Marketing Strategies Essay

Marketing strategies are not effective and they are just a fad for different organizations. Agree/Disagree Sultan Lashari In statement Marketing strategies are not effective and they are just a fad does not fit in the parameters of agreeable statement; it forces us to consider the health of the statement in terms of profit impact of marketing strategy. Marketing strategy many have its share of setbacks in the marketing moves if that is given the status â€Å"not being effective†. It does not mean holding back growth. Companies often desire a balanced product portfolio. [ (Kotler) ] To treat marketing strategy as just a fad is on the wrong basis, because the strategy changes in terms of several key strategic factors that can be explored to make changes of the situation. The term fad is a product life cycle type and a fad curve represents quick popularity and a sudden decline and extended fad except that residual sales at a fraction of earlier sales after the initial success . A sophisticated marketing planner must be able to ask the right questions and planning strategy must relate to the problem of building right kind of approach which is nothing but a path way to achieve the desired end in competitive market environment. [ (Forsyth) ] In order that marketing strategy is shaped to win-win situation that is to be termed effective, it must see that marketing strategy is devise around the stage, a particular product is in the product life cycle which has a typical pattern from traditional, boom or classic, fad, extended fad, seasonal or fashion, revival or nostalgia and bust. In fad time, sales look like: FAD Sales Time In devising marketing strategy, we must keep in mind that it can only be considered effective if we do not disregard the basic fact that product promotion has a direct bearing to the stage a product is at in the product life cycle. Formulating and implementing marketing strategy is a distinct decision-making focus. Planning and executing the marketing strategy involves many inter-related decisions such as: what to do, when to do it, and how it should be done. [ (Forsyth) ] This is got to be based on the nature of the organization and its product portfolio. The reason for calling marketing strategies ineffective or different organizations could be attributed to something for saying sake. As a matter of fact, marketing strategies involve various market situations and one need to make decisions intelligently. The process of formulating and implementing marketing strategies involves corporate objectives and strategy. [ (Forsyth) ] The marketing is the game of variable and by placing heavier accent on one or more of the marketing variables that is product, price, promotion and distribution, the winning platform can be labeled. The entire marketing concept leaves much to imagination in developing correct mix [ (Kotler) ]. In a nutshell, devising marketing strategies necessitates due diligence on the stage, the product is in the product life cycle because you have to understand market opportunities in or business level objective, for new market entries, for growth markets an or mature and declining markets. This enables the marketers for correct target marketing and product positioning. [ (Kotler) ] Works Cited Forsyth, P. Every thing you need to know. Kotler, P. Management skills in marketing.

Pygmalion VS Pretty Woman Essay Essay

Year 11 Preliminary Extension English Assessment Task – Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw) and Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall) To what extent have contextual attitudes and values regarding gender and class been maintained or altered in the two texts you have studied? Both Pygmalion, composed by George Bernard Shaw and Pretty Woman, directed by Garry Marshall effectively critique the gender and class disparities of their time, suggesting that these discrepancies were merely social constructs. Through obscure and indirect methods such as the use of humour, irony, character development and transformations, Shaw and Marshall address the issues of gender and class inequality in a milder way, thus skilfully avoiding conflicting opinions with the audience and the general public. Although the two texts belong to different time periods and genres, they are similar in their storyline and unprovocative methods of presenting what used to be a highly controversial idea. In the play Pygmalion, Shaw uses irony to question the society’s views on gender inequality through the characterisation of Eliza, as an independent and intelligent young woman, capable of much more than was deemed appropriate for her sex. Shaw’s philosophy of equality which ridicules the social construct of gender discrepancies is expressed through Eliza’s disgust at having to marry a prosperous man, announcing that â€Å"I sold flowers. I didn’t sell myself. Now you’ve made a lady of me I’m not fit to sell anything else.† This is an example of irony which Shaw uses to target the notion of noble girls aiming to marry a rich man, rendering them dependent upon somebody else. While Eliza was able to provide for herself as a flower girl, no matter how little her income, she was better than the rich man’s wife who is reliant on her husband’s income. In the beginning of the play, Ms and Mrs Eynsford Hill ask Freddy to find a cab for them, suggesting that the man is the one who provides for and protects the woman as befitting for the gender roles of their time, whereas Eliza is different – she finds her own cab to go to Higgins’s house and also pays for her tuition with her own income. Hence it is evident that through the use of irony, Shaw subtly critiques the gender disparities of his time, and using the abilities his female protagonist, he shows his audience that allocated gender roles are simply social constructs, created and preserved by the traditions of society. Through the use of character development, Marshall takes a similar approach in Pretty Woman to critique the issues of gender inequality in comparison to Pygmalion, and though the times during which they were produced were different, both texts alluded to the fact that gender disparities were but social constructs. Alike in Pygmalion, the female gender is expected to act within certain definitions of ‘gentle and submissive’, but both Vivian and Eliza are strong and independent, and do not meet up to society’s expectations. Unlike Pygmalion however, Vivian is a real prostitute whereas Eliza is a flower girl accused of being a prostitute. Although Vivian’s profession is degrading of her gender, her being a prostitute without a pimp gives her power in her relationships, as expressed through her saying â€Å"I say  who, I say when† and her act of negotiating the price of her time with Edward. In contrast to Pygmalion’s ending, Vivian does develop a romantic relationship with Edward whilst Eliza remains independent of Higgins. This again may be degrading of Vivian and her gender as it appears to make Vivian financially dependent upon her male partner, though this notion is disproved when Vivian tells Edward that she will â€Å"rescue him right back†, teaching him life’s morals while he provides for her. This characterisation of Vivian as the ‘damsel in distress’ displays Marshall’s philosophy of the princess who is rescued from the tower, rescuing the prince â€Å"right back†, allowing the issue of gender inequality to be questioned in the film. While Pretty Woman may be much more subtle than Pygmalion, it is shown through the characterisation of Vivian that Marshall not only frowns upon gender inequality in his time, but also identifies gender disparities as a social construct, similar to Shaw in his philosophy. George Bernard Shaw also uses humour to address the social constructs on class differences and depict through the interactions between Higgins and Eliza the futility of the class structure of his time. This is illustrated through Higgins’s confidence in being able to turn Eliza whom he calls a â€Å"squashed cabbage leaf† and an â€Å"incarnate insult to the English language† into a â€Å"duchess† or â€Å"the Queen of   Sheba†. These insults are examples of the humour that is used in the play to present the issues of class disparities to the audience. Using Higgins’s pompous bet with Pickering to portray the fact that even a flower girl can be passed off as royalty, Shaw implies that given the right education, anyone can become ‘noble’ or ‘high-class’. This notion is further supported with the use of humour when Eliza attends the ball and is thought to be a â€Å"fraud† and a â€Å"Hungarian princess† thus allowing Higgins to win his bet. Shaw also promotes his beliefs through his character, Higgins when he argues that teaching the human being another way of speech is like â€Å"filling up the deepest gulf that separates class from class and soul from soul†. Hence, George Bernard Shaw’s intention of using humour and character interaction to question society’s view on class disparities becomes clear as he successfully identifies the class st ructures of his time as nothing but social constructs. In Pygmalion as well as Pretty Woman, there are clear class distinctions in the society, and through the concept of a ‘transformation’, Director Garry Marshall encourages the idea that one does not have to be born noble to be noble. For instance, the treatment that Vivian receives during both her visits to the boutique on Rodeo Drive differs greatly from one another simply because of the change in Vivian’s attire. In response to Vivian’s transformation, her friend Kit tells her that she â€Å"cleans up real nice† while Vivian replies â€Å"it’s easy to clean up when you got money†, suggesting that perhaps one’s class is based purely on appearance and with the right education and money, anyone can be ‘high-class’. The process of Vivian’s transformation is more physical rather than intellectual in contrast to Pygmalion’s Eliza who undergoes months of speech training to make her appearance in the ball, how ever, the same notion of ‘anyone can be high-class’ is supported. Near the end of Vivian’s stay with Edward, he offers to set her up in an apartment so he can continue visiting her, however she  refuses and tells him she once â€Å"would have said yes†, but the time she has spent with him led her to step out of her mindset as a prostitute as she becomes a noble lady. Through the concept of transformation, Marshall challenges the widely accepted view on class disparities and like Shaw, expresses through their work the futility of the class structure of their time. George Bernard Shaw and Director Garry Marshall shared their viewpoint on both gender and class disparities, believing them to be mere social constructs, questioning the norms of their time in their respective texts – Pygmalion and Pretty Woman. Through the use of humour, irony, character development and the concept of ‘transformation’, both composers successfully address the issues of gender and class with their characteristic subtlety. Although Pygmalion and Pretty Woman have many differences including their genre and the time period in which they were composed, they are ultimately similar in the way they critique gender and class disparities using mild and unprovocative methods which allow their philosophies to be communicated to a wider audience.

Technologically Advanced Modern World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Technologically Advanced Modern World - Essay Example One such element is the image of women in the media. The image of women is distorted and misrepresented in visual media and hence, it has become a matter of concern for the society. This fact has been brought in open by feminists. In her UNESCO-funded study, Margaret Gallagher (1979) has raised her concern regarding the distorted image of women in media, as according to her, â€Å"media are potentially powerful agents of socialization and social change-presenting models, conferring status, suggesting appropriate behaviors, encouraging stereotypes† etc (Byerly & Ross 17). Hence, by repeatedly representing women as weak, irrational and ‘object’ for sexual pleasure, the media has damaged their image. Also, as far as the image of women in movies is concerned, the most disturbing image is the image of ‘monstrous-feminine’ in the horror movies. Feminists have observed that in horror movies, it is not the ‘females’ who are represented as a †˜monsters,’ but it is their femininity and the sexuality which is shown as horrifying and hence, monstrous (Byerly & Ross 21). This shows that it is the ‘male mind’ which tries to degrade the femininity through monstrous representation of females in horror movies. However, the theory that best helps people in understanding the representation of femininity and female sexuality as monstrous, is the theory of psychoanalysis, as it not only reveals the social structure that leads to it, but also the roots of misrepresentation of femininity as monstrous, that lies deep in the unconscious of male human beings. Image of Women In Movies Although there have been many changes in the technology and media, the image of women in the media has remained quite unchanged. Women have always been represented in cinema as weaker sex. The reason behind no change in the image of women in cinema is the unconscious aspects of the male mind, and the ideological concept of cinema, which are usually dominated by ‘males’ in the society (Mulvey 58). The unconscious aspect of the male dominated society, which considers women as nothing but an ‘object’ of desire or a weaker sex, is reflected in the female characters in the movies. Hence, cinema has become a mirror of the patriarchal system in the society. According to British film theorist and feminist Laura Mulvey, Hollywood has maintained its entertainment value by manipulating the mage of the women in cinema to please men’s visual desire of seeing women as sex object (Mulvey 59). Sadly, women are not only shown as an object of visual pleasure, but are also portrayed as human beings who are dependent on men for their social and personal status. The character and the role of woman is usually designed in such a way that she not only satisfies the unconscious sexual desire of men but at the same time, fits into the order of male dominated society. The dominant patriarchal order is woven i n the erotic representation of women in cinema (Mulvey 59). However, what is more disturbing than the image of women as weaker sex is the monstrous image of women shown in the movies. The reason behind this lies in the unconscious fears that are harboured by male human minds and hence, can be explained with the aid of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis Explains Monstrous-Feminine Since ancient times, women have suffered secondary status and inferior treatment at the hands of men in the societies. Men treat women in ill

An investigation to establish consumer perceptions towards the Literature review

An investigation to establish consumer perceptions towards the introduction of medical spas on the UK high-street - Literature review Example Some call them a place of body massage and some name as a therapy centre or skin treatment centre (Harmsworth, 2004). According to ISPA (International Spa Association), medical spas are institutions that provide wellness care and medical services altogether. Such institutions integrate medical and spa services in order to bring a combined facilitation. Forever Laser Institute Geneva provides combined facilitation. They hire medical practitioners and Spa therapists to integrate medical-spa services for the clients (Tray, 2007). According to Richard Foxx (director at Aqua Serena Spa), medical spas are organizations which have onsite present physician. The physician assures patients physical care and activities related to spa and massaging (Esq, 2004). These days medical spas are been famous with cosmetic procedures. The preference is of the non surgical procedures because they have fewer side effects and carries less expense than any of the surgical treatment or operation (Mayo, 2013). Such medical spas apply Botox, Laser hair removal, microdermabrasion or laser lioplysis procedures. These are purely non surgical and based on dermatological treatment for facial and skin development (Mayo, 2013). Medical spas use Botox procedures for wrinkle treatment, neck spasms, and even chronic migraines which are not possibly cured by any of the surgical treatment (Mayo , 2013). Similarly many of the medical spas adapt microdermabrasion and laser lioplysis procedures for skin treatment and facial development (Cordle, 2012). Literature Review According to the modern literature,

Rewriting a job description Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rewriting a job description - Term Paper Example It will also show the appropriate time in which one would determine the need to create a job position within a business. Additionally, it will analyze the duties that a job description would require and the performance requirements of the job title. Finally, in the analysis process, it will state the preexisting knowledge and skills required for the position then trying to rewrite chosen job description. The subtractions and additions made during the rewriting of the job description will factor in the paper, with reasons to support the move. The job posting chosen is one for a logistics and brokerage coordinator. How and when would one determine the need to create a job position within a business? The first step towards hiring needed staff is the establishment of the staffing need (Mader-Clark, 2008). For instance, it is of no substantial value to hire staff just because there is an overflow of business income. This is to mean there should be much reason to prove the hiring move is s ignificant at that time. Essentially, it is necessary for a business not to have deadwood on staffing. This is due to the hiring of employees without factoring in their job descriptions. Sequentially, this becomes a waste of business resources as employees receive salaries for doing nothing or tend to concentrate their efforts on one task. Therefore, the creation of a job position relies on the need to have an individual occupy the position (Mader-Clark, 2008). In addition, the right time for hiring new employees is when a business is expanding creating new branches. Generally, a business that is growing would most certainly look to have more staff aboard its stable, unlike a stagnating business. Therefore, it is critical to ascertain whether there are enough funds available to pay the new employee (Mader-Clark, 2008). Secondly, there needs to be a workload that needs lifting off the existing staff to make them efficient in their work out put. In essence, a business should do the hi ring when it feels it is ready to take on the hurdles that may arise with the increased work force (Mader-Clark, 2008). Arguably, chances are that a new hire may or may not add value to the business depending on their potential. The strategies that may apply to outline the position’s details In order, to outline the requirements of a job position a number of strategies have to come in to play. For a start, the priority should be on the job related functions in that the key aspects of the job position should come first. Secondly, the general language should be comprehensible and readily understandable to any reader. The language should be clear and having action verbs to illustrate the positions requirements. Another strategy that would apply would be the nondisclosure of any confidential company information so that it does not get to the business rivals. This will be detrimental if the information falls in to the wrong hands. Moreover, the marketed position should also carry with it little background company information. Lastly when outlining the position details, it is of the essence to ensure that the information on how to apply for the position appears somewhere within the job position details. This will be of help to those interested in filling out the job position. Stating the duties within a job description In order for a job placing to be effective, it needs to state the duties bound to the position in

Tourism company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Tourism company - Essay Example Opening up of new routes by airlines and lesser restrictions to length of stay have further enhanced the capacity to travel. These have also made locations in developing nations more appealing due to the stretching of the currency of the developed nations being possible. International tourist arrivals in the year 1950 were 25 million. Figures from World Tourism Organization reported in July 2005 estimated that international tourism arrivals reached 763 million, an increase of 10% over 2003. The industry has created the drive for an insatiable need to travel and experience the unknown. The youth market is becoming more and more inclined to travel and being a very diverse community are willing to experiment in its holiday requirements. Forecasted to grow by 6% between 2000 and 2010, the 18-30 age groups has more disposable income than previous generations and are becoming more confident holidaymakers. The concept of a holiday has moved among this generation from "rest and relaxation" to "fun and frolic." As a new target segment, they are demanding more uniqueness in their holiday habits as well as more value for money as perceived by them. They want to enjoy a wider spectrum of activities while on holiday. With the growing proportion of youths, travelling independently and booking on-line, all the trends within the package market reflect these changes. The specialist youth brands are working hard to dispel the traditional aspects of this market and offer better standards of accommodation and more activities for this increasingly discerning group. The competition to tap this market segment is fierce often being necessary that the little extras may make the difference between the purchase of this package or the next. One of today's greatest challenges in customer experience management is to create and sustain a predictable and consistent level of service that is very important in the leisure and tourism industry. The advent of Club 18-30 Club 18-30 has been Britain's leading youth tour operator since 1965 and started life by taking 580 yuppies to the Costa Brava. Its original purpose when launched by the Horizon group was to fill unused night flight seats, and it did extremely well. Buoyed by its instant success, it was supported by the ILG group and during the 70's & 80's, established itself as being synonymous with youth holidays. When the parent company ILG succumbed to the Gulf War, it was re-established by a management buy out and re-launched as 'The Club'. It received tremendous support from the UK travel trade, overseas hoteliers, agents and representatives. In 1994, it reverted to its original name and sales soared from 20,000 at the re-launch to over 100,000 in just 8 years. Throughout the years, many different companies have owned Club 18-30 and in 1999, it became part on the Thomas Cook Group. Club 18-30 was first launched in Spain and in the United Kingdom in 1965. It has since then established a significant reputation under that trademark in the youth holiday market. In the year, 2001, turnover of goods and services provided internationally under the Club 18-30 mark was in excess of 30 million. Extensive advertising under that mark on television, at the cinema, on the radio and in national publications at a cost of over 1 million helped promote this concept. In 2002, Club 18-30

Cultural and Intellectual Developments Annotated Bibliography

Cultural and Intellectual Developments - Annotated Bibliography Example From the source it is evident that the 1950s saw China adopt a strategy of collectivization of agriculture based on the model that was being applied by the Soviet Union. Yun expressed hope that the industrialization of the country based on the five year plan would guarantee the country economic independence and freedon to avoid relying on imperialists. This source is important to the research as it provides good ground for understanding the course China, under Mao Tse-Tung, took toward achieving economic development. Tse-Tung, Mao. â€Å"Let Us Unite And Clearly Distinguish Between Ourselves And The Enemy†. Speech delivered at the thirty-eighth meeting of the Standing Committee of the First National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference August 4, 1952. https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-5/mswv5_22.htm This source is a speech by Mao Tse-Tung, the leader of China at the time the speech was being made. In the source Tse-Tung traces the situations that China has gone through over the years. He emphasizes that China needed to increase its production and apply strict economy for its gowth. The leader noted that the three evils and the five evils movements had been successful and that the country was getting more economically stable. Among other things, the Korean war, resistance against U.S. aggression, corruption, waste and bureaucracy were noted by Tse-tung to be major hurdles to the economic growth of the nation. This source is significant for the study since it gives an insight into the progress that China made under Mao and the political upheavals that led to its slow growth. Richard Bush was a one time acting director of the American Institute in Taiwan and is currently a director of Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies (CNAPS) affiliated with the Brookings Institution. A political

Describe The Future of Employee Training and Development Essay

Describe The Future of Employee Training and Development - Essay Example Investing in the employees is considered to be the best investment on the part of the modern organizations. The increasing levels of competition and sustainability issues in the business environments have created a pressing need for companies to manage their assets well. The human resources in an organization are the most valuable resources. Investing in the human resources is seen as a profitable investment with massive returns in terms of organizational improvement, value creation and competitive advantage creation. Learning is a process by which the employees gather information and use this information in their daily job roles. This often leads to the overall development of the employees in terms of skills and knowledge. Many businesses are focusing on developing talent pools within the organizations to ensure efficiency and competitive advantage of their businesses. The future trends of employee learning and development are expected to be innovative and dramatically different from the conventional ways of training and development. One of the main trends expected to play a dominant role in the future of employee learning and development is that learning will assume a central role and evolve beyond mere training and development practices. In the present situation, training is seen as a main medium of imparting knowledge to the employees with the training instructor playing an influential role as the center of all information. This involves a traditional classroom setting. However, it is expected that in the future, the role of the employees would be more established in the training settings with the employees emerging as the seekers of information and knowledge (Wilson, 2005). The focus would be on the employees trying to tap in various resources to satisfy their learning and development needs. The employee training processes are likely to become blended in the future which will

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East Essay

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East - Essay Example The high prices are mainly caused by the supply and demand factor. The demand for crude oil has immensely increased which directly affects the gasoline prices at pumps of USA. The supply has not been increased in that proportion. The consumption of gasoline in developing countries like China and India has been significant as the automobile industry is skyrocketing in these countries. The gasoline consumption in USA is about one quarter of the world’s total production. However supply and demand is not only the factor but the additional cost which includes taxes, cost of refining crude oil, transportation cost, and the profit to the gasoline dealer is also the reason and contributes about increasing the cost less half then cost of gasoline in United States. Rising gas prices is a matter of concern for the USA car manufacturing companies. It is expected that the use of Subways will be increased in the future. This may result in weakening the USA economy as car manufacturers are one of major stakeholders. Last but the most important factor is recent unrest in the Arab World. Although the countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan are not the major crude oil producers but they play significant role in determining the world oil prices. President Obama has put aside the interest shown by some Companies willing to explore oil in Alaska and other areas. The aim of these people was only to increase the domestic exploration. This action of him has resulted in complete shutting down of the present oil drilling infrastructure in USA. It is reported that about 103 permits are in waiting list for review. But the Obama administration has not renewed any single exploratory drilling plan in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover Obama administration has also put â€Å"7 year ban† on the oil exploration in the coastal waters in Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. According to the experts

Creating Methodology Essay Example for Free

Creating Methodology Essay 1. Discuss factors about the corporate culture that were at play, and suggest central reasons why the executive staff waited as long as they had to consider the development of an enterprise project management methodology (EPM). 2. Recommend to both the senior executives (i.e., the company) and John Compton (i.e., the president) whether the project management office (PMO) should report to the chief information officer (CIO) or to someone else. Justify the response. 3. Use at least three (3) quality references.Note: Wikipedia and (3). Difference Quotient A classmate states that the difference quotient of any linear function f(x) = mx + b is always m. Explain if you agree or disagree with this statement, and state why. I disagree because he is using the wrong formula. f(x) = mx + b is the slope-intercept form of a linear function and m represents the slope.

What is intellectuality? how and to what effect is it used in the media?

What is intellectuality? how and to what effect is it used in the media? What is intertextuality? How and to what effect is it used in the media? Intertextuality can be discussed on many different levels. However, I have discovered that when thinking of intertextuality in contemporary media, my mind recalls those who founded intertextuality and are now an inspiration from their various approaches to this topic. Indeed, intertextuality mirrors its ever-present service as a way of formalizing a vast number of different techniques and effects in literature and in the media. Speaking in the light of this, I shall discuss the various concepts many linguistics reveal which revolve around the relationships between various interconnected texts in media studies. I also aim to explore intertextuality as a literary term, while I hope to illustrate the elements which reinforce intertextuality as an effective device used widely in the media today. Firstly, however, I would like to discuss the term ‘intertextuality. Intertextuality can be described as the shaping of texts meaning to other texts. This idea portrays the meaning of a text belonging exclusively to its authors intentions, as the former text to a readers referencing of one text in reading another. Intertextuality is the word coined by Julia Kristeva, a French linguist who has written much on this topic. She proposed the idea that a text should not be interpreted merely by its words, but also studied based on other works it has adapted. Kristeva referred to texts in terms of two axes: â€Å"horizontal axis (subject-addressee) and vertical axis (text-context) coincide, bringing to light an important factor: each word (text) is an intersection of word (texts) where at least one other word (text) can be read.† (Kristeva, 1980) Bonding these two axes can be meant they are shared codes; which leaves every text and every reading depending on prior signs or symb ols. Kristeva declared that â€Å"every text is from the outset under the jurisdiction of other discourses which impose a universe on it† (Kristeva, 1980). In Mikhail Bakhtins work, these two axes, which he calls â€Å"dialogue and ambivalence† (Bakhtin: cited in Kristeva, 1980), are not clearly separated. He argues that â€Å"any text is constructed as a mosaic of quotation; any text is the absorption and transformation of another. The notion of intertextuality replaces that of intersubjectivity, and poetic language is read as at least double.† (Bakhtin: cited in Kristeva, 1980) This debate between Kristeva and Bakhtin shows that there are conflicting views surrounding this topic concerning various terms applied; which open further discussion on the meaning of intertextuality as a literary term. Kristeva follows to argue that any text, as a ‘concept allows one to think about how language is arranged in ways which undercut its communicative purposes, meanwhile exposing the codes that classify the creation of linguistic messages. â€Å"The text provides one with the conceptual means by which to theorize and thus analyze the formation and deformation of the human being that takes place in the circuits of symbolic exchange.† (Kristeva, 1980) On the other hand, Roland Barthes (1977) introduces his concept and definition to intertextuality as â€Å"woven entirely with citations, references, echoes, cultural language which cut across in through and through in a vast stereophony. The intertextual in which every text is held, it itself being the text-between of another text, is not to be confused with some origin of the text† rather â€Å"the citation which go to make up a text anonymous†. (Barthes, 1977: cited in Graham Allen, 2003) However, Barthes declar es that the concept of text is that related to the concept of intertextuality by explaining that â€Å"a text is a multidimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash. The text is a tissue of quotations The writer can only imitate a gesture that is always anterior, never original; his only power is to mix writings, to counter the ones with the others, in such a way as never to rest on any one of them† (Barthes, 1977: cited in Allen, 2003). This shows that Barthes believes that text convey a meaning imparted to it by its author and is keen to avoid the misinterpretation of his defintion and relationship between ‘text and ‘intertextuality, different from all linguistics. Conversely, it can be said that all the above arguments show the concept of intertextuality launched in order to identify a fundamental dialogue of discourses and texts. Perhaps intertextuality â€Å"as a phenomenon presents certain difficulties precisely because it is so widespread. A particularly important problem has to do with the fact that the concept of intertextuality appears to be infinitely expandable† (Allen, 2003). This problem is complicated when applied in literary studies. However, Jonathan Culler (1998) found a way much easier to explain; a way in which intertextuality can be a simpler term to understand. He applied â€Å"the linguistic concept of presupposition to the way a text produces a ‘pre-text or draws attention to its own conventions.†(Culler 1998) Intertextuality through Cullers quote can be explained, for instance; if a reader picks up a book and reads its introduction or the blurb (pre-text) and engages with it, and then later decides to buy the book in order to discover the ‘full story. Notably, texts do dialogues but â€Å"it could be difficult to imagine dialogues without some notion of the author† (Anker Gemzoe, 1997). In other words, Gemzoe explains that although work can be seen as part of an authors belonging, it is usually difficult to read or analyse any text without some concept of the work. â€Å"These objections do not invalidate the idea of intertextuality in literary studies, but they make it clear that it should be handled with care† (Gemzoe, 1997). Furthermore, Norman Fairclough (1992) and John Fiske (1991) comment on the concept of intertextuality to expose an awareness of both its â€Å"promise and limitations†. (Fairclough and Fiske: cited in Allen 2003) Fairclough thought to introduce a systematic approach to intertextuality in order to involve various â€Å"categories and types designed to make the basic concept† (Fairclough, 1992) easier to apply. Accordingly, he points to a useful division between â€Å"‘manifest intertextuality and ‘interdiscursivity† (Fairclough, 1992). Manifest intertextuality is implied to be subdivided into the following categories: â€Å"Discourse representation, presupposition, negation, metadiscourse and irony† (Fairclough 1992). Interdiscursivity is more complicated because it â€Å"construes the categories in question as genres and styles† (Fairclough 1992). The idea of genre here, embraces the others as it sets the rules for styles and discourses. Culler states in his study of interdiscursivity that it â€Å"depends on several presuppositions† (Culler, 1998). However, Gemzoe draws particular attention to some significant theoretical suggestions involved in Kristevas earlier coining of the term ‘intertextuality. In Gemzoes opinion â€Å"Kristevas gesture involved a critical confrontation with the subject, representation, narrative and the work as an autonomous entity† (Gemzoe, 1997). The subject and the idea of representation are changed by a written structure with its own structures of reference. Two of these four suggestions â€Å"could make any use of the concept of intertextuality ambiguous in a literary context, even if the concept is acknowledged as somehow indispensable† (Gemzoe, 1997). Generally, intertextuality is seen to be used widely in the media. We interact with media everyday during our daily routines. Wither we read newspapers before going to work, or listen to the radio while driving our cars, or watch the television or a film in our free time or even read an advertisement displayed on a wall; we are all part of this media world or society in which we live in. However, from all the above arguments and definitions, it has been clearly recognized that intertextuality is present in literary studies. However, in media studies, intertextuality is obvious in some types of media than others. Fiske (1987) identifies intertextuality as a main supplier to the ways in which media texts make meaning culturally. He argues that â€Å"text relate to other text both similar, and different, and in doing so make meaning for audiences†. In the light of this, I shall start identifying examples of intertextuality used in a newspaper article, television soap, and music v ideos and in films. Not all newspapers contain intertextuality. The reason for this relates back to the type of paper. For examples, tabloids are known for their conversational and simple language which is written in favour for all age groups. Intertextuality is therefore most obvious in tabloids than in the ‘quality paper. For instance, in the Daily Mail Online, there is an article on Rita Simon from EastEnders revealing: â€Å"I hate the muffin tops Ive developed since having children†. This example of hating ‘muffin tops is the way she expresses her feelings towards the un-likeliness to her round like shape of her bust and later claims she would like â€Å"perkier boobs†. This example of intertextuality was not seen as a directly clear and profound one; rather it was hidden through the phrases used to portray another image. This technique is used effectively in newspapers and in this example, to focus on a particular subject to overlap the significance of another subject. Speaking of EastEnders, it can be said that the title of this soap itself, displays a clear heading of intertextuality in television. As known, EastEnders is set in the traditional working class area in the London Borough of Walford, in the ‘East End of London. The word ‘enders can be suggested to be the plural of the individual who lives in the east end, and thus this represents the lifestyle of the east in London. Fiske states that â€Å"discourse about television is itself a social force. It is a major site of the meditation of television meanings, a site where television meanings fuse with other meanings into a new text to form a major interface†, (Fiske, 1987). In examining a films intertextuality, therefore, it is best to look at the prior texts that influenced the film which that film takes up and makes into something new. Even if the film is mostly similar to its previous version, intertextuality can still be identified. For example, when discussing the film‘The Matrix, as this film is an example of intertextuality. It draws upon texts of Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu religions. Also, the film‘Slumdog Millionaire is another film name which draws our attention to the original name of the international, most famous program ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The films name derives from this well known program but is used to portray the life of a Mumbai teenage boy who grows up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of â€Å"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?† Following to this, music videos is a genre which is seen to rely heavily on the use of intertextuality to achieve a particular effect. Often this borrowing of a text to link it to a second one is stylistic. This means that a text will mimic or copy certain stylistic features of another text. Usually this is done in order to create a particular impact, although there may be instances where this borrowing may seem simply a matter of convenience to give a music video, for example, a particular look. For example, Christina Aguilera in her music video ‘Hurt dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, used red lipstick and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; many of her fans believed she is one of the main proponents in bringing back the 1920s and 1940s.   This, however, has always been the image of Marilyn in everybodys mind; therefore Christinas transformation had helped leave an impact on the viewers to sell her single quicker making it number one in the charts in 2005. For the viewers he re, the power of the image of the original text (Marilyn Monroe) is likely to be carried through into the new text (Christina Aguilera). In this study, I have interpreted the multiple meanings of intertextuality by many academics as a literary term and followed to examine how effective it is through examples I showed in the media. In conclusion to intertextuality in the media, it can be said that it acts as a ‘communicative occurrence; meaning that its presence helps analyse many genres, texts, media discourses etc. Without intertextuality, I believe it is partly difficult to understand where an original piece of text came from and how it developed into becoming a ‘new version of that original. Although I did not study all the media type in order to finalize my opinion on intertextuality in the media, however I believe that with the continuous revolutionized techniques the media uses to portray any sort of text or image; intertextuality will need to keep up with this development and thus catch up with the what is so-called ‘internet era in which we live in today.

The Causes of McCarthyism Essay examples -- Essays Papers

The Causes of McCarthyism As an individual in the middle of Twentieth century Joseph McCarthy had a rather intense effect on society. He started the movement that bears his name. McCarthyism was the movement that caused many changes in the lives of the people of the 1950's. McCarthy headed the charge against communism in the United States after the second World War. Through his actions many people were accused of being communists and hastilly judged to be so because of the general feeling toward communism. What causes such an incredible uprising. What caused so many people to rally behind, in many cases, unfounded accusations that would ruin other peoples lives unjustly? What caused not just a movement but the movement known as McCarthyism? It is historically proven that a simple action can have many complex causes, while a movement can have immeasurable causes underlying its begining and the momentum that keeps it alive. Leaving the little, but not insignificant causes alone, the major causes o f McCarthyism were the attitude of the United States toward communism, the sense of superiority within the United States, and McCarthy's own position. The attitude of the citizens of the United States was a tremendous influence on the development of McCarthyism. The people living in the post World War II United States felt fear and anger because communism was related with Germany, Italy, and Russia who had all at one point been enemies of the United States during the war. If the enemies were communists then, communists were enemies and any communists or even communist sympathizers were a threat to the American way of life. "From the Bolshevik Revolution on, radicals were seen as foreign agents or as those ... ...it was. Fear makes people do things they normally would not. Because of fear people overlook things they normally would notice imediately, especially in the case of something being moral or immoral. McCarthy was described as "paranoid" and for whom "...life was a sereis of conspiracies, the most fiendish of which were directed at him..."(Cook p77). Fear was the greatest underlying cause of the McCarthy movement; fear of communism, fear of the loss of freedom, fear of being accused or fear of what would happen if someone challenged the movement. Works Cited - Rogin, Paul. The Intellectuals and McCarthy: the Radical Speaker. The MIT Press, Clinton, Massachusettes. 1967. - Cook, Fred. The Nightmare Decade. Random House Publishing, New York, New York. 1971. - Theoharis, Athan. Seeds of Repression, Quadrangle Books, Chicago, Illinois. 1971.

Interview Essay - John Tymkiw -- Interview Essays

Interview Essay - John Tymkiw John Tymkiw was born in the Ukraine on June 10, 1913. WWI broke out a year after he was born, and he lived through the Depression while Hitler and Stalin were fighting. When the Ukraine was signed over to Russian rule, many left, but John stayed and ran a cooperative association supply company. He came to America in 1951, through a sponsor in Chicago and then traveled to California in 1957. He was married in 1962, and had no children of his own, but had two-step children. He continued his life working in machinery and carpentry. He now lives alone in his condo in Laguna Woods, surrounded by his artwork and accomplishments. John defines happiness as a feeling that does not have anything to do with possession. "It is all mental and spiritual," he says. When John was younger, he believed that the more he had, the happier he was, but now he understands that the material things have nothing to do with happiness. John knows he is happy because he has freedom. He is satisfied with the fact that he is free of pressure, worries, and stress. He feels that there is really nothing for him to turn to when he is unhappy, so he learns to deal with whatever may be bothering him. The only things that upset him are the outside forces that he has no control over. Before John started to lose his vision in January, he used to be a very active person. He kept busy as an artist. He painted porcelain sculptures and stained glass, and made stone pictures. He also loved to dance. When asked what makes him unhappy, he replied that the declining morality around the globe bothered him. He feels that there is a lack of justice. He doesn't understand how people can take advantage of other people. He feels that there is t... ...It was extremely difficult for him to find work. The social changes that John has seen which have affected his happiness include the decline in morality. He feels as if he has no way of fighting these changes in our society, so he has had to adapt himself quietly and take everything as it comes. John is pleased with himself, and feels that there is nothing that can be changed. He is old enough to distinguish between good and bad, and he is a strong believer in his religion. He says that for fifty years, he did not feel as if he belongs in America, and now he still isn't sure, but he is happy. The advice that John gives for being happy is not to think that the material things will make you happy, and to manage your life according to God's laws. That is the sure way to finding happiness. His philosophy on life is that following God will lead you to happiness. Interview Essay - John Tymkiw -- Interview Essays Interview Essay - John Tymkiw John Tymkiw was born in the Ukraine on June 10, 1913. WWI broke out a year after he was born, and he lived through the Depression while Hitler and Stalin were fighting. When the Ukraine was signed over to Russian rule, many left, but John stayed and ran a cooperative association supply company. He came to America in 1951, through a sponsor in Chicago and then traveled to California in 1957. He was married in 1962, and had no children of his own, but had two-step children. He continued his life working in machinery and carpentry. He now lives alone in his condo in Laguna Woods, surrounded by his artwork and accomplishments. John defines happiness as a feeling that does not have anything to do with possession. "It is all mental and spiritual," he says. When John was younger, he believed that the more he had, the happier he was, but now he understands that the material things have nothing to do with happiness. John knows he is happy because he has freedom. He is satisfied with the fact that he is free of pressure, worries, and stress. He feels that there is really nothing for him to turn to when he is unhappy, so he learns to deal with whatever may be bothering him. The only things that upset him are the outside forces that he has no control over. Before John started to lose his vision in January, he used to be a very active person. He kept busy as an artist. He painted porcelain sculptures and stained glass, and made stone pictures. He also loved to dance. When asked what makes him unhappy, he replied that the declining morality around the globe bothered him. He feels that there is a lack of justice. He doesn't understand how people can take advantage of other people. He feels that there is t... ...It was extremely difficult for him to find work. The social changes that John has seen which have affected his happiness include the decline in morality. He feels as if he has no way of fighting these changes in our society, so he has had to adapt himself quietly and take everything as it comes. John is pleased with himself, and feels that there is nothing that can be changed. He is old enough to distinguish between good and bad, and he is a strong believer in his religion. He says that for fifty years, he did not feel as if he belongs in America, and now he still isn't sure, but he is happy. The advice that John gives for being happy is not to think that the material things will make you happy, and to manage your life according to God's laws. That is the sure way to finding happiness. His philosophy on life is that following God will lead you to happiness.

Transportation :: essays research papers

Transportation is movement of people and goods from one location to another. Throughout history, the economic wealth and military power of a people or a nation have been closely tied to efficient methods of transportation. Transportation provides access to natural resources and promotes trade, allowing a nation to accumulate wealth and power. Transportation also allows the movement of soldiers, equipment, and supplies so that a nation can wage war. Transportation systems and the routes they use have greatly influenced both how and where people live. Reliable transportation allows a population to expand throughout a country's territory and to live comfortably in remote areas far from factories and farms. The growth and expansion of the United States were directly related to the means of transportation available at the time. The more compact cities of the U.S. eastern seaboard are the result of early human- and animal-based transportation systems that allowed only short trips. The more sprawling cities of the western United States are the result of an automobile-based transportation system that permits much longer travel distances. Transportation is vital to a nation's economy. Reducing the costs of transporting natural resources to production sites and moving finished goods to markets is one of the key factors in economic competition. The transportation industry is the largest industry in the world. It includes the manufacture and distribution of vehicles, the production and distribution of fuel, and the provision of transportation services. In the 1990s, approximately 11 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and an estimated 10 percent of all jobs in the United States were related to the transportation industry. The same transportation systems that link a nation can also be used in the nation's war efforts. The rapid movement of troops, equipment, and supplies can be a deciding factor in winning a battle or a war. Transportation is usually classified by the medium in which the movement occurs, such as by land, air, water, or pipeline. Within each of the first three media, many different methods are used to move people and goods from place to place. Pipelines are used mainly to transport liquids or gases over long distances. Land transportation is the dominant form of transportation in the world. People can move about land under their own power, either by walking or by other forms of human-powered transportation such as the bicycle. People also use domestic animals as a means of transportation, both for riding and for pulling wheeled wagons or carts.

Impact of Technology Essay

Information Tech has revolutionized the phase of business around the world. Local businesses have become international due to a simple website. I. T. has helped businesses in advertising. People who check their email may suddenly have a pop up at their page ends with sales up to 60% at JC Penny’s! I. T. has helped in customer service, huge corporations like Microsoft attend to customer needs through email and chat services. Networking internal and external in organizations has improved the working of businesses. Staffs and clients likewise can get in touch with the managers for feedback, progress reports and extensions. Communication has bloomed, two business organizations if they need to work together can easily do so. Hotmail, when merged with MSN was easy since the service was online. Business these days require a lot of planning, due to high tech organization systems on computers, planning can be done on an organized pattern, with schedule formats, grant charts etc. Huge databases can now be controlled and stored on network and back up drives. Accessibility of files also has become an easy task with series of password keys and shared folders. Cash transactions are easily made, delay in reduced hence giving liquidity to business. Businesses have been at the forefront of technology for ages. Whatever can speed production will draw in more business. As computers emerged in the 20th century, they promised a new age of information technology. But in order to reap the benefits, businesses needed to adapt and change their infrastructure. For example, American Airlines started using a computerized flight booking system, and Bank of America took on an automated check-processing system. Obviously, now, most business is conducted over personal computers or communication devices. Computers offer companies a way to organize dense databases, personal schedules and various other forms of essential information. As information travels faster and faster and more reliably, barriers of distance disappear, and businesses are realizing how easy it is to outsource jobs overseas. Outsourcing refers to the practice of hiring employees who work outside the company or remotely — and even halfway across the world. Companies can outsource duties such as computer programming and telephone customer service. They can even outsource fast-food restaurant service — don’t be surprised if you’re putting in your hamburger order with a fast-food employee working in a different country entirely. Outsourcing is a controversial practice, and many believe that U. S. companies who take part are hurting the job market in their own country. Nonetheless, from a business perspective, it seems like the wisest route, saving companies between 30 and 70 percent. Another technology that’s starting to revolutionize business is actually not very new — it’s just cheaper these days. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is infiltrating and changing business significantly in a few ways. Microchips that store information (such as a number equivalent of a barcode and even an up-to-date history of the chip’s travels) can be attached to product, and this helps companies keep track of their inventory. Some businesses have even begun to use RFID chip implants in humans to tighten security. An access control reader detects the chip’s signal and permits the employee access to the door. But many people are concerned about privacy issues if this were to become widespread practice. Handheld devices like Blackberries have become wildly popular for businesses because they let users check and send email from anywhere, and browse the Internet. Impact of Communication Technology on Life Think of the days when there were no computers and no modern means of transport. Human life was highly restricted due to the unavailability of technological applications. Daily life involved a lot of physical activity. Life of the common man was not as luxurious as that of modern times, but he was more active. Exercise was integrated into routine physical activities. It was contrary to the sedentary lifestyle of today, which leaves no time for exercise and fills days with inactivity and laze. Today we don’t want to, and thanks to technology, don’t even need to, walk, move around or exert physically to get things done. We have the world is at our fingertips. We think of technology as a boon to society. I am afraid; it’s not completely a boon. The Internet has bred many unethical practices like hacking, spamming and phishing. Internet crime is on the rise. The Internet, being an open platform lacks regulation. There is no regulation on the content displayed on websites. Internet gambling has become an addiction for many. Overexposure to the Internet has taken its toll. In this virtual world, you can be who you are not, you can be virtually living even after you die. Isn’t this weird? Children are spending all their time playing online and less or almost no time playing on the ground. Youngsters are spending most of their time social networking, missing on the joys of real social life. Think of the days when there were no online messengers, no emails and no cell phones. Indeed cellular technology made it possible for us to communicate over wireless media. Web communication facilities have worked wonders in speeding long-distance communication. On the other hand, they have deprived mankind of the warmth of personal contact. Emails replaced handwritten letters and communication lost its personal touch. With the means of communication so easily accessible, that magic in waiting to reach someone and the excitement that followed have vanished. Moreover, we have become excessively dependent on technology. Is so much of dependency good? Is it right to rely on machines to such an extent? Is it right to depend on computers rather than relying on human intellect? Computer technology and robotics are trying to substitute for human intellect. With the fast advancing technology, we have started harnessing artificial intelligence in many fields. Where is the digital divide going to take us? How is our ‘tomorrow’ going to be? ‘Machines replacing human beings’ does not portray a rosy picture, does it? It can lead to serious issues like unemployment and crime. An excessive use of machines in every field can result in an under-utilization of human brains. Over time, we may even lose our intellectual abilities. You know of the declining mathematical abilities in children due to use of calculators since school, don’t you? The impact of technology on society is deep. It is both positive and negative. Technology has largely influenced every aspect of living. It has made life easy, but so easy that it may lose its charm one day. One can cherish an accomplishment only if it comes after effort. But everything has become so easily available due to technology that it has lost its value. There is a certain kind of enjoyment in achieving things after striving for them. But with everything a few clicks away, there is no striving, there’s only striking. With the developments in technology, we may be able to enjoy all the pricey luxuries in life but at the cost of losing its priceless joys.

America’s rising white collar crime Essay

Senior citizens especially, have proved to be particular targets of identity theft and credit card fraud. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation web site, senior citizens are often targeted for five common reasons. The first is because older citizens usually have a â€Å"nest egg† hidden away or excellent credit ratings that the thieves may tap into. Second, people born in the 30’s or 40’s particularly the women, are generally used to being polite and trusting of whatever they are told. Third is that senior citizens generally do not recognize fraud in its earlier stages and even if they did, would not know who to report it to. Usually, they also feel hesitant at admitting the fraud for fear that relatives will just chalk it up to diminished mental capacity and incapability to handle their own finances. ( â€Å"Fraud Target: Senior Citizens,† para. 1-6. ) Fraudsters also count on the elderly citizens making poor witnesses even if the fraud is discovered and the perpetrator caught. The elderly are also susceptible to scams and often end up giving credit card and financial information in the belief that they are purchasing health aids and the like. 15. Some credit card transactions issue carbon copies of the charges along with the sales receipt. Destroy these carbon copies as they also carry credit card information that fraudsters and counterfeiters may use. 16. Never write credit card information in public places especially where there is glass. The glass or mirror may very well reflect what you are writing down to the person standing behind you. 17. Never lend your credit or identification cards to anyone not even family. They may not cheat you but you never know how careful they will be of your cards. It takes just a few minutes to copy information off of a card and a few seconds to take photos of these for duplication. 18. In shopping online, make sure that you are dealing with legitimate companies only. Check their privacy and security policies. When possible, do a research on the company’s background through the Better Business Bureau of well-known consumer protection offices. Make sure that there is an email or working phone number for a customer service department that you can contact for any issues that may arise. Customers may also want to check the site’s browser security. Check the URL address on pages where you are required to give personal or financial information. Secure browsers will start wit https:// rather that the usual http://. (Jackson) The ease by which unscrupulous identity thieves and credit card fraudsters can ruin their victim’s reputation and credit line can be horrifying. It is a crime that does not discriminate and has targeted victims both from all classes. In a May 2001 congressional hearing on the joint investigation done by the Secret Service and the New York Police Department (NYPD), the US Secret Service revealed that even wealth and influence does not deter thievery and fraud. The well-protected financial and credit card accounts of some of the nation’s richest and most influential men have been compromised by identity thieves and credit card fraudsters. (Dutta 290) With the use of mobile technology such as mobile phones and the Internet, the fraudsters were able to obtain their victims’ credit card numbers and by creating fictitious addresses and bank accounts, attempted to transfer around $22million from brokerage firms and banks handling their victim’s finances. (290) One such fraudster was caught in October 2002. The 32-year old restaurant workers confessed to obtaining and breaking into the â€Å"bank, brokerage and credit card accounts belonging to the richest Americans, including billionaire Warren Buffet, in his scheme to steal over $80million. † (290) Identity theft is not limited to purposes of financial gain either. Illegal immigrants have been known to use fraudulent and stolen identification cards and documents so they may obtain work and residency. The past years of terrorist threats reveal that this ease in stealing and counterfeiting identification papers and financial documents have been employed by terrorists as well. One of the defendants for the World Trade Center bombing was found with a number of counterfeit identification documents that included among which â€Å"†bank documents, medical histories and education records from which numerous false identities could have been created. â€Å"† (290) Even the FBI admits that the stolen credit cards may well be used in funding terrorist activities. Today’s modern and computerized lifestyles and services have made everything so convenient. People would well be guided however in remembering that this convenience comes with a price. No matter how many consumer help lines, specialized police agencies or consumer advocacy groups there are, taking care of one’s self and possessions still rest largely on individuals themselves. How often is it that pure carelessness can amount to a multitude of troubles? It is easy enough to think that â€Å"that sort of thing will never happen to me† until the next moment when you’re kicking yourself for not having taken more care and diligence in safeguarding your identification papers and financial documents. To believe that it is â€Å"better to be safe than sorry† is not a bad thing. In fact, it can very well be the most sensible thing to remember in everyday life. Bankruptcy and credit cards are expensive. Common sense is free. Bankruptcy and the sorrows and problems of being victimized by unscrupulous people may very well have been avoided and forestalled if people would apply a measure of old-fashioned common sense and careful judgment in their daily lives and transactions. In a bid to protect the citizenry from the relatively new spate of cyber based crimes the U. S. Congress has passed several laws meant to prevent identity theft. One of these laws is the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which compels credit reporting agencies to disclose to people the contents of their own records and to correct mistakes if any. Another law meant to prevent credit card fraud is the Fair Credit Billing Act which grants cardholders the right to dispute credit card charges. Under this law, cardholders cannot be compelled to pay any portion of a disputed amount till the matter has been resolved within 30 days. The only requirement is for cardholders to notify the card issuer in writing within 60 days. Another protective law is the Federal electronic fund transfer act, which regulates the use of plastic cards and other access devices such as credit cards and ATMs. The act also gives the Federal Reserve Board the power to regulate the liability of customers for unauthorized transfer of funds. Directly hitting the problem of Identity Theft is the law Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. This law punishes the act of â€Å"‘knowingly transfer[ing], possess[ing] or us[ing], without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, †¦ any unlawful activity'†(Howard).

Filipino Cry: The Social Issues in OPM Songs Essay

Introduction This paper will attempt to highlight the theme of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) that appeals the public concern of the government. This will feature two selected songs –, Upuan (2009), and Walang Natira (2010) by Gloc9. These songs were selected according to their similarities in terms of the social issues of the Filipino to the government such as poverty, unemployment, corruption and oppression. The paper seeks to prove that these songs have similar theme that Filipino composers integrate in a music/song to convoke the attention of the government officials. Statement of the Problem This paper answers the following questions: 1. What are the images depicted in the lyrics of the songs? 2. What are the social issues of the public depicted in the songs? 3. What are the common theme and its implication to its listener? Objectives Generally, this paper aims to determine the themes of some OPM Songs. Specifically, this aims to: 1. identify the images found in the lyrics of the songs; 2. determine how these images portray social issues of the mass to the government; and 3. discuss the implications of the theme to the listener. Methodology An interpretational analysis of the theme of OPM songs, specifically the songs of Gloc9 that has a cryptic meaning underlies in the lyrics of the songs. Enabling to identify the images within it that helps to completely understand the theme of the song. This will also use marxism as a framework of the study. References Online Sources http://www.johndanielcastillo.myotd.com/Blog.php/46 http://glocdash9.com/about/ http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/216918/lifestyle/people/gloc-9-a-pinoy-rapper-and-his-painful-truths

Reader’s Interest in The Crucible Essay

The Crucible takes place in Salem, a small town in seventeenth century Massachusetts, where religion, fear and hysteria ultimately lead to the famous witchcraft trials in 1692. At the time The Crucible was produced, Senator Joseph McCarthy was in power as the chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Due to relative events and the paranoid hunting of pro-communists, The Crucible is seen to be a metaphor for the McCarthy era. Throughout The Crucible, Miller employs several techniques and writing styles to create tension and suspense and to stimulate the audience’s interest. The most important reason why The Crucible retains the interest of the audience is because the plot maintains a slow burning, yet consistent pace. Act one is a prime example of how information is released gradually and atmospherically. The very start of the play leaves us oblivious to what has happened, with Parris praying over his inert daughter. This is a great method to grab the audience’s attention immediately as we are in the dark right from the start, and naturally are curious about what has happened. As the act progresses, patches of information are revealed, but the uncertainty and contradiction present engages the audience as they are forced to decipher for themselves the truth; at one point Abigail is denying all charges profusely: ‘We did dance, uncle, and when you leaped out of the bush so suddenly, Betty was frightened and then she fainted. And there’s the whole of it. ‘ However, later, as other charges are brought about, she concedes to them. This way the story keeps momentum as well as suspense. Act 2 employs the same technique to maintain tension when Mary Warren comes home and the information in reference to the court is informed to us. Acts 3 and 4 stay true to this structure and a good example is in act 4 when John Proctor is undecided over his confession, whether or not to sign it- ‘No, it is not the same! What others say and what I sign to is not the same! ‘ The audience is on tenterhooks, hoping he will sign (or perhaps not, in some cases). Another main element to The Crucible, which engrosses the audience, is the technique of dramatic irony. In The Crucible’s case, dramatic irony is where the audience is aware of something in the play that not all of the characters are. In The Crucible the dramatic irony is that we know that there is no witchcraft, and that Abigail and her friends are pretending, but most of the other characters believe it, or at least take advantage of it. Some of the characters must be left ignorant in order to form a basis to the theme of hysteria and madness, but the idea of dramatic irony is so that it creates the ironic and incredulous situations, and involves the audience more proactively as they know what is going on. In act 1 we think that the girls’ lies will be dismissed as they seem to us so ridiculous, but in Act 2 the true impact of the situation starts to take shape as information of arrests and trials is revealed. By Act 3 the original accusations have manifested into sheer madness which we, as the audience, can see, but the characters cannot. Act 4 does not utilize the tool quite as much as by then Abigail and her peers have unofficially been exposed. The dramatic irony concerning the presence of witchcraft helps to emphasise the theme of hysterical behaviour which, in that respect, has a larger impact on the audience and produces more interesting scenarios from the audience’s 0point of view. Another example of dramatic irony is during Act 3 when Elizabeth Proctor is asked to explain to the court her reasons for dismissing Abigail as her servant, unaware that John had just admitted his affair with her. This scene is perhaps the tensest in the entire play as the fate of Salem rested on Elizabeth confirming that Proctor was an adulterer. However, she lies and tells the court Proctor was not a lecher, not wanting to get him into trouble. ‘Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell’ This is said by Reverend Hale as he too is trying to stop this insanity, and the audience is also frustrated with the situation. Which is one of the key emotions that dramatic irony provokes to sustain the audience’s attention- frustration. Our hopes that the situation will be resolved and our almost angry views to some of the characters ignorance involves us in the plot and helps to share what John Proctor and some of the other characters must be feeling. In order to maintain the suspense and atmosphere in-between acts, Miller makes sure to end the first 3 acts with suspense and cliff-hangers and Act 4 with a big finale. In the ultimate scenes of Act 1, the tension created throughout the start of the play reaches its climax with Abigail and the other Girls accusing various Salem citizens of witchcraft to relieve themselves of attention. Miller has chosen a fantastic way to draw the Act to an unmistakeable close but still retaining the interest of the reader; it draws the events of the night together, satisfying the reader in one element, but has at the same time unleashed a larger and more complex crisis upon Salem, rousing the inquisitive eagerness experienced right from the very start of the play. Act 2 also ends dramatically with Elizabeth’s arrest after Abigail utilizes Mary’s poppet to frame Elizabeth. As in Act 1, it draws the night’s events to a satisfying climax with Elizabeth’s arrest, but also leaves the reader expectant of Act 3’s events with Proctor and Mary planning to expose Abigail. ‘My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me! ‘ This powerful sentence from Proctor gives the audience hope for Elizabeth and, at the same time, makes sure the audience knows that dramatic events are yet to come. Additional to suspense-filled endings, Miller employs the use of time lapses in-between acts in order to maintain the pace. Between both Acts 1 and 2, and Acts 3 and 4, there is a significant time jump. This way it stops the plot from appearing too dragged out and makes sure that the suspense doesn’t die down so the audience’s interest is still at its peak.

Scenario Consider the cross cultural management implications for an Essay

Scenario Consider the cross cultural management implications for an organisation from your home country setting up a satellite operation in another country (of your choice) - Essay Example It is observed that cross-cultural management issues spring from a range of business contexts. Giving example of an individual firm, Clarke (2007, p.197) observed that the management team from a foreign parent company must seek to understand that the local workforce especially those from the host country, may require different organization structure and Human resource practices. This is essentially since it will ensure that the working personnel are not infringed on their rights as workers but are given ample room for expression. To this end, Deresky (2008, p. 47) noted that in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As), achieving the expected synergies regularly vary depending on the existent business structures and procedures that encompass both cultures in a more balanced way. Further, cross-cultural joint business ventures or alliances between two or more firms also demand a cultural compromise. This will ensure that the involved firms have a particular cultural orientation tha t emerges after sacrificial of the individual cultures (Fougà ¨re & Moulettes 2007, p. 12). This means therefore that the diversity of the workforce should be managed properly to ensure optimum productivity instead of leaving the differences show. Moreover, cultural sensitivity is also paramount especially if a firm needs to sell successfully to foreign consumers. In other words, it would be recommended for companies that sell to foreign customers to be culturally sensitive adaptations to various products, services, marketing and advertising (Magnusson et al., 2008, p. 191). Parboteeah et al. (2005, p. 91) observed that differences that exist in particular firm’s organization and decision making practices results directly from the geographical region in which it has evolved as well as the cultural background that it encompasses. This will demand an equal understanding of

Market Structure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market Structure - Assignment Example It is a more realistic market structure in which a few firms dominate the market, and are able to influence the conditions to a greater extent. Although, there may be many small firms operation in the same market, but they will just follow the lead of the few firms. (Krugman, 2012) KFC is an example of monopolistic competition. The firm is competing against the same-sized restaurants like Wendy’s, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and others. These firms try to differentiate their products and then price them accordingly. Wireless service providers are a good example of a n oligopoly structure in the area. Four of the firms namely AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint Nexte dominate the market and control around 89 percent of the total telephone service market in the United States. US Postal Service is still one of the monopolies operating in every city of the United States. The firm has a potential high barrier to entry- a license from the US government, has the potential to influence the market conditions as well as it does still have unique product attached to itself. There are empirical studies present that specifically tell us the relationship between the barriers to entry and long term profitability of the firms. Research evidence suggests that the firms will set the price close to the cost if the barriers to entry are non-existent or low in a particular market. In this case, the firms do make a bigger profit in the short run; however, they believe that the entrance of the new firms and competition, the profits will erode. (Krugman, 2012) In a monopoly, the barriers to entry are really high which protects the market from strong competitive pressures. These barriers could be licensing, patents and economies of scale. Therefore, the firm earns a high profit in the long run. However, there will be time when the long run profits will not be positive. When the average total cost curve is above the demand curve, the

Analysis of Eisenhower's farewell adress Term Paper

Analysis of Eisenhower's farewell adress - Term Paper Example In itself, it is a vision and a masterpiece addressing the need for balance in all aspects of our undertakings. Today, we are going to go on an odyssey, exploring in detail the constituents of the Farewell Address – the words and thoughts of Eisenhower. Why? - The theme in the address The farewell speech delivered by Eisenhower on the last night of his post as president was centered on subjects vital for citizens of any country aspiring towards progress and better quality of life. He reflected on important issues like time, defense, intricacies between military and industries, vigilance and use of wise judgments pertaining to the need of time. But what underlined each arena of the subject that he touched was the counseling for balance as a common denominator. He emphasized on the need to weigh each matter in the light of priorities, need, necessity, consequences and its implications. Hence, laying stress on the prominence and demand of balance in each context. In his speech hi s concern for the threat to American liberty at the hands of Communism and Soviet Union was clearly discernible. He made reference to the four wars that took place in the twentieth century three amongst which involved the United States of America. His point was not only to have the ability to encounter such danger but also to do so in a manner that did not put American liberty in jeopardy. He also feared that in accordance with the progress in the modern age perpetual expansion of the federal state would pose a threat to the ideals along which the American society had worked for ages. He repeatedly accentuated the need to hold the precarious line of balance in regard while taking decisions that would not only affect domestic but also foreign policies, and reminded the listeners that proposals must be considered in a broader prospect. Prospects that would take into account the consistency, maintenance, efficiency and balance between as well as within national programs. The reason beh ind stressing repeatedly on the need for balance was essentially made because of potential threats inherent in a big government. However that was definitely not all. Eisenhower identified in his speech several other foci that could culminate in imbalance. One of many was to condemn the use of material assets belonging to the future generations as mortgage and hence desecrate the valuable elements and symbols of political history and spiritual heritage. Amongst his greatest concerns was to not become enslaved in the web created by â€Å"scientific- technological elite†. He also referred in his speech to another potential source of imbalance, the attainment of uncalled for and undesirable influence of the military-industrial complex, cautioning here on the misplacement of power and its potential to weave disasters. What? – The type of document The farewell speech of Eisenhower was a piece that issued caution to the nature while addressing matters of grave concern that we re controversial but significant to touch at that point in time. His speech centered on his concern regarding dissemination of peace in the world and the need to develop friendly international ties and relations. Furthermore, his calling of attention towards the military and the domestic arms industry and the possibilities and implications associated with it along with the need for surveillance demonstrated the need for judicious decisions. His address was not only limited to that point in time but was a vision that

Why the Operations of the South Sea Company Proved to be Financially Essay

Why the Operations of the South Sea Company Proved to be Financially Unsound - Essay Example The purpose of the essay is to test the ability of the researcher to assimilate information and to order it in support of specific arguments. Students are expected to read the book, entitled A Very English Deceit: The South Seas Bubble and the World’s First Great Financial Scandal, written by Balen, M to answer the essay question. The objective is for students to think out the answer themselves, using general knowledge and plus material from Balen. The essay contains a clear, concise arguments on the subject. Therefore, the researcher concluds that there are similarities between the collapse of the South Sea bubble and the bankruptcy of Enron. Both companies seemed financially more secure than they actually were. They were companies that were attractive to investors, the South Sea Company due to price of it shares at the height of the bubble, Enron because of its size and the diversity investments. Both companies also presented themselves as being sure fire winners for investo rs, the South Sea Company inflated its own share prices, Enron fiddled its accounts to hide its mounting loses. Both companies believed that they bribed the right people in the right places and did not ensure that their books balanced enough to allow survival when times were harder. The South Sea Company had no source of income and no coherent or sustainable strategy; all it had was shares and monopolies that were worthless. In conclusion, Enron had strategies that did not work; the South Sea Company only had confidence amongst its naà ¯ve investors.

Planning Project of PepsiCo in the United Kingdom Assignment

Planning Project of PepsiCo in the United Kingdom - Assignment Example To achieve this purpose, the chosen company is PepsiCo. Inc. which manufactures and markets diverse brands. The origin of Pepsi Cola was traced from the talent of Caleb Bradham, a New Bern, North Carolina pharmacist more than 120 years ago. Together with Coca-Cola, these two soft drinks manufacturer has revolutionized the beverage industry through their concoction of carbonated soft drinks (CDS), defined by Canadean (2010) as beverages that include sweetened, non-alcoholic drinks containing carbon dioxide (par. 1). The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) (2010) more comprehensively defined carbonates as â€Å"ready to drink including draught dispense; home dispense; regular including sparkling juice; low calorie and zero calorie; cola; lemon including lemonade; lemon-lime; mixers including tonic and bitter drinks; orange; shandy; others including other carbonated fruit flavours, energy drinks, sparkling flavoured water, health drinks and herbal drinks† (British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) 2010, 9). In the UK, PepsiCo. started operations in 1953 and the Pepsi Max brand was firs t marketed in 1993 (PepsiCo UK & Ireland 2011). believe we should be known not just for the financial results we generate but also for the imprint we leave on society as a whole† (PepsiCo UK & Ireland 2011). To achieve this purpose, the organization designed and implemented strategies that focus on healthier products, protecting the environment, and providing holistic support for personal and professional growth for their people. As such, PepsiCo UK aims to transform their core business into providing products with potential health benefits and ensure that they would be catalysts of change in UK’s food and beverage industry (PepsiCo UK & Ireland 2011). Accordingly, the future thrusts of the organization are to lead in the promotion of healthy products by producing and delivering balanced amounts of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain, fiber, and other positive nutrients and food groups  (PepsiCo UK & Ireland 2011).

Computer Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Architecture - Essay Example Von Neumann Architecture Von Neumann’s ideas are significant as they inspired the making of EDVAC computer back in 1952. The construction of Manchester Mark I computer preceded that of EDVAC. To Von Neumann, an efficient electronic computer would contain four main elements. These are the arithmetic logic unit, control unit, memory and input-output devices. In his architecture, Von Neumann moved if an efficient general purpose computer was to be made it is imperative to give it exemplary ability to store data and the intermediate outcomes of computation. On top of this, it is important to enable the computer to keep the instructions and commands given in carrying out whatever computation (Cragon, 2000). To achieve this, Von Neumann proposed that it is necessary to encode computer instructions in numeric form and enable the computer to store these instructions and their data in the same memory. The control unit help execute coded instructions saved in computer memory. Arithmetic unit performs arbitrary subsets of certain arithmetic operations. Von Neumann argued that operation speed, cheapness and simplicity of a machine should determine the economy of the arithmetic unit. Arithmetic unit accesses information from registers so as to be able to manipulate values. Data and program code reside in a computer’s memory. Input and output are enables a computer to communicate with the outside environment. Today’s input and output functions have improved on Von Neumann’s ideas and some take place within the computer (Null & Lobur, 2012). System bus There are wires found in the main board. It is these wires that interlink chips and devices plugged in the mainboard. The bus is the collectivity of these wires. The width of the bus goes with the number of wires. Data bus almost always contains wires in multiples of eight. Besides data wires, there are additional wires that help the computer in signaling and control. Bus throughput capability is the product of the speed of the bus clock (hertz) and the width of the bus (bits). Devices connected to the mainboard communicate via the bus. Bus arbitration is the method used to adjudicate the chance for each device to get access to the bus. Devices of high priority including processor and RAM get preference in accessing the bus (Cragon, 2000). These high priority devices have few interrupts. The control channel signals interrupts. Interrupt signals help interrupt CPU’s tasks in order to attention to whatever event that may occur. The CPU handles interrupt requests with respect to priority of their device. High priority devices have low interrupt numbers. In the past, bus arbitration has advanced over the years so that the computer does not need to arbitrate the bus. Direct memory access allows devices to insert or get data into or out of computer memory. The system bus has several functions. All types of buses allow sharing of data amongst the peripherals connected to the co mputer (Null & Lobur, 2012). System bus helps in addressing. Addressing helps in sending data to and from particular memory sections. System bus supplies power to different computer peripherals. It is the work of the bus to provide system clock that helps in synchronizing computer peripherals with other elements in the system. The use of Boolean operators in computer-based calculations Boolean operators can be used in the

Book review on the jungle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book review on the jungle - Essay Example Moreover, one must have The Jungle in mind when listening to the conservative arguments for a better America. In their view, if businesses would be deregulated and if â€Å"superfluous† agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency, or perhaps the Food and Drug Administration, could be defunded or eliminated, businesses would go gangbusters. They are also against unions. In other words, in the Conservative view, the United States should return to a time that is similar to the era surrounding The Jungle. However, as The Jungle shows, if there are no constraints on businesses and the only motive is profit, then workers and society in general, are the losers. There is no better argument for â€Å"excessive† regulations and labor unions than this book. Summary The novel The Jungle centers around the trials and tribulations of a Lithuanian immigrant named Jurgis Rudkus. Jurgis comes to America in the hope of having a better life and more opportunity than what he had in his home country. Instead, he finds an America where corruption runs rampant and there are few regulations on unscrupulous individuals and companies. Therefore there is little incentive to behave judiciously. For instance, Jurgis is taken advantage of by his boss in his meatpacking job and the conditions at the meatpacking factory are extremely poor. There was little inspection of what was going on in the slaughterhouses therefore there was a great chance that the meat would be contaminated by microbes. Moreover, the animals were treated extremely poorly. The book also describes a predatory lending scheme to which Jurgis and his bride, Ona, succumb, which drains their savings and leads to their eviction. Jurgis’ job alone is not enough to support the family, so Ona also has to take a job. However, Ona gets raped by her boss and, when Jurgis goes to defend her honor by attacking her boss, Phil Connor, Jurgis is imprisoned . There are other mishaps that befall Jurgis as well. Ona dies in childbirth, partially because of an incompetent midwife, Madame Haupt and Jurgis’ first child drowns in the muddy street. After this, Jurgis despairs and tries the life of an itinerant. However, he finds that he can only find temporary farm work, as he is turned out after the harvest. Eventually, Jurgis finds solace in socialism, as he gets involved in the socialist movement and a fellow socialist employs him. The book ends with Jurgis’ attendance at a socialist rally. Context Sinclair’s purpose for writing this book was to essentially wake up the American people to working conditions for the poor and expose corruption of those in power. It was an attempted contrast to the ideal of America, which is that America is the land of the free, home of the brave and stands up for liberty and justice, with the reality of America at that time. This reality was that America was a land of oppression and injus tice and the capitalists got rich on the backs of the workers. This was a time before the Food and Drug Administration, before there were regulations, before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed. In this way, the novel is definitely a polemic, as it attacks the establishment directly, as well as the hierarchy of power in the country, by showing the microcosm of slaughterhouses in Chicago and the overall life of one immigrant. The novel is put into

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Example for Free

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Using knowledge gained from this course Team A has demonstrated their capacity for conceptualizing the concepts and practical application of project management and life cycle phases. This paper is the compilation of three successive papers submitted and revised by Team A that includes the project proposal paper, the project planning technical paper, and the project human capital paper. In the final phase of the project lifecycle the implementation process of terminating the project will be presented in such a way that the input will be based on observations in relation to how well the triple constraints and tradeoffs were handled. The balance between timing, budget and project specifications is used as a performance measurement to guide Team As future success by determining lessons learned, what might be performed differently that must be corrected with the next project, and help determine what went right with the project that must be repeated on the next project. In addition, the steps needing to be taken to return the human resources to the organization will be provided. Background and Statement of NeedThe increasing population of Lo Ki, California has resulted in an influx of new apartments, condominiums and small homes being built with little or inadequate storage and deed restrictions limiting what can be placed in driveways and side yards of the homes. Lo Ki is a mid-sized community lacking storage facilities within proximity. This has created a need that Store -N- Lock, a California-based self-storage facility, plans to address by building a new storage facility. This facility will meet the needs and demands of the citizens of Lo Ki for storage space, in addition increasing profits for Store -N-Lock. Building a new storage facility will require a project management team that has a clear understanding of whom is responsible for what. This management team needs a clear vision of what the facility would look like, what the costs would be, what the processes and procedures would be, what the time frame is from conception to completion, what revenue would be expected from the final project and what the payback period would be. With that being said financing would be needed with a loan that allows some breathing room during lease up. In addition, in any new type of construction the management team will need to have a good relationship with the contractors, engineers, the  architects, and any stakeholders. Clearly communicating the plan and approach will be beneficial because this will provide a way for stakeholders and anyone involved in the project to have a clearly defined goal, vision and mission of what the expectations of this project are in addition to any profit and loss shari ng, equity positions, decision making and exit strategies. Once this project is up and running a permanent loan can be locked in. Project StakeholdersThe project customers include the investors and owners of the facility. These individuals have added their resources and information in order to get the project off the ground, and stand to lose the most if the project fails. The customers will hold Team A accountable for any unforeseen circumstances that might occur. These project customers have also given time and assistance to ensure that the project will succeed. Other project stakeholders include the city of Lo Ki since permits and licensing from the local municipality is required. This project will provide revenue to the city in the form of taxes. In addition, the bank providing the financing will be a stakeholder and benefit from the interest and association with the project. The project leader and team members of the project, such as upper management, the architect, the construction team, the management team (Team A) the classmates and instructor of this Project Management course including resource managers, and line managers involved in the project that stand to gain financially from this project. Each of these additional stakeholders will stand to gain either from recognition of a successful project completed or from the benefit of having a storage facility that they can use to store their belongings. Project Goals in Terms of Triple Constraint The triple constraints of timing, budget and scope are being monitored daily by the project managers and the team. This is done to make sure that everything is completed in the correct order in which the network results have suggested. At the beginning of the project Team A made sure to ask the sponsors to prioritize the triple constraints. The team wanted to ensure that what they  were doing was consistent with the sponsors expectations. Initially, the sponsors stated that all the constraints were important. However, after contemplation the sponsors were able to assign weights to the constraints when they came to the realization that they are all important but not equal. After the feasibility study, and the project was deemed suitable the sponsors decided that the project in no way could go over budget. The second most important criterion was time with scope ranking last. Timing The timing of each project phase will keep a continuous flow of work since the network was set up to flow horizontally downward following the critical path so the project will finished in the allotted timeframe. Many areas will not take as much time as others but every task has an established and set time frame of one to 17 days. This set schedule and time frame should effectively minimize and limit problems that may occur if handled efficiently and things go as planned. Resources The resource was the highest ranked constraint indicated by the sponsors. They do not want to go over the calculated project. Team A will ensure that no problems will occur with the actual budget that has been set forth in the beginning phase of the project. The budget should remain the same as long as the timing is kept on track for each task and preceding event. This will be accomplished by monitoring progress and the network in the Gannt chart. If by chance something occurs that will change the time frame of the task affecting the budget, then the budget will then need to be revisited and revised. The entire amount the project estimated to cost is approximately $2,000,000. At any time this amount could change because of changes in the project risk and risk management, project constraints with specific emphasis on the project timeline, deadlines, milestones or price increases in either labor or materials. Scope The scope that has been set forth is going to be effective if certain tasks are kept in the time frame in which they are set up to take place in. Within the scope enough space has been set aside for change control processes if warranted. At this point the network result has an outlook of completion of the project in four months and not to exceed $2,000,000. Team Selection Team A has chosen the Pure Project organizational structure. Team A gained written approval from the customer in the form of a signed charter, which became the contractual agreement and project proposal. This document will provide the directives to be established and implemented by the PM. The Pure Project Structure was chosen because this is a project driven structure and is best for construction companies (if the cost is not too vast), or a one-time, highly specific, unique tasks that requires careful control and are not appropriate for a single functional area such as the development of a new product. (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p199). Other reasons why Team A chose this organizational structure are as follows:Communications ManagementA solid communication plan is the most vital element of achieving a successful project. A communication plan is used to keep the PM and all stakeholders involved in the ongoing progress of the project. Communication management is a tool the PM of Store-N-Lock will use to convey performance evaluations to stakeholders. Evaluations are performed regularly and consistently to ensure various project objectives are completed on time and within the project scope for successful results. The following considerations will be taken into account when meetings are scheduled:1.Project meetings communicating performance evaluations to management are somewhat flexible. 2.Management can request meetings at their discretion; however, the PM has the authority to change the requested date if needed to one that is more suitable. 3.Meetings with customers are less flexible requiring the PM to plan carefully to ensure all of the materials needed such as handouts and other literature are ready for the meeting. Poor communication can cause bottlenecks, therefore, BETCO has taken into consideration the many elements of effective communication and potential barriers and prepared accordingly. To keep information effectively clear and  concise the BETCOs project manager has used earned value management to convey project progress throughout the duration of the project. Earned value management combines measurements of scope, cost and schedule to measure project progress and can indicate to the PM impending problems. The PM can then act quickly taking the appropriate proactive and reactive measures to reduce the impact of these risks. Gantt charts will also be provided to all stakeholders for easier visualization and tracking of actual progress made. The advantages of effective communication using software are as follows:1.Prevents bottlenecks2.Prevents barriers to success3.Gantt charts provide clear views on constraints, timing, and milestones. 4.Gantt charts provide an easy way to revise plans and update progress. 5.Communication and the use of Gantt charts allow visualization and effective tracking. Scheduling face-to-face meetings can be difficult: therefore, BETCO uses conference calling, emails and text messaging to stay in contact. This will allow rapid and up to the minute changes to be communicated; since visual aids will be transmitted to the needed stakeholders for review during the conference calls. Those involved, can then walk through the progress of the project together identifying any action items needing attention. The BETCO representative, the Team A PM and staff and Store-N-Lock have decided to conduct twice weekly face to face meetings for the project team and weekly conference calls for all other stakeholders. Risk Management In planning for this project understanding the combination of uncertainty and constraints based on estimation will require selecting areas of the project with the most severe constraints and the highest uncertainty. Once that is complete the PM will do a Risk Assessment exploring each task for uncertainty. The construction industry is subject to more risk and uncertainty than many other industries. (Flanagan, Norman, 1993). This construction job will require a multitude of people requiring coordinative efforts between several interrelated activities compounded by many uncontrollable external forces. Some of the key areas that Team A will focus on in their risk management are as follows:The key will be coordination of different construction phases and adjustments or tradeoffs that will need to be made the triple constraints. This is especially important since they may impact the quality design and construction times. The following are a list of constraints:Project management, according to (Mantel, Meredith 2006, p. 179), is prone to the following problems: ·Inadequate resources ·Meeting unrealistic deadlines ·Unclear goals/direction ·Uncommitted team members ·Insufficient planning ·Breakdown of communications ·Changes in goals and resources ·Conflicts between departments or functionsProject success has four dimensions as quoted by (Mantel, Meredith, 2006 p.3) from empirical studies conducted by Shenhar, Levy, and Dvir (1997). These include: ·Project efficiency ·Impact on the customer ·The business impact on the organization ·Opening new opportunities for the futureTeam A can focus on to the following areas to decrease the impact of the above issues:Almost everything that can go wrong with project performance, cost, or schedule is theresult of uncertainty. (Meredith, Mantel, 2006, p 541). According to (Ibbs, Kwak, 2000, Project Risk Management.) The Risk managements project management maturity level was the lowest among all eight knowledge areas.The following are six areas that are impacted by risk management. (Project Management Institute, 2000, p.128). Other areas that can cause a project to require the control of performance, costs, or time were identified (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p. 542). Timing is crucial to project success and since most all projects do not go as planned, nearly every time related category with the exception of governmental regulation would be considered lessons learned for Team A. In the previous section on performance, each of these areas would be considered areas for improvement and would most likely have affected the overall completion of the project. Most likely all cost related issues pertain to Team As project and would be considered lessons learned. Contingency PlansManaging project risk and potential problems like bottlenecks requires a contingency plan. This will help mitigate the impact of the problem. In each phase of the construction will have milestones, which indicate that the project can move forward as planned. If problems occur with the timing of tasks and phases of the construction the plans will need to be altered to reflect either the backup resources such as time, or materials and money required for successful completion. At this point the Gantt chart will need updating and each person affected by the changes will need updated schedules. (Heerkens, 2002). BudgetControl of cost is a concern that this team has for this project. The team believes this should be of concern to all involved. As stated in Project Management, a Managerial Approach, Budget plays an important role in the entire process of management (Mantel. Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). Project budgets are estimated above what is calculated to ensure that the project is covered against any unforeseen problems, mistakes and miscalculations. In order to develop a budget the team must forecast what resources the project will require, the required quantity of each, when they will be needed and how much they will cost including the effects of potential price inflation (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). The budget is going to cover everything that is needed including materials, equipment and salaries to be paid to the contractor, subcontractors, and the management team including the BETCO representative and the Team A PM and associates. Below in figure 1.1 are estimates of items that will be needed for the construction of the storage facility. These are estimates that will be used toward the facility construction. The figure below indicates estimates of materials; construction and other items needed items to construct the storage facility. Figure 1Item descriptionDelivery schedule(Business days)Cost(estimate)Contractors and Subcontractor FeesMonday -Friday 7am-5pm approximately 10% of all costsCost of the management teamMonday-Friday8am-5pm$65,000Building and roofing  materials$400,000Material for the walls and doors$375,000Sprinkler system$225,000Temperature Control System$150,000Security surveillance and monitoring systems $185,000Asphalt for parking and driveways$150,000Concrete Pad for Office$80,000Office Roof$185,000Office Windows$5,000Office doors $1,200Office heating and air conditioning$2,700Kitchen counters and cupboards$4,500Kitchen bathroom including sinks (2)$225Bathroom counters (2)$1,600Office computers (2)$4,000Printer and fax equipment$575Phone and answering system$1,400Office desks (2)$2,000Tile flooring for office and bathrooms$4,500Gutters$8,000As stated above these numbers are estimates. Due to unforeseen events these numbers may change but the project and upper management believe that these numbe rs are the best estimates for the beginning of the project. Desired OutputsThe desired performance criteria for building a high-quality self-storage facility allowed Team A to measure the successes and failures of the project in order to recognize areas where the project team was strong and areas where the project team could improve. This ensured that the team provided the client with a product that meets their full expectations. The project performance measures include time, budget, and quality. These measures aided in ensuring that the work completed during each phase of construction is of a quality that protects the client and their customers with safe storage of belongings without compromising quality in craftsmanship or increased costs. Quality assurance is another way to provide a low-cost facility with limited maintenance in terms of repairs, upkeep, and operation. Team A also used the initial cost estimating budget and the systems development cycle to ensure that, from conception, to initiation and feasibility, the project was clearly defined and a detailed planning analysis provided an accurate schedule. Updated Statement of Work/SMART ObjectivesDuring phase one of the construction of Store-N-Lock BETCO has made some adjustment to the statement of work. This was done with approval from the customer and added on as an addendum that can be located in Appendix A. The completion date has been delayed by eight days from the original start date set. This was because of inclement weather, resulting in equipment delivery delays and thus, causing  further delays with installation. BETCO has created a SOW that mirrors the SMART requirements to ensure full understanding of what deliverables will include, what costs will be incurred and deadlines of work activities and tasks. SMART objectives illustrate that every requirement of the project should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. The Following are SMART objectives for project Construction Store-N-Lock. BETCO has been hired by Store-N-Lock to build a public storage facility with a specified start date of August 15, 2009 and a completion date of November 23, 2009. The project completion will reflect the construction of a high quality storage facility at a negotiated agreed upon cost that meets the demands of Store-N-Lock and Store-N-Locks target market. BETCO has created a WBS accompanied by a logical hierarchy of sequenced events and related tasks of the project scope to define and group the discreet tasks of the project and create the project map for clearer navigation and understanding by all stakeholders. MetricsMetrics BETCO will use are project timelines, earned value management and Gantt charts. These metrics will be reviewed in the beginning of each task, during each task and at the end of each task and phase. The will be beneficial for the PM since problems and bottlenecks and foreseeable threats can be evaluated, brainstormed and mitigated to allow for flexibility whereby better decisions could have been made. These metrics will also be used to communicate performance progress to stakeholders. Project AchievabilityProject Construction Store-N-Lock is a very achievable project for BETCO as they are experienced in this field with solid relationships established with numerous contractors and subcontractors. BETCO knows standard timelines of completion for individual processes and based upon these the complete timeline outlined in the timetables and deliverables statements is an achievable and manageable task for BETCO with this project type. The project is realistic since BETCO has substantial experience in many types of construction projects. With their expertise and relationships with subcontractors BETCO has a vast array of resources for many types of projects. To stay within the agreed upon completion date BETCO  is using a project timeline to specify completion dates for each objective to be achieved throughout the three month and one week timeframe for completion of the entire project. The SOW indicates the completion date to be August 23, 2009. Task and Performance Schedules, Responsibility and Resource Availability MatricesTime is money and time is of the essence in project management. Because of this, time is used to sequence events, ensure that each event occurs within the specified timeframe and is used to compare the completion of events with the time allocated for each task. If each phase of a project is not completed within the scheduled time frame bottlenecks can occur and the project runs the risk of going over budget. The effect on the scope of the project would compromise quality as corners are cut to get back on schedule. Constructing a storage facility required that a detailed cost estimation and budget follows the WBS. (Everett, 2007). The schedule of resource allocation required detailed cost schedules and forecasts so that the project manager was able to analyze the pattern of expenditures and permitted enough time to make adjustments to the schedule for each phase of construction. All work packages were scheduled with enough time to complete the preceding phase and to cover for any uncertainty and lack of accurate information (Everett, 2007). These unforeseen occurrences may be because of inclement weather, delivery delays, or labor issues. The PM and Team A staff have set up a task schedule to assign each task with enough time to be completed, and organized in such a way as to identify the predecessors of the tasks, when applicable. AGantt chart is attached with this paper identifying the critical path through the network. Table 1 on the next page includes the task schedule for the project. E: Execution responsibility. Stakeholder is responsible for getting the work done. Not necessarily a decision maker, but drives the group to make decisions in a timely manner. A: Approval authority. Has final approval on accepting the outcome of this activity and makes decisions. C: Must be consulted. As work is performed this stakeholder contributes information. Does not make decisions but is asked for input prior to decisions. Performance Monitoring A good communication plan is essential for appraising the project progress to various project sponsors and executives. With this communication, the project managers ensure all staff is meeting acceptable progress goals toward the final product. This is basically meant to communicate and cover important variables of the project time, cost, scope, and parameters of deliverables. Other objectives are to provide clarity of the progress with the continuation of the project, so that the management and team can engage in early corrective action when the performance of the project alters considerably from initial plans. As with the project of Store-N-Lock, set schedules of work will need to be executed by the builders. Whenever things go awry, a corrective action plan should be set in place to get the project back on schedule. To avoid this type of confusion or mishap the project manager is to set out standards that are to be followed. Project Performance Overall, the project went well. The team went one week over the projected completion date, as enough time was not allocated for every step of the project. Though the project stayed within budget, many resources that were necessary for the completion of the project were not included in the budget. However, the project budget manager allowed for enough funds at each phase of the building to cover the additional materials and resources needed. Conflict amongst the team was the most challenging aspect of the project. Learning Team A did not clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member until the final week of the project. As a result, communication breakdowns and personality conflicts abounded throughout, and decisions were not made quickly and effectively. Learning Team A also lost a member of the team early in the project, which nearly created bottlenecks  and tasks had to be reassigned to cover the workload. Despite these issues, Learning Team A was able to overcome these obstacles and persevere. Team members were willing to compromise as each task came due and were willing to help his or her fellow teammates with any problems or concerns. Network Results and Triple Constraint Towards the middle of the project the sponsors made a few demands as to the budget and the scope but the project manager called a meeting. This meeting was set in order for the project manager to inform the sponsors of the triple constraints and how they are supposed to be managed and how to manage them efficiently and effectively. Timing At the end of the project and after reviewing network results the team realized they had gone one week over the time that was scheduled per the Gantt chart. Not enough time was given for each portion of the project the needed to be completed within the four month timeline. Each task was done efficiently but the timelines that the team had set forth were not thought in enough detail. The problems and breakdowns that occurred within the group may have been a contributing factor to the problems in the timeline. Resources Although there was a significant amount of time that the project went over the intended time frame, the team was able to stay within the budget that was stated at the beginning of the project. At the beginning of the project the sponsors made it known that the budget was the most important of the triple constraints. In no means was the project to go over the $2,000,000 mark. The project manager and the team made certain that no matter what occurred with the time constraints they would ensure that the budget would remain the same. Scope The project manager did not want to change anything within the scope of the project. At one point towards the middle of the project the sponsors decided they wanted to change the most important constraint to the scope. This did not go over well with the project manager. The sponsors and the project manager had to sit down and have a meeting concerning what was going to occur. The sponsors believed that there could be changes made within the budget in order to make changes in the scope, and the project manager let  them know that was not going to occur. Some instances like this made it difficult to remain in the allocated time frame. Steps Taken to Return the HR to the OrganizationAn element of project termination is the return or reassignment of project team members within the organization. Construction projects are able to handle this issue with more ease than other types of projects. In this current age of increased development and BETCOs good reputation in the business, contracts for construction projects are acquired on a regular basis. This allows the company easily to reassign their project team members to other projects in their areas of expertise. Upon completion date BETCO and the Team A project manager have conducted a meeting with the project team and customer. They have discussed any future follow up needs and provided the appropriate contacts for the customer. A private internal meeting for project team members has also been conducted to discuss the strengths and weaknesses that occurred during Construction Store-N-Lock. The construction of Store-N-Lock was a success with only a slight delay in the completion date. The building met the customers expectations and because the delay in completion was minimal Store-N-Lock was satisfied with the results. After all the end details were addressed the project team members received an appreciation and recognition lunch and received much kudos. Input for Future Projects For future projects, Learning Team A will learn from the experience that this project provided. From the onset, the team will need to select project roles for each member and have clearly defined conflict resolution and change control processes in place. There will also need to be a communication plan to ensure that every member of the team understands what is expected from them and are able to communicate effectively with other members. This will aid in faster decisions to be made. Team members must understand that the team should be open to innovative ideas and use critical thinking skills. Each member of the team will also need to be committed to the project as well. Meredith and Mantel (2006, p.595 4) have outlined key factors that need to be considered when  starting the next project. These factors include: ·Identify problems earlier ·Clarify cost, performance, and time relationships ·Improve the process of risk identification and management ·Identify mistakes, correct them, and avoid them in the future ·Reconfirm the project teams interest and commitment to the project ·Improve processes for organizing and managing projects ·Provide an amiable environment where project team members can work creatively togetherLessons LearnedThe most important factor affecting this project was a need to clearly establish roles and responsibilities in the beginning charter. By firmly establishing these early, the team could have saved a many of the initial stages of storming which preceded the norming. In addition, this would have helped to identify the hierarchy of leadership and helped to prevent duplication of work, eliminate conflicts and expedite decision making. Other areas that were difficult included a few of the essential elements of construction materials that were left out in the initial estimation phase, like the insulation, and gutters. Although, this impacted the budget the additional cost did not cause the project to go too far over a normal distribution or standard deviation of price increase to be problematic. In the next project the SOW and WBS would need to be finalized before the budget and schedule were completed and finalized. The project went as planned with only minor problems and trade offs of the triple constraints, between time, budget and performance. Although, potentially there were areas where bottlenecks could have occurred if things did not run on schedule and as planned. The monitoring of the milestones and critical path in the network helped to keep the project on track. Team A will continue use performance measures, networks and Gantt charts since these contributed to the project success. Overall, the things that Team A would do differently next time is to clearly define roles and responsibilities, and to make sure that they use the same list of construction phases and supplies and add to this for the next project if need be. In addition, in the future the WBS and SOW need to be completely correct before the budget and schedule are completed, which could  help prevent having to make some tradeoffs between the triple constraints. Contingency plans or change control processes always need to be set in writing to ensure that a definite path would be taken when tradeoffs between the triple constraints are visible. Conclusion Overall, the project team (Team A) and PM accomplished the goal of opening Store-N-Lock, a self-storage facility in Lo Ki, California with the use of exceptional planning and team communication. The initial planning was systematically and carefully thought through and allowed for the project to run very efficiently. Communication is the main obstacle in a team project and without it a project may not come to fruition as initially intended. Ensuring that the proper resources are on hand and a designation of team members play an enormous part in the success of a project. With that being said, Team A has overcome all obstacles and have met each goal to make Store-N-Lock a success. With this success and experience, Team A is sure to tackle any project with confidence and extreme efficiency. References Flanagan, R., Norman, G., (1993). Risk management and construction. Wiley and Sons. Retrieved August 12, 2009 fromhttp://books.google.com/books?hl=enlr=id=CPMaX2dikTACoi=fndpg=PR11dq=inherent+risks+in+consturction+job+estimationots=oiC3hNxXB3sig=STHby74x4f-utDVhu2k3-68LUUw#v=onepageq=f=falseHeerkens, G. (2002). Project management. McGraw-Hill. New York, N.Y. Ibbs, C.W., Kwak, Y.H. (2000). The Berkeley project management process maturity model:Measuring the value of project management. 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