, runing programs, budget prediction, net income planing, and manpower planning. The 2nd is Management Information Systems ( MIS ) . This is a direction system and is directed at in-between directors in helping them make determinations on gross revenues direction, stock list control, one-year budgeting, and capital investing analysis. Another direction degree system is the Decision Support System ( DSS ) and is besides directed at in-between directors. This system is directed for the directors that are crippled by their, Paralysis of Analysis. The 4th and 5th, are knowledge degree systems called Knowledge Work Systems ( KWS ) and Office Automation Systems ( OAS ) directed at cognition and information workers. The KWS is a system that assists extremely educated professional and proficient staff. This system is used as technology, artworks, and managerial workstations. The OAS is used for word processing, image storage, and electronic calendars. This system is directed toward clerical workers. The last system is an operational degree system called Transaction Processing Systems ( TPS ) directed towards operational forces and supervisors. This system has many utilizations. The TPS is used for order trailing, order processing, machine control, works programming, material motion control, securities trading, hard currency direction, paysheet, histories collectible, histories receivable, compensation, Training and development, and employee recordkeeping. There are many illustrations of how information systems non merely profit T he investor but besides the client ( 19 ) . For illustration, UPS competes globally with information engineering. UPS delivers over three billion bundles a twenty-four hours to more than 185 states. All this would non be possible without an accurate information system. UPS has invested 1 to 1.8 billion dollars on information engineering entirely from 1992 to 1996. This engineering has helped UPS hike client service while maintaining costs low and streamlining its overall operations. UPS does this by utilizing a handheld computing machine called a Delivery Information Acquisition Device ( DIAD ) . UPS drivers automatically capture clients signatures along with pickup, bringing, and timecard information on these computing machines. These computing machines are so placed into an arranger attached to each UPS truck. The arrangers so transmit to the chief UPS computing machine web through cellular entree. From the chief computing machine web any information can be accessed ( Wilson ) . Through TotalTrack, its machine-controlled bundle tracking system, UPS can supervise bundles throughout the bringing procedure. Throughout the procedure, bundles are scanned at each halt utilizing saloon codifications. The information is so fed into a cardinal computing machine. This allows the clients to seek for any bundle utilizing a bundle tracking package supplied by UPS. Soon anyone can happen out the position of his or her bundle by accessing the UPS web site. It is easy to see how information systems have helped UPS win ( Wilson ) . Another illustration on the critical function of information systems is Baxter International s stockless stock list and ordination system. This is an information system that locks in clients and satisfaction. Participating infirmaries become unwilling to exchange to another provider because of the system s convenience and low cost. Baxter Healthcare International Inc. supplies about two-thirds of all merchandises used by United States infirmaries. It uses an information system originally developed by American Hospital Supply Corporation. Buying this system has made Baxter a full line provider for all infirmary demands ( Removing the Warehouse ) . Baxter has gone one measure farther by giving all the purchasers a computing machine to link straight to their chief web. Customers no longer hold to name to put an order, all that is required is to utilize the on-site computing machine to see and order from the catalog. The system generates transporting, charge, invoicing, and stock list information. In add-on, the on site computing machines provide clients with an estimated clip of bringing. Because Baxter has over 80 distribution centres in the U.S. , clients frequently receive orders within hours of puting the order ( Removing the Warehouse ) . The system used by Baxter is similar to the just-in-time bringing systems developed in Japan and now being used in the American car industry. Baxter has even gone one measure farther by extinguishing the demand for bringing forces to drop off their carts at the lading dock, which is so placed in a infirmary storage room. Alternatively, they deliver orders straight to the infirmary corridors, dropping them at nursing Stationss, runing suites, and stock cupboards. This basically has created a stockless stock list since Baxter serves as the infirmaries warehouse. A stockless stock list greatly reduces the infirmaries need for storage infinite and forces. It besides lowers keeping and managing costs significantly. This is a better system than the just-in-time stock list method because under the other systems, storage is required, but under the stockless stock list system, it eliminates stock lists wholly. The most of import portion of the stockless stock list is the information system th at allows all minutess to go on at the touch of a key ( Removing the Warehouse ) . A concluding illustration on how information systems benefit big houses by lower costs and leting them to present merchandises and services at lower cost is Wal-Mart. By maintaining monetary values low and shelves good stocked, Wal-Mart utilizations an outstanding stock list refilling system triggered by point-of-sale purchases. This is considered the best system in the industry. This uninterrupted refilling system sends orders to providers every bit shortly as the merchandise is purchased by the client at the registry. Point-of-sale terminuss record the saloon codification of each point go throughing the check-out procedure counter and sends a purchase dealing straight to a cardinal computing machine at Wal-Mart Headquarters. The computing machine collects orders from all of the Wal-Mart shops and transmits them to providers. Because this system allows them to refill stock list really fast, Wal-Mart does non pass every bit much money on stock pilling stock list as its rivals. Wal-Ma rt lone spends 15 per centum of gross revenues in operating expense while Sears spends 30 per centum and Kmart spends 21 per centum. Again, this is merely possible because of the usage of information systems. As you can see information systems are far more than merely input, procedure, and end product machines. Directors and society must understand that these systems provide solutions to concern challenges and must be willing to alter with the new engineering. Information systems can assist in the twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours undertaking at work and at place. We no longer have to depend on merely one house or corporation to purchase stuff we need. We can shop the planetary market 24 hours a twenty-four hours to happen the best monetary value and quality. With the increased planetary competition, companies will hold to utilize information systems in order to last in today s market topographic point. Work Cited Laudon, Kenneth C. , and Jane P. Laudon. Management Information Systems. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. , 1996 Removing the Warehouse from Cost-Conscious Hospitals. New York: Timess, 1991 Wilson, Linda. Stand and Deliver. Information Week April. 1992

Top 10 Business Writing Tips

Top 10 Business Writing Tips Like life itself, writing can sometimes be messy, frustrating, and  hard. But you can make your working life a little easier by  editing  with these principles in mind. Its simple: Whether youre writing a two-line email or a 10-page report, anticipate the needs of your readers and remember the four Cs: Be clear, concise, considerate, and correct. Use these 10 quick tips to learn  how: 1. Adopt the you attitude. This means looking at a topic from the point of view of your readers, emphasizing what they want or need to know. Example: I have requested that your order be sent out today.Revision: You will receive your order by Wednesday. 2. Focus on the real subject. Dont bury a key word by dropping it into a phrase following a weak subject. Example: The implementation of the new marketing campaign will begin on June 1.Revision: The new marketing campaign will begin on June 1. 3. Write actively, not passively. Wherever its appropriate, put your subject up front and make it do something. The active voice generally works better than the passive because its more direct, more concise, and easier to understand. (But not always.) Example: Your proposal was reviewed at our meeting on April 1, and it was immediately submitted to the developers.Revision: We reviewed your proposal on April 1 and immediately submitted it to the developers. 4. Cut unnecessary words and phrases. Wordy expressions may distract readers, so cut the clutter. Example:  I am writing this note because I want to thank you very much for organizing the open house that was held last Thursday.Revision: Thank you very much for organizing last Thursdays open house. 5. But dont leave out key words. To be clear as well as concise, we sometimes need to add a word or two. Example: The storage shed is the first step.Revision: Unlocking the storage shed is the first step. 6. And dont forget your manners. Heres where being considerate comes in. If you say please and thank you when talking with colleagues, include those words in your emails as well. Example: Send me the jargon report before you head home.Revision: Please send me the jargon report before you head home. 7. Avoid outdated expressions. Unless you enjoy sounding stuffy in print, stay away from words and phrases that are never used in conversation- attached herewith, this is to advise you, as per your request. Example: Attached herewith for your reference is a duplicated version of the aforementioned deed.Revision: I have enclosed a copy of the deed. 8. Put a cap on the vogue words and buzzwords. Trendy expressions tend to wear out their welcome fast. Ditto for corporate jargon. Do your best to write like a  human. Example: At the end of the day the bottom line is that we should facilitate opportunities for employees to provide input on best practices.Revision: Lets encourage people to make suggestions. 9. Unstack your modifiers. Stacking means piling up modifiers before a noun- the verbal equivalent of a traffic jam. Long noun strings may save a word or two, but they may also puzzle your readers. Example: Space telescope wide-field planetary camera instrument definition team ground based charged-couple-device camera (from New Scientist, cited by Matthew Lindsay Stevens in Subtleties of Scientific Style, 2007)Revision: Huh? 10. And, of course, proofread. Finally, theres correctness: always make sure you  check your work,  no matter how good you think youve gotten at the other Cs. Example:: When youre in a hurry, its very easy to leave words.Revision: When youre in a hurry, its very easy to leave out words.

Evolution of the Office - History and Innovations

Evolution of the Office - History and Innovations As long as governments or other organizations have existed the office has existed in some form as a place to do the associated administrative or clerical duties. The 19th Century Office In the late 19th century, commercial offices for conducting business first appeared in the United States. The railroad, the telegraph and then the telephone were invented allowing for instant remote communication. Wherever manufacturing existed, for example in a mill or factory, the administrative office could now be placed at a distance. Other inventions that promoted the office included: electric lighting, the typewriter, and calculating machines. More Office Machines Office Furniture Perhaps the greatest symbol of the office is the office chair and desk. During the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, new office equipment and furniture were popular exhibits. The exposition featured fancy rolltop desks and novel new filing systems. Desk design eventually evolved after the invention of the typewriter as the rolltop design was not a good one for the placement of the typewriter. The 20th Century Office By 1900, nearly 100,000 people in the United States were working as secretaries, stenographers, and typists in an office. The average worker was employed for sixty hours per six-day work week. Specialized training was now available for people who wished to study office skills. Office Ergonomics The birth of the white collar worker and the office meant that for many hours a day office workers would be sitting and conducting tasks. Ergonomics is the optimizing of the experience between human beings, and the designed objects and environments they interact with and has played a large role in the design of objects used in the modern office. Â   Continue Office Machines

Islamic Accounting and Reporting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Islamic Accounting and Reporting - Assignment Example The time period is also referred to as Ijarah period (Siddiqui, n.d.). The Ijarah contract is based on Islamic principles and has emerged as a popular asset financing concept. This contract is also used for transactions related to employment and hire of services. This contract of Ijarah is a mode of financing which provides customers with short to medium term financing to lease items such as buildings, real estates, computers, equipments, machineries and other items which are not forbidden of haraam. The contract is almost similar to conventional leasing contract but not identical to it (Ibrahim, 2001). The Ijarah rental amount is paid in installments over the time to cover the costs or the value of the investment for the bank in addition to the fair return on the investment (Ghuddah, 2007). In Ijarah the ownership of the asset is not transferred to the lessee. Risk associated with the ownership of the assets should remain with the banks and the asset is supposed to be reverted to th e bank at the end of Ijarah period. The cash flows of the asset are structured in such a way that they cover the price of the asset and provide a return on the same. Some of the important features of the Ijarah contract are as follows: ïÆ'Ëœ The asset which has been leased must have a valuable use that is compliant with the Shari’a laws. ïÆ'Ëœ ... Usufruct means the right of using another’s property for profit (Abdullah, 2010). The rental payment must occur after the delivery of the leased asset. For example by giving the keys of the building to the lessee musta’jir. If there is a loss to the usufruct then the Ijarah contract stands terminated (Shariff and Rahman, n.d.) Islamic accounting is less accepting towards the concept of time value of money and that is why in Ijarah accounting the lease and the transfer amount will be accounted as separate transaction even if these transactions are linked with each other (Malaysian Accounting Standards Board, 2010). In conventional leasing it is acceptable to have a lease and sale in one accounting transaction; however to have more than one accounting transaction with more than one result is prohibited in Islamic accounting. The results derived from the lease transaction differ from the sale transaction and that is why they cannot be combined into a single transaction und er Islamic accounting which is also known as Akad. In conventional leasing finance there are usually two types of leases known as operating lease and financial lease. In operating lease the lessor owns the asset and bears the risk and the maintenance costs. In financial lease the ownership of the asset remains with the lessor and the risk and operating costs are borne by the lessee. Conventional leasing provides options to the lessor and lessee to terminate the lease contract unanimously. Ijarah contract on the other hand gives option to the lessor and lessee to terminate the contract within a stipulated time frame. This option is valid for a particular time period under the framework of Al-Khiyar. In conventional leasing, in case of termination of the contract, the remaining rental payment

Evaluation of structure and composition of early childhood narrative Essay

Evaluation of structure and composition of early childhood narrative - Essay Example 3 "Chinese children, generally speaking, include more narrative components,evaluative information, and temporal markers in their narratives over time.However, the growth patterns and rates of change for each child on eachnarrative measure vary (Chang,Chein Ju 2004,page 83-104)". All of these three criteria (narrative structure, evaluation, and temporality) are kept in mind when analysing the stories I have collected from children in the appropriate age range. This essay will employ the Labovian six part narrative model and Hoey's concept of problem-solution pattern to assess the texts. Appendix (1) shows examples of the concepts that will be employed and tested against the children's narrative. Not all of these elements are present in every story, but a majority of the Labovian model fits the narratives. Appendix (1): Labov's and Hoey's Approaches These two concepts will be used to test the data below. Fig. 1: Labov's six part model (Labov. William, Waletzky.J 1967) ABSTRACT- What happened in the beginning ORIENTATION- Who, where and when COMPLICATING ACTION- What happened EVALUATION- The high point RESOLUTION- What finally happened CODA- Final summary which brings listener and speaker back to the present time Fig. 2: Hoey's concept of predictable patterns Situation (optional) Problem Response OR Negative Evaluation Positive Evaluation and Or Result Or Result Hypothesis My hypothesis is that as a child is introduced to... This study builds on many other works as the Labovian model is now frequently used to assess children's narratives, (Kernan, 1977; Eaton, Collis and Lewis, 1999). The idea of linguistic and narrative development in children is also a popular issue. One study that specifically charts the evolution of child narrative with age is Telling stories of experiences: Narrative development of young Chinese children a study by Chien-JuChang in which young Chinese children were visited in their homes at age three years and six months and then at three month intervals for the next nine months. This essay will employ the Labovian six part narrative model and Hoey's concept of problem-solution pattern to assess the texts. Appendix (1) shows examples of the concepts that will be employed and tested against the children's narrative. Not all of these elements are present in every story, but a majority of the Labovian model fits the narratives. My hypothesis is that as a child is introduced to more narrative texts, and comes to identify narrative components, that he or she will

Possible Risks Which Affect Computer System Essay Example for Free

Possible Risks Which Affect Computer System Essay Abstract The short report reveals about the possible risks that affecting the computer system in terms of data loss and malfunctioning of programs. By taking simple precautionary measures the unexpected hazards can be completely eliminated. The most significant preventive measure is timely backing up the data. The other involves physical safety and installation of anti-virus programs. One factor to be kept in mind is that without proper physical safety no data is safe, as the hardware parts including motherboard, processor, and storage system constitute a computer brain. Once the brain gets damaged the whole system is collapsed. Introduction Normally people never think of taking precautionary measures until they experience individual loss or feel the bitterness of unexpected disasters. This may also happen in most of the cases regarding back up processes against possible risks involved in information loss. There is no use of running after the data, which has already been a lost or taking bleak effort to regain it. But one has to be vigilant regarding the backup process by learning from the drastic experiences of others. If one realize about the importance of information stored in the system and feel the perspiration to create and process the data associated with it, he will never let it go by silly causes. Firstly he would concern about the protection of information by all possible ways. This short report reveals about the possible risks involved in data loss and the ways to eliminating those risks. Possible Risks to the Data There are several risks, which cause the data in the computer to vanish or to corrupt. Therefore different backup processes are to be adopted to protect data from different risks. Only a few numbers of backup processes are capable to handle all the risks and protect data loss. Here is a short description about the commonly seen risks to PCs. Hardware Failure It is termed as the most significant risk that may affect the data storage system. If a person is well aware of hard disk failure he never forget to backup the data timely. Disk crash may lead the system with irrecoverable loss of data and valuable programs. The other hardware failures include memory errors; system-timing problems, resource conflicts and power loss can also corrupt the data or damage the important programs. Ensuring proper dust free and moisture free atmosphere, timely scanning of disk, supply of uninterrupted power will minimize the above risks. Software Failure There is also a possibility of data loss due to software errors. It may be the result of improper or ineffective software design. Due to lack of proper logic and effective coding the program on execution may get hanged and because of that the data may get corrupted. â€Å"Some software bugs may be even more damaging, even causing the loss of files unrelated to them. † (SF). But rarely it happens. This risks can be eliminated by using of the trustful and reliable software. File System Corruption This problem generally comes due to the improper maintenance of system disks. If the disk is not scanned regularly there is a risk of transforming file structure used to contain information files and programs. It may cause damage of data and ultimately loss. Accidental Deletion It happens by simple mistakes of human as, rarely, important files may accidentally be deleted from the hard disk. By taking certain protection techniques and undeletion utilities the lost files can be recovered later. Proper backup of data in time and usage of proper undeletion utilities will negate the data loss from accidental deletion. Virus Infection Viruses are uninvited malicious programs that cause irrecoverable damages to the system files and important programs. The data loss can happen either due to direct Virus attacks or it can happen as a result to the efforts for removing viruses from computer system. By installing trustful anti-virus programs this problem can be eliminated. Other Risks Data loss due to physical activities of human such as Theft and Sabotage by dissatisfied employees is also a matter of concern. Same consequences are expected from the natural disasters such as Fire incidents, flood, earthquake, mud slide, hurricane, lightning strike, etc. at is on. Once the system is damaged physical no recovery can be expected from that. Therefore the only solution from the risk is to ensure physical safety of the system. So protect the systems from the possible physical hazards keep it physically as well as functionally safe. Work cited SFSource : Software Failures ; http://www. pcguide. com/care/bu/risks. htm

Formulation Of A Theory :: Papers

Formulation Of A Theory The certain factors that influence the accuracy of estimation is mainly: Age, the time of day it is processed, gender and the style of the survey. The reason age has an affect on the accuracy of estimation, is because if the person is too young or too old the survey may not be reliable enough in order for it to be processed into a data collection sheet the reason being that they may not be suited to the imperial or metric measurement used in modern days. The young may not have learnt the imperial measures and the elderly may not be used to the correct terms. The effect, time has to getting good reliability is that the survey should be taken out at a convenient time of the day where food has been consumed properly and the people's minds are focused. The times which may be irrelevant to practice a survey is early in the morning or late at night where people may be tired. The gender may have a certain effect on the outcome of results because the males may differ in technical skills to females or it is possible that perhaps females are more capable of handling academical situations rather than males. The style of a survey may affect the result because if badly constructed questions are used, people will not answer the survey properly and will try to avoid them. An example of a badly constructed question is 'What is your age?'-This is personal. Many people will not want to answer. An example of a well constructed question is 'Which age group are you in? 0-20 21-30 31-50 etc. A questionnaire is usually put together to test a hypothesis. The hypothesis that will be used in this questionnaire is: 'Children will be able to estimate better than adults'. Method The data will be collected through a simple questionnaire. A stratified sample will be used. This is because in a stratified sample, the population that will be asked will be divided into

Conformity Paper Essay

Conformity affects one’s behavior. There are two primary reasons why individuals conform. First, people conform due to informational social influence. What this means is that people rely on others’ judgment about an ambiguous situation and use such judgment in choosing a particular course of action. The second reason is normative social influence. This refers to conforming simply to be accepted. Conformity is a big issue in most people’s lives. In my case, there has been numerous times wherein I relied on other people’s judgment to make a certain decision. The very simple example is determining what hair style would suit me best. I have consulted and asked for advice from my friends and family for this very simple matter. I could not decide for myself and I had to rely on their judgment. Another case wherein informational social influence was a factor for me was when I was deciding which course to take. To me, such decision seemed very confusing. There were too many options. Thus, I needed to consult my parents. I asked them their opinion and ended up following what it was they advised me to do. Informational social influence is very evident in society particularly in advertising. Companies use advertisements wherein they promote their product by showing surveys conducted that show their product as the preferred choice of the majority. This is meant to influence consumers to follow suit. Most people would think, â€Å"If most people choose this, then it must be the best choice.† In other words, they leave their judgment to other people. This is a very good demonstration of how informational social influence affects the decision making and behavior of individuals. In the case of the second reason for conformity, normative social influence, I have had several experiences wherein it played a factor in my behavior at the given time. This was especially true during my teenage years. When I was a teenager, I felt the need to fit in. I wanted to be among the popular kids at school. In order to be among the popular crowd, I tried to do everything that the popular ones did. I dressed as I saw them dress, I talked and acted as they did. However, I noticed that the more I tried to be like them, the more they seemed to be distant. More importantly, my real friends and my family began to question me as to why I was doing things that were unexpected of me. As I grew older and matured, I began to realize that not only were my attempts in vain, they were ridiculous and unnecessary. Nowadays, every time I look back on those days, I cannot help but to laugh. â€Å"Fitting in† is a big problem for most teenagers. That is why most teenagers get into various kinds of trouble. Some teenage girls get pregnant at a very early age simple because they thought that losing their virginity would make them more welcomed in the popular crowd. On the other hand, boys end up joining gangs as they search for a sense of belongingness. Drugs and alcohol also are common problems that teenagers face because of their wanting to fit in and be accepted by their peers. Basically, this is where the concept of peer pressure comes in. Peer pressure is simply the result of normative social influence. Teenagers feel the pressure from their friends to do certain things. They feel that if they do not do as what their peers do, they will end up being scorned and laughed at. For a teenager, humiliation is a big drawback. This is the reason why teenagers end up changing their behavior simply to be accepted by others.

Eradicating risk Essay

Judges, Chairman, Members of the Floor. Life is full of risks. Even in our day to day lives we encounter many situations which could include risk: playing sport or travelling to and from school. And it is of course important to understand this risk, whether that is by merely educating yourself of the risks attached to a specific activity, or by taking small steps to try to reduce that risk. Using the example of driving, there are hundreds of thousands of traffic accidents that occur in the UK each year. You could therefore say that it is purely common sense to wear a seatbelt when travelling in a car. However, I would argue that there is a huge difference between taking the sensible action of wearing a seatbelt and condemning the roads as just being too dangerous and deciding to stop driving altogether. I feel that, in our society, we are too quick to see the downside and the negative aspects of risk and not sufficiently tuned in to the need to see risk as something that occurs naturally and simply needs to be understood and taken wisely into account. School trips are arguably one of the most enriching parts of your education as they help to reinforce the curriculum that you learn in the classroom. However, there is a risk that the numbers of school trips will fall due to the huge amount of paperwork required. Before a school trip can take place, an extensive risk assessment has to be carried out, outlining all the possible hazards that might occur during this trip. And the claims culture that exists today only serves to worsen this problem. Teachers are rightly uneasy to participate in school trips as they are immediately liable for any injury, however minor, that may occur. We are at the point now where schools are considering removing playground equipment to avoid being sued when children suffer minor injuries. Kent County Council has paid out ? 700,000 to children since 2008 and claims have become so common that schools face mounting bills, even when children get hurt while breaking school rules by climbing walls or trees. To quote Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, â€Å"Schools become so risk-conscious they no longer present children with challenges and they are wrapped up in cotton wool†. The staggering number of personal injury lawyers offering â€Å"no-win no-fee† deals will attest to the fact that claims are so commonplace in our society that they only way for any organisation to reduce their liability is to attempt to eradicate risk involved. The huge popularity of insurance nowadays is just another example of how we have become obsessed with eradicating risk. There are not only many insurance companies, but also a huge number of different types of insurance. Gadget and mobile insurance, a relatively new industry, is now estimated to be worth ? 1. 24 billion across Europe. Even the scandal over PPI (payment protection insurance) was essentially due to banks frightening their customers into thinking that they needed insurance to ensure that they paid off their debt. In conclusion, risk is not something that we should fear, nor is it something that we should seek to eliminate completely from our lives, as I believe we, as a society, are increasingly in danger or doing. As I have demonstrated, risk is simply a consequence of the combination of a set of circumstances and this combination simply needs to be understood so that sensible precautions can be taken to manage or mitigate the risk, but there is certainly no requirement to eliminate this. Indeed, a life without risk would be a very boring life indeed. â€Å"This House believes society has become obsessed with eradicating risk†

Free Essays on Only A Girl...

Only a girl... In many books we are allowed to watch a child grow and mature in many different ways. In the story â€Å"Boys and Girls† by Alice Munro we watch as a young girl begins to mature into a young woman. We also get to experience life through her eyes and see how her perspective of things changes, many times to the dismay of the narrator. It seems as though things seem to change against her own will as she grows. Through the extensive description of setting, along with the use of the narrator’s point of view, we get a good idea of what life is like on her family’s fox farm in the 1950’s. The story opens with the narrator speaking about the life of her father, a fox farmer who sells the coats of foxes to trading companies and such. This leads to a rather interesting childhood for the oldest child of two. The narrator talks about how the smell of the fox furs in her basement feels like a sort of reassuring scent. This is something that makes her feel at home and secure, or as she likes to use as an example:†...like the smell of oranges and pine needles.† (365). The setting of a story is defined simply as â€Å"a time or place† (Beaty and Hunter 149). â€Å"Boys and Girls† includes just a few settings, mainly on the farmland, which was very likely based on her actual homeland. Munro spent her life on a farm in Ontario near Lake Huron, many of her stories are based upon her life experiences as a farm child, which would lead to the conclusion that this farm story is set in Ontario (A83-84). The narrator first tells us what makes her room so scary as a child. As a young girl, her brother and her had a fear of their dark bedroom. We get a taste of that fear in her description. When we read about the setting it almost brings us back to our childhood fears of not just the dark in particular, but what was in it. Imaginations run wild about who is hiding behind the old hardened linoleum, or what could pop out ... Free Essays on Only A Girl... Free Essays on Only A Girl... Only a girl... In many books we are allowed to watch a child grow and mature in many different ways. In the story â€Å"Boys and Girls† by Alice Munro we watch as a young girl begins to mature into a young woman. We also get to experience life through her eyes and see how her perspective of things changes, many times to the dismay of the narrator. It seems as though things seem to change against her own will as she grows. Through the extensive description of setting, along with the use of the narrator’s point of view, we get a good idea of what life is like on her family’s fox farm in the 1950’s. The story opens with the narrator speaking about the life of her father, a fox farmer who sells the coats of foxes to trading companies and such. This leads to a rather interesting childhood for the oldest child of two. The narrator talks about how the smell of the fox furs in her basement feels like a sort of reassuring scent. This is something that makes her feel at home and secure, or as she likes to use as an example:†...like the smell of oranges and pine needles.† (365). The setting of a story is defined simply as â€Å"a time or place† (Beaty and Hunter 149). â€Å"Boys and Girls† includes just a few settings, mainly on the farmland, which was very likely based on her actual homeland. Munro spent her life on a farm in Ontario near Lake Huron, many of her stories are based upon her life experiences as a farm child, which would lead to the conclusion that this farm story is set in Ontario (A83-84). The narrator first tells us what makes her room so scary as a child. As a young girl, her brother and her had a fear of their dark bedroom. We get a taste of that fear in her description. When we read about the setting it almost brings us back to our childhood fears of not just the dark in particular, but what was in it. Imaginations run wild about who is hiding behind the old hardened linoleum, or what could pop out ...

How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume is now in print!

How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume is now in print! As you may have read in my blog last week, my book How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume has now been published by Skyhorse Publishing – in first-time print and newly designed e-book formats! Even with the support of the editors at Skyhorse, revising the book was a huge project, and I’m excited to see its fruition. Here’s some of what you’ll learn in How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume: 1. How to create a compelling format Format your resume professionally and cleanly to speak to an executive audience. If you’re planning to write your resume yourself, you’ll need some Word skills that you might not have picked up in your travels. The book will teach you some important basics. Use a format appropriate to your profession. For example, if you’re a marketing or sales executive, you can be more daring with your graphic design than if you are an insurance or finance executive. Create something that â€Å"pops† without going overboard. Include plenty of white space. Too much text will turn your readers off. You might insert a bit of smart art or a chart or graph into your executive resume. An easy way to insert graphics is to create a chart in Excel and paste that into the document. Most important, print out your executive resume before sending to make sure everything looks okay, and run it by some colleagues in your industry for their opinion. If anyone is squinting to read your tiny print, increase your font size. A two to three-page resume is okay for executive resumes! 2. How to make powerful word choices Smart word choices, dynamic and varied verbs, and good sentence structure are essential to a successful executive resume. Check your spelling and grammar, and have three other people check your spelling and grammar. Many hiring managers will immediately reject an executive resume based on a single spelling or grammatical error. Remember that the past tense of â€Å"lead† is â€Å"led† – and don’t bore them by starting every bullet with the verb â€Å"Led†! Mix your language up as much as possible without sounding flowery. 3. How to deliver â€Å"power and punch† Pack your executive resume with measurable achievements – metrics and concrete/tangible outcomes. These quantitative results are what keep your reader engaged and demonstrate your value to the organization. You need to show them that you will deliver 5x the amount they are paying you in revenue generations and/or savings. Put your achievements in context. A $5M increase in revenue is more notable on top of $10M than it is on top of $1B. Achievements are also more impressive in the face of challenge. So share your CAR (Challenge/Action/Result), PAR (Problem/Action/Result) or STAR (Situation/Task/Action/Result) stories to demonstrate how you have tackled challenges and what results you have generated. These accomplishments will demonstrate what you’re capable of creating for your next company. Be careful! While you want to provide a sense of the challenge you faced, you want to do that without making your company look bad. This balance requires some finesse. 4.  How to convey your unique selling proposition (USP) You absolutely must make yourself stand out amongst all the other people applying for the position. Learn how to do this in the first few lines of your resume, with the â€Å"New York, New York† principle! 5. Why it’s important to put yourself in the employee’s shoes Imagine yourself reading your resume as your future employer. What would you be looking for? Would you hire you? As someone reading a resume, you would of course want to see some of the keywords that are essential to the position. That’s just the basics. Once that threshold is passed, is the content of this resume enjoyable to read? Is it pleasant visually? Or are you bored? Do you really get who this person is and the difference they could make for your company? Be rigorous in asking – and answering –   these questions. 6. What homework you should be doing You’re a rare person if you can just sit down without preparation and write your resume. This is a big project and it takes doing your homework! Take some time to think through your accomplishments. My resume questionnaire is a great tool for doing that. And choose a format you like, appropriate to your profession. How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume is a great place to start as you’re getting serious about writing your resume yourself. Overall, your resume or executive resume requires high-level storytelling that knocks the reader’s socks off with both an appealing format and impressive language. If you follow the advice in How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume, you might get feedback like some others who have followed its principles: â€Å"This is the best resume I’ve ever seen.† Then all you have to do is back up the resume with your interview skills. This winning combo is what will get you your dream job. Want a copy for yourself? Find How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume at Amazon Google Barnes Noble Kobo

Describing the main points made by the graph (one page) AND Collecting Research Paper

Describing the main points made by the graph (one page) AND Collecting data for a period of 10 years on an economic variable for - Research Paper Example Its horizontal axis illustrates percentages of respective items relative to the nation’s gross domestic product while the horizontal axis represents period in years and communicates anticipated changes in effects of tax cut. ‘Extend Tax Policies’ is one of the major variables that the graphs illustrates and it demonstrates the anticipated trend of deficit. It is shown in a deep blue colour and has varying percentage, of the nation’s Gross domestic product, over time. The cuts would reduce deficit in the short run, over three-year period, before the deficit begins to increase. The graph further shows that the Conges will continuously nullify regulations to reduce Medicare payments. Another significant feature of the graph is the interest payment that the government is likely to occur based on its borrowings. The interest also has an increasing trend and the features suggest that the proposed tax cut was not a sound move. The graph is suitable for representin g the data that aimed at comparing different variables across time. It consolidates the variables in one graph and allows for easier comparison than if the variables were represented in separate simple line graphs. The use of different and visible colours also identifies effectiveness of the graph in communicating predicted changes in economic factors following tax cuts. The audience can easily identify differences in the sizes of each segment to understand the associated changes (Rampell, 2011; Mmerrier, Logan and Williams, 2007). Part 2: Data presentation on an economic variable Gross domestic product indicates a country’s level of productivity and is one of the major indicators of economic capacity and economic growth. The Gross Domestic Product at purchasing power parity is the total value of commodity that an economy produces and is valued in United States Dollar value (The World Bank, 2012). Changes in value of an economy’s currency therefore leads to correspondi ng changes in value of corresponding gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity (Brezina, 2011). It is therefore a reliable measure of an economy’s potential for comparison with other economies for economic decisions in the international set up. Its time series analysis in an economy also offers a basis for understanding economic trends in the given economy and allows for predictions. Consideration of growth rate instead of actual values simplifies analysis and represents both increments and decrements with positive and negative signs respectively. The following data represents growth in gross domestic product for Qatar based on purchasing power parity. The data has been retrieved from Index Mundi database. Table 1: Gross domestic product growth rate for Qatar based on purchasing power parity Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Growth (%) 7.75 3.35 -0.31 3.21 16.98 -1.88 11.08 3.14 1.82 -0.01 13.73 (Index Mundi, http://www.indexmundi.com/q atar/gdp_per_capita_(ppp).html) The following table summarizes descriptive statistics for the data. Table 2: Major descriptive statistics Mean 5.35 Standard deviation 6.19 Median 3.21 Range 18.86 Maximum 16.98 Minimum -1.88 The statistics shows that Qatar had an average growth rate of 5.35 percent in the ten-year period from the year 2000 to the year 2010. The median for the data was 3.21 percent but the mean is a better estimator because it considers both rank and quantity of the yearly gross domestic