Government policies Essay

Describe, with examples, the impact of government policies on different public services P5 Identify how society is affected by government policies In the UK, policies are in place in order to protect us and help enforce diversity and equality. Sometimes they are not always positively impacted on our society and public services; they can be negative as well. In this assignment, I will cover both the impacts of government policies on the public services and how society is affected. Human Rights The most commonly known policy that has affected all of the services is the human rights policy. This act was passed in the UK in 1998 which protected us and gave us the right to life, education, liberty and security and freedom of expression. Whenever these rights are violated, the victim may take the service or person to take and challenge the actions of the violator. A Police Officer was accused of violating someone rights after hitting a student (Tony Jones) in the face. They violated freedom of assembly and association, freedom of expression and freedom of thought. Just like many cases- This one was also dismissed and the Officer wasn’t charged for the suspected violation. Equal Opportunities Very similar to Human Rights- Equal Opportunities also protect us. While this has been around for a while, the equality act was republished in 2010 which terminates any discrimination against â€Å"age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.† If for example you are applying for the Public Service and you are bisexual then the service cannot refuse your application because of your sexual orientation. If you are a male Sikh and you wanted to join the Force, you are allowed to wear a blue police turban with the badge of your force being displayed. This policy stops people from becoming more ‘important’ than others which allow everyone to be treated fairly and not the same. Civilianisation As part of the financial cut back on the Public Services, more civilians are doing non-operational work. This includes more civilians working in the  communication control centre which dispatches emergency services to 999 calls. A key reason for civilianisation is because it is a lot cheaper than employing trained employees who can do the same but with little training or experience. Fire Station Closures Fire Station closures is apart of the Government’s plan to increase savings. In London alone, 10 Fire Stations have been forced to shut down which has led hundreds of Firefighters jobless. Even the oldest serving Fire Station in Clerkenwell has been shut down. This means- For anyone who dials 999 and asks for the Fire and Rescue service, the fire fighters will take longer to arrive to the scene compared to before where there might have been a Fire Station nearby. As a consequence, Communities are not feeling safe which results in protests. Increased use of Technology The use of advanced technology being used during modern warfare has not only saved our armed services from being killed or injured, it also allowed us to get surveillance over areas that we would have never been able to. Drones and satellites have allowed us to spy over our enemies and also kill them. Metal Detectors allowed the frontline to find improvise explosive device (IED) which would have saved hundreds of lives alone. Unfortunately, it isn’t always as expected. Drones are also responsible for thousands of civilians’ life during the Afghanistan War and they have even taken our lives (Green on Blue). In the UK, increase use of technology has also saved lives and helps prosecute criminals. The increase of CCTV in the UK allowed us to record and catch criminals and serves them justice. While some people believe they violate their privacy, some people feel a lot protected within communities. Examples of society affected by Government Policies They’re many policies that affect us both positively and negatively. Examples of a few are; Tuition fees VAT rises Sales of Council Houses Tuition Fees Tuition fees are probably one of the negatives about attending  further-education. If you’re attending University then expect an expensive fee after your course that you are required to pay back each month. Many graduates are still paying their fees even after 5-10 years. The main reason why society is affected by the fees is because less people are attending university purely because it’s too costly. Even after graduation, you are not guaranteed a job so some people become jobless while having to pay back the debt. VAT rises Every item you purchase legally has a VAT which increases the overall cost of the item. This is normally a 20% increase which is quite costly- depending on the item. If you were to buy a computer for  £500(no VAT) then the final price would be  £600. This means many families are forced into poverty while they have to struggle on surviving on minimum wage. Sales of council houses Selling of council houses is becoming an increasing issue in the UK as people and even businesses are buying the house out. This means hundreds of family homes are now owned by private landlords or individual people. As a consequence, families are finding it difficult to find family-homes to live in. How Society is affected by Government Policies When Society does not agree with a new policy that the Government put into place, it normally results in protests near Governmental Buildings with signs criticising the work of Government. However, protests are both peaceful and violent. There are several types of protests such as: -Sit-ins -Marching -Legal Action -Striking -Violating Laws Sit in This is one of the common types of protests. This means staying in one location while refusing to leave. An example of a previous sit-in is the protest outside the United Nations (U.N). Marching This involves walking from different locations while holding signs and normally shouting. One of the most famous marching was led by Martin Luther King in 1963. This protest was to promote civil rights and equality for the ethnic minority. Legal Action Though this isn’t a mass-protest, it is still a form which people still use. This involves taking a person or company to court in order to press legal charges against them. In 2012, the Democratic Party sued Florida because of the presidential election results. Striking This is commonly scene among Teachers who believe they are not paid enough or the Government plan on cutting their pay check. Striking means refusing to cooperate with your employer till your demands are met. This is normally a mass-protest since you are highly likely to be fired if you general didn’t listen to your Boss. Violating Laws (Riots) Riots are normally as a result of the Public feeling angry against the Government’s decision. Riots involve people burning down buildings, looting, criminal damage and even murder. During the 2011 Riot, 5 people were murdered, over 100 Police Officers injured and over 10 protesters injured.

Isolation in American Literature Essay

The individual and his role in society, based on American Literature, is portrayed through many different characters, all sharing the same feelings of isolation. The feeling of isolation, in reference to Huckleberry Finn , is a choice that Huck Finn brings on himself. Throughout rebellion towards his father, Huck tries to find his true self by isolating himself from societies views and beliefs. In the novel Great Gatsby , by F. Scoot Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby was isolated from the outside world by society. Throughout many examples of American Literature we are aware that isolation was not a pleasurable state of freedom, but more like a state of imprisonment brought on by society. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Lenny was isolated by societies fear of difference. Society was prejudice against Lenny’s differences. This caused isolation in both societies standards and in Lenny’s mind. Throughout many images portrayed by American Literature, the recurring theme of isolation is a role that each character takes on based on societies beliefs, views, and prejudices. Isolation played a key role of the character development in Huckleberry Finn. Twain carefully selected ways to show isolation in Huck’s life based on societies views of his adventures, thoughts, and of his feelings toward slavery. Huck’s beliefs in issues that society condoned isolated him from the â€Å"normal† state of living that everyone else practiced. This same view that society cast upon Huck was also thrust upon Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby . Because of his wealth and his self-removal from gossip and other immoral issues, that society thrives on, Jay too, was isolated. Maybe this state of seclusion was brought on by society but Nick Carraway demonstrated that, â€Å"Once banishment is brought on by others, it is soon picked up within. † (Fitzgerald, Great; 86) Hester Prinne also demonstrates a state of solitariness, in The Scarlet Letter. After society condemns her actions she goes into seclusion and lives in her own state of peace. This is brought on by societies harsh judgments. This leads to total isolation of their views in Hester’s mind. She knows that there is a difference between her beliefs and societies views of morals. These beliefs, that she has come to accept, yet curse at the same time, cause her to continue to wear the Scarlet letter, but these beliefs also cause her to isolate herself so she is not outcast by society. Lenny Small, in Of Mice and Men , is outcast into a state of seclusion â€Å"all because of societies prejudices and views on living, thinking, and acting. † (Hart, Oxford; 73) Always having a special place for Lenny to run off to and hide when things got tough is another example of isolation. When society didn’t feel something was right with Lenny’s behavior he would go into seclusion and isolate himself from the world. The fact that Lenny Small was not aware of the way people outcast him exhibits another form of isolation. Lenny’s sequestration by society set the overall issue of isolation in Of Mice and Men. Huckleberry Finn isolated himself from society because he rebelled against their ignorant beliefs. Every time Huck changed identifies, he isolated himself even deeper. † The overall character change of Huck Finn demonstrates Twains own rebellion against societies views. † (Scott, Mark; 38) As Huck Finn comes across the different aspects, attitudes, and restrictions of society, he learns to prefer his own individual freedom over societies restrictions. Gatsby is secluded out of both, personal choice, and societies choice. Under his own personal choice of isolation Gatsby seems satisfied, but when the issue of society condemning him arose, the view of isolation seems less appealing. When seclusion by society is made into a recurring theme in Great Gatsby, Jay tries to change his social status and forgets about his moral responsibility. He becomes like all other characters in society that judge and gossip. This new outlook may pull him out of isolation, but in the end it also kills him. The need for social acceptance pulls the trigger that ends Jay Gatsby’s life. Throughout many examples of American Literature, it is apparent that society played a key role in character development. In numerous examples from American Literature we see that society isolated certain characters for being different than the socially accepted person. Authors, such as Mark Twain ( a. k. a. Sammual Clemmens), John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Nathanial Hawthorne, portray the best examples of isolation in their classic American literature novels. They show, throughout their novels, that the conflict between society and the individual is based on seclusion, condemnation, but most of all through isolation.

Psychological Profile of Elvis Presley

Analysis of Elvis Presley Deborah Cantin Colorado Technical University Partially Resubmitted From Phases 1, 2, 3, 4 IPs Abstract This paper covers a brief biographical and psychological profile that explores the subject’s childhood, work, personal life, lifetime accomplishments, and philosophy. In addition, I will discuss his inner perspectives using the Cognitive Perspective to describe the two aspects of Mr. Presley’s behavior. I will also discuss his MBTI ® Type along with examples to explain my interpretation.His Psychosocial developmental stages examined through his Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Adult hood. We examine these stages using Erick Erickson’s work. His youth compared to Kohlberg’s work on Moral Reasoning through adulthood. My subject died so this analysis ends at age 50. Another area of analysis is his strong desire to achieve success and how he handled getting his needs met. What seemed to inspire Elvis towards achieving what he h ad in life? Analysis of Elvis Presley I decided to choose Elvis Aaron Presley, as my subject for this Individual Project.I chose him as my subject, to help comprehend his dynamic personality. It is my intention to investigate Mr. Presley’s biological nature along with how the loss of his twin brother deeply affected his character development. Another key factor to consider is how the passing of his mother contributed enormously to whom and what Elvis Aaron Presley eventually became later in life. In my opinion, he was tremendously talented and more respected than any star today. Elvis Presley is a living legend who brought to life the Rock n Roll era. Part I – Case Study Mr.Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His parents Vernon and Gladys Presley were a poor family. He had a twin brother named Jesse Garon, who was stillborn, (Elvis Presley, 2012). Gladys doted on her only living boy, and he loved her too. The emotional bond between t hem ran deep. Elvis loved and adored her. She was everything to him, and he became emotionally attached to his mother. His parents raised him in a warm nurturing environment. Since they were extremely poor, his father moved the family to wherever there was work.Gladys Presley raised Elvis in a God fearing close-knit family; they attended church and sang in the choir. When he was 10 years old, his father bought him a guitar. He learned how to play guitar then entered and won a talent contest. After graduating from Humes High School, he worked several odd jobs. Later on, he cut his first demo disc at Sun Studio. Mr. Sam Phillips took an interest in him and gave Elvis his first real break in the music business. Elvis’ first hit single was â€Å"That’s All Right†. He sang this song in tribute to his mother Gladys, who he dearly loved and cherished.Elvis’ personal life, filled with sorrow, began at his birth. The loss of his twin brother, Jesse appears to have added to this sorrow. Mr. Presley had a natural talent for music, and an independent spirit. All of his life, he searched for love and compassion. His solace seemed to be in music. He embraced his talent, as a way of reaching out to people. When Elvis picked-up his guitar and performed his songs, his whole personality changed. Teenagers followed Elvis in crowds. This was due to his southern charm and handsome appearance. When Elvis began to sing his hips would follow suit.He later explained that his hips were something that he could not control. The adults considered these movements sexually suggestive to young women. The television cameras only showed Elvis’ figure singing from the waist up on the Ed Sullivan Show. His lifetime accomplishments included some gold and platinum records. During Elvis’ lifetime, he starred in 31 movies. Some of his more popular songs are Jail House Rock, Love Me Tender and Suspicion Minds. According to (Elvis Presley, 2012), â€Å"Elvis had no less than 149 songs appear on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart†.His music is popular today, and demonstrated through generations of teenagers, speaks to his popularity. Elvis loved his Graceland home. His gravesite located in the Meditation Garden on Graceland’s grounds. The Meditation Garden is fitting for the King’s final resting place. It is here that Elvis loved to meditate and contemplate his spiritual side. Graceland draws millions of tourists each year from all over the World. Elvis’ beliefs demonstrated that he loved people. He gave expensive gifts to his staff and loved ones, such as cars and homes. His spiritual beliefs stayed with him throughout his life.Elvis constantly searched, for the meaning of life and truth. This quest for knowledge inspired him to read several books, and earnestly seek out spiritual mentors. Gospel music played a large role in developing Elvis’ passion for music and spirituality. Every rehearsal session began and ended with a Gospel song or two. â€Å"Cognitive Psychology revolves around the notion that if we need to know what makes people tick; then figure out which processes are going on in their minds. Psychologist theorized, from this study, that cognition is a mental act or process by which information exists, (McLeod, 2012)†.Erik Erickson believed that people develop in the context of their environments, with the forces of society exerting strong influences on the social world of people in all places of the development, (Board, 2012, pp. 95, 96). The psychobiography of Elvis directly relates to the different stages of Erickson’s cognitive theory, which includes distinct stages like infancy, pre childhood, post childhood, schooling, teenage, initial adulthood, adulthood and old age. In Elvis’ case, his mother raised him in an Assembly of God religious family. He and his parents attended church and sang in the choir.When he was 10 years old (play time acco rding to Erikson’s model), his father bought him a guitar. He learned how to play guitar then entered and won a talent contest. This behavior directly relates to the Initiative vs. Guilt theory, described by Erikson’s model. Later, he cut his first demo at Sun Studio. Mr. Sam Phillips took an interest in Elvis and gave him his first break in the music business. Elvis’ first hit single was â€Å"That’s All Right. † He sang this song in tribute to his mother Gladys, who he dearly loved and cherished. This stage described as the Industry vs.Inferiority in Erikson’s theory. During the adolescent age, Elvis appeared to be a person with an independent spirit. He started searching for love and compassion from people, and he became involved with people of all ages through his music. On stage, Elvis performed with stored up passion, and found that he had charm with which he attracted millions of teenagers and other fans. Elvis knew that he had good l ooks, and that was the focal point of his connectivity with his fans. Kohlberg describes this stage as moral reasoning. In this phase, the social rules govern an individual’s perspective on morality.The In the moral acts stage, the adolescent performs to please others and this was the case with Elvis, who used to sing songs to please his fans. Kohlberg maintains that most adults pass through this stage of thinking. An individual’s morals and behaviors determined by peer acceptance. This type of behavior may be good or lead to bad behavior to gain acceptance, and continues through adulthood. Elvis was a person who was a master of all traits. He sold record-breaking copies of his albums. He was a recognized star on the silver screen.He worked in major film projects, and he was the guest on several television shows. Elvis sung 149 songs and some of them remained for eighty weeks in the Top song lists, and topped the billboard. Elvis’s trophy room filled with awards in gold and platinum and â€Å"Norway, Yugoslavia, Japan, Australia, South Africa, England, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium, and The Netherlands†, were some of the awards received from several countries to Elvis, (Enterprises, E. P, 2012)†. Maslow’s opinion also ties into Elvis’ need for love and trust. Elvis satisfied this requirement through his many fans.I have satisfied this requirement by accepting the fact that it will never happen. Perfectionism demanded stricter and more intense perceived performance levels. Later in his adulthood, he probably realized this was unrealistic. All of these theories directly show that Elvis could not control his rise to fame. His fear caused him to seek peace and security in women and drugs. Elvis sought comfort and unconditional love. He married Priscilla with the hope of having a fairy-tale marriage. Later, he found an unconditional relationship with his daughter, Lisa Marie. In both cases, he ended up more alone than ever.Elvis’s achievements described by the McClelland’s theory of achievements, states that human behavior is described by three needs- Need for Power, Achievement, and Affiliation. In Mr. Presley’s case, his need for power and acceptance played an important role. The need for integration demonstrated through the social interests of Elvis. The need for action arises in people who are above-average performers. In this instance, he was an above-average performer, so he had a powerful desire to win by better performances, (Elvis Presley, 2012). Elvis handled his needs by connecting with people through his music.This provided the pleasure of his call for acceptance, need for achievement, and his motivational need. Elvis was addicted to sex and drugs. These addictions caused him to seek out more and more ways to satisfy his need for affection and confidence. As his fame grew, the need for privacy and trust became foremost in his make-believe world. Parano ia engulfed him, and he began to develop a need for security. He formed and hired his own Memphis Mafia to meet this need. The use of illegal and prescription drugs became a necessity due to his exhausting routine of late-night rehearsals and elaborate parties.No one could exist in this type of life without the aid of drugs. Elvis took pills to wake-up and go to sleep. Each day was a vicious cycle that led to his addiction to pills. Later in life, he developed obesity and constipation problems that were probably due to his food and drug addictions. I believe that Elvis Presley’s MBTI ® type is Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceptive (ESFP) (Myers, 2012) . This type of personality is very comfortable in front of audiences and loves to entertain. They are in touch with their feelings and value the needs of others.Elvis Presley demonstrated this type by giving lavish gifts to his friends and staff members. In the songs that he sang to his beloved fans, obviously he needed the l ove and support from them. Elvis was fresh and well ahead of his years in other areas. He was not afraid to break the rules and even create new standards for generations to follow. Elvis loved life and his audience. He provided the inspiration and motivation that rocked a whole generation and generations to come. Elvis Presley was born with natural talents who provided a framework for today’s musicians today; however, fame, sex and drugs, eventually led to his downfall.The death of his beloved mother may have contributed to his demand for approval and security. I often wonder, what would have happened had his mother lived a longer life? Would his life have been changed or remained the same? In essence, he was his own enemy. Fear and isolation probably contributed to his downfall too. Part II – Psychological Conjecture Elvis was an awesome personality. He appeared normal and displayed some abnormal tendencies. Music provided the outlet, for his wandering spirit and zest , for knowledge. When he was performing his music, this met his emotional and social needs.Elvis showed needs of fulfillment, for which he depended on the fans. Elvis had a serious need for perfection. This probably stemmed from his very strict childhood. Elvis provided the motivational role model that showed me, what celebrity status could do to individuals, who could not possibly measure up to their preconceived ideas of success. I grew up with Elvis’ music and looked up to him. It seems that when his fame was burning out, he also gave up hope. His abnormal behavior characterized by his preoccupation with food, sex, and women. He used food for comfort and control.His obsessive desire for love and companionship, ended up in unsuccessful attempts towards happiness. Fame and fortune provided the women and sexual outlets for his pleasure. These only provided fleeting moments of happiness in his life. As his fame grew, his desires eventually overcame his ability to maintain them . Even up to the days before his death, he continued to surround himself with younger women that he could control. Glaucoma and obesity were health obstacles that he could not overcome. â€Å"People must be able to realize human potential. This technique focuses on nity of mind, unaltered states of consciousness, as a means of realizing full human potential, (Hamilton, 2001). This approach focuses on the subject and emphasizes the concept of making choices. Not all behavior is pre-determined. All individuals are unique and have an innate drive to achieve their maximum potential, (McLeod, 2007). One of the disadvantages of this approach is lack of a specific treatment program. Treatment plans proved ineffective in treating severe mental illnesses. Humanism ignores the human unconscious mind. The concept of free will is in opposition to the deterministic laws of science, (McLeod, 2007).Part III – Psychology I have learned that Psychology uses methods that are determined by the uniqueness of people. The environment plays a huge factor in the way a human thinks and learns. An individual’s intelligence level is often, determined by their environment or life experiences. Their family upbringing may provide the motivation to either motivate or demotivate an individual to seek further academic studies or opportunities for advancement. Psychology is very useful in the workplace in counseling situations where behaviors need improvement.Learning the different methods helps the supervisor or co-worker to understand others better. Every workplace has a mixture of different personality types and intelligence levels. This mixture may include Introverts or Extroverts in the work place. There may be natural leaders and followers too. After taking this class, I have discovered that it would take me a lifetime to understand the human psyche. I have visions of endless written case studies and counseling sessions. Writing reports does not top my list of fun activiti es. I have no desire to pursue Psychology as a career choice.This class has taught me to take a good look at my childhood and it was quite painful. I now understand why my mom treated me so badly. It directly relates to the fact that she was a foster child. My mother married at age 17. I was born two years later so she was not mature enough to be a mother. In my adulthood, I have come to realize that I am responsible for my life. My behavior determines what I want to achieve in life. Growing up in a horrible environment only made me more determined to succeed. This culminated in a Perfectionist attitude and overachiever persona.My choice of career field as a Technical Recruiter is a perfect match for my skill sets, intelligence, and emotional abilities. I will apply these lessons in counseling my employees in the workplace. My friends also will benefit from learning these techniques. The best thing that I have learned is how to understand my mother’s behavior and attitude tow ards me. I now realize that I can never measure up to my mother’s unrealistic expectations. The thing that really matters is what I think of myself. Unconditional love only exists with God, because, human beings are fallible and incapable of fulfilling my needs for love and acceptance.My future study plans involve completing my degree program and taking time to enjoy myself, free of unrealistic expectations and demands for my time. This class has taught me to relax and enjoy the unique individual that I have become. Gone is the lonely little child that needed mom’s love and acceptance. I have learned through this class that I have value and worth that can help others to succeed. My strongest desire is to help other people with bad childhoods become successful, despite the challenges ahead. It is true that time does heal all wounds.Forgiveness is difficult, but it does nourish the body and the soul. The mantra is true, until you are able to understand your own psycholog ical profile; it makes it very difficult to understand others. The first step in understanding this mantra is discovering who you are as a person. This is an easy step for me, since I know myself inside and out. My psychological make-up determines what and who I am. It is crucial and sometimes painful to analyze yourself. My MBTI ® is a tool used to determine this for me. The second step is applying the mantra to other people’s personalities.Through this class, I have already started to apply the theories and concepts that I have learned to work and in my personal life. My own behavior is made-up of personal choices and moral decisions. My intelligence level is in a sense, relying on my own internal motivational desires. These directly relate to Maslow’s theory in achieving a balanced life. A lens is something that you look through to examine something. My personality shows that I see a glass, as half full. There is always a solution to any problem. Sometimes, it tak es a long time to find solutions, but they are out there.I am an optimistic person that sees life, as a challenge. I have found that learning APA is very hard for me. I do not really understand the reasons why. Perhaps, I am just making it harder than it has to be. I have learned through my lenses that life happens. Sometimes, I see the world, as moving too fast. There are times that I do not always see what is in front of me. When these moments occur, I slow down and examine the situation. Nine times out of ten, the solution was right in front of me! Putting on my psychological lens using Maslow’s theory helps me to keep my life balanced.It is vital to have a healthy balance between wants and needs. My needs are important to me. Happiness is determined upon how I look at life in general. My spouse is not responsible for making me happy. Joy and happiness are fleeting moments that depend upon circumstances. Love is a choice and I decision. I make this choice every day in my m arriage. This thought process, keeps my marriage strong. Through the Humanistic lens, I am responsible for my own behavior. My parents are not responsible for my behavior or choice in life. I must take responsibility for my own actions.Even though, my childhood was a nightmare, I have changed the ways I view my mother and father. This type of upbringing, only served to make me an independent person. Failure is not an option. Survival is my primary behavior. It is true, only the strong make it through a horrible childhood. This class had taught me to see other people in a new light. The different personality types help me to understand why people behave the way they do. I have used the theories that I have learned at work and in my personal life. Psychology is a very complex field, and I realize that it takes a lifetime o understand, all of the different spectrums. References Bacon, A. (n. d. ). Kohlberg's model. Retrieved March 08, 2012, from Developmental Psychology/Cognitive Devel opment Mind 2 Matters: http://www. ablongman. com/html/mindmatters2/html/m7/m717. html Board, B. (2010). Introduction to psychology. (1st ed. ). [Electronic Version]. Retrieved from http://campus. ctuonline. edu Elvis Presley. (2012). Elvis Presley. Retrieved March 08, 2012, from Biography. com: http://www. biography. com/people/elvis-presley-9446466 Enterprises, E. P. (2012). About the king.Retrieved March 08, 2012, from http://www. elvis. com/about-the-king/achievements. aspx Erickson, E. J. (2012). Erikson's psychosocial development theory. Retrieved March 08, 2012, from Self/Personal Development: http://www. businessballs. com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory. htm Hamilton, K. (2001). Introduction to psychology. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from Introduction to psychology: http://webhome. idirect. com/~kehamilt/psy1. html> Hartman, M. (2012). The think tank. Retrieved March 08, 2012, from The University of Arizona The Think Tank: http://thinktank. arizona. du/resources/selfassesmen t/learning_style McLeod, S. (2007). Psychology perspectives. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Simple Psychology: http://www. simplypsychology. org/cognitive. html Myers, B. (2012). My MBTI ® personality types. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Myers Briggs Foundation: http://www. myersbriggs. org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types. asp Warrilow, S. (2012). Maslow theory of motivation. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Strategies for managing change: http://www. strategies-for-managing- change. com/maslow-theory-of-motivation. html

Adolesent Drug Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Adolesent Drug Abuse - Essay Example This is because the two aspects are majorly social and should be successfully and affordably manageable through social initiatives. Controlling risk factors while promoting counter control measures should have, contrary to the current situation, led to minimal level of adolescent drug abuse cases. However, successful initiatives have not been achieved with respect to these useful tools of preventing and controlling substance abuse among the teens. Risk factors such as environmental change and aggressiveness as well as tools and avenues such as â€Å"family relationships, peer relationships, school environment, and community environment† have been identified for their potential role in controlling teen substance abuse and its eventual adverse effects (Physician, 2002, p. 16). However, persistent trend shows that the structures, family, society and school, have failed to utilize their leadership potential to help the adolescents out of drug abuse (Physician, 2002). The most interesting aspect of adolescent drug abuse is therefore the fact that in spite of its social, readily available, and affordable risk factors and control measures, successful efforts have not been made to identify with social structures’ commitment controlling adolescents’ drug

Mediterranean fruit fly Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mediterranean fruit fly - Assignment Example Most countries which have been infested have had both successful and unsuccessful eradication programs. New Zealand too has a Biosecurity system which renders protection against such invasions and has been so far successful in keeping the country free from these pests. The main aim of this paper is to understand what the Biosecurity system and policies of the country are effective at during incursion responses and suggest ways in which such responses can be strengthened to ensure better protection against bioinvasions of the Mediterranean fruit flies. There are various kinds of fruit flies found in different regions of the world. The ones belonging to family Tephritidae are considered the true fruit flies. The most important members of the family are the Bactrocera sp and the Ceratitis sp. The Mediterranean fruit fly is binomially known as Ceratitis capitata and ranks among the top most destructive agricultural pests. Its origins lie in tropical Africa but today it is found around the world and is not only highly destructive but is highly invasive as well (Huang et al,2009,p1239). The med fruit fly can be easily distinguished from any other fruit flies because of its characteristics. An adult fly is slightly smaller when compared to an adult common housefly. An adult fly measures about 3-5 mm. The body is straw yellow in color with brownish tinge. The thorax is off-white in color. It bears some marks on the wings but the most prominent one the presence of a broad yellow band across the middle portion of the wings. It also has ocellar bristles (bristles present on the dorsal part of the head) and its eyes are purplish in color. The adult male flies can be segregated from the female flies because the presence of a long pointed expansion on the top of the orbital setae (present between ocelli and eyes) (IFAS,2010). The life history activity of Medfly is dependent on temperature and it completes its life cycle under optimum conditions of temperature. The

Product Reassesment research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Product Reassesment - Research Paper Example Product reassessment gets conducted due to the product’s performance in the market. Market performance indicators may result to a product reassessment (Graham et al, 2008). This paper will discuss a reassessment of battery free remote control in the US market. The target markets for this product include retailers and consumers who are in search for battery free remote controls. Developing a marketing strategy involves the identification of a target market and coming up with a mix that will appeal to potential consumers. Developing an ideal market mix involves paying attention to factors such as price, product, and promotion. Target marketing involves selecting a viable target market by factoring in; the expected growth, size, cost to reach, competitive position and compatibility (Graham et al, 2008). Target marketing may undertake the single target market approach or multiple target market approach. In repositioning the target market for battery free remote control, branding i s essential as 76% of American consumers base their decision to purchase a product on its brand name (Kahn, 2011). The product’s retail market is also growing massively as large retailers offer exceptional demand for the product. A few of this retail chains own over 4000 chains in the US and thus provide ample appetite for the product (Kahn, 2011). Marketing research is vital to ensure that the product gets repositioned towards its target market. Research is crucial in determining how market mix influences customer behavior. In order to reposition the product to its target market, it is necessary to conduct positioning research (Graham et al, 2008). This will help the manufacturing firm to determine the perceptions of the target market in regards to their brand. Positioning research identifies how the target markets view the brand in relation to other brands from competitors. It helps the firm to understand what their brands stand for from the customers’ views (Graham et al, 2008). Positioning research will also help the firm to differentiate its products from those of other competitors. It will help the firm to develop its own position in the market with the view of appealing to its target market through its own product attributes. It is necessary to also conduct a segmentation research for the product. This will help the firm to identify the behavioral patterns of potential buyers. Segmentation research allows the firm to determine the demographic characteristics of the target market. Determining the demographic and behavioral patterns of potential buyers is vital in repositioning the product in the market. Demographic and behavior pattern data assists firm management to understand their target market while in the design process of the product. The data derived from such research helps the manufacturing firm to redesign the product in accordance with the target market’s taste and preferences. This will help to reposition the product in t he target market along competitor brands (Kahn, 2011). Adoption rates refer to speed with which new members of a society start to use new technology within a specified time (Kahn, 2011). To increase the adoption rate for the product, the firm should consider on the product pricing. The product should be offered at a competitive price by the firm. Competitive pricing will allow the target mark

Creating a knowledge sharing culture (Chapter 11) Essay

Creating a knowledge sharing culture (Chapter 11) - Essay Example Thus, information and knowledge are categorized as different elements that need to be strategically aligned and correlated to provide organizations with competitive advantage. While the explicit knowledge is one that can be easily transmitted, the tacit knowledge focuses on experience and values that are accrued over time. The chapter emphasizes four major parameters of knowledge management: top team support and strategic focus; enabling mechanisms; innovation and continuous improvement; and commitment at individual and organizational level. The team thrives on sharing of knowledge and encourages proactive participation of the members to improve and improvise the performance. The workforce is provided with the facilitating platform of continuous learning through system resources and external exigencies that help it to create benchmark for improved outcome. The managerial leadership also ensures that testing new approaches is encouraged and sharing of responsibilities is intrinsically linked to teamwork. Through rewards and merits, the individuals and teams are motivated to strive for higher productivity. The chapter asserts that a ‘sharing culture’ greatly supports knowledge management. Organization culture can primarily be expressed as the shared vision and collective goals of the organization. The leadership within the organization becomes highly relevant because it promotes shared vision through collective decision making, inspiring the workforce for improved performance outcome. It also helps create an environment of learning and innovation that empowers workers to make decisions on informed choices. Thus, an organizational culture that promotes collective decision making through shared learning is highly successful. It facilitates easy adaptability to changing equations thereby, empowering the workforce and the leaders to recognize the wide scope of emerging opportunities. Another important issue that it incorporates is its inherent tendency

The Way People Treat Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Way People Treat Animals - Essay Example Catharine A. Mackinnon has a very feminist view on the exploitation of animals, she compares the state of animals to the state of women, she thinks that women and animals are both exploited and have more similarities than one. She claims that animals are treated like women and women like animals, this again goes to show the sheer exploitation of both women and animals. She goes on to say that women are as badly treated as animals, she is aghast when she makes this comparison and she is right in many ways, women are still being exploited in some areas of the world and so are animals. â€Å"People dominate animals, men dominate women.† (Animal Rights, P277) The author sheds light upon how women and animals are being dominated in our society. She throws light upon the inequality that prevails in our society. The author brings out an excellent ideology; the suppression of both women and animals is because they are considered inferior, women are exploited because they are considere d biologically weaker, animals are exploited because they are considered much inferior to the human race, the exploitation is purely based on the ideology of inferior and superior, a superior being starts believing that it is his right to suppress the inferior, the same has been highlighted by the author. The author is labeled to be a feminist because she talks about the male ideology and brings out the similarities in animals and women. â€Å"Qualities considered human and higher are denied to animals as qualities considered masculine and higher are denied to women.† (Animal Rights, P278) The lesser humanity of women is conceded by men and they call women animal names like chick, bunny, bitch and so on, this again points to the inferior nature of women in the society, animals are lower than humans is also a presumption which with several human beings live with. The author also talks about the ridiculous ways in which both women and animals are exploited, rats are put in the vagina of women and it is thought that the rat would suffer much more than the women, the author tries to say that the status of women is lower than the status of animals. Misery and exploitation are common amongst women and animals, men find new ways to exploit and dominate both. The author talks about the laws that have been made to protect animals, films showing the crushing of animals have been banned by the government of the US but she says that there are no such laws in place to protect women who are also being exploited sexually by men. She concludes her argument by saying that women are better off without laws. Elizabeth Anderson has a different take on the same matter, her analysis cannot be called a feminist view, and she does not juxtapose animals with women, the author bases her argument on intrinsic value of animals. The author talks about the animal rights, she says that chimpanzees are believed to have the mental ability of a mentally retarded child, chimpanzees are b eing used for several experiments, and can mentally retarded children be used for the same experiments? The author is directly comparing animals with human beings; the point is why we are not using mentally retarded children for experiments who have the same mental makeup as a chimpanzee has? This goes to show double standards in the society, a

Inequality and Politics in the United States Essay

Inequality and Politics in the United States - Essay Example The following discussion aims at addressing economic and political inequality and discusses the role of social movements in improving the lives of the poor in society. Some of the important economic challenges facing the United States and other developed economies are the increase in economic inequality. Over the last two decades, no other industrialized country in the world has a bigger gap between wage growth and productivity growth than the U.S. The U.S economic inequality is at historically high levels because there is a great disparity in the way wages and income are distributed. Americans today live in an unequal society characterized by higher gaps in wages, income and wealth. Most poor and middle class households are left out in matters of economic growth and they watch as the GDP, stock markets, productivity and corporate profits rise everyday while their incomes stagnate or grow at a very slow rate (Kenworthy and Smeeding 31). The stock market has risen to 60 percent; the GDP is up by 8 percent nationally while the median house hold income has fallen by 5 percent. From the year 1979 to 2007, the richest 1 percent of the population experienced tripling of incomes while those of the middle households rose only to about 25 percent. Currently, the richest 1 percent claims ownership to over 60 percent of the total wealth while 5 percent of the richest people claim over 60 percent of the total wealth in the United States. The gender and racial gap in wages, incomes and wealth has also widened throughout the period. While racial segregation has reduced in the last ten years, economic segregation has been on the rise. The great recession through 2010/2011 had its negative effects on the U.S. economy. Indeed it has permanently and negatively changed the level of well being as well as the distribution of resources in the whole country. With the nation’s economic growth abruptly halted during the 2008 recession, many workers turned

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways Essay - 2

Business Environment Analysis of British Airways - Essay Example British airways vision is to encourage achieving values that are very important for the organization (Katie, 2013). The organization values to achieve acceptable standards to govern individual behavior in the organization. The organizations are running their businesses all over the world. The main purpose of these organizations is to fulfill the basic needs of the human and to give good impact on the world. The businesses usually established in order to prevent or improve the human life. Many organizations in the world understand the management of organization and explicit verity of decisions making to provide direction to the organization (Bryson, 2011). The organizational purpose is to take verify of the decisions for the insiders and communicate with the outsiders. In the private sector, the organization is not part of the government. Whereas, the public sector organization, is owned and operated by the government. British Airways is originally a privately owned aviation organization that was nationalized in 1939. British airways merge the financial losses and industrial operations privately (Heinz & Pitfield, 2011). In an organization, the stakeholder relationship model make connections between the organization and its stakeholders. It is essential for the organization to establish a good understanding with the stakeholder in order to raise the profit and organizational profile. There are many stakeholders of British airways, including customers, employees, competitors, suppliers, media, environmental issues, local communities, financial institutions, shareholders, government etc (Balmer, Illia, & Brena, 2013). Below few stakeholders are discussed. The customers are the major source of earning profits for the organization, and these customers have high impact on the management of the organization. The British airways always try to attract the existing customers and move forward to attract the young or new audience. The British airways have the

The ambitions of Henry VIII in the years to 1526 Essay Example for Free

The ambitions of Henry VIII in the years to 1526 Essay How successful was Wolsey’s foreign policy in satisfying the ambitions of Henry VIII in the years to 1526? (24 marks) The foreign policy of the 12 years following 1514 was Wolsey’s accounts have been written almost as if, during these years, Henry VIII only existed as a stamp and the decisions were made by Wolsey. It is apparent that Wolsey made most decisions on a day-to-day basis and occasionally took major initiatives without the King’s acknowledgement. Henry intervened decisively at times to redirect events at his pleasure. Wolsey has to look like he was implementing the King’s policies even if he was pursuing his own ideas. Henry played a more significant role in the formation and conduct of Wolsey’s foreign policy than has traditionally been suggested. It was argued that the aim was perused in order to preserve some influence for England in foreign affairs, by ensuring that no one attained such dominance that he could arrange matters without taking into account the interests of other states, such as England. The claim was that Wolsey followed this policy by threatening to give his support to whichever side seemed likely to be worsted by the other. It was maintained that this policy was generally successful in ensuring that England’s international status remained high. This is the orthodox interpretation, where the main idea is that Wolsey wanted to maintain the balance of power. However, J.J. Scarisbrick had serious doubt on the geniuses of Wolsey’s ambition to become Pope. He argued that Wolsey’s support of papal diplomatic initiatives was largely coincidental and happened because England and the Papacy shared common interests from time to time. Scarisbrick established a new ’revisionist’ interpretation based on the existence of a main aim and a preferred method. The aim was the established and maintenance of peace. The method was a variant of the old ’balance of power’ interpretation. He established this by claiming that Wolsey sought to achieve an ’unbalance of power’ that he tried always to join the stronger side, so that it would create a sufficient imbalance for the other side to realise that fighting was pointless. He claimed that this policy has not been more apparent to observers because Wolsey was not very good at implementing it and frequently made mistakes, which he attempted to justify by p retending that his aims and methods were other than they had been. Henry had a very aggressive policy on France, until he eventually decided on trying to become the peacemaker of Europe. Henry wanted to regain the lost territory in northern France so he could be seen as a Great War lord with visions of honour and glory, but also to challenge Henry V’s title of the last great English warrior. The first sign of this aim being put into place is the first French war from 1512-1514. However the first expedition on June 1512 was a disastrous failure as Ferdinand of Aragon and Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian didn’t hold up to their end of the deal for an allied invasion. This shows Henrys naivety in foreign policy and the other European powers were using him to benefit themselves whilst sending him to his downfall. Wolsey gained his first experience of the duties and pitfalls involved in organising financing, transporting and feeding an army. Wolsey was blamed by many for the shambles that developed after the army landed in France despite the fact that he was a junior member of the Royal Council. However, Henry did not blame Wolsey and the manner in which Wolsey had conducted himself in correspondence with Ferdinand of Aragon impressed Henry. Despite this Henry personally lead an army of 25,000 across the channel and took Thà ©rouanne and Tournai in northern France and winning memorable battles such as the battle of the spurs. Wolsey was the Quarter-Master generally rather than the war minister. When a French force was defeated near Thà ©rouanne, Wolsey’s reputation as a master organiser was enhanced. The King’s growing trust in Wolsey enabled English diplomacy to shape, the guiding principle of which was to ensure that England, the least important of the three great western monarchies, was not left isolated against a Valois-Hapsburg alliance. Wolsey was the one who very effectively organised the second attempt on besieging France and made the peace agreements between the two nations in 1514, so it could be argued that the foreign policy towards the French at the time was policy’s that of Wolsey not Henry. Also in later years in the second French war 1522-25 Henry was yet again let down by his allies Charles V and Duke of Bourbon, which shows he didn’t learnt from previous experiences and is not very knowledgeable in foreign policy. Henry’s policy in France benefited him slightly by collecting a pension from the French, but is failure as it shows he can be manipulated by other powers and lost huge amounts of money on war. On a financial level the wars with France did have some bonuses one being the pensions they would receive due to the peace treaties. During Henry’s reign he managed to accumulate  £730,379 in funds from the French; however this was in no comparison to the amount spent on the wars which was  £3,545,765, so the pension was more of a consolation. D. MacCulloch quotes â€Å"Henrys demand for his pension was much more constant† which means he made sure he collected his money which shows he’s a strong king. Wolsey was unable to prevent the Emperor’s friends from persuading Henry VIII that England must take some military action against France. Francis chose to ignore the warnings he’d been given. An English army was sent to France at short notice in August 1523. In the sixteenth century, military action proved to be much less decisive than its authors had expected. Wolsey’s and Henry’s passing enthusiasm for armed intervention evaporated, and Wolsey was allowed to implement his original strategy of stalling Charles’ demands for action while he was attempted to negotiate a general peace with the French. But on February 1525, Charles secured the decisive victory that Wolsey had estimated to be so unlikely. In a battle that took place outside the walls of Pavia, in northern Italy, the unthinkable happened. Not only was the French army totally destroyed as an effective fighting force, but Francis I and most of his leading supporters were captured. This placed Charles in an overwhelmingly dominant position and Henry VIII was not slow to seek advantage of the situation. He realised that here was a rare opportunity to fulfil his intermittently held dream of securing the French crown for himself; Francis was prepared to launch fresh attacks on Charles within a year of his release. Henry had hopes of launching an attack on France while she was leaderless, but he was forced to abandon these when he was unable to raise the necessary finance. It shows that Wolsey was less enthusiastic about this, as shown by the lack of determination in making success of the ‘Amicable Grant’ which was supposed to fund for this. However Wolsey was certainly not diligent in encouraging the formation of an anti-imperial alliance (the League of Cognac) in northern Italy in 1526, with which France could associate in her efforts to reserve the verdict of Pavia. A further aim of Henry’s was to achieve everlasting honour and glory. He wanted to be remembered throughout the ages and to have a huge reputation in Europe and be among the great superpowers in Europe. He achieved historical remembrance quite easily from the many famous acts he passed; however he did bathe in a huge amount of glory and honour when the field of cloth of gold was held. This was a spectacular array of games held in Calais 1520 between Henry and Francis, it was meant to be a diplomatic meeting however no agreements were made, yet it did make Henry look good. However he failed on a lot of attempted invasions to France, but he overall succeeded in acquiring a degree of honour and glory in Europe. It seems that Henry and Francis viewed the occasion as no more than an opportunity to impress others of their wealth and international standing. The field of Cloth of Gold did nothing to advance the cause of general peace. If anything it created problems for Wolsey in convincing the rest of Europe that England was not taking sides in the already developing struggle for supremacy between Francis I and Charles V. Henry was most grateful to Wolsey for making it appear to the World that he was the equal of the two ‘super power’ rulers of Europe. Henry also managed to achieve success by maintaining links with the Netherlands. England depended on the Antwerp cloth market heavily as cloth was England biggest trading material at the time. Henry tried to maintain this link throughout, by allying with Charles V whenever he went to war, as Charles was in control of the Netherlands at the time. As years passed, Henry began to portray the image of being the peacemaker of Europe. Under the guidance of Wolsey Henry began to use the treaty of London in his own favour to try and achieve a peaceful Europe. It could be argued that Henry only resorted to this as he couldn’t achieve honour through war. However he undertook this role to try and make the country look good, cement his place at the top of the leader board in Europe and make England look bigger and more powerful than what it really was. He also used the treaty of London so he had alliance requests from Charles V and Francis I before the Hapsburg-Valois war, so he could choose which side would benefit him the most. In October 1518 the treaty was signed, with Wolsey being the organiser. England and France were the first signatories and within a few months, Spain and the Papacy also signed. It was a grandiose scheme’ intended to bind the 20 leading states of Europe to perpetual peace with one another. The plan was for all those states with an active foreign policy not only to commit themselves to non-aggression, but to promise to make war on any ruler who went against the treaty, thus making it impossible for any state to benefit from attacking another. Wolsey delivered an oration in praise of peace that was much acclaimed. This wasn’t actual topic that the Pope had organised it for, buy Wolsey changed it. This could be seen as Wolsey trying to get his own way and for his own gain, but it benefited himself, Henry and all of England. Historians have generally viewed this initiative as yet another example of Wolsey’s cynical self-interest. The public perception was that Wolsey was working to implement the Pope’s wishes because he was using the fact that he was acting as the Pope’s representative because he was Legatus a Latere. Others have maintained that he was merely seeking to satisfy his sense of his own importance by being seen to be the peacemaker (arbiter) of Europe, and to be treated as such during the extensive public celebrations that accompanied the unveiling of the treaty. Many believe that he was guilty of sacrificing national interests for personal gain. A Hapsburg-Valois conflict began when Charles was elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. This situation presented Henry VIII and Wolsey with both continuous opportunities and frequent challenges. Given the strategic position that England enjoyed, being able either to disrupt Charles’s communications between Spain and Netherlands or to open a new front in any attack on France, her favours were certain to be in great demand from the two major powers. Wolsey was called on to pay some of the price for his triumph of the Treaty of London. Francis I had been happy enough to receive his reward for agreeing to join the Cardinal’s ‘grand design’ but he had no intention of being constrained by its terms on conditions. Francis was determined to strengthen his position in Northern Italy by military action against Charles and his supporters. Charles called upon England another to come to his assistance to halt the aggressor. In August 1521, Wolsey travelled to Bruges in Netherlands in order to meet with Charles on the action to be taken. The agreement made with Charles was that an English army would invade France unless Francis agreed to make peace. The mere threat of English action would be sufficient to persuade France to make terms. Wolsey had experience of Francis’ stubbornness that he must have realised that a threat was likely to be insufficient. He was more than satisfied with the honour that his meeting with Charles had brought him. Henry however failed in securing his dynasty. He married his daughter Mary off to Charles V. However it failed because Mary and Charles did not have children. But, in 1514 Louis XII of France became a widower. Wolsey seized the opportunity to propose a Valois-Tudor alliance to be sealed by the offer in marriage of Mary, sister of Henry VII. With Henry’s willing consent, the marriage went ahead and the ensuring treaty gave Henry an annuity of 100,000 crowns and confirmed English possession of Tournai. The success of the negotiations had enabled Wolsey to cement his place as the King’s chief diplomat. Scarisbrick’s interpretation has not been replaced by an alternative straightforward explanation. This is because it has become more and more apparent that no coherent pattern ever existed in Wolsey’s approach to diplomacy. It is now widely accepted that there was no single guiding principle that directed his actions throughout his 15 years in power. At differing times he was motivated by selfish considerations, especially a desire to obtain more extensive or longer-lasting delegated powers from the Pope. The need to satisfy the expectations of Henry VIII to further what he considered to be national or papal interests and by an altruistic inclination to benefit mankind by creating an era of peace. It is impossible to detect if many or all of these motives were behind each decision he made. There is not enough evidence to judge the importance of these motives. So in conclusion, Wolsey’s foreign policy to a great extent, satisfied Henry’s ambitions because Wolsey did exactly what Henry wanted; even though he thought about himself a lot.

The main purpose Essay Example for Free

The main purpose Essay Businesses have functional areas so that the business can stay organized. Functional areas are the business broken down in to small areas so it becomes easier for the business to be looked after. The main purpose of functional areas is to ensure that all important business activates are carried out efficiently. if the business is to achieve its aims and objectives. In addition, specific areas will be responsibility for supporting specific types of aims and objectives. (BTEC first 2nd edition business). Functional areas large business organisations like Tate and Lyle divide themselves into different functional areas, this is because they have to be well organised to make all their aims and objectives possible and to make it an even easier place to work so that it can be more productive. There are different teams of people who are split into different functional areas so they are able to make the business operate more efficiently. All of the functional areas arent dependent on each other but have to work closely together for Tate and Lyle to operate. (http://www. coursework. info/GCSE/Business_Studies/Functional_areas_within_business_L65336. html) There are seven different functional areas in a business: 1. Finance 2. Administrations. 3. I. C. T. 4. Marketing. 5. Sales. 6. Research and Development. 7. Customer Services. 8. Human Resources. 9. Disterbution. 10. Production. These are the ten main functional areas in a business. Finance for NHS is given by the government and the government recives money from tax payers. Finance is one of the functional areas in a business. Finace deals with all the money in the flowing through the business. Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. The term finance may thus incorporate any of the following:   The study of money and other assets   The management and control of those assets * Profiling and managing project risks   As a verb, to finance is to provide funds for business. (http://encyclopedia. thefreedictionary. com/finance). Administration is also a functional area in a business that deals with keeping track of all the transactions that take place. In business, administration consists of the performance or management of transactions and other matters, and the making and implementing of major decisions. Administrator can serve as the title of the General Manager or Company Secretary who reports to a corporate board of directors. This use is archaic. (http://encyclopedia. thefreedictionary. com/Administrations) I. C. T is used in most business to help make paper work easier and makes it easier to keep records. Director General of NHS IT Richard Granger gave some insights into his approach for realizing the aims and objectives set out in Delivering 21st century IT supports for the NHS in June 2002. Referring to the publication, he said that when he started last October he inherited a working paper not an implementation plan. In his view, in the past, NHS ICT-based projects had largely stuck at the features phase, which meant that the NHS rarely got to the benefits stage. He described the pitfall of spending a long time, often years, in the specification phase, which does not allow for the half-life of ICTs. By the time a specification is agreed and a solution procured, technology has moved on and the solution no longer delivers the current requirement. Mr. Granger clearly intends the NHS to get to the benefits stages of all its ICT procurements in the National Programmer for IT. ( http://www. bjhc. co. uk/news/1/2003/6001. htm) Research and Development is also a functiomal area in business. Research and development is done so your bussiness can provide there customers changing needs. Research and development   How to anticipate and adapt to your customers changing requirements. Find out about non-financial schemes and networks to help your business with research and development. * Credits and allowances can reduce your tax bill if you spend money on RD. (http://www. businesslink. gov. uk/bdotg/action/layer? topicId=1073859020) Customer Service Customer service is involved with dealing with customer enquires and certain problem that may arise with complaints, this is customer services comes in and deals with the problem solving of certain things that a customer may face. Good Customer Services = Satisfaction. Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business wont be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers. (http://sbinfocanada. about. com/od/customerservice/a/custservrules. htm) Customer Service Software Flight deck the way to provide good customer services. What is Good Customer Care, its something that makes your customers Happy to do business with you   Customer Satisfaction, use Flight deck and be amazed how easy it is (http://www. flightdeckcrm. co. uk/customer-service-definition. aspx) Marketing Marketing is all about meeting customres needs. it Is a functional area in a businesses, markiting looks at the four ps wich are prouduct, prise, promotion and place. These are the four ps that the marketing departmant has to look at through the customers eyes. Marketing research research that gathers and analyzes information about the moving of good or services from producer to consumer. Market research is broader in scope and examines all aspects of a business environment. It asks questions about competitors, market structure, government regulations, economic trends, technological advances, and numerous other factors that make up the business environment. (See Environmental scanning. ) Sometimes the term refers more particularly to the financial analysis of companies, industries, or sectors. In this case, financial analysts usually carry out the research and provide the results to investment advisors and potential investors. (http://encyclopedia. thefreedictionary. com/marketing+research) Sales Sales are also a functional area in a business and businesses. Sales are the exchange of a good or a service for money e. g. card, cash and check. Sales, or the activity of selling, form an integral part of commercial activity. It could be argued that it is the cornerstone of business as it is the meeting of buyers and sellers and all other areas of business has the goal of making that meeting successful. Mastering sales is considered by many as some sort of persuading art. On the contrary, the methodological approach of selling refers to it as a systematic process of repetitive and measurable milestones, by which a salesperson relates his offering enabling the buyer to visualize how to achieve his goal in an economic way. (http://encyclopedia. thefreedictionary. com/sales) Human recourses Human recourses are functional areas in a business and it is for the employees (staff) of the business. Human recourses is in charge of recruiting new employees for the business and ensuring that the employee is trained and is suitable for the vacancy available. Human recourses aim to keep good and experienced workers so that business has a low staffs turn over, all employees have needs and expectations, just like customers the business has to look after it staff, this benefits the business because the staff be come more motivated because there needs are being meet. Human resources are the field of personnel recruitment and management. The person employed in a business or organization is staff. The number one glossary suggestion and question that people request is: What is the definition of human resources? William R.Tracey, in The Human Resources Glossary defines Human Resources as: The people that staff and operate an organization as contrasted with the financial and material resources of an organization. The organizational function that deals with the people Long a term used sarcastically by individuals in the line organization, because it relegates humans to the same category as financial and material resources, human resources will be replaced by more customer-friendly terms in the future. (http://humanresources. about. com/od/glossaryh/f/what_hr.htm). Disterbution Disterbution basically is the goods getting diliverd to the right location, right time and in good codition. Disterbution functions   Ensuring all goods are appropriately stored before dispatch   Ensuring goods for dispatch are securely packed and correctly labeled   Checking vehicle loads are safe and secure   Ensuring goods are dispatched at the right time   Checking that all deliveries match orders precisely and notifying sales if there are a discrepancy Completing the delivery document   Planning and scheduling vehicles routes. Notifying sales staff of delivery schedules so that customers can be informed * Dealing with distribution problems e. g. through bad weather or vehicles brake down. (BTEC first 2nd edition business) Production Production is the making of the product or good. production could be one of the flowing Manufacturing, a branch of industry that processes raw materials into finished goods for sale. Production, costs, and pricing, in microeconomics, the act of making things. Mass production, the large-scale production of standardized products using an assembly line. (http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Production) NHS functional areas are: Finance Administrations. I. C. T. Research and Development. Customer Services. Human Resources. HMV functional areas are: Finance Administrations. I. C. T. Marketing. Sales. Research and Development. Customer Services. Human Resources. Production. AGRICULITURE farms functional areas are: Finance Administrations. I. C. T. Research and Development. Customer Services. Human Resources. OXFAMS functional areas are: Finance Administrations. I. C. T. Marketing. Sales. Research and Development. Customer Services. Human Resources. Disterbution.

Factors Impacting on Cardiovascular Surgery

Factors Impacting on Cardiovascular Surgery STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The goals of this study are to explore the different factors affecting cardiovascular surgery and the manufacture of cardiovascular devices, as well as to quantify the market for various segments of the cardiovascular device market. Cardiac surgery is increasing globally, with the contribution of macroeconomic factors such as aging populations, increasing rates of obesity, poor nutrition and other health stressors. In recent years, new technologies have been developed that make sophisticated therapies accessible for patients in previously underserved locations. Whether through disease, congenital defects or degradation of cardiac and vascular function with advancing age, the incidence of cardiovascular disease is growing dramatically, substantiating the continued growth in cardiovascular surgical procedures. REASONS FOR DOING THIS STUDY The American Heart Association, in its publication Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, 2016 Update At-A-Glance, estimates that 98 million American adults will have one or more types of cardiovascular disease. Surgery represents the most effective therapy for advanced cardiovascular conditions. Recent innovations such as minimally invasive procedures, beating heart surgeries, ventricular assist devices and artificial hearts, replacement valves and treatments for hypertension such as renal denervation offer therapeutic options that result in shorter recovery times and reduced complication risks. Newer cardiovascular devices and therapeutic techniques will play an increasing role in enhancing quality of life for a growing elderly population, as well as patient groups with poor cardiac function. The ability of government-run health agencies and private insurance providers to cope with the increased need for cardiovascular procedures, together with rising hea lthcare costs, have led agencies and insurers to closely evaluate their coverage for cardiovascular surgical procedures and continually seek out lower-cost but still efficacious options. This report will identify areas of growth within the cardiovascular surgical device market and discuss innovative technologies that have been recently launched or are presently under development. Market growth rates will be projected based on manufacturers net revenues, unless otherwise indicated. This report is designed to achieve the following objectives: Describe the trends and developments affecting each type of cardiovascular surgical technology and discuss how each addresses market needs. Analyze market demand, competitive dynamics and regulatory/ reimbursement-related factors to project the market size for each technology and highlight target applications. Study intensively market growth by geography. Analyze trends and opportunities in major regions: North America, Europe, Asia and the rest of the world (ROW). Identify major stakeholders, product portfolio and recent developments, and draw a competitive landscape for the market leaders. Track and analyze recent developments, alliances, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and patents of the market players in the industry. This report is designed to appeal to many types of readers, including marketing and management executives within the medical device industry, venture capital professionals interested in exploring commercialization opportunities and anyone else who would like to better understand how market factors and technologies interact in this industry. SCOPE OF REPORT The scope of this study encompasses multiple technologies and procedures related to cardiovascular surgical devices. The study focused primarily on four categories of cardiovascular surgery: traditional (open), interventional, cardiac rhythm management (CRM) and cardiac ablation procedures. These procedure groupings are categorized logically so that comparisons can be made within procedural groups as well as across the cardiovascular surgical devices industry as a whole. Note that carotid artery surgery related to stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery to correct aortic aneurysms, and surgical and stenting procedures designed to address peripheral vascular disease are not addressed in detail in this report. BCC Research analyzes the industry on a worldwide basis from market, product and technology perspectives. Regulations and reimbursement issues and patents issued from 2011 through mid-2016 are also examined to identify patient safety, regulatory review and insurance coverage issues for stakeholders and potential stakeholders in this industry. The report examines the cardiovascular surgery device industry in general, the types of technologies currently in use as well as future technological developments, and regulatory influences that affect product distribution. The industry structure section discusses the most active manufacturers with respect to relative market share, marketing strengths and forces that promote or hinder the growth of technologies. The technology sections detail historical (2014), and projected (2015 to 2020) market values. METHODOLOGY BCC Research presents an analysis across the entire cardiovascular surgical device market based on company-specific revenue dollars and units shipped as reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or other governmental agencies, as well as company information such as conversations with company officials, annual reports and product/financial news releases. The report also analyzes data collected from the United States Patent Office (USPTO) databases. Technological and demographic information is gathered from industry sources, governmental sources and published news reports. A top-down approach was used to estimate the market size of cardiovascular surgical devices. The research methodology used to calculate market size also included the following details: Market revenues of key players were determined through primary and secondary research, including a study of the annual reports of top market players, and interviews with key opinion leaders and corporate heads such as chief executive officers (CEOs), directors, product heads, business unit heads, etc. Secondary research included general search by keywords through paid sources such as Factiva and One Source, and other publicly available websites and company websites. The penetration of micromarkets was established through primary and secondary sources and validated through primary sources. The forecast was based on analysis of market trends such as pricing and volume analysis. The regional split was determined by using secondary sources verified through primary sources. The regional split was based on v arious parameters such as the number of players in a particular region, the extent of research activity occurring in that region and potential growth (e.g., scope for increase in number of laboratories). INFORMATION SOURCES BCC Research conducted primary and secondary research to develop this report. Sources included companies in the cardiovascular device market and supply industry, public documents, SEC filings, corporate white papers and other technical documentation for U.S. and international companies directly involved in manufacturing and distributing cardiovascular surgery devices and related products. Paid sources include Factiva, One Source and other subscribed healthcare magazines and journals. The report excludes resellers and retailers, focusing instead on the primary companies responsible for developing the underlying technology. Where precise information was not available, a consensus was made using reasonable assumptions and estimates based on historical data. ANALYSTS CREDENTIALS Bhavna Joshi has more than six years of healthcare domain experience. In addition to business research and consulting, she has conducted corporate briefings for top players in a wide range of market segments. After earning her MBA (marketing and finance stream) from Chennai University, she worked with major market research firms. Joshi has authored several market research studies in the healthcare domain. Some of these include: Healthcare tracking technologies. Molecular diagnostics market. High-growth markets in healthcare and life sciences. Adoption rates and analysis of over-the-counter (OTC) diabetic medicines and supplements. Radio frequency identification (RFID), real-time locating systems (RTLS), Internet Protocol (IP) surveillance and other emerging technologies in the healthcare domain.

Feminism in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Essay -- Feminism Femin

Feminism in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market  Ã‚   The Victorian period marked the first traces of progress in the feminist movement, and poet Christina Rossetti embraced the advancement as her own long-established principles slowly became publicly acceptable. Her poem "Goblin Market" comments on the institutions in Victorian society that she and her feminist contemporaries wished to see altered, creating modern female heroines to carry out its messages. The goblins serve as malicious male figures to tempt the innocent heroines, sisters Laura and Lizzie, to corruption. According to the Victorian definition, a gentleman "never takes unfair advantage . . . or insinuates evil which he dare not say out," and possesses, among other qualities, the ability to avoid all suspicion and resentment (Landow 4). The goblins in Rossetti's poem succeed in contradicting every Victorian definition of a gentleman throughout the poem; the only male figures present, they represent the deleterious nature of men on the lives of women. In "Goblin Market," the mens' only beneficial purpose is "impregnation. Once both sisters have gone to the goblins and acquired the juices of their fruits, they have no further need of them" (Mermin 291). The poem begins with the goblins calling the sisters' attention to their delicious, exotic fruits, which represent the proverbial forbidden fruit--one taste leads to destruction. But the goblins depict their fruits as enticing. Rossetti uses rich imagery such as "Currants and gooseberries,/ Bright-fire-like barberries,/ Figs to fill your mouth,/ Citrons from the South,/ Sweet to tongue and sound to eye" (1) to stimulate the reader's senses, just as the goblins' calls provoke Laura and Lizzie. The goblins at... ...n 'Goblin Market.'" Victorian Poetry. Vol. 21, No. 2. Summer 1983. Phillips, W. Glasgow. "Theme in Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market'." The Victorian Web. 1992. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html. Plowman, Melanie. "As A Poet Speaking from Within Female Limitations." The VictorianWeb.1990.URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html. Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market." Goblin Market and Other Poems. Ed. Candace Ward. New York: Dover Publications, 1994. 1-16. Weathers, Winston. "Christina Rossetti: The Sisterhood of Self." Victorian Poetry. Vol. 111, No. 2, 1965. Wohl, Anthony S. "The Supposed Excessive Sexuality of Lower Classes and Tribal Cultures." The Victorian Web. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html.

Artists in Stained Glass :: Essays Papers

Artists in Stained Glass I. CONCRETE EXPERIENCE I think my interest in the combination of glass, light and color began as a child when I discovered the colorful images created inside a kaleidoscope. Even as an adult, I cannot seem to resist picking up a kaleidoscope and gazing into the viewer as I rotate the tube to change the design of the colored bits of glass. If you walk into my home, it is apparent that I like to decorate with glass. I have glass flowers, marbles, stones, vases, balls, bowls and my favorite, stained glass. I have stained glass windows, birds, flowers, night-lights, candle holders, picture frames, and a jewelry box. I like to attend the various arts and craft festivals and shows in Tulsa so I can enjoy the stained glass art created by the local artisans. In November 1999, I went to the Stained Glass Guild's annual sale and purchased my first large piece of stained glass. It was a beautiful blue, yellow, green and red floral piece. I had purchased several smaller floral pieces in 1998 at Tulsa's Arts and Craft Fall Festival at Tulsa State Fairgrounds and I knew it would look beautiful surrounded by the smaller pieces. I purchased my stained glass windows at the Haskell Antique Auction in 2000. They were removed from a building in England and I like to think that they survived the bombings during World War II and now they hang inside my home. I would not say an exceptionally talented artisan created the windows but the pattern in the glass is unique. The colors sparkle and bring a certain charm to my kitchen and breakfast nook, especially on cold winter days. I recently remodeled my kitchen, breakfast nook and formal dining area. I installed new counters, wallpaper, border, artwork and flooring. In my spare time, I have been working with two friends to make a stained glass still life to hang between the doorway to the formal dining area and the kitchen, breakfast nook area. We made the pattern from the wallpaper border, which depicts a wine bottle, cheese, basket of fruit and some flowers sitting on a counter. The piece has over 200 pieces of cut glass and we are about two-thirds finished.

Atlanta Reconstruction :: essays research papers

Atlanta Reconstructed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Having been a gateway to and from southern economics and enterprise before and during the war, Atlanta seemingly sealed its fate by becoming a strategic target for a union offensive. In an effort to cripple the supply line to Confederate forces, General Sherman opted to finish destroying the already war wrenched city. When Union forces finally left Atlanta, it appeared little more then a desolate wasteland. Undoubtedly Sherman had achieved the Unions goal, as well as sending a clear message to the Confederates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the end of the Civil War, Atlanta served as a project and model for all the southern populous. Whites and Blacks alike quickly filled the city and rebuilding began at an astonishing rate. Southern whites, seemingly relieved at the end of the war, wasted no time in creating an environment to suite their needs. Four railways were the centerpiece to Atlanta’s new vibrant economy. Soon, Atlanta surpassed its pre-war status in both area and size.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Reconstruction Act of 1867 offered a military presence in Atlanta that insured blacks safety. Like the rest of the southern Freedmen, blacks flooded the city to escape plantations and seek a better life. The white population took a different approach then other southern areas, seeming to ignore the ever-growing black population. Jobs were sparse for the Freedmen and although compiling nearly half of Atlanta’s population, blacks found themselves living well below the white standard of living. Owing to the military presents, whites simply concentrated their energies on making themselves and their city more comfortable and wealthy then ever before. In 1868, Atlanta became the new Capitol, further fueling the goal of making it the heart and soul of Georgia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment, Blacks earned the right to vote. This, although powerful in appearance, had little effect on the segregation that Atlanta’s white population had adopted. Black voters boosted the presence of the Republican Party, but not enough to over through that of the Democrats. As Atlanta’s growth subsided and the military presence was lifted, blacks left the inner city, taking refuge on the outskirts of town. Atlanta had seemingly succeeded in its goals. It welcomed northerners with open arms, but dealt with the blacks by simply shunting them to one side. Over time, blacks and whites simply lived life apart from one another.

Rci Master Distributors

RCI Master Distributor Evolution of Supplier Relationships 9/16/2012 Group 3 PHILIP CORRADINI (IE/15/009) KAMALIKA GANGOLY (PGP/15/019) S. SIDDHARTH (PGP/15/048) DEVINA BHASKAR (PGP/15/082) APOORVA GOYAL (PGP/15/130) MADHURI MUKHERJEE (PGP/15/155) AMARENDRA (PGP/15/202) DHANANJAY JANARTHANAN (PGP/15/216) GAUTAM S (PGP/15/277) S. HARIPRASAD (PGP/15/314) HISTORY OF RCI 1946 – Mark Schwartz founded a motor repair business and secured a GE franchise for component parts. He was instrumental in bringing about a service innovation by exchanging fully working motors with customers who came in for repairs of their broken down motors.He then repaired them and replenished his motor inventory. 1962- GE’s General Purpose Control operation developed a new contactor for its air-conditioning and refrigeration business. Mark Schwartz attained the rights to exclusively distribute these contactors to the aftermarket through air-conditioning and refrigeration wholesalers. 1963 – RCI had demonstrated to GE that they could get GE’s products to market, with the parts moving from master distributors to wholesalers and ultimately service repair persons. RCI also worked in the direction of providing new innovations in terms of packing and product innovations as well.Mark Swartz worked with GE engineers and through this inputs in developing innovations, RCI continued to distribute these models exclusively. 1974 – Danny Swartz takes more responsibility and starts taking all the day-to-day business decisions. Some of the key values which RCI followed were * Working by developing a relationship of trust and faith with suppliers. They did not have any formally drawn contracts. * Demonstrating to the suppliers how difficult distribution was and how RCI’s competencies could not be replicated. CURRENT SYSTEM The current position of RCI was as follows:RCI distributed over 6000 electrical and related products earning revenue of $ 35. 8 million and with op erating profits of $ 3 million. RCI plays the role of a master distributor i. e. it sells to air-conditioning and refrigeration wholesalers who in turn sell to air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and repair houses. Their role is essentially restricted to the aftermarket channel for repair parts. RCI’S SALES PROCESS RCI uses a network of independent manufacturer’s reps. who were 45 in numbers and from 14 companies. The average commission received by them was 3. % and usually do not carry competing lines. RCI operated five warehouses which were electronically linked and operated on real-time inventory basis. RCI’s strength was in commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning business where price was secondary in some cases and reliability was more revered. Manufacturers of Electronic Components Ex: GE, Texas Instrument, Honeywell, Emerson W. W. Grainger Wholesale/ Distributor 330 Outlets Master Distributors e. g. , RCI, Steveco, Brownell, GEM Appliance Equipment Manufacturers e. g. , GE, Amana, Trane Air-conditioning, Refrigeration and Appliance Wholesalers approx 1250 with 4000 branches) Repair and Service Houses (approx. 10,000) Appliance Retail Dealers Consumers Overview of Industry Channel Structure Conflicts with GE GE Appliance and control: Loss of exclusivity In 1976, RCI first lost its exclusivity for cold controls to GEM which started selling 10 times the volume of cold controls as compared to RCI. GE Appliance and control was not very confident with Mark Schwartz who had only 3 years of distribution business experience. GEM’s success led to gradual loss of exclusivity of PCI over other products.GE appliance and control used ‘Coercive power’ against RCI because the latter was not able to increase the sales volume as desired by the former. Listed below are the outcomes of GE Motors’s distribution channel study:- a. Master distributors were gradually becoming inefficient and ineffective in managin g inventories, product knowledge and providing merchandising support. b. Master distributors were being bypassed by suppliers who were selling products directly to wholesalers. c. The wholesalers were getting products at prices 5-17% lower than GE’s master distributors from GE’s competitors selling directly to them. . Master distributors started losing share of sales to manufacturers selling directly to wholesalers. GE Motors hence decided to keep master distributors but proposed to sell directly to top 10 wholesalers, a proposal that would have given RCI a very serious blow. But RCI threatened GE motors to take back existing inventories with them, billing them for catalogue printing and distribution cost and refused any kind of repair service which meant end of the relationship. RCI had been in this business for a very long time and its innovative ideas were not being imitated by competitors as effectively as they could.The threat resulted in GE scrapping the proposal . This showcases the use of ‘Expert power’ by RCI owing to its expertise in distribution channel. This time around GE wanted to bypass RCI and remove its exclusivity by selling its products to WW Grainger who was a distributer/wholesaler (that too, a large one). This was esp. in the case of ‘design and control relay’ which had been mastered by Mark Schwartz for GE under the RCI banner. We could say this was GE’s display of ‘Legitimate Power’ as it was looking out for options which could have brought in more sales volume to GE.RCI established itself as a standard in low cost ‘lower end two pole devices’ – a #2 seller only next to Honeywell in retaliation to GE not reducing its price or developing a low cost product for the low end device by tying up with Component Manufacturing Seeing this GE approaches RCI to distribute its low cost private label for the lower end of the business. This behavior or GE was due to RCI es tablishing itself as a reference in Lower end two pole device which can be seen as RCI’s ‘Referent Power’. Post the death of Mark Schwartz GE wanted to eliminate the Master Distributers completely.Danny threatened to drop the GE Line completely and add in competitors’ line. GE yielded to this seeing the revenue from RCI as a bird in hand better than two in the bush where it had to develop newer channel partners. Thus in this case we can say that RCI exhibited ‘Reward Power’ RCI – GEM Difficult period in 1986: The demise of Mark Swartz left Danny Schwartz in charge of RCI for the first time. There was decline in sales for the first time in 1986 since 1971. There was also a major drop in the profits. Danny feared of making a loss due to these reasons.This led to questions whether RCI be able to handle this transition. The following were the threats faced by Danny Schwartz: GE acquiring GEM: GE bought GEM products in the year 1986, who is a competitor distributor to RCI. Implications of GE takeover of GEM: GE could internally lower price to GEM as it was only an internal transfer price. If this happens then GEM could sell at a lower price than RCI. And if GEM turns out to be profitable, GE could eliminate RCI as its distributor. Danny Schwartz remarked that this was the worst time of his life. GE’s relations with Grainger:Grainger was an integrated distributor/wholesaler franchise with 330 wholesale outlets that were served by its own captive distributor. It had significant buying power at the manufacturer. Grainger though was not a direct competitor to RCI. But it was competitor to the customers of RCI, the other wholesalers. Because of its strong influence on the consumers, the customers who went to Grainger to make a purchase would continue to buy in Grainger thereby pulling away business from the other wholesalers who are RCI customers. This way Grainger causes a serious threat to RCI.Pricing policy for OE Ms: OEMs were also reselling parts of the products. Due to their huge volume of buying, the OEMs were able to purchase GE motors components at discount about 25%. This would imply that price of a component purchased by RCI at 25$ would cost only 20$ to OEMs. Response by RCI: Danny struck a deal with A. O. Smith to make top 25 models of products under RCI Label. GE cautioned by Danny’s attempt of distributing a â€Å"fighting brand† by reducing its price from 25$ to 21$. It then distributed the A. O. Smith models to the areas where GE sales were weak.THE CRITICAL ARMS OF THE RCI BUSINESS Customers For RCI, the customers are the wholesalers. Their biggest asset is the strong relationships they have built with their customers, which is primarily a result of their performance, and is also somewhat based on their social interactions and experiences with each other. RCI tries to re-educate customers in a way that is advantageous for them, mainly by convincing them that small shipments are better, which increases their reliance on RCI. They offer two pre season specials in which they give extended terms and rebates based on the quantities purchased.This is contradictory to their philosophy of encouraging small shipments; however, it keeps the customers’ warehouses loaded, leaving lesser space for competitor’s products. Suppliers Managing suppliers is a major task for RCI. This is achieved, firstly, by purchasing in volumes, and secondly, by maintaining strong social relationships. Social relationships are maintained at a personal level with individuals by making suppliers comfortable in visiting them or having RCI people visit them, socialising, and working together.However, the downside of maintaining personal relationships is seen when the advocate at the supplier’s end moves to a new job. At that juncture it becomes difficult because a new relationship needs to be developed with his successor or boss or other people in the concer ned department. Operations RCI has faced problems at various ends, many a times by losing exclusivity or their suppliers’ share to competitors. However their competitors have mostly failed with the products they were given. RCI has been able to maintain a significant share in all products except the cold controls which was the first product they lost exclusivity on to GEM.RCI tries to accommodate the needs of each major customer by structuring different deals for them. The RCI business is a relatively small part of their customers’ overall business and they make large gross margins on their products. RCI represents not more than 5-10% of their customers’ business even if they have about 80% market share in the products they supply. As a result, their reliance on RCI is low. However, they want their customers to get hooked on to them by regularly placing small orders. Manufacturer’s Reps The reps cultivate and maintain personal relationships with customers .They are the first point of contact for the customer due to the relationships that they build. In addition they provide ‘One stop shopping’ for the customers by allowing them to choose from a broad line of products from various manufacturers. The master distributor lacks the manpower or the capability to deal with individual customers and negotiate with them on price or quantity. This factor prevents manufacturers from entering the distribution business directly as he would face the same challenges. While dealing with individual reps the master distributor has significant power as RCI for instance accounts for 50-70% of its rep’s income.This allows them to be demanding in their expectations from the reps. However at the same time RCI ensures that it makes its payments on time and that it does not cheat its reps out of their commissions. The reps situation appears to be fragile as it can be seen from the case that 75% of the rep companies have come on in the last ten years. In case a particular rep does not perform up to expectations or if he is outsourcing the work to other reps RCI is prompt in getting rid of him. This ensures that only competent salesmen remain. Threats The primary threat faced is the consolidation of customers.This results in a loss of income in the following ways. The manufacturers decide to deal with the consolidated customers directly through their captive distribution divisions leaving out the master distributor entirely. This process also forces existing wholesalers to consolidate or quit the business entirely thereby severing the relationship they have with the master distributor. Upon consolidating customers start centralized distribution warehouses and thereby eliminate the need for specialized services that RCI provides such as rapid delivery.Although margins have remained constant prices have dropped throughout the industry. Acting upon the lower base prices the gross margin dollars of RCI has decreased over t ime. Other problems faced include a growing increase in expenses on account of inflation, increased wages and other costs. At a time of constant margins this ends up affecting the bottom line. OEMs’ have a different relationship with manufactures due to the large volumes they provide. These volumes enable them to purchase parts at a significantly lower rate than independent replacement part distributors.This lowers the value of the assets that these replacement part distributors provide but enables them to capture a greater share of the OEM aftermarket share. OEM’s are also starting in-house aftermarket distributors by using the price discounts that they receive from manufacturers. This could be a major threat in the long run as the only thing preventing the growth of these firms is the belief that manufacturers would not allow the same product to be sold to two different customers performing the same function at two different prices.RCI competes with such firms on the basis of its credibility and service that it provides. It provides a broad product line and better packaging with instructions and labels at a cost effective rate. Manufacturers prefer selling to companies like RCI as their margins would be higher. The long term attractiveness of RCI’s business is also decreasing due to the fact that prices are margins are being eroded in the long run.