Physical Environment in Early Civilizaitons Essay

Although Mesopotamia , Egypt, and The Indus Valley share a lot of physical environments in the development of early civilization, there are minor differences in cultural, agricultural, and social structures. Different civilization are depended on their traits; For example, certain agricultural, political, environmental, and social; Filled with sophisticated monuments, certain trade routes, and how early humans survive. First, Every civilization is different. Relating to document 1 (Excerpt from the story of Gilgamesh) the civilizations are depended on the traits like cities as administrator , a political system based on defined territory rather than kinship. Many people engaged in specialized, non-food-production activities, states distinctions baed largely on accumulation of wealth, monumental buildings, a system for keeping permanent records, long-distance trade, and finally sophisticated interest in science and art. The physical environment that connects to the development of early civilization is the monument building, and mostly trades, every civilization has an origin. For Gilgamesh – in Mesopotamia , there was very slow development of farming, but the trades did not end just because the development of product is slow , Gilgamesh trade are mostly to Egypt through the Nile River, trades makes the civilization powerful and forms an organized culture . According to document 3 (Reed Huts in the Marshes of Southern Iraq .photo. p.15) – it is showing the river banks and swampy lands at the head of the Persian Gulf, it was used for antiquity , mostly when trades happen floods arise people constantly creating new technology to prevent it. Based on the article in document 4 (Violence and Order in the Babylonian New Year’s Festival on page 20), every human development celebrates their largest and most important festival is that of the New Year, which falls in the Babylonian month of Nisan and coincides with the Spring Equinox. This was essentially a celebration of revival, the promise of fertility in the renewed cycles of the seasons. Even though it is a celebration. In this festival violence gets involved, in the early days during the festival , after relating the origins of the gods from mating . It is a myth that tells us how Tiamat gathered an army of old gods and monsters to destroy the younger generation of gods. Every civilization has its own language and the way it communicates . As seen in document 5 (Mesopotamian Cylinder Seal p.22) It is a picture of the Mesopotamian Cylinder seal, it is often used for legal documents or the identity of an individual , it is made out of wet clay. This particular seal symbolizes to those who attributes fertility and war, they are indicated by the date cluster in the hand, also an knife, it is cutting away out of the mountain and sunrising. As all of these information said above we can tell that civilizations can be economic ,agricultural and so on an so fourth. Second, The Indus Valley and the physical environment in the development of early civilizations of Indus Valley. In document 2( River -Valley civilization, 3500-1500 B.C.E p.13). It is a picture of Indus Valley map , including the river which can be used as trade routes. It shows that it was very convoluted . There is numerous parts where it is indicated green -as in the Extent of trading contacts. In bonding relevance to the document 7( Mud-brick Fortification wall of the citadel at Harappa photo.32). It is built upon a very elevated high-rise and massive amount of man-hours of labor; the fortification wall, it is for massive radical climate changes, also tolerant of dry conditions, the stabilization of sand dunes; Sometimes heavy rainfall comes once in a while. It is made for the changes of the landscape caused by shifts and courses of rivers. The Indus Valley cities were abandoned sometime after 1900 B.C.E. Civilizations like Indus valley isn’t so proficiently. They suffered something called â€Å"System Failure† -A breakdown of interrelationship of political, social and environment. Today, in recent study brings to the end that today, the Indus Valley is played important role in the life and decay of the Indus civilization. Egypt, it became a country when small villages and groups began forming along the Nile, then between 3900 and 3100BCE. Two particular villages that grew into power, were Upper and Lower Egypt. For example showing a map of Egypt. It is the great Egypt map(document 6: Map 1.4 Ancient Egypt) – indicating the well known Nile River, flowing south to north . This is a great physical development for the Egyptian, since in the view of the fact that the Nile River is such an extraordinary advantage ; Everything depended on the river in ancient times as it still does today to a large extent. It is simply Egypt’s lifeblood. Even with all the modern progress attributed to today. All inclusive, the physical environment of the three civilizations was similar but differ at some point . One country’s civilization can cause good or evil economically , socially, environmentally, or physically. It can change big about the country and that in this world every country has a civilization, but some might be in form of developing unhurried, downtempo, but some might be rapid, however it will all in due course lead to a human development.

Our School Exhibition

Our school held a very interesting exhibition of students' art and craft work last year. Itwas surprising to see the various pieces of handwork of such high standards. Theseexhibits were attractive and colourful for they had been prepared and designed well bythe students with guidance from the Art teachers. The students were obviouslyenthusiastic about their work; for each item was rendered carefully and lovingly withoutthe slightest trace of sloppinessThere were many sections to interest parents and friends who came to see the work of their children. The painting of nature, Malaysian scenes, flowers and fruits was of anexceptionally high standard. Other items such as puppets, dolls and articles of embroidery  were admired, too.In the geography section, there were clay models of physical features like hills, mountains and plateaus set in a natural environment of greenlandscape with rivers meandering  through the land.Some articles like flowers made from silk were for sale and lad ies readily bought theseitems. Our school exhibition was appreciated by all. Cameron Highlands – a Malaysian Hill ResortAfter living in the busy city of Kuala Lumpur with its noise and bustling traffic, it is a pleasure to go up to Cameron Highlands, a cool mountain resort, for relaxation.Enroute  you will enjoy the scenic countryside as you drive up hilly roads amidst jungletrees, waterfalls and small villages. Then, you feast your eyes each time you pass a flower nursery or a vegetable farm. The cool, crisp air at Tanah Rata makes you feel invigorated.At the same time, you are able to admire the quaint-looking English-style cottages alongthe way. Roses creeping up and clinging to the walls of the cottages remind you of England and the scenery is enchanting  if you happen to be a nature-lover. Usually, avisitor gets quite hungry as he  goes up the highlands and he is able to enjoy the piping hotmeals served in the restaurants.As the sun goes down, temperature drops and it becomes quite chilly. You can then sit bythe fireside with your favourite story book and laze around in a sweater or a jacket as it isquite a contrast to the warm and sunny weather on the plains in your hometown.A visit to the famous Boh Tea plantation is interesting and worthwhile for have you ever wondered how you get you cup of tea? It comes mainly from the tea plantations onCameron Highlands. Jungle walks are also a good way of spending your time while youare there. Cameron is indeed an ideal holiday resort.

If you could change one thing about your childhood, what would it be and why?

There are many things that I wish I could change about my childhood but one thing in particular stands out when I recall some of my childhood memories. The one thing I would change is not to become a mother at the age of fifteen.Although, at such a young age I thought I was ready for the responsibility, I quickly found out that I in fact was not. What I didn’t bank on was the hard work it would take to be a parent when I was only a child myself. I did not take into consideration that I was too young to gain employment and all the things I had to give up.Most teenage girls believe that the guy will stick with you and help take care of the child but they don’t realize that the guy is too immature and not ready to settle down and give up â€Å"hanging time† with his buddies. The girl is usually left to handle the situation; along with her parents alone and broke. In some cases, the parents refuse to help out, so the girl is left to deal with the situation alone. I w as forced to quit school and stay home to care for the baby, thus, leaving me lonely, broke, and without a high school diploma.I had to put my dreams on hold and focus on raising a child. I didn’t even get to attend prom or hang out with my friends, because I was always broke and had no babysitter. On rare occasions my parents would babysit and I would get to have fun but not like the father of the child did. He was free to hang out with his friends every weekend, go to prom, and graduate high school. I felt this was unfair and eventually ended up resenting him for it and I resented myself for allowing him to put me in this position.However, I realized it wasn’t only his fault and I could have made better choices. Being a teenage mother was very hard but also rewarding. I was the one who got to witness all of my sons’ firsts and I was the one who he learned to depend on and trust. Along the way, I learned  some valuable lessons and made many mistakes but I bec ame very mature in the ways of the world and life may have handed me some apple but I was the one who chose to make applesauce instead of letting the apples ruin.

Music Comparison Matrix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Music Comparison Matrix - Assignment Example The time signature is 2/4 There are several accents and the piece is heavily syncopated. 1. Sound was produced by many instruments: Saxophone, piano, drums and bass. The intensity varies, usually dependent on the saxophone and trumpet. Range is not very wide, except for the trumpet. Tone color is rich, but dark because of the use of low notes. It is cool too. The duration is 5:28. Intensity varies throughout the piece, usually gets softer at when it is time to introduce another instrument. 2. The song is very rhythmic. The rhythm is steadily provided by the piano, which is different since most pieces usually depend on drums for rhythm. The drums became the main instrument in this piece starting at the 2 minute mark. The time signature for this piece is 5/4, which has 90 beats per minute. The measure has five beats and the quarter note represents one beat. 3. The melody is very catchy. The melody is vary obvious at the start of the piece and it maintains it throughout the piece. It is not dynamic. The range is narrow for the piano and drums. For the trumpet and saxophone, the range is quite wide. The chords flow smoothly, it is consonant. The song is heavily sequenced. The theme is evident throughout the whole song. The elements of music provide various facets of the sonata to the listener. It is Allegretto, and it’s upbeat tempo gave the classical music a bit of a difference because it is martial, which is uncommon for sonatas. Even if it is not as dynamic because the range is not as wide, it is still quite exciting because of the staccatos which provide exciting surprises. The arpeggios also accomplish the same function. And even though there are dissonances, it gets resolved by consonances. The major difference of this musical piece is the time signature. It is rare for musicians to adhere to the 5/4 time signature. Even if it has a lot of notes per

A Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Report - Essay Example The eight chain model precisely exemplifies the supportive nature of system distortion at the same time calling for only two material constraints, an original modulus and restrictive chain extensibility. Due to the fact that these two constraints are mechanistically connected to the physical science of molecular network placement concerned with the distortion of rubber, the suggested model characterizes an unassuming and precise constitutive model of rubber distortion. The document also suggests that the network extension in this system model decreases to a figure that is the mean square root of the primary functional stretches due to efficiently sampling eight placements of primary stretch space. The outcomes of the suggested eight chain model and also those of a number of the noticeable models are likened to investigational data of Treloar exemplifying the dominance, straightforwardness and prognostic capability of the suggested model. Furthermore, a fresh set of tests and trials which bring out the state of distortion reliance of rubber is outlined and done on three materials made of rubber. This eight chain model is set up to model and forecast precisely the performance of the three tested rubber materials additionally approving its dominance and usefulness over previous reproductions. Ellen M. Arruda, Mary C. Boyce. A three-dimensional constitutive model for the large stretch behavior of rubber elastic materials. The Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, U.S.A.August 2002.

George Washington as a Military Leader Assignment

George Washington as a Military Leader - Assignment Example Nevertheless, his connections to the family of William Fairfax, wherein his half brother Lawrence had married, led him to be personally selected to lead a regiment of soldiers in what is now termed the French and Indian War1. Having first been appointed as surveyor of land for Culpepper County, his brother’s investment and involvement in the Ohio Company, Washington came to the attention of the newly appointed lieutenant-general of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie. Washington’s brother Lawrence was also commander of the Virginia militia. The French and British were both laying claim to Ohio County, and in 1783 Dinwiddle sent Washington, now a Major, to deliver a letter to the French informing them of British interests and asking them to leave. This he did, and in the process also made friends with the Indian Chief ‘Half King’ Tanacharison. Together they planned to overthrow the French. In fact, Washington tried to ambush the French despite being inexperienced and outnumbered- he was only 17 at the time. However one of the French commanders Jumonville was killed by Tanacharison or one of his tribe in this attack, and the French lost no time in blaming Washington and capturing him and his party of followers. However, he was later allowed to go with his troops back to Virginia. Historians contend that this nevertheless showed Washington’s bravery, impetuousness, and initiative. The final impact of this episode was that it fueled tensions between both the French and British military powers and led to the Seven Years War (1754-1758). In 1755 Washington was appointed senior aide to the British General Braddock on the expedition to reclaim Ohio county and other territories. However, they were ambushed by the French and some Indian allies and had to retreat. Washington on this occasion had to assume overall command after Braddock was mortally wounded at the Battle of Monongahela, and dutifully led an orderly retreat. His exemplary command ev en in the face of defeat led Governor Dinwiddle to promote Washington to the rank of Colonel in the Virginia regiment and Commander of all forces raised by the British in defense of the colonies. Washington was thus given command of the first full-time American regiment of regular servicemen of 1000 troops. He was given the responsibility to defend Virginia against all opposing forces- and to act aggressively or defensively as he thought best. Washington was a strict disciplinarian and a tough commander- he led aggressive campaigns against the Indians that resulted in a loss of a third of his men in 20 battles waged in just 10 months. Nevertheless, his campaigns meant that Virginia could relax in relative comfort compared to the other counties. Historians unanimously agree that this was among Washington’s most unqualified successes2.  

Bronze Mirrors of Ancient Chinese Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bronze Mirrors of Ancient Chinese Art - Essay Example In the beginning, bronze mirrors had a very low and rough quality. However, during the Warring States, Western and Eastern Han dynasties, these mirrors qualities had improved considerably. Like its glass counterpart, the bronze mirror is smoothly polished on one side to reflect the image of its user. The other side is decorated with inscriptions and adorned with carvings, thus turning it into a valuable art object. During the time of the Warring States, the mirror had a ring of decorations such as animal masks, dragons or flowers. When the Western Han phase begun the mirror became thicker with supernatural beings and geometric patterns. Apart from pictures, the mirrors were also beginning to contain inscribed words which stated emotions like "keep me in mind, forget me not." By the 10th century this mirror's shape began to change. It could be round or oblong and also be with or without handles. Bronze mirrors were found in the tombs of individuals living in Ancient China. These mirrors were said to represent love for the Chinese living in those times. As a love token, these mirrors were buried in tombs to ensure that the love was carried on in the afterworld. The belief held by the people of Ancient China meant that there a life in the hereafter. The soul was believed to live on after death. However, the trip to the afterlife meant that the dead would have to drink a potion. This potion was responsible for making them forget the memories of their lifetime. Couples who wished to remain together were buried with a half of the mirror. When they entered the afterworld, they would meet and match their mirrors. This allowed them to live their lives together. Thus, the bronze mirror was a symbol of love which allowed devoted couples to remain together during their lifetime and the love to prevail in the hereafter. The bronze mirror has been found in tombs and graves of many of those belonging to the Ancient Chinese civilization. This is because the mirror did not symbolize love alone. Some mirrors have been placed on top of burial chambers or at the four corners of a coffin. With placing like this it is evident that the mirror is sought to provide protection to those under it. The mirror was viewed as a spiritual entity. It was thought to assume a power that could ward of danger. Thus, by placing it on gravesites and tombs, those living in Ancient China hoped to discard and remove evil spirits that might threaten or endanger their paths. Another feature of the mirror was its ability to differentiate the corrupt from the honest. This was especially so because of the number of officials who worked in the Imperial courts in Ancient China. These individuals would be dishonest and create a deterrent for the ruling King to be successful. An Ancient Chinese myth claimed that the mirror could show the true divinity of the soul. While it was not helpful in removing the fraudulent officials of court, it was still held with the greatest regard by the people of the time. Thus, the mirror was also viewed as an object that did not merely reflect the physical image of its looker but also the spiritual essence of his soul. It was responsible for showing not only the faults of the gazer but also the knowledge he possessed. The mirror was felt to see the individual in their entirety. Bronze mirrors are found in various museums today and are a valued item

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish Essay

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish immigrants in the UK - Essay Example icted to ability to speak fluent English, socio-cultural factor, psychological factor, level of education, relationship with the host nationals and the relationship with co-nationals. The results computed show the high value for mean, sample standard deviation and deviation: this support the observations that Polish immigrants are always prepare for their sojourn in Britain by learning English before leaving their homeland—which helps them assimilate easily to the host environment. The idea of people moving from their natural places of abode to reside in a strange land has been practiced from centuries to centuries. People move from one region to another for different reasons: they could be running away from political persecutions; they may be in search of a better place for economic reason; people also live in a strange land for health and recreational purposes (Van Naerssen et al., 2008). Globalization has also contributed to the increasing number of migration (emigration and immigration) that we are witnessing in recent decades (Watts, 2002). Globalization has broken the geographical barriers and encouraged people from different countries to move to any place they feel their economic, health and social needs would be met (Trachtman, 2009: Taran et al., 2009). One of the aims of European Union block is to facilitate the movement of Europeans from one country to another. These past decades had witnessed an influx of Europeans from a developing European country to a developed one (Taran et al., 2009). Most migrants are emerging from the Central and Eastern Europe and flocking to countries like Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy (Morokvasic, 1984). This migration has produced significant impacts in both countries of origins and destinations. While the immigrants who are lucky to secure gainful employment in their countries of destinations could achieve their economic purpose of moving there, the countries also benefit from the surge in the labor force

Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Decision Making - Essay Example It discusses the key decisions and information needs. Next, it highlights the importance of the marketing department and other employees of the organization. As the report continues, it provides a market research plan for Grand Days Out plc which can be used to attract older population. At the end, it discusses the importance of understanding consumer buying behaviour and the consumer decision-making process. There are many matters that a business needs to concentrate on. However, some of the matters need more attention than others. Critical Success Factors are those important areas of activity that need to be performed well with full attention in order for a business to achieve its goals. (MindTools) The goal of our company, as you all know, is to increase our market share and compete with the strong competition out there. However, we are not at a stage where we can put a lot at risk. There are many Critical Success Factors that you all might think are critical for the company, however, according to me, the three critical success factors are firstly, attracting the grey euro, increasing company morale and retaining current customer. The following diagrams summarize the three Critical Success Factors, the key decisions and their information needs briefly. The first Critical Success Factor is attracting the futur... customers have always been the younger market, in order to attract the older population, our marketing department will have to change the way our potential customers see our services. Therefore, our key decision is to change our marketing mix so that newer markets (grey euro) can be attracted. In order to change our marketing mix, we will have to carry out a market research and study our target market thoroughly so that we can design our advertisement campaign and our services accordingly. Our information requirements are therefore sources of information on these people, their requirements and how we fulfill them. We can use primary and secondary research to collect this data. Secondary research can be used to find out older population's statistic. Primary research can be used to find out their requirement. This could include carrying out focus groups, one-to-one interviews and surveys with randomly selected respondents between the ages of 50-60. This research will help us figure out the niche in the market and what our target customers want from our services. Our second Critical Success Factor is increasing the morale of the company employees. This is absolutely necessary in order to increase productivity and hence, efficiency. For this, our key decisions will be to invest in training and development of skills of our present employees and also provide the staff with benefits. However, it is not as simple as this. We need to carry out research to find out what areas our staff needs training programs for and what motivates them. Some employees can be motivated by monetary while the others can be motivated by non monetary benefits. By carrying out this research, we can find out exactly what will increase our staff's morale. Interviews, observation and surveys can be

School Self-Defense Opinion Paper Essay Example for Free

School Self-Defense Opinion Paper Essay I know that no two schools are the same. The rules may be similar, but they are not equal. However I believe that there should be one rule that should always be that same in all schools. The self-defense rule means that if a student or bully attacks another student or if that bully is harassing the victim, the victim can defend themselves without fear of suspension or expulsion. Most schools have the no tolerance rule, but that in my opinion harms students than helps. With the no tolerance in place a student can not protect himself or herself when being pursued by a bully. the bully can lie his way out of it. When the student is hit by a bully, he cat fight back and defend himself without fear of suspension or expulsion. The self defense rule is a much better choice, because the student can protect him or herself, the students can solve their own problems, and in the future they are better prepared for the real world. With the self defense rule in Grundy Center, students will be able to solve their own problems through a little fght. Back in the day when the staff was in school they did not have the no tolerance rule, and they turned out just fine. What would generally playout is that the bully would pick on the kid and hen the kid would probably get mad and retaliate. after a short fght the teachers would break up the fight and that would be the end of it. My dad told me ofa time when he was in school he was watching this bully pick on a kid and the kid got mad and punched the bully in the nose and broke it. The bully did not mess with the kid after that and the bully got suspended and the kid basically became a hero. Another example is that at my old school an ex-friend of mine was mad at me for something, so he decided to come up to me and punch me in the back of the head, in n instant from Just retaliating from a mysterious hit to the head I swing and hit him in the face and give him a black eye. Well as it turned out he got suspended for a week and I was not punished. After that me and the ex friend got along a little better but not close friends again. Also, me and a teammate got into a fght after school one day well, we did not get into trouble but it did help with the problem we had. Since that fght we have gotten along a lot more and we did not fght again. So in conclusion the self-defense rule can help the students a lot more than the no tolerance rule would. It will help the students learn to solve their own problems and take care of themselves without adult intervention. It also helps the students prepare for the world when they leave, if a student goes into the world believing that they should never ever get into a fght then when they get attacked in an alley or get into a situation that would require self-defense, they might Just get into a fetal position and hope they dont get killed. On the other hand if a student fights back when needed and they protect themself they have a greater chance of not getting hurt. School Self-Defense Opinion Paper By applegated96

Importance of Value Management

Importance of Value Management The report aims at making the clients aware of the importance of a Value Management (VM) study in their project. It describes the process of the study step by step, the benefits of conducting the study at an early stage and relating the study to specific project issues. It gives a brief understanding of how the VM study works at different stages and a typical agenda provides a brief review of the same. Tools and techniques used in the study are also explained. Finally a short introduction to Value Engineering and the importance of its study at the appropriate time in the Project life cycle will be discussed. 1. Introduction The (Public Private Partnership) project is to be assessed through the value management study. As the project brief indicates a mixed use recreation and commercial centre, a gym, swimming pool, park, health spa, squash court, jogging and cycling tracks with features as leisure facilities and for commercial centre would include retail outlets, health clinics, cafes, offices to let, pharmacies and theatres. Benefits of such a PPP project are it reduces costs, transfer risks to the private partner, shortens the construction period, and has access to skills, experience and technology of the private sector. This project is to cater for the expatriate and local communities living in the suburbs who do not have assess to any leisure facilities. With this project people, especially children will be able to spend time outdoors and use other facilities rather than stay indoors watching television. It also allows people to use various health facilities and do their shopping in their locality i tself. Value management is a study that helps maximize the functional value of the project under study by managing its development right from the concept to its completion by accessing its value system. In a PPP project as there are two parties the government and the private sector there are varying value systems. The public sectors aim is to regulate, deliver services to people and achieve value for money; while the private sectors goal is profit. 2. Value Management Study Value Management (VM) studies are typically initiated for a number of reasons such as cost overrun of the project, communication problems, clients not satisfied with their approach to project management and finally clients who understand and believe that a VM study helps improving the value of the project. The benefits of VM exercise are the maximum when implemented at the start of the project, particularly if its applied during conceptual development and initial design stages. Some of the benefits may be improving project schedule, improving technical specifications, generating alternative ideas; identifying unnecessary expenditure; optimizing resources; eliminating redundant features and appreciation of whole of life cycle costs. The VM study can address specific issues of this PPP project such as a better Value for Money, obtaining provisions for better quality services, quicker delivery of the project and finally better utilization of the assets being put inot the project. 2.1 Orientation Phase The VM study can broadly be divided into three stages namely orientation phase, workshop phase and the implementation phase. During the orientation phase tasks such as coordination of works, gathering of data such as plan layouts, site conditions, project constraints, operational requirements. Also tasks such as scheduling VM study location, preparing the agenda and selecting the study team are done. If large team is selected, subdivide the members to form teams so that specific matters covered in detail. Selection of the team is done by the ACID test. Authorize include those who have authority to take decisions during the workshop. Consult include those without whose consultation the workshop may be suspended. Inform exclude those who have to be merely informed about the outcome of the workshop. Do include those who have to translate the outcome of the workshop into action. The study team comprises of the following: 1 certified value specialist 1 consultant project manager 1 contractors representative 1 quantity surveyor 1 architect with mixed use recreation centre experience 1 structural engineer 1 building service engineer 1 school teacher 1 health counselor It is advised to use a combination of members from the design team and outside in order to assure free thinking and unbiased recommendations. The value specialist will preside over the entire workshop to see that the study is carried out smoothly and as per the agenda. The consultant project manager and the contractors representative represent the client and the contractor, informs each of their value systems to the remaining members of the study team. The quantity surveyor advises about the quantities of items that would be required, while the architect would provide his opinion on what would be the perfect design for the project. The structural engineer looks into the requirement of the elemental units of the structure such as columns and beams so that the structure is stable whereas the building service engineer analyses the services that will be installed once the structure is ready. Besides professional a school teacher and health counselor are appointed into the team so that th ey can provide their perspective representing the local community. AGENDA TIME ACTIVITY Day 1 Pre workshop 16.00 Introduction Purpose of the VM workshop and its benefits 17.00 Gathering information such as project constraints, functional requirements, plan layouts and site conditions 19.00 Familiarizing the team with the agenda (job plan) 20.00 Dinner and getting to know members of the study team Day 2 Workshop phase 09.00 Introduction phase Quick review of collected information 09.30 Issues Analysis 10.45 Snacks break 11.00 Clients value system Identifying main values of the client 12.00 Preparing a strategic timeline for the project Stakeholder mapping 12.30 Familiarizing the study team with Function Analysis and FAST 13.00 Lunch break 14.00 Function Analysis 14.30 Sorting of functions needs and wants 15.00 FAST diagramming 17.00 Tea break 17.30 Review the FAST diagram 18..00 End of DAY 2 Day 3 Workshop phase 09.00 Creativity phase Brainstorming 11.00 Snacks break 11.20 Listing of ideas generated 12.00 Evaluation phase Crude filtering by weighted voting to reduce number of ideas Refined filtering green dots to select 8 ideas red dots to select 4 ideas. 13.30 Lunch break 14.30 Development phase Development of ideas selected in evaluation phase 15.30 Detailed analysis of TCQ time, cost, quality Life cycle costing 16.30 Tea break 16.50 Implementation of ideas and follow up plan 18.00 End of DAY 3 Day 4 Workshop phase 09.00 Reviewing the development of ideas 09.30 Action plan 10.00 Presenting importance of Value Engineering and its benefits 11.00 Presentation Recommendations to Management 11.30 Snacks and Goodbye 2.2 Workshop Phase The workshop commences by analyzing project understanding how client plans to own, generate and maintain the project and followed by issues analysis. Client Value system is then identified by considering values which are important to the client and performing paired comparison between the values as shown below. This helps identify which are the key values of the client. Stakeholder mapping (power to influence vs. interest) and Strategic Timeline are other tasks to be carried out. One of the main steps of the VM process is function analysis. Through function analysis project components are analyzed and compared to be able to achieve project objectives. The primary function and secondary functions are also identified. The primary function is essential for the achievement of stated objectives, whereas the secondary functions aid in providing the projects wants. Using FAST diagramming the functions of the system are identified. First functions are generated through brainstorming and then sorted such that the needs are at the topmost left and wants bottommost right. The functions are placed in such a way that we move to a lower level asking how? and move to a higher level asking why? Function analysis helps generate ideas that eventually result in recommendations.   The second phase of the workshop is Creativity phase. It is done by considering a function and contributing suggestions that answer the function through a list of creative ideas as well as identifying risks involved with them.  The team generates as many ideas as possible to provide the functions at a lower cost.  Judgment of the ideas is not permitted.  Most of the ideas are a result of the exercise done in the function analysis phase.  Ã‚  The next phase (evaluation) of the workshop involves screening ideas to more manageable numbers. The ideas and risks evaluated are graded on the basis of potential savings, time required to redesign and client acceptability. They are then ranked and the highest are selected by the team to be further reviewed by the members of the design team. During the development phase the ideas are converted into workable solutions after examining their technical feasibility and economic viability.  The risks that are assessed and weighted are also considered. They are entered into a risk register. The recommendations are prepared with a short brief to compare the original design with the suggested changes. At the end of the workshop a presentation is held to give recommendations and suggestions to the management. 2.3 Implementation Phase The implementation phase of the VM study includes submitting to the clients and the design team, the VM report containing recommendations developed during the workshop.  Ã‚  The design team may incorporate the recommendations suggested into their project design or reject them.  Along with the VM report a summary of the cost savings and redesign costs are also included.  The report may include KPI Key performance indicators, schedule of activities and a Risk register. 3. Value Engineering Value Engineering (VE) is the process of identifying and eliminating unnecessary cost during design and construction. VE studies should ideally be conducted at 35% design schematic design stage. While the early stages of design provide the most opportunities for affecting the value elements, it is advisable to consider VE at all stages of the project. Project constraints should be outlined prior to the VE, as it will help avoid making recommendations that are contrary to the clients design. The elements that are typically of interest during the VE study are (1) the basic structural elements positioning of columns and beams, optimizing loading effect on the foundation. (2) The architectural design, (3) Positioning of electrical and mechanical components such as lifts, escalators, HVAC systems,(4) the use of technology etc. The study team for the VE workshop may comprise of: 1 certified value specialist 1 project engineer 1 structural engineer 1 building service engineer 1 electrical engineer 1 mechanical engineer 1 quantity surveyor VE facilitator with a specific expertise in aspects of VE will lead the workshop in order to structure the process and to better the effectiveness of the program. The team members are selected depending on the subject to be evaluated, the structural engineer would look into the requirement of the elemental units of the structure such as columns and beams so that the structure is stable whereas the building service engineer analyses the services that will be installed once the structure is ready. The electrical and mechanical engineers analyze the installations of electrical equipment and machinery such as lifts, HVAC etc. The Project Engineer shall take part whenever design aspects of the project are reviewed. Supporting disciplines like quantity surveyor is involved to assess the quantities. The VE workshop provides improvement of value through the following: The current project design is assessed with the functions, checked for technical, cost optimization. Alternative ideas are evaluated to identify benefits and risks of changes to the alternative design. Key aspects of the design are evaluated so as to achieve Value for money; Effectiveness of each option is evaluated, in terms of : Cost to function ratio; Life cycle costing; OPEX vs. CAPEX balance; Analyzing buildability and overall performance of the project.

Lady Chatterleys Lover by D. H. Lawrence | Book Report

Lady Chatterleys Lover by D. H. Lawrence | Book Report The novel Lady Chatterleys Lover begins by introducing the female protagonist, Constance Chatterley. She was brought up as a bohemian of the upper-middle class, and at 23, she marries Clifford Chatterley, an aristocrat. After their honeymoon, he is sent to war, and returns paralysed from the waist down, impotent. Clifford grows to be an accomplished writer, and many academic men frequently gather at the Chatterleys mansion. The intellectuals turn out to be vacant and seem scared of true feelings, and Connie feels increasingly secluded. She resorts to a short and disappointing affair a writer who comes to visit Clifford. The distance between Connie and Clifford increases as Clifford withdraws into his hollow pursuit of writing and coal-mining. Connie hires a nurse, Mrs. Bolton, to take care of the disabled Clifford so that she can gain freedom, and Clifford begins to depend on the nurse; his maturity waning into an infantile dependence. Connie meets Oliver Mellors, the aloof and contemptuous gamekeeper on Cliffords estate and is attracted to his natural sensuality. She soon discovers that the source of her misery is from not being fulfilled in physical love and passion, and subsequently turns to Mellors. They meet and have sex on several occasions and she has a sexual awakening that changes her thoughts forever. Mellors old wife, Bertha returns and causes a scandal, whilst Connie believes that she is pregnant with Mellors child. Clifford refuses to give Connie a divorce. The novel ends with Mellors waiting for his divorce, and Connie living with her sister, hoping that they will be together. Lady Chatterleys Lover lies in a paradox: it is progressive and intransigent, contemporary and Victorian. It displays Victorian principles, yet it gives the impression that it is expecting the social ethics of the late 20th century in its blunt use of overt profanity. The structure is conservative, following the characters over a set period of time. The characters have a tendency to symbolize a type and be something of a concept, rather than developing authentic traits. This seems to say that Lawrence uses them as allegories to demonstrate his values of sensuality and his irritation with society. The themes of sexual identities and sexual progression are quite common in this novel and each character embodies these ideas. Connie is a woman who grew up to appreciate the sensual and passionate side of a relationship. Her father, Sir Malcolm, told her that it is no good living in an intellectual relationship without sensuality, just as Connie has with Clifford. Her father is in touch with both his imaginative and corporeal sides; Lawrence connects conservative with nonconforming sexual customs. This mix could well be argued as Lawrences ideal, as well as Connies. She is a woman who idealises the thought of cohesion between the body and mind, and cannot live a life with ‘all mind. At first she wants intellectual love, then she wants sexual fulfilment, then she wants a child to love and nurture. Constance (ironically named) is always changing her mind on what it is that will complete and satisfy her in life. I think this is a good example of sexual progression as she only cha nges her mind after learning what more she could gain from a relationship to make her feel like a woman. We learn about the vicious relationship between Mellors and his wife Bertha, who angered him by being sexually aggressive and not tender enough. Through Berthas ‘fault (according to Mellors negative opinion of this), Lawrence seems to be praising submissiveness in women; he appreciates women who allow themselves to be receptors to masculine authority. In essence, satisfaction for a woman is achieved through succumbing to the male. Berthas sexually controlling characteristic hints at feminism she wants to take control of her own pleasure and be sexual when and how she wants. She might have been portrayed differently if the book had been written today. In spite of all of this, his approach to the conventions of sex and the roles of men and women hardly seem progressive. Tommy Dukes, a visiting writer, says that the physical and intellectual cant work together and that men and women have lost their glamour to each other. He seems to be a character that Lawrence believes has the right ideals, recognising the significance of physical love as a fundamental way for men and women to connect intellectually. ‘Real knowledge comes out of the whole corpus of the consciousness; out of your belly and your penis as much as out of your brain and mind. The mind can only analyse and rationalise.'[1] Despite this, he is indifferent about everything he preaches. His theories are pointless without substance and action, and it is as though he does not really believe what he says without practise. He has an inability to go beyond words and seems sexually frigid. It is at the beginning of chapter 6 that it is almost impossible to take Dukes thoughts and emotions as his own. His words overlap heavily with the message of the story: passion is unable to coexist with an intellectual connection. ‘A woman wants you to like her and talk to her, and at the same time love her and desire her; and it seems to me the two things are mutually exclusive.'[2] There is an obvious distinction between Tommy Dukes, with his well-intended but worthless talk on love, and the gamekeeper Mellors, behind whose cold disguise there is an overflow of tenderness and passion. They are polar opposites that reveal different sexual identities Connie faces. Clifford Chatterley is a man who is disconnected from his environment and from other people. He cannot empathise with the workers in his coal mines, seeing them more as cogs in his industry than as men. The paradox is that Clifford also grows to be a servant of his industry, debauching himself in return for success. Clifford also values technology (his sudden interest in the coal mining/working-class community) and the success of his writing over the relationship he has with his wife. He is unable to procreate and he seems to disregard this fact with his intellect by justifying every bodily sensation intellectually. Had he been virile, Connie may not have indulged herself in the newfound excitement of Mellors, but the fact that he is not supplies the most obvious symbol of changing sexual identities in the 20th century the dilemma of the ‘redundant man. It is though his injury in the war has also spoilt his heart. His writings (according to Connie) seem utterly deprived of meaning. I feel that he acts as a figurative character as much as he does as a real character because his physical disability and his lack of sensuality reflect a deeper limitation and emptiness much like post-war England. This is especially highlighted when he and Connie take a walk outside of Wragby. They go from an intellectual chasm to the remnants of an unspoiled, blooming English countryside where Mellors first comes into view. He stands for the earthy, pastoral England, and seems completely mismatched with Clifford and the impassive men who gather together at Wragby. Clifford only begins to think seriously about the local villages and about the coal mines in which the local men work when Mrs. Bolton gossips to him about local affairs. This seems to point out that he needs an authoritative hand to push him in the ‘right direction, even if its just to think seriously about something classed as a masculine occupation. It is ironic that the person to spur him into revitalising the dying local coal industry is a woman. The fact that Clifford grants Connie permission to have sex with another man for an heir surely shows that he is not sexually attached to his wife, and his using this authority over her actually shows what little masculinity there is of him left. It is an ironic and seemingly unconscious struggle for him to demonstrate typically masculine traits whilst impotent. He reasons that sex would not be important or comparable to his and Connies marriage. This, I believe, is one of his biggest faults of transgression as it shows just how differently he regards physical contact, compared to his wife. There is also the complex relationship that grows between Clifford and Mrs. Bolton after Connie has left. Her husband used to work in one of Clifford Chatterleys mines before he was killed and Mrs. Bolton begrudges Clifford for this, though she sustains a respectful manner towards him as she is delighted by her contact with the upper-class. Clifford depends upon her, but scorns her; she is a servant to him, but is also in charge of him, for he is, by himself, helpless. Even though their association is always a master-servant relationship; it begins to take the shape of a perverse mother-child relationship as a result of Cliffords total reliance upon Mrs. Bolton. I think that this is one of the most intricate and mesmerising relationships of the book. The novel constantly shows the contrast between the body and mind by using Connie and Mellors disappointing relationships as examples. Constance is stuck in a relationship with her husband who is ‘all mind and Mellors old wife was too domineering for Mellors to feel masculine. Connie and Mellors are forced to learn more about the coalition of both the mind and body; Connie learns that sex is more than just an ‘accident'[3] and a disappointing act, and Mellors discovers the emotional changes that come from physical love. To summarise, Lady Chatterleys Lover dips into an array of themes which shows how culturally sound it is in the world we live in. It exposes people of all dispositions and fancies and illustrates how relationships between such people form and break. It is a complex book with a concurrent message: the body without the mind is wild, and the mind without the body is empty. [1] D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterleys Lover (Ware: Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 2005), p.30. [2] Lawrence, Lady Chatterleys Lover, p. 46. [3] Lawrence, Lady Chatterleys Lover, p. 8.

The Character of Soka in Children of the River :: Children of the River

In stories of any genre, characters may change dramatically. This holds true for many characters in Children of the River, a story that tells the true nature of change. The most prominent change is evident in the character of Soka. Her character begins as very stubborn and strict and changes to that of a caring person. This essay will explore the true nature of Soka’s behavior. At the beginning of Children of the River, the story unfolds in Cambodia. Soka has given birth to a baby (who dies later on). A warring faction, named the â€Å"Khmer Rouge† have begun to attack the city where the family, and self live. She becomes stubborn, unwilling to leave her home, since she becomes weak. Her stubbornness almost costs her family’s lives. This also leads to a conflict with her husband. Stubbornness can become a very distracting trait in people, as is Soka. However this trait will become less prominent later on during the story. In the middle of the novel, Soka changes once again somewhat, from being very stubborn to very strict. She shows her strictness mostly towards her teenager niece, Sundara. It is sometimes uncertain of her behaviour. She believes very highly of her culture’s customs and beliefs. She thinks the Cambodian way is the only way. Her beliefs get very annoying sometimes, especially toward’s her niece. These patterns of behaviour distances Sundara from her aunt, turning her partially rebellious side towards her family. Soka’s trait keeps the story woven together, and adds a thorny edge to it as well. But this trait changes once again. The last part of this story is essential to Soka’s last change. She starts to show sympathy toward’s Sundara’s needs. Albeit, slowly. This change is the most prominent throughout the entire story. What mostly surprises the reader is that of Soka’s allowance of Sundara’s seeing her friend Jonathan. What first sets this chain of reaction off is Soka’s allowance of Sundara to help Jonathan’s father, Dr. McKinnon with her language due to a medical urgency needed in Cambodia. I believe this is the most exciting part of the story. This change in Soka takes away some of the distance from Sundara because of her second change. This is a much needed change in Soka’s personality. In conclusion, all of these changes in Soka’s personality change the story in their own unique way.

earthquake Essays -- essays research papers

Earthquakes have plagued our lives for as long as people have inhabited the earth. These dangerous acts of the earth have been the cause of many deaths in the past century. So what can be done about these violent eruptions that take place nearly with out warning? Predicting an earthquake until now has almost been technologically impossible. With improvements in technology, lives have been saved and many more will. All that remains is to research what takes place before, during, and after an earthquake. This has been done for years to the point now that a successful earthquake prediction was made and was accurate. This paper will discuss a little about earthquakes in general and then about how predictions are made. Earthquake, â€Å"vibrations produced in the earth's crust when rocks in which elastic strain has been building up suddenly rupture, and then rebound.†(Associated Press 1993) The vibrations can range from barely noticeable to catastrophically destructive. Six kinds of shock waves are generated in the process. Two are classified as body waves-that is, they travel through the earth's interior-and the other four are surface waves. The waves are further differentiated by the kinds of motions they impart to rock particles. Primary or compressional waves (P waves) send particles oscillating back and forth in the same direction as the waves are traveling, whereas secondary or transverse shear waves (S waves) impart vibrations perpendicular to their direction of travel. P waves always travel at higher velocities than S waves, so whenever an earthquake occurs, P waves are the first to arrive and to be recorded at geophysical research stations worldwide.(Associated Press 1993) Earthquake waves were observed in this and other ways for centuries, but more scientific theories as to the causes of quakes were not proposed until modern times. One such concept was advanced in 1859 by the Irish engineer Robert Mallet. Perhaps drawing on his knowledge of the str ength and behavior of construction materials subjected to strain, Mallet proposed that earthquakes occurred â€Å"either by sudden flexure and constraint of the elastic materials forming a portion of the earth's crust or by their giving way and becoming fractured.†(Butler 1995) Later, in the 1870s, the English geologist John Milne devised a forerunner of today's earthquake-recording device, or seismograph. A simple pen... ... warned that a major quake would occur along the New Madrid fault before the end of the year. Like most predictions of this type, it proved to be wrong. â€Å"Groundwater has also played an important part in earthquake predictions. A peak in radon in the groundwater at Kobe, Japan 9 days before the 7.2 earthquake cause quite a stir. Radon levels peaked 9 days before the quake, then fell below the normal levels 5 days before it hit.†(Monastersky July, 95) In North America, the series of earthquakes that struck southeastern Missouri in 1811-12 were probably the most powerful experienced in the United States in historical time. The most famous U.S. earthquake, however, was the one that shook the San Francisco area in 1906, causing extensive damage and taking about 700 lives.(Nagorka 1989) The whole idea behind earthquake predicting is to save lives. With the improvement in technology, lives have been saved. New ideas and equipment is starting to prove to be very helpful in pr edicting were and when an earthquake will strike. The time and research put into earthquake predicting has already started to pay off. It is only a matter of time before earthquakes will no longer be a threat to us.

Taking action that risks destroying a friendship

Some people think letting a friend make a mistake is better than taking action that risks destroying a friendship. However, I prefer to let my friend know his or her mistake when I know it . This is because I can direct my friend to proper way and lead both of us to keep a stable relationship. First of all, I want my friend to know proper behavior because I truly care about my friend. If I see my friend make a mistake, I will make my friend know about his or her attitude. For my personal example, I had an experience about my friend who really likes to borrow others’ stuffs for her own benefit. I knew our friendship will be broken if I tell her not to do it. However, I told her about my opinion and showed my frankness for my friend’s future. While I kept talking about her bad habit, she eventually understood to the extent that she was selfish. After this, she highly cares other people first over herself. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is better to get involved in case people seetheir friends are about to make a mistake. Second, it helps me feel better to tell my thoughts of my friend’s behavior because telling the truth is more beneficial for our steady relationship. Even though telling downside of my friend is unpleasant for the time being, our friendship will be stronger and more stable in the future. Using my personal experience as an example, I have the best friend in Korea whom I keep in touch with even though I am in United States now. We met each other in freshman year. He is outgoing and sociable, so he really enjoys meeting a new girl for fun. Since I really worried about my friend’s unserious relationships with several girls, I advised him about his dating. At first, he was so angry with me at first, but we become best friend now after he realized my truth. Therefore, I believe that telling a friend to correct bad behaviors helps me to make the friendship stronger. To sum up, taking action that risks destroying a friendship is better for all in the long run. For these reasons, I strongly agree that it is better to get involved to prevent my friends from making mistakes rather than letting them make a mistake.

Extempore Speaking

Important Topics for extempore speaking (in MBA admission process) Why you should be selected? Focus on what strengths you bring to the table. These should be consistent with the four things most Institutes are looking for in students during the admission selection: competence, adaptability, enthusiasm, and never say die attitude. Remember, they are looking for chemistry between you and your future employer. Be prepared to summarize in short time why you are the best candidate for the seat. Also, let the institute know you want the admission and you will enjoy being with them.A lack of interest in the program may indicate a lack of enthusiasm for the institute as well as your future. Now that you've had a chance to learn more about us, what would you change about our institute? Be careful here. Most institutes don't want you to come in and shake up the place. At the same time, they don't want someone who says, â€Å"Nothing, everything looks great here. † Seek a middle ground by focusing on one or two non-threatening issues that may have come up in your discussions. For example, From our discussion of the problem with slow placement due to economic downturn, I think we should look into the possibility of giving more practical knowledge and exposure to the students. It will make the students more employment ready. I also think, we need to do a thorough analysis of what the companies are expecting out of the students and try to fill the gap existing between the expectations and reality. † Such an answer indicates you are open to making changes but you also have a certain non-threatening decision-making style. Your response should sound sensible and innovative.What's your dream job? This is your ideal chance to sell your aptitudes that fit the job description you would be offered after completing the program. Show an interest in finding new ways of using the skills you will acquire during the course period and also that you can be put to use in new ro les with additional responsibilities. â€Å"My dream job would include the execution of all of the theoretical and practical knowledge I will gain from the program. Also, all the responsibilities and duties in the position of a manager will be handed over to me in my dream job.I also thrive in a fast-changing environment where there's business growth. Your plans include attracting international placement during the next year, and this would satisfy one of my ultimate goals of being involved in an international corporation. † What color is your brain? Be aware that you'll probably be asked to speak on such topic. The point is not to stump you, but to find out what makes you tick. When the standard extempore topics are presented, people are prepared and it's harder for the recruiter to get to know the real person. An MBA admission panel, for example, tries to avoid repeated topics.But, different and conventional topic like the one above has no right or wrong answer. In fact, th e panel won't even really care what your answer is. He or she just doesn't want to hear something like, â€Å"I don't know, I guess it's blue because that's the way I imagine it. † The point is to see how creative you are and how you think. Be sure to explain why you answered the way you did. â€Å"My brain is red because I'm always hot. I'm always on fire with new plans and ideas. † Consider the following scenario: You are placed in a company after completion of your program. One evening you are working late and are the last person in the office.You answer an urgent telephone call to your supervisor from a sales rep who's currently meeting with a potential client. The sales rep needs an answer to a question to close the sale. Tomorrow will be too late. You have the expertise to answer the question, but it's beyond your normal level of authority. How do you respond? This response shows that the candidate is confident in his or her ability and can be counted on in an em ergency. Similarly, your answer should indicate that you're not afraid to be the decision maker in a tough situation, even if the situation's beyond your normal level of authority. I'd get all the pertinent information, taking well-documented notes. I'd answer the question based on my knowledge and the information provided. I'd leave my supervisor a note and fill him or her in on the details the next morning. I'd be sure to explain my decision, as well as the thought process behind it. † â€Å"What is change management? † Such type of question is asked, generally to check your coping mechanisms for responding to changes. It tests how systematic your approach could be in dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organization and on the individual level.A somewhat ambiguous term, change management has at least three different aspects, including: adapting to change, controlling change, and effecting change. A proactive approach to dealing with change is at the c ore of all three aspects. The response could be â€Å"Change management is a term used to refer to the introduction of new processes in an organisation, or the management of people who are experiencing change. Successful adaptation to change is as crucial within an organization and the individuals in them inevitably encounter changing conditions as they are powerless to control.The more effectively one deals with change, the more likely he or she thrives. Adaptation might involve establishing a structured methodology for responding to changes in the business environment. † Online learning In today’s world, many adults find themselves unsatisfied with their college and institution and wish for something more but demands on their time and schedule make this seem impossible. The good news is that the Internet has many online learning opportunities available that allows one to gain a higher education, learn new skills, and become more marketable.And the great thing about t he benefits of online learning and online education is that one can get an education according to their own schedule and can do it from the comfort of their own home. In fact, thousands of working professionals have been able to increase their knowledge and jobs skills without ever having to enter a classroom, thanks to online classes. By asking you to speak on this topic, the panel might check your understanding on technology and current trends.Your response towards online learning could be favorable or unfavorable, but don’t be indifferent towards this topic as this shows that you have no idea about the latest revolutions. Your response could be, â€Å"Online Learning could be considered as learning in the virtual classroom. While there are indeed many solid career opportunities available today, the market place is extremely competitive, making higher education that much more vital to successfully landing the job of one’s own dreams. But one of the leading concerns for students, as well as working class, is to consider entering the world of expensive education.Fortunately, there are plenty of distance learning courses that make it possible for willing students to learn from the comfort of their own home without having to worry about many other expenses like commutation expenses, lodging and boarding expenses, etc. Plus, these distance learning programs have been gaining a good degree of credibility throughout the professional world, so one can be confident of receiving an education that will be acknowledged by major companies. † Are MBA Salaries Still on the Rise? These questions help the panel in understanding ‘what is your actual aim- Knowledge or mere Money? If you crave for mere Money, i. e. you are driven by the high salary hype, you will not be considered a good candidate as money minded people generally don’t concentrate on effectiveness and quality. But if you are truly driven by your inner force of learning, you wil l certainly get that chance by securing a seat in your desired college. Your response to this question could be, â€Å"This depends on the situation of the individual student and other factor such as, the type of industry they are in, the company for which they are employed, and the prior skills they bring with them into the workforce.Attending an MBA school still has the potential to raise your value and increase your personal bottom line, but it is not a guarantee. However, the economy has already begun to turn around, and many financial organizations are posting large profits again and have begun to recruit MBA graduates for a variety of positions. MBA holders work in a variety of positions, including financial controllers, senior financial analysts, project managers, marketing directors, and of course as CFOs and CEOs. Salaries for these elite positions can be much higher than mid-level jobs. How has the Economic downturn changed the Outlook for MBA's? This topic again will int roduce your actual thoughts to the panel. In reality, the economic downturn has actually changed the outlook for MBA’s. Those who were sheer driven by the money behind MBA degree have taken a U-Turn and made way for those who are in real wanted to pursue this course for making an established career. This topic can earn you a definite seat in you dream college. So your response could be positive like, â€Å"It is still as good a time as any to earn an MBA.In fact, as the economy begins to turn around – and all indications point to that process already beginning – more opportunities for management specialists will be available. Most companies were forced to decrease their staffs using steps such as early retirement and lay-offs in order to survive the economic downturn. As the economy begins to swing upward, these companies will be seeking managers that are not only experienced, but are also knowledgeable about the many legal changes that have been instituted uri ng the crisis. This means if one undergoes earning an MBA today, he or she will likely be taught the legal changes as they are implemented. The goal of the MBA is to provide the company with the experience and knowledge that will put oneself in high demand in corporate world. MBA programs around the world are adapting their curriculums to reflect the changes made in today’s business world. An MBA will strive to provide the company with a better understanding of the new economy. †

Tracy Foote Week Three Discussion Questions

David Rivers MKT/421 Tracy Foote Week Three Discussion Questions †¢Select a product with which you are familiar. What stage is this product at in the product life cycle? Provide rationale for your answer. The chose Apples IPhone and currently it is the Maturity phase of the product life cycle. The IPhone is very popular and is often copied or remanufactured to look like and perform the same as the original.Apple is creating new features, products, and apps to allow users to do a lot more than ever before. Based on your knowledge of the product life cycle, what types of changes will occur to this product as it continues through the product life cycle? Apple is going to face tough competition as it tries to hold on to market share and maintain revenue. How will this affect marketing of the product? Once the IPhone it the market it took off like a rocket.The market wanted to get it in the action and flooded the market with so-called smartphones. It is my opinion that Apple will hav e to reduce the price of the phone and better serve the its customers with continued upgrades and apps. †¢Select a product or service. Then, select three different organizations that provide your selected product or service and compare the prices associated with it. What is the difference between the prices among the different organizations?What is the rationale for this difference? The IPhone, the Verizon HTC phone, and the Windows phone are in the ballpark as far as price goes, the difference will be in the plans selected to run each phone. Each of the competitors is trying to build a better mousetrap and price out the competition. However, technology is not cheap and the cost reduction will have to occur somewhere in the manufacturing process for one company to surpass the rest.

Picasso’s Background And Life Experiences Essay

Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz Picasso, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art, as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form that used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves. Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything a nyone had ever seen before. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions. Impoverished gangs scavenged in fields and rubbish heaps for anything they could find. A vast horde of ragged, jobless people  wandered around from town to town. On top of this the Fascists operated as a police state and therefore anyone who opposed it would be executed. This incident sparked the most important time in Picasso’s life. On April 26 1937, Nazi German bombers flying under orders from General Francisco Franco, laid waste to the town of Guernica, in the Basque part of Spain, killing many innocent civilians. The bombing of Guernica was an extremely cruel example to th e rest of Spain of what would happen if the Republican resistance continued. This action prompted Picasso to paint Guernica; some say his greatest masterpiece ever. It shows the suffering and destruction of the town, as well as Picasso’s own horror and outrage at what happened. The painting depicts death and carnage on a large scale. A grief stricken mother is holding her dead child, a woman is burning, a severed arm holding a broken spear is lying next to a dead man and a horse, which represents the people, has been speared through the heart and is in agony. The bull stands alone, above everything else. The painting shook not only the art world but also the political world. Guernica is Picasso’s major political expression of all his paintings. Even though it is a single painting, it did so much. And even though it is painted using expressionism, it is still so powerful and it made people realize what was going on in Spain and struck up sympathy for the Spanish people, and hatred for the fascists. Even though Picasso only aimed to express his own horror, outrage, suffering and sorrow of the Spanish people. By unleashing Guernica on the world, Picasso achieved more than he set out to do. Guernica struck up mixed emotions. The Nazis thought of his work as â€Å"degenerate† art – not only did it defy â€Å"the rules† of painting; his artwork was anti-Fascist and therefore anti-Nazi. On the other hand, the British, Americans, French etc. loved his work because it expressed, as nothing else could, the horrors and atrocities of Fascism. When Nazi occupation of Paris came, Picasso’s work was prohibited from public exhibition. Picasso then took on a new role. He refused to leave Paris while the Nazis were there – his fame protected him. But Picasso’s refusal to co-operate with the Germans also made him, as a person, a symbol of freedom, of the â€Å"unvanquished spirit† After the war however, Picasso’s work was not  met entirely with open arms. In Paris, those still influenced by Nazi propaganda, violently protested against Picasso. But this wore off and Picasso went down in history as not only one of the greatest artists ever, but also a hero, and a figure of defiance against Fascism. Works Cited Page  ·Ã¢â‚¬ Pablo Picasso: The Early Years†. E-Library Article Preview. http://ask.elibrary.com  ·Picasso and Braque : pioneering cubism : [exhibition] Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 24, 1989-January 16, 1990.  ·The Artist and the Camera : Degas to Picasso, by Kosinski, Dorothy M.

Management Information Systems Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Information Systems - Coursework Example Laudon and Laudon (2007) also placed emphasis on the importance of information technology in ensuring business survival. The speed with which businesses have to respond to customers requests makes this a very important point. Information is the lifeblood of an organisation and without information important decisions that determine the continuation of the business cannot be made. The major types of information systems that exist at a company that I am familiar with are inventory management, sales and accounting. These information systems are required in order for management to obtain information on a timely basis so that the right decisions can be made. The major types of problems that these information systems have helped to resolve in an organisation that I am familiar with include: i. The provision of inventory information in real time; ii. The provision of sales information; iii. The provision of timely accounting information. Inventory information is important in the prevention o f under-stocking and over-stocking of items. Stock-outs result in loss sales which eventually go to competitors. Additionally, holding too much of a particular item means that warehouse space is used to hold items that are not moving as fast as expected. The cost of holding stock can be very high especially for inventory items that are moving slowly. Furthermore, items that are moving slow takes up space that other fast moving and profitable stock items could do well with. An inventory management information system helps businesses to manage inventory effectively. Information relating to sales is important for management in service, production and retail businesses to determine if sales targets are being met. In the case of an organisation that provides services it helps management to determine which service area is generating the most revenue and which area is generating the least revenue. In the case of production and retail organisations it provides information on which products are doing well and which ones are doing poorly. Additionally, they will also be able to determine which geographic region they are performing best and worst in. It allows management to make decisions that are well informed and allow them to channel more resources if necessary towards the areas that are performing well and make corrective actions in other areas. Management require accounting information in order to determine which expenses have almost reached or have surpassed the budget. Information on receivables from customers and the amounts payable to suppliers can also be obtained. They also need to know the amount of profit that the business is making on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. It therefore means that an accounting system that is linked to other areas of the business becomes critical. When a sale is made and when a purchase takes place the information goes straight to the accounting system and updates the records of customers and suppliers. This allows informatio n to be readily available on critical areas of the business. Therefore, management is able to take the necessary information to achieve the level of profit required. If targets are not attained in a particular month management can then focus on putting the necessary controls in place. Part 2 In order for businesses to compete effectively they need information from within the organisation as well as from outside. This information has to be available quickly in order to enable management to make the right decisions. Therefore, the need exists for

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Film - Essay Example This was because they aimed at putting across to many people about their philosophy, as they worked on a minimal budget. For this reason, they used techniques like jump cuts. These are strident edited cuts, which occur unexpectedly. It was done by changing the angle of the camera to less than thirty degrees, and it had a disturbing effect on the viewer (Greene 45). This was for saving costs but not to rush the movie. Another technique is the improvised film making. This is whereby shooting was usually done in public places, constructed plots on the go and dialogues were constructed. This captured a spontaneity and vibrancy, which no other film could match. There was also the use of natural sound, whereby, the New Wave did not remix their sounds. A natural sound, recorded during the shoot was used instead. Even  though, it had intrusions and mistakes, it was still used. This gave the films a sense of energy and freshness. It also uses hand held devices that are easy to maneuver with. This enabled them to take long shots and flow the camera, they could also shoot in tight areas that gave an illusion of bulkiness and intimacy. The term auteur was coined to mean that a movie of a particular writer, director or author was not similar to any other movies. Therefore, the New wave directors strived to make unique movies. They also placed homage to films that were before their work. This is evident in movie genres like Jerry Lewis comedies and crime movies (Greene 84). In conclusion, these techniques have been widely adopted by film makers, and have proved to be beneficial to them and to the audience. However, the question to be answered is whether the techniques used in the French new wave are still relevant

Legalizing Marijuana Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Legalizing Marijuana - Research Paper Example Marijuana use has over time been seen as a danger to society as a whole thus pushing for its prohibition and due to this, it has been included in the war against drugs. However, the benefits of medical marijuana, particularly its economic benefits are eye catching and if properly channeled can be beneficial to the society today. Marijuana is the most used illegal drug- a product of the hemp plant, cannabis sativa. Cannabis is an anal flowering herb with palmate compound leafs that are used in making marijuana. Marijuana has walked with history since then, with the first recorded use of cannabis dating back to 7,000B.C. The Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used this drug for its medicinal values since it healed stomach ailments cramps and pain.(Caulking et al 35). This drug originated from Asia and speculations have it that Napoleons troops sneaked Marijuana into Europe after discovering there was more to it than medicinal value. The Mexican immigrants then helped spread this drug across America where it was introduced for medicinal purposes. The curious Americans discovered its recreational ability when alcohol was banned and prohibited. Once the federal government imposed a ban on alcohol, marijuana became an alternative and its usage soared. In the year 1930, the U.S government and the media both collaborated in demonizing marijuana sighting it as a devil with its roots in hell. This led to the prohibition of marijuana with the government and the liquor industry formulating a movie aimed at discouraging people from the use of marijuana (Dudley 105). It is evident that the propaganda emerging about marijuana were not well researched, causing tension among its users and the government. Instead, it created problems that were more serious. Small drug offenders filled prisons to overcrowding. Besides, alleviating the problem of overcrowding jails, if marijuana were legalized and properly regulated, its users would be

No Country for Women and Pink Saris Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No Country for Women and Pink Saris - Essay Example The film agitates women to demand better representation in organizations and government. â€Å"No Country for Women† constrains copious stories within it, which underscore the past injustices, as well as forms of discrimination meted on Indian women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although the caste system in Indian underlined in â€Å"No Country for Women† impacts both genders, women are often subject to more intense ridicule compared to men. Furthermore, the film shows the gender-based discrimination particularly targeted toward empowered and well-educated women. Despite many of the women acquiring good education through a formal, institutionalized system of learning, a typical Indian woman is still subject to discrimination in the workplace and the organization in general. Apparently, most organizations are structured such that power and authority revolve around men. Besides, Indian men have more cultural rights to social freedom, mobility, and autonomy outside the home compared to women. The film has effectively demonstrated how domestic responsibilities, as well as the socially and culturally specified roles, deter women from fully participating in various matters at the organizational and national level .   The second film, â€Å"Pink Saris†, is fairly long and primarily about the Gulabi Gang. A gang is a group of women standing to champion for their rights and that of other women in a feudal part of India. The film is set in Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest and most federal areas of India. The area has a long history of patriarchy, abuse, and corruption. The Gulabi Gang, an outspoken and aggressive group of women, is fighting the system. Directed by Kim Longinotto, â€Å"Pink Saris† focuses on the women gang and their families. Apparently, women in this part of India do not have rights to equality. A typical case in point is the story of a man (in the film) who has been together with a girl for at least two years but ditched her after she becomes pregnant. The girl, evidently disconsolate and heartbroken, wants to die.   Sampat Pal, the protagonist, was married into a family while still a young girl. The family made her work strenuously hard and often beat her. In the end, she successfully manages to fight back, leaving her in-laws and ultimately becoming a champion and defender for beleaguered women across Uttar Pradesh. Rekha, a fourteen-year-old girl, is three months old and homeless. The father to her unborn child has refused to marry her because she belongs to a low caste.

Internet Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internet Marketing - Essay Example The internet is very effective in carrying out this exercise. One other advantage of this strategy is that it is captivating and it appeals to the interests of the targeted consumers. The marketer is also in a position to tailor the message in the desired way so that it can have a positive impact on the targeted consumers. Basically, the strategy of storytelling helps to increase a market share for the company. 2. In order to strike an emotional cord, there are different brand storytelling techniques that are effective. The technique of presenting the product as unique is very effective since it appeals to the emotions of the targeted people. People are compelled to think deep in a bid to establish the main reasons why the product is presented as unique compared to other similar market offerings. This marketing strategy is particularly designed to appeal to the emotions of the customers so that they can try the product. They tend to ask themselves this simple question: Why is the product better compared to other similar products found in the market? This is likely to compel customers to develop a positive perspective about the product. For instance, they will buy it on the basis of the emotional benefit they will gain from using it. In some cases, people are satisfied by the benefits they will derive from using a certain product. Therefore, the brand story should explain it all. 3. The other elements in the brand story that are effective in content strategies include things such as product feature and quality. In most cases, the consumers buy a product as a result of the information about that offering they have. Information about a product includes elements such as product features as well as quality. Customers are primarily interested in buying products that have value for their money. These products would satisfy the customers if they are comprised of quality features. This is the essence of marketing where the marketers seek to satisfy the

Career Statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Career - Personal Statement Example This inherent nature to serve people has come from my own family experiences as I have always been concerned about the health of my family members. In addition to serving the community by providing medical services, the nursing community can also contribute to educating people, especially those living without any basic amenities such as lack of electricity or drinking water, about several health issues. In addition, working in camps that serve the homeless and those affected by natural calamities and war, would definitely be a satisfying experience. Through such services one can pay back to the society that gave us the opportunity to learn and also help people to live life in the truest spirit. I would like to pursue my studies in nursing and specialize in the subject of my interest and gain a better insight in the subject which would help me achieve good career prospects. With the increasing occurrence of medical problems especially among the aged and the disadvantaged population ha ve drastically risen the demands of the medical profession which has in turn increased the nurse’s responsibility as only they bond directly with the people and help them cope with the treatment, medication.

Situation analysis of Grill`d Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Situation analysis of Grill`d - Essay Example The paper presents a brief situation analysis of Grill’d comprising major components to it; market analysis, product analysis, competition, distribution analysis and SWOT analysis etc. This paper highlighted that Grill’d, though started as a small upstart in 2004, has now emerged to be a big company operating through 51 own and franchised businesses and delivering quality and fresh burgers across major towns of Australia. Local marketing has been a significant marketing strategy, whereas franchising and Airstream by which it sends its van with burgers to various programs and events are other significant distribution strategies. As far as competition is concerned, the company faces quite fierce competition from local as well as multinationals such as McDonald and Burger King. It has more opportunities since it can always ensure its presence whenever there are events or festivals. To develop a comprehensive marketing plan about the product or service being marketed usually requires formative research that can flesh out details of strengths and opportunities the firm experiences. With a situation analysis, the firm can look inward to understand its strengths and weaknesses and look outward to see what its opportunities and threats are. Grill’d is a chain of burger bars designing, making and selling fresh, healthy and quality beef, chicken breast and lamb burgers. When the first Gril’d restaurant was opened in Melbourne in March 2004, it has truly caused people to think of ‘quality meal-sized burgers’ to be available in parts of Australia and the dream became reality that the company opened as many as more than 45 branches in several regions of Australia such as Brisbane, Coolangatta, Sydney, Newscattle etc. (Franchise Business, 2012) The company operates through its won as well as franchised stores with a view to meet an on going and ever increasing demand for quality hamburgers made with fresh and fine ingredients of chicken and beef. As far the basic marketing concept is concerned, it should start with potential customer needs, but not with production process (Perreault, Cannon and McCarthy, p. 6). A successful marketer is one who anticipates needs and determines what specific goods or services to be offered to target the customers. Grill’d is another example for how successfully a marketer can anticipate needs and thus seize marketing opportunities. It has been a major reason why Grill’d is Australia’s one of the fastest growing hamburger retail networks (dcstrategy.com, 2012). It not only anticipated the customer needs for burgers, but also the latent customers’ seeking of quality, fresh and fine ingredients for food or related items available in the market. The Market Situation As noted by the 2007 CEO of Grill’d, Simon Crowe, the company mainly appeals to a wide spectrum of customers, being the primary targeted market as people between the ages of 21 and 28. Quite specifically, this generation highly particular about fast food and are becoming greatly familiar with fast food concept, but are health conscious too. Grill’d is targeting this generation since they want food that is adult-oriented with a concept of ‘f un-food designs’ and they expect it from reliable brand (The Australian, 2007). A target market comprises of set of buyers who share common needs, characteristics or features that the marketer decides to serve them (Armstrong and Kotler, 2005, p. 199). Buyers have unique needs and wants that the company target them with certain product or service

Frankenstein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frankenstein - Essay Example † Apparently, it seems that Dr. Frankenstein is the real culpable since he has created it ugly. But a close analysis will reveal that the society which fails to accept and nurture the creature is the real culprit. Indeed, the Victor’s creature is initially a sociable one which yearns to have a companion, but he is betrayed by his creator. He is the one who helps a wounded peasant girl; but in return, he is beaten by other peasants. Finally, it turns into a revengeful being because of the ill-treatment of the society. In fact, the creature gives what he receives from the society. He is the product of the society. Though Victor’s creature is a fantasy being, the novel teaches the readers that even animals, who are endowed with humanly quality and who even look monstrously dangerous, should be treated good but carefully. If a tiger, even though it is dangerous, is killed, the ecological balance will be destroyed. In the article â€Å"All Animals Are Equal,† Pe ter Singer argues that man should give the same respect to animals, since all humans and non-humans are equal. He claims that a prejudiced view to other species makes men cruel to other animals, and, as he comments, the definition of a specie is â€Å"a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of interests members of one’s own species and against those members of other species† (Singer 3). Indeed, what he means by this statement is that members of one species will put their interest on the members of other species, even though it is against the interest of the other species. For instance, if an interest can benefit a human being, man will do it to get the interest even if it is against other animals. Even Victor’s monstrous creature is assumed an animal, it should have not been treated badly. Also, Peter Singer defines equality as follows: â€Å"The principle of equality of human beings is not a description of an alleged actual equality among humans: it is a pres cription how we should treat human beings† (Singer 3). Singer essentially argues that human beings should have respect for other human beings. If Victor and his society acknowledged the creature either as a man or even as an animal, they would accept him and nurture him properly. But they have not accepted the creature; instead, they treat it badly only to arouse the monstrous behavior in it. According to Singer, animals also feel pain, as he says, â€Å"there are no good reasons, scientific or philosophical, for denying that animals can feel pain. If we do not doubt that other humans feel pain we should not doubt that other animals do so too† (Singer 7). If Victor and his society understood that the creature also has a mind and feel pain, they would not treat it badly. Mary Shelly’s effort to bestow the creature with human feelings, qualities and yearnings, basically, challenges the assertion that the creature is a really dangerous monster. The terrible look of the creature does not prove that the creature should be treated badly. Initially, the creature is as naive as a child. It yearns to love and to be loved. It wants a female companion to be accompanied. Frankeinstein could attempt to socialize it, instead of being horrified by the creature’s frightening look. Dr. Frankenstein is not only the creator of the monster. In a sense, he is also its father. He cannot end his responsibility only by creating it. He should have

Jury of her peers Essay Example for Free

Jury of her peers Essay After the first reading 1. What do the women think happened at the farm? The women thought Mrs. Wright might have murdered her own husband. After the second reading 2. What is the climax of the story (When in the story does the narrative take a turn)? The story’s climax is when there are more evidences compiled at the end (the dead bird, broken cage, abuse, marital oppression) this turns the story to Minnie Foster as a victim and not as a criminal. 3. How well does this story fit the model of the stages of narrative? The story shows all the stages of narrative in correct order (intro, rising action, climax, falling action) except that the conclusion is left for the readers to think. 4. What other things do you notice? The women were not allowed to be jurors but in this story, they outsmarted their husbands/men in collecting evidences that would point to who the victim and who the murderer was. The strongest evidences would be the abuse and loneliness experienced by Mrs. Wright and the irony of how the bird and Mr. Wright were killed in the same way. 5. What questions do you still have? Â  Will the women tell their husbands/men what they saw? Will the women stand up at the trial for the evidences?

Analysis to look at Red Bulls strategies

Analysis to look at Red Bulls strategies Red Bull has turned itself into a multinational company that offers a product that enhances the mind and the body. Their method of managing their internal and external situation and circumstances has become an interesting topic for many. Thus we conducted some analysis to look at Red Bulls strategies, and especially the international strategies. The external analysis was a mix of positive and negative observations, for example they have the advantage of the customer loyalty and the production cost, and however, they are in the territory of major players in the beverage industry which put them at risk. Nevertheless, the industry analysis and peer review helped to shed some light on Red Bulls external report, where we can see a substantial growth in the industry and Red Bull headship in the energy drink market. Through the internal analysis we observed that Red Bull leads a proactive approach towards their business by adopting conventional and unconventional methods to expand their horizons. Through the value chain model, we observed that Red Bulls internal marketing and sales strategies have shown ground breaking success on international scale. Moreover, the HR has accomplished to attract the right candidates to achieve the required goals, simple because they are young and know the young target market exactly. The generic strategy analysis of Red Bull has presented Red Bull a differentiated product within its market and a focused-differentiated product within the beverages industry. The norm is that any kind of differentiated products target few selected customers, however, Red Bull did become selective but became massively popular among the youth, and hence, they produce over 1 billion cans each year. The SWOT analysis they was conducted on Red Bull has crystallized some Weaknesses and threats. However, the Strengths and Opportunities outweigh the downside of Red Bull; moreover, the Weaknesses and Threats that Red Bull faces can easily be managed and fixed by Red Bull. We can safely conclude that Red Bull has adopted the right target market and the right method to communicate with the target market. More interestingly, we can see that Red Bull has adopted a product and especially a marketing strategy that can easily be copied to different counties and culture. In other words, it has spoken the language of the youth. History Background History A red cape is not always necessary to attract a bull towards you; nowadays it has become available in a can in the hypermarket, supermarket, grocery and the club near you. This all has become possible thanks to a visionary man called Dietrich Mateschitz, who is the discoverer, modifier, and introducer of the internationally famous drink, Red Bull. It all started in Hong Kong, in 1982, when Mateschitz was at the hotel bar sipping a famous local health tonic. While he was drinking he had a vision of marketing an Asian drink in the western countries. About two years from the vision, the Austrian Mateschitz teamed up with a Thai business man called Chaleo Yoovidhya to produce this product. Together they fiddled with the product, to take out the syrup nature of the product and make it fizzy. Canned in a silver and blue container, with a brand the shows two red bulls going head-to-head against each other, hence the brand was named Red Bull. (Red Bull Founder Rides Wave of Success) In 1987, the product was then taken to Austria where it had its first groundbreaking success in no time. In started going international in 1992, when they entered Hungary. Red Bull is currently active in over 100 countries, energizing the population and creating competition as they go along. One source mentioned that there are over 150 energy drink brands, however, all inferior to the mighty Red Bull (A REFRESHED CREW IS AN EFFICIENT CREW). With over 1 billion cans sold each year, Red Bull controls 70% of the worlds market share of energy drinks. Background Red Bull became strong when they created a high quality drink that is only made in Austria. Furthermore, all of its ingredients are synthetically made in pharmaceutical companies to grantee high quality and safety. Moreover, due to the ingredients of the product, it is said that Red bull (Red Bull FAQ): Improves performance Improves concentration and reaction speed Improves vigilance Improves emotional status Stimulates metabolism However, the main reason for the success of Red Bull is in its advertising style. Red Bull tends to spend very little on conventional or traditional marketing tools, like TV and Print ads. Their marketing strategy is usually out of the box and creative. Red Bull tends to be more active in sponsoring extreme spots and giving away samples in local events. Due to the fact that Mateschitz has been involved in Formula One racing for more than a decade, he used the events to draw attention to his brand. In addition, he sponsored the World Stunt Awards, an annual fund-raiser to help injured stunt workers (Red Bull Founder Rides Wave of Success). Moreover, some observers say that Red Bull uses the anti-branding method of advertising, where they broke the usual method of marketing and branding. Actually what they did was use the buzz marketing strategy or better known as word of mouth. With this strategy, they associated their brand with the youth culture and extreme and adventure-related spo rts, such as motor sports, mountain biking, snowboarding and dance music. Thus they targeted their brand directly to people from Generation Y, the so-called millennials: people born after 1981 who were believed to be cynical of traditional marketing strategies (A Look at a Key Feature of Red Bulls Business). The Buzz over Red Bull among the youth and their underground attitude has created Red Bulls reputation as the drink within that community. That is why Red Bull continues to use Viral marketing internationally, where the company would rather restrict the supply of Red Bull and not advertise it, expecting that growing numbers of target consumers to catch the bug and its reputation would spreads. Through this strategy, Red Bull has successfully captured 70% of the à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1.6 billion market (A Look at a Key Feature of Red Bulls Business). External Analysis Porter Five Force Analysis The external analysis is one of the most important steps that a company should take to achieve to its goals and objectives. Moreover, for taking this step we should be aware of the essence of formulating competitive strategy which is related to company and its external environment. Also, we know that the relevant environment is very broad; encompassing social as well as economic forces, the key aspect of the firms environment is the industry or industries in which it competes. In addition, taking care of industry structure which has a strong influence in determining the competitive rules is very important because it includes the game as well as the strategies potentially available to the firm. Forces outside the industry are significant primarily in a relative sense; since outside forces usually affect all firms in the industry, the key is found in the differing abilities of firms to deal with them. Michael porter has offered a unique framework for make an easy way to analyze. Michae l Porters framework for industry analysis is described in his book Competitive Strategy (1980). In this book Porter claims that there are essentially five forces which determine the underlying structure of an industry. Rivalry among existing competitors, buyers, suppliers, potential entrants into the business and Threat of substitute products are those five forces which can have positive or negative effects on industry structure by making the industry more or less competitive. Potential Entrants In this case the potential competitors of red bull are soft drinks companies, which can produce energy drink with out adding bubbles. If the barriers of entry are high, it is difficult for potential competitors to enter the market. Three main sources of barriers to new entry: brand loyalty, absolute cost advantages, and economies of scale. Brand loyalty Due to the done research, innovation in creating new energy drinks, proper and profession advertisement, holding many special events and sponsorships, and having high quality for its products makes Red Bull as well known brand with a strong brand loyalty which is a barrier for any new entrant to enter the energy drink industry to compete with it. Cost advantage According to the Michael Porter, normally cost disadvantage is a big barrier for companies to enter an industry as new entrants because it can be cost advantage for existing companies in that industry. Also, companies with the help of cost advantages can compete and beat their competitors very easily because usually it is difficult for new entrants to match their companies with the lower cost structure. Therefore, Red Bull because of Red Bulls superior production and operation processes, and their experience in the energy drink industry, and control of its inputs according to their experience in producing red bull drinks, benefit the cost advantages with keeping its quality in the high level. Although there are many energy drinks existing in the industry with the lower price rather than Red Bull, as quality aspect they have not cost advantages both in quality and price, so Red Bull is steps ahead from its competitors in this case. Customer switching cost In food and beverage industry there is no switching cost for costumers with considering the level of quality, therefore it can be considered as threat for existing companies in this industry. In this case, Red Bull is not exceptional, so they need to keep their quality at the same level to not loosing their market share by coming new entrants because it is real threat for them. Government regulations One of big issues and always concerns for companies which like to go internationally is government regulation, also, in this case some Europe countries have problem with selling Red Bull and have tried to ban it. They claim that Red Bull was the cause of death of people in those countries. France, Belgium, and Sweden ban using the mixture of Red Bull and alcohol. So, it can be a threat for them in taking the market share and having a bad image for their brand. . (French Ban on Red Bull (drink) Upheld By European Court) Intensity of Rivalry Rivalry in some industries is characterized by such phrases as warlike, bitter, or cutthroat, whereas in other industries it is termed polite or gentlemanly. Energy drink industry has an intense rivalry because of a number of interacting structural factors: Industry competitive structure Due to the competition in the energy drink market, Red Bull focuses on non-price competitive weapon like offering exhilarating events, high quality products and sponsorship. In contrast with other competitors Red Bull attract more costumers to its company by growing in 45%marketshare  [1]  . Accordingly Red Bull has a major influence on its competitors performance in the industry because Red Bull is one of the pioneers in energy drink industry and many companies try to obey and consider Red Bull as benchmark. Industry demand In the energy drink industry, because of the various proper advertisements to encourage people to use and drink energy drinks (giving the image that people can fly) the demand for drinks is increasing  [2]  . Thus, this is a good point for the company because there are lots of opportunities for every company to fill the current demand and rivalry tend to reduce in the industry, also there is space for everyone to jump in enter the industry (growing stage), and the profit of the company is going to increase which is a goal that every company is seeking it. Buyers Having strong and stable costumers are suppliers and producers concerns, producers like to have costumers with large quantity level of ordering and stable financial status basically in energy drink industry especially Red Bull costumers (buyers) are wholesalers and big retailers. These buyers buy the energy drinks through the company or its representatives, and resell them to supermarket, bars, restaurants and end users. Red Bull faces buyers with high level of bargaining power, and it is real risk for Red Bull. Main reasons for this high bargaining power of buyers in this case are; the switching costs in the energy drink industry are very low. So, Red Bull buyers can switch from Red Bull to other energy drink companies which produce it with lower prices without any difficulty. Also, in most cases energy drink buyers (retailers and wholesalers) purchase products in large quantities, and it is obvious that the more buying in quantity, the more bargaining power the buyer has. So they c an use their power to reduce the cost of energy drinks. Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is the same story like bargaining power of buyers but from other side. Red Bull company has both kind of suppliers as bargaining power, some very strong and others weak, so they can balance between them. For instance, the supplier of Glucuronolactone is Glaxo Smithkline Company. Red Bull energy drink buys their Glucurnopolacton inputs from this company. So the bargaining power of this supplier is very high on Red Bull. But the other ingredients are assembled from several small suppliers, and Red Bull has the bargaining power on them. Also, Red Bull has many channels and substitutes suppliers for its normal raw materials, so they can switch from any supplier to cheaper and more flexible one. Substitutes All producers always carry the concern of substitute products for their products and always looking for ways to protect and survive themselves from this phenomenon. Energy drink industry isnt an exception, so players in this industry always try to keep level of quality high, convenience price and other thing which may make costumers more satisfy. Coffee industry can be a threat for energy drinks because of the existing caffeine in coffee and it can be a powerful potential product substitute for energy drink. Therefore, Red bull must take care of its pricing strategy and product quality to keep its costumers and satisfy them more day by day which they were successful due to reports not only Red Bull could protect its products against other substitutes but also, they have increased in their market share in US market by 45%  [3]  . Industry Analysis and Peer Review Industry Characteristics Beverage industry is divided into many categories such as alcoholic vs. non alcoholic, (hard vs. soft drinks) and within soft drinks still there is other segmentation such as carbonated soft drink (CSD) and non carbonated soft drink. Carbonated Energy Drinks account for less than half of the total volume. This figure is heavily skewed however by the popularity of still brands in Asia (Canadean Press release) According to Beverage Digest, in 2004 the U.S. non-alcoholic refreshment market totaled 14 billion cases (192-oz). Carbonated soft drinks made up 73.1% of the total with non-carbonated products comprising 13.7% and packaged bottled water accounting for 13.2%. Americans spent roughly $92.9 billion annually on refreshment beverages.  [4]   Energy drink is a relatively new product introduced in 80s and has been growing noticeably with the market more than doubling in size since 1998 (Canadean Press release  [5]  ). The following chart is evidence of this inevitable growth and the attraction of this growth for drink manufacturer. The industry has been experiencing a significant growth and still growing at the speed that draws the big players in soft like Coca Cola drink to enter to this high margin business. Food and beverage market are critical enough that out of 100 new product development 90 NPD fails. The failure results from a poor interpretation of consumers trend and translation of those to opportunities  [6]  . Austrian company, Red Bull, as a pioneer trend settler has made its fortune from their unique strategies in advertising, marketing and other products characteristics such as Packaging, Flavor, color and Product claim. Global consumption According to Beverage digest report, Asia is the largest leading market in consumption of energy drinks followed by Western Europe and North America as the second and third markets. Asia has been loosing some of 20% of its market share is past 6 years. However, this decline has been offset by the second and third market mainly due to the steady growth in market of carbonated E.D in North America. North American market is now almost 40 times greater than it was in 1998 Peer Review In North America today more than 200 energy drinks existed in US. According to bevNET.com, after a rigorous marketing research the best energy drinks are AMP by Pepsi Cola, KMX Red by Coca-Cola Company Red Bull by Red Bull North America. Red Bulls market dominance seems assured. No other competitors have either the distribution channels or, more importantly, the posture of rebellious infamy to be considered real threats  [7]  . Year 2001, in UK energy drinks market 21 new drinks  [8]  have been introduced that would have force the red bull into a competition. However, red bull can still enjoy being a market leader. In the following table there are representations of top 14 non- alcoholic markets where some of them are in the specific market of the energy drinks. Coca-Cola (Juice, Soft Drinks, Water) ($21bn) Suntory (Water, Soft Drinks) ($4.4bn) Nestle (Coffee, Soft Drinks, Water) ($19bn) Starbucks (Coffee) ($4.0bn) PepsiCo (Juice, Soft Drinks, Water) ($10bn) Sara Lee (Coffee) ($2.7bn) Kraft Foods (Coffee, Powdered Drinks) ($4.6bn) Tchibo (Coffee) ($2.7bn) Unilever (Tea ) ($4.5bn) Red Bull (Energy Drinks) ($1.6bn) Cadbury Schweppes (Soft Drinks) ($4.5bn) Cott Corp (Juice, Soft Drinks) ($1.4bn) Danone (Soft Drinks, Water) ($4.5bn) Ocean Spray Source: http://www.mind-advertising.com/sectors/sector_softdrinks.htm Industry Life Cycle Energy drinks were originally pioneered by Asian companies, but they became popular in Europe the late 80s with the arrival of Red Bull  [9]  . There are more than 200 energy drinks existed in US market only and this figure is increasing due to the high margin of this business. In 2004, carbonated soft drinks posted the growth of 1% which is unlike its usual trend, case of growing 2% to 4%. Noticeably, this inevitable growth was driven by Diet and Energy drinks  [10]  . While other carbonated drinks posted volume change of one Digit, brands like Red Bull and Hansen Natural reported the 45% and 56% of positive volume change in 2004. The market, now estimated to be worth $10 million, has been predicted to grow to $300 million or even as much as $2 billion in the next few years.  [11]  Double digit growth in the market is the main factor contributing to Energy drinks life cycle in its embryonic phase (growth). Since the market is not old enough, the number of players are increasing and even the Coca Cola and Pepsi are the new entrant which add to the well-built assumption of embryonic phase. Brand loyalty and high expectations are still questionable in this stage and its because the consumers are still exposing to new products and new claims. Thus, players are fighting for product feature extension such as low-carbs and sugar free plus new products claims such as improve concentration, reaction time and endurance.  [12]   After introduction of Red Bull in late 80s, industry went to an introduction phase. By 1998, the size of the industry doubled and still growing with a fast pace following highlighted area in the graph is an approximate stage of the life cycle at the moment. Internal Analysis Value Chain Primary Activity: Inbound outbound logistics Logistical issues at Red Bull in of high importance. Due to the fact that all ingredients in the Red Bull drink is synthetically made by pharmaceutical companies, they make sure that their products are carefully handled to maintain the quality and avoid unnecessary costs. Red Bull always makes sure that they align with premium logistics provider to achieve their strategic goals. Red Bull aims to have web-based visibility on their supply chain, thus they base their logistical activities or selection on: Flexible warehouse network Transportation management capabilities Strong information technology offering With 1,600 employees working for Red Bull world wide (Gulf News, Red Bull plans to set up Dubai plant), Red Bull required those standards as they are experiencing year-after-year of high growth, which make the inventory forecasting and management challenging. That is why logistical issues have become increasingly important, and that is why they choose to outsource the logistics to companies that can comply with their network of multi-client warehouses needs (Red Bull OH Logistics). Interestingly, Red Bull uses small distributors in small regional markets, if those small distributors dont perform up to Red Bulls standards they establish a warehouse and push young people to stuff their vans with Red Bulls product and distribute it every where. This way, the small distributors generally break even within three months and are profitable within six (A Bulls Market The marketing of Red Bull Energy Drink). Primary Activity: Operations There is little information about the operations process of Red Bull. However we will enlighten you with the contents and brief information about the packaging company that Red Bull deals with. The great product which is provided by Red Bull one of its main elements of success. Known for improving performance, improving concentration and reaction speed, improving vigilance, improving emotional status and stimulating metabolism, Red Bulls secret is in its ingredients. The ingredients in each Red Bull drink (250ml) consist of: Taurine (1000mg) Glucuronolacton (600mg) Caffeine (80mg) Niacin (20mg) Vitamin B6 (5mg) Pantothenic Acid (5mg) Vitamin B12 (0.005mg) According to Red Bull, It is a combination of all the ingredients together, which result in Red Bulls benefits (Red Bull, Ingredients).. The packaging process of Red Bull is fully done in Austria. And the supplier of Red Bulls cans is Rexam, and they are considered to be the worlds largest provider of beverage cans. Rexam manufactures different types of cans for different industries, however almost half of their revenues come from Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola. Moreover, industry estimates present that Rexam gained about $22 million from the sales of Red Bull cans (How Does Red Bull Package Its Product?). Primary Activity: Marketing and Sales: With the control of 70% of the à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1.6 billion market (about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1.12 billion), Red Bull has achieved all of this through intensive unconventional marketing strategies. Targeting young people, mainly the Y-generation, Red Bull has utilized eccentric marketing tools that has extremely effective on the target market. The strategy of sponsoring local activities like the Red Bull music academy in the USA, parachuting in South Africa, Go-Karts in Kuwait, and many more in different countries has achieved its target of attracting its target market which gets excited when viewing such sports. Some of the strategies used for marketing Red Bull include: Using pick-up trucks as mobile displays, painted blue and silver with a giant can of the drink mounted on top of the vehicle. Designed to be eye-catching, these devices were aimed at promoting the red bull brand as youthful and slightly off-the-wall. Cans of the drink were also given out free to people on the street who had been identified as being in need of energy. Red Bull was given to club DJs, empty cans would also be left on tables in hot spots such as trendy bars, clubs and pubs. Secondary Activity: Technology The information about the technology that Red Bull uses was quite scares. However we could safely say that Red Bull little activity done on their RD side because Red Bull does enjoy any sort of economies of scale. Red Bull has only one main product, which is the Red Bull energy drink and recently they introduced the new Red Bull energy drink sugar-free. Hence, the main difference between the original Red Bull drink and the sugar-free drink is that it has 0g of sucrose and 0g of glucose, where the original product has 21.5g of sucrose and 5.25g of glucose. Moreover, each sugar-free drink has only 8 calories (EU)/ 10 calories (USA), yet it does not loose any of its energetic effects (Red Bull, Ingredients). Secondary Activity: Human Recourse Red Bull is famous for practicing what they preach, especially when it comes to recruitment. Due to the fact that Red Bull promotes their product as a Hip and young product, they make sure to recruit staffs that are young, in touch with youth culture, dynamic and innovative. For example, they achieve that by recruiting university students as student brand managers to promote its product among young student groups (What Sort of People Work For Red Bull?). However their recruiting does not happen by Red Bull themselves, but they makes sure that it is implemented by all of the outsourced activities. However, it is known that most of Red Bulls 1,600 employees are marketing experts and are the real movers of the Red Bull drink (Marketing Eye, Red Bull Car). Group Customers and Market Segmentation As it is known any successful company should have a certain customer group. The customers that were targeted by Red Bull were the ones that were looking for excitement, alertness, and concentration depending on the age, status, and lifestyle. Four consumer categories were Red Bulls target under the age of 16-30: students, club people, sport people, and employees. College students were the main target of Red Bull. Since college students look for something that would enhance their concentration on doing their assignments and projects, and staying overnight for studying for exams then Red Bull is the best solution for them. It would improve their concentration in their studying Moreover; Red Bull has used this group to enhance their promotion. According to Biz/ed, throw parties those students were emboldened to market the product in the campuses of the universities as what they call them student brand managers. Those students collect the information and make a report of a market data research to the company. Depending on that strategy and the youth generation (high school and colleges students), Red Bull was able to spread the reputation and the popularity of the drink and concentrating on supplying the product rather than applying the traditional marketing ways of promotion (A Look at a Key Feature of Red Bulls Business). The second category of Red Bull customers are the night club people, since the drink has some substances that would increase the persons emotional status. Moreover, Red Bull is offered in the nightclubs depending on the cultural background. For example, nightclubs in Dubai offer Red Bull for the people who do not drink alcohol like the Muslims, which made it a major substitute for alcohol to that group. However, Red Bull is still individually mixed with alcohol to create both the Red Bull highness and the alcohol sensation. Furthermore, Red Bull has also made music events for those groups of customers like the Red Bull Music Academy in 2005 in Seattle, Washington in the United States. (Red Bull Music Academy 2005) For the physical exertion that the drink offers, Red Bull has also promoted the product for the sport people. Among those people, there are the athletes, the racing drivers, the airborne-sport people, water-sport people, the bikers, the skateboarders, and the skiers. Red Bull highly endorsed this group with many sport festivals, and one of the famous one among those is the Red Bull Dolomite Man that took place in Austria in 2005. (Red Bull Dolomite Man) Red Bulls minor groups are the white-collar and the blue-collar workers. Red Bull can support white-collar workers to concentrate more on the job to improve their performance, and it would also help them stay overnight if he or she needed. The drink would also allow the blue-collar workers to work extra hours with out the feeling of exhaustions for the physical exertion that the drink provides. However, Red Bull did not concentrate on this group, so there were no special efforts directed towards them. Within the four groups, there a considerable amount of customers who look for diet product. For that category, Red Bull produced the sugar-free Red Bull to combine the diet customers with rest of the customers that are within the four groups. Business Level and Generic Strategy In the generic strategy Red Bull there are two views, there is a generic strategy from energy drink market perspective, and there is a generic strategy from soft drink market perspective. From the energy drink market perspective, since Red Bull has few economies of scope, the strategy adopted by Red Bull to follow is differentiation. The price of the drink is about 5Dhs in the UAE, which shows the clear differentiation of the product, especially in a market where every body is competing on the same customer segment. According to Biz/ed, Red Bull was able to build a strong brand image through: using Red Bull cars that had big cans on them, giving free cans to people, and providing Red Bull cans to club DJs (A Look at a Key Feature of Red Bulls Business). This strategy made Red Bull to be the market leader of 70% market in the energy drink market. From the soft drink market industry wide perspective Red Bull applies the Focused-differentiation generic strategy. Red Bull has a very good brand image in terms of soft drinks industry. The drink can only maintain this image through focus-