Psychology Articles Essay

1. Glazer, H. R., Clark, M. D., & Stein, D. S. (2004). The Impact of Hippotherapy on Grieving Children. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing 6(3), 171-175. This article is a study on the effects of hippotherapy or therapeutic riding on grieving children affected by the death of a family member. The topic focuses on the grieving of children specifically because of the observation that their bereavement often coincides with issues relating to their natural growth and development. Thus, sometimes it is difficult to ascertain whether a child’s reaction should be properly classified as growth or grief (Glazer, Clark & Stein, 2004). In order to add substantial information on the literature on children’s bereavement, the authors conducted a study that would determine how a 6-week hippotherapy program would work on grieving children. They sought to determine how stakeholders, such as the parents, children, and adult volunteer would perceive the program (Glazer, Clark & Stein, 2004). The study involved a 6-week program where selected children with ages 4 to 14 stayed at the Buckeye Ranch for sessions that taught them how to ride horses. Each session ended with the children telling the things they learned for that session. The parents and adult volunteers were also asked to reflect on their perception of the therapeutic riding session. The authors found positive results from the study, consisting of increased confidence, self-esteem, and trust among the children. The children also gained communication skills as a result of the study. Finally, both guardians and parents found the riding therapy as a positive experience. Thus, they concluded that riding therapy is a good way for finding expression of grief. 2. Andrews, C. R. & Marotta, S. A. (2005). Spirituality and Coping Among Grieving Children: A Preliminary Study. Counseling and Values 50, 38-50. This article describes grief as a â€Å"natural part of human experience.† The authors of this paper, however, note that literature on grieving mostly focus on adults’ coping mechanisms. Particularly, literature on adult bereavement focuses on religious practices and spiritual beliefs as effective coping mechanisms. Therefore, the authors aimed to extrapolate from such literature and attempt to apply major themes among grieving children (Andrews & Marotta, 2005). The authors completed a sample size of 6 children between the ages of 4 and 9, coming from various institutions. All participants experienced death within the family in the past 18 months before the period of the study. Parents’ consent was secured from each participant. During the 3-month study period, children, parents, and main caregivers were given semistructured interviews. Such interviews led to qualitative data. There were also check-in sessions conducted every month. The study utilized a phenomenological approach so that specific aspect so f bereavement could surface (Andrews & Marotta, 2005). The authors found that children’s grief are not necessarily similar to that of adults’. Children grieve repeatedly as they go from one developmental stage to the next. Certain objects or mechanisms were also found to have been effective in dealing with the grief of children, such as puppets, games, bibliotherapy, and drawings. They also note that certain spiritual aspects like linking objects and connection through metaphorical play may play a huge role in comforting grieving children (Andrews & Marotta, 2005). 3. Abeles, N., Victor, T. L. & Delano-Wood, L. (2004). The Impact of an Older Adult’s Death on the Family. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 35(3), 234-239. This article reviews extant literature on issues of death and dying. Specifically, it is concerned with the impact on the death of an older member of a family to surviving members, particularly on surviving adult children. It also aims to derive implications for treatment based on the study (Abeles, Victor & Delano-Wood, 2004). The methodology involved a simple review of literature, both on theoretical and empirical levels, on the topic of death and bereavement. Based on such literature review, the authors suggested individual or play therapy, psychoeducation, and different interventions as treatment options for grief. The authors likewise concluded that each individual may cope with loss or death of a family members in different ways. Some may not undergo the usual stages of grief. Thus, understanding of various coping mechanisms could also help surviving family members in dealing with grief (Abeles, Victor & Delano-Wood, 2004). 4. Ens, C. & Bond, J. B. (2007). Death Anxiety in Adolescents: The Contributions of Bereavement and Religiosity. Baywood Publishing Co., Inc., 169-184. This article aims to determine possible relationships between religiosity, bereavement, and death anxiety levels of adolescents. This is done to achieve greater understanding of adolescents, who face difficult challenges during bereavement (Ens & Bond, 2007). The authors conducted a study with 226 adolescents as participants. These participants have ages ranging from 11 to 18 and come from rural and urban private schools. Both the parents and student participants gave written consent before participating in the study. The authors formulated one questionnaire that consisted of several scales that measure bereavement, religiosity, and death anxiety. This questionnaire was administered to participants and the data was analyzed (Ens & Bond, 2007). The data showed a strong correlation between death and grief due to death in the family. Consequently, the authors concluded, â€Å"grief due to bereavement was the only factor found to independently contribute death anxiety for adolescents.† Finally, the authors found weak relationship between death anxiety and personal religiosity (Ens & Bond, 2007). 5. Papadatou, D., Metallinou, O., Hatzichristou, C. & Pavlidi, L. (2002). Supporting the bereaved child: teacher’s perceptions and experiences in Greece. Mortality 7(3), 324-339. This article reports a national survey conducted by the authors, aimed at determining how Greek teachers perceived bereaved children. More specifically, this study aimed to analyze experiences of children who grieved the death of a relative and a classmate. These aims result from the belief that grief is affected by the level of support received by bereaved children (Papadatou, Metallinou, Hatzichristou & Pavlidi, 2002). The authors selected participating population by applying a specific criterion on a list of Greek schools provided by the Ministry of Education, National Statistical Service. The authors handed out 3,500 questionnaires among Greek educators, and data was gathered from the responses (Papadatou, Metallinou, Hatzichristou & Pavlidi, 2002). The national survey resulted in several important findings. For one, it appears that Greek educators feel that the experience of death in the family or classmate negatively affect the performance of a bereaved child in school. Moreover, educators who had more years in experience as teachers had more opportunity to observe grieving children and the effect of bereavement on them. Finally, most educators appeared comfortable talking to bereaved students and cooperate with their family to help them cope with their loss (Papadatou, Metallinou, Hatzichristou & Pavlidi, 2002). 6. Charkow, W. B. Inviting Children to Grieve. Professional School Counseling. This article discusses the importance of grieving for children who have experienced death in the family. It reviews literature and shows how society and families often shield children from the fact of death. This paper aims to establish the importance of grieving for children by showing how shielding children affects them (Charkow). The article basically reviews literature on death and the responses to its experience. These factors affect how the loss of a person through death could be traumatic to a child. For example, the relationship of the child with the deceased is a relevant factor to consider. Through the study of extant literature on bereavement, the author laid down several implications for stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, and counselors. The author concludes that being up front with children about the realities of death would lead them to cope properly through understanding and grieving appropriately. 7. Cohen, J., Goodman, R. F., Brown, E. J. & Mannarino, A. (2004). Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief: Contributing to a Newly Emerging Condition in the Wake of Community Trauma. Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief After 9/11, 213-216. This article is a response to the events of the 9/11 attack in New York City, which resulted in the death of many parents. The authors report that more than 10,000 children lost parents and loved ones on that fateful day. Hence, the authors’ concern about childhood traumatic grief (Cohen, Goodman, Brown & Mannarino, 2004). This article basically reviews extant literature on childhood traumatic grief, particularly those relating to treatment interventions and psychotherapeutic approaches to childhood traumatic grief (Cohen, Goodman, Brown & Mannarino, 2004). After reviewing literature on interventions to childhood traumatic grief, such as client-centered therapy, the authors discussed various factors that affect the assessment and treatment of the condition. Finally, the authors provided suggestions for future directions, particularly since the literature on childhood traumatic grief is still in its infancy (Cohen, Goodman, Brown & Mannarino, 2004). 8. Crenshaw, D. A. (2005). Clinical Tools to Facilitate Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief. OMEGA 51(3), 239-255. This article aims to describe strategies and techniques that address childhood traumatic grief in order to how clinicians how to address youth experiencing such condition. These strategies use themes such as abandonment and attachment (Crenshaw, 2005). This article’s methodology consisted mainly in reviewing and describing various techniques and strategies used in dealing with grieving children. The authors then analyzed how such techniques helped children with their bereavement (Crenshaw, 2005). The strategies described in this article illustrate how themes such as facing unknown dangers and leaving behind loved ones and family help children cope with loss and address unresolved issues (Crenshaw, 2005). References Abeles, N., Victor, T. L. & Delano-Wood, L. (2004). The Impact of an Older Adult’s Death on the Family. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 35(3), 234-239. Andrews, C. R. & Marotta, S. A. (2005). Spirituality and Coping Among Grieving Children: A Preliminary Study. Counseling and Values 50, 38-50. Charkow, W. B. Inviting Children to Grieve. Professional School Counseling. Crenshaw, D. A. (2005). Clinical Tools to Facilitate Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief. OMEGA 51(3), 239-255. Cohen, J., Goodman, R. F., Brown, E. J. & Mannarino, A. (2004). Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief: Contributing to a Newly Emerging Condition in the Wake of Community Trauma. Treatment of Childhood Traumatic Grief After 9/11, 213-216. Ens, C. & Bond, J. B. (2007). Death Anxiety in Adolescents: The Contributions of Bereavement and Religiosity. Baywood Publishing Co., Inc., 169-184. Glazer, H. R., Clark, M. D., & Stein, D. S. (2004). The Impact of Hippotherapy on Grieving Children. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing 6(3), 171-175. Papadatou, D., Metallinou, O., Hatzichristou, C. & Pavlidi, L. (2002). Supporting the bereaved child: tracher’s perceptions and experiences in Greece. Mortality 7(3), 324-339.

Business Structure Advice Essay

Owner- Congratulations for taking the first step in starting your own business. I am confident that I can provide you the necessary information that you need in order to help you make the best decisions for you and your new business venture. Developing a detailed business plan is key in starting a successful business. When forming a business you will first need to decide on the business structure. In your email you stated that you were on whether or not you wanted partners. You have the following options for business structures: sole proprietorship or partnership. A sole proprietorship is the basic type of business structure. It would consist as you being the owner only to run and operate the business. The advantages of this business structure is that it is easy to start-up, the start-up costs are low and the owner receives all profits from the business. Also, the owner can upgrade to a partnership or corporation easily in the future. A disadvantage to this business structure is the proprietor is responsible for debts and obligations. Business earnings for a sole proprietorship is taxed once, thus making filing taxes not complicated. Funding for a sole proprietorship is usually from personal finances and friends and families. This is due to limited financial opportunities from lending institutions and investors. A partnership involves you and at least one other person. There is two types of partnerships: general and limited. In a general partnership owners are equal and split responsibilities accordingly. In a limited partnership the limited partner have a limited role. The advantage of a general partnership is that the business is easy to start and profits and losses are divided among the partners. A disadvantage is that all partners are liable for debt. Another disadvantage is that all partners are bound to actions or decisions made by one partner. Last, this is not a good structure if the partnership wants large capital. For this type of business structure, each partner is taxed. A limited partnership is ideal for who has a preference of not having an active role in the company. Advantages include: minimum government regulations, limited partners not held responsible for debt and liabilities, and gener al partners have complete control. Disadvantages for a limited partnership are: more expensive to create compared to a general.

Textiles Del Hogar

DEFINICION DEL PROBLEMA: Resolver si es mas conveniente continuar con el negocio o liquidar. Si mi decision es liquidar la empresa debo definir cuando y como hacerlo. CARACTERISTICAS PRINCIPALES DE TEXTILES DEL HOGAR S. L. : Antecedentes A mediados del 2002 tras el gerente Oriol Ventura presentar los demas accionistas llamaron a RamonQuesada para que les asesorara. La entrada de los Quesada en Textiles del Hogar se dio el 6 de Febrero del 2003 tras 24 horas de reuniones con los accionistas por un contrato de gestion, una opcion de compra por parte o el total a ejecutar en 6 meses segun resultado de una due diligences y refinanciacion de la empresa. La sociedad Altafix. SL (creada por los Quesada) adquirio en acciones y refinancio el prestamo o aval lo preciso para que textiles del Hogar mantuviera en operaciones. _Objetivos _Estrategicos Los objetivos de los Quesada en Textiles del Hogar era aumentar la facturacion, generar fondos para poner la empresa al dia y generar dividendos para los accionistas. Producto Buena imagen en las tiendas de barrio y un producto con buena calidad/precio en comparacion con la competencia nacional y extranjera. Ventas Estacionales y con tendencia a la baja. El mercado acusa las importaciones asiaticas y se reduce el mercado para los fabricantes nacionales. Proceso de fabricacion e instalaciones Muy poca productividad debido a maquinaria muy obsoleta. La produccion se fabricaba en forma continua. Se fabricaba para stock en tejidos crudos para cumplir plazo de entrega mas cortos. Los pedidos de clientes de pocas unidades se producian sobre pedido Personal Ambiente laboral inicial muy deteriorado con 24 perronas (11 h + 13 m) con una edad media de 48 anos y una antiguedad de 20. 6 Cosedoras que no constaban en nomina y no habian sido dado de alta en la Seguridad Social. Entre el 2003 y 2005 la situacion se habia mejorado notablemente con el ingreso de los Quesada. Canales: Cartera de pedidos: Los pedidos oscilaban entre 1 y 4 semanas. Con mucha Incertidumbre. A pesar de apretados plazos, solo entre 5 y 10% se retrasaban en la entrega y casi unca mas alla de 5 a 10 dias. Proveedores: Principalmente fabricantes de hilo o de tejidos no fabricados por Textiles del Hogar. Subcontratistas solian ser acabadores. CRITERIOS PARA LA TOMA DE DECISION _Matriz de _decision _ _ Dividendos a Accionista Los socios llevan mucho tiempo sin cobrar ni un solo Euro y con las ventas cayendo a un 4 % constante en los siguientes anos siendo optimista el resultado del ejercicio es pos itivo sin embargo se va disminuyendo con el paso del tiempo lo que refleja poca viabilidad a largo plazo bajo las condiciones actuales. El ingreso para los accionistas en caso de liquidar seria solo por la venta de las existencias, las cuales son no perecibles y se pueden vender rapidamente aplicando un descuento, y las cuentas por cobrar (cartera 100% recuperable) ya que por las maquinas no obtuvieran ningun valor representativo. *Caida de facturacion del 4 % constante Gastos fijos aumentan a 180 para cubrir los 9 mil de los Quesada *(GESL tiene pendiente de recibir 5. 000â‚ ¬ durante 30 meses (150. 000â‚ ¬). Inversion en Tecnologia. Debido a que en Textiles la maquinaria era de cuarenta anos de antiguedad y los rendimientos muy bajos invertir en maquinaria permitiria mejorar los costos de fabricacion que permitan seguir los niveles de ventas. A esto lo debemos agregar la compra de un ERP (para mejor control administrativo) mas una normativa municipal esta inversion no seria menos 200. 000 euros. Entorno Economico* (Mercado y Ventas)*. Los mercados emergentes (especialmente China) son una amenaza constante para la sostenibilidad. Las ventas se vienen reduciendo en promedio 4 % anual peros esto puede aumentar por el factor mencionado haciendose mas dificil cada ano cumplir el presupuesto. Otro factor del mercado es que se compite via precio y no por disenos u otro factor diferenciador. La salida del mercado textil puede representar el ingreso al sector inmobiliario que segun uno de los accionistas , Adria Guasch, quien es propietario de las naves tiene un gran potencial. Indemnizaciones a Empleados Los costes de jubilacion se ven reducidos por la nueva legislacion en el sector textil lo ue facilita la liquidacion de esta. Este factor debe ser tomado en cuenta en para el â€Å"cuando† cerrar ya que el importe de 300000 euros es bastante significativo para la compania Responsabilidad social De acuerdo con el analisis de los criterios realizado en el punto anterior y ya que los dividendos y responsabilidad social son los criterios con mas peso se llega a la conclusion que los Hermanos Quesada deberian de c ontinuar con el negocio de Textiles del Hogar pero definiendo un plazo de espera para que repunte el negocio segun el plan de accion. Segun proyecciones de ventas y estado de resultado este punto debe ser el ano 2007 ya que la utilidad del negocio disminuye despues de este ano. PLAN DE ACCION Al tomar la decision de continuar con el negocio se debe de hacer cambios en los criterios expuestos para tener estabilidad y sostenibilidad a corto y largo plazo. Se debe empezar por potenciar el mercado que permita disminuir las comisiones de 5 al 8 % y asi aumentar el margen. Una alternativa puede ser consolidar una fuerza de venta propia. De manera paralela debemos buscar la manera de salir del mercado de commodity (via precio) a un mercado donde la calidad sea el diferenciador. Tambien se debe buscar capital para inversion en maquina ya que estas estan muy obsoletas y asi ser mas competitivos en tiempos y reducir costos de produccion. La otra inversion que se necesita es la de la normativa municipal y el ERP que conjuntamente ascienden a 200000 Euros. Reducir la estacionalidad en ventas es un punto igualmente importante. Una solucion seria buscar productos alternativos para los periodos en que las ventas caen. Si bien es cierto que la jubilacion sin costo por la nueva ley jubilacion del personal puedes ayudar ya que se puede contratar mano de obra mas joven y barata, considero que debe ser una ultima medida ya que la responsabilidad social para los Quesada es un criterio muy importante como se habia mencionado anteriormente.

Professional Communication of the Conference Essay

Professional Communication of the Conference - Essay Example At this time the President of "Fiber Optic Inc." Mr. Johnson will make his keynote address to the participants. You are invited to visit his address as it will give you details about how we will work in the following days. The address will be held at the hotel in the California Ballroom. Immediately after the President's address, the company's main exhibit will be opened on the convention floor. You are invited to participate in its opening so that in the following days you can revisit the already familiar exhibit with some specific interests that you may develop during the workshops. We have tried to organize the conference in such a way that you will have free time for visiting interesting sights in our city. From our part, we would recommend visiting the city art gallery where you will find a lot of interesting works of art in different genres as well as will have a chance to witness the live Internet videoconference with a Japanese art gallery. The videoconference is to take place on April 12, 2005, at 4 PM and our company is proud to be the technical sponsor of this regular event. During the conference, we will be providing three meals a day in the conference restaurant.

Fundraising Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Fundraising Plan - Assignment Example This year, â€Å"West Liberty website† (2014) emphasizes that the University requires a total of $ 4 million that will benefit the entire student community as well as, the community around the institution. The effect of the fundraising will reflect not only this year, but, also in many years to come. The fundraising will improve the institutions, athletic programs so that the institution can retain its ‘nation’s finest’ athletics title. â€Å"The State Journal† (2014) was keen to note, that during the last summer, the institution started a new master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies that will require qualified lecturers to be recruited as well as other supporting staff. This fundraising will enable the new degree program become a success and see that the graduates will become productive in their areas of expertise. Garecht (n.d) states that a fundraising plan requires a reliable team and the use various fundraising techniques that will help in making the most from a campaign. The first fundraising tactic that will be used events which will be both major and minor. The minor event will be a â€Å"gala dinner-dance† that will be held on the 20th of October, 2014. The aim of planning this gala event is to raise approximately $1 million dollars out of the $ 4 million target of this year. In kind donations are welcome from our donors and parents through direct mail or online giving through our website page. The fundraising will also target our past and potential donors from banks and other financial institution for a target of $ 1.5 of the total $4 million this year. The institution will also hold a â€Å"walk for Western Liberty University† campaign that will be held on the 30 of November, 2014 with a target of $ 1 million. The annual final event that will close this year’s fu nd raising will be a golf tournament and, thanksgiving at the school’s stadium that will host all NCAA Division-II institutions on the 20th of December, 2014. The target for

Evaluation Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evaluation Methods - Coursework Example t will first provide a brief overview of evaluation design and methodology followed by discussing the importance of strategic questioning, interview techniques, and evaluation design. Eventually, the student will examine the different types of research evaluation designs and methodologies by comparing and contrasting each of the widely used research evaluation and methodologies. Based on the scope and limitation of each research evaluation design and methodology, the type of research study wherein each of the research evaluation design and methodology is proven to be effective will be discussed prior to the conclusion. There are a lot of evaluation design and methodology to consider when conducting a research work. In order to develop a good research study, the researcher should be able to effectively mix-and-match the methodological designs which can either be (1) experimental; (2) quasi-experimental; or (3) non-experimental evaluation with the use of either descriptive, normative, or causal methodological approaches (Grosshans & Chelimsky, 1991); together with the different available evaluation approaches like: (1) theory-based; (2) goal free; or (3) constructivist. (Weiss, 2005) When conducting a sample survey, researcher may chose from evaluation designs like cross-sectional or panel. (Grosshans & Chelimsky, 1991) Depending on the main goal of the researcher, other approaches like quantitative, qualitative methods or both can be used when conducting a sample survey. In general, the type of evaluation design and methodology used in a research study is highly dependent on the main purpose of the study. (Rutman, 1980) For example: A quasi-experimentation design and analysis is highly recommended for field settings. (Campbell & Cook, 1979: p. 405) Other types of evaluation design suitable for field experiment includes: (1) true experiment – also known as the experimental approach; (2) non-equivalent comparison group; or (3) time-series. (Grosshans &

Corporate Governance in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Governance in Germany - Essay Example This brings us to Germany, who has a seemingly flawless method of Corporate Governance. Most corporate infrastructures receive work from all ends of the company. With smaller investment groups and smaller group of shareholders who are only out for profit for themselves, German companies receive feedback from employees, management, banks, partnered companies and even consumers. In this way, they can touch on all aspects of thought about the company. It is a rather long-term method of thinking which has become absent in the modern day with life being so hectic and all. But it has worked to bring the German economy back into power ever since the debts incurred from World War I and II. Companies are supposed to help the good of the people before bringing in pure profit. Although the point of any business is to turn a profit, by helping out the community first, this strengthens Corporate Philanthropy 2, or the idea that helping others and taking personal hits for the company for the good of the consumer will help company image and thus bring in more sales. In the end, although the German system of Corporate Governance may seem a bit slow, it has helped to fuel their economy and reduce their unemployment throughout the years. However, there is always a downside to everything, and although you might be asking how there could really be a downside to this way of company thinking, in the end, it all comes down to the economy. While companies are growing, the German economy as a whole has slower growth.... Although the point of any business is to turn a profit, by helping out the community first, this strengthens Corporate Philanthropy 2, or the idea that helping others and taking personal hits for the company for the good of the consumer will help company image and thus bring in more sales. In the end, although the German system of Corporate Governance may seem a bit slow, it has helped to fuel their economy and reduce their unemployment throughout the years. However, there is always a downside to everything, and although you might be asking how there could really be a downside to this way of company thinking, but in the end, it all comes down to the economy. While companies are growing, the German economy as a whole has slower growth, and entrepreneurism has been suffering. Without easy ways for people to get out if things turn bad, it has become less and less fitting to start a business in Germany. So in the end, if you cannot support yourself and the good of the community, your business will fail with the current structure of Corporate Governance in Germany. Now this brings us to the connection between the United Kingdom and German Corporate Governance. Where the United Kingdom has succeeded in helping to jump start entrepreneurism and new businesses, they suffer from corruption inherent in many companies. Germany, on the other hand, has low levels of corruption, but also low levels of economic growth spurts. So, there are many ways we can approach this. Europe has been trying, as a whole continent, to support all countries and combine the best of all worlds. So, you could take the good points of the United Kingdom's Corporate Governance, boards of directors and outside investors, and the stability of the German's Corporate

What did Malcom X do for Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What did Malcom X do for Islam - Research Paper Example At the age of 20, Malcolm X was arrested and taken to prison for criminal offense (larceny, breaking, and entering). It was during his prison life that Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam; a movement founded by Wallece Fard in the 1930s (DeCaro 76). He rose to the ranks to become a leader in the Nation of Islam. He opted for the name X on the belief that he had lost his true lineage following forced slavery on his African ancestors. For years, Malcolm X featured as the public face of this controversial Islamic group that believed and worshipped Allah and also lived to Mohammed’s teachings. In protecting the Nation Islam’s teachings, Malcolm X strongly advocated for Black-White separation, scoffed at the American’s civil rights movement, and espoused black supremacy by emphasizing on white-black integration (Kly 77). Following the mysterious disappearance of Fard, Elijah Muhammad ascended to the leadership of the movement. The Nation of Islam became very powerful and influential, especially among the African-Americans who had been released from prison and where in search of help and guidance (Turner 54). The group preached strict adherence to moral codes as well as relying on fellow African-Americans for guidance and support. The primary goal of this movement was not integration, but empowering the blacks to establish their own churches, support networks, and schools (DeCaro 85). After making his personal conversion to Muhammad, Malcolm X’s talents were recognized by Elijah, making to become the spokesperson of the Black Muslims. Having been disillusioned with Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X led repudiation to the Nation of Islam and its fundamental teachings (Sabrina 6-7). It was after this walkout that Malcolm X embraced Sunni Islam. Following years of Middle East and Africa n travels, Malcolm founded the popular Organization of Afro-American

A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers Case Study

A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Career Changers - Case Study Example If you love what you do and are naturally good at it- your talent will shine through and the money will follow. We should just concentrate on bettering ourselves at different aspects of the job and the rest will take care of itself. A career needs to be planned, as any top executive will tell you, and making the right choices will pay dividends in getting you to the right places so you can climb the corporate ladder and make a name for yourself. This paper will look at the salary data for three jobs of my choice and compare them in terms of overall suitability and usefulness as career choices. Discussion After a good introspective thinking session about my skills and abilities and the jobs I would like to be in, I have selected (1) College Teacher (2) Investment Analyst and (3) Business Process Consultant as the three professions I would most like to be in, in that order. Teaching is my first choice because I have an innate ability to learn and pick up facts quickly as well as to exp lain them to others in a way they would understand. Investment Analyst would be my second choice because I am good with numbers and have some interest in finance and how it runs the corporate world. The last choice would be Business Process Consultant in case I do not get into the first two professions of my choice. This again is a good choice for one who is good at dealing with people and processes and knows a bit about business problems in different areas and how to overcome bottlenecks or kick-start processes. It helps one understand what are the threats and opportunities to handle and how to use the company’s strengths and overcome its weaknesses to survive in a competitive environment, how the world works and what impacts on opinions. I think it is something we should all show a little interest in. All the professions I have chosen need some college and university education but what really matters is the long-term interest in these professions. Without this one would be a rolling stone (Bolles, 2011). Median, 25th and 75th Percentile Base Wages and Total Compensation (NYC) Profession 25th Percentile Median or 50th 75th Percentile College Teacher $14, 398 $17, 515 $21,786 Investment Analyst $53,767 $61,790 $82,401 Business Process Consultant $101,290 $114,367 $128,530 SOURCE: www.salary.com. Accessed on 23 Sep 2011. 1. Which jobs are paid more or less? Is this what you would have expected? Why or why not? What factors could explain the differences in the salaries? Yes, the price that a job commands in the marketplace is both a reflection of the demand and supply for that particular set of skills as well as the training and experience that is required to enter into a particular profession. For example, in the education sector, the basic qualification considered for a college professor is a Bachelors Degree. Similarly, for an Investment Analyst, the basic educational qualification would be a Business or Finance Degree. For a Business Process Consultan t this would be a degree in Project Management along with an innate sense of planning, organizing and problem-solving. Most definitely the cost of a college education is also included in starting pay considerations. As one gains experience in these fields, the pay also increases with promotions, bonuses, and further perks.  

Case study analysis Nike sweatshops and business ehtics

Analysis Nike sweatshops and business ehtics - Case Study Example The sells a number of their products per year but the company lacks a production unit and thus contracts other companies to manufacture for them all around the world. It is estimated that over 900,000 million people are employed in these different companies around the world to produce Nike based products alone. A large number of these companies are based in Asian countries like Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan and Indonesia where critics have accused Nike to offer poor working condition for the workers as opposed to the United States’ labor laws. The company has been accused on several occasions for exploiting the sweatshop labors upon which its operations are based to increase their profitability while exploiting the locals and rewarding them poorly. Nike had total revenue of $16 billion in 2007, a slight improvement from what the company posted in the previous years. Introduction This paper provides a detailed case study of Nike sweat shops as they are curren tly operated and managed across the globe. As part of the analysis, the business model adopted by Nike shall be analyzed in this paper, providing a comparison with other business models that do exist. The core mission, values and visions of the company will also be discussed to ascertain their relevance in the progress of the company. This paper will adopt the five porter analysis technique to describe the strategic plans and approaches adopted by Nike sweatshops. Porter five force analyses is a framework developed to enable consultants conduct critical industry analysis and business strategy development. SWOT analysis of the company will also be conducted to help form a clear basis upon which their success and/or failure will be weighed. Ethical issues in Nike sweatshops have been a major topic both in the United States and in other countries where the company’s goods are manufactured. This case study will also seek to provide a detailed analysis of the ethical conduct and m isconduct of Nike sweatshop to ascertain the relevance of the claims. Finally, recommendations based on the results obtained from the analysis will be provided emphasizing on the legal requirements that guide such recommendations. Existing business model Business model provides an in-depth analysis of the practices of the business that seeks to create, deliver and capture value for the products being handled. In this section, the core operational aspects of the business, strategies employed organizational culture and structure and trading policies will be evaluated. The business model adopted by any organization contributed to a larger percentage its ability to succeed and deliver value to its consumers. Nike has a value proposition that translates into nothing is impossible if you put the right effort and practice into whatever you want to achieve. This has been a marketing strategy adopted by the company for long to enable it retain its sport consumers who require motivation in th eir daily endeavors. The creation of innovation and inspiration to all athletes in the world the company’s core target and this has enabled Nike to maintain its traditional customers in the sporting fraternity (Drago 117). Nike has for long adopted the franchising business model to enable it produce large volumes of products that can meet the demands of its large consumers spread across the world. Franchising is defined as a practice of using other

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Assignment

Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure - Assignment Example If we go by the memory lane, we find noticeable success of USA. Few of them are end of Cold War era, Soviet collapse, Gulf War, overthrown unpopular regimes in Iraq, Egypt and Libya, targeting and netting most wanted terrorist of the world including Osama Bin Laden besides tracking down Lockerbie shooters from Libyan territory (Zegart, 2005). Intervention of American CIA in Chile The role of American Intelligence Agencies from intervention to overthrown of hostile governments are not hidden from any one. Americans do not compromise at the cost of American interest, be it Chile or any other country of the globe. How the Chilean people forgot the American intervention in their country during the Presidency of Mr. Ford. The intervention came in the month of September 1974, apparently to keep intact freedom of print and electronic media besides protection of democratic rights of the political parties in the best interest of the American and the Chilean people ("Senate select intelligence ," 1976). Later on, the Senate committee justified the cited direct action of the American Intelligence Agency in which an elected government of Marxist President Salvador was toppled. The intrusion of CIA lasted more than a decade in Chile, costing around USD 13million to the exchequer of USA ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). Impact of Success of Intelligence Agencies of USA The success of intelligence agencies of USA in different parts of the world makes the United States of America an apex power of the World. Political abuses of American FBI The historical perspective of political abuse of FBI is multidimensional. The first one is the subservience of President and its associates, ready... Implications of an Intelligence Success or Failure Its information relates to enemy would be of great help to locate the enemy and to decide which tactics and weapons when properly uses, would be instrumental in winning war against the enemy in an specific area (Richelson, 1995). The intelligence agency shoulders three sorts of intelligence task. As a first step, it is to gather material information for assessment. The second step is to examine the enemy’s capabilities, nefarious designs against the country. Accordingly take measures to respond internal and external threats. The third step of this process requires production and dissemination.  On the basis of gathered information and analysis, the cited agency enables to compose finished intelligence reports for the perusal of military and civilian incumbents.   The primary responsibility of an intelligence officer is to make decision and to take action accordingly. Intelligence officers have to work closely with the policy makers and armed forces to get the job done in a n effective way (Richelson, 1995). Discussion Success of USA Intelligence Soon after the Second World War, the then President of USA Mr. Truman specifically focused on Defense and Intelligence Agencies to enhance its capabilities to combat with the increasing menace of Communism and the survival of free civilization ("Senate select intelligence," 1976). The success and failures of American Intelligence Agencies are crystal clear. Their latest move to find out Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan proved successful. This has endorsed the efficiencies of its spy agencies.

How to Describe Yourself Essay Example for Free

How to Describe Yourself Essay You could ask a hundred people to describe themselves and what they like least and most about themselves, and I bet you would get the same answer every time. People would say they are caring, sweet, loving, forgiving, nice, and respectful. The thing is though not everyone is what they say they are. Some people say they are forgiving but the still hold grudges and other may say they are truthful but tell that one white lie. So how can I describe myself to you? I would have to start with being honest about who I really am. I would describe myself as being honest, caring, loving, nurturing, forgiving, and a lot of other things. But I am not completely honest or completely loving or forgiving, no human being is. I tell that one white lie every now and again like: no that top looks great on you, or no you don’t look fat in those jeans. And to say that I am completely loving is not true either. There are some things I hate in life such as: tomatoes, bad hair days, and snow. Finally to say that I am forgiving would be a lie, I hold grudges longer than most people, and if you cross that certain line there’s no coming back and there is no forgiveness for you. So to say I am completely truthful, loving or forgiving would be a lie in itself. The qualities I would like to see flourish and whither about myself are the same qualities everyone has. I would like to see my bad habits of biting nails, or eating when I’m bored to wither away. But some of my best qualities I would like to see grow and expand are, being caring, putting others before myself, or helping someone in need whether my needs are more important or not. This entire thing comes back to what I describe myself as and how I really am. Some qualities about myself I want gone in a second but others I wouldn’t trade for the world. It all depends on how you view yourself. The qualities I like about myself the most are the fact that I can overlook whatever a person has done in their life and still see the good in them that’s trying to break free. Also no matter when or where if someone needs help and I know I can help them I will do it no matter what the cost. On the other hand the qualities I don’t like about myself are just like everyone else’s. I don’t like that fact that I have low self-esteem, or that I don’t have the same characteristics of other people. Also I don’t like that I sometimes judge a person just by looking at them and then I have my mind made up. But these are the qualities that make us human. Over all everyone has a good and bad quality about themself, no matter what race, religion, ethnic background ,everyone has something in common and that is the thing that makes us unique and separates us from each other. I wouldn’t trade any of my best characteristics or my good qualities. I would however change some of my bad qualities, or at least try to improve them. I as a human being have my ups and downs and have my flaws but that’s what makes me so special and so unique. So asking me to describe myself as a human being is really a trick question because it’s all a matter of my own opinion mixed with how the world sees me.

The Common European Framework For Languages English Language Essay

The Common European Framework For Languages English Language Essay The teaching and learning of languages in Germany in school contexts changed a lot in the last years. The trend in terms of education policy of standardization and competence orientation dominates more and more the German language teaching. The policy supports in an active way this reform. One of the most influential documents of this development is the Common European framework for languages. Its influence is in Germany especially strong since the authors of the German education standards for the first foreign language adopted nearly completely its concept. In this work I will show what the reform of language teaching in Germany mean. I will find answers for the question what competence orientated foreign language teaching is and I will consider how the Common European framework for languages and the German education standards for the first foreign language are related to this trend. Finally I will weight the positive aspects up against the problematic points of this development. 2. Reform of German foreign language teaching development of a competence orientated learning and teaching For quite a while the teaching and learning of languages in Germany in school contexts is influenced from a trend in terms of educational policy, called competence orientated teaching. (Hu 2008: S. 1) But what exactly is this trend, which dominates the discussion of the scientific community of those concerned with foreign language teaching and research? What is the potential of the changes which are accompanied by the competence orientated teaching and which aspects of this trend are controversial? A long time language teaching in German schools aimed to the instruction for four language skills: oral comprehension, written comprehension, speaking and writing. The teaching and learning of foreign languages was therefore clearly geared toward the language system of the respective language. (Hu, Leupold 2008: 52) Changes of the conditions of the external world, such as the progression of the globalisation, an increase of mobility of the people, relating to the evolution of globalisation and the phenomenon of migration lead to a different target of language teaching. The objective of language teaching in German schools was now the training of a so-called competence of communication. Before that time, the language system of the respective language was the focus of language teaching. After the change of the role of foreign languages in the life, the focus of learning and teaching languages was that the learners become able to express whatever it is they want to express. (Hu, Leupold 2008: 53) The Pragmatics, a subfield of linguistic, explained the complexity of the competence of communication by dividing it in several parts: linguistic competence, socio-linguistic competence, competence of discourse, strategically competence, socio-cultural competence, social competence. (Hu, Leupold 2008: 53) All in all, the development of language teaching in Germany is often described by scientific community as a change from orientation towards the input to an orientation towards the output. No longer the contents that the pupil has to learn are considered as the most important question of educational policy. The competences, abilities that the pupils can achieve by learning quite different contents are now the focus of the discussion in terms of educational policy. (Weil 2010: 16) In Germany that restructuring was especially driven forward after the so-called shock of Pisa in 2000. The Kultusministerkonferenz  [1]  (KMK) developed a strategy, a key element of which are the German education standards for the first foreign language (English/French) and the included idea of competence orientated teaching. The plan is to develop medium or long term aims for each subject of the German education system. The targets should be competence orientated and clearly fixed, so that it is possible to peer-review them. This project both challenged and changed the teaching and learning of languages in Germany. The idea of competence orientated language teaching is reflected in different parts of the German school system: in the education standards for the first foreign language, which is based on the Common European framework for languages, in exams comparing the accomplishment of all German pupils at a certain age, in types of exercises, which have to be involved in all language classes of German schools, etc. One of the most important or maybe the most important event of the described reform of learning and teaching languages is the Common European framework of languages in Germany. That is why this document will be the focus of the next part of my work. In the first part of this chapter I will look into what kind of document the CEFR is. In the second part I will show the implementation of the document in the German education system of language teaching. In the third part I will consider the reception of the CEFR and the idea of competence orientated teaching. 3. The Common European framework for languages 3.1 What is the CEFR? The CEFR was published in 2000 as result of many years of work on the European level. One year later a version in German language was published. The primary goal of the document was to create a closer unity between the member states. Therefore the target of the CEFR is first of all politically motivated. (Hu 2008: 4) Other important intentions of the CEFR can be summarized as follows: Intensification of learning and teaching languages, so that the people of the European Union have more mobility and so that a international communication can be more effective support of the concept of a European plurilingualism lifelong language learning to make the recognition of language qualifications easier to create the possibility of comparison of programmes for language learning, for language certificates to create more transparency and to describe realistic goals of language learning (chapter 1 of the CEFR) In the CEFR language is always considered, as we can see in the first chapter of the long document, as kind of a human action. In the concept of the CEFR learning a language serves for communication. The division of the complex ability to have mastered a foreign language in several parts, that can be assessed, has an especially huge influence of language teaching. Here you can see which different competences, considered as important for learning a language, are listed in the CEFR: declarative knowledge (savoir) knowledge about the world socio-cultural knowledge intercultural awareness skills and procedural knowledge (savoir-faire) practical skills intercultural skills competences of personality (savoir-à ªtre) ability to learn (savoir-apprendre) So the traditional targets of language learning are extended in the CEFR by up to other intentions, that where unconsidered until then: Techniques and strategies about how to learn are presented as important aspects of language learning. The cultural dimension of learning foreign languages is represented and the CEFR also pays some attention to the demands of the personality of the learner which are related to the process of language learning. Besides this, the process of learning languages was, in the CEFR, for the first time analysed in an instrumental-functional way by dividing the process of learning in six levels. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 1) The reference levels of the CEFR serve to describe the progresses in the process of learning. It is therefore evident that the underlying concept of language of the CEFR is an instrumental-functional one. Appropriate to his competences a language learner belongs after the concept of the CEFR to one of the three broad divisions, which can be divided into six levels. Here the structuring of learning languages which is developed by the authors of the CEFR: A Basic Speaker A1 Breakthrough or beginner A2 Waystage or elementary B Independent Speaker B1 Threshold or pre-intermediate B2 Vantage or intermediate C Proficient Speaker C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or upper intermediate C2 Mastery or advanced 3.2 The implementation of the CEFR in Germany: the CEFR as underlying concept of the education standards for the first foreign language After I have outlined what kind of document the CEFR is, I will describe his implementation in the German education standards for the first foreign language and with that his enormous influence on language teaching in German schools. In 2000, for the first time the international school study PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) was performed. This is an international evaluation of the scholastic performance of 15-year-old pupils, which is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The relatively bad results of the German pupils (Born 2003) revealed the discrepancy between the targets and the requirements of the educational system and the real results. Because of the PISA results of 2000, the German educational policy was under big political pressure for action. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 1) In this conditions, the Kultusministerkonferenz passed education standards for the first foreign language (English/French) in 2003. These standards give information about the required standard of a pupil after having been at school for ten years, after the lower secondary school. These actions in term of educational policy should, at least at medium-term, improve the scholastic performance of German pupils and give Germany the chance to get a better ranking in the future. (Klieme, Leutner 2006: 876) The standardization of learning languages was a special case because a system of levels already existed from the CEFR. So the existing work form the Council of Europe was taken up. The B1 level was used as the basis for the level, which was expected at the end of lower secondary school. The educational standards describe consequently as well as the CEFR the expected normal level and not a minimal level. (Kunze 2007: 236) Since the educational standards practically adopted the skills of the CEFR, two more or less simultaneous developments in educational policy with original different intentions, coincided: the possibility to compare language competences in Europe and the goal in term of educational policy to describe accurately which competences are expected from the pupils at a certain grade, so that the scholastic performance can be assessed in a well founded way. (Hu 2008: 5) In spite of the different intentions the education standards for the first foreign language are clearly based on the CEFR. Also the division of the very complex competence to have mastered a language follows the example of the CEFR. Merely the terms and the presentation are different. The concept is nearly the same: skills of communication oral comprehension written comprehension speaking writing translating handling of the language system (grammar and vocabulary) vocabulary grammar pronunciation and intonation orthography intercultural competences socio-cultural knowledge comprehensive way to handle cultural differences coping with intercultural situations in practice competences of methods reception of texts (oral and written comprehension) ability to interact with texts production of texts (speaking and writing) strategies of learning presentation; to handle with mediums being conscious about the process of learning By the implementation of the CEFR in the German education standards, the European Councils document of learning and teaching of languages has a large influence on the language teaching in German schools. That is the reason why the CEFR is conspicuously often discussed by the German scientific community of those concerned with foreign language teaching and research. 3.3 Reception of the Common European framework for languages in Germany In this last part of my work I will consider the controversial discussion about the CEFR, its positive aspects and its weak spots. First I will speak about the positive points of the CEFR. Later I will present aspects which are criticised and at last I will give a short personal view on the CEFR and the underlying concept of language learning. 3.3.1 Positive aspects of the CEFR The CEFR led to a fundamental discussion of the teaching and learning of languages and it brought up the question about what the global targets of learning foreign languages are. The function of the CEFR as a stimulus to think about the being of language teaching is clearly profitable for future teaching and learning of languages. The process of rethinking traditions which was activated this way has shown for example one more time that the grammar focussed language teaching can not be justified by the actual point of view. (Neuner 2003) Many see the standardization of language learning positively, especially in Germany. Since the sixteen federal states of the Federal Republic of Germany have developed their own targets up to that time, the demands in the various parts of Germany were often quite different. Therefore a standardization of the global intention and the expected competences from the pupil, was necessary to support the pupils in achieving mobility and to create more justice for the pupils in Germany. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 9) A great step forward for language teaching, which is related to the CEFR, is the change of perspective on the process of learning. Before that, the judgements of the pupils performance was usually made deficit orientated. Faults and aspects of the language at which the pupils arent good were the focus of traditional language teaching. The CEFR lead however to a perspective in which the already acquired competences are focused. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 9-10) Like this change of perspective, the division of the global language-competence in several parts, as well as the organization in six levels influence the motivation of learner and teacher in a positive way. The process of learning a language is getting more structured and can be better organized. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 10) 3.3.2 Criticised aspects of the CEFR and his implementation in the German education system After the presentation of all this positive aspects I will show some examples of important points that are criticised. Problematic in the reform of the German education system by the implementation of the described standards is, that the teachers arent sufficiently involved. There are only very little workshops for introducing the teacher to the new way. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 11) Besides the underlying concept of language is often considered as one-sided: only the instrumental-functional aspect of language is taken into consideration. Aesthetic, creative and cultural dimensions of language are for example neglected. (Caspari, Grà ¼newald etc. 2008: 12) Another paradox problem related to the concept of competence orientated teaching is, that competences like intercultural competences, that are hard to assess, will be probably neglected in this reform, even if it is listed in the CEFR and the German education standards. Under the pressure of proving, that certain targets are reached, it is not surprising, that at first those goals which are hard to assess will be neglected. (Hu 2008: 6) All in all the emotional aspect of learning a language is not sufficiently taken into consideration. The importance to consider the needs and interests of learners are not really appreciated. (Kà ¶nigs 2003: 115) 4. Conclusion The precedent considerations about the development in educational policy show that a reform of language teaching in Germany was necessary. The results of the Pisa-studies 2000 made this necessity obvious. Nevertheless the changes are discussed in a controversial way and there are many aspects which have to be criticised. Especially the concept of language which underlie the idea of competence orientated language teaching is in several aspects problematic. It is one-sided instrumental-functional and overlook the creative, aesthetic and cultural dimension of languages. In my personal experience this aspects of foreign languages were always very important in the process of learning a language a way which is sometimes hard to go. That is why the needs and interest of language learners are extremely important aspects in the language-learning-process and why they it is important to involve them more in the actual development.

Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables

Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables CAREER EPISODE 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION During my journey of engineering, I completed a project named Fault Detection Robot for Underground and Overhead Cables. It was completed in my 6th semester while pursuing Bachelor of Technology in electronics and communication engineering from Guru Nanak Dev University, Gurdaspur, India. It was performed under the guidance of Prof. Anu Sheetal. The entire project was completed in six months from January 2012 to May 2012. Thus, my very first career episode is based on this project performed by me. 1.2 BACKGROUND Normally most of the companies prefer to lay wires through underground. Wires are laid underground for various purposes. The reason for doing this is to protect the wires from any climatic conditions and changes. But while considering this positive factor there are cons of this method too. There occur problems while laying wires and during service and maintenance it becomes very costly, time consuming and difficult to fix and solve the issue. Also, cable can break due to any reason then it gets difficult to locate them and replace it. Basically, in manual technique of replacing cables, approximate location I found and the cables are dug out and manual checking is done to find the exact point of problem. 1.3 To overcome such challenges, I have designed a robot which can find faults and the place of complaint, making it easy for engineers and technicians to dig a hole at the precise place for error solving and fixation. The technology used behind the working of such robot is electromagnetic theory for detecting the discontinuity of the cable wires. Induced magnetic field is generated when a low frequency based signal can pass through the wire with the help of signal injector, which helps in finding the place of possible defect. The robot can locate the position of the fault or short-circuit issue from external surface and point out the exact place of discontinuity. 1.4 OBJECTIVES The main idea and goal behind employing such project is to benefit the industries laying wires underground for various electronics, electrical or other purpose. In this project an overhead wire fault detection and location system is introduced as the main or fundamental for industrially controlled computers. The project was executed to overcome the problem to repair faulty wires which required the help of experienced and practical trained operators. The accuracy and precision of short circuit fault detection is improved and upgraded by using the combinations of different methods like current rate of change and zero detection are used, along with using different and new technology based hardware and software. Features like 5th harmonic current and ground phase voltage drop was integrated to it. The project was used and put to operation and it worked in good running condition. 1.5 MY WORK DUTIES To implement and achieve success in this project, I started planning on how to approach the problem statement and what could be the possible solution for it. which followed by initial understanding on the working principle of the project. After making a work flow on the approach, I decided upon the components that were required for its implementation. A budget was made and followed all the time and a safety level was maintained during the progress of the project. Later staged involved in planning and designing of the PCB layout based on the block diagrams and the circuit diagram. Coding was done for the working of the project which was followed by performing certain tests and troubleshooting the whole device to find any faults and resolve them on time. The last stage involved preparation of the presentation and reports. My duties also involved meeting the supervisor weekly and updating her about my project progress. 1.6 PERSONAL ENGINEERING ACTIVITY The execution part for my project began with outlining and understanding of all possible differences amongst industrial robots, service robots and their process of application or working. Along with that I also analyzed the challenges that are faced due to its application and different methods that could be employed to detect the fault and isolate the faults. I also included few examples for comparison of methods relating the situation. Based on their experimental results, I came up with my block diagram for the project. It has two parts one for the robot and other about the remote. 1.7 After finalizing my initial block diagram, I listed out the components that were required for the hardware structure of the robot and the remote. The components used are described below: 1. For Power Supply    Diodes of 1N4007, Capacitors of 1000 and 100  µf, IC7805, LEDs, Resistors, Push Buttons. Using these components, a power supply consisting of three parts namely, the rectifier unit, filter unit and regulator unit is designed for giving supply to my device. 2. LCD 162    for displaying the location of faults by displaying a message or small written signal 3. Tx IC HT12E 4. Transformer 0-12V and 500mA 5. Motor driver IC L293D 6. RxIC HT12E 7. Buzzer for alerting on finding a fault in the wiring 8. Transistor BC547 9. Motor 60rpm, to drive the robot 10. Microcontroller ATMEGA16, the coding and the program is written and loaded into it for the functioning and signaling of the robot. 11. Magnetic field sensor ZMY20, extremely sensitive sensor which is used for measurement of magnetic field or detection of magnetic ports. It has magneto-resistive effect of thin film perm alloy. 1.8 With the help of above components, I started to design and implement my hardware. I started with designing the power supply and then the robot. After completing the structure for the robot, I made a remote to operate it from a distance with the help of IR radiations. Once my whole device/robot was ready, I mapped a flow chart which described the working and the functioning of the device. The flow chart took lot of efforts as every small point had to be noted for the functioning of the robot. The flowchart can be seen below. 1.9 The core idea behind this robot was for short circuit detection that occur in the underground cable breaks. The continuity of the cables is first checked using a multimeter as the cables are laid across large areas. After detecting the stretch of wire where the problem of discontinuity occurs, the robot is made to use for detecting the final and precise location of the breakage or fault. External remote navigator circuit is used for the robot and it is placed on the cable. A wire is also connected to the signal generator unit. The robot is positioned in such a way that the discontinuity lies in the forward direction and the robot moves along that direction. 1.10 A 3KHz signal is passed through the wire and a power is supplied to the robotic unit. An electromagnetic field is generated as per the Faradays law, after the current starts receiving and moves around. This electromagnetic field will generate a voltage that will be provided using the microcontroller RA0 pin and thus controlling the movement of the robot. On reaching the point of discontinuity the robot will not generate electromagnetic field, which will trigger the buzzer circuit connected to it indicating the fault and location of the issue. The HALL sensor unit can be used and provided to get the exact distance that the robot moves in finding the discontinuity and the LCD module connected to it will display the details. Once the location of fault is found, the cable operators and technicians can dig that ground and resolve the problem easily. 1.11 Based on the working, I planned the flowchart for the coding and programming part of the circuit. I used the software called BASCOM-AVR which supports the 8051 microcontrollers and Atemls AVR microcontrollers. Both coding and testing can be performed using this software. I wrote a code for the below flow chart and successfully loaded it into the microcontroller to check its working. Robokits AVR USB programmer is used to load the program that is made in BASCOM into the microcontroller after generating a HEX file of the program. The best advantage of working on BASCOM is that it has menu options specially for troubleshooting your program. 1.12 After completing both hardware and software part for this robot, I gave it a test run to see its functioning. I faced an issue while running the robot, initially it didnt detect or generate an electromagnetic field which was required to detect the faulty cables. So, I made use of magnetic read switch which could generate magnetic field of 440V or above and It was cheaper than the magnetic field sensors. On considering the safety perspective, there was a risk due to the use of high voltage of 440V. Thus, I decided to use a magnet to generate the require magnetic field and current instead of providing such high voltage supply. So, once the robot senses the magnetic field around the magnetic read switch that is generated with the help of magnet, the buzzer will start to work. Another issue was replacing this component i.e. to replace the magnetic sensor with a magnet because all the connections were done and the circuit could get complicated. To do that, it took lot of patience and it h ad to be done carefully. This was the major problem I encountered during my project. 1.13 SUMMARY Thus, to save the manpower and wastage of time, I developed such robot that detects the faulty cables. I believe it will be helpful to various companies. The robot is designed to be user-friendly and easy to access. It is also cost-effective and controlling and maintenance is very easy. It has lot of scope for expansion, it can be used to detect faults at places which is not accessible by human hand or places which require large amount of safety. 1.14 This project was the first project of my bachelors degree, so it held lot of importance, and it taught me a lot. I gave a final presentation and a report document stating the work I did and the completed working and description of the project. I presented it to my faculty staff and in front of my classmates. I got good help and support from my guide in all difficult situations. It used my basic programming knowledge. It boosted my confidence in my field. I got motivated and inspired to implement and research new projects which would use more advance electronics and telecommunication knowledge.

Is the Common Agricultural Policy Prepared for the 2004 Enlargement? :: European Union Politics Political Essays

Is the Common Agricultural Policy Prepared for the 2004 Enlargement? The voluntary cooperation among the European nations has survived numerous political and economic turbulences since its general inception after World War II. Fifty-five years ago, the Marshall Plan was proposed, leading to today’s European Union (EU) which seeks an â€Å"ever closer union among the European peoples.† The Enlargement of 2004 will integrate ten more European countries into the framework of the EU. As the number of member states rise from 15 to 25, is the EU prepared to handle the shock of adding ten poor nations whose economical structure differs from its own? No, it is not. The most significant threat of the Enlargement, thus far, revolves around the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The EU recognizes that it will suffer tremendous economic consequences if it is not fully prepared to handle the effects of integrating the poor agricultural countries. Thus it has been attempting to reform the CAP. But the revision of the EU’s agricultural policies and budget expenditures in the past decade has farmers and other agricultural workers worrying about the effects of the 2004 Enlargement. There is a need to overhaul the current Common Agricultural Policy to make acquis communautaire, acceptance of current EU laws and regulations, more attainable and to adjust the agricultural sector’s share of the EU’s budget to more accurate levels in proportion to the European workforce. This paper briefly examines the European Union’s CAP origins, evolution, and current Enlargement focus. Recent 2002 changes adopted by the EU in Brussels and CAP reforms for achieving an â€Å"ever closer union† with the candidate countries will be addressed. Introduction One of the European Union’s strengths lies in its success with market integration of its member states to achieve a political union and attain peace and prosperity. The Common Market was established by actively removing barriers that affected trade among the member states. This economic relationship between the European nations was extended to the agricultural sector via the Common Agricultural Policy. The Common Agricultural Policy has been noted as a structural foundation of the European Union. The adoption of the CAP has allowed Europe to shift from being a major food importer to a major exporter. Since the 1950s and 1960s, the CAP remains an economic burden on the EU budget due to its large share of the budget expenditure.

Free Grapes of Wrath Essays: The Joads Journey :: Grapes Wrath essays

The Joad's Journey in The Grapes of Wrath Throughout history man has made many journeys, both far and wide. Moses’ great march through the Red Sea and Columbus's traversing the Atlantic are examples of only a couple of men’s great voyages. Even today, great journeys are being made. Terry Fox's run across Canada while fighting cancer is one of these such journeys. In every one of these instances people have had to rise above themselves and overcome immense odds, similar to a salmon swimming upstream to full fill it's life line. Intense drive and extreme fortitude are qualities they needed to posses during their travels. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck illustrates the Joad’s endurance by his use of extended metaphors in intercalary chapters. Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters to provide background for the various themes in the novel. He effectively foreshadows upcoming events by telling of the general state of the local population in the intercalary chapters. He then narrows it down to how it effects the main characters of the novel, which are the Joads. Setting the tone of the novel in the reader’s mind is another function of Steinbeck's intercalary chapters. In chapter three, Steinbeck immaculately describes the long, tedious journey of a land turtle across a desolate highway. From the onset of his journey, the turtle encounters many setbacks. Along the way ants, hills, and oak seeds hinder him under his shell. The turtle’s determination to reach his destination is most apparent when a truck driven by a young man swerves to hit the turtle. The turtle's shell is clipped and he goes flying off the highway, but the turtle does not stop. He struggles back to his belly and keeps driving toward his goal, just as the Joads keep driving toward their goal. Much like the turtle from chapter three, the Joads had to face many great hardships in their travels. The planes of Oklahoma, with their harsh summer weather, were the Joads desolated highways. The truck driver represented the Californians, who Buried food and killed livestock to keep the Joads and others like them away from their dream. And their ants and hills were sickness. Even through all of this, the Joads persevered. They were driven by two great motivating powers, poverty and hunger. Just as the turtle searched for food, the Joads were searching for paradise, "The Garden of Eden.

Corporate Strategy of Tesco

{draw:frame} An evaluation of Tesco’s competitive position within the food industry market. Corporate strategy ASB-4004. December the 14th 2009. Shahbaz Ansari- abpa40, 500 200603 Word count- 3300 excluding references, appendices, and tables. Contents page Introduction P3 History P3 Business strategy P3 Corporate strategy P3 Company values P3 Value chain P4 Joint Ventures and Mergers and Acquisitions P4 PESTEL analysis P5 Competitors P7 Figure 1: Tesco’s main competitors P7 Figure 2: Ansoff matrix for Tesco’s marketing strategy P8 Figure 3: Tesco’s sub-bran poisition in the United Kingdom P9 Figure 4: Tesco’s competition in the UK P10 Figure 5: Tesco’s internal competition P10 Core competencies P11 Human Resource P12 Recommendations P13 Conclusions P14 References P15 Appendices P17 Appendix 1: Retail Competitors Analysis by Mintel P17 Appendix 2: Leading UK food retailers, market shares, 2008 P18 Appendix 3: Tesco UK store formats, 2008/09 P 19 Introduction The company that our group has chosen to analyse is Tesco. Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen who began his new venture by selling surplus groceries from a stall in the east end of London; One his first day he made ? 1 profit and ? 4 of sales (Tescoplc. com [history]). Tesco has come a long way since then and is now one of the largest food retailers in the world, operating around 2,318 stores and employing over 326,000 people. Not only has Tesco managed to monopolise the food sector, they have also diversified into a number of other sectors, some of which being insurance, mobile networks, clothing, and electronics. However, this report shall have a focus of the food sector in the United Kingdom. Albeit that Tesco has 2,200 stores locally, it is categorised as operating in a globalised environment. Currently Tesco has stores in seven European countries; the United Kingdom, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore also operates in Asia, stores can be found in China, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan (Tescoplc. com [community plan]; Tescoplc. com [core UK]). The long term business strategy of Tesco is currently fivefold; to be a successful international retailer; to grow the core UK business; to be as strong in the non-food arena as the food arena; to develop retailing services- such as tesco. com, Telecoms, and Tesco personal finance; and to put community at the heart of what they do (Tescopl. com [long term strategy]). How Tesco chose to implement the corporate strategy is via a steering wheel model; that all of the key elements of the business, customers, operations, people, finance, and community, are dealt with an equal and balanced scorecard (Tescoplc. om [CR strategy]). It has been stated by Tesco that the steering wheel has been implemented to place emphasis on the fact that corporate responsibility is not a specialist function in Tesco, it is a part of everybody’s job every day (Tescoplc. com [CR strategy]). Tesco works off the business value that their â€Å"core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their li fetime loyalty† (Tescoplc. com [our values]). Great emphasis is placed within â€Å"people†, without their customers and employees Tesco’s success would not have been possible. For the remainder of this report the variables that can affect Tesco’s competitive advantage shall be considered and evaluated. Value chain When considering the value chain of Tesco there are a number of primary variables that can either add value (+), lose value (-), or have the potential to add value (P+). For the primary activities; Inbound logistics These have an integral importance in the creation of the value chain as they provide the earliest opportunity to create value, therefore because of the elements related to the logistics Tesco try to achieve and maintain the level of consumer choice in store (+). The efficiency of distribution system of Tesco does need to be improved (+), and the quality control system should be managed by the company efficiently so that the cost of losses are not imposed upon the customers (P+). Operations Tesco’s core operations are service orientated and these services involve opening and closing the store, shelf maintenance, and replenishing the stock (+). Outbound logistics The main emphasis for this stage in the chain is delivering the product to the customer (+), the customer service that is provided (+) and the implementation of the trolley service which is convenient for the customer (+). Marketing and sales The Tesco Clubcard gives discounts and provides loyalty to customers (+), selling healthy and environmentally friendly products (+), and Tesco’s advertisements and new policies on using recycled products to help Tesco come â€Å"carbon free by 2050† (+). Joint Ventures and mergers and acquisitions In 2008, Tesco made an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland to buy 50% of their shareholding. This allowed Tesco to build up Tesco Personal Finance. Tesco currently offer financial products such as home insurance and a credit card. However, Tesco wishes to offer a full service retail bank. The reason for wanting to embark on this new venture is because owning its own bank would not just increase Tesco’s revenue, it would also attract new customers and provide a further service for its existing loyal customers, which other competitors do not offer (REFERENCE PLEASE YOUNG). In 1999 a French hypermarket chain named â€Å"Carrefour† tried to enter the Korean market but it failed. This was due to the fact that the Korean population had a preference for domestic supermarket chains, which this was not as the owners failed to localise the store (REFERENCE PLEASE YOUNG). Interestingly Tesco attempted to enter the South Korean market in 1999 as a joint venture with Samsung. It was named â€Å"Samsung Homeplus Tesco† and was extremely successful due to the recognition by the Koreans that it was a domestic retailer. By joining forces with a Korean business Tesco was given an instant competitive advantage and the opportunity to thrive: â€Å"it has now become one of Koreas leading retailers and there are currently 30 hypermarkets and two super express stores† (Kollewe, 2004). Finally, in 2008 Tesco acquired a Korean supermarket chain named Homever which was owned by the E-land group in Korea. Tesco paid ? 958 million to take over the 36 stores that the group owned (Walker, 2008). The takeover will not only increase Tesco’s revenue, in a country that they have already been successful in, but will also enable Tesco to gain knowledge of the Far East and Asian markets through merging the two companies, this hopefully should enable them to be just as successful within these new markets. PESTEL analysis for Tesco Political Due to operating in a global environment, Tesco is largely influenced by the political and legislative conditions of these countries, as well as the European Union enforcing governing rules. The government legislation for employment encourages retailers to provide work for a variant of people, ranging from flexible, lowered paid, and locally based jobs to highly skilled, highly paid, and centrally-located jobs (Balchin, 1994). This piece of legislation also allows for the various demographics to be given work opportunities, such as students, senior citizens, disabled people, people from various ethnic backgrounds, and working parents. This gives Tesco a competitive advantage as it produces loyal employees. Economical The recession has caused the unemployment level in the United Kingdom to soar over 28. 93 million (Office for national statistics). As economical factors are likely to influence demand, cost, price, and profits, these figures should make Tesco’s management feel particularly apprehensive. Although Tescos international business does bring in a high amount of profit, they are still largely dependent on the UK market. If the unemployment rates continue to soar, the slowdown of the UK food market could have a severely detrimental effect on Tesco’s. Social British customers have become â€Å"one stop† shoppers. Due to this movement, Tesco has been able to successfully diversify their company into a range of different markets. One can now not only buy their weekly shop but can purchase personal insurance, electronic goods, clothing, and a range of other products from Tesco. com. Technological This particular variable of the macro-environment has helped to develop many of Tesco’s products and has not only been indicative of the company’s satisfaction but also that of the customer’s. Due to services such as Tesco. om, the self checkout service and the Tesco Clubcard, the customer satisfaction levels have increased due to more personalised shopping, goods that are readily available, and convenience. However, due to the modern use of technology, it does allow for job cuts as face to face services have been replaced. Environmental Tesco has put in place measures to ensure that their company helps in the fight to l ower carbon emissions. Their challenge is to achieve a 30% reduction of the carbon impact of the Tesco’s supply chain by 2020 and to become a zero carbon business by 2050 (Tescoplc. om [Press release, 2009]). Implementations in the forms of using green clubcard points in order to encourage environmentally friendly, carbon conscious purchasing; the â€Å"buy one get one free later† scheme, that allows customers to acquire their free product at a later date to reduce waste; and are striving to reduce packaging, reduced carrier bag use, and increase recycling, this year alone they have reduced carrier bag usage by 53% (Tescopl. com [Press release, 2009]). Legal There are certain government legislatives and policies that Tescos have to abide by and have a direct impact on their performance. Bodies such as the Food Retailing Commission (FRC), who prevent companies from demanding payments from suppliers and changing agreed prices without notice. Government policies for monopoly and the reduction of the buyer’s power can limit entry into the sector (Mintel report, 2004). Competitors The market leader of food retailers in UK is Tesco. It has 26. 2% (including non-retail is 31. 5%) market share, 2,115 stores and ? 34,874 million sales (Mintel, Food Retailing, 2008, details in Appendix 1). J Sainsbury which has 823 stores and 13. 5 (16. 5) % market share is in the second position. The third one is Asda group, and it gains 13. (15. 1) % market share with less than half of the Sainsbury stores number. The forth player in food retailing market is Wm Morrison Group which holds 9. 5(11. 7) % market share. â€Å"The top four account for 63% of all food retailers’ sales (after adjusting for fuel sales) and dominate the market for main food shopping. (Mintel, Food Reta iling, 2008)† â€Å"British supermarkets are typically evaluated by potential customers by two sets of criteria: the perceived price levels charged and the quality of service offered interns of range of goods, quality of merchandise, opening hours, and store environment (Bradley, 2003). {draw:g} Figure 1: Tesco’s main competitors adapted from Mintel report, 2009, (see appendix 1). As Tesco is in the middle of the position map, it has the opportunities to expand its product line to meet the up-market needs, or to have some discount products get the down-market interests, but the competition level in this position is very high. It is necessary to look at how Tesco still hold the No. 1 position in UK food-retailing industry. {draw:g} Figure 2: Ansoff matrix to analyse Tesco’s marketing strategy. Tesco started in the UK food retailing market and the business is maturing. â€Å"Sales density and market share growth are both slowing, and UK space is becoming a smaller part of the whole (Leahy, 2008). † AlthoughTesco will still plan to open more stroes in UK, â€Å"80% will open outside of the UK in 2009 (Mintel, Food Retailing, 2008)†. The opportunities for Tesco are: 1. Taking advantages of the food retailing value chain to continue to grow internationall by market development, and 2. Providing non-food products/services to the loyal customers in food retailing area by product development. Figure 3: Tesco’s sub-bran poisition in the United Kingdom. {draw:g} The above figure summaries the sub-brands of Tesco with two main factors: the customer perceived convenience and the product range (Food vs. Non-food). In order to hold and increase the market share, what Tesco is trying to do is to to set a small number of big stores which could be the best choice to purchase the products when the customer have enough time. Meanwhile, there are more than one thousand express/One Stop stores which could be convenient for the customers daily life purchase. When considering the competitive advantages, our group uses Poter’s â€Å"Five Forces† (1980) to analyze Tesco competition in the UK and international markets. In the UK, Tesco bulits the barriers for new entrants (high fixed cost and difficult to get suppliers), cooperates with local suppliers (strong relationship with farmers), uses Clubcard for retaining customers (Customer loyalty), and in the food retailing there is no specific substitutes. {draw:g} Figure 4: Tesco’s competition in the United Kingdom. draw:g} In the international markets, the situation will be different. Tesco should build relationship with the international suppliers, promote its brand to the international customers, provide products differentiation to avoid the threat from substitutes and potential entrants and compete with the international competitors which may already have strong supplier chains. Figure 5: Tesco internal markets competition. Core competencies There are two issues as the core competencies of Tesco. One is the employees, and another is the customers. The staffs determine the competitiveness through the internal of the business, whereas the customers determine the external environment the profitability of the business† (Kotler and Keller, 2009). Especially, when the business is in the downturn, Tesco needs to spend more time to do the research on how to satisfy the customers better than its competitors’. The ultimate goal of Tesco is to reduce the cost for the customers. Since Asda enter the UK market with the introduction of parity strategy, the main players in supermarkets has faced a fierce competition which based on the low-cost strategy. At that period of time (1980s), some of the main supermarkets had been replaced which was related to a low customer loyalty. People had a wide range of choice with a cheaper price. Until the Clubcard was established, customers have become more relevant to the supermarket. Although a Clubcard itself does not create loyalty, it can be a medium to produce the Tesco points (which can be accumulated and exchange the goods/money within Tesco, source from: Assen, Van den Berg, and Pietersma, 2009). Tesco notice that the total customer satisfaction experience can create the generate loyalty towards ‘a pull strategy’ which is better than a direct promotion that is based on a low-cost products (a push strategy). According to Tesco's annual report, â€Å"In the first 6 months of the club card introduction, without any advertising case, Tesco have achieved about 17% of the â€Å"customer spontaneous usage. † Based on this research, it is obviously to see that a Tesco Clubcard can not only enhance the customers’ loyalties, but also can create a customer relationship management (CRM) for Tesco. Tesco can get the information from CRM and analyze it to find those most valuable customers. On one hand it can reduce the cost and make Tesco to target more efficiently and effectively. On the other hand this may improve the company's service quality and customer satisfaction. Club card activity is successful and remarkable. Customers like these activities, as well as the store managers. It gives the opportunity to create a communication channel for the managers and the customers sharing knowledge. Tesco is trying to treat its customers as â€Å"shareholders†. In addition, Tesco must learn and adjust their marketing strategy to meet their customers’ needs. That means if Tesco can notice the changing of the customers’ needs more quick than its competitors. Their competitors will lose their customers’ satisfaction and this is one of the most important competencies of Tesco, especially the critical successful factor in UK. Human Resource Tescos distinctive strategic resources and assets can be found in its employees. The HR department in Tescos has been strategically integrated in the overall plans; management utilizes HR whenever they are making decisions (Beardwell J. 004). HR department helps in the building of the company through the following: – creating new plans and techniques to measure and reduce labour turnover. It has played a crucial role in aiding diversification into new business sectors. Their slogan ‘Every Little Helps’ is part of their ethos and is also inculcated in the training progr ams offered to their employees (Armstrong, M 2005) Tescos focuses on high commitment through the HR department by incorporating all employees; by discussing its strategic directions. The major challenge to Tescos is ensuring that all employees are aware of the roles assigned and how these various roles and actions can affect the ‘big Tescos picture’ (Whitelock, N. 2003). As a result, training has increased within the organization with high value placed on employees through the offer of basic and extended training. (Beardwell J. 2004). The increment in employee training within the organization is as a result of HR adopting a proactive strategic role and not an administrative one. The stance taken by HR is that by equipping the employees with the skills that they need to work will in the long run lead to increased growth. (Mullins, L. 2005) Career development is also looked at. This is in light of the changing employment market and employees feeling less secure in their jobs. A disadvantage of this is that since these skills are transferrable, they could in the long run be of benefit to their competitors. Though the merits of training the employees outweigh the demerits, employee shift or movement should not be overlooked. Marchington M & Wilkinson, A 1997) In terms of sustainability, developing employees through T&D and education are imperative because these are the most important factors in determining long-term business profitability. This can also be achieved by fully exploiting the wealth of knowledge within the organization; its employees. (Armstrong, M 2005) It aims to integrate learning as part of it business culture because learning is seen as an inte gral way of being flexible which has a long term organizational value thus maintaining its huge step ahead of its competition. In conclusion, Tescos integrating HR as part of its strategy and focusing on the training of its employees has made them feel a part of the overall strategy which in turn has lead to higher employee commitment. This long run effect gives Tescos the added value it needs in the competitive retail market. Recommendations There are a number of recommendations that can be specified which could enable Tesco to grow into more dominant brand and have even more success both locally and internationally. Tesco’s growth largely depends on its non-food products, these account for over 25% of its sales (not including petrol), and it is these areas that are the key to Tesco’s future success. The main emphasis should now be on developing new and innovative strategies so that these areas can blossom. Already it has been noted that Tesco beauty section is only second to boots, and their skin care range is the fastest growing range in all supermarkets. However, they do face stiff competition from Asda’s and Sainsbury’s clothing range. If Tesco wishes to be viewed as the number one â€Å"one stop shop† then more efforts need to be placed into the non-food areas otherwise customers shall use a different supermarket that do satisfy all their consumer needs. Currently there is a serious cause for concern that our carbon foot print needs to be decreased drastically. All supermarkets have a high level of waste; cardboard, plastics, paper. This problem needs to be address, although Tesco has stated that they wish to be carbon free by 2050, they need to ensure that this dream becomes a realisation. They can reduce these variables by having less packaging on products, promoting recycling, and disposing with plastic bags all together and instead implement long life bags that the customer brings to the store when they visit. Tesco have been extremely successful in many foreign markets through joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. They have acquired a lot of useful knowledge about the Korean market and now hopefully will flourish in the Asian and Far East market. This shall only happen though if they bring not only their own values but adopt the ones of the country that they are entering. Finally, further steps need to be taken into promoting Tesco’s banking service. If this venture does go ahead they will be an unstoppable force. Conclusion Tesco is a remarkable chain. Although it is leading in its market and is attempting to conquer the international world, it is the values that they uphold that are second to none. It is the emphasis on â€Å"its people† that have allowed them to be so successful; by continuously trying to provide better and faster services of a high quality, and investing time and money in its employees is why they have so many loyal customers. Tescos are known for innovation, they have now become a one stop store, not only can one acquire the weekly shop but now can obtain insurance, home furnishing, clothing, and electrical goods. It is for reasons such as these that they have always been able to stay one step ahead of their competitors. Word count – 3300 References Armstrong, M (2005) (9th Edition) A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice Kogan Page, London Assen, M. , V. , Van den Berg, G. , and Pietersma. , P. 2009) Key Management Models: The 60+ models every manager needs to know, 2nd edition, Balchin A. (1994) Part-time workers in the multiple retail sector: small change from employment protection legislation? , Employee Relations, Vol. 16 Issue 7, pp. 43-57. Beardwell, J and Claydon, T. (2004) (4th Edition) Human Resource Management A Contemporary Approach Prentice Hall, Harlow. Bradley, F. (2003) â€Å"Building competitive brands†, Strategic Marketing in the customer driven organization, 1st E dition, London: John Wiley & Sons Ltd Press Kotler, P and Keller, K. L. (2009) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning, and Control, Prentice-Hall. Kollewe, J. (2004) cited at http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/news/tesco-raises-stake-in-korean-venture-544724. html. Assessed by 28 Nov, 2009 Marchington, M. & Wilkinson, A. (1996) Core Personnel and Development IPD Publishing, London. Mintel report. (2004) Food retailing- UK, Retail intelligence, November. Mintel International Group Ltd (2008) Food Retailing, UK, November 2008 (Nov 2008). http://0-academic. mintel. com. unicat. bangor. ac. k/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=395621/display/id=280627. Assessed 16th Nov, 2009. Mintel International Group Ltd (2009) Food Retailing, UK, _November 2009 _(Nov 2009) http://0-academic. mintel. com. unicat. bangor. ac. uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=395621/display/id=280627/display/id=395621. Assessed 4th Dec, 2009. Mullins, L (2005) (7th Edition) Management and Organisational Behaviour Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, Edinburgh Office of national statistics cited in http://www. tatistics. gov. uk/cci/nugget. asp? ID=12. Found on the 27/22/09. Palmer, A. & Worthington, I. (1992) â€Å"Marketing: an overview†, The Business and Marketing Environment, 1st Edition, London: McGraw Hill Press. Porter, M. , E (1980) cited in Johnson, G. & Scholes, K. (1997) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 4th Edition, London: Prentice Hall Press. Tesco community plan cited in http://www. tescoplc. com/plc/corporate_responsibility_09/approach/cr_strategy/community_plan/. Tesco core UK cited in