Friday, December 20, 2019

Jihad Islamic Tradition And Theology - 3512 Words

This paper examines the concept of jihad in Islamic tradition and theology, the study unveils the logical and hermeneutical presuppositions of Islam in upholding the doctrine of jihad in the 21st century. As a universalistic religion with the ultimate aim of converting the entire world and eliminating other religions, Islam uses jihad as the last option either in self- defence, or territorial expansion. Jihad may mean self-purification in theory, but for political Islam, it is a strategy to defeat the enemies of Islam through full armed confrontation. While some people are defending Islam as a religion of peace, global political Islam has adopted jihad as a platform for military confrontation with the enemies of Islam. The international†¦show more content†¦The international community is facing a tough time in combating the militant agenda of political Islam. Keywords: jihad, religion, Islam, territorial expansion, political Islam, warfare in Islam 1 Introduction Islam is derived from the Arabic word aslam, which means submission, surrender, resignation and committing of oneself to the cause of Allah (Cowan, 1968: 424, 426). Another Arabic word that is the root word of aslam is salam, which is interpreted as safety, immunity, freedom, soundness, well being, peacefulness, salutation or imperfection (Lane, 1978: 1415). The social and spiritual goal of Islam involves the attainment of peace through absolute submission to the will of Allah. A. R. I. Doi writes: Islam means absolute submission to the creator and Lord. A Muslim is a believer whose faith (Iman) is firm in him and believes in the absolute unity of God who watches all his activities. The entire message of Islam, therefore, is based on two fundamentals; faith (Iman) and right doing (Ihsan) (1981: 44). A Muslim is not an ordinary citizen in any society. As a bearer and reservoir of peace, a faithful Muslim is called khalifat Allah (vice-gerent of Allah). As ambassador of Allah on earth, Muslims have a duty to promote peaceful co-existence in all human societies. Abul ala Maududi writes: The moral

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Educational Psychology and Mental Alertness free essay sample

DOTA (Defense Of The Ancients)†¦.. A very popular computer game for a teenager nowadays and truly gives some benefits like fast typing, mental alertness, improving strategies and team participation. But some teenagers were mostly acquiring this game`s disadvantages that keeps this teenagers away from education. So for me, I would rather take education than this bad influence. First,in terms of money, some teenager students spend more money from their allowance in playing DOTA instead of paying tuition and for buying such projects. Furthermore, many of them use it for placing bets on a team whether they will win or not, in other words â€Å"Gambling† and their other way of playing which money were involved. Next, as I observed in this game it could also give problems in our eyes because DOTA has very high qualities in color, brightness and other video parts, but even though we could adjust it doesn`t mean we can avoid such problems in terms of sight like this so-called â€Å"Far-sighted† or â€Å"Near-sighted† and results us with an eyeglass. We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Psychology and Mental Alertness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And the last is that DOTA could sometimes cause addictedness and may result in failing grades, like my younger brother that spend to much money playing this game instead of studying hard and keep on saving his allowance. But as you know, my younger brother`s experiencing nowadays is what I just I had in my high school life, that`s why I almost fail some of my grades because of thinking about how to win always in that game and rather minding my failing grades. And after 2 years, I just realized that playing DOTA gives me nothing but being empty-handed at all times†¦.. so I promise myself that I should lessen this game playing to avoid such bad influences that this disadvatages throws at me.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Costing Methods Paper free essay sample

Costing Methods Paper Former Steelers’ running back Franco Harris created Super Bakery Inc. , in 1990. â€Å"Super Bakery is a virtual corporation, in which only the core, strategic functions of the business are performed inside the company. The remaining activities—selling, manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping—are outsourced to a network of external companies†. When management suspected that the established cost method was making a sizeable difference in its real cost structure, it wanted a new way of assigning their costs. Management also supposed an extensive difference in the cost of serving their customers in other parts of the country. However, its established methods were distributing costs over the entire customer foundation. Management reviewed and eventually altered their system to recognize the costs associated with the task performed in the company. Super Bakery’s management thought it was necessary to install an ABC system because all of their customer orders appeared to be equal in price to complete. We will write a custom essay sample on Costing Methods Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In actuality, high profit margin orders were financially supporting low profit margin orders. The company needed a system that would accurately assign the costs of each order. Installing the activity based system illustrated the cost and profit margins on each sale showed a discrepancy. â€Å"Super Bakery is now able to track the profitability of each customer’s account and the performance of outsourced activities. This doughnut maker, as a result, even knows the cost of the doughnut holes†! This decision was smart and could have been costly if the company did not recognize the need to change systems. Process order cost system would work for Super Bakery because process costing will put in the cost based on the average number of doughnuts and other baked goods produced per day. Processing cost allows the managers to get detailed information on the baked goods production statistics. Process costing also allows management the advantage of ascertaining the same qualities in all of their products, and compares their productivity over time. References Kimmel, P. D. , Weygandt, J. J. , Kieso, D. E. (2009). Accounting: Tools for business decision making  (3rd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Jacques Cartier Essays - New France, 16th Century In Canada

Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier was born in St. Malo (France) in 1491. Not much is known of his life before 1534, when he departed on his first voyage. He was looking for a passage through or around North America to East Asia, as some had done before him, and many would after him. Though he undoubtedly made a voyage to the New World prior to 1534, probably in Brazil. In 1534, he was given a grant by King Francis I of France to search for the north west passage. Cartier explored the coast of Newfoundland, but found no passage leading westward. He made the crossing of the Atlantic in only twenty days, and landed on an island near the coast of Newfoundland, by then already much frequented by Breton fisherman. He sailed north, and entered the Straight of Belle Isle. He sailed into and named the gulf of St. Lawrence, sailed along the westcoast of Newfoundland, and crossed the Bay to the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island, both of which he thought were part of the mainland. Then he went to Chaleur Bay and Gaspe? peninsula which he claimed for the French crown. There he saw 50 canoes filled with Micmac indians, who seemed friendly and greeted him with the words napeu tondamen assurtah (we want to make friendship). The next day the French and the Micmac traded and celebrated. Cartier explored the bay, being disappointed that it was not the straight to China he had hoped it to be. He also met a fishing party of 200 Hurons, led by their chief, Donnaconna. His sons, Domagaia and Taignagny, went to France with Cartier to become interpreters. Cartier explored Anticosti Islands and returned to France. As he had heared of a large river further to the west, and hoped it to be the sought-for northeast passage, Cartier departed on a second voyage in the next year. He sailed through the Strait of Belle Isle again, but this time followed the coast westward, and reached the St. Lawrence. He sailed upriver until the Huron village of Stadacona (at the location of present-day Quebec). Donnacona first greeted him friendly and solemnly, but refused to let him sail further west. Three medicin men dressed up as devils, and warned Cartier not to go further, but Cartier just laughed at it. He went further upriver, leaving the two Huron boys behind. He reached Hochelaga, another Huron village. Again their coming resulted in extensive festivities. Cartier climbed a mountain he called Mount R'eal (royal mountain), and was appointing when he saw the Lachine Rapids a bit upriver, which told him that this was not the passage to China. He spent the winter in Stadacona. During the winter his men suffered from scurvy, less than ten of his 110 men remained strong enough, and had to get food and water for all. Because he was afraid that the indians would attack if they learned that the French were ill, Cartier ordered his men to make noise when they were near. The expedition might well not have survived if it were not for Domagaia. Domagaia had scurvy too, but ten days later Cartier saw him healthy and well. Domagaia told him he had cured from the bark and needles of the white cedar tree. Just over one week later the tree was bare, but all Cartier's men were healthy again. The Hurons told him stories about a land in the north, called Saguenay, full of gold and other treasure. None of this was true of course, but the Hurons liked telling stories, and when they found the French liked stories of riches, they were happy to give them these. Willing to let king Francis I to hear about these stories, Cartier kidnapped Donnaconna and his sons, and took them with him to France. He wanted to make another expedition, this time to look for Saguenay, but because of a war with Spain, and the difficulties of preparing the voyage, he was not able to do so until 1541. This time Cartier would not be the sole leader of the expedition, but had to serve under Jean-Francois de la Rocque, sieur de Robervalas viceroy and commander in chief. He visited Stadacona, and built a fort near the mouth of the Saguenay. His men collected what they thought were diamonds and gold, but in reality were only quartz and iron pyrite (fool's gold). Cartier himself went west, looking for Saguenay, but got no further than Hochelaga. Back at his fort (called Charlesbourg-Royal) he spent

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Personality Test Essay Example

The Personality Test Essay Example The Personality Test Essay The Personality Test Essay By taking the Big Five Personality test I have discovered some very interesting things about myself. Compared to my mom and dad I have more of my dad personality traits.I found out that I scored high for conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Agreeable. I also found out that I scored low for Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience/Intellect. Since I scored high in extraversion my score was 70%, which means I would be good at my job, which involves interaction between individuals during the day. According to the Big Five Personality test it says I tend to be social, friendly, fun, and loving the low score shows that I’m introverted, reserved, inhibited, and quiet, I enjoy the company of other people. Communication is one of my favorite things to do I enjoy talking to others. If I weren’t high in score for the Extraversion the job I have at the moment wouldn’t last for me because the workers need to be alert, talkative, friendly, and loving. I work with kids so all of that is a must and more. I scored high in conscientiousness my score was 83%, according to the website it said I am reliable, well organized, self-disciplined, and careful. The Low score is the opposite of the high score, which is disorganized, undependent, and negligent. I tend to try to force myself to be organized because once not I feel like my life is a mess. I like things in there place where they are easy to get and easy to find. I’m a full time student and I work four times a week so if I were not organized my life would be outrageous. For example if I have to be at work at 3:00pm, I would be there at that time. I also scored high in Agreeableness my score was 74% according to the website it said I tend to be good-natured, sympathetic, forgiving, and courteous. I scored low in being critical, rude, harsh, and callous.I personally feel like this score should have been higher. This is the only section in the test I disagree with. I know for a fact I am al

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Strategic Human Resources Management Bachelor Essay

Strategic Human Resources Management Bachelor - Essay Example This paper contributes to the work/life balance and work/non-work conflict literature by analyzing the literature of various studies, which examine the attitudes and experiences relating to work/life balance among UK, employees in the first 10 years of their careers. Specifically, the analysis explores the extent to which work/life balance matters, the extent to which it is being achieved and the factors that determine perceptions of work/non-work conflict, including the state of the psychological contract between employer and employee, work involvement and organisational support. The potential impact of work/non-work conflict on organisational commitment is examined, and the policy implications for employers considered. Corporate leaders understand that employees' work and family lives rare inextricably linked. They al ways have been but today, with increased pressures in both domains, the overlap and the challenges created are increasingly obvious and complex to resolve. Solving the paradox seated in an organisation's need to be optimally productive and the individual's need to find quality time to meet domestic responsibilities, to establish, maintain and grow relationships and to relax and re-charge, is the great challenge of the new millennium. Most managers have yet to overcome the conundrum for themselves let alone help employees resolve it in their lives. The prospects for easing the work/ life imbalance dilemma lie, at least in part, in establishing what is creating it. 'Know thy enemy' and so forth. Enemy number one must surely be the 'time distribution imbalance' trap - consistently committing too much time to work where this is having a detrimental impact on personal life. However, the concept of 'work-life balance' means different things to different people, and there are always shades of grey. What is an imbalance to one person is perfectly acceptable to another. In addition, commercial realities cannot be ignored. Somehow, the needs of key customers and/or other stakeholders must be met or they will take their patronage elsewhere. These and the myriad of other related issues are why the problem is so vexed and why many leaders effectively suspend their attempts to solve it. It ends up in the 'too hard' basket. However, given the gravity of the problem and the potential upside that comes with finding a remedy, at some point the issue must come back to the fore. So where to start Most managers agree that a so-called 'quality work environment' reduces the employment stresses that can spill over to staff's personal lives and create distress. The quality work environment bundle might include job characteristics such as work time flexibility, individual responsibility and autonomy, the physical office environment, pay, equity and advancement conditions. Lastly, but certainly not least, the nature of interpersonal relations in the office is very important. For some time, it has been argued that achieving a 'balance' between home life and work life is increasingly a priority for many people. As long ago as the late 1980s, Scase and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The History of Horror Films in the 1900's Term Paper

The History of Horror Films in the 1900's - Term Paper Example The movie presented the devils and skeletons for the audiences. In 1913, the German filmmakers made a first horror based film named Der Golem. This was directed by Paul Wegener. This was the adaptation of an Old Jewish folk tale. This film made a great success and even its remake in 1920. This film told a story about a clay joint which was made alive by an antiquarian and then fights with its rebels. Another German movie named Nosferatu was made in 1922 which was directed by F.W.Murnau. It was the first feature-length Dracula movie. Another movie named The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari made the way for the making of serious horror movies. This movie depicted about a show performer which started killing the people. The first horror drama in the Hollywood was The Hunchback of Notre Dame filmed in 1923 starring Lon Chaney being the first actor of horror movies. The modern genre of horror films was started in early 1930’s when two gothic-steeped movies featured named Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). These were launched by the universal studios and their sequels also rocked the cinemas. As the time passed, the concept of horror movies kept on changing. During 1950’s in the nuclear charged atmosphere, horror movies completely shifted to the modern one. These started including Aliens, Mutants, Insects, Plants and their deadly existence. The famous films included The things From another World (1951) and Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956). In the era of 1960 two major movies featured which included the human monsters and supernatural phenomenon. These included Peeping Tom and Psycho. In 1973, The Exocrist released that broke all the records of the previous horror movies and started a new dimension of the horror. Jaws (1975) directed by the famous Steven Spielberg became the highest grossing film ever in the horror cinema. Late 70’s movies included the very disturbing and violent The Texas Chainsaw Massacre whose sequels are still practiced till now. In 1980’s and 1990’s the teen violence came to the cinemas included the movies Friday The 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Till now I described the general and some famous flicks of the 1900’s but I have to go deep in the history of the horror. Let’s start from the beginning. The early horror movies of the era 1900-1930 majorly included the flicks that were based on the classic horror novels. As there were only the novels at that time which were to be the source of adaptation for the movies so horror cinema also started from the same path. In 1910, the first adaptation of Frankenstein appeared which was only 16 minutes long and produced by the famous inventor of light bulb â€Å"Thomas Edison†. Another adaptation Dr Jekyll and My Hyde also featured in that year. The first ever warewolf picture was depicted by the â€Å"Henry MacRae† in his film The Warewolf. Another adaptation of novel Dr Jekyll and My Hyde rocked the screens in 192 0 and it was a great success. Famous actor Lon Chaney found his fame from the movies The Hunchback of Notre Damme in 1923, The Phantom of the Opera in 1925 and a vampire movie London after Midnight in 1927. The films that were released in the decade of 1930-1940 included the Vampires, Mummies, Monsters specially Frankenstein and Werewolves. That was the classic horror. 1930’s feature film Dracula not only gave a new turn to horror

Monday, November 18, 2019

Eating Habits Among Teenagers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Eating Habits Among Teenagers - Research Paper Example These two programs bring into the consciousness of the American public the fact that childhood obesity has become quite a problem. Statement of the Problem According to the American Heart Association (2012) childhood obesity is still a problem in the United States. One in six children, ages two to 19 are obese and one in three are considered overweight. Further, children who are obese have a 70% of becoming obese adults. Unfortunately, these statistics are higher for this age group than they were in the 1970s. Part of the challenge is that children are exposed to more fast food choices and junk food than in other generations (Salvy, de la Haye, Bowker, and Hermans, 2012). Obese children also have a tendency to associate with other obese children which makes it difficult for obese children to understand that they are obese (Salvy et al., 2012). Dorfman and Wootan (2012) add that children are exposed to a variety of adds for fast foods and other unhealthy foods, which contributes to th e problem. Also, children generally eat what their parents eat, and if parents have poor eating habits, their children also have poor eating habits (Dorman & Wootan, 2012). What is clear, is that there must be something that changes the way that Americans think about food and how they teach about food to their children. Also, the entire community must be involved in order to understand how to curb this problem (â€Å"Let’s Move†, 2012). Literature Review Much of the literature has studied childhood obesity as a whole and has not specifically separated teen eating habits from the rest of the literature. Several studies have also been done regarding the specific causes of obesity without providing an idea of interventions. Some of the literature shows the relationship between the parents’ attitudes about food and how they influence the way that the teen eats. Honisett, Woolcock, Porter, & Hughes (2009) reported on a program in Australia called, Kids - 'Go for your life', in which the creators of the program brought together primary school, early childhood services, family daycare programs and kindergartens to teach them about healthy eating and physical activity. The way the program brought these agencies together was to provide a membership (free) that provided resources, training, and a reward program. When the organization goes through the program and makes a commitment to promoting healthier schools, they also receive a sign to place at their front door to show they are committed to healthy eating and physical activity so that the community will also know. Sealy (2010) points out that children begin to understand eating habits from their parents, and often, parents rely on fast food when they have little money or when they are rushed. Backett-Milburn, Wills, Roberts, and Lawton (2010) also interviewed teens and found that parents controlled what children ate at home. Coppinger, Jeanes, Hardwick, & Reeves (2012) found that teenagerâ€℠¢s eating habits varied between genders. For example, the authors found that boys are more prone to eat junk food or other unhealthy food than girls. The authors also found a connection between BMI and a child’s breakfast consumption. If the child ate breakfast regularly, they had â€Å"significantly lower BMI Z scores† (p. 46) than those who did not. Older boys were less likely to eat breakfast than other children. The literature on eating habits of teenagers is not restricted to the United States. In fact, much of the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Tesco Strategy Analysis

Tesco Strategy Analysis Introduction First I will start with brief introduction of the firm I am writing about. Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK, operating around 2,318 stores worldwide. Tesco operates around 1,878 stores throughout the UK, and also operates stores in the rest of Europe and Asia. Tesco.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary offering a complete online service, including tescodirect.com and tesco.net. The company also offers a range of both online and offline personal finance services. Tesco is headquartered in Hertfordshire, UK. For the year ended February 2004 Tesco PLC achieved revenues that totaled  £33,557 million, an increase of 18.7% against the previous year’s revenues that were  £28,280 million. (5) History This part I have divided into three main fraction: Grows; Marketing/management strategy and competition during each particular period of time. Competition is included here for the reason that I am strongly persuaded that it is the main driving force for any business. Pre 1980 Grows The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. Name was formed by using the first three letters of the suppliers name (TES), and the first two letters of a brand creator surname ((CO) Jack Cohen), forming the word TESCO. Tesco floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited. The first self service store opened in St Albans in 1951 (still operational in 2008 as a Metro), and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956. During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, but also through acquisitions until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamsons stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960), 97 Charles Phillips stores (1964) and the Victor Value chain (1968) (sold to Bejam in 1986). (3) Marketing strategy Tesco introduced the new superstore concept for Britain. After a few years from appearance (1968) superstore became very popular for it’s vide range of products at competitive price. In 1974 company introduced its first gas station which had lower price for petrol but was adjacent to Tesco superstore. (1) 1980s In May 1987 Tesco completed its hostile takeover of the Hillards chain of 40 supermarkets in the North of England for  £220 million 1990s Grows 1995 Tesco overtook Sainsbury and became UK largest supermarket. In the 90s international expansion began: France (1992) Hungary (1994) Poland (1995) Czech Republic (1996) Slovakia (1996) Republic of Ireland (1997) Thailand (1998) South Korea (1999). Entering foreign markets in the first half of 90s was made mainly by purchasing already existing stores or joining the local retail leader. For example first stores in the Czech Republic were opened by buying US corporation Kmarts operations in the country and converting them into Tesco stores. In 1997 expansion to Asia market began from acquiring 13 shops from CP Group in Thailand and formed Tesco Lotus. In 1999 by joining with Samsung entrance to South Korea market was achieved. (3)(1) Marketing strategy Tesco introduced a loyalty card, branded Club card, in 1995. This card was giving discount but what is more important it gave an opportunity to keep a hand on a pulse of customers need and to collect all necessary data for future planning’s. New goals were set: Expansion to foreign market, developing of a nonfood products selling. Tescos main advertising slogan appeared Every little helps. Its advertisements in print and on television mainly consist of product shots (or an appropriate image, such as a car when advertising petrol) against a white background, with a price or appropriate text, e.g. Tesco Value, superimposed on a red circle. (1) On television, voiceovers are provided by recognizable actors and presenters, such as James Nesbitt, Jane Horrocks, Terry Wogan, Ray Winstone, Neil Morrissey, Martin Clunes, David Jason and Kathy Burke among others. In international expansion Tesco took to attention difference in tastes between different regions. While entering Central Eu rope market Tesco was instilling western standards of shopping by introducing large number of hypermarkets. (2) Also very big attention was devoted to customers’ needs usually it was represent in product line. In Czech Republic for example Tesco concentrated on providing Czech products in retail shops. In China, the locals preferred to buy live fish, turtles, meat and other popular products such as instant noodles, unlike in European countries. Tesco had to provide these in its hypermarkets to draw the Chinese customers. Similarly in Thailand, the customers spent a huge proportion of their income on fresh foods. To adapt to the shopping habits of the Thai customers, Tesco developed a fresh market hall an area adjacent to the main store, wherein 14 local vendors sold a range of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, ready-to-eat products and other local food products. This area was designed to provide the Thai customers with traditional and local atmosphere. Competition On 21 March 1997 Tesco announced the purchase of the retail arm of Associated British Foods which consisted of the Quinnsworth, Stewarts and Crazy Prices chains in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as associated businesses for  £640 million. The deal was approved by the European Commission on 6 May 1997. This acquisition gave it both a major presence in the Republic of Ireland, and a larger presence in Northern Ireland than Sainsburys which had begun its move into the province in 1995. Tesco’s nonfood marked faced a huge competition level in GB from such giants like ASDA and MarksSpenser. At the beginning of entrance to the Hungarian market main competition was represented by small family-run stores, which served immediate customer needs. The strategy against it was introducing more than 1000 its own label products at 20% cheaper price than branded ones. Later Auchan (Fr), Metro (gr) and Cora (Fr) entered Hungarian market and became the main competition. 2000s Grows After purchasing 35% share of Grocery Works in July 2001 Tesco became involved in the USA internet grocery retailing. In 2002 Tesco purchased 13 HIT hypermarkets in Poland. By purchasing TS Stores, owner of 870 convenience stores in the One Stop, Dillons and Day Nite chains in the UK it made a huge step in the homelands convenience store market. In October 2003 Tesco started UK telecoms division which added to existing already internet service provider business also mobile and home phone services. In June 2003 Tesco purchased the C Two-Network in Japan and acquired a majority stake in Turkish supermarket chain Kipa. In 2004 Tesco continued its acquiring parade by buying Adminstore, owner of 45 Cullens, Europe, and Harts convenience stores, in and around London. August same year broadband service was launched. In Thailand Tesco Lotus was a joint venture of the Charoen Pokphand Group and Tesco but facing criticism over the growth of hypermarkets CP Group sold its Tesco Lotus shares. In late 2005 Tesco acquired the 21 remaining Safeway/BP stores after Morrisons dissolved the Safeway/BP partnership. In mid 2006 Tesco purchased an 80% stake in Casinos Leader Price supermarkets in Poland. They will be rebranded into small Tesco stores. (3; 1) Marketing/management strategy Tesco`s international expansion strategy in Asia was mainly represented as joint ventures with the local partner firms like Samsung Group in South Korea (Samsung-Tesco Home plus), and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand (Tesco Lotus) due to sensitivity of local market for foreigners and a bit more complicated â€Å"know how† than the rest of the world. In these mergers local personnel has an assured quantitative domination in low and middle management positions. . It also formulate not big acquisitions an important part of its expansion strategy. For instance, in its 2005/2006 financial year it made acquisitions in South Korea, one in Japan and one in Poland. In September 2005 Tesco announced that it was selling its operations in Taiwan to Carrefour and purchasing Carrefours stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Both companies stated that they were concentrating their efforts in countries where they had strong market positions. (1) In May 2007 Tesco decided to move its online operations head office to Switzerland for the tax reasons. This allows it to sell CDs, DVDs and electronic games through its web site without charging VAT. This opportunity was closed by government in June 2008. Tesco has made a devotion to corporate social responsibility, by contributing of 1.87% in 2006 of its pre-tax profits to local communities’ charity organizations. (3) In 1992 Tesco started a computers for schools scheme, offering computers in return for schools and hospitals getting vouchers from people who shopped at Tesco. Until 2004,  £92m of equipment went to these organizations. The scheme has been also implemented in Poland.BITC Tesco Computers for Schools. Starting during the 2005/2006 association football season the company now sponsors the Tesco Cup, a football competition for young players throughout the UK. The cup now runs a boys competition at Under 13 level and two girls cups at Under 14 level and Under 16 level. Over 40,000 boys alone took part in the 2007/08 competitions. Competition Tesco was accused by the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for being a part of a price cartel; among participants were top five UK supermarkets (Safeway, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys) and a number of milk, butter and cheese. The investigation started in 2007 and in the same year Asda, Sainsburys and Safeway adjudged them guilty in acting against consumer interest by covering of 5000 farmers support in recovering after the foot-and-mouth crisis. Total fine for them amounted  £116M. Tesco, on the other hand, maintain to deny any activity in this cartel, therefore it is investigated by the OFT. (3) Strategic analysis Industry analysis: PESTE. UK. Political Factors Because of employment legalization reasons, the state encourages big firms to be a representation of different kind of labor demand, starting from part time, lower-paid local jobs till higher-paid and centrally-located jobs. (7) This includes hiring students, disabled and elderly workers, who are paid lower rates but for the reason of a usually frequent staff turnover, these workers propose a higher level of devotion and therefore represent desirable labor supply. However at Tesco, an overwhelming majority perceived no difference in the treatment of part-time and full-time employees.(7) Moreover In a period of six years, Tesco procured employment to over 2,000 unemployed and disadvantaged people, according its job guarantee scheme. In this scheme the aim is to provide training and employment to people who are first-time workers, single parents and older people. (8) Competition Commissions ruling and have been lobbying to boycott supermarkets and large food manufacturers and instead support small independent suppliers, processors and retailers at the expense of large supermarkets like Tesco. A supporting argument can be shown in figures. In UK by 2004 small grocery stores overall had employed 500,000 people with turnover of  £21 billion, and Tesco managed to hire twice less (250,000) with even bigger turnover  £29bn. (12) Proposals from the European commission to clamp down on predatory pricing policies to prevent the selling of goods below cost price such as exist within France Germany, Ireland and Spain. Furthermore, there are standards for nutrient descriptors such as â€Å"light†, â€Å"reduced fat† and â€Å"low fat†, set by governmental and European agencies like the European Food Authority (EFA) Economical Factors The UK food retailing market is mature and highly competitive and this market has been affected by negative inflation in the food sector. The diffusion of domestic markets and the desire for expansion have treated increasing globalization in retailing via self-start, merger and acquisition and franchising. Poor land resources issue enhanced by government legislation on planning restrictions on out of town shopping facilities makes it difficult to expand into these locations Britains supermarkets are racing to open small high street stores to cash in on demand for convenience shopping in urban areas. (6) Social/Cultural Factors Demographic changes as for example higher percentage of older people, less women as housewives and overall trend for eating outside mean that UK retailers are responding towards changes by focusing on added value products and services. Moreover new trends are the supply chain and other operations cost reduction and own-label share in the business, overall silence about taking new supplier between national retailers. In the UK a tendency toward healthier food and environmental awareness, represented by friendly packaging can be noticed. Nevertheless in the last ten years there has been a quantity improve in consuming quality products with good tastes, among them exotic fruits, fish and other can be noticed. Overall, can be stated that UK population is becoming more experimental in their food traditions. (9) Technological Factors Changes in retailing methods as such clothes sales via the Internet is now a common place in retailing. Paperless operation, the management and administration of the company are undertaken on IT systems, which are accessed through secure servers; provide flexibility in the running of the business. As Sweden is at the forefront of technological advancement with national companies like Ericsson, Tesco would enjoy the comprehensive logistics and distribution channels already in place. Environmental Factors Starting from 2003, an increase in pressure on large companies and managers in UK may be observed, main motivation of a government is to make them be more aware of their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall. For the food retailing the biggest issue is environmental, the main area for them to act in the â€Å"socially responsible† way. Therefore by recognizing this drift movement, Tesco developed Corporate Responsibility committee in 2001 in order to fulfill its obligations before society. (6) In 2003 the UK government has launched a strategy for environmentally friendly consumption and manufacturing in order of cutting waste, reducing expenditure of resources and diminishing environmental damage. One of the legislation was a creating of a tax on highly processed and fatty foods advertising. The so-called ‘fat tax directly affected the Tesco product ranges that have subsequently been adapted, affecting relationships with both suppliers and customers. (9) Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The grocery market of United Kingdom is crucially dominated by a small number of competitors, among them such brand names as Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Safeway that hold a market share of 70% and small chains of Somerfield, Waitrose and Budgens with a another 10%. Starting from 80th the grocery retailing system has been represented mainly supermarket business. This powerful force had a major impact on the small local, private owned shops, such as grocery, bakers and etc. Therefore in nowadays it can be treated as a huge blockade for the companies who are willing to to enter this market. As an example, two reasons can be stated: necessity of a sufficient capital because of large fixed costs and highly developed supply chains. This is also evident in huge investments done by large chains, such as Tesco, in advanced technology for checkouts and stock control systems that impact new entrants and the existing ones. Other factors can be economies of scale and differentiation (in the prov ision of products or services with a higher perceived value than the competition) which is highly developed by Tesco and Asda due to their promotional/advertizing activity, aggressive operational moves in product development, and more sophisticated distribution. Bargaining Power of Suppliers These representatives of a supply side are usually influenced by key grocery chains and are under a constant pressure of losing their business to the supermarket chains. As a result, it enhances a strong enough as it is positions of dominant stores like Asda and Tesco in compromising better prices from suppliers, which smaller market chains are just unable to go with. Moreover UK based suppliers are vulnerable to the ability of big retailers to source their products abroad at a cheaper price. The UK Competition Commission found that Tesco steadily paid its suppliers 4% below the industry average on the 2000 date. In 2005 newspaper â€Å"Financial Mail on Sunday† started the campaign called â€Å"supermarket bullies† to uncover cases of pressuring farmers by large grocery chains. â€Å"We have heard numerous cases of poor treatment of suppliers by Tesco, but all of those we spoke to asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing contracts. One supplier said â€Å"I woul d like to give you this info but cannot risk being seen to be a troublemaker for fear of losing valuable supermarket customers†Ã¢â‚¬  was written in the report. (12) Tesco voluntary signed for supplier Code of Practice provided by Department of Trade and Industry (dti) to solve the problem of pressuring suppliers. However as Office of Fair Trading states that code is not working effectively, suppliers concerned about being de-listed by supermarkets or worsening trade conditions if they will officially complain. Bargaining Power of Customers Tescos famous loyalty card Club card can still be named as the most successful customer maintenance strategy that plays a big role in Tescos financial profitability upkeep. Brand Tesco can hold and increase its customer base because of its permanent tendency to meet customer needs, constant in-store promotions, customizing service to maintain lower prices. A crucial change has occurred in shopping habits of UK population in recent years. People tend to satisfy more of their needs in one place and in shorter time, it shows a necessity for large chains to expand their services into new non-food markets as banking, pharmacies, telecoms, etc. Consumers have become keep an eye on fair trade and the influence of developed countries consumers on the Third World suppliers. Fairly traded products as tea, coffee and cocoa are viable, and such products are now widely available at the majority of large chains. In 2005 Tesco had the largest range of fair-trade products in the UK, it was represe nted by 91 fair-trade products line, however comparing with overall context of the 40,000 products line it looks rather tiny (0.2%) achievement of supporting third-world countries. Moreover there are evidences that supermarkets exploiting customers good will by overcharging for fair trade products. â€Å"The supermarkets know that people do not go for the cheapest product when buying fair trade because they think the extra money is helping someone in the developing world.† John McCabe, a retail pricing expert states. (12) Threat of Substitutes In the grocery industry small chains of convenience stores are emerging in the industry. In this case Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys are trying to acquire existing small-scale operations and opening Metro and Express stores in local towns and city centers. With a giant share of the grocery retailing market represented by Tesco`s chain, small private shops can be placed nowhere but substitutes. Most local retailers wind it almost impossible to compete with Tesco because its enormous buying power. On average Tesco contracts with wholesalers are 11.5 per cent cheaper than for private independent retailers. Londis, the â€Å"corner shop† brand in UK, has claimed that it is cheaper to purchase brands from Tesco and resell them than to buy them from wholesalers. (12) Bargaining Power of Competitors The retailers market environment can be characterized as dominated by large players with significant grows, increasing store size, emergent retailer concentration, and the utilization of a range of formats, which are now important characteristics of the sector. As it was already stated, almost all purchasing power of the food retailing industry is acquired in the relatively small number of retail buyers. Besides market can be described as mature operating, where grows is difficult and it serves as a driver to diversification into non-food areas, moreover, consumers are more and more demanding and sophisticated, big players like Tesco are constantly accruing large amounts of consumer information that can be used to predict and fulfill their changing preferences. This highly competitive market currently is in the position where advanced technology and innovations are required for maintaining and increasing market share. Such innovation can be seen in the development of a range of trad ing formats, in response to changes in consumer behavior. The dominant market leaders have responded by refocusing on price and value, whilst reinforcing the added value elements of their service. (8, 4, 6) Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Mission statement: Creating value for customers, to earn their lifetime loyalty. Tescos corporate responsibility work is reflected in its everyday activities, mainly focusing on use of organics, use of energy and recycling water and in addition charity and community initiatives. Tescos CSR strategy was to earn the trust of our customers by acting responsibly in the communities where we operate, by maximizing the benefits we bring and working to minimize any negative impacts. (10) The company is publishing â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility Report† every year, with a detailed description of a companys CSR approach, implementation and policies. Usually it consists of such element as â€Å"Environment†, â€Å"Community†, â€Å"Suppliers and ethical trading†, â€Å"Customers, choice and health† and â€Å"People†. A Corporate Responsibility committee was established in 2001 it consists of different functions executives, who are gathering four times a year for Tesco`s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives discussion. The first report of committee came out in 2001. CSR plays a big role in strategy decision making of Tesco due to its wish to ensure that corporate responsibility creates a component of the everyday activities of the company. Because of its large size and degree chain, supermarkets like Tesco are influencing society in a broad perspective by encouraging its employees, suppliers and customers to be socially responsible. In Tesco`s case an example of this kind of responsibility can be its charity, fund raising for education, promotion of health food and making it as affordable as it can be. This social responsibility policy is implemented not only for chains operating in UK, but also to the all countries where Tesco is developing its business. (11) In 1992 Tesco started a computers for schools scheme, offering computers in return for schools and hospitals getting vouchers from people who shopped at Tesco. Until 2004,  £92 million of equipment went to these organizations. The scheme has been also implemented in Poland. Starting during the 2005/2006 football season the company now sponsors the Tesco Cup, a football competition for young players throughout the UK. The cup now runs a boys competition at Under 13 level and two girls cups at Under 14 level and Under 16 level. Over 40,000 boys alone took part in the 2007/08 competitions. (3) Tesco gave at least 1% of its pretax profit to charity, in the form of donations, employee time and gifts. In the fiscal 2004-05, Tescos total charity contributions stood at  £21,762,931. Tesco Charity Trust provided grants of  £878,556 to local and national charities in the UK (3) Though Tesco`s initiatives toward being more social and environmental responsible a quite visible, there is some issues it is criticized for. For instance, Tesco distributed 1.4 billion plastic bags in 2004, which ended up in landfill. In the UK, only 7% of plastic bags were recycled and the company continued using more and more plastic bags. Grocery packaging makes up roughly a quarter of all household waste. (11) Second what is Tesco claimed for is energy use. Tesco uses twice more energy and on average in the industry 4.3 GJ/m2/yr to 2.4 GJ/m2/yr respectfully. Among others concerns of Tesco`s environmental friendship are Pesticides and organic food (the issue is that not just Tesco tries to gives no privilege to non pesticide food, but also overprices organic goods); GM foods (dairy and meat products from animals fed on GM cattle feed (maize and soya)) and deforestation. Aims and Objective Five objective of Tesco`s business strategy are: To be a successful international retailer Since the mid 90th Tesco have been investing in market out of the country, looking for new opportunities for expansion and accumulating long term securities and returns for shareholders. Today Tesco is present in 13 markets outside UK and planning to enter India. To fulfill all international ambitions Tesco has evolved a strategy based on six elements. Be flexible(in Japan people prefer to buy small amount of fresh food every day) ; Act local (In Thailand customers have a habit to interact with vendors and choosing what they want from piles of production); Maintain focus; Use multi-formats (hole spectrum from convenience to hypermarkets) ; Develop capability; Build brands. To grow the core UK business Core UK business has over 285,000 employees and over 2,200 stores, moreover, 70% of sales and profits comes from UK business. Tesco in planning to maintain their different store format strategy, which consists of Express, Metro, Superstore, Extra and Homeplus. To be as strong in non-food as in food. The broadest range of non-food products can be seen in Extra stores and Homeplus that include such products as clothing, health and beauty, stationery, cookshop and soft furnishings, etc. In 2006 was launched Tesco Direct, an online catalogue with non-food offers, including almost 13,000 products in it. To develop retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com â€Å"All our customers are different, and their needs are continually changing. That’s why we continue to offer more than one way to shop.† Tesco Personal Finance is giving for customers a choice of 28 products varying from savings account and credit cards to car insurance. Tesco.com has attracted more than one million customers since 2000 in UK. Main target groups are people without access to transport and without time for shopping. Tesco.com also operates in the Ireland and South Korea. To put community at the heart of what we do. â€Å"Our core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. Our values, which underpin everything we do, are that no-one tries harder for customers and to treat people how we like to be treated.† References 1. Tesco: The British Supermarket Chains Global Expansion Strategies » ICFAI Business School; Case development centre 2. Supermarket Wars Andrew Seth and Geoffrey Randall 3. Wikipedia.org 4. http://www.answers.com/topic/tesco-plc-adr 5. http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/ 6. Ivoryresearch.com Strategic Management of TESCO supermarket: PESTEL analysis, Porters 5 Forces analysis, Critical success factors, SWOT Analysis, VALUE CHAIN analysis, TESCOS strategic options, Core Competences Cultural Web. 7. Part-time Workers in the Multiple Retail Sector Small Change from Employment Protection Legislation? Alison Balchin 8. http://ivoryresearch.com/sample5.php 9. Marivic Butod Strategic Analysis of Morrison, Asda and Tesco July 20, 2009 10.Tesco Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2009 11. ttp://www.icmrindia.org Tescos Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives 12. â€Å"The Tesco Takeover† the friends of the earth report. http://www.foe.co.uk/ Other Essays on Tesco Other essays available on the Tesco organisations are: Tesco Business analysis Tesco is one of the leading supermarkets Tesco Changing Business Environment Tesco SWOT analysis Tesco Fresh Veg Supply Chain Management

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Rationale for poetry Essays -- Economics

Rationale for poetry The areas of English taught at Key Stage 1[KS1] and Key Stage 2 [KS2] are set out in the National Curriculum [NC] document. Poetry is one of these areas. At KS1 children should read and listen to nursery rhymes and poetry, learning some by heart, and read aloud. At KS2 children should read aloud, telling and enacting stories and poems. The National Literacy Strategy [NLS] guides teachers on which poems and poetic forms to teach in the classroom. There are two recent views that the NC and the NLS are failing in their approach to poetry. Â · According to Carter, the NC for English is very limited in its approach to poetry [Carter, 1998]. He argues that the NC fails to take on board the potential poetry has to offer in many areas of a child's development such as language, sensibility and dream power. Â · Bielby [1999], as cited by Lambirth, argues that children come to school already enjoying rhyme and poetry yet this enjoyment is being corrupted by the analytical and technical approach of the NLS. Poetry should be about exposing children to poetry and allowing them to respond as children.[Lambirth, 2001] These are both valid points, but is it the fault of the NC and the NLS that poetry is seen as a challenge and daunting area both to teach and learn. I briefly intend to illustrate why it is important to teach poetry as part of the NC. Promotes awareness of language Children's ability to respond to words and sounds is almost innate. According to the Oral Language Development Continuum [1997] babies under one year old, when they babble, include all sounds and selectively drop those that do not occurring their own language. This playing continues with the development... ...ed the importance of poetry or do not have the confidence to teach poetry. Therefore poetry does not achieve it full potential for the children. Bibliography - Bentley et al, 2001 - The Really Practical Guide To Primary English, Nelson Thornes, UK Carter, D 1998 - Teaching Poetry In The Primary School, David Fulton Publishers, London Ed. Fisher, R and Williams, M 2000 - Unlocking Literacy- A Guide For Teachers, David Fulton Publishers, London Lambirth , A Feb 2001 - Gaining confidence and conviction, The Primary English Magazine p30- 32, 1997 - Oral Language Developmental Continuum, Rigby Heinemann, Perth, W.A Whitehead, M 1990 - Language And Literacy In The Early Years, Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd, London Background reading Marsh , G 1988 - Teaching through poetry, Hodder and Stroughton, London Tann, S 1992

Sunday, November 10, 2019

College Entrance Essay Essay

Over the past few years I have increasingly become confident that a career in psychology is the right path for me. I am by nature a very caring, helping person, a good listener and someone who enjoys being able to connect with others. My friends and family see me as the kind of person they can go to when they need to talk about their problems, and they know that I am someone that they can trust. To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than the feeling of reaching out and connecting with an individual, and being able to offer them support. Both my parents were clinical psychologists, and undoubtedly this influenced my desire to become a psychologist. They exposed me at an early age to psychological ideas and the practice of psychotherapy. I could see the passion they brought to their profession, and the satisfaction they experienced by helping others. I believe also that my mother’s death when I was ten helped influence my interest in psychology. My mother’s death was a traumatic event for me and my family, and when she passed away I had to help emotionally support my younger brothers. Our subsequent participation in family therapy showed me how important it is to talk about feelings and problems, and how families can heal and move on from even the most traumatic experiences. In order to make a career of my interest, I will need both undergraduate and graduate training in psychology. If I should choose to open up a practice, I will need business training as well. My choice of college is based on finding a strong psychology program and an environment where I can feel like I can make a personal connection with my professors and my peers. In addition to having a strong psychology department, I am looking for a college or university in New England with a small faculty/student ratio. I want to feel like I can personally connect with my professors and peers, and not be just a number in large classes. Castleton State College meets all of these requirements. To me, Castleton State seems to be more then just an  institute of learning, it’s a place where the students are able to experience new ideas and encounter new challenges that will later help them learn critical skills needed to be successful in a diverse and interdependent world. In addition to a good education, I feel that Castleton State is a place that will allow me to grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. The health field, and mental health in particular, is becoming increasingly challenging and competitive. After my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue either my master’s degree or my doctorate in psychology, and I know that I will need strong undergraduate training to be effective at the graduate level. I believe that Castleton State College will provide me with the training and perspective on myself and my career that I will need to be successful and to pursue my dream.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Did Emperor Hirohito bear Responsibility for the actions of essays

Did Emperor Hirohito bear Responsibility for the actions of essays Emperor Hirohito ruled over Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989. He saw Japan through World War II, its defeat and resurrection from the ashes to become a world-renowned industrial and economic power. He was the grandson of the famed Emperor Meiji, who was generally considered to be one of the best emperors of Japan. Emperor Hirohito was the center of controversy during his lifetime and after it as well. During the Majority of the post war period. He was considered to have no legal responsibility for Japans actions during World War II. The Occupying American forces after World War 2 decided not to put Emperor Hirohito on trial during the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. The Tribunal and the American and Japanese Government took the position that Emperor Hirohito was a Constitutional Monarch and that he had had no real power during World War 2. They state that he was forced to accede to the wishes of an expansionist military or face a military coup, which would depose the Imperial house . Only later during the last few years of Emperor Hirohitos life and after his death have any serious investigations into his role during World War 2 occurred. Historians had found several facts that put serious doubts in the idea that Emperor Hirohito was innocent of War Crimes. Now the question is whether or not he was responsible for the actions of Japan during World War 2 and if so to what extent? Some evidence that suggests that he might have had more responsibility for the actions of Japan during World War 2 then previous thought are the facts that the Meiji Constitution gave the Emperor enormous power. He was the titular Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He could assemble and dismiss the Diet , All laws and bills had to be approved by him before being passed. He also had the power to directly negotiate treaties with foreign nations. Besides the enormous power that the Meiji Constitution granted the Emperor, traditionally the Em...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Hobbit is a Unique Story essays

The Hobbit is a Unique Story essays Today, many readers think The Hobbit is one of the most unique novels in the twentieth century; on the other hand, some readers think this novel is not written based on Tolkiens own thoughts. There are many ancient texts associated with The Hobbit. People who have read about Norse, English, or Germanic mythology may find out that the story plots are related to The Hobbit. Nevertheless, Tolkien should not be considered a plagiarist. Although he employs various events and characters that are similar to those of ancient myths, his story is original. Tolkiens Smaug in The Hobbit has many precedents in ancient texts; however, Smaug acts differently compared to other dragons. Fafnir, an evil dragon in Volsunga Saga, is remarkably similar to Smaug. Both dragons have hard skin, hold treasures, and have the ability to spill flames, but unlike Smaug, Fafnir was originally a dwarf. They have different purposes for guarding their treasures; Smaug guards treasures for his own good, but Fafnir guards his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems(14). Also, the English myth about St. George fighting the dragon, illustrates that the dragons Skin more hard than brass was found(33) except the weak spot under the right wing which was the only place where there were no scales(35), and that is similar to one of Smaugs traits. However, Smaugs weak spot is in the hollow of his left breast. In the end, both Smaug and the dragon in the English myth die differently because events are dissimilar. Smaug is killed by an arrow, but the other is slain by a spear straight at the fiery dragons jaws(34). Thus, Smaug is different from the dragons in the ancient texts. That makes Tolkiens story original. There are many main characters in The Hobbit that are somewhat similar to the characters in the ancient texts; however, they are different in the sense of their backg ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Bribery and Corruption in China's Construction Industry Essay

Bribery and Corruption in China's Construction Industry - Essay Example In the end, the approach proposed in this paper may hopefully provide a new understanding of bribery and corruption in the Chinese construction industry. The contemporary world’s experience of globalisation is a unique phenomenon known only in the last fifty years (Soros, 2002). Globalisation has opened the doors of the global market, which has paved the way for countries across the globe to redefine their national and international trading relations. In this regard, China’s response to the demands and challenges of globalisation has stirred worldwide interest as China’s economic growth in the past twenty years have been considered as remarkable and even to some â€Å"miraculous† (Sachs & Woo 1993). Studies have shown that the fast phase economic growth of China in the past twenty years can be attributed to the coming together of multi-factors that creates the proper ambiance and environment for economic progress and development (Haddad, 2007). However, it is undeniable that China’s economic policy of opening its door to international trade is appreciated as one the strongest and clearly perceptible decisive impetus that drives and hastens China’s economic growth. (Yao 2006; Chen & Feng 2000; Fukasaka ,Soligna, & Lecomte 1996; Liu et al 2002). And in the context of China’s rapid economic progress, the contribution of one industry is undeniable – the construction industry. China’s construction industry plays a pivotal role in the China’s economic progress. The construction industry in China is worth US $ 93 billion, it employs nearly 24 million people (more than 5%of the total labour force); it accounts for more than 6% of the GDP, and has been growing at an average rate of nearly 10%since 1979 (Daud & Zong, 2005). Being such, the high performance of China’s construction industry makes the industry one of the most successful and lucrative

Friday, November 1, 2019

Strategic management on JJB Sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management on JJB Sports - Essay Example Against this background, this paper has been designed to identify the strategic change initiative that can be implemented by JJB Sports in order to revitalise its operations that have dipped as a result of the above mentioned factors. Changes are necessary for businesses so that they can gain competitive advantage over other rival competitors. This will also help the company to grab a large market share which can contribute to its viability in the long run. Why change is necessary for JJB Sports The digital competitive environment of 2013 makes it imperative for all organizations that are concerned about their survival to implement certain changes in their operations. In order to keep pace with the changes obtaining in the environment in which an organization operates, it is important to implement certain changes that can be aligned to the current business strategy. The use of new information and communication technology has significantly improved the operations of any business durin g the contemporary period. Therefore, any company that is concerned about its success should harness this new digital marketing and communication strategy. Change is also necessary given that the company will be able to attract more customers since the bulk of business is conducted through the internet during the contemporary period. Many organizations are shifting from traditional to digital marketing practices since the bulk of business is done online during the current period. In this case, JJB Sports should adopt a brick and click strategy in its operations. According to Bricks & Clicks (2013), this strategy integrates both traditional marketing strategies as well as digital marketing communication strategies and it focuses on different lines of business. The advantage of the traditional marketing strategy is that the organization is in a better position to retain its old customers while the use of digital communication will help to improve the efficiency of the organization in its operations. The company’s effectiveness can also be enhanced through the use of new information and technology since it will be in a position to process information at a faster rate. The advantage of new information and communication technology is that it can process large volumes of information at higher speed than information that is manually processed. The other advantage is that it is cost effective compared to other forms of communication. The company can also be in a position to reach a wide range of people through the use of the internet given that it is accessible to people in different geographical locations. Another important consideration for JJB Sports is that it should use aggressive marketing strategies that are aided by new information and communication technology in order to be in a position to gain competitive advantage. The organization ought to realign itself to the needs of the external environment and evaluate the possible outcome of the strategic cha nge programme implemented. There are different strategic management theories that can be used to shape the strategy for the organization. This section of the paper discusses

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organizational Theory and Design Questions Coursework

Organizational Theory and Design Questions - Coursework Example 2. The top management of the organization is responsible for formulating the organizational vision and explicitly defining the purpose by setting mission goals. However, they act as torch bearers for the whole organization by designing a set of periodical goals to support the overall purpose of the organization or vision. 3. The employees of an organization are classified into hierarchies that determine their chain of command, report authority and job descriptions. And organizational structure defines who delegates tasks and who reports them to whom. The structure can be vertical or horizontal. A vertical structure implicates a number of levels of management and reporting trends that slows the decision making process. The horizontal hierarchy is less formal and promotes creativity and quicker decision making. 4. Environmental uncertainty is attributed to changing economic conditions and policies, changes in the social trends and the advent of disruptive technologies. The greatest impact is that of economic change as it impacts nearly every aspect of the organizational working. The environment represents the surroundings in which the firm operates in and hence the stability of this environment is necessary for organizational progress. 5. The business eco system implies that organizations work in collaboration with other businesses and value chain members in order to increase productivity and ensure survival. For example car manufacturers partner with other companies like tire makers and stereo manufacturers to come up with a wholesome car that is well equipped. 6. Global geographical structure is advisable when the organization has the capability to venture into multiple locations. Geographical structure also supports the product customization options by giving the local managers the opportunity to enhance the product according to the need of the market. The local managers also provide a better understanding of the location increasing

Monday, October 28, 2019

Safeguardung Of The Vulnerable Adults Essay Example for Free

Safeguardung Of The Vulnerable Adults Essay 1.1 Safeguarding means: proactively seeking to involve the whole community in keeping the individual safe and promoting their welfare. Safeguarding is an important part of integrated working. When professionals work together in an integrated way, they put the individual at the centre of all activities to help identify their holistic needs earlier to improve their life outcomes. It is important to see safeguarding as part of a continuum, where prevention and early intervention can help children, vulnerable adults and families get back on track and avoid problems turning into a crisis. Protection is a central part of safeguarding and promoting welfare. It is the process of protecting an individual identified as either suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect. 1.2 It is important to evaluate the processes that are in place to ensure that they are working to the good of the individuals. As new policies are brought in, then it is vital to ensure that, the service setting responds to these by updating their own paper work. The only way in which to evaluate as to whether the policies are working is by the feed back from staff and how they respond to situations, when policies are developed it is critical that staff are aware of the changes in the policies and that these policies are available to all staff and these changes are cascaded down. Lessons learned from safe guarding situations should be taken into account and used to strengthen the knowledge of all. 1.3 : The legislation and government policy framework relating to adult safeguarding is subject to considerable debate and change. But includes the following Legal Powers to Intervene Civil Liberties Disclosure and Barring Service Mental Capacity Act 2005 Mental Health Act 2007 Health and Social Care Act 2008 National Policy and Guidance Registered Health and Social Care Providers ‘No Secrets’ sets out a code of practice for the protection of vulnerable  adults. It explains how commissioners and providers of health and social care services should work together to produce and implement local policies and procedures. They should collaborate with the public, voluntary and private sectors and they should also consult service users, their carers and representative groups. Local authority social services departments should co-ordinate the development of policies and procedures. 1.4 Serious case reviews â€Å"are not done to reinvestigate or to apportion blame†, but rather: 1. To establish whether there are lessons to be learnt from the circumstances of the case about the way in which local professionals and agencies work together to safeguard vulnerable adults 2. To review the effectiveness of procedures (both multi-agency and those of individual organisations) 3. To inform and improve local inter-agency practice 4. To improve practice by acting on learning (developing best practice) 5. To prepare or commission an overview report which brings together and analyses the findings of the various reports from agencies in order to make recommendations for future action (ADASS, 2006). The purpose of any case review is to protect vulnerable adults, by drawing upon lessons to be learned from individual cases, making recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedy by strengthening and improving multi-agency procedures and arrangements. Outcome 7 of CQC essential standards,† safeguarding people who use the service from abuse â€Å" explains the regulations and expectations that a service provider must comply with. The introduction of the No Secrets guidance (2000), which gives councils the responsibility for establishing and coordinating local multi-agency procedures for responding to allegations of abuse. It also introduced the principle that social services departments and their partners should set up adult protection committees, usually referred to as safeguarding adults partnership boards, to coordinate local safeguarding arrangements. The Putting People First concordat described a range of features that were viewed as central to system-wide transformation  of care, including safeguarding. This included: †¢ Joint (local council and PCT) strategic needs assessments to inform the local community strategy and an integrated approach to commissioning and market development. †¢ Prevention, early intervention and enablement becoming the norm. †¢ Universal information, advice and advocacy, irrespective of eligibility for public funds. †¢ Common assessment – with greater emphasis on self-assessment. †¢ Person-centred planning and self-directed support becoming mainstreamed, with personal budgets for everyone eligible for publicly-funded care and support and more people opting to arrange their own support with direct payments. †¢ Adult social care to champion the needs and rights of disabled people and older adults, safeguarding and promoting dignity, supporting a collective voice through user-led organisations, enhancing social capital and developing the local workforce. Paper by department of health gateway reference 16702 outlines the government’s policy on safeguarding vulnerable adults. 1.5 Each county have their information on Safeguarding adults and these can be found on the appropriate websites for the county, which gives the information and guidance on Multi agency procedures. Below is an example from Surrey C.C. which outlines the referral procedures when dealing with a safeguarding alert, from agency level upwards. Prior to this, staff would report to their line manager, or in the case of serious concern, for instance where the person is in immediate danger they would report this to the police directly. Incident and accident report forms would need to be completed and the manager would be expected to take statements from the staff and notify the local authority. 2.1 The organisation should recognise that vulnerable adults have the right to take risks and should provide help and support to enable them to identify and manage potential and actual risks to themselves and others. It is important that the organisation has a policy of ‘positive risk-taking’ and avoids becoming totally risk averse. Risk averse cultures can stifle and constrain and could lead to inappropriate restriction to the individual’s rights. Life is never risk free. Some degree of risk-taking is an essential  part of fostering independence. For instance, if you identify an activity or set of circumstances as potentially risky to a vulnerable adult or group of vulnerable adults, this needs to be offset against the benefits which the individual or group might draw from taking part in that activity. Risk-taking should be pursued in a context of promoting opportunities and safety, not poor practice. In a culture of positive risk-taking, risk assessment should involve everyone affected – vulnerable adults and carers, advocates, staff and volunteers and, where they are involved, health and social care staff. 2.2 Physical abuse: indicators A history of unexplained falls or minor injuries especially at different stages of healing Unexplained bruising in well-protected areas of body, e.g. on the inside of thighs or upper arms etc. Unexplained bruising or injuries of any sort Burn marks of unusual type, e.g. burns caused by cigarettes and rope burns etc. A history of frequent changes of general practitioners or reluctance in the family, carer or friend towards a general practitioner consultation Accumulation of medicine which has been prescribed for a client but not administered Malnutrition, ulcers, bed sores and being left in wet clothing Sexual abuse: indicators Unexplained changes in the demeanour and behaviour of the vulnerable adult Tendency to withdraw and spend time in isolation. expression of explicit sexual behaviour and/or language by the vulnerable adult which is out of character Irregular and disturbed sleep pattern Bruising or bleeding in the rectal or genital areas Torn or stained underclothing especially with blood or semen Sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy where the individual cannot give consent to sexual acts. Psychological abuse: indicators Inability of the vulnerable person to sleep or tendency to spend long periods in bed Loss of appetite or overeating at inappropriate times Anxiety, confusion or general resignation Tendency towards social withdrawal and isolation Fearfulness and signs of loss of self-esteem Uncharacteristic manipulative, uncooperative and aggressive behaviour Financial abuse: indicators Unexplained inability to pay for household shopping or bills etc. Withdrawal of large sums of money which cannot be explained Missing personal possessions Disparity between the persons living conditions and their financial resources Unusual and extraordinary interest and involvement in the vulnerable adults assets Neglect and acts of omission: indicators Inadequate heating, lighting, food or fluids Failure by carer to give prescribed medication or obtain appropriate medical care Carers reluctant to accept contact from health or social care professionals Refusal to arrange access for visitors Poor physical condition in the vulnerable person e.g. ulcers, bed sores Apparently unexplained weight loss Unkempt clothing and appearance Inappropriate or inadequate clothing, or nightclothes worn during the day Sensory deprivation lack of access to glasses, hearing aids etc. Absence of appropriate privacy and dignity Absence of method of calling for assistance Discriminatory abuse: indicators Tendency to withdrawal and isolation Fearfulness and anxiety Being refused access to services or being excluded inappropriately Loss of self-esteem Resistance or refusal to access services that are required to meet need Expressions of anger or frustration Measures that can be taken to avoid abuse taking place can be as follows: 1. Identifying people at risk of abuse 2. Public awareness 3. Information, advice and advocacy 4. Training and education 5. Policies and procedures 6. Community links 7. Regulation and legislation 8. Inter-agency collaboration 9. Empowerment and choice Measures that can be taken to avoid the risk of abuse, is the implementation of robust policies, which need to be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis. Risk assessments should be in place and information should be shared with other professionals involved in the care of the vulnerable adult. Where there is doubt or concerns in respect of an individual, then it is important that these are acted upon with immediate effect and that a multi agency strategy meeting is held, so that a risk assessment may be put together to prevent the service user coming to harm. Reporting and record keeping is essential in such cases as is the sharing of information. 3. Recently in Surrey the first quality assurance,multi agency risk management meeting was held, this was a meeting following a safeguarding incident which took place in July last year. It looked at how the different agencies had worked together to safe guard a vulnerable adult from suspected abuse. Agencies involved , were social care team, police, service provider, housing , g.p’s and specialist nurses. During the period of time prior to this meeting there had been safeguarding meetings on a 6 weekly basis, multi agency risk assessments had been drawn up and had been discussed at length by all of those involved, each member taking part had deadlines to meet on actions raised. When circumstances changed, so did the risk assessments, and always  covered were the â€Å" what if â€Å" scenarios. It was felt from this meeting that everything had been done to protect the service user and that all agencies had worked well together ( I was a participant at this meeting ) 4. All vulnerable adults where possible should contribute to decisions made in respect of the care that they receive. Families and professionals involved in the care of a vulnerable adult, should also contribute to the initial risk assessment which are done and subsequent ones when there are changes. It will become apparent whether systems and procedures put in place are working, with constant recording and reporting back from staff involved in the care of the individual. There may be times, when there needs to be a review of the care plans, or changes to it due to changes within the environment, the service user themselves or their circumstances. This does not always mean that all of those involved get it right all of the time, personally I have been involved in a unsafe hospital discharge, where I challenged the procedures that were in place. Following that there was a senior strategy meeting and it was discussed how we could all move forward together to prevent the type of situation occurring again. The key to getting things right is discussion and not apportioning blame to others, looking at how services can be improved, then implementing them and monitoring them. Feedback is essential from all involved.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Matthew B. Brady Essay -- essays research papers

Mathew B. Brady: Civil War Photographer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mathew B. Brady: Civil War Photographer was written by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. Elizabeth Van Steenwyk has written many good books for young people including: Saddlebag Salesmen, The California Missions, Frederic Remington, The California Gold Rush: West with the Forty-Niners, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Woman of Courage. Elizabeth now lives in San Marino, California with her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mathew B. Brady was born somewhere between 1823 and 1824. His early life is somewhat a mystery. He was born in Warren County in New York and his parents might have been Irish immigrants. His middle name was even a mystery, when asked what the â€Å"B† stood for he said that he inserted it because it seemed â€Å"more distinguished.† When he turned 16 he met William Page, a man wanting to become an artist. The both of them worked together, and Page’s artistic abilities were most likely Brady’s starting interest in becoming a photographer. In 1839 or 1840 Brady and Page moved to New York City. Meanwhile, a French inventor named Louis-Jacques-Mandà ¨ Daguerre was inventing something that would change Brady’s life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1839 Daguerre invented his camera. Samuel F. B. Morse went over to France to check out Daguerre’s camera. He wrote back to a magazine saying that it was perhaps the greatest invention in this age. When Samuel Morse returned to New York City and started a school for lea...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essays -- Charles Dickens Great Ex

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations One of Dickens’ most popular novels ‘Great Expectations’ is a griping search for identity- the narrator’s self-identity Pip has been born into a difficult world in the early years of the 19th Century. Philip Pirrip is the narrator of ‘Great Expectations’. In the book he is known as Pip. He called himself Pip because as a young child his infant tongue could only get across to Pip. I the first few chapters of the book he is described as a timid, sensitive and guilt-ridden person. His parents had died earlier, probably due to poverty. Pip is living with his sister, who intimidates him in every form. We realise his intimidation when he arrives late from the graveyard, â€Å"I twisted the only button on my waistcoat round and round, and looked in great depress at the fire. Tickler was a wax-ended piece of cane, worn smooth by collision with my tickled frame† I see a parallel between Dickens and Pip. Dickens’s lived in an over-crowded place when he was young. His parents had no intentions of sending him to school. He spent his days running errands and doing chores around the house also his younger sister died of smallpox just like, Pip’s brothers and sisters. Dickens was very concerned with social issues like poverty. At the time when the book was written, there was a very high level of infant mortality, which was made worse by deaths among poor adults, hence the number of orphans. The first meeting with Magwitch is in the churchyard, where Pip is lost in childish absorption grappling with his family’s fate. His state of mind is very unstable when Pip is grabbed violently and the convict threatened to cut his throat if he was to make noise. Pip imagines Magwitch as a pir... ...r. Pip felt, Estella looked down on him because he was poor and not a gentleman. Pip was asked to play, but he didn’t know how to ‘play’. Estella lived in a society where her class did not have to work, and we read that Pip wanted to leave when he was told to ‘play’ because he did not understand the word ‘play’. In chapter 9, when Pip returns home his shame will not allow him to tell the truth to his sister and Pumblechook so he is exaggerates. We see that Pip is telling Joe about his real feelings about his trip to ‘Satis House’. Unlike the theft, which he kept secret, he eventually confides to Joe because he knows Joe will keep an open mind and he is the only one person he can speak to without being punished and having a guilty conscience. What he is confiding to Joe is his shame as a working-class person and how he must change in order to win Estella.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Black Friday Descriptive Essay

There are experiences in life that create an everlasting impact on our character. Seeing first hand what kind of intestinal fortitude one possesses can be both rewarding and humbling. Black Friday is the 1st day used by Special Forces Assessment and Selection to test the individuals who volunteer to serve in the elite Army Special Forces Green Berets. Just as many people before me pushed themselves to the absolute limit; I was about to experience my own test of will. Camp Mackall airfield is located a mile or so from the main training area.The airfield is surrounded on all sides by the thickest pine forest, one that you would think wasn't by accident. The thick summer humidity sucked the oxygen from the air. Amazingly the dew and fog never quite leave the airfield, as if to create a more somber atmosphere. The landing strip itself looks dilapidated and left more as a reminder of a different time. WWII era trucks, rusted and worn, are locked behind a fence as a constant reminder of th e pain that will come week three. The smell is almost pleasant, like a candle, creating a false sense of comfort that will soon be shattered.The trainig begins before dawn, the time wasn't known since watches weren't allowed. The rustling of 400 eager souls, ready for the pain we all knew was coming, filled the air. Loud bullhorns and exploding ordnance coming from every direction drowned out all attempts to organize the mass of candidates. The jog to the airfield was slow but purposeful, and didn't take very long. Once gathered on the airfield some final instructions were given, groups were made and dispersed evenly throughout the field.Like gathering for a little game, Green Berets from all over Fort Bragg position themselves with fold out chairs awaiting the excitement of other peoples torment. Some even have food, which adds to the misery of not having normal food for seven days. A local fire truck comes screaming by horns blazing and lights flashing, and parks just to the right of the mass of candidates. I find myself, rifle in hand, closest to the fire truck wondering what is next. The fun begins with an instructor briefly explaining the first â€Å"exercise.†The simple task soon felt like a mountain that never seemed to stop rising. Shortly after I hit the dirt, face first the fire truck begins to point the high pressure hose at me forcing me to either endure the sting or move faster. I crawl for what seemed like forever until I heard a horn signaling this station was done, for now. I stand up and move to the next station, simple rifle exercise was the task. With the rifle only weighing five pounds the movement seemed easy; lift over the head, then down to the midsection, then back up again.By the hundredth repetition the rifle might as well have weighed a hundred pounds. Next was logs, four hundred pound logs smooth and smelling of past candidates sweat. The task was to lift the log up, as a team, and then lower to the opposite shoulder. This is the first event that tested everyone’s determination and reason for attending the course, sadly candidates began to quit. The weight of the log, and frustration with fellow candidates, contributed to grown men saying they couldn't take it.The beautiful pine forest backdrop was replaced with bright simulated machine gun fire, exploding ordnance and instructors gawking at every sign of weakness. It was somewhere between burpee long jumps and kettle bell swings that I caught a glimpse of a sight that I can still picture today. The fire hose was spraying into the air creating a mist, the muzzle flashes from the machine guns flashed brightly. The three hundred candidates continued moving with such vigor reminding me of why I was there,which gave me the boost I needed to endure several more hours of pure pain.The jog home was quiet and quick, grown men eager for good meals ready to eat (MREs). The pure joy of being pushed to the point of total discomfort and breaking thru a mental barrier radiated from every man there. As abruptly as it began the day simply just ended. Nothing else about Balck Friday is special except the good ole fashioned gut check. The pain, distractions and ridicule were meant to weed out the weak and retain the strong. Realizing this made me appreciate making it thru and now possessing the tools needed to overcome life’s obstacles. Black Friday Descriptive Essay There are experiences in life that create an everlasting impact on our character. Seeing first hand what kind of intestinal fortitude one possesses can be both rewarding and humbling. Black Friday is the 1st day used by Special Forces Assessment and Selection to test the individuals who volunteer to serve in the elite Army Special Forces Green Berets. Just as many people before me pushed themselves to the absolute limit; I was about to experience my own test of will. Camp Mackall airfield is located a mile or so from the main training area.The airfield is surrounded on all sides by the thickest pine forest, one that you would think wasn't by accident. The thick summer humidity sucked the oxygen from the air. Amazingly the dew and fog never quite leave the airfield, as if to create a more somber atmosphere. The landing strip itself looks dilapidated and left more as a reminder of a different time. WWII era trucks, rusted and worn, are locked behind a fence as a constant reminder of th e pain that will come week three. The smell is almost pleasant, like a candle, creating a false sense of comfort that will soon be shattered.The trainig begins before dawn, the time wasn't known since watches weren't allowed. The rustling of 400 eager souls, ready for the pain we all knew was coming, filled the air. Loud bullhorns and exploding ordnance coming from every direction drowned out all attempts to organize the mass of candidates. The jog to the airfield was slow but purposeful, and didn't take very long. Once gathered on the airfield some final instructions were given, groups were made and dispersed evenly throughout the field.Like gathering for a little game, Green Berets from all over Fort Bragg position themselves with fold out chairs awaiting the excitement of other peoples torment. Some even have food, which adds to the misery of not having normal food for seven days. A local fire truck comes screaming by horns blazing and lights flashing, and parks just to the right of the mass of candidates. I find myself, rifle in hand, closest to the fire truck wondering what is next. The fun begins with an instructor briefly explaining the first â€Å"exercise.†The simple task soon felt like a mountain that never seemed to stop rising. Shortly after I hit the dirt, face first the fire truck begins to point the high pressure hose at me forcing me to either endure the sting or move faster. I crawl for what seemed like forever until I heard a horn signaling this station was done, for now. I stand up and move to the next station, simple rifle exercise was the task. With the rifle only weighing five pounds the movement seemed easy; lift over the head, then down to the midsection, then back up again.By the hundredth repetition the rifle might as well have weighed a hundred pounds. Next was logs, four hundred pound logs smooth and smelling of past candidates sweat. The task was to lift the log up, as a team, and then lower to the opposite shoulder. This is the first event that tested everyone’s determination and reason for attending the course, sadly candidates began to quit. The weight of the log, and frustration with fellow candidates, contributed to grown men saying they couldn't take it.The beautiful pine forest backdrop was replaced with bright simulated machine gun fire, exploding ordnance and instructors gawking at every sign of weakness. It was somewhere between burpee long jumps and kettle bell swings that I caught a glimpse of a sight that I can still picture today. The fire hose was spraying into the air creating a mist, the muzzle flashes from the machine guns flashed brightly. The three hundred candidates continued moving with such vigor reminding me of why I was there,which gave me the boost I needed to endure several more hours of pure pain.The jog home was quiet and quick, grown men eager for good meals ready to eat (MREs). The pure joy of being pushed to the point of total discomfort and breaking thru a mental barrier radiated from every man there. As abruptly as it began the day simply just ended. Nothing else about Balck Friday is special except the good ole fashioned gut check. The pain, distractions and ridicule were meant to weed out the weak and retain the strong. Realizing this made me appreciate making it thru and now possessing the tools needed to overcome life’s obstacles.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Most Common Plastics

Most Common Plastics Below are five of the most common plastics used for different applications along with their properties, uses and trade names. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Polyethylene Terephthalate- PET or PETE- is a durable thermoplastic that shows tough resistance to chemicals, high energy radiation, moisture, weather, wear, and abrasion. This clear or pigmented plastic is available with trade names such as: Ertalyte TX, Sustadur PET, TECADUR PET, Rynite, Unitep PET, Impet, Nuplas, Zellamid ZL 1400, Ensitep, Petlon, and Centrolyte. PET is a general purpose plastic that is made by polycondensation of PTA with ethylene glycol (EG). PET is commonly used for making soft drink and water bottles, salad trays, salad dressing containers, peanut butter containers, medicine jars, biscuit trays, rope, bean bags, and combs. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a semi flexible to hard plastic that can be easily processed by catalytic polymerization of ethylene in slurry, solution, or gas phase reactors. It is resistant to chemicals, moisture, and any sort of impact but cannot stand temperatures exceeding 160 degrees C. HDPE is naturally in the opaque state but can be colored to any requirement. HDPE products can be safely used for storing food and drinks and so it is used for shopping bags, freezer bags, milk bottles, ice cream containers, and juice bottles. It is also used for shampoo and conditioner bottles, soap bottles, detergents, bleaches, and agricultural pipes. HDPE is available under trade names of HiTec, Playboard, King Colorboard, Paxon, Densetec, King PlastiBal, Polystone, and Plexar.   Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is present in both rigid and flexible forms as unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride PVC-U and Plasticised Polyvinyl Chloride PCV-P. PVC can be obtained from ethylene and salt by vinyl chloride polymerization. PVC is resistant to fires because of its high chlorine content and is also resistant to oils and chemicals except aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones and cyclic ethers. PVC is durable and can withstand aggressive environmental factors. PVC-U is used for plumbing pipes and fittings, wall cladding, roof sheeting, cosmetic containers, bottles, window frames, and door frames. PVC-P is commonly used for cable sheathing, blood bags, blood tubing, watch straps, garden hoses, and shoe soles. PVC is commonly available under trade names of Apex, Geon, Vekaplan, Vinika, Vistel, and Vythene. Polypropylene (PP) Polypropylene (PP) is a strong yet flexible plastic that can withstand high temperatures up to 200 degrees C. PP is manufactured from propylene gas in presence of a catalyst such as titanium chloride. Being a lightweight material, PP has high tensile strength and is highly resistant to corrosion, chemicals, and moisture. Polypropylene is used to make dip bottles and ice cream tubs, margarine tubs, potato chip bags, straws, microwave meal trays, kettles, garden furniture, lunch boxes, prescription bottles, and blue packing tape. It is available under trade names such as Valtec, Valmax, Vebel, Verplen, Vylene, Oleplate and Pro-Fax. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is soft and flexible as compared to HDPE. Low Density Polyethylene shows good chemical resistance and excellent electrical properties. At low temperatures, it shows high impact strength. LDPE is compatible with most foods and household chemicals and acts as a poor oxygen barrier. Because it has very high elongation as a result of its molecular structure, LDPE is used in stretch wraps. This translucent plastic is mainly used for plastic food wrap, garbage bags, sandwich bags, squeeze bottles, black irrigation tubes, garbage bins, and plastic grocery bags. Low density polyethylene is made from the polymerization of ethylene in an autoclave or tubular reactors at very high pressures. LDPE is available in the market under the following trade names: Venelene, Vickylen, Dowlex, and Flexomer.

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Study Guide for Act 3 of Hamlet

A Study Guide for Act 3 of 'Hamlet' If youve never read Shakespeare, reading Hamlet, the bards longest play, may be a daunting task, but this breakdown of all the scenes in Act 3 can help. Use this study guide to familiarize yourself with the themes and plot points of this pivotal part of the tragedy. Doing so can help you know what to look for as you read Hamlet in class or on your own at home.  If youve already read  the drama, use the guide to review any developments that you need to better understand or overlooked the first time around. If youre preparing to take a test or write a paper about Hamlet, be mindful of what your teacher has said about the play in class. Highlight any theme or plot development you think you can use to support a thesis statement or expound upon in a persuasive essay. Act 3, Scene 1 Polonius and Claudius arrange to secretly watch a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. When they meet, Hamlet denies any affection for her which further confuses Polonius and Claudius. They decide that either Gertrude can get to the root of Hamlet’s â€Å"madness† or he will be sent to England. Act 3, Scene 2 Hamlet directs the actors in a play to depict his father’s murder, as he hopes to study Claudius’ reaction to this. Claudius and Gertrude leave during the performance. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern inform Hamlet that Gertrude wants to speak to him. Act 3, Scene 3 Polonius arranges to secretly listen to the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude. When alone, Claudius speaks of his conscience and guilt. Hamlet enters from behind and draws his sword to kill Claudius but decides that it would be wrong to kill a man while praying. Act 3, Scene 4 Hamlet is about to  reveal Claudius’ villainy to Gertrude when he hears someone behind the curtain. Hamlet thinks it is Claudius and thrusts his sword through the arras – he has killed Polonius. Hamlet reveals all and speaks to the ghost. Gertrude, who cannot see the apparition, is now convinced of Hamlet’s madness. Wrapping Up Now that youve read the guide, review the plot points. What did you learn about the characters? What are Hamlets intentions? Did his plan for Claudius work? What does Gertrude now think of Hamlet? Is she right or wrong to have these views? Why does Hamlets relationship with Ophelia appear to be so complicated? As you answer these questions and inevitably think of your own, jot them down. This will help you remember how the scenes of Act 3 unfolded and help you categorize the information in a way that may make it easier for you to come up with an outline for an essay or similar assignment on Hamlet. Take the same approach with the other acts in the play, and you will have organized the plot developments into a very handy study guide.