The Great War And World War I Essay - 1198 Words

Between 1914 and 1918, many of the worlds leading countries were neck to neck in a bloody and gruesome battle known as the Great War or World War I. The United States practiced its policy of isolationism, a policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other countries. However, in April 1917 the United States officially entered the war. Although the United States only fought in two battles, at St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne, the fighting took a heavy toll on American lives. In an attempt to restore public opinion, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to help the United States slip back into isolationism. In response to the overwhelming desire of Americans to keep their distance from foreign conflicts, the United States remained diplomatically and militarily isolated due to public sentiment, internal politics and lack of military preparedness, and economic repercussions of the Great Depression. With more than fifty thousand American boys killed in combat, many Ameri cans believed that the Great War was indeed a tragic and costly mistake that should never be repeated.1 According to historian David Kennedy, â€Å"Americans of both sexes, of all ages, religions, and political persuasions, from all ethnic groups and regions, shared in the postwar felling of apathy toward Europe, not to mention the rest of the quarrelsome world that bordered on disgust.†1 Americans had grown up with the luxury of being isolated from threats abroad. According to Kennedy, â€Å"AmericansShow MoreRelatedThe Great War : World War I894 Words   |  4 Pages The Great War: World War I World War I, otherwise known as the Great War, began as a small battle that eventually developed into a prodigious uproar between several countries. WWI’s beginnings are controversial and historians throughout the world have several theories about the destructive event. Said to be one of the most disastrous and ruinous struggles between nations, The Great War lasted from July 1914 until November 1918. Referred to as a World War because of the global participation andRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1472 Words   |  6 PagesWorld War I was usually suggested to as The Great War. The war began sometime in 1914 and lasted four years, ending in 1918. America endorsed, in this era, a great amount of devastation. Throughout those four years alone approximately nine million casualties occurred and in addition millions more were mutilated, grief-stricken, handicapped, or traumatized. World War I is referred to by some, the first catastrophe, man-made, of the twentieth century. Many historians continue to contemplate the essentialRead MoreThe Great War Of World War I1490 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great War also considered to be World War I, although not initially named that due to not knowing that there would have been a second one. The war lasted from 1914-1918 and was one of the most violent wars known to history. Before war broke out many of these countries were flourishing economically and wanting to advance their country. During this time period many of the countries were unified and if there was one country that were to engage in war with one then it would cause a major war. ARead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1004 Words   |  5 PagesWorld War I or the Great War as it became known, occurred due to many causes, some of which are still unknown. The obvious trigger was the assassination of the heir to the AustriaHungarian throne archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on the twenty-eighth of June 1914. But a great portion of the cause dealt with past disputes between the Great Powers and such aggressive principles as Nationalism: the strong feeling of pride and devotion to one s country, Imperialism: the domination of one countryRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1249 Words   |  5 PagesWhenever you come across World War I, don’t you ever deeply think about how it all started? Who would have known that just 2 pulls of a trigger could have triggered a demoralizing World War? World War I, also known as â€Å"The Great War,† was a war that primarily took place in Europe. It officially started on the 28th of July in 1914 and it unexpectedly lasted until the 11th of November in 1918 (about 4 years). The most predominant countries that fought in this war include Great Britain, France, RussiaRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1147 Words   |  5 Pagesperspective of being the First World War, it truly lived to the name of â€Å"The Great War†. While no war is ever simple, this one was very complex for its time. It was a vast war with a revolutionary impact on military advances. The end result of the war, catastrophic. It was a conflict on a global scale that later involved over thirty nations. If anything it was a war on politics, and really illuminates what poor political stamina can result in. With all of this in mind the question stands, â€Å"What madeRead MoreThe World War I And The Great War1560 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War One , also know n as the Great War was a global war fought between the allied powers and the central powers from July 1914 to November 1918. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand led to the outbreak of world war one. Franz Ferdinand was the arch duke of Austrian-Hungarian Empire and was considered as the heir of the Empires monarchy throne. However there was many other factors that caused world war one. Alliances which is an agreement between two or more countries which gives help if oneRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1196 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom this 20th century time period under the influence of mass media. World War I, or the Great War, was one of the bloodiest wars of all time. It was a war sparked by militarism, alliance, imperialism, and nationalism. However it’s affliction laid the groundwork for post war prosperity. Nearly all social classes felt its benefits. Workers rights improved, taxes were lowered, technology advanced, and industry boomed. The war was brutal and th e roaring twenties were a chance for the United StatesRead MoreWorld War I And The Great War1509 Words   |  7 Pagespower. World War I, also known as the Great War was the outcome of many tensions and a sequence of calamitous incidents that plunged Europe into a disaster zone. Due to the use of the machine gun and trench warfare, most of the war was a battle of attrition between the â€Å"Triple Alliance† and the â€Å"Triple Entente†. Millions of people fought and died in this war, among them thousands of Canadians. There have been many attempts to reconstruct experiences and battles of the First World War in proseRead MoreThe World War I And The Great War1684 Words   |  7 Pagestraveling the world to different places, being an amazing influence to many young people got him far in his career of big band swing music. Art and music is also known as formal music, serious music, erudite music, or legitimate music (sometimes shortened to legit music) —is an umbrella-term used to refer to musical traditions implying advanced structural and theoretical considerations and a written musical tradition. World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war centered

Human Resources Management Overview - 1207 Words

Human Resource Management Overview HRM 300/Fundamentals of Human Resource Management February 11, 2013 Human Resource Management Overview This paper will provide an overview of what human resource management is. It will also illustrate the primary function of human resource management as well as the role of human resource management in an organization’s strategic plan. This paper will further incorporate relevant and personal experiences that address each topic. Human Resource Management (HRM) is â€Å"understanding the implications of globalization, technology changes, workforce diversity, labor shortages, changing skill requirements, continuous improvement initiatives, the contingent†¦show more content†¦39). Through the adjustment period, the focus of HRM is on training the new employee in the procedures and expectations of the organization so that in as little time as possible the new employee will become productive. Once the training and development function is completed, HRM’s next goal is to ensure they now have proficient, employees who possess the necessary skills and knowledge required to perform their job successfully. The Motivation Function The motivation function is considered to be one of HRM’s most complex aspects because it directly related to human behavior. â€Å"Human behavior is complex and trying to figure out what motivates various employees† (DeCenzo, et al., 2007, p. 40) requires research. The first step in the motivation function is to ensure the job is well designed, properly laid out, and the latest tools and technology are available to perform the job duties. Another step in motivating employees is developing a mutual respect between employees and management. When management actively listens to employees’ concerns, issues, and suggestions and genuinely cares for their team mates, it creates a comradery. Another important step to the motivation function is establishing performance standards for each employee. â€Å"The performance evaluation system is designed to provide feedback to employees regarding their past performance,Show MoreRelatedAn Overview Of Strategic Human Resourc e Management1686 Words   |  7 Pages1. Introduction to Human Resource Management The purpose of this report is to provide you with an overview of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and to explore in depth the process of Recruitment. Strategic Human Recourse Management consists of three main fundamental areas which need to be establishing in order for an organisation to function which are as follows: 1. Identifying the Organisation’s mission and values 2. Determining the strategy and structure which an Organisation will undertakeRead MoreHuman Resources Management Overview979 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Human Resource Management? Human Resource Management can best be described as the area of an organization that is responsible for recruiting, training, motivating, and retaining employees. Although these are the main functions of Human Resources, other functions fall under the umbrella of Human Resource. Over the years Human Resources has evolved and including many more functions including compensation, benefits, performance management, and evaluation. No longer are Human Resources justRead MoreHuman Resource Management Overview Essay examples746 Words   |  3 PagesHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW This paper has been written to describe in detail a little bit about Human Resource Management. There are several key topics that are covered throughout this paper. The first section consist of material that describes what human resource management is in detail. The next section that is covered is concerning what the primary function of human resource management is. The last section that is covered is the role that human resource management plays in an organizationsRead MoreThis is an overview of the Human Resource Management module. This essay is going to be focused on1000 Words   |  4 PagesThis is an overview of the Human Resource Management module. This essay is going to be focused on two man topics, specifically; Group formation and Conflict in the group. These two specific topics I feel can relate better to my presentation group on the grounds that in a gathering of occasions that happened in the arrangement and usage of the task. The primary areas that straightforwardly imp acted the way we met expectations are as follows: Below is an account of the dissimilar models of group formationRead MoreHRM 300 week 1 Individual assignment Essay783 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿RUNNING HEAD:HUMAN RECOURCES MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW 1 University of Phoenix Week 1 IndividualRead MoreJob Analysis Essay927 Words   |  4 Pagesspecialized help from Human Resource Management (HRM) departments to ensure that the requirements of the position are met. Therefore, the HRM department provides the function of job analysis in order to select the right individual for the position. Job analysis is a complex and vital part of every HRM program, as well as an important systematic process used within an organization to determine future members of the workforce. Job analysis contributes to many important Human Resource Management functions asRead MoreHuman Resource Management and Strategic Human Resource Management1136 Words   |  5 PagesManaging Human Resources, 3rd edn, John Wiley Sons, Milton, Qld. In chapter 1 of the text, the author shows an overview of human resource management and strategic human resource management. The author also shows the relationship between HRM and management, manager’s role meaning of strategy, strategic approach to HRM and strategic challenges. Lots of diagrams and explanations are used by the author. This chapter has contributed to my understanding of strategic human resource management by analysingRead MoreHow Would You Evaluate an Organization’s Hrims?1358 Words   |  6 PagesIn modernize era, more and more technology has applied in business and management. Human resource information management system (HRIMS) is one of the applications used for managing people in organizations. However, to have the objective perspective, there could be a efficiency and practical review in organization’s HRIMS. Therefore, this paper will have an overview about benefits and barriers of HRIMS, after that there will be the analysis the effect of HRIMS on organization’s performance and jobRead MoreThe Human Resource Management Department Of The Company988 Words   |  4 Pagescompany the human resource management department of the company has an impactful position to assess and develop the organization human capital needs. To have an effective job description, the human r esource management of a company should conduct and effective job analysis, which is the systematic process of collecting information that identifies similarities and differences in the work (Book). A manufacturing plant that employs 5oo employs would need a Human Resource Management depart to effectivelyRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management1398 Words   |  6 Pages Human Resource Management Overview Tanya Phillips Dr. Andrea Scott, PhD HSA 320, Strayer University October 31, 2016 Human Resources Management Overview Human resources (HR) is the different kinds of clinical and nonclinical responsibilities for public and individual health involvement. The benefits and performance the system can deliver depends upon the knowledge, skills and motivation of those responsible for providing health services. Human resource managers don’t directly

Solutions for Arid Regions

Question: Discuss about the Solutions for Arid Regions. Answer: Arid Landscapes in Australia Arid landscapes are regions that experience low and uncertain rainfall. These landscape include; stony desert, riverine, karst plain, shield plains and uplands (Estell et al., 2006). Australian arid landscape covers 529000 square miles. This arid region makes 18% of the Australian land. The Australian arid region is mainly spread in the western plateau and lowlands. These regions are; Great Victoria, great desert, Tanami desert, Gibson desert Strzelecki, Sturt stony, Tirari, pedirka and Simpson Desert. The largest desert is Great Victoria Desert that forms 4.5% of the Australian arid area while the smallest is Pedirka desert that form 0.016% of the Australian desert (Sowell, 2015). The arid region is characterized by diverse shrubs, savannah and saline wetlands. The region also has sparse vegetation due to scarce water. Vegetations in arid area is adopted to hard conditions of the area. The climate is hot and dry. The average annual rainfall is 150mm per year. The climate is also ass ociated with sinking air. The Australia arid area is occupied by only 3% of the whole population. The area has sparse population and majorities are aboriginals. The sustainability of the arid landscape in Australia can be enhanced by adopting appropriate technology and research References Estell, R., Fredrickson, E. and Peters, D. (2006). Introduction to special issueLandscape linkages and cross-scale interactions in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Journal of Arid Environments, 65(2), pp.193-195. Sowell, J. (2015). Out of Water: Designing Solutions for Arid Regions. Landscape Journal, 34(1), pp.97-99.

Organisation and Management free essay sample

Today I will discuss about the different organisational roles at ANZ bank. The report will cover whole the process which are done daily by the organisation to maintain their position and to fulfil the needs of customers. I will elaborate the purpose of organisation and the roles of management for e. g. informational, decisional, and interpersonal. There are various types of professional skills which are used in daily management. It will include the process of task focus and efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. Moreover I will show different functions of internal and external factors which are related to the people and system We will discuss today about the change management framework that how it effects the entire organisation about ANZ bank New Zealand ANZ New Zealand is New Zealand’s largest financial services group and is a subsidiary of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited of Australia. ANZ New Zealand operates until 2012 under the legal entity ANZ National Bank Limited which was formed as part of the 2003 merger of ANZ and The National Bank of New Zealand. We will write a custom essay sample on Organisation and Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From late October 2012, the company was renamed ANZ Bank New Zealand as part of the merger of the ANZ and National Bank brands. ANZ New Zealand operates under a variety of different brands, such as ANZ, UDC Finance, EFTPOS New Zealand, Bonus Bonds and Direct Broking. It provides number financial services, including banking services, asset finance, investments and payment solutions. Purpose of Organisation and Role Management The purpose of ANZ bank is to providing finance which is involved in borrowing and lending money. Bank takes customers funds in return for an annual interest on their payments. Then bank use majority of this fund to lend other customers for a variety of loans. The difference between both interest rates is effectively the profit margin for bank. Bank also provides other facilities to consumers, such as instant access to cash advice on financial matters and methods to make international payments. Increasingly banks offer electronic transfer of money through systems. Bank provides Lending varies from unsecured personal loans to secured mortgage lending. Unsecured lending tends to be at a higher interest rate because of the risk factor. Secured mortgage lending is at a lower rate. Role of informational organisation in management Information management is used in organisations. Yet information is applied by individuals in those organisations. The counter point between the organisation and their individual members has particular same to information management because of its responsibilities to both the organisation at one level and to individuals at second level. This counterpoint means that we need to consider both the organisation and its members in information terms as a beginning level point for developing strategies for useful information management in small and medium size enterprises. The purpose of the paper is to develop some general view points for effective information management. Technical skills of management The skill is to apply expert knowledge or capability. All jobs want some specific expertise, and many people build up their technical skills on the work. Vocational and on the job tuition programs can be used to enlarge this type of talent. Human skills This is the capacity to work with, appreciate and inspire other people (both independently and a group). This requires kindliness towards others issues and concerns. People, who are talented in technical skill, but not with interpersonal skills, may face hard to manage their subordinates, To obtain the Human Skill, it is relevant to distinguish the feelings and sentiments of others, ability to motivate others even in difficult situation, and communicate own opinion to others in a positive and inspiring method. Conceptual skill This is a capacity to essentially analyze, diagnose a condition and forward a realistic solution. It requires creative idea, generating options and choosing the best available choice. A mark of a good leader is to be able to provide steady motivation to his team cheering them to attain excellence and quality in their performance. A good leader is always looking for ways to get better production and standards. Here are five management skills you can develop as a leader in working to create a quality effective team. 1. Observation his is an important part that often gets mistreated due the demand on a leaders time and plan. Observation and regular visits to the job environment are a priority and should be scheduled into the chart. Observing workers at work, the procedures, interaction and work course is foundational to implementing adjustments to get better results. To have credibility, a leader desires to be seen and be known to be up to date with what is occurrence in the work place. 2. Monitor Employee Performance Employee performance needs to be monitored in normally accepted ways. Policies and procedures need to be comprehensible. Conferencing should be on a normal base and not just when there is a dilemma. Assessments and evaluations should not be only all requests or viewed a needed official procedure to be done and filed away. Individual and group firm decisions, joint with the eagerness and flexibility to get used to and alter decisions when needed, create liberty in the leadership conferencing should be undertaken not only to manager concert, but with the hope of ongoing specialized growth and support. There should be normal support and reasonable criteria for in progress goals both for the group and person. . Implementation of Professional Development Programs A good boss evaluates weaknesses and provides tuition and growth strategies to build up the weaker skills in the group. Demonstrates Working Knowledge and Expertise Good leadership comes from a position of strong information and knowledge of the manufacture and process leading to grades. If a leader does not have all the skill and information individually, then regular consultations with experts concerned in the departments should be assumed. This is vital in order to retain an perfect and knowledgeable overall image. . Good Decision Making Good leadership is categorized by the ability to make superior decisions. A leader considers all the similar factors before making a decision. Clear. Management philosophies and management practices The idea that customers won’t afford enough of the organisations products unless the organisation undertakes a large selling and promotion effort. Achieving organisational goals depends on the needs and wants of its focused market and delivering the desired satisfaction very effectively and efficiently than competitors.

Abortion Limit on Minors essays

Abortion Limit on Minors essays On April 17 of 2002, the House approved a bill that would make it a federal crime for anyone other than a parent to take a girl under age 17 across state lines for an abortion, but the Senate action appears unlikely. By a vote of 260 to 161, the House passed the bill, the Child Custody Protection Act. Violators could be fined up to $100,000 and face up to a year in jail. At least 27 states require one or both parents to be notified before a minor may have an abortion. The House bill would make it a crime for anyone other than a parent, including a close relative like a sister or an aunt, to take a girl under 17 across state lines to circumvent those laws. This is something that definitely needs to be addressed. Abortion is a very large topic running around politics. I believe this bill is correct in saying that any girl under 17 needs to have a parent to go get the abortion, because you never know when some sexual predator impregnates a girl and then takes her to have an abortion. Those girls are scarred for life. I also think there should be stricter laws on how long you actually wait to have the abortion, if the baby is actually starting to form then I believe that you absolutely should not be able to get one. I know there are many different opinions than mine but I also know that people share the same views, Im catholic and was on the Right To Life March in January of 2001. If you were there to see it, youd see that people shared my views, all of Capital Ave. was full of people, jam packed for miles. It was quite an experience to see the speeches and stations setup from the pro-choice and pro-life believers. Whatever the verdict on this law, it should be thought out so that whatever is done is done so that the girl will be happy and not scarred for life, hopefully this is the way our government will think. ...

Lord Of The Flies Essays (1030 words) - English-language Films

Lord Of The Flies Essays (1030 words) - English-language Films Lord Of The Flies Lord of the Flies Cruelty and savagery are all parts of human life. When the reigns of civilization are lifted, cruelty and savagery are left alone to roam freely. William Golding expresses the need for civilized order to maintain the cruel savage beast in us all. In Golding's Lord of the Flies, the theme of discovering one's true self is displayed through object symbolism, analytical symbols of the cruel tribe and beast, and analysis of key character symbols. The use of object symbolism develops the structure and meaning of the novel. The symbolic meaning of certain items in the novel provide a degree of certainty of what the theme pertains to. An example of object symbolism is noted in the large conch shell. The shell symbolizes order and civilization due to its power to create order through organizing meetings. The conch also symbolizes destruction of order once Roger crushes it beneath a boulder. The act of destroying the shell provides an illustration of how uncivilized the island has become. Another example of object symbolism is depicted in the signal fires that Ralph sternly suggests should exist. These fires symbolize a hope for rescue and a return to order and civilization. Once Jack, who is in charge of the fire, shuns the importance of a signal fire, it then symbolizes lost hope. Once Piggy suggests reigniting the fire it then symbolizes a restoration of hope. Another portrayal of Golding's object symbolism exists in Piggy's sp ectacles. The spectacles symbolize comfort and dependability due to their fire creating capabilities. Soon power to create fire is prevalent due to the lack of fire making ability of Jack's tribe. Once Jack's tribe takes the glasses the glasses then symbolize a shift in power. A further depiction of object symbolism is noted in the appearance of the naval officer toward the end of the novel. The officer symbolizes home, but the symbol is ironic in the fact that the officer is taking the boys from a war torn island to a war torn country. The appearance of object symbolism establishes the theme of looking inside one's true soul and describes the biblical battle between good and irrational evil. The establishment of Jack's tribe and the systematic accounts of the beast provide further evidence of a theme of the introduction to one's true self. Jack's tribe and fear of the beast contribute to the overwhelming belief that savagery, not order, and is needed to survive on the island. A description of this is noted in the behavior of Jack's tribe. The tribe symbolizes total disarray and cruelty, which is exhibited in their treatment of fellow man. The boy's derive pleasure from their bloody slaughter of the pigs. The boys paint their faces and join in savage war dances to satisfy the bloodlust they desire. The tribe continually terrifies the little boys on the beach and takes what Jack commands. Another portrayal of the savagery of the tribe is exhibited in Roger. Roger pretends to be a pig while the others attack almost killing him due to their being overcome by frenzied blood lust. Another section of the novel that creates symbolism is found in the hunted pigs and beast. The de ad pig, for example, creates an overflow of wild emotion in the tribe. For instance, the boys chant a warlike song and carry the carcass of a pig. Another example is noted once the pig's sharp tusks wound Jack. This action causes a change in Jack and promotes more brutality. The brutality by Jack and the allegiance of his followers cause Jack to become god-like. An example of this is symbolically noted in the pig's head on a stake. The symbolic pig's head is Jack's beastlike nature while the flies around it are his followers who swarm about his appealing actions. All of Jack's power resides in the fear of a beast on the island. An example of this fear is noted in the tribe's beating and killing of Simon. The tribe's irrational fear causes them to act in a manner that supports Jack's position of warlike protection. Another example of Jack's control by fear is depicted in his denouncing Ralph's leadership and demanding he

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

Tuberculosis - Essay Example The disease is spread by people who have the disease when they either cough, sneeze, spit, or talk. One sneeze can send about 40,000 droplets full of the infection. A person with the disease can spread it to 10-15 people a year with prolonged contact. Tuberculosis is often a difficult disease to diagnose, because of how hard it is to grow the bacterium inside laboratory conditions. Various tests must be done, including x-rays, smears, cultures, skin tests, as well as a look at past medical history. New ways of faster more accurate types of detection of the disease are underway, hoping these quicker ways of detection can help with controlling the disease. Treatment for the drug is given in the form of antibiotics. Long terms of these antibiotics are needed in order to clear the entire bacterium from the body, and is often treated with a combination of antibiotics. However, there are risks involved when combining the different antibiotics, even thought it is helpful incase the bacterium becomes drug resistant to one of the antibiotics. Even with the fast spreading nature of the disease, prevention is still underway. In 1993, the World Health Organization declared that the fast spreading Tuberculosis disease was in fact a global health emergency, and a global plan has gone into effect which aims to save lives from Tuberculosis between 2006-20015. The prevention of Tuberculosis is split into two waves of attack. In the first wave, people who are known to have Tuberculosis are treated, and all people with immerse contact with that person are also found and treated. The second step in prevention the spread of the deadly disease is vaccines. Vaccines are given to children; however an effective vaccine is not available for adults. In some countries, the vaccines is being required to be given to all children under the age of three to try to combat the rapidly spreading bacterium. Several new methods of preventing the disease are also underway. One such

Homophobia in American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homophobia in American Culture - Essay Example Most of the religious groups in America oppose homosexuality at large and this has sparked a lot of debates in the recent days. Similarly America is a country which has people from all over the world living in it. And thus this causes the country to have more diversification in terms of religion, race and people. And most of the religions which exist in America object to homosexuality. This can be seen as a major source of Homophobia in America. On the other hand according to some people the act of homosexuality is filthy and perverted. Thus this act should be widely condemned according to these people. Different people belonging to different races in America have the belief that homosexuality is against the law of God and is creating an environment of filth in America. All these factors lead to the development of Homophobia in America. The fear developed by people in their hearts is causing them to treat the homosexuals unfairly. Thus it can also be said that Homophobia is also a ca use of discrimination in America. The issue of Homophobia is now being tackled by the relevant authorities and steps are being taken by them to ensure that the homosexuals are getting their basic rights. In my age group Homophobia is quite common due to the role of the media and different organizations.

Personal Fictional Writing Essay Example for Free

Personal Fictional Writing Essay Imagine you are Ralph on the island; write a series of at least three diary entries, which record important episodes during your stay there. Include in the entries your changing thoughts and feelings about what occurs and about yourself and the other boys with you. Diary Entry 1: Chapter 5: Beast from water I just do not understand. It is not meant to be like this. I mean, everything requires improvisation. I call a meeting and all of them, Jacks group of boys, think that they are there to make jokes. There is no time for fun, but business. I tell them about the huts and how they are unstable, but they remain pessimistic as if they have something better to do. What can that something be? Hunting. Well, Jack seems to think so. He said that he would hunt down the beast. Really, we do not even know if the beastie truly exists. Jack is so aggressive, marching on an army of anarchy among the boys to hunt down an imaginary beast. Mass hysteria erupted when one of the diffident littluns, Percival was his name, said that the beast came from the sea, like a giant squid. I really do not know what has gone into their poor, innocent souls, torturing them like that. The fear of the boys is mounting, day after day. Well, perhaps there could be a beastie. I know that even I am not immune to fear. Nevertheless, Piggy says there is no beast, so there isnt. Piggy knows. I mean, he is intelligent unlike me. He can think and make decisions without being unsuccessful with his natural, intellectual ability. He would be so much better at being chief than I am. It is just inequitable that Jack bullies him. But what can I do? Do I really want Jack on my back too? Its enough I cannot stand having him within a one-metre radius of me. Moreover, Jacks focus on hunting will prevent all of us on this island from leaving it and seal our fate as no more than animals. I just cannot help realising this. However, Jack and his hunters do not. It is simple to them: fear ferments and spreads in the group, so they result to violence and hunting as a solution to the obstacle. They do not care about where they use the lavatory, about keeping the fire going, or most importantly, getting rescued. Even the rules they do not care about. I am very frustrated. I just cannot stand this any more. Without my rules, there will be disastrous consequences to everything Jack and his hunters do. My rules keep the boys tethered to some semblance of society, but they seem oblivious to it and are willing to drop the rules like a hot pan. Life on this island just seems to get harder by every passing day. With Simon wandering off at night, no wonder the littluns are frightened. However, I should not let that bother me. On this island, there are by far more important things to do, like being rescued. How much boys on this island do believe in ghosts? What are the children on this island? Humans, animals, or savages? Piggy was head-on right by yelling at them. Surely, there are not any ghosts or beasties on this island, because Piggy told me so. He tells me everything, and everything he says is true. It has to be true. I feel as if I should step down as chief, for once and for all, but Piggys already warned me that if I do, Jack will become leader and the only thing he will lead us to do is hunt. But being rescued is better than hunting and I, for that matter, want to be rescued and back to my old life: with my mother and father. It is dreadful here. I try to shut my eyes of the surroundings that envelope me, and force the image of my life before this tragedy. Nothing. There is nothing to see. This life is like a virus, invading and sweeping the happy memories of my life before until there is nothing. I thought life here would be different, better somehow, but it seems that I got the contrary. Now, everything on this island makes me feel depressed. Even my own physical appearance, especially my hair; it has grown shabby and uncomfortably long. I have all grown shabby with neglect. With all the oppressive responsibility weighing down on my shoulders, I wish that the ground now would open up and swallow me down into its depth, to close me off the problems on this island, which I face. Diary Entry 2: Chapter 7: Shadows and Tall Trees This is it. A change from this place will do us all a whole lot of good. I have become so dirty and unclean over the past few months, that the conditions that I take myself for now is normal. The rest of the boys seem to take these conditions as normal too. The longing that I have for a deep, hot bath to purify my body and wrap me up in its enclosing warmth is unbearable. Every thing seemed to have been going well, but every step I take on this island to please Jack, just defines the how hard it will be, when you try to break the boys away from Jacks spell-binding habit: Hunting. Not that I am complaining. I followed the hunters today and the view that is to be seen on the opposite side of the island is utterly different to the view that is observed from the side of which we have settled in. However, although there are spectacular sceneries that can be viewed from this island, there is no place like home. The ocean is like a thick wall, an impermeable barrier, preventing my and the other boys escape. Simon seems to think that we will leave the island eventually. But I doubt that will ever happen. Simon is so batty. Now, with Jack thinking himself chief, everything is impossible. But I have to say, I did enjoy myself at the hunt. It was breathtaking. Originally, we were meant to be hunting down the beast, but Jack suggested that we could also hunt a pig in addition to continuing our search for the beast. It was smashing! I was excited so much that I was caught up in the adventure; I threw my spear at the boar, and hit it. But I suppose it was not much of a hit; it only nicked his snout. That was the first time I took aim and I cannot believe my luck. It has to be good marksmanship. I felt so exhilarated during the hunt, as the primal appeal of killing pigs dawned upon me. At least I have something to be proud of, other than some cut by a boars tusks. Jack thought that it was necessary to point the wound on his left arm out to the crowd of boys. I cannot understand Jack. He has such an eccentric personality; predictable though, he would not actually change much from his self-centred self. I hit the boar but he still pays the same attention as if I were thin air. The boys are impervious too, when they are around Jack that is. It is like he has the glamour that allows the other boys to be absorbed in him. No matter how much attention you persist or demand to acquire, the power that is bound inside Jack will not give in. I tried to show the boys that I was a good aimer, even though it was my first time hunting, but it was useless, like I said. Jack and the boys were truculent when they closed on towards Robert. They started chanting, Kill the Pig and I guess they were caught up in their momentum of chanting, that they actually started jabbing Robert with their spears, at first in jest, then with a more dangerous intent. He was yelping so much that I though my ears would give out. Instantly, all the excitement that I had in me from the hunt vanished. I was so glad that Robert escaped their grasp. I did join them with this too. I didnt know what was happening to me. The urge to kill was too overpowering. For all I know, we would have killed him. Jack was so self-absorbed, taking himself seriously, that he said that they could use a littlun next time to dress up as a pig, so that they can actually kill it. That was such a sick idea. They are taking a life away. The matter of life is not a game. However, the boys enamoured by Jacks statement began to laugh. This was not funny. They had to be reminded that this is only a game. I am starting to get concerned about the increasingly violent and impulsive behaviour of the hunters. Killing the littluns is trivial compared to what these hunters are capable of. We started climbing the mountain, as evening fell, and I realized that we would not be able to get back to the beach until morning. I did not want to leave Piggy with the littluns all night. I thought it was too much responsibility for one to handle, but I suppose Piggy would not mind; he will work things out easily. But Jack did not address this concern for Piggy kindly; he mocked me about it. What good chief would he make if he does not treat the boys with respect? But luckily Simon offered to go and inform Piggy of our whereabouts. Jack was still on his frenzy of hunting a pig, in the dark. Surely he could see that it was not a suitable time to hunt, but he is so impulsive that even he will not be blinded by the darkness that encloses the island. I thought that if we hunt in the morning it would be more apposite. He does not even think twice when I speak to him. I am chief, he should listen to me as any other boy on the island does. Giving the new understanding that Piggy provided me with, and sensing the hostility from Jack, I knew that he loathed me. I asked him why but he had no answer. What would he answer if he had one anyway? I never showed him any hatred but if he wants me to play his game, I will play. He was so pressing to climb up the mountain, even though most of the hunters were tired and, of course, afraid. It was unveiled in their eyes. At that moment I thought of going back myself too, but what Jack said obliged me to remain. He said that I was afraid. I am not afraid more than he is and he knows that, but he just doesnt want to admit it. I was surprised that my voice actually balanced itself proportionally, so that none of my reluctance or weakness showed. I was almost motivated by it. Just moments before this, Jack was accusing me of being afraid and now he was. He claimed that he saw something bulge on the mountain. Of course, due to my newfound bravery, I agreed to search for it immediately. But while I had a mask of bravery composed on my outside, inside I was not sure of what to do. Not sure about whether I should take a step forward or backward. What to do if the beast attacks me. It was so frustrating that it felt like the anxiety was scratching my brain away bit by bit. It seemed at the top of the mountain that I was paralysed. But I realised, eventually, what I was doing this for. To show Jack that I am not scared like he claims. So I fused my hatred for him, with my will and took two steps forward. That is when I saw it. My legs gave out under me, like an involuntary reflex reaction, but a button inside triggered me to get upon my feet as quick as I can and escape. It seemed like hours had passed in those few seconds for me to get over the shock of what I had just observed. It was like a huge rock thing and it bowed, and when the wind blew, it lifted its head to reveal a ruined face. It was unapproachable. Terrifying. I realised that the horror witnessed by the littluns in words, is inconsequential, in comparison to when you view the beast yourself. I am glad it is over for now, but I have a deep feeling that this thing, beastie, will not take long to return its visit. We must get prepared. Diary Entry 3: Chapter 8: Gift for the Darkness No one believes me. Even piggy. He was sceptical of the whole idea of me witnessing a beast on the top of the mountain. What angered me more is Jacks assurance to the group of boys that the hunters can defeat the beast. But are his hunters any good when faced with a beast that even the bravery of me, Roger and Jack could not defeat? His hunters are merely boys with sticks. I was right to point this out to him; he cannot be so ignorant of the beastie. Piggy said that I should not have called his boys that, but honestly, what choice did I have! And he never left it there either. Oh no. He called me a coward and accused me of calling the rest of his hunters cowards too. What right does he have to call me that? He even said that I am not a proper chief. As if he would be better than me as chief. All he cares about is hunting, hunting, hunting, and nothing else. If this is how he wants to live his life, then I doubt he will ever have a life, since he will be spending the rest of it on this doomed island. Adding more to this, the punch from the whole of this meeting came when he put my position of being chief in a vote, between him, and me to the boys. It is so hurtful when I think about it; I cannot believe that he holds such a grudge against me, that much to challenge my position of being chief. I have not did anything wrong to him. But, I guess I should not be so surprised. Its so Jack. Whenever he comes across something that he cannot stand, he feels compelled to sweep it out of his way. In this case, it is me. Oddly, I do feel sad and uneasy due to him leaving. I, certainly, was not expecting him to leave so quickly. Especially crying. The thought of him crying has never crossed my mind at all, even though I have been living with him for several months. It is not like him. He was always that kind of person like a rock, with his weaker feelings and emotions imperceptible, no one would have thought that he would be exposed so easily like that. Relieved that he left, Piggy and Simon seemed untouched, as if a burden has been lifted away from their shoulders. I guess they are calm now, since all Jack would do is pick on them, as they are the weaker vessels of the boys. Piggy tried to make me realise that there are potential benefits from Jack leaving, but I have this strong feeling inside me, telling me that something ominous is about to happen, resulting from this predicament. I just cannot put my finger on what is going to happen. He said that now we can start focusing on the fire more. Now that the fire has been built on the beach it may be difficult to see from far away, but at least somebody will keep it going. At least there is a trace of hope of being rescued. However, I really doubt that most of us will actually be rescued, as just after the building of the fire was done on the beach, I noticed several of the biguns missing. I did not know what to do. I felt as though Jack had taken part of me as an equipment to equip himself for evil and savagery on this island. The more I come to think about it, the clearer it becomes to me that Jack is the disruptive element and the root of destruction on this island. My authority is slipping away faster than I could imagine. Just a few months ago, I had it all, but now there is nothing left. I cannot understand the appeal of hunting if you do not attempt to be rescued at the same time. There is a battlefield of emotions warring in me. I tried to show the boys that I am a good chief, that I will get them rescued, but they were all oblivious to me and so left for Jack. It hurt so much that even speaking was like climbing a cliff for me. I suppose now everything is too late; everything is set in motion, I cannot do anything to change it. Maybe it would be better. We could be happier. Piggy says so. Piggy is so confident that everything will turn out to be okay, it almost scares me. We still have Samneric to help us keep the fire going, some littluns and I suppose Simon. Although Piggy and I never knew where he was, we thought that he might be climbing up the mountain. He would still stay unfazed by anything. He has cracked. With Simon, he is that kind of person that his feelings are buried deep inside him and you would have to dig a lot before reaching them. I am surprised that I never thought of Simon, in a way like this, before. You just have to listen to him to get to know him, but of course, Jack never listens to anybody or anything, so what would he know? At this point, I really dont care who I have got in my group as long as they are with me; I need all the support I can get. I was startled by the sudden uproar in the forest. Jack, wearing just dazzle paint and a belt, was even more startling. He told us that he and his group were living across the beach, by a flat rock, where they have fun. It was kind of him to invite us to join his tribe, but I know that if I were to join his tribe, there would be no going back and certainly no hope of rescue. I thought he was about to take the conch at first, when I saw him. I mean the conch to me is still a symbol of ritual and order, and without order on this island, there would be nothing. I still do not know why that thought passed through my head at that moment. But I saw that some of his hunters did take some branches of fire. Perhaps they took it to keep warm, or even cook their latest hunting victim on. But even by how much I would like to go to eat the meat and have fun, keeping the fire going was and is still the most important task at hand. It is going to be hard to keep the fire going, and the amount of wood that we need is even harder to get. I suppose Samneric could take two shifts. But Bill appeared sceptical to the whole idea that we will be capable of keeping the fire going. He suggested that we go to Jack and his hunters feast and tell them that the fire is hard among us. Moreover, the fact that there was meat there, hot and satisfying, was enough to make us sprint to cross our enemys border. Even Piggy could not resist. He was ravenous. I saw it in his eyes. Every face that my gaze landed upon was burning with the overwhelming hunger for meat. No one would ever let a chance like this pass by and we werent going to either. The thought of food and meat was too appealing, so we gave in to our desire.

My Journal - Chronicling Daily Life Experiences :: essays papers

My Journal - Chronicling Daily Life Experiences It is the start of a new year and I thought I would start a journal chronicling my daily experiences. Tonight we decided to go to the local F.O.P. lodge to a New Years Eve party. We had a pretty good time but what happened later that evening is something that I hope I don’t forget for a long time to come. Still fresh in my mind was the conversation Angela and I had on Christmas night. She was hinting that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be in a serious relationship this soon after the breakup of her previous one. If that wasn’t hard enough on Christmas she also was to ill to attend my brothers wedding with me in Madison Indiana . To add to all the confusion in my head, on my way home I stopped and got her a rose and a â€Å"happy New Years† balloon. She seemed quite touched by the gesture but also visibly troubled by it. I asked her if she was ready to have a good time tonight and she said â€Å"I was but now I don’t know.† Now what in the world does that mean! I tried applying all sorts of significant meanings to that statement but in the end I decided to just let it go and let events unfold as they would. Fast forward to 2 minutes before midnight. Angela is an absolute goddess, she is very beautiful and one of the nicest, sweetest woman I have ever met, but she is not one given to affection, especially public affection. Well at 2 minutes till she laid a kiss on me that lasted well after midnight. She absolutely blew me away!! The rest of the night was nice, we went to a couple more clubs but that moment is burned into my memory. Everything else paled in comparison. I don’t know if it is possible but I think I kissed her with my heart as well as my lips. I have heard of your â€Å"minds eye†, but tonight I found my â€Å"hearts mouth†................. January 2, 1997 I slept very happily all morning. I guess we were up a little later than I thought. I think my mind is still reeling from last night. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my self since Monday Night football is off, and Buffalo is out of the playoffs.

Bentham and Kant Essay

Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher and political radical. He is highly known and respected today for his moral philosophy, primarily his principle of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism evaluates actions based upon their consequences. Bentham is most famously known for his pursuit of motivation and value. Bentham was a strong believer in individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce and the decriminalizing of homosexual acts. During his time he helped with the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty and the abolition of physical punishment, including children. Bentham was born in Houndsditch, London in 1748 to a very wealthy family who supported the Tory party. He was very intelligent and bright minded. When he was a toddler he was found behind his father’s desk reading the history of England and at age three he began studying Latin. He obtained his masters degree from Oxford College in 1766, where there after he trained as a lawyer but never practiced. Instead, Bentham decided to write about the law. One of Bentham’s major influences was Joseph Priestley. Bentham read Priestley’s work and had quickly changed his mind about the conservative political views that he had grown up in. One statement in particular from The First Principles of Government and the Nature of Political, Civil and Religious Liberty had a major impact on Bentham; â€Å"The good and happiness of the members, that is the majority of the members of the state, is the great standard by which every thing relating to that state must finally be determined. † Bentham was also heavily influenced by the philosopher David Hume. In 1798 Bentham wrote Principles of International Law where he argued that universal peace could only be obtained by first achieving European Unity. He hoped that some for of European Parliament would be able to enforce the liberty of the press, free trade, the abandonment of all colonies and a reduction in the money being spent on armaments. One of Bentham’s most famous works was Constitutional Code in 1830. Here Bentham shares many of his ideas and beliefs on political democracy. Bentham argues that political reform should be dictated by the principal that the new system will promote the happiness of the majority of the people affected by it. He also argues about universal suffrage, annual parliaments and vote by ballot. Bentham believed that there should be no king, no House of Lords and no established church. In Constitutional Code Bentham also includes his view that men and women should be able to vote. Bentham also addressed the problem of how government should be organized and suggests the continual inspection of the work of politicians and government officials. Perhaps Bentham’s most famously noted for his work with Utilitarianism and is noted as the founder of modern utilitarianism. His work can be found in his book The Principles of Morals and Legislation. Utilitarianism is defined as â€Å"a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, specifically defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. † Bentham examined the concept of punishment and when it should be used as far as whether a punishment will create more pleasure or pain for society. He believed that the legislation of a society is vital to maintain the maximum pleasure and the minimum degree of pain for the greatest amount of people. Jeremy Bentham passed away on June 6th 1832 at the age of 84. Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant was born, lived and passed away in his home town of Konigsberg. He lived from 1724 to 1804. He studied at the local university and later returned to tutor and lecture students. It wasn’t until he met an English merchant by the name of Joseph Green that Kant learned of David Hume and began to develop his ideas of morals and values. Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (1781) is believed to many to be his greatest work. Kant’s was known mainly, however, for his moral code The Categorical Imperative. Immanuel Kant was a follower of Deontology, or duty ethics. Deontology is a theory holding that decisions should be made solely or primarily by considering one’s duties and the rights of others. One of the most important implications of deontology is that a person’s behaviour can be wrong even if it results in the best possible outcome. And, an act can be right even if it results in a bad outcome. In contrast to consequentialism, a philosophy infamous for its claim that the ends justify the means, deontology insists that how people accomplish their goals is usually, or always, more important than what people accomplish. Kant’s moral philosophy is based on the categorical imperative, good will, and duty. According to the categorical imperative, it is an absolute necessity, a command that humans should accord with universalizable maxims to treat people as ends in themselves and exercise their will without any concerns about the consequences or conditions of their actions. This concept can also be expressed in systematic terms by the two following formulations. The first form of the categorical imperative prescribes that we must act only according to that maxim whereby we can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. The second one states that we ought to treat humanity, whether in our own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means. In order to obey the categorical imperative, people have to act on a maxim that can be universalized. For instance, Kant argues that a lying promise is bad since it does not pass the universality test. Whenever a person makes a promise knowing that he will have to break it, he violates the first formulation of the categorical imperative. He intends to make use of another man merely as a means to an end which the latter does not likewise hold. In other words, Kant does not believe that lying promises are bad due to the fact that they generate bad consequences but because they result in a practical contradiction. According to him, people can’t lie since they can’t act for the results. Considering the second formulation of the categorical imperative, we have the need to have others working for us limited to some morality principles without treating them merely as a means. Kant believes that even though we have the ability to create our own ends, we can’t use people for our own devise. If we interfere with others to pursue their end while pursuing our own end, we violate their autonomy. We can’t have double standards for ourselves and for others. It is morally obligatory for us to respect others since people are rational agents. We must respect everyone in the exact same way and treat them as autonomous. As rational beings, humans are systematically united through common laws within the Kingdom of Ends. We belong to this kingdom as a member when we legislate in it universal laws while also being ourselves subject to these laws. According to Kant, everyone, no matter who they are, should be both the legislator and the follower of moral laws. Overall, Kant’s theory emphasizes that no one is an exception to moral laws, that people must act on strongly held beliefs or duties that are not in their own interest, and that we should never use people.

Marks & Spencer Retailing Strategy Essay

1. Introduction In this essay, in scope of the subject Organizational Management I, we will study the case of one of UK’s leading retailers that is Marks & Spencer. We are proposed to answer 3 given questions regarding the firm, specifically its strategy. Not only will we answer these given questions, we intend to further develop the concept of corporate strategy taught in class and relate it to M&S case in order to better understand it. During this case study we will also explore the history of this company, explaining the firm’s organization problem, the crisis that happened within the firm and also it’s strategies to overcome this crisis. We are also going to focus on the brand and in the ranges that M&S has available in the clothing market. There will be presented in this report aspects such as the market segments that M&S products ranges serve, the order winners and qualifiers for them and, finally, the different logistics performance objectives for the different ranges. Operations Management I 2. Development 2.1. History Marks & Spencer (M&S) is one of UK’s leading retailers with over 21 million people visiting their stores per week. M&S offer stylish, high-quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality food and financial services. The company was started in 1884, when Michael Marks (a Russian-born Police refugee) opened a stall at Leeds Kirkgate Market. M&S have over 700 UK stores and currently the firm finds itself in the process of expanding its business internationally: the company is already present in over 43 countries. Marks & Spencer employees over 78,000 people in the UK and abroad (as M&S site has published). 2.2. Marks & Spencer pre reorganization Focusing in clothing segment, M&S presented severe problems in their strategy department and, consequently, in their development and survival, due to massive mistakes. Seeing that M&S is a retailer type of firm, meaning that they only sell products, they don’t produce them: one of their main problems was the supply chain from the source to the consumer. This route was very expensive because they had a lot of suppliers, mostly at the UK. Overall, the company had several problems about the supply chain, like: All these problems made their supply chain really slow and time-consuming, not evaluating the suppliers nicely, not having a good balance between quantity and mix. Meanwhile, the marketing section had some issues too. They weren’t able to predict sales, they only made two sales seasons (while the others made four) and their product development was very slow and expensive. This enterprise only had one brand – St. Michaels – leaving few options of choice to the customer, being the only target women between 35 to 55 years old. This brand was focused on classic style clothes and some times out of fashion. Operations Management I In short, the notorious problems in the company were: 2.2.1. Crisis All these problems triggered the 1998 crisis, where Luc Vandevelde came as 4th CEO and responsible to change the company with some strategic measures. 2.3. Marks & Spencer after reorganization 2.3.1. Strategy changes To create, choose and implement their strategy, all the companies should have in consideration external and internal factors, social responsibility and the values of the company. On one hand, the internal factors explain the strengths and weaknesses of the company. On the other Operations Management I hand, the external factor relates the opportunities and the threats of the company, showing how that it influences the activity. These two are important in strategy creation, only if they are aligned with social responsible and company values. Marks & Spencer relied on its strong points (e.g. quality), trying to improve their weaknesses (e.g. slow response system). As stated above, the company also had high regard for social responsibility, as well as the company’s values. To implement strategy changes, we need to considerate these five philosophies: M&S ï‚ · The Total Quality Management is, as the name implies, oriented to increase the quality in the processes of the organization, by creating quality consistency; ï‚ · Just in time is a production management system that determines that nothing should be produced, transported or purchased before the exact time; ï‚ · Simultaneous Engineering acts on the development of products and is based on the use of engineering processes, manufactures, among other ones; ï‚ · The Compression Management is about to reduce processes time cycles; ï‚ · Reengineering helps manage through the increased efficiency and effectiveness. M&S based their strategy mainly on the first four points above. 2.3.2. Brand Nowadays, market segmentation is an absolute requirement for the market realities. Market Segmentation is related with a marketing concept and its objective is to enhance a company’s ability to understand and know its core customers as well as whom its core customers will be in the future. Most segments are formed by looking at certain characteristics such as demographic, geographic, and physiological, amongst others. These segments help the marketer identify very important consumption patterns. Therefore, the customers are treated accordingly to the firms view regarding what the customers wants or needs and its (the firms) ability to reach those needs in a profitable way. In Mark & Spencer specific case, it uses mostly a demographic segmentation to select its targets market for its products, targeting the customers by age, income, social class and lifestyle. There are 3 different ranges of M&S for Autumn 2001, including The Perfect and Classic Collection, The Autograph and pe r una. 2.3.2.1 The Perfect and Classic Collection Marketers are progressively more concerned in the outcome of the consumers lifestyle on demand. The market segments serve at this range, targets of those consumers who have busy lifestyles, therefore intend to save time and feel opportune when buying. This segment is for those customers that find themselves on a more price-orientated basis where they look for value at the lowest price. This is why, this range is targeted more on the middle social class and it’s a timeless collection (and not just the latest fashion) on any body size of both female and male customers. 2.3.2.2. The Autograph This range is a more specific, fashion-orientated designed for more mature upper class consumers who seek the â€Å"good life†. The collection in this range is designed by some of the best designers in the business, names such as Julien Macdonald, Philip Treacy and Sonja Nuttall. They have the capability to acquire it with a high street prices which are sold only in luxurious department stores. This range will normally target on those customers who prefer quality and the best design rather than the actual cost of the product. This range is targeted on female customers who have a keen sense of fashion, therefore it isn’t design for all ages nor all types of women. Per Una has concentrated its costumers to an age group between 25 and 35 with sizes from 8 to 18 (UK sizes) since the women that find themselves within these criteria nowadays do not want to be behind the latest fashion trends. They seek out fresh/new fashion and dress smartly and more importantly differently from another, therefore existing the Limited Edition, with that exact purpose. per una offers a better design and price to target young and middle-class women. 2.4. Order winners and qualifiers The different ranges that Marks & Spencer have available in the market presents competitive characteristics that make a costumer feel interested to buy a specific product. There are order qualifiers and order winners for these different ranges: The Perfect and Classic Collection (that we assumed that serve essentially the same range segment), The Autograph and the per una. The first order that we mentioned makes reference to the competitive aspects of a product that allows it to be considered by the costumers. On the other hand, order winners relates to the competitive characteristics that makes a product be chose by the interested in a specific product. Therefore, for the three ranges that M&S has available in the market and by the document we were presented to, we found some order qualifiers and winners for them. To The Perfect and Classic Collection we realized that size availability is a very important aspect to the costumers, which means that this factor is an order qualifier. In fact, there is a costumer that answered (to the questions that were made to her) that when â€Å"larger sizes have sold out† she gets â€Å"annoyed†. Thereby, some customers will have to go look in other stores to find what they need. About the order winners, in this range, costumers identify quality, price and variety of colors are three important aspects as they get interested in a product. Briefly, the item must be value for money and cannot require specialist washing as it has to wash well. In reference to The Autograph range, as it is defined to bring â€Å"cutting-edge design†, it is easy to understand that the most important order qualifier is the exclusive design of a certain item: the costumers want to buy a cloth that is â€Å"one of a kind†. Quality is the order winners in this range. When clients are looking for this products, they do not give so much importance to the price. Finally, the per una, a high-quality range, the attractive competitive aspect is the same as in The Autograph range: exclusity of design. The order qualifier is the rarity of a product and is difference . However, the segment of the market that looks for per una has a more concern about the price and, consequently, gives more importance to the value of a certain product. Even they care about the quality (as it must be well made and expected to last), the order winner in this range is the price that they are up to pay for the item. 2.5. Logistics performance objectives The planning and control of the organization will allow it to coordinate all the different operations that the organization has. It will grantee that all the materials are in the right place at the right time (just-in-time). Managers must control the operations to make sure that all runs like planned and finds the consumer needs. M&S changed the way to work with their suppliers and it provided a new approach to the market, principally the segment of clothes where they have done massive adjustments to get better performances. They created new divisions, and we will talk about those changes. Logistical department intends the enterprise to adapt itself to the market, so they created a new distribution of products by store and category. In other words, The Perfect and Classic ranges are located in almost all M&S stores because it is a product for the middle class, â€Å"for core customers†, with a low and viable price. The Autograph range, is into selected stores for the reason that its high prices can’t beat the most competitive brands in the common market and, finally, the per una collection is also in selected stores – despite its competitive price it’s a series that is very uncommon to find because the production has no repeats and so there is no piece like the other. This decision , to enter in the fashion business with a bigger offer then before, led the company to improve and presented a more efficient distribution of their products to the customers. In an organized way, each one of these brands according to their objective went to a shop strategically placed near to the right target. Like this they would have a faster response to the market resulting in the increase of the competitiveness of M&S. 3. Conclusion Marks & Spencer had several problems with the development of their company, having a huge crisis in 1998. To overcome this crisis, the company made some changes in their strategy in order to return to success. Changes in the supply chain, the marketing department and the increase of sub-brands, for example, led to: the increasing of quality, transparency, flexibility and the response of production cycle, elimination of duplication and gaining of more costumers. Nowadays, the company has a faster supply line, a more efficient marketing department and a huge variety of products, covering a larger number of customers which led to, generally, a better performance of the company. 4. Bibliography 1. CHASE, Richard B.; JACOBS, F. Robert; AQUILANO, Nicholas J.; Operations Management for Competitive Advantage; McGraw-Hill Irwin, 11th edition. 2. http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview

Egyptian Government essays

Egyptian Government essays A single man dominated ancient Egyptian government; this man was the Pharaoh. The people believed that the king was more than a man, that he was in some way an ordained ruler for the Egyptian Gods. For this reason the Pharaoh had absolute control over the affairs of the empire and its people. However, Ancient Egypt was also a partial-theocracy. This means that the clergy of ancient Egypt possessed a certain amount of power over the people of the society. The Pharaohs advisors and ministers were almost always priests. These priests were considered the only ones worthy and able to carry out the god kings commands. As in most religious ancient societies, priests had special status above the rest of the citizens, forming a kind of nobility (Wilson, 1966). As the head of the government, the Pharaoh was theoretically said to have a life of total control. However, in actuality he was as subject to the demands of his own policies just as the people whom he ruled. The Pharaoh did not live a life of dull luxury. This all-important being was the embodiment of the Gods and the soul of the state. With all the duties of the Pharaoh, he had to empower deputies to help him with his duties. These deputies included; a Vizier, which saw over the civil administrations, high priests over the temple administrations, and commander of his personal and professional armies. The Vizier was the most important official under the Pharaoh. He represented divine authority, perception, and justice. He was heavily charged with the responsibility to be fair and equitable. His primary role was chief magistrate, the kings right hand man so to speak. The vizier remained important throughout Egyptian history. Many titles were given to this prominent position over the centuries, they include: prince, count, seal bearer of the king, and chief officer of the state. He was the ...

Psittacosaurus - Facts and Figures

Psittacosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Psittacosaurus (Greek for parrot lizard); pronounced sih-TACK-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Scrublands and deserts of Asia Historical Period: Early to middle Cretaceous (120 to 100 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 3 to 6 feet long and 50 to 175 pounds, depending on species Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Short, blunt head with curved beak; small horns on cheeks About Psittacosaurus As you may have guessed from its name, Greek for parrot lizard, what set Psittacosaurus apart from other dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period was its distinctly un-dinosaur-like head. This plant-eaters curved beak made it somewhat reminiscent of a parrot, but otherwise, its squat noggin was distinctly tortoise-like. (One shouldnt draw too much from this analogy; Psittacosaurus, and other ornithischian dinosaurs like it, werent directly ancestral to modern birds, an honor that belongs to saurischian dinosaurs.) Although its often depicted in a four-legged posture, paleontologists believe some species of Psittacosaurus (there are at least 10 currently named) walked or ran on two legs. (A new study concludes that this dinosaur scuttled around on four legs as a juvenile, then assumed a bipedal posture thanks to a growth spurt in its hind legs.) Psittacosaurus seems to have led a relatively quiet life, although the horns on its faceprobably a sexually selected characteristicindicate that the males may have engaged in combat with each other for the right to mate with females. Theres also solid evidence that Psittacosaurus cared for its young after they hatched, like the distantly related duck-billed dinosaurs Maiasaura and Hypacrosaurus. By the way, you wouldnt know it from its small, unprepossessing appearance (six feet from head to tail and 200 pounds, max, for the largest species), but Psittacosaurus is classified as a ceratopsianthe family of horned, frilled dinosaurs the most famous members of which were the much later Triceratops, Protoceratops, and Styracosaurus. In fact, Psittacosaurus was one of the most basal ceratopsians, predated only by the late Jurassic Chaoyangsaurus and itself a close cousin to a bewildering array of proto-ceratopsian genera, including Yinlong and Leptoceratops.

Defning globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defning globalization - Essay Example The definition of globalization is highly contentious among professionals in the field of economics and business. Globalization is a term for the process of international integration brought upon by interconnectivity of cultural aspects.(Steger, 1) Cultural aspects can be further defined as technology, religion, infrastructure, and manufacturing processes. There are many types of globalization; increased internet activity, international cell phones, and aviation. There are many good aspects of globalization that increases the health and education of many third world countries. However, there are aspects of globalization that have both positive and negative aspects. The globalization that most people think of the most is the usage of other countries to assist in the production or manufacturing of products for consumption or use. This is known by many currently as outsourcing. While outsourcing is not the only form of globalization, this is the one element that has become a hot topic politically due to the extent and negative elements. Outsourcing is a negative form of globalization to portions of the United States, while for others it is one of the best things that has occurred. When the United States federal government began to give tax benefits to companies who moved their major production elements outside of the United States, many companies began to move.(Anderson, 213) Not only are manufacturing jobs being sourced in other countries, but now countries are moving things such as call centers and technology service centers.(Dessler & Phillips, 61) Moving jobs overseas has a drastic and detrimental effect on the job market in the United States. Individuals in certain regions of the country are without job because of the relocation of most of the car making processes. No longer are there hundreds of companies making car parts, most if not all of those jobs are now in countries such as Mexico and China. This outsourcing has come to a

The Battle of Little Bighorn Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Battle of Little Bighorn - Research Paper Example This historic paper primarily explores the background of the Battle of Little Bighorn. This battle is the only significant battle where the Native Americans managed to achieve a decisive victory over the White Americans, or more precisely, the US Army. Parties involved in the battle: The battle was fought between the alliance of some major Native American tribes and the US Army. At one side, there were the warriors from Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes. They numbered around 2000. The other side consisted of US troops, numbering around 650. They were in alliance with the Arikara and Crow tribes. The Native American side was led by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, etc. The US side was led by G.A. Custer, Marcus Reno, Bloody Knife, etc. 1 Short description: The battle took place on 25th to 26th June, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in Montana. Custer, who led the army from the forefront, made certain mistakes, which ultimately caused the US defeat. He divided his troops into 3 battalio ns by the time the battle began. This disunited the column, while the Native Americans surrounded them very swiftly. Custer’s move was actually a tactical error.2 In the battle that followed, over 250 US troops died while less than 150 Native Americans were killed.3 This paper will examine the background of this battle with reference to the Great Sioux War. Next, the supporting evidence will be put forward almost in the form of a literature review. In the conclusion part, the aftermath and consequences of the battle will be discussed. A summary of the paper will also be provided. Background The Great Sioux War: This war was waged by USA against the Native Americans who spoke languages mainly from the Sioux linguistic group. It was not strictly European style warfare. It consisted of a series of skirmishes, battles, and massacres. In the High Plains, warfare in various ways continued almost from 1865 to 1879.4 5 US defeat in the Battle of Little Bighorn heightened the tensions of this war and lingered it. About these developments, the New York Times reported, â€Å"The news of the fatal charge of Gen. Custer and his command against the Sioux Indians has caused great excitement in Washington, particularly among Army people and about the Capitol. The first impulse was to doubt the report, or set it down as some heartless hoax or at least a greatly exaggerated story by some frightened fugitive.†6 Situation before the battle: Prior to this battle, USA had demarcated the Great Sioux Reservation for the Native Americans and Indians around the Missouri area, Montana Territory, Dakota Territory, etc. The Cheyenne tribe had moved west side to the Powder River Country and Black Hills and they had adopted horse culture near about 1730. The Cheyenne remained a major force in the region and developed a centralized tribal authority, which later embarked on unifying the other tribes as well. The Lakota tribe had migrated to this region after Cheyenne. They began expanding their territory westward from the Missouri River as their number continued to increase. They used the Great Plains region to gather plant resources, lodge poles, animal rearing, buffalo hunting, etc. The Arapaho tribe was also a significant power in the area, which adopted common customs like Sun Dance along with Cheyenne and Lakota. Their social system was also centered on buffalo hunting and that was the main tribal occupation in the region.7 The alliance between Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho became a significant power in the Great Plains that was opposing the US socio-political expansion during the mid 1870s. Arikara and Crow tribes were allied with USA. Arikara speak the distinct Arikara language. They were a people of semi-nomadic creed who were afraid of the increasing power of the Cheyenne. However, it is interesting to note that USA had fought their first battle with the Western Indians (i.e. Native Americans of the Great Plains) against this Arikara

Analyze report grading rubric Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze report grading rubric - Assignment Example Training is important because it helps equip the learners with the correct skills, attitudes and orientations towards work, helping them feel satisfied with their work (Price, 2000). The training is being performed in order to equip the supermarket personnel with the necessary skills of handling supermarket operations which include: customer service skills, inventory skills, managing skills and reporting skills. When the supermarket staff is recruited, they come from different fields which necessitate training in order for them to understand the operations of the supermarket. The problem comes as a result of deficiencies that result from their different training backgrounds. None of these people are trained in supermarket operation except for the top management that have specialized roles. The other people are sourced from around the community and thus may lack essential skills that are necessary in performing the tasks in the supermarket. The content of the training program is divided into four: customer service, inventory handling, managing and reporting. All the staff must go through the four topics exhaustively in order to be termed ready for placement within the supermarket chains. In the content, the staff learns practical and analytical skills which they are expected to use at the supermarket. The content will be delivered by way of direct instructions. In other instances depending on the nature of the topic, the content delivery mode will be experiential. This is true for customer service training as the people need to know how to handle the prospective customers. The program will take 6 months to be considered complete. Within the six months, one month will be assigned for assessment. The training will be conducted to young people between the ages of 20 to 30. This group is specifically considered by the management as appropriate to engage in the operations of the company. The group to be trained has

Personal Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Personal Responsibility Essay Define what personal responsibility means to you. Explain the relationship between personal responsibility and college success. Include a preliminary plan to practice personal responsibility in your education. This week, using the Center for Writing Excellence resources, provide the thesis statement and informal outline for your Personal Responsibility Essay assignment, due in Week Five. Thesis Statement: Personal Responsibility means taking accountability for my own actions, accepting whatever consequences come from my actions, and then understanding how to improve or make necessary changes. By staying organized, setting personal goals, keeping my stress level to a minimum, and staying focused, I can achieve college success. Informal Outline: I. Intro II. What personal responsibility means a. Accountability for my own actions b. Being organized c. Setting goals; both personal and academic III. Tools for personal responsibility d. Having time management skills e. Setting personal goals f. Keeping my stress level to a minimum g. Staying focused IV. What I will hold myself academically accountable for h. Attending all classes i. Reading all materials j. Doing all assignments and turning them in on time k. Studying for all exams V. Conclusion: In conclusion, although it is easier to blame others for my failures and my mistakes, it is because of my personal responsibility that I will be able to have college success. I will have a clear understanding of what I expect from my education as well as what I expect for my future. I will strive to accomplish every goal that I will set for myself in my personal life as well as the goal I will set for myself as a student. Personal responsibility determines how I choose to live my life and the things I choose to do and not to do. In turn, my college success is up to me.

William Shakespeares Sonnet #55 Essay -- English Literature Shakespea

William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #55 is a Shakespearian sonnet. It contains three quatrains, or four line stanzas, and ends with a couplet. The poem is written in iambic pentameter William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #55 is a Shakespearian sonnet. It contains three quatrains, or four line stanzas, and ends with a couplet. The poem is written in iambic pentameter. The speaker is the older man. This is the same speaker in many of Shakespeare’s sonnets. In this sonnet the speaker is telling the young man, beautiful, male addressee that he is not sharing his beauty with the world, but is selfishly keeping it all to himself. He’s explaining to the addressee that he needs to have children to spread his beauty and share it with the world. In the first quatrain the speaker is telling the addressee about how he will live eternally in the poem. Shakespeare writes, â€Å"Not marble nor the gilded monuments/ of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme† (Shakespeare lines 1-2). He uses a metaphor comparing the beauty of the young man to â€Å"upswept stone besmeared with sluttish time† (Shake...

Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh

Size up Germany’s foundry Industry? Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future?The beginning of the new millennium has presented Walter Hundhausen (WH) with a big hurdle to jump. The German economy is experiencing economic stagnation, an aging population and a German labour market that is filled with many intrusive government regulations. The German economy has been growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year for the last 4 years; making it one of the slowest growing economies in the Euro Zone.However, study’s suggests in 2004, the domestic economy is expected to grow above 2 percent. Moreover, one-third of Germany’s economy is comprised of exports. In performing a Pest Analysis (see Diagram 1 below), there are many macro factors affecting the German Foundry Industry.MACRO FORCESThe acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological concerns that could affect the strategic development of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By iden tifying PEST influences it helps gage the external environment in which the casting foundry industry operates. PoliticalStrict Layoff Regulations: Government regulations had strict policies in place on how organizations could layoff employees. Before employees were laid-off, management had to advise the Works Council and they had to agree to the nature and timing of the plan. In addition, the management team had to develop a social plan for each employee on how the layoff would affect them and what remedies the organization would put in place for them. If a  social plan was not presented, employees could claim for compensation through the courts. This could prove to be costly in time, money and reputation.National Bargaining on Wages: The current German industrial relations policy was based on a duel model. One part dealt with the collective bargaining, while the other dealt with codetermination. The collective bargaining agreement dealt with minimums and maximums, with respect to wages and salaries and working hours. Codetermination was an actual Act or Law that provided labourers in Germany with three levels of representation; Supervisory Board, Works Council and Labour Director. However, in the end, all collective bargaining agreements could be adjusted and then ratified through this process.Social Market Economy: The political climate in the country is based on the social market economy, where employers and unions worked as partners to better the organization as a whole. However, in reality, the balance of power lay in the hands of the union. Unions negotiated national and regional wages and hours of operations; in addition, they also negotiated paid time-off. In 2004, the average individual worked 1,542 hours. The standard legislated work week was set at 60 hours with a minimum paid leave of 24 days. That translates to 2,832 hours per year. Despite the legislation, the average individual worked 54 percent less than was legislated in 2004.Ordnung Princip al: This is Germany’s version of the Triple Bottom Line, where economy, society and the government all participate in the mechanism for workers democracy. New Environmental Legislation: The government imposed a new ecological tax in 2000 that focused on waste reduction as opposed to waste recycling. This added costs in the form of time and money to the WH casting process. From an economic perspective, the government wanted the industry to focus on the externalities and reduce them or remove them totally.EconomicalDomestic Growth: The last three years (2001 to 2004), the German economy was growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year. Germany had been experiencing the slowest growth in the Euro zone. This affected many organizations in Germany, particularly mid-sized companies that were not big enough to fully utilize economies of scale. Future Growth: The economy in Germany has been slated to grow around 2 percent for the year 2004.This represent an increase of 1.4 perc ent over the previous year and that may not  seem big, but relatively speaking that is a 233% increases from year over year. Increase in Value of the Euro: Another concern at the macro level is the appreciation of the Euro against other currencies, most notably the American dollar. As the Euro increased, the cost of WH’s products also increased. However, the opportunity to purchase at a lower price scrap iron and steel from non-European countries has also increased. As the Euro appreciates in value, it can now purchase raw materials at a lower cost.SocialAging Population: The current labour shortage in Germany is creating a nightmare in the casting industry. In order to attract and retain employees, organizations were paying a premium over scheduled tariffs. These costs were substantial, as many companies were running multiple shifts in order to keep up with demand. Reduction in Full-Time Employment: The current macro environment suggests a reduction in the number of full-t ime resources, because of the high labour costs. However, because of the aging population, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified workers.Sounds counter intuitive; a reduction of full-time staff to cut costs, but many companies in the industry are paying premiums over scheduled tariffs in order to keep their current workforce. Strong Social Employment Contracts: The Germany foundry industry has a strong employment contract system, where employers are responsible for the well being of their workers. The contract is enforced by the Works Council and the Labour Director who is part of the origination. Their main objective is to resolve disputes through intensive informal contacts.Strong Union Presence: The dual model in the industry consists of a collective bargaining agreement and codetermination. This dual system gives the unions a strong position within the foundry industry. Their presence has lead to numerous bouts of conflict with management when negotiating collective agreements and in some cases these disagreements lead to long and bitter strikes.TechnicalAbove Average R&D Investment: R&D is a major competent in the casting foundry industry. R&D creates better products and above all reduces costs through the automation of the casting process. Moreover, by being a Tier 1 supplier, customers are expecting better products and lower costs year over  year. Frequent Technology Changes: In the casting process, technology changes occur frequently, in order to maintain lower sand-to-metal ratios and scrap ratios. Largest European Foundry: Being the largest casting foundry in Europe, economies of scale can have significant cost savings, as the organization can purchase large amounts of scrap iron and steel.Close Proximity to Clients: By being close to customers, shipping costs and delivery times are reduced substantially; giving the local casting foundry a cost advantage over their long distance competitors. Efficient Sand Casting Process: T he casting process is highly integrated and labour intensive. By having a disjointed process, the cost of the process will be high and the products produced would be of an inferior quality. A process that is tightly controlled and automated will reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs in the form of wages and raw material.MICRO FORCESBelow are the specific micro forces that will influence how WH reacts to the environmental issues assessed above.SupplyThe cost of raw materials was increasing 23 percent year over year (see Diagram 2 below). Raw materials have been the single most expensive cost to WH. Diagram 3 below, illustrates the cost of raw materials to revenues and the cost of wages and salaries to revenues. As for wages and salaries, they have been holding steady. Moreover, the trend seems to be downward sloping (see Diagram 3, below).Total revenues have been increasing steadily since 2001; with a significant increase occurring in 2004 (see Diagram 4, below).Year over Year Incre ase in Revenues 2001 2002 2003 2004Total Revenues 97 99 103 117 2.06% 4.04% 13.59%However, in 2004, the index price of scrap iron and steel has been averaging around 191.00, that is a 43 percent increase, year over year. The trend seems to be heading higher, potentially breaking the 250.00 barrier (see Diagram 5, below).Average 81.25 99.91667 99.91667 111.5 133.75 191.25CompetitionCompetition from non-OEM organizations was growing. However, customers today are more sophisticated and understand that quality plays an important role in the decision to purchase a product versus purchasing a product on price alone. The real threat will come from organizations in the casting industry from Eastern European that will eventually become tier 1 suppliers. One of the challenges facing WH is the current workforce in Germany. WH has been experiencing a high degree of absence due to leaves and sick days.The above graph (see Diagram 6) illustrates by department where the greatest number of absences are occurring. The stars indicate the average per department and in 2004, there was an increase in the number of absences in Core Marketing, Finishing and Heat Treatment. Finishing can be explained because of the nature of the work itself. It is one of the most difficult  parts of the casting process. Some of the other notable information to mention, is when the automated casting process is operating efficiently, sick days and leaves are kept to a minimum.For example, pouring and melting in 2003 experienced numerous mechanical problems, thus the department experienced a higher level of absences as opposed to 2004, when the process was operating with little interruptions, sick days and leaves decreased substantially. Moreover, for the first 6 months of 2004, the average cost of the total days off work amounted to 3.39 million, which represents 8.7 percent of the overall company’s revenues (see Diagram 7, below).DemandThe biggest threat facing WH is their ability to reduce costs. Their customers are demanding lower prices and the organiza tion has been responding, by investing heavily in R&D to improve the casting process. However, if they do not get the costs of the casting process under control, they will not be able to meet the increasing demand from the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry in 2004 purchased a total of 68% of the total industry’s output. Diagram 8, below illustrates the percentage increase or decrease year over year by industry and the tonnage sold by industry. Clearly, the industry that has been adding value to WH has been the motor vehicle industry. On average, over the last three years, the motor vehicle industry has increased 13 percent.If the motor vehicle industry continues on their current growth path, by the end of 2005, WH will have reached plant capacity of 95,000 tonnes per year (see Diagram 9, below). The forecast includes a 13 percent increase in motor vehicle tonnage per year and holds the other two industries with no growth or decline in tonnes required.PEST Con clusionThe rising cost of scrap iron and steel, a stagnate Germany economy, the German labour market and its regulations are proving extremely difficult for WH to deal with. In addition, WH is reaching plant capacity and they have not been able to control rising costs to date. For the last three years, wages and raw material purchases have been well over budget. SWOT ANALYSISA SWOT analysis was completed for WH to evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (see Diagram 10, below). The analysis identifies the key internal and external factors that will hinder or help WH achieve their stated goals and objectives.One of the key factors to WH success was their ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create new products for them. This was one area in the casting foundry industry that separated WH from their competitors; WH was and still is â€Å"Best in Class†, when it comes to product innovation. One area of improvement would be to e liminate or reduce the number of products that have low margins.By producing these low margin products, WH is tying up valuable resources both in time, money and material. One of the greatest threats WH will encounter is the surging casting foundries from Eastern European countries, such as Spain, Turkey and Poland. Currently, many of the Eastern European organizations either small or big are not OEM rated. However, with time and additional investment dollars, these organizations will be able to compete against WH on price.PORTERS FIVE FORCESOne final assessment was completed to determine the profitability or attractiveness of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By utilizing Porters Five Force model, a more realistic assessment of the competitive rivalry that exists in the market can be determined. This will give WH insight as to the attractiveness of the industry and determine what course of action (if any) is required.The analysis clearly demonstrated that the industry is hig hly profitable (see Diagram 11, above). The Barriers to Entry are high, making it difficult for organizations to enter. Entry requires a high initial capital investment and ongoing R&D dollars. Moreover, the bargaining power of the Buyer is Low, because switching costs are high. Substitutes products are available, but in the motor vehicle industry highly unlikely to be used.The  bargaining power of Suppliers is strong, because there is strong union presence and the raw material is based on world supply and demand prices. In short, the competitive rivalry within the Casting Foundry Industry is high, suggesting that the industry is profitable. Furthermore, with high exist barriers, because of the high fixed costs, it makes it extremely difficult to exit the industry, and thus remaining organizations will continue to suffer and lose more market share.Question 1A:  Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future?Not with their current casting process. Clearly, WH’s core com petency lies in their ability to produce exactly what the customer needs and then takes that knowledge one step further by producing new products that customers ends up wanting; WH creates demand for their new more profitable products. Moreover, WH links their internal logistical and informational systems with their customers. Basically, WH becomes an extension of their customers. The future for WH would be to outsource some non core activities of their value chain to 3rd parties in the casting foundry industry; perhaps in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, where wages are less and employment is more bountiful.In conclusion, with the current trends in the casting foundry industry, where growth is expected to increase 2% per year in tonnage and 3% per year in value, WH does not have the current structure to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Pricing has also become an issue and they are trying to go head to head with their customers and asking them to pick up the additional surcharg es on the price of scrap steel and iron. Moreover, with the additional investment in R&D, costs have not decreased. Revenues have been steadily rising, but so have costs and costs have outpaced revenues. This is evident, as WH is expected to lose 6 million in 2004, making it the worst loss in the company’s 4 year history.Question 2:  Is the alternative that WH’s management called â€Å"strategic change† really strategic? Justify you answer.In order to justify the answer, one must first define what strategic change is. According to Joseph N. Fry, one of the authors of Strategic Analysis  and Action he suggests that it is a tool for building, communicating and maintain the direction of the business. As for Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, he suggests that strategic change is all about execution. In his book, Making Strategy Work, he suggested that without a careful, planned approach to execution, strategic goals cannot be attained.Albeit, in both examples above, little reference is made to the actual strategy, but in reality both authors agree that the strategy is important, but the execution of the strategy is key to success. An analogy that can be used to illustrate their point of view would be a golfer that needs to fade a shot around a tree. The strategy has been set, the trajectory of ball flight has been visualized; wind and all other factors have been taken into consideration. What’s left is the actual striking of the ball. However, if the golfers’ core competency is to hit a draw, rather than a fade, the strategy has little to do with the result of the execution.One of WH alternative is to shut down Line 2, reduce employment by 114 workers and increase sales through a radical marketing campaign that started in 2003. However, the radical marketing campaign emphasizes a differentiation strategy as opposed to a price strategy as indicated by Klaas. The key to their current success is WH’s ability to understand their custo mer’s business needs and create specific casting moulds for them. In addition, WH has been able to develop new products with higher margins for their customers and then sell those products back to their customers; push marketing.By adopting a low cost strategy, rivals in the industry will eventually out price WH and take market share away from them. One of the reasons why WH can be out priced in the market is that their main competitors from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, have a much lower wage structures. To conclude, WH’s alternative does not fit the traditional definition of a strategic change. After reviewing the data and the definition, the answer remains a resolute no. The reason for the decision is that strategic change must take into consideration other aspects of the organization.The changes suggested by Klaas will not delivery the strategy in a controlled manner that is efficient and effective to implement. Strategic management is not about delivering one si ngle project or addressing one particular issue, but a process that governs the entire organization and how the entire  organization is affected by the strategic change (see Diagram 12, above). The so called alternative â€Å"strategic change† in the end will not deliver any real value to the organization, thus further suggesting that this is not a strategic change. Strategic change at the end of the day must deliver real value, not perceived value.In Germany that value takes on the form of a stakeholder, rather than a shareholder. Thus, by simply focusing on profits and ignoring the human costs of the layoffs, WH will not execute this strategy with any conviction or success. Both Fry and Hrebiniak realize that the process is complicated and contains many moving parts. In short, there is no magic bullet. Simply cutting workers and installing automated processes does not guarantee costs reductions and increased revenues.Question 3:  How much â€Å"flexibility† did t he company have in dealing with its problem?The reality of the situation is that WH only had perceived flexibility. With economic stagnation, an aging population, tight employment regulations and a shortage of workers, WH has limited flexibility in being able to deal with the problem. Moreover, with the increase in tariffs, raw materials and energy, WH has even less flexibility in addressing their current problem. WH was able to negotiate concessions with the Works Council; however, the concessions came with a hefty price. The Works Council’s goal was to save jobs in the short term for the promise of better pay in the long term. Thus, WH was able to negotiate special agreements to break the current collective agreement.WH negotiated for more free hours, less pay and forgone holidays and vacation pay, but had no control over dismissal’s and working exemptions; the Works Council held the balance of power in these two categories. For example, if employment dropped below 5 70 permanent employees, the regional tariff rates would come into effect and they did. The Works Council’s position for long term better pay may present a problem with a few of the alternatives being suggested by WH.The Works Council may not approve any of the alternatives that involve significant layoffs and pay reductions. These alternatives are in direct conflict with their own goals and objectives. In conclusion, perceived flexibility is much different than actual flexibility. WH may think they can suggest an alternative that  makes sense for them, but the reality is that without buy in from the Works Council, the strategy will surely fail to execute.Question 4:  What could management do to address the problem?WH management must develop a Strategic Management Process. The new strategic management process is to be undertaken by the executives at WH and GMH. The executives will review and interpret the Germany foundry industry and determine the direction for WH. At this point in the process the executives will set the Corporate Strategy (strategic direction) and priorities, while understanding and taking into consideration resources and budget constraints (see diagram 13, below).The seconds step is to create the â€Å"right† Corporate Structure with the proper incentives and controls to ensure that the Corporate Strategy can be achieved. The final step is to ensure that the Business Units understand the objectives set forth and have the necessary resources in place to achieve their goals and objectives. It is the business unit who is responsible for ensuring that they have the correct skills and capabilities in place in order to achieve the Corporate Strategy. Once the strategic management process has been developed, the next critical step in the process is to formulate a well defined plan that has clear and focused goals and objectives. These goals and objectives must be measurable, attainable and realistic.Moreover, the plan must address how these achievements will affect the overall organization, but more importantly, if the goals and objectives are not meet, what are consequences to the organization. This process must be open and transparent that will ensure that buy in will occur quickly. In conclusion, the execution of these key activities is the heart of any successful strategic management process. In addition, WH must ensure that the Works Council understands that the long term success of WH is in everyone’s best interest. The Works Council’s long term goal is for better pay for its workers, without WH, their goals and objectives will never be realized.Question 5:  What had management done so far?Management has accomplished a lot to date. They sold WH to GMH who had experience in purchasing distressed companies and providing them with fresh equity and motivating their work force. In addition, in 2003, WH implemented a radical marketing plan that increased revenues by approximately 13.6 % in 200 4. WH invested heavily in operations, by trying to automate the sand casting process. WH believed that they could further reduce the operating costs by automating a lot of the high touch processes.WH has also outsourced the finishing process, as this is one of the most costly processes in the sand casting process. WH hired a consultant by the name of Knight Wendling who was hired to improve productivity and reduce costs. His first mandate was to get customer to pay a scrap surcharge and eliminate unprofitable products. By the middle of 2004, 91 percent of customers were paying the surcharge and he eliminated 5,000 tonnes of products that were generating low contributions. Finally, in 2004 WH made some major changes to their current management structure and sent out a new message to their workers, that management was looking for fresh ideas that would make a difference.Question 6:  What actions were left open to WH’s management and would they make sense?One action that was l eft open was continuing with the Radical Marketing Plan that WH started in 2003. The marketing plan would continue to increase sales by 8.2 million and contribution by 5.2 million in 2005. However, one of the major issues with this action was that costs were also increasing and the increase in revenues and contributions was being offset by the rising cost of scrap iron and steel and wages. The rising costs, coupled with WH’s increase in prices were opening the doors to some of their direct competitors in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.This plan would only make sense if they could get the Works Council to increase the number of hours that employee’s could work and reduce the minimum number of workers required, before tariffs are enforced. Moreover, this approach would make sense, if WH could convince the Works Council that their short term objective to keep as many employees as  possible is actually going to hurt their long term goal of better pay for their workers. If WH and the Works Council could overlook their short term objectives and focus on their long term objectives, everyone would be better off.Question 7:  How could it pursue the remaining actions?WH could simply divest the entire operations and payout the 15.3 million owed to the workers ( 25,000 * 612 workers). However, this may not be in the best interest of the entire organization as an environmental assessment must be completed before the land gets rezoned. Worst case scenario, if the land is contaminated the purchaser may request that the seller clean the land before title change and this could cost GMH considerable money.The opportunity cost of closing down the plant would be the 15.3 million, thus the company could take that money and reinvest it into WH. Currently, WH is losing 6.2 million per year, if they continue losing this amount of money, that would buy them 3 additional years and then WH could simply sell the business. WH would have to create a strategic plan that takes into consideration all the options associated with investing additional capital. More so, they will need buy in from the Works Council. Without their buy in strategic plans will prove useless.