Saturday, August 31, 2019

Week Chapter Questions

Team Oriented: You will become part Of a special, elaborate team when you become part of supply management. The team will consist of engineers, operations, and quality people and suppliers to help the firm obtain necessary supplies, materials, and services as the vignette alluded. Competitive Salary: Starting salaries in supply management arena is lucrative. Although education and experience drives your starting salary, possessing minimum education (Associates Degree) and limited to none experience will still prove to be beneficial in regards to your salary. . Describe seven ways in which supply management has an impact on a firm's sales. Listed below are seven ways in which supply management has an impact on firm's sales: Faster to Market: Bottom line – The faster you can introduce a new product or service to the market, the larger market share you will encompass. Improved Quality: Leasing the total number of defects that a manufacture produces, the more they can command prem ium prices. Furthermore, having a reduced of defects can satisfy your customers and alleviate them from amount going to competitors.Price Flexibility: Having a strategic outlook can significantly reduce the total cost. Example: Is it more beneficial to lease a vehicle than to buy one? Would surmise that leasing would; lease vs.. Purchase analysis is the key. Innovation: Collaboratively communicate with your supply base; holds a lucrative percentage of all new successful products. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Customer service drives sells – up and down – depending on the service rendered. Customer Fulfillment Flexibility: Strategically planning allows more lead-time and flexibility if changes may occur.Shorter Cycle and Lead Time: Improved supplier camaraderie and participation in supplier product and process improvements is advantageous. 13. Why does support for strategic supply chain management have to come from the top management of an organization? Strategic supp ly chain management has to come from the top due to their position. If they are not cascading appropriately, then their subordinates will not buy in to what they are trying to achieve. Chapter 2 1 . Why is supply management's position in the corporation's organizational structure important?Organizational structure significantly influences the department's capability to function optimally and persuade the decision- making process involved in effective procurement. The higher supply management is on the organizational chart, the more he/she can influence corporate strategy considerably. 4. Why are many organizations using a hybrid approach to decision-making authority in their supply management? Organizations are using hybrid approaches in decision-making authority in their supply management, to cut down on cost.In the early 1 sass, the introduction of computers made it considerably more accessible, in regards to procuring goods and services. Electronic billing and payment of invoices , enhanced cash flow while minimizing the total cost of doing business. 7. Identify some ways in which cross-functional teams could be useful in developing new products or completing value analysis functions. Cross- functional teams could be useful in developing or completing value analysis functions in regards to the development or addendum to a statement of work.Take for instance, an upcoming complex food service contract. You may not be a food service subject matter expert – no worries. Surround yourself with subject matter experts, to create the statement of work. Personnel that should be involved are the contract officer, contract officer representative, technical expert(s), lawyer(s), and any other representative that will facilitate with the statement of work. Chapter 3 3. How can engineering product specifications affect the price of the product?Material specified by engineering must be cost effective, to have an idea return on investment in regards to the price of th e product. Preferably, you would like to have your material accessible by multiple suppliers for a more resourceful, low-cost manufacturer. Although, you want to get the best deal (bang for the buck), ultimately, you want to ensure your product is justifiable for your customers. 4. How can a product that costs more save the company money overall? Products that cost more can inevitably save the company none overall by purchasing a more reliable, durable and/or cost efficient product.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Main Stages of Child and Young Person Development Essay

Development skills can often be divided into categories such as emotional, social, physical etc. but all the different type of skill link together and help people to complete an activity, for example playing football needs physical skills for good balance and running, social and communication skills as you have to work as part of a team and intellectual skills for working out tactics as well as many more of the development skills. Building on these skills influences a child or young person to grow to become independent, more confident and to have the ability to socialize. The more skills needed the more interested a child or young person may be in a specific activity especially when they get older and enjoy being slightly challenged. An example of how a child may be affected because of a delayed development in one of the areas is a child with speech problems such as an speech impediment, this will have delayed her communication skills. This then may have affected their intellectual skills slowing her process of learning to read and write. It also may affect her social development as their may find it difficult to communicate with others and they may not understand her and may start to ignore her. The child may them feel frustrated and lonely effecting their emotional development. All these are led from having a delayed communication development due to their speech impediment. Another example is a child with a physical disability, their physical development may not be to the normal standard so they may not be able to join in with certain activities other children can. This could affect their emotional development as they may feel left out but also their social development as they can’t interact with other children when not joining in with an activity. If the physical disability is noticeable they may feel embarrassed which also with effect their emotional development and other children may not understand and think the child is different so they might not want to interact with that child which would then effect their social and emotional development as well.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Simulation plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Simulation plan - Essay Example The result shows that it is essential to develop training infrastructure before action, such as team pilot project, product development team, and product improvement team. In addition, majority of effective moves are based on the integration of departments, communication and vision of the organization. The most influential actions in the simulation include identification of the problem which garnered an overall effectiveness of 100% in timing and 80% effectiveness in method. Financial and competitiveness, which was done at the most effective time, had 100% time effectiveness. Other notable actions include stakeholder mapping that had an effectiveness level of 89% and timing at 93%, team training which was done first was also highly effective at 84%. Firing employees who resist change had 82% of good timing and 100% of effectiveness. This was the right decision. Training and mentoring new and existing team members is also good for a change and is 100% effective in timing and importance. Despite the positive outcomes of the game, there were steps that were problematic. Timing was the major determinant of success. The affected areas include; stakeholder mapping which should have been done before a core change team was identified, the current move is thus out of order. Development of the vision has 18% time effective and 60% effectiveness in action. Though product improvement is timed correctly, it is out of order since training infrastructure must be developed first. This also affected team pilot project and new product development team. Restructuring the firm into teams was out of order with a -50% timing effectiveness. This is because team training should have happened first. The overall score of the simulation game is 62%. This implies that right moves surpass the break-even point by 12%. The index can be improved by addressing the issues that pose a negative impact on the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

HR practice and consultance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

HR practice and consultance - Term Paper Example The study will be based upon the consultancy process of the HRM. It will evaluate the ‘gaining entry to the organisation’ and other aspects in the hiring process. Different kinds of approaches of the consultancy process will be evaluated and discussed which will best suit the organisation. Overview Consultancy Process Human resource professional’s most important task is related to hiring of the employees along with other job responsibilities. In the HR process, finding the right candidate or qualified applicant for a particular job, filling the vacancy, upgrading the positions, creating new job, promoting employees and other necessary activities are the vital parts for the selection of the right applicant (University of Virginia, 2010). In order to get a clear understanding about the consultancy process, it would be better to take up a particular organisation. For this purpose the UK based multinational company, BP Plc, has been considered. It is a multi-national organisation that operates in the oil, gas and energy industry globally. There are thirty strategic performing units and other specialist support functioning departments. There are problems faced by the BP Plc such as shortage of professionals in the energy sector. Without appropriate number of personnel in this sector, it will be hard to uplift the future. Skilful and expert personnel are required. This gap can be bridged with the appropriate consultancy process that will assist in providing framework for the entry to the organisation (BP PLC, 2010). Entry to the Organisation The entry to the organisation is the initial phase in any consulting process. During this phase the interaction between the applicant and the HR manager takes place, where the HR tries to acquire knowledge about the applicant as much as possible. The outcomes of the consulting, discussion, and the planning phase are then presented in the consulting contract. The signature of the applicant with the HR manager c oncludes the initial phase (Kubr, M & International Labour Office, 2002). In the phase of distinctive consulting intervention, the client and consultant execute a set of activities that are necessary for the achievement of desired changes and purposes. The activities that are involved are generally known as the ‘consulting processes’. The process is well defined and has clear beginning and end which assist in relationship building. Between the initial phase and the end phase, there are several phases that aid both the client and the consultant to be methodical and systematic, from operations to operations proceeding from one phase to another (BSC, 2002). Processes or Phases of the Consultancy Process There are various phases or ways of subdividing the consultancy process that are found generally in different kind of literatures by various authors. There are many instigators who have provided several phases in the process that range from three to ten. For the BP Plc, whi ch is an organisation belonging to the energy sector; a simple five-phase model would be suitable that consists of the â€Å"comprising entry, diagnosis, action planning, implementation and termination†

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

DB 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DB 4 - Research Paper Example Also, in many cases, the frontline managers of the organization were exceeding the approved labor budgets on a frequent basis as they were facing tremendous issues in measuring the level of productivity of the employees. The company was also facing problems in data integrity as there was a dearth of digitization of data reports at various levels of the organization. To deal with the multiple discrepancies plaguing the organization, Con-way Inc focused on implementing the Kronos Workforce Central solution suite. The main objectives behind the implementation of the organization specific solution suite was to eradicate discrepancies in employee payment as well as to equip the managers of the organization with better visibility and control over important labor metrics that are essential to manage facilities and costs of labor. It is important to highlight that after the implementation of the solution suite throughout the organization, the management gained control in various key metrics like overtime, employee attendance as well as productivity and thereby became highly effective in administering new policies throughout the organization (kronos.com, 2014). The case study of priority implementation of IT in the American subsidiary of Volkswagen brought in to focus that there can be three different types of technological applications that can be designed for an organization. The three types of organization namely based enterprise IT platform, enterprise applications and customized point solutions were prioritized on the basis of the needs that they fulfill in a particular organization (Austin, Ritchie and Gargett, 2007). Now in relating the Con-way example of implementation of the company specific solution suite, it has to be stated that the priority was given in the development of enterprise applications, the main focus of which was to eradicate errors and boost organizational productivity. It

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Business Aspect of The Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Business Aspect of The Firm - Essay Example The struggle by Amalgamated Manufacturing to make profit shows that the business aspect of the firm is not doing well. Profit maximization depends on costs of operation and revenues generated (Moyer, et al. 2008). Costs of operation should be minimized and revenues maximized. The goals of the form therefore include: expound business aspect, minimize cost of operation and improve sales of electronic components in order to maximize revenues. In expounding the business aspect, the firm may need to conduct consumer research in a bid to identify the loopholes characteristic of its products in the market. Customer satisfaction is fundamental in pursuing profitability of the firm. This is because; they seek to maximize their utility at the minimum cost possible. On the same note, revenues and costs determine profitability. Revenues are generated from sales volume, and it is therefore essential to boost sales in the pursuit of profits. Agency problem depicts an aspect of conflict of interest between the principal and the agent. The principal requires that the agent pursues goals and objectives set by the principal. Sometimes an agent pursues other goals and objectives other than those set by the principal, resulting in an agency problem (Moyer, et al. 2008) In the case of Amalgamated Manufacturing, conflict of interest may arise between the owner(s) of the firm and the manager(s). Owner(s) may want to maximize profits, while the manager(s) may seek to pursue another set of activities before the profit motive. These differences therefore result in conflicting ideas of the right time to push for profitability. The firm therefore may continue to struggle for profitability as a result of the characteristic agency problem.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

D.P Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

D.P - Essay Example Vonnegut narrates the fact that Joe is teased by his fellows in the orphanage as well as by other people who live in the area surrounding the orphanage. He is a very sweet and innocent young boy who is made aware of his uniqueness by the people who surround him. Joe is misguided by a mechanic who enjoys making fun of him that his father is in the area and he looks like Joe. Joe sets out looking for him and he considers a black soldier sergeant to be his father. He eventually returns to the orphanage but only after he is given hope by the sergeant that he will come back to take Joe with him. The story has a very deep and important meaning and theme. Vonnegut explains the phenomenon of racism and how deep rooted this issue is and he also presents the lives of young children who get displaced by wars and their search for hope and happiness. Joe is a black and he is always made a target by the people of the village where they are taken for walks by the nuns. He is also teased by a boy na med Peter in the orphanage who is elder than him and who always keeps on reminding him that he is not a part of this community. This can be seen when Joe states to the nun, â€Å"But Peter says I don’t belong here, that I’m not a German and never can be.† This highlights the fact that Peter always tries to make young Joe feel bad. This may be due to the fact that Peter is old enough and he remembers his good times and he has the memories of his family which make him feel worst about his condition. This probably serves as a drive for him to make other children feel the sadness as he does in his life. Joe is also targeted by the people in the village and a mechanic and other people who work in the village usually ask him mocking questions. The mechanic compares him to a world heavy weight champion as he and the villagers considered the champion Joe Louis to be the only known black. Joe is an innocent child and he always questions the nuns as to why they ask him su ch questions. He does not understand why he is targeted as once he asks the nun, â€Å"Why do people smile when they see me, and try to make me sing and talk, and then laugh when I do?† Though he is unable to understand the reason why people behave with him the way they do but he does know that he is different from the other people and he asks the nun about why he does not see other people like him in the village. Joe always tries to find ways to understand about his identity. The nun always tries to raise his spirit. He is a displaced child and she understands the difficulties that he may be coming across. â€Å"Joe, Joe! Look quickly,† said the nun â€Å"See-up there, in the tree. See the little sparrow with the broken leg. Oh, poor, brave little thing- he still gets around quite well. See him, Joe?† Hop, hop, hippity-hop.† By saying these lines to little John, the nurse tries to raise his spirit and motivate him by giving him the example of a sparrow wh o is hurt and hence he cannot fly like other birds but still he is brave and facing the situation. In a similar manner, she tries to infuse courage in the little boy so that he does not get disheartened. The story explains the wants and desires of displaced children who try to search for happiness in their lives. When Joe is informed by the mechanic that his father is in town, he truly believes him.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The process of measuring and comparing service utilization Essay

The process of measuring and comparing service utilization - Essay Example The findings of the research indicate that most community mental health programs do not possess the relevant resources to build or buy the types of systems that would help to record notes about clients and the activities that they participate in (Dewa, Horgan, Russell & Keates, 2001). This means that it was difficult to have timely, consistent and accessible information for all community support and services which make it difficult to conduct the evaluations. The research does not provide adequate statistical data. Instead, most of the data provided is descriptive. Nevertheless, the findings have practical significance because of the value it has for program evaluation purposes and administrative purposes in terms of making key decisions on prioritization, planning and staffing needs (Dewa, Horgan, Russell & Keates, 2001).The authors considered all the relevant studies in the sense that they included information from previous researches and contributions from different authors in to the study in form of a background study. The consideration of the studies helped the researchers gain an understanding of the current states of affairs as they relate to the topic of study pointing out that most studies have not given it importance. The authors have discussed all the relevant limitations because they included a section on the challenges that they encountered and a table showing this. The conclusions are justified based on the results presented because the authors provide a conclusion.

Reaction paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reaction paper - Assignment Example Social Media has relevance not only for regular internet users, but business as well (Riley, n. d). In the 21st century, social media has become a fast evolving tool of education, social connection, and job procurement. As such, the young and old alike must learn to use social media responsibly. This is ascribed to the fact that social media when used properly can ensure a better future for an individual; however, its misuse can spell academic, professional, and financial disaster. Therefore, this paper aims to present the arguments of academic experts on the significance of responsible use of social media accounts. Several academic experts assert that proper use of social media can help to strengthen the chances of a college student into getting into his preferred college. It will also help the student achieve a type of social life while in college that will help enhance their college learning and living experience. Social media has helped colleges and universities make the college experience more interesting and exciting for their potential and current students through the students responsible use of social media. According to researchers such as Mark Connolly of WCER, students have tightly packed academic schedules throughout the semester. However, that it not to say that the schools do not give the students some time off between classes by hosting social mixers and the like. Due to the sheer volume of students on campus, it is almost impossible to get the information out to all of them. This is where social media steps in as an excellent social connecting tool for students. He explains that social media helps to create enduring relationships between the students by facilitating the social connection of peers. He offers an example of this benefit as: Connecting fellow dorm students through Facebook can help a student overcome the kind of isolation that otherwise might lead

Friday, August 23, 2019

Have you noticed the use of nursing informatics enhancing your use of Essay

Have you noticed the use of nursing informatics enhancing your use of the DIKW framework If so, how - Essay Example a practitioner, the use of nursing informatics has greatly enhanced my application of DIKW framework especially with the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR). The EHR repository has supported my nursing practice by providing data and information on previous patients’ files and records. It also offers both qualitative and quantitative data on similar patients’ condition together with several other similar conditions in addition to a range of longtime information of the patients As a practitioner, from such information coupled with the patient conditions on hand, it is easier to deduce situations and make decisions. The information contained in nursing informatics provides substantive knowledge on a range of particular clinical situations. With the existing information and knowledge it is easier to make professional judgments wisely for present situations. Nursing informatics has supported my professional judgment in many patient occasions in supporting my wisdom for decision

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Act Four of the Crucible Essay Example for Free

Act Four of the Crucible Essay How does Miller present John Proctor as a heroic figure in Act Four of The Crucible? Does the play have any relevance for us watching it today?  A hero is a person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great according to www.dictionary.co.uk. I also think a hero is a person who doesnt necessarily have to be of a pure soul, who has never done anything wrong. For example, in The Crucible, a person like Rebecca Nurse who never did anything wrong wasnt portrayed as a hero to us. We see John Proctors actions as more heroic and they are similar to Linford Christies actions (where he was accused for taking drugs and now acts as a senior mentor for athletes) which a modern audience watching it today would see as a comparable, if a less serious, situation. Miller presents Proctor as a heroic figure in Act Four of The Crucible by John Proctors actions. These include John refusing to sign the document, which would save his life. However, at the same time it would mean he would lie and Proctor would rather die than sign a document, which condemned him to working with the devil. I feel this shows John as a hero because he has not only done something very brave by giving his life, which people will admire, but because he has struggled through and done the right thing which will ultimately lead to an end in the accusations of witchcraft in Salem. This part of the play deserves a lot of attention as it shows the greatest act of heroism in the play by Proctor. It also reflects the most relevance for an audience watching today, who would relate Johns example to their own lives. In the earlier acts of the play Miller shows John Proctor resisting temptation from Abigail. The reader sees this as heroic because we know that John has already had an affair and he doesnt want to cheat again. The reader also knows that it is hard for John Proctor and when he does resist Abagail the reader sees this as a heroic action. The way other characters respond to John Proctor also shows us that John is a hero. Miller shows other characters, for example Mary Warren, respecting him. The first time Miller introduces John into the play we see how other characters respect his authority. MARY WARREN leaps in fright. Mary was doing wrong and Proctor discovered her. The fact that we see her leaping in fright shows how she respects Johns authority. She admires him enough to feel ashamed of her wrong doing and a hero is someone who is admired by other people. In Act 4 Proctor knows he has made mistakes in the past and doesnt think that people will see him as a hero if he is hung. I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. By John saying this it shows he is not arrogant. The audience see arrogance as an unheroic action. John Proctor says he refuses to testify because he detests authority. It is hard to give a lie to dogs. Miller makes John refer to authority figures as dogs because they are hanging people for incorrect and false acusations. Proctor refuses to lie because he wants to stand up to a corrupt justice system. The audience sees this as a heroic action because he is prepared to sacrifice himself in order to abolish the justice system in the future. For John to give his life it is the biggest act of bravery a man can do and we see this bravery as a noble action. In this final act Miller suggests to us that John is performing actions with other people in mind rather than himself. If he confesses he wants to know if other people will be able to forgive him for lying. What would you have me do? Proctor is thinking about confessing and he does not want Elizabeth, or any other person, to think badly about him for lying. This is because he is feeling guilty. This guilt shows human emotions and the audience sees this as something they can relate to in their everyday life, because John is a person like us. However, John leads by example and, although he is human, he is a role model who always tries to do the right thing even if it is difficult and may have consequences for him. An earlier example of this is John attempting to save Elizabeth in court by confessing his act of adultery. I have known her, sir. This is what makes him heroic for the audience as he tries to do the right thing, for other people not just him, when it is sometimes difficult because of the resulting consequences. Another way in which we see John as heroic is because he physically tears up the confession slip. PROCTOR tears the paper and crumples it. This action by Proctor is heroic because he is trying to correct his mistakes. Proctor isnt perfect but he tries to make up for what he has done wrong in the past. Proctor doesnt want to return to his old ways of doing wrong as he felt contrite and ashamed of his affair with Abigail. The audience admires his attempt to correct his wrong doing and in doing so Miller gains the audiences respect for Proctor. Our admiration for Proctor makes us relate John to being a hero because by definition a hero is admired by other people because of their actions.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Standardized Ion Chromatograpy (IC) for Salivary Analysis

Standardized Ion Chromatograpy (IC) for Salivary Analysis According to Darvell et. al. (2004), the research is about analysis of human saliva by using ion chromatography(IC). The aim of this research is to construct out a standardized IC protocol for future salivary analysis. The samples has go through several procedures such as centrifugation to remove particulates, filtration on supernatant, and the residual droplet was removed by a paper tissue without touching it to the CFD (centrifugal filter device). This is because want to minimize the risk of back–contamination of the device. About the pretreatment, the temperature for centrifugation is set at 4Â °C which inhibit the pathogen spreading and lower the bacterial activity. The steps of pretreatment temperature, duplicate runs of the samples and recovery of known addition of standard solution are to make sure that the result obtained is reproducible and no significant different. However, the resolution has shown decrease and this may cause by the protein retained in the exchange site of column resin or the surface of suppressor. It is suggested that application of membrane ultrafiltration can minimize contamination of IC system. Besides, there are few things have to take in consideration which are pretreatment and sample dilution. If the sample pH is higher than 2-3, in pretreatment part have to avoid introducing the ionic contaminant or subtracting any ion that needed if cellulose used in material for membrane ultrafiltration. Sample dilution can make the resolution between peaks greater especially when fluid with smaller volume are available sufficient for injection. Xie et al. (2011) have reported the studies on levels of adenosine phosphate in blood which are analyzed by using ion chromatography. In this research, gradient mode of elution is used, because it well-known as can carry out fast result and provide sharp peak due to gradient compression effects. The procedure are firstly sample dilution, homogenization, centrifugation, membrane filtration and finally injection into the IC system. The addition of acetonitrile in homogenization part is to extract out the protein as precipitation. Adenosine phosphate likely retained in column and cause contamination since they are very polar molecule however this research has proven that by using this method it will not retained on the column and it can applicable to the analysis of true blood samples. Hou Cramer (2011) has evaluated on selectivity in multimodal anion exchange system priority on prediction of protein retention time and investigation of effect caused by mobile phase modifier. About selectivity, as we know protein are more strongly retain tendency with resin. The multimodal effect which the arrangement pattern has given an electrostatic attraction that manage the binding behaviors with obeying Langmuir isotherm. In this research, two anion resin was used which are Capto Adhere(ADH) and Q Sepharose FF. Result shown there was more retention on ADH because additional interactions existed. In ADH ligand, the additional interaction may composed hydrophobic properties contributed by aromatic ring and hydrogen bonding contributed by hydroxyl group. Suggested that the size of ion-exchanger should be smaller to optimize the performance and using monolithic porous column in order to improve the morphology of the resins. According to the Tyrrell ed. al. (2009), rapid IC have several advantages such as reduce the analysis time, cost and improve the productivity. The rapid IC can be transfer from the conventional method by modifying some parameter. The rapid IC using the similar stationary phases with the conventional chromatographic but the column geometry used in rapid IC was modified. Besides that, the volume used and the flow rate of sample were reduce by a factor of 12 to speed up the chromatographic process and the resolution is not affected for the smaller particle-packed columns with shorter length. In generally, gradient elution are consider more beneficial in fast separations and multi-component sample analysis. In optimize conditions, the separation speed is assume constant in this study. Meanwhile, the other parameter such as the column length was decreased by a factor of 10 and the smaller particles were reduced by a factor of 15. Reductions by factor in the parameters was reduce the resol ution, but the reduction in resolution still in the acceptable ranges, so the process still can be accepted. According to Chen Leong (2009), ÃŽ ±-fetoprotein (AFP) is a potential candidate in biopharmaceutical field, especially in the treatment of autoimmune indications. Recombinant AFP can indicate rheumatoid arthritis recently. However, due to the complexity of its structure as it contains 32 cysteines, which refolding and form 16 disulfide bonds by oxidation; the refolding process will be very hard to occur because the protein with highly disulphide-bonding is immobile on a stationary phase of chromatography. The objective of this study was to improve the refolding yield of the recombinant human AFP (rhAFP) using anion-exchange chromatography. Refolding process by batch dilution was studied as a control. Instead of ion-exchange column, a PD-10 desalting column was used to remove the DTT from protein mixture. The mixture was then eluted out the desalting column and refolding buffer was added. There were two types of anion-exchange column to carry out on-column refolding, which were Q-FF columns and DEAR-FF columns. Same procedures were performed on this refolding process as batch dilution, the protein was incubated in the column with refolding buffer for 0-24 hours, but with an addition of stripping buffer after refolding cycle. Next off-column refolding was carried out using a 1ml Q-FF column. Unlike on-column refolding, the protein was not incubated in column but treated with refolding buffer with or without 0.5M L-arginine after elution process. For batch dilution, as a result, the refolding yield is at maximum level which was around 55% at less than 0.5mg/ml of rhAFP, but at the allowable greatest concentration of protein refolding which is 0.45mg/ml, the yield of refolding obtained is 14% only. This is because high concentration of protein would lead to high aggregation and hence, low refolding process. 0.45mg/ml was the highest protein refolding concentration in this section because of solubility and viscosity limitation in preparation step of higher concentr ation of protein sample. On the other hand, refolding process in DEAE-FF column had higher recovery yield of rhAFP compared to that in Q-FF column which were 19% and 15% respectively when the amount of rhAFP load was 1mg. Q-FF is a strong anion-exchanger compared to DEAE-FF, this caused the strong interaction between protein samples with matrix and limited the disulfide shuffling to refold. In contrast, the interaction in DEAE-FF is relatively weaker, so the disulfide shuffling had higher efficiency and increased refolding process occurrence. The stripping buffer was added after refolding cycle to elute more refolded rhAFP, as the protein was mostly bound on column during refolding and elution process. Similar to result of batch dilution, increased amount of protein load brought increased aggregation and lower refolding process. Furthermore, aggregation of protein at the top section of the column can prevent the protein to move through the column, so another test was done with addit ion of NaCl to refolding process conducted in DEAE-FF column and it showed higher refolding yield. Investigation of off-column refolding was done without incubation of protein in Q-FF column with refolding buffer. Without addition of L-arginine, the refolding yield of 1mg of rhAFP load was higher than on-column refolding, and the yield could be increased to 42% after addition of L-arginine. The possible reason is due to interference of L-arginine toward the adsorption of rhAFP on the matrix. Hence it is impossible to add L-arginine if on-column refolding was desired to be performed. Actually, instead of Q-FF column, the off-column refolding can be conducted on DEAE-FF column with addition of L-arginine and NaCl, the outcome should be interesting to investigate. In a nutshell, off-column refolding yielded the most among the methods, which was 13-fold increase from batch dilution.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Virgin Atlantic SWOT, PESTLE and BCG Analysis

Virgin Atlantic SWOT, PESTLE and BCG Analysis Jump to: BCG Matrix | PESTLE Analysis of Virgin Atlantic | Porters 5 Forces Analysis | Ansoff Matrix | SWOT Analysis of Virgin Atlantic The Virgin Atlantic Airways is a UK-based private international airline that started operation in 1984.   Flying up to 35 destinations in North America, Asia and Africa, it is 51% owned by Virgin Group and 49% owned by Singapore Airlines (Wikipedia). Its fleet size is 37 (31 in order)   It competes with other local and international airlines including British Airways, the biggest and leading in UK.   In the year to February 2009, Virgin Atlantic carried 5.77 million passengers and made an annual profit of  Ã‚ £68.4 million on turnover of  £2,580 million.[2]).   With this information, it suggests firms bright future and industry fair share of the market.   However, external and industry environment analysis is a continuous process (Hitt, Hoskisson Ireland 2003) that every now and then makes prediction and preparedness an integral part of strategic actions of firms to efficiently manage opportunities and threats outside its organization.ƚ   Today, the Virgin Atlantic is one of the worlds most recognized brands and being recognized and trusted through their winning awards for their products and innovative marketing ( 2008). Internal Environment Resource Audit/Value Chain Portfolio Analysis Core competencies bCG matrix Stakeholder Analysis Organisational Culture/Structure Financial Analysis Resource Audit/Value Chain(8500 staff worldwid) The resource audit identifies the resources available to a business. Some of these can be owned (e.g. plant and machinery, trademarks, retail outlets) whereas other resources can be obtained through partnerships, joint ventures or simply supplier arrangements with other businesses whille Value Chain Analysis describes the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the business. Influential work by Michael Porter suggested that the activities of a business could be grouped under two headings: (1) Primary Activities those that are directly concerned with creating and delivering a product (e.g. component assembly); and (2) Support Activities, which whilst they are not directly involved in production, may increase effectiveness or efficiency (e.g. human resource management). It is rare for a business to undertake all primary and support activities. Value Chain Analysis is one way of identifying which activities are best undertaken by a business and which are best provided by others (outsourced) Core Competence Analysis: Core competencies are those capabilities that are critical to a business achieving competitive advantage. The starting point for analysing core competencies is recognising that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence mastery as it is for market position and market power. Senior management cannot focus on all activities of a business and the competencies required to undertake them. So the goal is for management to focus attention on competencies that really affect competitive advantage Performance Analysis The resource audit, value chain analysis and core competence analysis help to define the strategic capabilities of a business. After completing such analysis, questions that can be asked that evaluate the overall performance of the business. These questions include: How have the resources deployed in the business changed over time; this is historical analysis How do the resources and capabilities of the business compare with others in the industry -industry norm analysis How do the resources and capabilities of the business compare with best-in-class wherever that is to be found-  benchmarking How has the financial performance of the business changed over time and how does it compare with key competitors and the industry as a whole? Ratio analysis. Portfolio Analysis Portfolio analysis is defined in the Marketing Management Text as the aid to  marketing managers to help develop effective marketing plans. Portfolio models are used  to classify Strategic Business Units (SBUs) to determine the future cash contributions  that can be expected for each SBU as well as the future resource requirement that each  will require. Portfolio models generally examine the competitive position of the SBU  and the chances for improving the SBUs contribution to profitability and cash flow. The model we will be using for Virgin is the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) model.   This model is based on the relationship between relative market share and growth of the  Market The BCG model classifies products under four areas. These are stars, cash cows,  question marks and dogs. Stars are SBUs with high share or high growth market   Virgin Atlantic is clearly the cash cow of the Virgin Empire but we have undertaken a Portfolio analysis from the viewpoint of Virgin Atlantic. With regards to Virgin Atlantic Airways we believe that there is no star. The cash cow is the Upper Class section. Cash cows have high share of a low growth market and generate higher cash revenues. This high end product targets wealthy customers and business passengers. This is the highest costing ticket available, usually around $9,000, and there are 50 seats available in this class. Therefore, upper class generates much higher revenues compared to premium economy and economy. Dogs are SBUs that have low market share in low growth market. We see Virgin Atlantics economy class as a dog. Question marks are SBUs that have high potential but will require great resources to build market share. We believe that Premium Economy is a question mark as it has potential to be a cash generator. Premium economy targets cheaper flying business class passe ngers and high end couples. There are 38 seats in this class and tickets generally sell for around $3,000. Economy class focuses on families and groups flying together. Tickets for economy class are priced around $500 and there are 271 seats. BCG Matrix Virgin Culture Virgin Atlantic is a unique airline with great people and has a unique culture and it is not easy to sum up our culture in just a few words. Ours is a demanding and fast changing business and every one of our people has to have the intelligence to plan and deliver brilliant airline operations, to think on their feet and be accountable and respond to change and development. All the while, of course, we are all working hard to deliver our unique mix of product and service for which we are famous. All this creates a lively, collaborative environment where everyone knows whats expected of them and works together to achieve it. We pride ourselves on being as honest and unpretentious as we are inspired and professional everyone has a chance to voice their opinions and no ones too proud to ask questions. We embrace innovation wherever it comes from. If someone, an employee, customer or passenger has a brainwaveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ well listen. If we like it well do it and this is another way in which our people are the driving force behind our success.Of course, it takes a certain sort of person to flourish in such a fast-paced, freethinking environment. Talented, self-motivated, enthusiastic, youll have to share in our passion for providing only the very best. Put people like this together, and you create a winning performance culture that thrives on inspirational leadership, positive attitudes, commercial flair and underpinned by solid accountability. Financial Analysis Virgin Atlantic has managed a pretax profit of 41.6 million pounds ($76.1 million) on record annual sales of 1.91 billion.The carrier shared that a rise in business class travel helped more than double its pretax, pre-exceptional performance, which stood at 20.1 million pounds for the year ago period. Sales were up 17 percent for its financial year, which ended on February 28 Carrying a record 4.9 million passengers, Virgin had a 2005-06 pre-tax, pre-exceptional items profit of  £41.6m more than double the figure for 2004-05.Virgins results announcement comes after reports that it was Virgin that blew the whistle on British Airways which is now being investigated by the UKs Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the US Department of Justice over alleged cartel activity involving BA and other airlines. Virgin has said that it is helping the OFT and the justice department with their inquiries.Chief executive Steve Ridgway reportedly said the strong performance came on the back of a 10 per cent increase in the number of passengers using its Upper Class cabin and the grabbing of market share on the North Atlantic. According to media, Ridgway denied, however, that Virgin had used the fuel surcharge like BAs,  £70 on a round-trip ticket to bolster revenues. The fuel surcharge has not kept pace with the increased cost of fuel, he reportedly said. It has only enabled us to recover around half of our fuel costs. Whereas fuel used to be around 15-16 percent of our costs it is now nearer 30 percent.Ridgway declined to comment in detail on why Virgin had blown the whistle on alleged conversations between it and BA, which prompted an OFT probe into alleged fuel surcharge price-fixing. According to a report: BA and VA impose the same surcharge of pound stg. 35 ($87) per individual long-haul flight (pound stg. 70 for a return trip). While BA had often been among the leaders in raising the fuel surcharge, on some occasions Virgin Atlantic, its main long-haul competitor at Heathrow, had also taken the lead. On most occasions the other airlines quickly followed the lead of the first mover. Last Septembe r, VA raised the long-haul surcharge from pound stg. 24 to pound stg. 30. It was followed in the same week by BA with the same increase. Virgin lowered the surcharge again in November to pound stg. 25, but BA did not follow suit and in January Virgin returned to pound stg. 30. In March, VA raised the levy to pound stg. 35. BA followed to pound stg. 35 in April. The Office of Fair Trading said last week that the investigation was at a very early stage and that there should be no assumption that there had been any wrongdoing. The External Environment: PESTLE Analysis   PESTLE analysis if you are including legal and environmental. Airlines are a good one because so many different things affect them. Political Taxes that they get charged in different countries for landing, fuel taxation etc Economic e.g. How does interest rate movement affext their longterm debt? How as their economic performance compared to the market sector? P/E ratios etc. Oil prices increasing, is this affecting their profits from increased fuel costs? Social Safety measures they employ on board and on the ground. Polulations growth does an ageing poulation affect them i.e. baby boomers, lots of people in that lifestage have more disposable income to spend. Technological As things improve technology becomes cheaper. How does this affect them? Does this mean the entries to barrier are lower for competitors to join? Do easyjet have a big RD dept? Legal Different legalities of different countries some stricter than others   Environment carbon offsetting, what is their CSR policy?   The Industry Environment: Five Forces New entrants in the industry basically face two difficulties: barriers to entry and retaliation from present firms (2003)   In the aviation industry, particularly the service passenger-based ones like Virgin Atlantic Airways, in modern economies are privately-operated that calls for substantial financial requirements at the fore.   Since travel services are derived demand (), new entrants should be able to cut a share in the pie in the presently saturated market.   This endeavor could result to another substantial resource to be deployed.   However, with such new entrant engagement, it does not assure of intended results because competitors like Virgin already created strategic links to other country-routes including its alliance with Asian giant Singapore Airlines that makes it easy to create counter-strategy.Boeing, the largest manufacturer of jetliners and supplier of Virgins aircrafts, had recently signed long-term agreement with largest aerospace part s distributor Satair for an Integrated Materials Management ().   As a result, Boeing could reduce its inventory and minimize warehousing costs because spare parts will be provided only when needed.   A cost reduction strategy from a supplier can assure customers like Virgin of price management scheme, if not, its another supplier, Airbus (the once number one airline manufacturer) could be resorted.Competitors in the industry have the same capability in terms interactivity of their web pages like Virgin.   This is supported almost fifty percent prevalence of internet connection among UK market, not to mention other countries.   As a result, the power of buyers to gain access to prices and services of firms increase making them knowledgeable of distinction of one from the other.   Companies on their part are obliged to be more competitive especially in maintaining and updating their web sites.  The countrys sea transport industry had develope d super ferries while the 2003 recorded 17.4% increase of UK passengers who took cruise holidays that reached nearly one million in that year ().   This development would make sense to airline industry tourism and leisure market especially foreigners that like to see the national endowments.   With demand for airline transport rise at faster rate than supply for it, the airline industry is required to effectively allocate its resources in a manner that exploit this supply shortage. Other airline competitors in the likes of AMR Corp., British Airways and Lufthansa are operating in at least 150 destinations compared to Virgins 20 As a result, rivalry among these firms against Virgin is relatively insignificant although strategic actions of Virgin that directly and significantly threat their market could spark retaliation in the detriment of relatively small firm.   The firm should focus in its target market and avoid competing with these large firms. Ansoffs product / market matrix Introduction The Ansoff Growth matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy. Ansoffs product/market growth matrix suggests that a business attempts to grow depend on whether it markets  new or existing  products in  new or existing markets. The output from the Ansoff product/market matrix is a series of suggested growth strategies that set the direction for the business strategy. What is a Critical Success Factor? Critical Success Factors  (CSFs) are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success your business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis. (   attracting customers; managing its fleet; managing its people, and managing its finances) Most smaller and more pragmatic businesses can still use CSFs but we need to take a different, more pragmatic approach. Critical Success Factors  have been used significantly to present or identify a few key factors that organizations should focus on to be successful. As a definition, critical success factors refer to the limited number of areas in which satisfactory results will ensure successful competitive performance for the individual, department, or organization. The connection of the Virgin Airline is outrageous because of the media that serves as a huge market competency advantage. Their strategy is using the media such as television, radio, internet, and even newspaper gave the business an opportunity for promotion. KEY POINTS    Virgin Atlantic established the strategy in promotion. They need to communicate with their customers for their initiatives in offering special offers that effectively make an appeal to their customers The benefits are expected to gain the Airlines 3-month payback on their investment; can utilize the advantage of the company over the technology such as computers; lowering the costs of the promotional materials because of the interaction of the business in the different forms of media; prioritizing the communication to the customers; and having the complete control on the advertising campaigns   The Virgin Atlantic recently tested the innovation and can continuously apply this in all their system. This strategy deals with the climate change has a great impact in the internal operation of the business such as the investment in the additional technology, better flying planes, building and operating an efficient infrastructure, and positive economic arrangements.    Strategy: Is about to design a desired future and identifying ways to bring it about by stenier1979 .a strategy is the pattern or plan integrate an organisation s major goals polices and actions into a cohesive whole.   Strategic Planning Strategy is the  direction  and  scope  of an organisation over the  long-term:  which achieves advantage  for the organisation through its configuration of  resources  within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of  markets  and to fulfil  stakeholder  expectations. In other words, strategy is about: * Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) * Which markets should a business compete in and what kind of activities are involved in such markets? (markets;  scope) * How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (advantage)? * What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, facilities) are required in order to be able to compete? (resources)? * What external, environmental factors affect the businesses ability to compete? (environment)? * What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (stakeholders) Strategy at Different Levels of a Business (Safety,  security  and  consistent delivery  of the basics are the foundation of everything we do. The success of our three year strategy requires us to build on these foundations by focusing on the  business  and  leisure  markets and driving  efficiency  andeffectiveness.) Strategies exist at several levels in any organisation ranging from the overall business (or group of businesses) through to individuals working in it. Corporate Strategy   is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stakeholder expectations. This is a crucial level since it is heavily influenced by investors in the business and acts to guide strategic decision-making throughout the business. Corporate strategy is often stated explicitly in a mission statement. Business Unit Strategy   is concerned more with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It concerns strategic decisions about choice of products, meeting needs of customers, gaining advantage over competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities etc. Operational Strategy   is concerned with how each part of the business is organised to deliver the corporate and business-unit level strategic direction. Operational strategy therefore focuses on issues of resources, processes, people etc. How Strategy is Managed Strategic Management In its broadest sense, strategic management is about taking strategic decisions decisions that answer the questions above. In practice, a thorough strategic management process has three main components, shown in the figure below: Mission Statement To grow a profitable airline that people love to fly and where people love to Work. SWOT Analysis The next segment of reviewing a firms strategic plan is to perform a SWOT analysis. This entails identifying a firms internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. After analyzing the external environment and internal resources, strategic decision makers have the information they need to formulate corporate, business, and financial strategies of the organization. A comparison of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is normally referred to as a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis helps executives summarize the major facts and forecasts derived from the external and internal analysis. From this, executives can derive a series of statements that identify the primary and secondary strategic issues confronting the organization. Strategy formulation builds on SWOT analysis to utilize strengths of the organization in order to capitalize on opportunities, counteract threats, and alleviate internal weaknesses. In short, strategy formulation moves from simply analysis to devising a coherent course of action. The findings of a SWOT analysis are the basis for developing objectives and strategies that can be implemented in a companys strategic plan. Therefore, it is important for companies to continue to perform SWOT analyses, because external and internal factors affecting companies are constantly changing. New strategies need to be developed and old ones need to be revised in order to reflect the current internal and external conditions that affect a company Internal strengths and weaknesses are activities that a company performs particularly well or poorly. These internal activities stem from all departments and components of a business. After a company identifies its strengths and weaknesses, it should then develop strategies that capitalize on its strengths and minimize or improve its weaknesses External opportunities and threats are events that occur outside of the company and are events that the company has no control over. Co mpanies benefit from external opportunities and are harmed by external threats. It is important for a company to recognize its external opportunities and threats so it can formulate strategies to take advantage of future opportunities and to avoid future threats. (S)trengths: Virgin Brand recognized by 98% of British Public. Clients expect good customer service in each separate class Business/Economy. Virgin Atlantic introduced innovative technology: including in flight music, ice  cream, games, and movies. New in flight innovation is offered to gold club holders or J-class with lounges  offering quality food and comfort. Quality trained employees recruited from other airlines. Virgin Atlantic is spawned from as a private company allowing for other Virgin  brands and more control. Richard Bransons innovative entrepreneurial management. Competitive pricing for business class offers more services. Partnership with Singapore airlines because they are the minority shareholder at  49%. The reason why this partnership is beneficial is because their routes are  non-overlapping and the partnership allows the transfer of core competencies. Load factor is better than competition; therefore, returns are higher and value is  greater. Positive publicity, in regards to winning every quality award known to man. (W)eaknesses Flight delays: need to improve flight efficiency. The travel routes are limited. Hot Air magazine separate from traditional airline advertising magazines including articles and marketing advertising. Cut routes to Chicago, Toronto, and Cape in relation to the September 11 tragedy. Late getting on the Internet Missed the Boat for web site, web page, and ecommerce. Richard Branson is a one man manager being the owner and director of multiple companies. Costs associated in the overhead of keeping two five star chefs, lounge, and limo service. Virgins reliance on Trans Atlantic traffic makes them more vulnerable to the drop in demand for travel to and from the U.S. (O)pportunities Strategic Marketing above the rest utilizing by being innovative, fun, maintaining  values, caring, and produce quality. Technology adds improvements (Galileo) an advanced inventory system. In flight Internet connection. Web site needs to be improved possible weakness for e-commerce and regular  web site navigation. Generate additional routes. Virgin Galactic, we are flying into outer space. Warehouse facility -Heathrow, London. Recession may be an unexpected opportunity for investment. On-line strategy in targeting branding and ongoing ad campaigns, through on-line  media planning and buying account. (T)hreats Recession, September 11th will and has affected the entire airline industry, order cancellations, risk aversion for flying customers Brand Dilution by a rapid expanding brand image may be too global and not  focused towards the important products. Competition for routes British and United. Fuel prices are fluctuating, which accounts for 15% of total airline expense. Objectives The results that an organization seeks over a multiyear period are its long-term  objectives. Such objectives typically involve some or all of the following areas: profitability, return on investment, competitive position, technological leadership,  productivity, employee relations, public responsibility, and employee development. Eric Starks, Virgin Atlantic Regional Director, stated the following objective: To  maintain a safe customer environment through the necessary security procedures. Also to  concentrate on core competencies by consolidating routes, directly related to downsizing  workforce, to remain profitable while targeting business class passengers. Strategies Strategies are statements of how objectives are to be achieved. These are usually long- term strategies and necessitate many different approaches, such as, product development, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Generic strategies such as low cost, differentiation, or focus strategies characterize the competitive orientation of the firm in the marketplace.In order to remain profitable Virgin Atlantic has focused on its core competencies. The company is currently focusing its strategies on sustaining great quality. service and maintaining relationships with their Upper Class customers. This has resulted in the closing of routes to Toronto, Chicago, and Cape Town. The company has also reduced the amount of flights a day and personnel by 20% per route across the North Atlantic. For example, the San Francisco routes were reduced from two flights to one flight per day. Competitive Strategy Analysis Segmentation Market segmentation is defined as the process of dividing a market into groups of  similar consumer and selecting the most appropriate group(s) for the firm to serve. This  concept is achieved through the following six steps Define firms current situation. Determine consumer wants and needs. Divide markets on relevant dimensions. Develop product positioning. Decide segmentations strategy. Design marketing mix strategy. Targeting Targeting is when a firm chooses one or more market segments as a specific target markets. Virgin Atlantic is a company that considers every customer to be important and thus offers individualized services to customers. These are nine basic criteria for targeting Who buys our product? Who does not buy our product? What need or function does our product serve? What problem does our product solve? What are customers currently buying to satisfy the need or solve the problem for which our product is targeting? What price are they paying for the product they are currently buying? When is our product purchased? Where is our product purchased? Why is our product purchased? Upon evaluation of these questions the company must then assess opportunity in target markets based on segment size and growth potential, competition, companys objectives and feasibility of success in this market. Virgin Atlantic has targeted upper class customers who are primarily business passengers traveling on transatlantic routes. Positioning Positioning refers to the act of locating a brand in customers minds over and against other products in terms of product attributes and benefits that the brand does or does not offer.38 There are many different general strategies for positioning products Attribute or benefit, quality and price, use or application, competition, high-tech and high-touch, can achieve desired positioning. Most significantly, Virgin Atlantic has positioned itself as direct competitor to British Airways on all routes. Firstly, Virgin Atlantic was extremely aggressive in obtaining slots at Heathrow International Airport. Secondly, Virgin Atlantic attacked the proposed British Airways and American Airlines partnership stating that it was unhealthy for competition. Finally, Virgin Atlantic has strived to compete with British Airways on all routes into and out of London. Virgin Atlantic attracts customers by being fun and innovative. On the aircraft passengers experience spacious setting arrangements, state of the art in-flight entertainment system, and most importantly a high level of customer service. In addition,Virgin Atlantic offers a distinctive upper class service at business class prices.Furthermore, Virgin Atlantic is installing Internet capabilities and is implementing Galileos Inside Availability (R), a high-tech inventory management system. Option one low price/low added value. likely to be segment specific. Option two low price. risk of price war and low margins/need to be a cost leader. Option three Hybrid. low cost base and reinvestment in low price and differentiation. Option four Differentiation. (a)without a price premium: perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits. (b)with a price premium: perceived added value sufficient to to bear price premium. Option five focussed differentiation. perceived added value to a particular segment warranting a premium price. Option six increased price/standard. higher margins if competitors do not value follow/risk of losing market share. Option seven increased price/low values. only feasible in a monopoly situation. Option eight low value/standard price. loss of market share. Conclusion By studying this external and industry analysis on environmental facts, it could be said that Virgin Atlantic Airways is situated in standard cycle markets wherein its competitive advantage is moderately shielded from imitation.   In general, airline industry belongs to slow cycle markets, however, due to relatively smaller capital and operations of some firms like Virgin, compa

Monday, August 19, 2019

Is Christian Conversion a Poltical Act for the American Indian? :: Essays Papers

Is Christian Conversion a Poltical Act for the American Indian? In Southeastern Alaska, Indian conversion to Pentecostalism generally removes indigenous identity from a place of value, and with this exclusion, removes a native cultural context for politically addressing behaviors that have developed within the Indian community as a result of the political economy in Southeastern Alaska. In the "larger processes of political economy and identity in the late twentieth century,† the native community is marginal and impoverished (195), and necessitates the social framework for native â€Å"collective identity projects† (5) and â€Å"symbolic representations† of nativism (7). Economy and native identity are inextricably connected, as subsistence living comes under direct threat from the economic â€Å"opportunities† foisted upon Indians and destructive behaviors, including alcohol abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and suicide, are intrinsic to the native life experience of many people. As â€Å"virtually all† Indian c onverts to radical Christianity â€Å"root their own church experience in an escape from alcohol addiction,† religious conversion influences how society redresses socioeconomic realities, and thus political realties (164). â€Å"To many marginal people,† the collective nature of salvation creates a â€Å"sociality of hope† that offers them relief from the economic realities around them. Converting to another system of hope and faith presents a â€Å"special appeal among those made marginal by the history of colonial expansion and by the continuing ebb and flow of capital penetration† (181). By advocating â€Å"a strategy of collectivity over one rooted in difference†(182), church converts reflect a desire to convert into a new economic life of â€Å"the American middle class† and escape their own economic realities (178). In the practice of Pentecostal religion, overcoming addiction through dedication to the teachings of the church means â€Å"giving up on trying to do anything about [addiction] yourself†(142), and shaking loose of an â€Å"institutional focus†¦on social or political order† that addresses non-Christian means of rehabilitation or pol itical change (178). Indian conversions to radical Christianity in Southeastern Alaska are thus not only spiritual changes, but political as well, in two significant ways. First, Pentecostal conversion is political because it transforms the collective structure of human values and accepted sociopolitical thought, principally in one’s perception of â€Å"cultural relativism†. When â€Å"the entire possibility of comparison and equivalence† between groups of people is utterly rejected, culture-group members are unjustly denied any basis for defense or justification for their differences in values and practices (154). Moreover, the political participation of church groups in society invariably â€Å"react against† any â€Å"political situation in which resource development and cultural revival† take place over issues of salvation, and in this opposition, conversion becomes a political act of social separation (173).

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Monster.Com vs JobSluth.com :: Essays Papers

Monster.Com vs JobSluth.com There is a lot of online recruitment services available that help organizations obtain qualified applicants. I have viewed many of these in the past and the two that seem to be the most user friendly are http://monster.com and http://jobsluth.com. They are large and seem to have the largest postings of jobs. They are similar but have many differences that may make deciding which one to go to very clear. I feel that monster.com is the most convenient of the two which will be evident in the information provided. There are four advantages to monster.com that I feel are the most important characteristic of this service. The first is the convenience of sending your resume through the Internet both by using monster.com resume builder but also by using a word document file. Jobsluth only allows for you to use word documents to send your resume over the Internet. I feel the search agent is the second thing that makes these convenient. The search agents are the same except for the e-mail that is sent to retrieve the data. The e-mail that Jobsluth sends out does not have a link directly to the information the search agent retrieved and monster.com does. The third area that is important is the number of employers in the area looking at applicants on the site. That data is unknown but when a search using the same criteria was done on each site for Oklahoma the job posting’s on monster.com had twice the postings than jobsluth.com. I see no disadvantages to using monster.com verses using jobsluth. As an employer there is several things to look at when choosing a site. The things I could think of are cost and availability to the site and the amount of employees that are registered at the site. The cost and availability are not available information but given that the monster.com site is more convenient and easily accessible to the potential employees and allows more people to post there resume by using a resume builder it would seem to be the best choice. The last thing to cover is the pros and cons of the virtual rà ©sumà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s. This seems to be a mute point in my opinion. The purpose of the resume is to obtain information for consideration of one person over another for a position.

Alcoholism is a Disease Essay -- essays research papers

Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the history of humanity, a disease which has caused many people to be overcome with burdens, problems, and debts. Alcoholism is a term that is widely recognized throughout the United States and the World. Alcoholism is a chronic disease, progressive and often fatal; it is a disorder and not due to other diseases or emotional problems. Many scientists have tried to define what Alcoholism is, and what this disease may be rooted from. Some people would argue that alcoholism is simply the over-consumption of alcohol, this statement is only somewhat true. An alcoholic is a person who relies on alcohol as a medium to help him or her deal with physical, emotional, or spiritual needs. To understand alcoholism, it must first be understood what this affliction is dependent on. Alcohol is a substance that is made by the fermentation of fruits, grains, or miscellaneous other organic materials. The chemical, alcohol, is a depressant and acts on every cell in the human body. Due to this, the central nervous system, along with the pleasure centers of the brain, are affected resulting in a feeling of euphoria and a sense of well being. After repeated exposure, the brain becomes dependent on this drug to unburden itself whenever it feels the compulsion. Several factors that contribute to alcoholism are the individual’s psychology, genetics, culture, and the individual’s response to physical pain. In order to understand alcoholism, we must first de...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Jet blue case study Essay

The United States airline industry includes roughly 600 companies with combined annual revenue of approximately 170 billion dollars (bts.gov). The major companies include American, Delta, and United Continental (bts.gov). There are air operations of express delivery companies such as FedEx and UPS. This industry is highly concentrated with the 10 largest companies accounting for more than 75 percent of industry revenue (bts.gov). The global airline industry generates about $500 billion annually (tbs.gov). The major international companies include Air China, Deutsche Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Japan Airlines, and British Airways (bts.gov). Discussion Questions 1. Discuss the trends in the U.S. airline industry and how these trends might impact a company’s strategy. Trends in this industry are numerous. This discussion will include the price of jet fuel, on-time performance, security, and cheaper substitutes. Oil price volatility is the leading player in airline strategy (jetblue.com). Fuel is probably the most significant element in an airline’s base cost (jetblue.com). The new fuel price average for the year 2012 is around 129.7 dollars per barrel (jetblue.com). The impact of this year’s fuel bill for the global airline industry is upwards of 32 billion dollars (jetblue.com). The causes for delays and cancellations of flights are reported monthly to The Bureau of transportation Statistics (bts.gov). On time performance has many factors; a few of these factors are air carrier delays, late arriving aircrafts, security delays, extreme weather, and equipment (bts.gov). Air carrier delays are within the airline’s control. This area includes maintenance/crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loading, fueling, and such (bts.gov). A late arriving previous flight†¦ Read Full Essay View as multi-pages

Friday, August 16, 2019

A Brief History of American Political Parties

One will be making a wrong assumption to believe that the political parties we hear and see today just sprang and start existing in a day. These parties have come a long way and definitely have where they are coming from and where they are going. In this essay, I will attempt a brief and concise of the major political parties in America. This I intend to achieve in the following paragraphs.First, the major political parties that I will focus on in my essay will be the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, not that there are no other political parties but time and space will not allow me to make an exposition into their history. Apart from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, we have other majority parties like Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party and the Green Party as majority parties.The Democratic Party has come a long way to be the oldest political party in America and is presumably the oldest in the world. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison founded the Democr atic Party in 1792 with other rivals of the then Federalist Party. The party was called Democratic-Republican Party. This was the platform that gave Thomas Jefferson the opportunity to be the Democratic President of the United States in 1800. The list of presidents the Democratic Party has produced is; Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, William J Bryan, Franklin D Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.The Republican Party is the second majority party in America. Anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers founded it in 1854. The popularity of the Republican Party rose when Abraham Lincoln was voted president to be the foremost Republican president in the America. One notable thing is the role the party played in the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The party has had the seat in the white house under the auspices of Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush. In terms of position, the Republican Party is rather socially conventional and economically to lerant.The Libertarian Party was founded in December of 1971 and is regarded as the third largest party in the United States. The party has its members in public office and is most popular of the other continuing third parties.Another third party that is worth mentioning is the Green Party that was founded in 1984. The philosophies that are linked with this political party are Green Politics, Liberalism and Progressivism. The party gained prominence during the Raphael Nadar’s campaign in 1996 and 2000.Also, it will be important to consider the Constitution Party of America, which was founded in 1992 and was regarded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party but the name of the party was altered in 1999. The party can be credited to have produced a public officer in Montana by the name Rick Jore.Reference:Greenfield, Steve (March 20, 2005) â€Å"The Decline of the Green Party.† CommonDreams.orgwww.prenhall.com/magleby

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Crash Essy

Julius M Dix Professor Gail Lighthipe Writing 106 Section 1 12 November 2013 Crash Essay Crash is the perfect analogy of how we as a human race deal with life, people and our own experiences. Physical characteristics and racial differences may be interpreted as two distinguishing traits that separate us. I think it's what keeps us apart. That leaves several abstract questions that the film Crash illustrates. What are the origins of personal prejudice? Do individuals experience stereotypes? Can people battle internal struggles within their own ethnic group?What prohibits us from vercoming these prejudices? The writers of the Crash managed to extend my viewing experience beyond the 90 minute film, thus forcing me to analyze my own prejudices and racial stereotypes towards others. I always thought that racism occurred as a result of a person's upbringing. If your parents were racist, there is a good chance that you will be a racist too. At first glance, Matt Dillon's character exhibits characteristics typical of this theory. Dillon exhibited a close bond with his father and later, we discover the roots of his racism.I naively assumed that Dillon as absorbing external cues from his father regarding his attitudes towards black people. It turns out that his father was not racist towards black people. It was Dillon who, in combination with his father's negative experiences and his own as a member of the LAPD, formed his own perceptions towards blacks. Another example of this occurred at the beginning of the film when the Persian family was attempting to purchase a gun. The clerk at the gun shop made a few blatantly racist comments about the perceptions of the customers. There were several references to the twin owers and planes.It didn't matter that the two were Persian, not Arab. A recurring theme was that post 9/1 1, all Middle Eastern people became potential terrorists. It is amazing that people have the ability to interpret bad events and cast their own prejudices on different ethnic groups to mask their feeling of anger and frustration. Perhaps stereotypes have maintained their prevalence because there are so many people that perpetuate them. It is often believed that all young black men are destined to be thugs, criminals and drug dealers. Additionally it is a common statistic hat the majority of incarcerated males are African American.As a young black man, it is difficult to break free of that stereotype. â€Å"Things will never change. † That attitude along with the perpetuation of existing stereotypes may be largely responsible for negative racial longevity. Ludacris' character was one of the most interesting to me. Here was this articulate young black man that spent his life stealing cars from white people. â€Å"Rap music is the music of the oppressor,† he said. It is often easier to blame others for your shortcomings than it is to confront them head on. On the reverse, rouble facing stereotypes can occur anywhere.They a re not simply restricted to skin-tone and neighborhoods. Racial discrimination transpires through social class as well. This creates division within the same racial groups. In the film, Cameron was portrayed as a wealthy, black, television actor. He achieved success as a nard working black man, but at what cost? Films like Crash are forcing us to look outside our own lives and fears, to realize that we're more alike than we think. Aside from the 2% genetic differences between us, we all have problems and internal struggles. That's what makes us human.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Competitive advantage in the airline industry Essay

The airline industry has grown tremendously over the last few years. In the past, there were very few airlines operating across the world. However, today there is a great development in the industry. The growth of the airline market has led to a lot of competition amongst the stakeholders. The development of an effective strategy is believed to be the only solution to overcome this competition. The success of any airline currently is dependent on the suitability of the adopted strategy. A good example is the Emirates Airline which has recorded the highest growth rate over the other airlines in the world. The growth of Emirates Airline has caught the concern of the other competitors in the airline industry. The secret behind the success is linked with the form of strategies it has employed over past few years. For example, Emirates Airline has the best marketing strategy that has led to strong brand awareness worldwide. The organization has continued to market itself by offering cheap air ticket to its customers. The use of corporate social responsibility has also been attributed to its success. The airline has been concerned with sponsorship of many sports activities and other activities which concern the society as a means of marketing itself to the potential customers. The leadership mechanism and its services to its client are very important for its success. Emirate Airline would not succeed without the right leadership. Strong managerial skill is very important for the success of any organization. This is because for an organization to make fulfill its objectives, it has to rely on its employees. If an organization can retain employees, that organization can attain competitive advantage over its rivals in the industry. The staffs at Emirate airline are very influential, therefore attracting more customers. The management is responsible for formulating policies that are going to guide the organization to achieve its mission and vision. The management is responsible for managing the human resources together with other resources of the organization to ensure optimal utilization of scarce resources. The human capital is very important for the success of any organization. Therefore, they must be treated very well and with the dignity they deserve. Resource should be utilized efficiently to avoid wastage. The leadership factor can be seen as the contributing to the success of Emirate Airline. The reason to the Emirates success has been the continuity of its management team. The top management of the company is a group of the most talented executive with a proven track record in their respective fields of expertise. Under the leadership of the current chief executive; Emirates Airline has grown from a regional to an international market, which started with leasing aircraft that operated in only three destinations. Today, Emirates is an international airline with a fleet of more than 100 aircrafts with destinations all over the world. In addition, it has the fastest, growing intercontinental carrier (Ahmed, 2012). The marketing strategy is another contributing factor to the success of this airline. For example on their website there is a picture of famous footballer Cristiano waiting to board, implying that means the airline is the best choice for celebrities. This is another way which enables the airline to gain competitive advantage. Different people are swayed differently by such advert. It is worth noting that such adverts sway people’s believes, making it possible for the airline to acquire more customers. Its competitors have been worried by the latest growth being witnessed. The marketing plan of the organization is very important for the future business of the entity. This plan is responsible for selling out the company products and services. If the strategy is effective, it will lead to an influx of more customers day by day. The marketing plan used by Emirates Airline is very comprehensive to ensure that the market is captured well. The first strategy is to analyze the working environment. The analyses would help the organization to understand the external and internal factors that influence the activities of the entity. The external factors are the factors outside the organization. Therefore, the organization does not have control over them. Internal factors, on the other hand are those factors within the organization that it can control. The location of the airline provides it with some unique feature. Emirates Airline has its operations in Dubai city. The culture of the people at that city influences the functioning of the airline. The city has a large population providing the airline with a lot of passengers and cargo services. The culture of Dubai city is open which makes it easy to connect to different parts of the world. As a marketing strategy it is important to understand the culture where the business is operating. Before the commencement of any air travel, negotiation agreement has to be signed between different countries. There are rules and regulation which govern the aviation facility and the operation of the airline. Emirate Airline enjoys unprotected market. The implementation of open sky policy has helped the airline to increase business and change into a carrier. This is one of the factors which have helped it to be much competitive over the other airlines in the airline industry. When the rules and regulation in the industry are favorable, it promotes growth and sustainability. Emirates Airline has been able to take full advantage of functioning in the international market, therefore, connection to more destinations. The economic strategy is another aspect that helps the organization to be more competitive in the market. The economic condition has a great impact in the airline industry. For instance, the growth of the Emirate Airline has taken place in Dubai, a town widely known for its economic viability. The airline has chosen a strong and powerful economy, therefore being able to compete fairly with other airlines in the industry (Saxena & Gupta, 2012). At times, it faces economic challenges which lead to a reduced number of passengers. During these times Emirates Airline has to alter its economic strategy to cope with economic crisis. Proper policy will help cut down cost to avoid wastage. A low cost strategy will help the airline to compete with other rival airline. There has been great advancement in technology, which has resulted to success in the airline industry. There is a great need to embrace technology to cut down cost and reduce time wastage. The Emirates Airline has full knowledge about technology and has invested heavily on it. This strategy has helped them improve on their service to customers. The airline understood that a proper utilization of technology would help them gain a competitive advantage over the other airline through provision of best services to the passengers (Desai et.al., 2012) The reputation of an organization plays a great role in determining its market share. For an organization to gain a competitive advantage its brand image is very important. The differentiation strategy of an organization aim at the ability of the airline to provide the best services and valuable product that is relatively rare to find in the other rival airlines. The best customer services, proper utilization of technology, creation of unique products and exceptional features are the main sources of competitive advantage for an airline. Emirates Airline has worked hard to ensure that its reputation in the market is always above the other airlines. The organization values their customers very much. It has received numerous awards for being the best in customer service. The staffs and the customers maintain a very healthy relationship, which lead to the satisfaction of their clients (Cole, 2013). The identification of a market niche is another strategy of maintaining a competitive advantage. This strategy allows an organization to concentrate on a particular part of the market. When an entity concentrates on a particular market segment, it expects maximum return from that segment, and does it best to satisfy the demands of the participants in the market. The method applied here is the low cost strategy, which means that the organization incurs the list cost while generating more revenue. If the airline concentrates on a specific market gap it will be able to minimize on the cost incurred when operations are diversified (Roy, 2012). For example, Emirates Airline has concentrated its operation airlifting of customers and cargo services. The activity has helped the Airline to concentrate on service delivery to the customers. In addition, the airline has been able to reduce fare charges, making them cheaper than those of other airlines in the industry. The lowest fare for air tra nsport has enabled the airline to win the loyalty of customers, thus strengthening its brand image. Despite high competition in the airline industry Emirates Airline has continued to maintain the lowest price for a number of years (Barbajee, 2013). For an organization to be competitive in the industry it has to formulate the competitive strategies. The development in technology, economic growth and globalization are some of the reasons why many airlines have been coming up in the recent past. When competition is increasing day by day, it becomes important for the airline to use a mix of strategies so that it can face competition. The Emirates Airline is now a known brand. For a company to remain competitive it keeps on changing its strategies in order to keep up to the competition in the airline industry (Startton, 2012). If a company has shown consistency is service delivery following factors which are known with certainty, the company can be said to have a competitive advantage. The positioning of any organization in the market is determined by its customers. The customers to the Emirates Airline are the passengers who use the airline for travelling. The customers have test for different services which are offered by the organization. The information received from the customers is very important for the company future. Proper use of the information obtained from customers can lead to improved services (Squalli, 2014). An organization which values customer information is likely to succeed in its operation. The service delivery to the clients plays a crucial role in building the reputation of the company in the industry. Emirates Airline has been awarded for being the best in customer services over the years (O’Connell, 2011). It is true that for any organization to succeed in its operation; sustainable strategies are very important. The strategy adopted should give the organization more benefits than any other organization in the same industry. The airline industry has a lot of competition all over the world. Investment in infrastructure development can help to reduce competition in a number of ways. Providing the staff with all the required facilities will increase motivation hence they will work hard towards the achievement of the organization’s goals. When the staff is motivated enough, they will be able to serve passengers well. Excellence in delivery of services has a great influence on the priorities of consumers or the passengers (Heracleous & Wirtz, 2012). Emirate Airline has gained a lot of publicity across the world. The company has been able to gain a large portion of the market because of the strategies it has formulated in the past few years. The significant size of the company has also contributed to the competitive advantage of the airline. The company has succeeded in attracting royal customers. Therefore, it has been able to earn profit for many consecutive years. The company is dominated by wealthy shareholders; hence it has gained a competitive edge over its competitors thus emerged as a model firm CITATION Joc12 l 1033 (Wirtz, 2012). From the discussion, it can be noted that for an organization to succeed in a particular industry, it is important position itself in the industry. Proper utilization of distinct qualities can make a company gain a competitive advantage over other organizations. Apart from the strategies formulated by the organization, other management strategies adopted by the organization play a great part in the development of the organization. The strategies which have been formulated and implemented by Emirates Airline have assisted the company to succeed in a competitive market and maintain the top position in the airline industry. The leadership style and the strategies which the company has adopted for many years have enabled the organization to maintain its position despite economic challenges. The adoption of corporate strategy by Emirate Airline has proved to be a solution for the company in the times of economic recession. Every market has its own challenges that affect market players. Th erefore, organizations should prepare in advance for the unforeseen challenges. This strategy is aimed to help the company to stand in every situation. The strategy Emirates Airline has adopted in the past has proved to be the biggest milestone for the organization. References Ahmed, N. (2013). Is Age 60 A Turning Point In Medical Health? Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 84(4). Banerjee, A. (2013). Emirates airlines-An exploratory study. ZENITH International Journal of Business Economics & Management Research, 3(5), 133-141. Desai, Shohab Sikandar, C. M. Siddique, and Zahi Yaseen. â€Å"Segmentation of Airline Market in the GCC Region: Profiling Business Customers Using Low Cost and Full Service Carriers.† International Conference on Technology and Business Management March. Vol. 24. 2014. BIBLIOGRAPHY Loizos Heracleous, Jochen Wirtz. (2012). Airlines: Achieving Sustainable. Warwick: University of Warwick,. Wirtz, J. (2012). Sustainable Competitive Advantage In Singapore Airlines. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 23. Source document

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The financial insecurities of commercial banks Essay

The financial insecurities of commercial banks - Essay Example A different article gives solution on how to curb the federal deposit insurance corporation losses on failed commercial banks. According to him, the FDIC losses can be reduced if the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Act of 1991 would be amended to allow FDIC authorities calculate the insured and uninsured depositors amounts for each deposited with several accounts in the same bank. The process of calculation will be done on a daily basis at the end of any banking day. This would be done by banks with at least two million deposit accounts. He suggests that within a large bank, this process will help a lot to allow insured depositors right to use their deposits within one business day of failure. Uninsured depositors are advised to share in the insolvency bank losses at the end of the blanking period. He suggests that this solution will apply to almost 37 banks as at the year 2014. The FDCI has tried to make the prompt corrective action initiative more determinable to secure the F DCI losses on the failing banks. The FDIC has used the test known as â€Å"least cost resolution† to protect uninsured depositors against any loss from their deposit accounts even in the failing banks. This article suggests that the entire franchise bank deposit insurance and the uninsured deposits be sold to one or more banks if this test would be successful to protect the uninsured depositors. This test aims at reducing the FDIC loss in a failed bank, by completely protecting the uninsured depositors against any financial loss.

Predictiveness and the Level of Processing Research Paper

Predictiveness and the Level of Processing - Research Paper Example Once when the results are arrived at, there will be a clear difference in regard to response towards the predictive words of the people who participate in the experiment. Since this paper is all about Predictiveness, it is very important to know what the word predictive exactly means, according to the dictionary the word means foretelling or foreboding, to simply the same it is the ability to know something which has not happened, to be very precise it means to be able to know and forecast about something which has not happened previously. Our memory plays a key role in this process because human beings carry out many processes depending on their memory. According to Craik, "the longevity of the memory and its qualitative nature is purely dependent on the depth of processing." Memory does many processes and one of the most important processes is of remembering and it has some vital subdivisions such as attention, encoding, rehearsal and retrieval. It is believed that the durability of the memory depends on the functions of the depth of processing. Going by this statement it is believed that the deeper the functions of various processes which go on in human mind, sharper the memory. According to Koriat, Ben-Zur, &Sheffer, "older adults suffer from many problems related to their memory, some of the common problems are that they tend to forget names very easily because of the unfamiliar words which make up the names of the people, another problem is supposed to be that they fail to link information or in other words connect a sequence of events because of their memory." This paper will conduct research to prove that when people come across predictive words it becomes easier for them to anticipate and get the predictive words right, the performance of the memory in relation to the predictive words will be highlighted in the paper. The relation between Predictiveness and the level of processing will be arrived at the end of the paper. Method The whole concept can be better understood by conducting an experiment; the experiment involves 132 students of which 82 are females with a mean age of 19.8. The experiment conducted required the students to watch a power point presentation, which consisted of 40 sentences of which 20 sentences were predictive and the rest 20 were non-predictive. The series of the sentences was in random order to have better results from the experiment. The experiment showed the students the 40 sentences and the arrangement was such that the final word of the sentences was not shown to the students and they were asked to think about the final word. After sometime the sentences were shown with the final word and each sentence stayed on the screen for 2 seconds, which is a very short duration. Some examples of predictive sentences shown to the students are, she put the new picture into a frame, when the music started he asked her to dance and some of the examples of non- predictive sentences shown to t he students are, she went down town to see the new frame, she developed a severe headache at the dance. To get the results right, the predictive and t