Linguistic Opportunism and English in Moldova Essay

Linguistic Opportunism and English in Moldova - Essay Example The author’s interests are clearly developed and the audience to this piece of work is easy to identify. This paper presents a synopsis of the book, alongside the writer’s intent. This is further compared and contrasted to similar and related literature referenced in the book. The book presents an examination of English in Moldova. Specifically, the position of English in the country can be sated from different points of view. The writer’s procedural development of this book is a critical study of the specific components of English in Moldova. There are two major drivers of English in Moldova as identified by Matthew Ciscel. These are opportunism and imperialism (Ciscel, 2002, p.404). The writer follows revolutionary times across history to draw the trend of English in Moldova, with opportunism appearing superior to imperialism. A comparison of past and present social, economic and political trends in the local and international arena paves way to the actual cont ext of English in Moldova. Opportunism is a situation where individuals and /or groups take advantage of emerging opportunities without necessarily taking into account the consequences of those opportunities to others. In other words, these individuals and/or groups maximize their own benefits without prior consideration of the rest of the people. Imperialism on the other hand depicts a colonial-like aspect between one state and another. The author’s main argument is that the above two factors have shaped English in Moldova. This statement may stand challenged, but of course the author had taken this into account during the early stages of developing his book. Ciscel therefore undertook surveys, collecting and analysing relevant data to back up this claim. This was done in the light of world English trends. As aforementioned, the international language is predominantly English. This has suppressed other major world languages around the world. This trend was however expected r ight from the colonial times. This is because major colonies in the world were colonized by English states, for example Britain. The book Linguistic opportunism and English in Moldova therefore takes into account this and other world aspects to highlight linguistic concerns and interests in Moldova. The writer’s intent to the reader is to present how linguistics has constituted exploitation and beneficial opportunities for a few at the expense of many. In this regard, English in Moldova has been integrated into the same context, encompassing imperialism as well. This effort has not been pursued without the support of other works that have been referenced in Ciscel’s book. The investigation of the role of English in Moldova by Matthew Ciscel is backed up by Phillipson’s (1992) and Krachu’s (1985) works. Concepts of linguistic opportunism and linguistic imperialism are highlighted. The work of Krachu goes a step ahead and considers the world â€Å"Englishe s† in concentric circles. The works of these three writers converge to the point that English in Moldova among other states in the world is primarily based on the concept of linguistic opportunism. In this regard, linguistic dominance is realized and further enhanced by imperialism in the same context. The evidence used to back up this observation is common to all three. There is data collection, analysis and interpretation in relation to attitude and use of language in Moldova (Ciscel, 2002, p.412). The work of Matthew Ciscel alongside those of the

Information Policy and Governance Essay Example for Free

Information Policy and Governance Essay Besides the security loopholes and privacy demands from information providers and users, there are various issues that have drawn the attention of information management from the novice systems to advanced information management systems. Policies, in the management worlds have been used as guidelines against which certain safety frameworks are checked. In the information management sectors, policies are guidelines against which the integrity of information and its security can be formulated. Complexity  Whilst I have recognized that a governance copycat seems now to be undulating, I am reluctant to have a definite conclusion and certainly not in a gullible fashion. Instead, I believe that governing complexity of information is far from straightforward and, indeed, that governance malfunction in an organization is custom. Where there are not corporate strategies to guide information management, computer executives will be in risk when making long-term technology choices making it imperative for top-management executive and possibly shareholders to be involved in any decisions that involve governing of Information. The dangers of internal or external threats to a company’s data are becoming more complex as the profundity, extent of a company’s information expands hastily, and data is collective with business partners, suppliers, and customers. The complexities involved in the policy formulation process may be mainly sourced from the end users who may not always be agreeable to the draft policies and without adequate coordination, the process can collapse. Massive training programs, in-depth directives, guidelines and basic instructions, must all be considered as part of the policy formulation processes hence the complexity. Although the complexity of policy formulation may be in the initial stages, governance poses a challenge in the implementation phases. Information Policy Formulation of information management policies involves both the policy formulators and the information users. There is much coordination and interpretation needed. In many instances, there would be several drafts, approvals, debates and eventual releases. Though the information users may agree to the underlying policies on how they would create, have or gain access to, store, as well as dispose of information be it personal or business information, there may be numerous challenges to top management on how to govern and manage the long-term adherence to the formulated policies. Accountability procedures have to therefore be implemented to ensue that the policies agreed upon are not only implemented but adhered to. Policy Frame works. Besides the challenges involved in making agreeable terms upon which information management can be based, basic policies have to be formulated to guide all the stakeholders on the foundational frameworks of information integrity and security. In this case, the attention is then drawn to some basis questions: who makes the information management policies? How are the information management policies made? â€Å"Traditional organizational structure is crumbling under the weight of ever increasing egulations that drive greater accountability and transparency. Smart companies are on the forefront of building new and improved structures that support and enhance this new compliance environment, and best practices are emerging† (Atkinson Leandri, 2005, p. 37). The foundational frameworks upon which information management policies are formulated are key. Basic consideration, in this process, is given to the particular organizational needs as well as long-term goals. Both short-term as well as long-term organizational information needs have to also be evaluated, both Bookmark Privacy In any democratic society privacy is an essential human right. And now organizations are evolving in their thoughts about information privacy. More focus is being placed on the value it can deliver to an organization, and how it can contribute to enhanced and sustained stakeholder value. Most businesses are very particular about data privacy by making sure that certain data does not end up in wrong hands. As part of putting into practice this requests, the business logic section executes functions that make compulsory privacy rules which are a derivative from business rules and sources for government, industry and consumer privacy rules. Rules Traditionally, law and government policy have customary default rules for information policy, but for network environments and the information society the government is not solely responsible for making this rules. In any organization that shares data both internally and externally rules have to be put in place to govern who and when information can be accessed. And if the information is accessed there has to be certain checks and balances that make sure only the information required can be accessed. Linked Data Linked data is the aptitude of an organization to add one information set to another data set and use it for further relevance. This can be achieved by making some changes to the way information is presented to the public and some naming standards have to be implemented and followed. This is not a necessarily complex change that an organization needs to make but it will require alto of expertise, strategy planning and implementation. Places that offer information to public, such as libraries would benefit enormously from using linked data design. It means that they will stop spending time on data aggregation and start spending it on analysis and action of the already existing data. An example is linked data can be used in secure surroundings to help partners share personal, sensitive or profitable information on presentation and resources and help better target those in need or areas for improvement. Conclusion Not every organisation has setup an information management policy, and many carry out their business commendably without one. However, certain occurrences can occur and will alert such organisations to the necessity for one, however, and perpetually this will be at that dangerous ‘its too late’ moment. To avoid such kind of mishaps it is always good for organization to start planning on how they will manage there information and govern it within the company.

Southwest Airlines Competitive Analysis

Southwest Airlines Competitive Analysis Government regulations and directives that were passedforced Southwest to adjust and even totally revamp their original strategies drastically which proved difficult for them. Regulations on baggage handling, for example, required Southwest to add crews simply to meet its turnaround requirements and abandon its cost-savvy plastic boarding passes for purposes of tracking customers which ultimately goes against their strategy of free seating. These changes affected the way the airline operates in a way that management was left with alternatives which would, in one way or another,force Southwest to drift away from its hallmark strategies and/or core competencies (e.g. open seating, late arrivals by passengers, etc.). On a more positive note, the Wright Amendment, one of those deregulation measures which politically restricted interstate flights out of Love Field, Dallas to states adjacent to Texas, has recently been repealed in 2006. This made possible a nationwide service for Southwest. How is Southwest Airlines compared to competition (especially to imitators and like airlines)? Southwest Airlines did fairly well as compared to competition. The 30 consecutive years of sustained profitability is a proof of this. The airlines low turnaround in 2001 was at a competitive edge at 24 minutes-30 minutes faster than the entire industry. This turnaround time enabled Southwests aircrafts to fly more trips, and more trips meant more revenues. How profits were targeted is also a major point of comparison with the competition. People Express, an imitator, though it grew rapidly, failed to meet its profit targets and were not able to cope up. Major airlines that came up with their low-cost brands also failed at this as they inherited management and cultural problems which their full-service airline faced. Economically and socially, the customers to whom Southwest catered to were price-sensitive-mostly business and pleasure fliers and Southwest catered to them exceptionally well. Why has Southwest been so much more successful than its competitors? Southwest offered unique alternatives in response to competitors who clearly wanted to engage in price wars. Southwest did engage in price wars (e.g. with Braniff International with its $13 offer), but it competed not merely on the basis of price but also of value proposition (e.g. giving incentive in the form of gifts to customers who paid $26 instead of $13). These alternatives were embraced by Southwest passengers. The things Southwest did not do proved to be one of their most significant key success factors. For instance, it did not adopt the hub-and-spoke route system (which almost every airline adopted)since it would be inconvenient for their passengers who preferred point-to-point flying.Their also refrained from connecting with other airlines, using interline baggage checking as these do not support their low-cost strategy, and implementing the conventional assignment of seatsto provide further convenience to passengers. Southwest was very successful at cost reduction measures whilst competitors struggled to make their own measures as effective. The reduction of turnaround timeand innovation in other operational processes (e.g.automated ticketing) also paid off for Southwest in this regard. More notably, Southwest negotiated the price of its fuel to suppliers, thereby saving several more millions. Innovations were not limited to operational processes. They implemented promotional programs (e.g. frequent-flier program which was the worlds first) that entice customers and give them more reasons to keep coming back. As Michael Porter himself said, Southwests strategy involves a whole system of activities and not merely a connection of parts. The airlines processes are closely-knit together such that they complement each other making it systematic and more importantly very hard to imitate. Competitors clearly could not expect to win on the basis of imitation. Internally, Southwest employees contribute to its competitive advantage as they are not merely employees, but employees satisfied with their job and have attitude. What kinds of things over which Southwests management has some control could go wrong, and what should be done to make sure that it doesnt? Management would have greatest control over its workforce and failure to address critical employment concerns could pose serious threats. Through the leadership of Barret, Southwest has evolved into a culture-rich workplace where the core philosophies are inculcated deeply into the minds of the employees. Management could endanger this favourable status-quo by appointing less qualified top managers such as CEO, etc. Therefore, decisions regarding succession must be made carefully and not hastily. Politically, laborunions were proliferating in the industry.While Southwest values its employees greatly, management could also go wrong in dealing with them regarding compensation they receive especially since they belong to such unions. Also, Southwest employees are paid less than those of other airlines despite sustained profitability; therefore favourable contracts must be negotiated by management to keep them satisfied and motivated. How should management respond to the fact that Southwest Airlines has fallen to next-to-last place among major airlines in on-time performance as of September, 2002? Since new regulations and directives were implemented particularly from baggage inspection to security searches, delays would naturally occur especially because Southwest passengers are accustomed to coming in last minute. Therefore, management should respond constructively to this statistic by proposing a new policy to its passengers regarding arrival. They could impose that they (especially those with heavy luggage) be at the airport ahead of time (e.g. an hour) before departure given the lengthy procedures on security. This could be easily justified to passengers as having implications on their own safety as well. Of course, Southwest could also use a technological solution to this problem which they have recently done-an electronic check-in system via Southwest.com which would save passengers time by allowing them to board without having to check with an agent. Once operations are fully stabilized, would you recommend to the management of the airline that it resume its historic growth rate of from 10% to 15% per year? Why? I recommend a resumption of previous growth rates but it should be achieved by maintaining its current network and developing it from there as opposed to expanding to a greater proportion of long-haul flights. I take the same stand as the Wall Street analyst who concluded that Southwest could maintain, even double, its size even without opening a new station. Even if it does not take the opportunity to expand this way, Southwest is not left without opportunity. It must be noted that there are more than 100 cities wanting to experience the Southwest effect and nothing could be more opportunistic for Southwest as of the moment. It would be more prudent of Southwest to stick to their core competencies of point-to-point, low-cost, no-frills, high frequency flights for which they are most known for. Otherwise, they might as well join the sea of airlines out there that are neither unique nor differentiated. Lastly, if growth is the objective, then Southwest better achieve it in a slowly-but-surely manner, as opposed the investing highly in an expansions whose effectiveness is not even guaranteed. What are the implications for Southwest of the actual or threatened bankruptcies of other  major U.S. airlines? Actual or threatened bankruptcies are most likely going to favour Southwest in that it would decrease rivalry among competing firms-the most powerful of the five competitive forces. As bankruptcies, actual or threatened, increase, Southwest is presented with opportunities of expansion. The cookie-cutter way of expanding is through acquisition of a struggling competitor. However, it can simply be just Southwest expanding its routes to an entirely new set of states where competitors halts services. However, firms threatened with bankruptcies do not simply discontinue their operations. They could easily seek for government bailout just like all other firms in other industries resort to when threatened. Southwest, being profitable, clearly did not qualify for this benefit from the government, save for a certain $278 million from the amount allocated for aviation providers based on seat miles. Moreover, since the government, in a way, is extending service to the airline industry (e.g. bailouts, added government security to airports, it would have a right to tax airlines. This would not be fair to Southwest since it received only minimal government support but will be subjected to same taxation policies as that of its struggling competitors.

Piracy of the Media Essay -- Music Sharing Internet

Piracy of the Media The use of the internet to download and share music files is a very controversial issue. This topic is especially of interest to me because I download music quite frequently. To get a better look at how frequently students do this, and whether or not they feel it is ethical, I decided to conduct a survey. I conducted a ten question survey of twenty freshmen students. Distributed in Hanson Hall, and all freshmen dorm, the survey was very straightforward and asked questions dealing with how often students used file-sharing programs and whether or not they felt it was ethical to do so. Other questions dealt with alternative options to downloading music and the legal action that ensues doing so. After conducting the survey, I came to the expected conclusion that the majority of students download music regularly. All but one of the students surveyed stated that they download music off a P2P (people to people) file-sharing program. Several people also, however, admitted that they felt that the piracy of music online is unethical. These were people who also said that they download music regularly. Their response as to why they continue to compromise their integrity was based on the fact that they did not feel that the record labels or the individual artists themselves were actually being adversely affected. In their minds, their downloading and sharing of this music is only helping the music industry, especially up-and-coming bands who are trying to develop a name for themselves. Instead of handing out promo CD’s, they can simply upload their music onto the internet and circulate their music that way; a much more inexpensive and effective method. For example, I had n ot heard of the band Good Charlotte ... ... record label if they request it. Possible results may include individuals being sued for downloading music. This may seem as a step in the direction of doing away with the free distribution of music online, but I feel that there will always be a loophole. Students can anonymously sign on and download music, or register under fake information. As seen in the past, as soon as one program is shut down, such as Napster, another one will pop up in its place; Limewire, Kazaa, Morpheus: the list goes on and on. In conclusion, the piracy of music is a hot topic these days. I feel that it will be a controversy for quite awhile, simply because of how difficult it is to prevent. Unless courts and the record labels take more legal action, the music industry will just have to sit back and watch us students â€Å"steal† money from them, money which they already have plenty of.

Poor decision making Essay

Poor decision making problem is not confined at the individual level alone but is manifesting itself more and more in organizations. Employees have become more vociferous in their demands for a better deal. Various departments in an organization face a situation full of problems due to a number of reasons like goal diversity, scarcity of resources or task interdependence etc. Management today is faced with the awesome responsibility of ensuring optimum levels of growth and productivity in an environment that is full of conflicting situations. Modern manager spends over 20% of his time handling one form of problem or the other. DIFFERENT FACTORS It is not at all good to have any conflict and the role of a manager starts once it arises. These are very important points which one tend to answer in one way or the other depending upon the views he  Ã‚   hold about   problems. Environment Factor The behaviouralists maintained that since an organization was composed of individual- and they had different perceptions of goals and differing values, problem was bound to arise in the organization. Managers of various departments had separate priorities and conflicting ideas about resource allocation. Hence conflict was the unavoidable outcome. Subordinates may clash with the manager over whether the work can be accomplished in the given period of time or not. Social Factor The thinking currently prevalent about conflict has been labelled as the interactionist view. In contrast to the behaviouralist view which merely accepts conflict as inevitable, the integrationists not only accept conflict but also encourage it. However, they maintain that conflict must he regulated so that it does not get out of control producing dysfunctional consequences. ECONOMIC FACTOR   A large number of potential sources of conflict exist in organizational life as antecedent conditions and realistic basis for some conflicts. Any group exists for the purpose of attaining some goals with the help of available resources. These resources may be tangible like men, materials, and money or intangible like power, status or the manager’s time. No organization is capable of providing all the resources demanded by various units. Resources are limited and different groups have to compete for these scarce resources and many conflicts arise from this source. TECHNICAL FACTOR Groups in organization have different functions to perform and as such they develop their own norms and goals. Theoretically the achievement of these goals should achieve overall organizational goals but, often, in real life the reverse is true. Goals of one group are incompatible to the goals of another group. For example, a company which manufactures electric fans has a seasonal demand. Three departments marketing, production and finance—are involved. Since the demand for the product is seasonal, the marketing manager would like to have sufficient stock during the season. References Beaumont,P.B., Applied Microeconomics for Decision Making, Sage Publications, London,1993 Kaplan , P.L., Human Resources and Personnel Management, McGraw-Hill, New York,1997 Feldman, D.C., 1985 A taxonomy of intergroup conflict-resolution strategies University Associates:San Diego Taylor Sims, J. Robert Foster, ArchG. Woodside,(1997) Marketing Channels: Systems and Strategies Harper and Row: New York.

Comparison: Supervision and Leadership

Compare and contrast supervision and leadership. How are they alike and/or different? Give examples that will help clarify the distinction. Leadership is the process of enlisting and guiding the talents and energies of teachers, pupils, and parents toward achieving common educational aims. A leader is someone who others consistently want to follow for new trends and ideas. A leader has followers that believe in the leader's overall vision and idea of a place. A leader manages a group and helps inspire them using their own strengths.The leader is responsible for the placing together the right people for the right Jobs. A person who oversees workers or the work done by others can be considered a supervisor. Supervisors are charged with managing others' performance, including conducting performance evaluations. A supervisor is a step above the lead position in an entity. â€Å"Under the law, a supervisor is any person with authority over you, in other words, any person who can direct y ou (the worker) as to when and how to do a task' (Ministry of Labor, 6).Sometimes the supervisor is the same person you call the boss. Their position is behind the scenes and they basically hold others responsible for the plans being implemented and developed. Ministry of Labor. (06, 2014 28). Employers and supervisors. Retrieved from http://www. Workstation's. Gob. On. Ca/scripts/ &mcategory=health Else- You mention the concept of supervisors being the observers and monitors-I think this is a very good explanation of the roles that they play In the education system.Because supervisors are not exactly hands-on, they do a lot of their observations with check lists and rubrics. They are responsible for ensuring that curriculum Is being taught effectively and the monies and the budget for a school are allocated properly. A leader, however Is a person (or group of people) manages others with guidance to make them better at the Job they are Implementing. A leader has followers that belie ve In their vision. I agree with your statement about leaders being the ones who make their strengths known while helping other Identify theirs!

Understanding Huckleberry Finn With Historical Approach essays

Understanding Huckleberry Finn With Historical Approach essays For years, Mark Twains classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has been misinterpreted by many people and ultimately, banned in some schools because of its content, which seems very racist to some. However, by using the historical approach, that is, analyzing the time period in which the novel took place and considering it while reading, one can understand Huck Finn better because they have some background knowledge on the book and they can see the book for what it actually is instead of something offensive. Slavery is one of the many hot topics present in Huck Finn, as its portrayal has the most impact on the reader. One must realize, however, that during nineteenth-century America, slaves were often mistreated and looked down upon by the white society. When Huck lies to Aunt Sally telling her the steamboat was knocked out by a cylinder-head, she asks, good gracious, anybody hurt? His reply was, nom, killed a nigger. (Page 221) She simply dismisses the death of the African-American and says everyone was lucky. It would be out of historical context for Twain to have his white characters treat his African-American ones as equals because they werent viewed that way. Instead, Twain wrote the raw, horrible but true, examples of how the white culture treated its black counterparts. Twain also provided insight into the beliefs that the South held, such as slavery being holy, because it was the way of life for most southerners. During this time period, the South was struggling to keep up with the industrial and wealthy North. Because of slavery, the South prospered. Slavery kept the people living stable lives, and they felt as if God gave it to them. After writing a letter to Miss Watson confessing that he stole Jim (a letter that he later tore up) Huck felt good and all washed clean of sin... as he admits on page 213. It may be hard without this realization to s...

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score

What Is a Good ACT Writing Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As you study for the ACT, it's easy enough to calculate your ACT composite target score. But where does your essay score fit into all this? What’s a good ACT Writing score? Read on to find out how to figure it out! feature image credit: Had a Good Boogie Lately? by Jocelyn Kinghorn, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. How Do You Figure Out What’s a Good ACT Writing Score? A good essay score depends on what your goals are. These goals should be concrete and determined by the colleges you’re applying to. Find out more about why this is the only factor that truly matters in our article on what a good, bad, and excellent ACT score is. So how do you figure out your target ACT Writing Score? Step 0: Is ACT Writing Required? Especially now that the SAT essay is no longer mandatory, many schools have been reevaluating their stance on whether or not to require the ACT essay (since schools generally like to have a consistent standard across the two tests). Some colleges are ACT Writing-optional, while others don't consider it at all. Use our complete list of which schools require ACT Writing to figure out where the schools you're applying to stand on the issue. Step 1: Use Our Worksheet We've created a handy worksheet to help you figure out your target ACT score. For now we'll be adapting the worksheet to figure out what a good ACT Writing score is for you, although I definitely recommend also filling out a second sheet to figure out your target ACT composite score. Step 2: Fill In Your Schools On the worksheet, fill in the names of the schools you want to get into in the leftmost column. Include dream or â€Å"reach† schools, but don’t include â€Å"safety schools† (schools you think you have at least a 90% chance of getting into). Step 3: Get ACT Writing Score Data You can try to get the data from each school's admissions website, but this is time-consuming and not always successful, as admission sites aren't laid out in a particularly standardized way. The best source of data for ACT Writing scores is a school's Common Data Set, if the school chooses to publish it. The Common Data Set, or CDS, is a set of survey items that schools can choose to fill out and put online to give students information about the school in a standardized way. The CDS's section about First-Time, First-Year (Freshman) Admission may include information about students' 25th and 75th percentile scores on ACT Writing. It's not mandatory for schools to fill out the CDS, and even if they do, they don't have to fill out the information about ACT Writing, so you won't always find that information, but the CDS is the most up-to-date and reliable source for ACT Writing score information. A third option is to take to Google and search out other sources for this data; however, you should differentiate between this kind of unofficial information and official data released by the schools. Step 4: Average Both Columns Total up the 25th and 75th percentile scores, then find the average of each column. We recommended that you take the 75th percentile score as your target ACT Writing score since it will give you a very strong chance of getting into the schools you’ve listed. If you’re applying to humanities programs, you may even want to consider a higher target score for ACT Writing, as it may be used for placement in certain courses. A quick refresher on what percentile scores mean: 25th percentile means that 25 percent of the students attending have a score at or below that number (below average). The 75th percentile means that 75 percent of students have a score at or below that number (above average). For example, let's say that the 25th/75th percentile ACT Writing score range for Northwestern University is 7/10. If you score above the 75th percentile score (a 10), your Writing score will help your chances of admission; if you score below the 25th percentile (a 7-8), your Writing score might harm your chances of admission. What If There's No ACT Writing Score Data? Unfortunately, very few colleges actually release their ACT Writing score ranges. Rarely is the information easily accessible on the school websites (since admission sites have no standardized formats)- instead, you have to search for a school's most recent Common Data Set or rely on data provided by third parties. If there is no data for ACT Writing scores at all, you can take a look at the school's composite ACT score ranges to get a rough idea of where your ACT Writing score should be. Because it requires exceptional skill to get 6 in all domains (or a 12/12) on the ACT Writing, even the most competitive schools will accept a 9/12 on the essay (which puts you in the 95th percentile for ACT Writing), even if the school's ACT composite range is 32-35. We've created a chart below that compares percentiles for ACT composite scores and ACT Writing scores. You can use this chart to help you figure out roughly where your Writing score should fall, based on your composite score. Percentile Composite Score (1-36) Writing Score (2-12) 100 36 12 99 31-35 11 99 31-35 10 95 27-31 9 88 22-27 8 65 19-22 7 47 15-19 6 24 13-15 5 12 12-13 4 4 11-12 3 2 1-11 2 source: two different ACT.org pages As an example, Northwestern's 25/75 range for ACT composite scores is 32-34, so you should aim for an overall ACT Writing score of between 8 and 11 out of 12. In general, as long as your Writing score percentile is in the general ballpark (within 10-20 percentile points) of your composite score percentile, you'll be fine. Summary: How to Decide What a Good ACT Writing Score Is First, look up whether the schools you wish to apply to require ACT Writing scores. Next, figure out the ACT Writing score ranges of those schools that do require ACT Writing scores be submitted. To do this, you can: Check the school's admissions site or Common Data Set (if published) to see if there is data for ACT Writing, OR Estimate the Writing score range based on the school's ACT composite score range Then, sum up the ACT Writing score ranges for the 25th and 75th percentiles, average the 25th and 75th percentile scores, and choose a target ACT Writing score (75th percentile average score is recommended as a target). 3D Bullseye. Credit: StockMonkeys.com (used under CC BY 2.0) What’s Next? Now that you've stuck your toe in the waters of ACT Writing scoring, are you ready for more? Of course you are. Get into the depths of ACT Writing with this full analysis of the ACT essay grading rubric. Is a longer essay always better? Find out how essay length affects your ACT Writing score here. Completely confused about how the ACT Writing test is scored? You're not alone. Dispel your confusion with our complete guide to ACT essay scoring. Curious about where your ACT Writing score stands in comparison to everyone else? Find out what an average ACT Writing score is in this article. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Evaluate the organizations innovation strategy Essay

Evaluate the organizations innovation strategy - Essay Example The retailer knows the danger of clogging up drains with grease and that is why it adopted bio-diesel made from waste brown cooking grease in its stores. The company saves an enormous portion of cash from green produce grown in United States. The production is made possible by Wal-Mart’s interaction with local suppliers and growers that fill its grocery stores with products on the prompt basis. The company’s innovation technology features other eco-friendly products such as organic cotton for making clothes. The strategy has enabled the company to save on cash and create a safe environment for its customers (Hurst, 2012). The innovation strategy has also led to high productivity, competitive positioning, and quality. Wal-Mart retains its market share in the retail industry and as the leading retailer in United States. The goal of the Wal-Mart is to change the world through eco-friendly innovations, and it has sustained the company in the market for the last

Macroeconomics in unemployment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macroeconomics in unemployment - Research Paper Example This paper is the best example of the thorough examination of such important macroeconomic factor as unemployment. People are considered to be unemployed when they are not actively doing productive work Unemployment rates are volatile and the other macroeconomic indicators play significant roles. Unemployment is a macroeconomic factor that is highly determined by other macroeconomic factors and its effects are widely felt across an economy. Several types of unemployment exist but four are majorly explored. The first one is seasonal unemployment that occurs due to differing needs of the hiring industries. Firms will hire employees during peak seasons when more production is required and retrench some of their employees during low seasons. The second type of unemployment is frictional employment and arises due to shifting of jobs by workers. It is also referred to as search unemployment because it normally takes time for an individual to secure a job after quitting one or after finishing their studies. Structural unemployment is another type and is caused by changes in technology and the structure of the economy. The fourth unemployment type is referred to as cyclical unemployment and results from changes in business environments It is important for an economy to maintain low rates of unemployment. The most important reason for this is economic consequences of unemployment such as the measure of the lost goods and services that the unemployed population could be contributing to the economy had they been employed. The scope of unemployment identifies wide initiatives such as governments’ monetary and fiscal policies to influence economic activities and other macroeconomic indicators towards sustainable employments rates. ... Low interest rates encourage borrowings for investments and private use. This further increases consumption and facilitates investment as firms are encouraged explore investment opportunities. This â€Å"redirect output towards its full –employment potential† (Stoup, Sobel, & Macpherson, 2009, p. 227). High interest rates from factors such as inflation or increased demand for financial services make investment expensive. The overall impact of the increased interest rates is therefore a contracted economy with lost employment opportunities towards higher unemployment rates (Stoup, Sobel, & Macpherson, 2009). There also exists a significant association between unemployment and an economy’s gross domestic product. The gross domestic product refers to the measure of all goods and services produced by an economy within a period, normally a year. Changes in the GDP will therefore reflect conditions of the labour market because the labour force generates realized produc tions. A fall in gross domestic product indicates a rise in the rate of unemployment, whether real or virtual. This occurs because if businesses resort to producing fewer goods and services, then some of the workers lose their jobs hence rise in unemployment. An increase in gross domestic product however associated with increased activity levels that further indicate lower unemployment rates (Mankiw, 2012). Unemployment also relates to consumer price index, a measure of the change in price of goods and services that are bought by individual consumers. The index also keeps track of changes in the cost of living. Low unemployment rates increase average economic potentials and this changes the consumer price

Research essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research - Essay Example Indeed, the humors lie in the verbal ironies in the story. At the very beginning of the story, the readers learn about the revenge motif of Montressor (Silverman 312). So, when, in the story, they come across the verbal ironies in Montressor’s narration, they rather become aware of the follies, simplicity and hubris, of Fortunato, which inevitably push him towards the horrible death. Also the humors in the story are endowed with a two-fold meaning. On one hand, they provide brutal pleasure to Montressor; on the other hand, they reveal Fortunato’s follies and hubris. Montressor exhibits a black sense of humor. In the very beginning of the story, Montressor describes Fortunato in a jester’s outfit. He describes Fortunato as following: â€Å"[In] one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend†¦.The man wore motley† (Poe pars.2). In that carnival evening, Fortunato wear a â€Å"tight-fitting parti-striped dres s† (Poe pars.2). He also wears a â€Å"canonical cap and bells† (Poe pars.3). ... But when Montressor vows that â€Å"I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong† (Poe pars.3), Fortunato’s jester-like clothing and hubris make him more vulnerable and pathetic. Another humor occurs around the middle of the story. When Montressor and Fortunato enter into the cavern, he (Fortunato) begins to cough. In order to hide his intention, Montressor tries to persuade Fortunato to go back: â€Å"We will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back† (Poe pars.6). In reply, Fortunato says, â€Å"Enough†¦the cough's a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.† (Poe pars.8) Here though his reply evokes laughter, it, at the sam e time, warns the readers about his helplessness in the face of Montressor conspiracy. Fortunato, a helpless drunkard who does not know the least of Montressor’s revenge, expresses habitual hubris that he will not die of coughing. This scene makes Montressor more pernicious and venomous, whereas this same reply exposes Fortunato more as a helpless man who simply believes Montressor and who is going to face his death soon (Silverman 312). At the second reading of the story, the perception that Fortunato is going to be buried alive behind the vault wall reveals the darkness and blackness of Montressor’s sense of humor. The blackest humorous scene occurs around the end of the story. Here, Fortunato starts to laugh after

Position paper of a debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Position paper of a debate - Essay Example The annual expenditure for childhood obesity is approximately $ 100 billion (Bandini & Dietz 648). Studies have shown that when a child is obese at the age of between 10 year and 13 years, there is more than 80 percent chance of becoming obese when he or she grows to adulthood. But with exercise, proper nutrition, and support, such obese children can lose weight and live a healthy life marked by healthier habits (Anderson 461). There is need for parents to explore ways of dealing with obesity and help their obese children lose weight. Parents should take advantage of all the opportunities to raise the children’s self esteem. They should not feel ashamed to come up with a health fitness topic. This should be sensitively done so as not to make the obese child view it as an insult. Parents should talk to their obese children openly, directly and without being judgmental or critical (Ball et al. 20). It is important for parents to be sensitive to their children’s feelings and needs. Becoming active is a key lifestyle change that an obese child should undertake. They should be given support and guidance by their parents on the best and comfortable physical activities to engage in. The efforts made by these children towards reducing their weight should constantly be praised (Arslanian & Suprasongsin 157). Celebrating any incremental changes and not rewarding the efforts with food is very important for the parents. Parents should further take an initiative of talking to these children about their feelings. This helps them to find means of dealing with their emotions that do not entail eating. By doing so, the child will be able to focus on the positive goals such as running the necessary number of rounds in a gym class as a way of losing the excess weight (Adiar &Gordon 644). Transitioning a child by parents from an obese condition to a state of a well balanced weight should not be taken to be as

Reflection of Stock Market Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection of Stock Market Project - Essay Example Mostly in the stock market, human psychology gets reflected by either greed or fear. During the period when the share prices of the MSFT was considerably decreasing, fear lead me to sell the shares immediately the prices reached the original price. The Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp shares prices decreased, but for the past four days the prices have exceed the $47 price margin I had anticipated selling the shares. Greed to profit from the increasing prices led more people to buy these shares by the close of the stock market on 10th December 2014(Graham 189-98). I sold least Apple Inc. shares because the company intends to launch its new iPhone models in 2015. The entry of the new iPhones will increase the earnings of the company considerably, and the shares will as well increase. Therefore, in anticipation of the increase, I will keep the shares and sell them when the new iPhones premiers in the market. From the experience in the stock market, I learned to rely mostly on the more scientific and economic factors. Human psychology slightly affects the stock as compared to the scientifically and economically conscious factors (Graham

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

Management - Essay Example The availability of Nike to other marketers would mean that customers can just buy them there. This presents a major problem as a myriad of literature indicate that sports shoe customer preferences is highly skewed towards those products which are visually appealing and having performance-enhancing features (Locke 2003, 52). That is to say, customers are not likely to choose an alternative over Nike just because of supplier issues but would instead seek out the product in other stores especially when the features of the shoes are very appealing (Lim and Philips 2007, 146). This would result to shifting customer loyalty resulting to losses in sales consequently harming business operations and employee compensation (Jordaan 2011, 622; Tengblad and Ohlsson 2007, 657). On the other hand, several high-profile companies such as Starbucks and Apple have also found to their dismay and cost that reputations can be profoundly affected by the environmental and social impacts of their supply networks (Gereffi et al 2005, 101). The negative effect becomes more profound considering the power of social networking to influence customer perception (Carroll and Shabana 2010, 88). Hence, discontinuing sale of Nike products would prevent any negative PR and the accompanying losses especially considering that the company has just adopted the Fair Trade principle. This chosen path can also benefit society in general as it promotes a culture of responsible business practices thru caring for how products are being sourced (Schwartz et al 2007, 506; Wells 2009, 570). However, given the possibility of customers to just seek Nike products on other stores and the strength of the brand, it would be prudent to not totally abandon the brand. Combining business with ethical practices requires a reconciliation between profitability and ethical principles the company

Position paper of a debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Position paper of a debate - Essay Example The annual expenditure for childhood obesity is approximately $ 100 billion (Bandini & Dietz 648). Studies have shown that when a child is obese at the age of between 10 year and 13 years, there is more than 80 percent chance of becoming obese when he or she grows to adulthood. But with exercise, proper nutrition, and support, such obese children can lose weight and live a healthy life marked by healthier habits (Anderson 461). There is need for parents to explore ways of dealing with obesity and help their obese children lose weight. Parents should take advantage of all the opportunities to raise the children’s self esteem. They should not feel ashamed to come up with a health fitness topic. This should be sensitively done so as not to make the obese child view it as an insult. Parents should talk to their obese children openly, directly and without being judgmental or critical (Ball et al. 20). It is important for parents to be sensitive to their children’s feelings and needs. Becoming active is a key lifestyle change that an obese child should undertake. They should be given support and guidance by their parents on the best and comfortable physical activities to engage in. The efforts made by these children towards reducing their weight should constantly be praised (Arslanian & Suprasongsin 157). Celebrating any incremental changes and not rewarding the efforts with food is very important for the parents. Parents should further take an initiative of talking to these children about their feelings. This helps them to find means of dealing with their emotions that do not entail eating. By doing so, the child will be able to focus on the positive goals such as running the necessary number of rounds in a gym class as a way of losing the excess weight (Adiar &Gordon 644). Transitioning a child by parents from an obese condition to a state of a well balanced weight should not be taken to be as

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 34

Management - Essay Example The availability of Nike to other marketers would mean that customers can just buy them there. This presents a major problem as a myriad of literature indicate that sports shoe customer preferences is highly skewed towards those products which are visually appealing and having performance-enhancing features (Locke 2003, 52). That is to say, customers are not likely to choose an alternative over Nike just because of supplier issues but would instead seek out the product in other stores especially when the features of the shoes are very appealing (Lim and Philips 2007, 146). This would result to shifting customer loyalty resulting to losses in sales consequently harming business operations and employee compensation (Jordaan 2011, 622; Tengblad and Ohlsson 2007, 657). On the other hand, several high-profile companies such as Starbucks and Apple have also found to their dismay and cost that reputations can be profoundly affected by the environmental and social impacts of their supply networks (Gereffi et al 2005, 101). The negative effect becomes more profound considering the power of social networking to influence customer perception (Carroll and Shabana 2010, 88). Hence, discontinuing sale of Nike products would prevent any negative PR and the accompanying losses especially considering that the company has just adopted the Fair Trade principle. This chosen path can also benefit society in general as it promotes a culture of responsible business practices thru caring for how products are being sourced (Schwartz et al 2007, 506; Wells 2009, 570). However, given the possibility of customers to just seek Nike products on other stores and the strength of the brand, it would be prudent to not totally abandon the brand. Combining business with ethical practices requires a reconciliation between profitability and ethical principles the company

Department Stores Essay Example for Free

Department Stores Essay Nundies a unique brand of stockings introduced to the market fall 2006. The item to be sold at women’s boutique and specialty shops as well as 10 Neiman Marcus department stores throughout 40 states. Management problem did not seem to be the distribution of the new item in which they shipped out 11, 383 units of Nundies to stores through December 2007 and sold 2007 units online. A unit of Nundies consisted of a package of 5 liners. Nudies is a single use disposable panty that sticks to the inseam of womans pants, leggings, athletic wear, shorts, and jeans. Management seemed to have a difficult time trying to figure out the right strategy to use in an effort to increase the overall repurchase order rate in order to increase the company objective of sales and profits for the 2008 fiscal year. As a note there are other areas that present a problem for the company as well. A.) repurchasing orders are not meeting the goals set, B.) The company also noticed that reorders were only about 10% of the total units sold, C) The online purchases were viewed as a positive, however it was not used frequent enough to measure reorder, D.) One big issue was the amount of panty liners per package, E) The staff at the retail strores thought that Nundies would sell themselves. This was a clear example of communication breakdown. E) To add to the communication issue the sales personnel were not trained to educate the consumer about the product or to even suggest trying the product. F) The other issue that seem to be of big concern was that the displays were getting lost in the stock rooms. Jones 2 Fact: Nundies generated 60% of sales from their largest customer which was Nieman Marcus however low re-order. The company first focus on its marketing concept: How they were going to deliver the new product from its current product lines. The unique idea of required development capabilities into consumer based solutions primarily medical markets and the use of the item for one single use. The product cost per item was .60, One package of panty liners was set at 5per package at $15. The cost to make the plastic container was roughly 0.45 cents. In 2006 Nundies began to run ads in magazines, they distributed throughout New York city based retail buyers, and promotions with gift bags for women for celebrity events. In 2007 the distribution coverage among customers in boutiques and showrooms set up by manufacturer agents organization with product information. The company decided to provide a commission to the sales people at 12% on the wholesale price with a minimum order of 36 packages. The company spent $800,000 on media and print ads and online sales accounted for 385 units wich is roughly around $4275, and store purchases resulted in a minimum of 252 with net profit equaling 850,000. Alternative Courses of Action Nundies can continue to be developed for the women’s wear and specialty stores. The advantage for the company is cost at 14-400 the disadvantage is there was no buy in to keep the reliance on manufacturers agent organization to recruit stores through store show rooms. A second alternative would be to pursue upscale stores accounts, by doing this the company can market via ads, point of sales display and ad plans could be presented, the ability to produce and deliver product in the right quantity and document it. Centralize 300 stores and decentralize 350 stores. The disadvantage is that all the stores would have different merchandise buying practices Jones 3 as well as line fees, warehouse fees, settlement fees, catalogue fees, cooperative ad allowance ( fees are based on annual sales with estimated cost of 35k to 55k). Option 3 Mid level department stores I believe a positive would be centralized (1,793), same costs per size as the 5 upscale department stores. The disadvantage would be to lower the cost via different brand names and packaging (7 per pkg with paper packaging), different price 8 for $10. The fourth alternative positive would be to using different channels by which could be a positive if the company maintains the ability to produce and deliver product in the right quantity and documented also centralize all sales across the board. The company’s target group resulted in woman from 15-60 with an average  income of 25 or more 6% of 18 year old woman surveyed ( 18-45) 84% of woman are interested. 81% yes to products that provide hygiene and benefits of a panty 36% yes to no panty lines and hygiene, 29% will use the item 2-3 times a week, while 35% 3 to 5 times, 19% would likely use the product 6 times a week 17% occasionally. The variances were really shifty when examining where would one likely shop the Nundies of those polled the stats were 38% would shop at an upscale store 49% Mid level department store, 64% Mass department stores and 28% specialty store and 41% online. This all said I truly believe price does matter and the Nundies would likely see more re-orders if they would seek a lower price point or increase the quantity per package. The other target is that Nundies as I see it would likely work well in the fitness stores.

Innovation And Managing Innovation

Innovation And Managing Innovation There are different types of innovation. Joseph Tidd and John Bessant describe in their books four broad categories of innovation. (Tidd Bessant, 2009) Following these categories are referred as the 4Ps of innovation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ product innovation changes in the things (products/services) which an organization offers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ process innovation changes in the ways in which they are created and delivered à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ position innovation changes in the context in which the products/services are introduced à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ paradigm innovation changes in the underlying mental models which frame what the organization does For example, the new version of a car, a new bank account offer and a new home personnel computer are all examples of a product innovation. In comparison to a product innovation a change in the production process and machines used to manufacture the car or the home computer these examples are process innovations. Similar the example of the new bank account offer if this came up by changing procedures and sequencing in the bank office. Characteristic for services is the merge of a process and product innovation. For example a new weekend trip package could be combination of both types of innovations. The third type is the position innovation. In this context an innovation changes the perception of the customer through repositioning of the established product or process. For example, to use shower gel also to wash and clean clothes is a good example of a position innovation. Sometimes innovation opportunities emerge when people start to think outside the box. A very good example of a paradigm innovation is Henry Ford. He fundamentally changed the way of transportation people. He archived this neither by inventing the motor car (Invention of the motor car was 1999) nor because he changed the way of manufacture and produce an automobile (also the inventor of the conveyer production). His idea was to change the underlying model for the automobile production in this time. He changed the perspective of producing automobiles from handmade specialist product to a few wealthy customers to a mass product with a price a normal household could afford. The ensuing shift from craft to mass production was nothing short of a revolution in the way cars (and later countless other products and services) were created and delivered. This example shows that a paradigm innovation also requires intensive product and process innovation for example, in component design, in mach inery building, in the layout of the factory and in the social system around which work was organized. (Edelhoff, 2009) Not only Henry Ford changed an industry. In the last decades the shift to low-cost airlines and the increasing numbers of goods sold in the internet are recent examples of paradigm innovation changes in mental models. From Incremental to Radical Innovation Every Innovation is new, but the question is how new. So we can divide innovations between incremental and radical. (doing the same, better à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..) For example, a new version of a car model is incremental while coming up with a completely new electric driven concept car which is made out of new light weight carbon fibre is radical. Similarly, further development of the accuracy and speed of a saw mill is not the same as replacing it with a computer-controlled laser cutting process. This example shows there are degrees of new innovation, running from minor, incremental improvements to radical changes which changes the way things are done and we use them. These changes are often present to a particular industry, but sometimes they are so radical and extensive that they are able to change the core of society. The major steps in todays communication and information technology have affected almost every person on this planet and will continue to gain importance. Figure : Dimension of innovation from incremental to radical from component- to system level Mapping Innovation Space In the figure below each of the 4Ps of innovation can take place along an axis. Hence the blue circle indicates the potential innovation space within a business can operate, the innovation is able to run from incremental to radical change. Whether the innovation utilizes all the space is a question of the innovation strategy. The way day-to-day change is approached within an organization differs from the approach how to handle a radical step change in products or processes. Here it is essential to keep in mind that the perceived stage of novelty is the important part and that this novelty is in the perspective of the observer. For example, in a giant, technologically advanced organization like Volkswagen or Siemens the tracking of goods from suppliers by RFID and GPS is used and implemented in day to day business while such an expensive process might be totally new and innovative for a small car dealership or food processor. (Kern, 2006) Figure : Innovation space Sustaining or Disruptive Quite a lot of innovations involve a discontinuous shift but very few bring something completely new which changes a market conditions dramatically. Most of them usually are incremental. In recent time lean thinking came up in the production and service sector, which underlines the huge possibilities of continue improvements within a firm. (Kohlstedde, 2007) However this continues improvement idea is hampered through the new approach of the platform concept or robust design. This idea bases on the development of a future general design which will dominate the market as well as used by the competitor. A good example for such a robust design is the Walkman originally developed by Sony. This first design of a portable cassette and radio player system dominated the market for the whole product lifetime of cassettes. Also car makers tend to change their development process from each single model to a platform strategy. (Wallentowitz, Freialdenhove, Olschewski, 2009) The Volkswagen AG int roduced platforms which are used for different brands of the company group. This not only saves costs but also helps them to dominate the market with faster model updates and exchanges. The platform and robust design strategy of firms is a powerful way of recover the high initial investments such as Research and Development as well as market analysis. The Challenge of Discontinues improvement The common innovation process happens in a set frame, following certain rules and ways of thinking. This game played by competitors is to innovate by doing what has been done before like product- or process innovations or even position- and paradigm innovations, but doing it better. In this competition of playing the same game some firms manage to do better than others and can gain a competitive advantage through these innovations, but the set of the game is accepted and do not change. Very rare something happens that breaks up this framework and changes how the game is played. This will not happen every day but when this arises the rules and boundaries of a market change rapidly. This will result in upcoming new opportunities and challenge the existing players in their way of working, thinking and doing business. A discontinues improvement occurs out of a technological and conditions stable market, where is a long period of continuous improvements and variations around a basic product or service. The strategy, before the discontinues improvement was, doing what we do, but better. When such an innovation happens one or more of the basic conditions like technology, markets, social, regulatory etc. change rapidly. Now the time of doing different begins and the rules of the game change so the opportunity space for new innovations appears. Such a rapid technology change is happening right now with the development of LEDs in the light market. From the invention of the originally light bulb in the late nineteenth century by Edison and Swan the light market gets more and more restricted by the government. Furthermore the development of the LED light was a major step for the whole market and will influence our daily life in the future. With this upcoming technology new enterprises emerge in the market as well as the inventor Shuji Nakamura with the company Nichia Corporation. This discontinues improvement faces the market dominating companies very hard. Either they adapt to the new light technology or they will lose market share very rapidly. In the process the underlying rules of the game change and a new opportunity space for innovation opens up. Do different conditions of this kind occur, for example, when radical change takes place along the technological frontier or when completely new markets emerge. An emerging example of this could be the replacement of the incandescent light bulb originally developed in the late nineteenth century by Edison and Swan (amongst others). This may be replaced by the solid state white light emitting diode technology patented by Nichia Chemical. This technology is 85% more energy efficient, has 16 times the life of a conventional bulb, is brighter, is more flexible in application and is likely to be subject to the scale economies associated with electronic component production. In their pioneering work on this theme Abernathy and Utterback developed a model describing the pattern in terms of three distinct phases. Initially, under discontinuous conditions, there is what they term a fluid phase during which there is high uncertainty along two dimensions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The target what will the new configuration be and who will want it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The technical how will we harness new technological knowledge to create and deliver this? No one knows what the right configuration of technological means and market needs will be and so there is extensive experimentation (accompanied by many failures) and fast learning by a range of players including many new entrepreneurial businesses. Gradually these experiments begin to converge around what they call a dominant design something which begins to set up the rules of the game. This represents a convergence around the most popular (importantly not necessarily the most technologically sophisticated or elegant) solution to the emerging configuration. At this point a bandwagon begins to roll and innovation options become increasingly channeled around a core set of possibilities what Dosi calls a technological trajectory.38 It becomes increasingly difficult to explore outside this space because entrepreneurial interest and the resources which that brings increasingly focus on possibilities within the dominant design corridor. This can apply to products or processes; in both cases the key characteristics become stabilized and experimentation moves to getting the bugs out and refining the dominant design. For example, the nineteenth-century chemical industry moved from making soda ash (an essential ingredient in making soap, glass and a host of other products) from the earliest days where it was produced by burning vegetable matter through to a sophisticated chemical reaction which was carried out on a batch process (the Leblanc process) which was one of the drivers of the Industrial Revolution. This process dominated for nearly a century but was in turn replaced by a new generation of continuous processes which used electrolytic techniques and which originated in Belgium where they were developed by the Solvay brothers. Moving to the Leblanc process or the Solvay process did not happen overnight; it took decades of work to refine and improve each process, and to fully understand the chemistry and engineering required to get consistent high quality and output. The same pattern can be seen in products. For example, the original design for a camera is something which goes back to the early nineteenth century and as a visit to any science museum will show involved all sorts of ingenious solutions. The dominant design gradually emerged with an architecture which we would recognize shutter and lens arrangement, focusing principles, back plate for film or plates, etc. But this design was then modified still further for example, with different lenses, motorized drives, flash technology and, in the case of George Eastmans work, to creating a simple and relatively idiot-proof model camera (the Box Brownie) which opened up photography to a mass market. More recent development has seen a similar fluid phase around digital imaging devices. The period in which the dominant design emerges and emphasis shifts to imitation and development around it is termed the transitional phase in the Abernathy and Utterback model. Activities move from radical concept development to more focused efforts geared around product differentiation and to delivering it reliably, cheaply, with higher quality, extended functionality, etc. As the concept matures still further so incremental innovation becomes more significant and emphasis shifts to factors like cost which means efforts within the industries which grow up around these product areas tend to focus increasingly on rationalization, on scale economies and on process innovation to drive out cost and improve productivity. Product innovation is increasingly about differentiation through customization to meet the particular needs of specific users. Abernathy and Utterback term this the specific phase.* Finally the stage is set for change the scope for innovation becomes smaller and smaller whilst outside for example, in the laboratories and imaginations of research scientists new possibilities are emerging. Eventually a new technology emerges which has the potential to challenge all the by now well-established rules and the game is disrupted. In the camera case, for example, this is happening with the advent of digital photography which is having an impact on cameras and the overall service package around how we get, keep and share our photographs. In our chemical case this is happening with biotechnology and the emergence of the possibility of no longer needing giant chemical plants but instead moving to small-scale operations using live organisms genetically engineered to produce what we need. Table 1.2 sets out the main elements of this model. Although originally developed for manufactured products the model also works for services for example the early days of Internet banking were characterized by a typically fluid phase with many options and models being offered. This gradually moved to a transitional phase, build- ing a dominant design consensus on the package of services offered, the levels and nature of security and privacy support, the interactivity of website, etc. The field has now become mature with much of the competition shifting to marginal issues like relative interest rates. The pattern can be seen in many studies and its implications for innovation management are important. In particular it helps us understand why established organizations often find it hard to deal with discontinuous change. Organizations build capabilities around a particular trajectory and those who may be strong in the later (specific) phase of an established trajectory often find it hard to move into the new one. (The example of the firms which successfully exploited the transistor in the early 1950s is a good case in point many were new ventures, sometimes started by enthusiasts in their garage, yet they rose to challenge major players in the electronics industry like Raytheon.39) This is partly a consequence of sunk costs and commitments to existing technologies and markets and partly because of psychological and institutional barriers. 40 They may respond but in slow fashion and they may make the mistake of giving responsibility for the new development to those whose current activities would be threatened by a shift.41 Importantly, the fluid or ferment phase is characterized by co-existence of old and new technologies and by rapid improvements of both.41,42 (It is here that the so-called TABLE sailing ship effect can often be observed, in which a mature technology accelerates in its rate of improvement as a response to a competing new alternative as was the case with the development of sailing ships in competition with newly emerging steamship technology.43,44 Whilst some research suggests existing incumbents do badly, we need to be careful here. Not all existing players do badly many of them are able to build on the new trajectory and deploy/leverage their accumulated knowledge, networks, skills and financial assets to enhance their competence through building on the new opportunity. 42à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Equally whilst it is true that new entrants often small entrepreneurial firms play a strong role in this early phase we should not forget that we see only the successful players. We need to remember that there is a strong ecological pressure on new entrants which means only the fittest or luckiest survive. It is more helpful to suggest that there is something about the ways in which innovation is managed under these conditions which poses problems. Good practice of the steady-state kind described above is helpful in the mature phase but can actively militate against the entry and success in the fluid phase of a new technology.46 How do enterprises pick up signals about changes if they take place in areas where they dont normally do research? How do they understand the needs of a market which doesnt exist yet but which will shape the eventual package which becomes the dominant design? If they talk to their existing customers the likelihood is that those customers will tend to ask for more of the same, so which new users should they talk to and how do they find them? The challenge seems to be to develop ways of managing innovation not only under steady-state but also under the highly uncertain, rapidly evolving and changing conditions which result from a dislocation or discontinuity. The kinds of organizational behaviour needed here will include things like agility, flexibility, the ability to learn fast, the lack of preconceptions about the ways in which things might evolve, etc. and these are often associated with new small firms. There are ways in which large and established players can also exhibit this kind of behaviour but it does often conflict with their normal ways of thinking and working. Extensive studies have shown the power of shifting technological boundaries in creating and transforming industry structures for example, in the case of the typewriter, the computer and the automobile. Such transformations happen relatively often no industry is immune (see Box 1.3 for an example). Worryingly the source of the technology which destabilizes an industry often comes from outside that industry. So even those large incumbent firms which take time and resources to carry out research to try and stay abreast of developments in their field may find that they are wrong-footed by the entry of something which has been developed in a different field. The massive changes in insurance and financial services which have characterized the shift to online and telephone provision were largely developed by IT professionals often working outside the original industry.6 In extreme cases we find what is often termed the not invented here NIH effect, where a firm finds out about a technology but decides against following it up because it does not fit with their perception of the industry or the likely rate and direction of its technological development. Famous examples of this include Kodaks rejection of the Polaroid process or Western Unions dismissal of Bells telephone invention. In a famous memo dated 1876 the board commented, this telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.

Diamond Mining :: Mine Mining Techniques Diamonds

All over the world are different locations where you can find this precious jewel, Africa being the main location. How do we get diamonds out of the earth you ask? By MINING them!!! The definition of Mining is the act, process, or work of removing ores, coal, etc. from a mine, glacial deposit, etc. Physical Properties of a Diamond Hardness: Diamond is a perfect "10", defining the top of the hardness scale Clarity: Diamond is transparent over a larger range of wavelengths more than any other mineral Thermal Conductivity: Diamond conducts heat better than any other mineral Melting Point: 3820 degrees Kelvin (the highest) Lattice Density: Diamond atoms are packed closer together than are the atoms of any other substance. Where are diamonds from? Diamonds have been found in every single continent. Most of the diamonds today are mined in African countries. They were formed by molten lava millions of years ago. Before any diamonds are found you must look for its indicator minerals. Different indicator minerals are found as you go deeper into the soil. The indicator minerals of a diamond include garnet, chromite, ilmenite, clinopyroxene, olivine, and zircon. What is alluvial mining? Diamonds can be found in alluvial, or loose earthy material deposited by running water, formations. Alluvial mining is done by the open-pit method. The process involves removing the overlying barren ground, digging up the bearing ground, and then extracting the diamonds. In Sierra Leone the technology involves shovel and pan, with some hand sloshing to gravitate diamond to the bottom of the pan so that it can be sorted out. What is kimberlite mining? Diamonds can be found in volcanic pipes filled with a blue rock called kimberlite. when mining a kimberlite pipe the initially loose and eventually hard ore material is removed with large hydraulic shovels and ore trucks. Hard rock is drilled and blasted with explosives so the broken material can be removed. When deep the mining goes underground with vertical shafts descending to horizontal drifts, or passageways that enter the pipe. It requires 20 tons of kimberlite to yield a diamond on average. How can you take part in this career? Be a Mining Engineer! Mining engineers mostly work in the mining industry, planning, designing and operating surface and underground mining operations. These mines, which are located in all 50 states and every country of the world except Antarctica, produce the minerals needed to help clothe, feed, and house the world's population.

Alfred Stieglitz Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays

Alfred Stieglitz Works Cited Missing Alfred Stieglitz was an influential photographer who spent his life fighting for the recognition of photography as a valid art form. He was a pioneering photographer, editor and gallery owner who played pivotal role in defining and shaping modernism in the United States. (Lowe 23). He took pictures in a time when photography was considered as only a scientific curiosity and not an art. As the controversy over the art value of photography became widespread, Stieglitz began to fight for the recognition of his chosen medium. This battle would last his whole life. Edward Stieglitz, father of Alfred, was born in Germany in 1833. He grew up on a farm, loved nature, and was an artist at heart. Legend has it that, independent and strong willed, Edward Stieglitz ran away from home at the age of sixteen because his mother insisted on upon starching his shirt after he had begged her not to (Lowe 23). Edward would later meet Hedwig Warner and they would have their first son, Alfred. Alfred was the first of six born to his dad Edward and mom Hedwig. As a child Alfred was remembered as a boy with thick black hair, large dark eyes, pale fine skin, a delicately modeled mouth with a strong chin (Peterson 34). In 1871 the Stieglitz family lived at 14 East 60th street in Manhattan. No buildings stood between Central Park and the Stieglitz family home. As Stieglitz got older he started to show interest in photography, posting every photo he could find on his bedroom wall. It wasn't until he got older that his photography curiosity begin to take charge of his life. Stieglitz formally started photography at the age of nineteen, during his first years at the Berlin Polytechnic School. At this time photography was in its infancy as an art form. Alfred learned the fine arts of photography by watching a local photographer in Berlin working in the store's dark room. After making a few pictures of his room and himself, he enrolled in a photochemistry course. This is where his photography career would begin. His earliest public recognition came from England and Germany. It began in 1887 when Stieglitz won the first of his many first prizes in a competition. The judge who gave him the award was Dr. P.H. Emerson, then the most widely known English advocate of photography as an art (Doty 23). Dr. Emerson later wrot... ...raphers. At the turn of the century, a new class of creative individuals, called painter- photographer emerged. This group fulfilled Stieglitz' s dream for pictorial photography. Its presence provided the movement with individuals who were trained in the established arts and who legitimized the artistic claims of pictorial photography by the fact that they were willing to use the photographic medium. The very term painter photographer was made up in reference to Frank Eugene who worked simultaneously with Stieglitz in media for a decade. Eugene attended a German fine arts academy, and painted theatrical portraits of the United States. In 1889 he mounted a solo exhibition of pictorial photographs at the Camera Club of New York, which, pointedly, was reviewed in Camera Notes as painting photography (Norman 23). In conclusion Stieglitz's fight for photography developed into new ideas for future generations. He continued to make his own experiments and to defend the work of others also breaking new ground. The magazines he edited, like the galleries he founded, swiftly became dynamic points of contact between artist and public and a battleground for new ideas.

Creative Title: Critical Analogist

In The Yellow Wallpaper, various factors fostered a sense of isolation in the protagonist's psyche, which eventually drove her into insanity. The Narrator experiences isolation in numerous ways that include intellectual isolation, physical isolation, and emotional isolation, and each brings The Narrator closer the deterioration of her sanity. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s character John, and his behavior, explain why the corrosion of The Narrator’s health took place. John’s insistence on remaining at the isolated home, his inability to accept the opinion of The Narrator and his belief in his knowledge as a physician leaves the Narrator feeling shut out from society, triggering her insanity. The Yellow Wallpaper portrayed life in the ____, where men had complete authority over the opposite sex deeming the opinions and emotions felt by females insignificant. This allowed men complete control over the social and personal aspects of life, including matters such as women’s health, friendships, and sex life. †¦but John would not hear of it†(75), is implied throughout the entire story. All her opinions about her own health, what she concluded would assist her to overcome her sickness, all discarded without a second thought. This intellectual isolation rapidly deteriorates the emotional connection to her husband and quickly causes tension between the couple. â€Å"‘Better in body perhaps-’ I began, and stopped short , for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word†(82). John cannot comprehend that The Narrator would understand her body more so than a scholar with a degree in medicine. Nancy Woloclh explained in her document Women and the American Experience, the likelihood of a proficient physician at that time period, â€Å"The professionalization of medicine did not ensure its competence†¦not only were well-trained doctors unlikely to be very effective, but few were well trained,†(Woloclh 1996:77). Although we do not have knowledge if John was such a doctor, we can only suspect from what The Narrator expressed in her ournals; journals filled with comments like, â€Å"John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious† (76) and â€Å"John is kept in town ever often by serious cases†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (79) suggests that John was having an affair and not actually staying out late like a professional of medicine would. The intellectual isolation experienced by the Narrator, as her thoughts and feelings about her healt h are ignored, the emotional intimacy and connection felt between husband and wife is diluted. John, being a male, is able to seek intimacy through other women, while The Narrator cannot seek out any because of her isolation from society. The Narrator’s physical isolation is additional factor that allows insanity to enter her mind. Living miles away from society, she is denied the social interaction needed for females. Her bed â€Å" is nailed down,†(79), her windows are â€Å"barred for little children†(76). Several times she tried to get John to permit her to visit

Friedreich’s Ataxia

Friedreich's ataxia Friedreich's ataxia is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in things like gait disturbance, speech problems, heart disease and diabetes. Friedreich's ataxia is caused by a defect in a gene called Frataxin, which is located on chromosome 9. The changes in this gene cause the body to produce too much trinucleotide repeat (GAA).This mutation causes gene silencing through induction of a heterochromatin structure in a manner similar to position-effect variegation. Normally, the body contains about 8 to 30 copies of GAA, however the people with Friedreich's ataxia may have as many as 1,000 copies. The more copies of GAA a person has, the earlier the disease will start and the faster it will get worse. Symptoms typically begin sometime between the ages of 5 to 15, but in rare cases, Friedreich’s ataxia may occur around the ages of 20 to 30.Some of the symptoms are; abnormal speech, changes in vision (particularly col or vision), decrease in ability to feel vibrations in lower limbs, foot problems, hearing loss, jerky eye movements, loss of coordination and balance, frequent falls, muscle weakness, no reflexes in the legs, and uncoordinated movements. Friedreich's ataxia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. This means you must get a copy of the defective gene from both your mother and father. About 1 in every 22,000-29,000 people develop this disease but family history of the condition raises your chances of getting it.On average, after 10-15 years with the disease patients are usually wheelchair bound and require assistance with all activities. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Friedreich's ataxia. There are, however, medicines, therapy treatments and surgeries available to those who are affected but it will not rid them of the disease. Titanium screws and rods are often inserted in the spine to help prevent or slow the progression of this disease. The goal of surgery is to keep t he patient alive as long as possible. As the ataxia progresses, things such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair are required for mobility.

African American Woman In Aviation History Essay

African American Woman In Aviation History Essay In the early 20th century, it was virtually unheard of a woman especially an African -American woman in aviation. Flying was predominantly for white males (Creasman, 1997), and considered too dangerous for females. In an era of racism, and segregation Bessie Coleman born a poor, black girl with limited opportunities’ persevered. Bessie broke the barriers of stereotypical labels for race, gender, and class by becoming the first black woman to obtain a pilots license, the first person in the world to obtain a international pilots license, and the first American to achieve this (Malveaux,2000). Bessie Coleman is a â€Å"role model for young black children† (Creasman, 1997, para.23), influencing others to pursue their dreams. Bessie paved the road for others, never letting prejudices ‘of â€Å"race, class, and gender† keep her from pursuing her dreams which provoked the start of the civil rights era( Creasman, 1997). Despite the odds of being poor, black, and female Bessie Coleman made a huge impact in American history. Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas in 1892 into an environment of poverty, repression, rage and fear (Rich, 1993). It was a era when blacks were disenfranchised and lynched (Rich, 1993). African-Americans were taught and treated like they were inferior to other races. Blacks could not vote, buy land, ride in the same train sections ,use the same bathrooms, restaurants, or use the same drinking fountains which whites used (Barnes, 1996). Those which protested ran a risk of being â€Å"tarred, feathered, whipped or lynched† (Barnes, 1996, para.4). The nation was suffering from a â€Å"severe economic depression† (Rich, 1993, para.14), and violence began to ignite in both â€Å"black and white communities† (Rich, 1993, para.14). Rich industrialists began to â€Å"create monopolies in trade and industry while laborers worked twelve-hour days, seven days a week. When the workers unionized and calle d strikes, the industrialists hired armed men as strike breakers† (Rich, 1993, para.14). In 1893 violence continued and panic among the financial sector caused stocks to drop . Soon banks folded, farmers lost their land, factories shut down, prices fell and unemployment increased (Rich, 1993). Bessie was the 12th of 13 children, the daughter of George and Susan Coleman. At the age of seven Bessies’ father, a nearly full-blooded Indian decided to move to Oklahoma closer to Indian territory. He believed he and his family would receive better treatment and receive the benefits of â€Å"full civil rights,† something the family did not experience in Texas because of racial discrimination. However, Susan refused to uproot the children and stayed behind (Yount, n.d.). Susan and the children lived in a â€Å"one room cabin,† and picked cotton to survive.Unable to make ends meet Susan took a job cleaning and cooking for a white family. It was important to Susan for the children to earn an education, so Bessie took on the role as a surrogate mother while Susan worked. Bessie did not have the life of a â€Å"carefree child†( Rich, 1993, para.34), instead she cleaned, ironed, cooked, and made sure her brothers and sisters were taken care of (Rich, 1993). Bessie and her siblings attended an all black school, but learning was limited because each time it was â€Å"cotton picking time† the school shut down. There were rarely textbooks, pencils or paper, and one teacher with a sixth grade education for grades one through eight in a single room building (Rich, 1993). However, Bessie was eager to learn, and had big dreams of â€Å"amounting to something† (Bessie Coleman, n.d.para.4). By age eight Coleman along with her siblings learned to read and write from reading the bible. Bessie enjoyed reading and often read books about black men and women which had made accomplishments in life ( Barnes, 1996, para. 12). Gifted in math, she kept track of the family book keeping for the cotton sold (Bessie Coleman, n.d.para.2).Bessie completed the eight grade which in those days was the highest grade individuals could achieve. In addition, Coleman was the top of her class, a very rare accomplishment at that time for black females (Smith, n.d.). This eagerness to learn prompted Bessie to attend college. Bessie took in laundry and saved enough money to attend college in Oklahoma but ran out of money after one semester and returned home.

The project management as the system of managing sequence of events Essay

The project management as the system of managing sequence of events - Essay Example While the path that has maximum constrains for the resources needed for the completion is refereed as critical chain. The two major factors that any infrastructure project must be analyzed for feasibility are the Existence of long term demand for the initiative and the existing governance framework are the two important aspects to be considered here. Thus the infrastructure projects are not built with unmet expectations besides linking them with other well functioning infrastructure projects. The stand alone infrastructure development initiatives are very difficult to be very successful (Booz Allen Hamilton, 2002). Infrastructure projects them selves may not directly be revenue generating but they provide necessary support systems which could create centers of high rate of revenue generation. But in the case of ROI the proposals are very clear and clear quantification of the return is possible. The ROI also offers opportunities that could structure the project to attain the benefits in a very quick way. The ISO implementation process for the project management operations shall be planned as per the stipulated ISO standard : ISO 25100. This standard would be able to give necessary guidelines to create a common framework for project operations mainly communication and knowledge transfer across different units of the project team. The process would involve five key different steps namely planning, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. The planning operation refers to creation of the logical sequence of events explaining how each step in the project information system could be operationalised. This step must foresee the resource requirement and possible threats expected from the system at the time of implementation. This is followed by the analysis where the strength, weakness opportunities and treats of the system would be brought to light. The observations and findings about the project system would lead to the

Personality Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personality Development - Essay Example While some psychologists believe that cognition is the only way to explain or predict personality differences within people, others believe that our personalities develop in differing ways. Whichever theorist you side with, however, it remains that cognition does play a part in the development of the personality, how big a part depends on your views. Cognition, being the mental process of knowing, and dealing with such things as awareness, perception, and reasoning, among others, is an important part of who we are and how we develop. Our personalities come from this perception of our world, what we think, what we feel, how we cope; it all stems from our awareness and how we put this awareness to use. Environmental factors, such as where you live, what you eat, the quality of the air that you breathe, etc, and biological factors, such as your genetic makeup and your pre-natal development play a part in how you process your environment and therefore play a part in the makeup of your personality development. If you happen to have been born prematurely, for example, and your parents both carried a lot of recessive genes and they were passed on to you, and you lived in an area of town close to smokestacks or a lot of overhead wires, your development, and that of your personality would differ from someone born at full term, with no genetic problems, living out in the fresh country air. How you are raised and where you are raised, and your genetic blueprint all have a bearing on how you perceive your world, and hence, how your personality has formed. Evolutionary, biological and environmental factors can result in the development of an aggressive personality. In the study of evolutionary psychology, we learn that it is a combination of a lot of

Methods of Raise Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Methods of Raise Capital - Essay Example Bonds are the best way to raise capital of large companies. Roughly about 25% of the capital comes through bonds. Companies get benefit greatly from the issuance of bonds because investors pay a lower interest rate than the rates of other types of borrowing. Also, because the interest paid on bonds is exempted from business taxes. Therefore, companies must make interest payments even if profits do not appear. If there is doubt from investors that the company does not have the capability to meet the obligations of interest, or it could refuse to buy bonds or that the demand for interest rate will be higher to compensate them for their increased risk. (U.S.Department, 2009). One of the most common methods of raising capital is through bonds , where we define bonds are loans made to governments and institutions by investors as the investor get a specific interest rate because he invests his money in good investment idea. In return, the borrower gets the money it needed, also the investo r gets the original amount invested (the principal amount or value of the bond issue) and can issue bonds for a long period of up to 20 and 30 years. Bonds are classified according to their quality bonds or prospects for reimbursement. Bonds do not usually find the same attention, such as equity from investors and the media. Since the bonds offer many advantages better than stock. In addition, safety of bonds is over stocks and more confident. (Mohammed, 2005). There are many companies planning to raise their capital. For example, Lloyds Bank announced that it will raise the bank's capital to 7.5 billion pounds, through the exchange of bonds. (Glover, 2009). The bond market can be divided into three parts: Domestic bonds: Shall be handled through the local currency and it is issued by domestic borrowers. Foreign bonds: Shall be handled by the local currency and is also trading in the domestic market but issued from foreign borrower and always common on the comprehensive follow-up of power. Eurobonds: Eurobonds is underwriting by multinational banks and these bonds are not taken by the trading in all markets and specific national or local markets, these bonds are currently has role in the production of some of the major currencies and some small currencies. There are many types of bonds are offered in the market. These bonds can be dividing it as follows: Straight bonds: Can be called fixed-income securities as they have a fixed price and are paid on time. Bonds paid in part: These bonds the same straight bonds, but there is a difference that the investor must pay a certain portion of the capital from 0 to 33 on the closing date and paid the remaining of the capital after 6 months. Zero-coupon bond: These bonds also the same straight bonds, but the difference is that it does not have a fixed time for the payment of benefits, but there is a problem in high-value discounts and must pay the original amou