Saturday, December 28, 2019

Essay on Pro Athletes and Violent Crimes - 1382 Words

The competitive nature of todays sports associations calls for athletes to be aggressive and forceful , both physically and mentally. This aggressive mentality stays with some athletes off the field, and may explain why so many athletes are committing violent crimes. Society calls for athletes to give flawless performances in the stadiums and arenas. The fans have grown accustomed to high flying, hard hitting shows of athleticism and finesse, and oftentimes an athletes success gains them a elevated status in society with special privileges that you and I can only dream of. As there careers get bigger and bigger they fell that they should be shown a certain respect by fans when not on the field, and many athletes become angered when†¦show more content†¦The child incorporates this aggressive mindset into its mannerisms and applies this aggressive behavior to other aspects of their life. If Im aggressive, I can get my way. These aggressive attitudes and tendencies have been shown to have effects on ones judgement and the perception of their environment. An athlete with an over aggressive attitude whos judgement becomes clouded by aggression develops a disregard foe the opponent(s) that their aggression is being aimed at. I think the aggressiveness in sports - just making the play, charging past people or dominating somebody physically - really needs to be separated by athletes from appropriate off field behavior.(Tom Jackson, Univ. Arkansas psychology professor.) This is one cause for the controversy over the amount of violence in todays sports, and the apparent nurturing and rewarding of athletes who display this over aggressive attitude. According to Edward Gondolf, a professor of sociology at Univ. Indiana; theres no doubt that sports such as football reinforces and rewards that aggression which in turn spills into their lives outside of the locker room., and its that spillage of aggression into their lives off the field that leads some athletes to commit violent criminal acts out of rage, such as assault, or sexually abusing women. One question raised when analyzing reasons for the rising number of crimes being committed by athletesShow MoreRelatedEssay on Violence in Sports1396 Words   |  6 Pagessome feel that the violent acts such as the hitting and fighting that occurs should be eliminated. It is very difficult to change the way that a game is played because people have been playing it that way for years. The violence in sports needs to be eliminated because of the extreme cases that continue to haunt many of the leagues and the players themselves. There are many theories to why there is so much violence in sports today and one of them is because the athletes today are able to getRead MoreHigh Levels Of Domestic Violence1781 Words   |  8 PagesHigh Levels of Domestic Violence in Athletes The National Football League has recently highlighted the problem of domestic violence. However, this is a problem that has long since been an issue. It is not only an issue in the NFL, professional sports, or even sports in general, but a problem for the whole world. The athletic world has seen an increase in violence in its players, which is a reason an athlete may experience more incidents. Through the media, the NFL has brought a great deal of attentionRead MoreSteroids And Their Relationship With Exercise / Sports Science And Chemistry1217 Words   |  5 Pages1950’s Olympic athletes started using them especially in Eastern Europe, East Germany, and the Soviet Union. [5] After taking large amounts of steroids the athletes began to dominate in their events especially Soviet wrestlers. [7][5] When an American doctor discovered what was happening he decided to created a more direct and potent version of the synthetic testosterone, this then became know as anabolic steroids . Once this was introduced it became very popular amongst with athletes both professionalRead MoreRice Was Released By The Ravens And Indefinitely Suspended1104 Words   |  5 Pagesas declining player at a position built for a young player. Rice’s rushing yards, average per carry, and touchdown totals declined in each of this final three years with the Ravens. Rice is certainly not the only player to involve himself in a violent crime. Adrian Peterson physically abused his son, and Greg Hardy physically assaulted a woman after a night of drinking; threatening to kill her. Peterson received a restructured contract with the Minnesota Vikings that includes millions in new guaranteedRead MoreEssay on Violent Video Games: Dangerous Entertainment1153 Words   |  5 PagesViolent Video Games: Dangerous Entertainment Since the beginning of organized society, entertainment has always been an aspect closely tied with human nature. From the times of ancient empires, such as the Romans and Greeks, humans have used entertainment as an outlet to escape the harsh reality of everyday life. Although in those times, entertainment was considered duels to the death with animals and other humans opposed to the censored reality shows and formulaic movies we have today. HoweverRead MoreOj Simpson : A Tragic Hero Of O. J. Simpson712 Words   |  3 Pageslike death, prison sentence or troublemaking due to alcohol and drugs. One of these well known celebrities are O.J. Simpson is considered a tragic hero. The talented football sensation Orenthal J. Simpson is a tragic hero because he was known to be violent and made bad choices, leading to accusations of murder. To begin with, Orenthal J. Simpson was well known and liked by many people. At around two years of age Orenthal had contacted rickets. He had to wear shoes that was connected to anRead MoreFor Most People, The Name Aaron Hernandez Was Synonymous1381 Words   |  6 Pagesin his second season in the NFL; and by his third year with the NFL he received the highest signing bonus of NFL tight end in history. However, there was a darker side to Hernandez that had a severe impact on people’s lives. He was known to be violent and had a history of petty criminal behavior related to that violence. As early as 2007, Hernandez was involved in a bar fight that resulted in injuries to the employee who had escorted him from the building. Later that same year, Hernandez mayRead MoreWhy Athletes Are Good Role Models1510 Words   |  7 PagesWhy Athletes Are Good Role Models Ever since the ancient years, we have admired athletes and the hard work that they do to achieve their goal of winning. We idolize them and wish we were more like them. What happens though when the realization sinks in that they are human too and that some of them do get greedy and selfish? A lot of athletes are model citizens that you should really look up to, but there are also some bad apples in the bunch that ruin it for everyone. Athletes can inspireRead MoreAnalysis Of Floyd Mayweather s Life832 Words   |  4 Pagesthings, all the time that aren t true, but you never hear about the positive,† This quote resembles Floyd Mayweather s life. His family really loves the sport of boxing, and Mayweather loved being in the gym with the gloves on his hands. The life of crime started to take over for Mayweather s parents. Mayweather’s talent inside the ring was amazing, and a great is what Mayweather turned into he shined in the ring. Mayweather proves to be one of the greatest with a record of 49-0 which is the secondRead MoreEssay about Why Athletes are Good Role Models1475 Words   |  6 PagesWhy Athletes are Good Role Models Ever since the ancient years, we have admired athletes and the hard work that they do to achieve their goal of winning. We idolize them and wish we were more like them. What happens though when the realization sinks in that they are human too and that some of them do get greedy and selfish? A lot of athletes are model citizens that you should really look up to, but there are also some bad apples in the bunch that ruin it for everyone. Athletes can

Friday, December 20, 2019

Throughout History, Appearance And Reputation Have Always

Throughout history, appearance and reputation have always been essential to human culture, and they often dictates how people respond to each other. Consequently, many authors and playwrights have used this fact to develop the conflict in their works. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen uses the societal expectations (cultural context) to create a character’s struggle to fulfill their requirements as a member of society which reveals our desire to appear accepted at all costs. The character, Nora, who strives to be the wife and woman defined by society while masking the rules she broke, exposes her need to maintain her image. Torvald, and Krogstad, both seek to be a man that follows and upholds the standard to become a respected member of the†¦show more content†¦After her creditor had placed a letter to expose her in her husband’s mailbox, she went to great lengths to distract him and prevent him from collecting the mail. One notable example is the conversa tion between Nora and Torvald: â€Å"Nora: What are you going to do? Torvald: Only to see if any letters have come Nora: No, no! Don’t do that, Torvald! Torvald: Why not? †¦ Nora: I can’t dance tomorrow if I don’t practice with you?† (pg. 480). The dialogue illustrates the complexity of her schemes to protect her debt. Ibsen s use of exclamation marks also gives a sense of panic in Nora’s voice which further demonstrates how desperate Nora is to protect her image. These examples show how Ibsen incorporates cultural context to create Nora’s struggle for acceptance. She purposefully acts naive and obedient to Torvald, when in truth she has deviated far from the rules prescribed by society. Since fulfilling these rules often equates to acceptance, Nora by putting in an enormous amount of energy to achieve these guidelines, proves her desire to be accepted by society. Torvald, as Nora’s husband, struggled to be a man that followed and upheld to rules of society to appear acceptable to others. Throughout the play, there were many instances where Torvald had done this. For example, when Nora introduced Mrs. Linde as a potential employee for his bank, Torvald said, â€Å"Well, it is not altogether impossible. I presume you are a widow, Mrs. Linde?† (pg.Show MoreRelatedCultural Influences On Masculinity And The Beauty Bias By Deborah Rhode950 Words   |  4 PagesCultural Influences Throughout History on Masculinity and Feminism There has been many influences regarding masculinity and feminity throughout past and recent years in America. Society, along with the media, has created a social spectrum with masculine and feminine on each extreme end. Society has altered the peoples perceptions of what a man and woman should act like, look like as well as be like within the society. Individuals who fall in-between the two extreme ends of the spectrum are belittledRead MoreBeowulf Analysis921 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf, an old english epic poem, written a long time ago roughly around the eight and ten century. Beowulf is introduced as â€Å"Nor have I seen A mightier man-at-arms on this earth Than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, He is truly noble. This is no mere Hanger-on in a hero’s armour.† (247-51) a character of humility, honesty and bravery, which is the perfect definition of a dane.English novelist and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien and author of (Beowulf: The Monsters and the Criti cs, ProceedingsRead MoreMary Magdalene : A Woman Of The New Testament1078 Words   |  5 Pagesdepicts a male-dominated society. Men are the rulers and the religious leaders in the bible, while woman are restricted to the household and do not hold any leadership roles. Throughout history, she has been the victim of gross injustice, having been attacked for being a woman, a sinner and a prostitute. These concerns may have affected the Christian view with regards to her being a person with apostolic authority. We do not know much about Mary Magdalene. The name Magdalene likely indicates that sheRead MoreGender Roles In The Fairy Tale848 Words   |  4 Pagesimplies how the story has changed over time. Frequently in the story, the characters’ traits are based on their gender. The women tend to be more focused on their outward appearance, as the men look at and judge women on how beautiful they are. Cinderella was a perfect archetype of how women are judged today and throughout history. She was treated like a queen when she was pretty, and like a slave when she was ugly. Cinderella was â€Å"obliged to do heavy work from morning to night, get up early inRead MoreWomen s Influence On Women1007 Words   |  5 Pagessociety the women’s reputation is always questioned or put to risk when performing any type of action. In many cultures females must maintain a good reputation before marrying. In certain cultures (Afghanistan) males can marry with a large quantity of women. In the Hispanic culture â€Å"machismo† or manhood is encouraged even by Hispanic females. Religions such as Islamic and Catholic demand females to save their virginity until marriage if not a female would create a bad reputation in their communityRead MoreJust Walk On By Brent Staples Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesIn his essay, Just Walk on By Brent Staples explains how throughout his life, it is hard being a black man without having others discriminate against him because he is a tall, black man who works as a journalist in a predominantly white field. In Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me Coates is addressing his son about the truth of being black in a society that is inherently races and the constructed stereotypes on them by those in power. Both Coates and Staples agree on the fact thatRead MoreCall Of Duty : Modern Warfare 31015 Words   |  5 Pageshow the game’s was influenced by history during that time. Writer Michael Vlahos, discusses this in his article â€Å"What ‘Call of Duty’ Shows About How War Changed America†. The games of Call of Duty series sometimes assumes the role as a mirror for the United States in cert ain areas. The author suggests that the soldier’s representation in the game reflects the change in the current perceptions of soldiers. Due to the war, the soldiers lost their positive reputation in the eyes of the people. He suggestsRead MoreThe Culture Of The Italian Cuisine1551 Words   |  7 PagesEthan Smith Professor Piazza Italian 21 9 December 2016 Cucina Italiano   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the early history of many countries, food always plays an important part in the development of the country and the economy as well. From starting out simple, the recipes evolve and spread after being handed down and spoken to others. Food is what defines many cultures, and is able to bring many people together in many cases. For example, food is what stands a major tradition in many families, recipes being a secret betweenRead MoreAnalysis Of A Doll s House 870 Words   |  4 Pageschild than a woman. His always calling her silly names like â€Å"little squirrel† and â€Å"little lark twittering†, but she seems to not mind it at all. Nora is a happy wife, or at least that’s what it seems like until her little secret is revealed. There’s a quote that I believe suit this situation quite well â€Å"Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.â⠂¬  (Phaedrus). Meaning appearance can be deceiving, becauseRead MoreCharacteristics Of Fairy Tales740 Words   |  3 Pagesconsistently appear. While some races do not make an appearance in some tales, certain facts about them remain constant. For instance, fairies always have substantial skill with magic. By looking at examples from â€Å"The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods† where a prince has an ogre for a mother, her dark intentions lurk. Likewise, by looking at another example like â€Å"The Master Maid,† the giant and the troll-witch both threaten and deceive. Finally, in â€Å"The History of Jack the Giant Killer† a tale where many giants

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Sample on Strategy Management of McDonalds Fast Food Company

Question: Describe about the Strategy Management for McDonalds. assignment requires to choose the retail company. Answer: Executive Summary This report contains an analysis of different strategies that can be employed by McDonalds in their operations for sustainability. It analyses the mission, vision and objectives of the company. Besides, the macro-environment has also been analyzed critically by the application of the PESTEL model and Porters five factor model. Internal factors have also been analyzed in the form of a SWOT analysis. The models applied in this report are essential in strategic management and they have been crafted to fit the operations of different organizations. Lastly, recommendations have been provided on how the strengths the company has can be utilized while minimizing the effects of the companys weaknesses. Also, there are recommendations on how the company can seize opportunities and evade possible threats that may be harmful to business. Strategic Purpose Strategic Purpose of the Organization Various business aspects are covered by McDonalds vision and that is evident in their vision statement. The company embraces innovation because they need to satisfy their customer needs, and that is why they say they need to enhance the contemporary customer experiences. Their vision has a strategic link to it and that is why the company is ever improving their products to suit the current and future market needs (McDonalds UK, 2016). They are determined to create products that will give satisfaction now as they work towards improving the products to give the market the quality of products they would need in the future. This shows that the main strategy to keep this reality is by embracing innovation which the company does effectively. Also, the mission of the company as clearly stated in their mission statement is to provide a conducive environment for their customers to eat and drink while offering the best working conditions to the employees. Also, it includes the corporate social responsibility by clearly stating that they would like to have a positive impact in the environment (McDonalds UK, 2016). These are factors that are strategic since they help the company to have a humble experience in the society and in so doing, they gain popularity and increase their sales. Compatibility between Strategic Statements and Functional Objectives of the Company From the vision and the mission statements discussed above, it can be deduced that there is a relationship between the statements and the functional objectives of the company (Dey, 2016). This is so because, McDonalds has managed to fulfill its promise to the market in offering the best quality food that they need and an ample environment from which the consumers can enjoy their meals.Besides, it has managed to give people good working experience by providing conducive environments from which they work. Their corporate social responsibility is also on point because they have activities that work towards improvement of the environment. External Analysis Macro-Environment Analysis (PESTEL Analysis) McDonaldscorporate strategies address the different issues that are discussed in this PESTEL analysis. This model analyzes the external factors that that present different opportunities and threats to the business. McDonalds is mainly focused on the socio-cultural and economic factors. Nonetheless, the companys success can be attributed to the effective strategies that have been employed by the company to deal with the external factors (Leekha Chhabra Sharma, 2014). Since the company is the biggest fast food outlet, McDonalds needs to adapt its strategies to suit the ever changing industry. Political Factors Political factors play a vital role in the operations of a business. This relates to many factors that are politically influenced. For instance, when an organization wants to enter the global market, it needs to have strategies that will make it successful in such an environment (Shilei Yong, 2009). In McDonalds case, the political factors include: increase in international trade agreements, which is an opportunity; the pending tax reforms which also is an opportunity and the changing public health guidelines and policies, which pose a threat to operations in the industry. The political factors have enabled McDonalds to expand in many international markets due to political stability (Verma, Gupta Nangia, 2014). Also, the company has an opportunity to strategically change its operations to minimize the impact of taxation without necessarily violating the law. However, there is a threat of the public health policies which are increasingly discouraging people from consuming junk and fa st food. Nonetheless, the company has a chance to change and improve its products to be healthy. In this analysis, the political factors opportunities outweigh the threats that are posed by the policies. Economic factors Economic factors address the wider economy. The economic factors include the growth rate of the economy, inflation, unemployment, costs of raw materials and energy costs among others. Changes and shifts in these factors affect the operation of an organization. Economic changes across the globe influence McDonalds working environment because it operates in different markets. The slow but steady nature of the US economy gives an opportunity to the company. McDonalds has a potential to grow because of the nature of the economy of the state. Another factor is the stable but risky economy in Europe (Sardar Talat, 2015). This poses a threat to the companys expansion in the region. Also, in Asia there is a rapid growth of the economy and it is offering opportunities to the local population. This is also a threat to McDonalds expansion in the Asian market. Analysis of the economic factors shows that the economy as an external factor poses a threat to the business (Bernhardt, et al., 2015). Socio-cultural Factors The analysis of social cultural factors refers to the social conditions that favor or limit the business of the company.Socio-cultural factors involve shared or common attitudes and beliefs of a population. They also refer to how the population reacts to trend changes. For McDonalds, the external social factors include: First, the widening wealth gap. This brings opportunities for the company to increase revenue due to an increased customer base. Since the company targets the middle and the low income earners, this creates great potential for growth. Secondly, cultural diversity gives the company an opportunity to improve the product mix to suit the diverse market (Brown, Bessant Lamming, 2013). This is also an opportunity since it increases the companys revenue through more sales. Lastly, there are lifestyle and healthy trends, which give the company an opportunity to improve healthfulness of its products. The analysis of the socio-cultural factors gives the company more opportunit ies than threats and hence an increased chance for future business. Technological Factors The technological factors also play a vital role in the success of a company. The ever changing technological techniques offer opportunities to those companies that also grow with the technology while the ones that do not improve their technologies are threatened. Such factors as improved communication, production techniques and distribution channels impact a business greatly. For McDonalds, research and development activities help the company to come up with improvements that enhance efficiency. Also, automation by the company helps in increasing production and hence a larger market is easily satisfied. Moreover, online marketing and sales increase the market base for the company (Erickson, 2016). Generally, the technological factors existing offer the company an opportunity for better business. Self service is one of the operational functions that technology enhances. Self service creates efficiency for both the organization and the customers. Also automation makes the production o f different products easy and faster. This improves the general performance of the organization. Ecological Factors Factors like climate change affect the business negatively hence posing a threat to the company. Although, emphasis on strategies that emphasize on sustainable business offers an opportunity, and also the increased corporate environmental activities help in popularization of the company. The company has a CSR policy because it is concerned with the environmental matters (Stembridge, 2014). The company encourages reusing of waste products to protect the environment. Also, they engage in occasional activities that clean the environment. Legal Factors Legal factors act as threats more than opportunities to a business. For instance, regulations limit operations of a company. The new minimum wage levels in the US affect the company negatively since they increase the operation costs, also the animal welfare regulations also threaten the business because they produce animal products too (Pingali, 2016). Legal factors are a major threat because they keep on changing and what is legal today may be illegal tomorrow making business difficult. These factors offer different opportunities and threats to the company. Since McDonalds is still a leader in the fast food restaurant business, it can be ascertained that they have the right strategies to tackle the challenges that are posed by these factors. Besides, the company can also seize the opportunities that the factors bring due to their strategic positioning. The analysis shows that there are opportunities that the company can use to gain a competitive advantage in future and that is how the company can be sustainable into the future. Also, the company should lay down strategies that deal with threats that these factors offer. Porters Five Force Factors Analysis McDonalds exhibits different levels of strength in the five forces. This model analyzes the most effective factors that directly or indirectly affect the business. For McDonalds, the focus is on the fast food industry. The companys success in the industry indicates that, effective strategies are being utilized to manage the external forces that may negatively affect business (AzadiRahimzadeh, 2012) Competitive Rivalry (Strong Force) The company faces stiff competition because the fast food restaurant industry is already saturated. Some of the players in the industry include KFC, Dominos, and Pizza Hut among others.For McDonalds, the external factors that create a strong force include the high number of competitors, the level of aggressiveness of the competitors and low switching costs. All these pose a threat to the company since they are strong forces and entry is easy for other firms. Bargaining Power of Customers (Strong Force) Customers have a chance to easily impose their demands on the company since switching costs are low. Moving from one restaurant to another is easy. Also, the large numbers of service providers acts as a threat to their operation and customers can influence their operations (Rosenberg, 2015). In addition,availability of substitutes give customers the strength to bargain since they can readily get substitutes of what the company offers, hence the bargaining power of customers is a strong force. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (Weak Force) The bargaining power of suppliers does not affect the companys operations. This is due to the large number of suppliers of raw materials in the market. Also, there is an abundance of the supplies that the company utilizes which makes it possible for them to have options to choose the best bargains. This is a weak force and it gives an opportunity to the company to cut costs. Threat of Substitutes (Strong Force) The analysis of this force focuses on the effects of the availability of substitutes on the firms performance. High performance, low switching costs and substitute availability are strong forces that influence the operations of McDonalds. This factor is harmful to business although the company has managed to retain its popularity in the industry for long (Dey, 2016). Such a force can be managed through strategies like product quality enhancement and improvement. Threat of New Entrants (Moderate Force) In all industries, the threat of new entrants exists. It is a force that threatens the market base of a business. In the case of McDonalds, the force is not so strong because there are some limitations in terms of costs. These costs relate to capital, switching costs and brand development. McDonalds is already popular and there are minimal chances of new entrants taking over their market space. Besides, McDonalds has developed a loyal customer base. Again the high cost of capital does not allow new entrants to invade the market easily and that is why this force is moderate and is controllable by the company. Internal Analysis Strategic Capabilities. Organizational Capabilities and Core Competences The company has different capabilities that enable it to manage the operations of the company such as having a secret recipe, core intellectual assets, a strong value chain and other capabilities and core competences are discussed below. Secret recipe-McDonalds has a secret recipe that cannot easily be imitated. They have strict confidential contracts signed by people who offer their services. Core intellectual assets-The employees in McDonalds are trained in the way the organization operates and how to prepare different products. Quality is highly upheld and they are highly motivated. Strong value chain-The organization has a strong value chain, which helps in the achievement of the companies objectives. Financial physical assets and technology-The Company has a huge asset base and that makes its expansion easy because of the competitive advantage it enjoys. In addition, it employs technology in most of its activities and that makes it have superior products. Business Functions Analysis The main business functions include, administrative functions, franchising, which is a kind of business model that gives different organizations a right to use their brand name and business model for a specified period of time, human resource, supplies and product development. These functions are essential and helped the organization to gain the success that it enjoys currently. Although there are other functions, the ones mentioned are the ones that promote the strategic wellbeing of the organization. Basis of Competitive Strategy The generic strategy the company uses is the one of cost leadership. The company engages in cost minimization so that their products can have low prices. This strategy has helped the company in market penetration. The company operates on position 2, 3 and 4 which are, low price, hybrid and differentiation. Innovation and creativity are the practices that enhance the companys competitive advantage (Wittmann Reuter, 2008). Strategic Choice and Strategy Evaluation Key Direction of Future Growth It is essential for McDonalds to grow its business and possibly diversify because of the changing trends in the business environment. Changes like peoples tastes and preference, production techniques and environmental conservation policies affect business. This can be done by exploring new products and new markets. The Ansoff matrix can be applied in the process to come up with suitable strategies for improved business operations (Richardson Evans, 2007). Market Penetration Market penetration involves the presentation of the existing products to an already existing market (Taylor, 2012). McDonalds has chicken products, Hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, desserts and salads. The strategy for market penetration for the new products is offering them at a reduced price (Goldman, Nieuwenhuizen, 2006). This strategy is effective for the penetration of a new and existing market since people like to spend little and gain more. New Product Development The company has always provided innovative products to its customers. This relates to unique recipes that they employ in the production of their products. McDonalds seeks innovation from one market and employs it in the rest of the worlds markets. This strategy is a little risky but it has helped the company to build its over 47 million customers across the world. The strategy is the one responsible for the companys growth. New Market Development McDonalds is a global company and its franchise system helps it to reach its customers in the international market. The organization has over 31000 outlets and is operational in 119 countries and still is expanding (Pride Ferrell, 2010). The franchise system, the company is successful in entering new international market and the strategy has proven to be significantly effective. Diversification Diversification is a marketing strategy in which an organization engages in exploring markets which in which it has not been having operations (Taylor, 2012). It is difficult for the company along its normal operations to diversify. The franchise system is not suitable for diversification since the processes involved may be long and insignificant. The strategy employed is the acquisition of other companies with different products. For instance, McDonalds acquired some stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill Pert a Manger and Donatos Pizza. This is the strategy that can work for diversification since the company has a competitive advantage. Ansoffs Matrix Analysis This is a strategic planning tool that is used by marketing managers and other executives in coming up with ways they will operate in the future. The option in the matrix chosen is market penetration strategy. Suitability The strategy employed by McDonalds in market penetration is taking in new products to existing markets at low prices and that edges competition making it a suitable strategy (Richardson, Evans, 2007). Acceptability The strategy is acceptable because, the company operates at low costs and that gives them a competitive advantage over other players who have high operational costs. Feasibility The strategy is feasible because the company has a huge financial asset base which enables it to enter the new markets at low prices without significant effects on their financial status. Conclusion and Recommendations McDonalds has different strengths which enable it to survive in the competitive fast food industry. Having a strong financial base enables them to navigate through various economic cycles. To reduce risks, the company should diversify since it has a high financial asset base. The nature of the food that the company produces acts as a weakness because there are campaigns against fast foods in the world. The company should start producing healthy products that will help them remain afloat in the market. Also, all legal requirements should be fulfilled to reduce risks. There is an opportunity in the fast growing fast food industry because people dont have time to prepare their food and so this opportunity should be used by the company to increase its business. Besides, the company should explore green energy which will help in conservation and reduction of costs. The threats the company faces include competition, public health matters and environmental issues. Competition can be edged b y improving quality while public health and environmental matters can be resolved by having the right certifications and processes. Bibliography Azadi, S, Rahimzadeh, E 2012, 'DEVELOPING MARKETING STRATEGY FOR ELECTRONIC BUSINESS BY USING MCCARTHY'S FOUR MARKETING MIX MODEL AND PORTER'S FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES', EMAJ: Emerging Markets Journal, 2, 2, pp. 47-58, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Bernhardt, A, Wilking, C, Gilbert-Diamond, D, Emond, J, Sargent, J 2015, 'Childrens Recall of Fast Food Television AdvertisingTesting the Adequacy of Food Marketing Regulation', Plos ONE, 10, 3, pp. 1-12, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Brown, S., Bessant, J. R., Lamming, R. 2013. Strategic operations management. Routledge. Dey, K. 2016. The fast food industry in the UK. Analysis of McDonalds with PESTEL, VRIN and Porter's Five Forces. Erickson, N. 2016. 3rd Party Monitors Spur Action in McDonalds Chinese Food Safety Protocols. Goldman, G., Nieuwenhuizen, C. 2006. Strategy: sustaining competitive advantage in a globalised context. Cape Town, Juta. Leekha Chhabra, N., Sharma, S. 2014. Employer branding: strategy for improving employer attractiveness. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 22(1), 48-60. McDonalds UK. 2016. About us. [online] Available at: https://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Aboutus.html [Accessed 14 Jul. 2016]. 'McDonald's Corporation SWOT Analysis' 2014, Mcdonald's Corporation SWOT Analysis, pp. 1-8, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Pingali, V. 2016. Responsible leadership: learning from Indian case studies. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 1-9. Pride, W. M., Ferrell, O. C. 2010. Marketing. Australia: South Western Cengage Learning Richardson, M, Evans, C 2007, 'Strategy in Action Applying Ansoff's Matrix', Manager: British Journal Of Administrative Management, 59, pp. i-iii, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Rosenberg, M. 2015. Strategy and sustainability: a strategic logic for engagement with the environment. Palgrave Communications, 1. Sardar, R., Talat, M. A. 2015. What managers believe as important while recruitment in fast food industry within Norway: A case study of Burger King and McDonalds. Shilei, L, Yong, W 2009, 'Target-oriented obstacle analysis by PESTEL modeling of energy efficiency retrofit for existing residential buildings in China's northern heating region', Energy Policy, 37, 6, pp. 2098-2101, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Stembridge, A. F. 2014. Strategic planningThe basic steps. In International Forum Journal (Vol. 4, No. 2). Taylor, EC 2012, 'COMPETITIVE IMPROVEMENT PLANNING: USING ANSOFF'S MATRIX WITH ABELL'S MODEL TO INFORM THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS', Allied Academies International Conference: Proceedings Of The Academy Of Strategic Management (ASM), 11, 1, pp. 21-27, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016. Verma, A., Gupta, A., Nangia, G. 2014. Study of Various Adaptation Policies by Companies to Compete At a Global Scenario. Global Journal of Finance and Management, 6(7), 615-618. Wittmann, R. G., Reuter, M. P. 2008.Strategic planning: how to deliver maximum value through effective business strategy. Philadelphia, Kogan Page Ltd. Zhao, Z, Zuo, J, Wu, P, Yan, H, Zillante, G 2016, 'Competitiveness assessment of the biomass power generation industry in China: A five forces model study', Renewable Energy: An International Journal, 89, pp. 144-153, GreenFILE, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 June 2016.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Are Family Members Allowed in Code Blue free essay sample

Allowing family members to remain with patients during code blue procedures has been a debated topic in the healthcare environment for many years. A great diversity in opinions exists on the subject among healthcare providers. A great diversity in opinions exists on the subject among healthcare providers. According to statistics, only 5% of hospital units have any type of formal written policy to use as a guideline for these situations. This lack of written policy has added controversy and confusion amongst healthcare providers. Current trends are moving towards allowing family members to be present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other procedures. Studies show great disparity in opinion exists depending on the type of practice. Nurses are far more likely to support family presence than are doctors. Resident physicians are the least open to family members remaining with the patient during a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Should Family Members Be Allowed In Code Blue? Allowing family members to remain with patients during code blue procedures has been a debated topic in the healthcare environment for many years. A great diversity in opinions exists on the subject among healthcare providers. According to statistics, only 5% of hospital units have any type of formal written policy to use as a guideline for these situations (Doyle, 2007). This lack of written policy has added controversy and confusion amongst healthcare providers. Current trends are moving towards allowing family members to be present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other procedures. Most healthcare professionals have been found to have positive feelings about allowing family members to remain during code situations. Studies show great disparity in opinion exists depending on the type of practice. Nurses are far more likely to support family presence than are doctors. Resident physicians are the least open to family members remaining with the patient during a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). One study done by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, found that 75-80% of its physician members were opposed to family members being present during resuscitation or invasive procedures (Duran, Oman, Jordan, Koziel, Szymanski, 2007). According to physicians, having family presence during resuscitation also has some serious drawbacks. Resuscitation is an intense situation; where every second is critical. Their major concern is that there is no distressed family member present that could interfere with the resuscitation efforts. If family members are present, this will distract attention from the patient and the care he/she needs. Not having family members present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will allow the staff to continue to work effectively in the midst of this critical situation. One question that is asked many times by medical providers is the following: â€Å"Is it feasible to implement a family presence intervention during medical resuscitation in an emergency department using national guidelines to ensure appropriate family member behavior and uninterrupted patient care†? For some, it is also believed that family presence throughout cardiopulmonary resuscitation present problems. Fear that the staff might be distracted from providing needed patient care by distraught family members, is a physician’s main concern (Walsh, 2004). Throughout these codes, many times the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) team demonstrates a quick ability to provide the best care under stressful and intense situations. Many physicians fear the cardiopulmonary resuscitation team will have difficulty controlling their own emotional response with the family present. Another point they are also concerned with is the patient’s code might be prolonged in futile situations because of the requests of the family members. This increases anxiety that an overwrought family member might hurt himself due to their reaction of the scene. If the family member faints, resources could be diverted away from resuscitating the patient. There could be accidental exposure to blood and body fluids thus endangering family members to other unknown pathogens. This then leads to a final point, but most valid point, that there is not enough room in an emergency to accommodate the family throughout a code. There may have to be a limit to the amount of family members that may be present in a code due to the small rooms available in healthcare facilities and the amount of equipment needed to save the patient’s life. In a survey, when asking several physicians about their opinion on having family members present throughout a cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a Vancouver physician stated: â€Å"To watch a team of strangers frantically shove tubes down the throat of a relative pierce each arm with large-gauge needles, or, in extreme situations, crack open the chest, would not only be traumatic to observe but could also leave the relative with a horrifying final memory. † (American College of American Physicians, 2008). As mentioned before, there is a very high percent of physicians that do not believe that this may be particularly safe for the patient. As patient advocates, physicians feel their main concern is first the well being of the patient and then the family They feel that the family will have an unpleasant, haunting, constant memory reminding them when the patient was at the worse time of their lives. In conclusion, bringing a family member to the bedside should not happen haphazardly but should be handled with careful consideration and define expectations. The best practice should be to educate healthcare staff during advance cardiac life support (ACLS), advance trauma life support (ATLS), and fundamental critical care support (FCCS).  The patient’s and family wishes should be honored whenever possible.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Art in Public Spaces

Art in Public Spaces Introduction The following essay examines a piece of public art and the space it is found in order to discuss art, beauty and the purpose of public art. The essay specifically focuses on the Unnamed Sculpture at Pier 39 in San Francisco and uses the concepts from Semiotics to analyze the space and art piece together.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art in Public Spaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Also, the essay discusses the purpose of the Unnamed Sculpture at Pier 39 in San Francisco as a public art. The Skygate in San Francisco is a modern sculpture that was designed by Isamu Noguchi.This public art is usually set for free entertainment each Wednesday at noon. The Skygate has a natural framing that is presented by trees and thus giving it an outstanding background. The contributions of art in public places have not been fully recognized. Art in public places affects the everyday lives of millions of people ac ross the globe as more money is spent while commissioning them. However, the critical recognition of public art is yet to be recognized despite its proliferation. This is as a result of such factors as lack of a clear historical framework, evaluation as well as confusion concerning the definition of art in public places. According to some scholars, art in public places has been in existence since time immemorial. According to them, public art existed in form of Lascaux’s cave paintings. Other scholars believe that art in public places came into practice in 1967 following the creation of public arts program by the National Endowment for the Arts. According to some historians, art in public places began in 1935 with the establishment of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which was aimed at providing the US citizens with economic relief following the Great Depression. It is believed that President Roosevelt enhanced the proliferation of arts in public places during this tim e by providing employment opportunities to thousands of artists who worked in the public works division of WPA.Thus,the; the main challenge with regards to public arts is establishing the time line for its development. This makes the definition of arts in public places to be at issue. Since the term ‘art in public places’ was coined over fifty years ago, it is disappointing to note that the term has not been clearly defined. According to Hein’s, public art has the capacity of occupying public space and also drawing public into debate and intelligent discourse.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to him, art has the potential to of engendering new ways of thinking and new perspectives .Similarly, Barber in his ‘Cultural Interventions in the Public Sphere’ book stated that public art provides people with an opportunity to develop a range of res istant and critical strategies that have an effect of encouraging multiple responses(Merryman and Elsen 656-658). Arts in public places can exist in various forms including letters, orchards, sculptures, displays, monuments, memorials among others. A large number of arts in public places are found in towns and urban areas even though some are found in rural areas. Art in public places are found everywhere i.e. they are displayed on side of buildings, airport terminals, recreational parks, business organizations e.t.c. (Merryman and Elsen 656-658). San Francisco’s Skygate and semiotic approach Usually, arts in public works have the effect of conveying meaning to millions of spectators. Semiotics is commonly defined as the ‘science of signs’ implying that, pubic art is intended to have some significant meaning and purpose to human beings. According to semiotic approach, public arts can provide meanings in various forms including; words, texts and codes (Ashton 301) . Isamu Noguchi in his Skygate work adopted a semiotic approach by harmonizing both the architecture and the space. He created an attraction site with a view of communicating a range of meanings to societies, spectators, designers and all the interested persons across the globe. The sculpture is constructed in such a way that, in absence of written records, the space and site can provide people with the required information for understanding the identities. The work by Isamu Noguchi takes Skygate identity from the site as it reflects the space and architecture around it in manner that is accurate and distorted. Despite the fact that Skygate’s title has a chaotic title, the space and the subject are harmonious. Isamu Noguchi in his sculptural work has combined shape with mirror-polished stainless steel to produce an attractive public art (Ashton 301). Purpose of San Francisco’s Skygate as a public art Skygate in San Francisco as a public art enhances democracy in that i t is accessible to everyone.Basa (2008) in his studies states that public arts should be designed in such a way that everyone is capable of viewing it. Public art that is accessible to everyone promotes public response and support. Public arts form an integral part of any public environment due to the fact that they are seen everyday by millions of people. Art in public places usually have an enormous impact with regards to the impressions that are created about a place. The appearance of public art plays an important role as far as people’s feelings are concerned. It is for this reason that millions of dollars are spent for public arts. Also, the appearance of arts in public places can become a subject of debate in editorial columns. It is therefore important that arts in public places have a good appearance as it can become a public issue (McNiff 36).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Art in Public Spaces specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/pa ge Learn More Skygate has the effect of attracting larger audiences from all walks of life. The youths are the majority of audiences who comes to Skygate. The sculpture is a major tourist attraction as millions of tourists tours United States to view it. Throngs of people constantly fill the park everyday. This public art provides people of all races, ages, nationalities and classes with an opportunity to interact with each other. This in turn plays an important role of earning the United States Federal Government foreign exchange. This sculpture has become a major tourist marketing (Fleming and Goldman 201-225). This public art is found in an open space and therefore, people can use the environment for multiple purposes ranging form politics to social interaction. The art piece is found in an open space and does not have an obstructive effect on the surrounding buildings i.e. it is both people and environmental friendly. This aspect has the effect of forcing people to visit Skygate on a constant basis. People are usually proud of art in public places that are found where they live. Everyone has a stake in public arts and everyone wants to be associated with them. First people are concerned with enjoying their environments. Secondly; they prefer to visit those places that favorably impress them. People also prefer that their self image and self worth be reflected by the appearance of public arts (Fleming and Goldman 201-225). Also, the material that is used to construct the public art is environmental friendly. The artists were careful while they were choosing the kind of materials to use when constructing the public art. They preferred using polished-stainless steel materials which are undestructive. The investors demand that public arts be well planned and attractive as this increases property values. Art in public places is an important component as far as any strong and vibrant community is concerned. The Skygate in the San Francisco acts a s an economic development tool. It has seen numerous cities jump start their economies. According to a research by Basa (2008), major towns that have a robust and lively art in public places are associated with sustained economic growth. Conclusion Skygate as a piece of art has an aesthetic appeal and this makes it to look attractive. The art piece is in accordance with the semiotics approach of arts in public space. This public art has the effect of appealing to a large audience. Its design can satisfy the large mass of people who experiences it on a regular basis.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aesthetic appeal is necessary as it significantly contributes to how the public feels and values a given public art. Aesthetic appeal has social and cultural components and it goes beyond simple expressions of a person’s taste .Public arts should be designed in such a way that the beauty resides in the art piece as opposed to the beholder’s mind. Ashton, Dore. Noguchi East and West. New York. University of California Press, 1993. Basa, Lynn. The Artists Guide to Public Art: How to Find and Win Commissions. New York: Allworth Communications, Inc., 2008. Fleming, Lee and Goldman, Melisa.The art of placemaking: interpreting community  through public art and urban. Michigan: The University of Michigan, 2007. McNiff, Shaun. Integrating the Arts in Therapy: History, Theory, and  Practice.Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2009. Merryman, John and Elsen, Albert. Law, ethics, and the visual arts. Alphen aa den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2002.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Tourism and Sustainability Whale

Tourism and Sustainability Whale Characteristics for Development of Whale-Watching Industries On the social front, it is evident that although the community in the Vava’u area comprises of only 16,000 people, it has been on the forefront in whale conservation efforts and demonstrates a friendly nature to tourists. Additionally, the community has been effective in using promotional material involving the humpback whales to put Tonga on the world map.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Tourism and Sustainability: Whale-Watching Industries specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the economic front, it is clear that tourism is the economic mainstay of the Vava’u area due to the fragile nature of other economic activities particularly in the manufacturing, agricultural, forestry and service sectors, hence making the area a fertile breeding ground for the development of modern whale-watching industries. Concerning the natural environment, the Vava’u Island group in the Kingdom of Tonga is not only located in a tropical climate with warm, sheltered waters, but also prides itself for hosting one of the whale species most popular for tourism. The high quality marine environments in the area ensure the availability of humpback whales, which often visit the area for mating, birthing, and raising young calves. Non-Economic Impacts of Whales and Whale-Watching As demonstrated by the author of the article, tourism activities occasion both economic and non-economic impacts in the destination area or country. In the context of the Island of Tonga, whales and whale-watching activities are likely to occasion difficulties in hosting large numbers of tourists, environmental pollution and degradation, conflict between operators, resentment in the local community fuelled by increasingly large numbers of tourists, and internalization of vices such as prostitution and gambling among the local people. Other non-economic impacts of w hales and whale-watching activities likely to affect the Island of Tonga include inflationary pressure in the local economy, loss of local control on how local resources are managed and distributed, as well as environmental degradation due to the establishment of numerous whale-watching businesses in the area. However, a positive non-economic impact for the Island concerns the change of attitudes and value systems among the local community, especially in terms of valuing and conserving the humpback whales as a critical resource for social and economic development of the Kingdom. Factors influencing Potential Future Growth of Whale Watching Some of the factors that will guarantee the future growth of whale-watching industry in Vava’u Island group, as demonstrated by the author, include (1) developing adequate transportation, accommodation, and other elements of the tourism infrastructure, (2) attaining long-term political stability not only in the Island of Tonga but also in S outh Pacific region, (3) establishing convenient and reliable airline connections to boost tourists’ arrivals, (4) dealing with unsustainable whale hunting practices, (4) establishing proper management practices for whale-watching activities, (5) dealing with negative social, economic and environmental impacts associated with tourism, (6) maintaining a stringent code of practice for whale-watching operators to minimise negative impacts associated with competition, and (7) establishing adequate conservation initiatives for the humpback whales to maintain their health and value.Advertising Looking for assessment on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that several factors discussed in the article, including degradation of the natural environment, non-involvement of the local community and proliferation of unsustainable hunting practices may actually hamper the growth of the whale-watching industry in the future if immediate corrective measures are not taken. Overall, it can be suggested that the sustainability efforts undertaken to guarantee the expansion of the whale-watching industry in the Island of Tonga are bearing fruits.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace Research Paper

The Benefits of Gender Diversity in the Workplace - Research Paper Example Owing to such reasons, it is deemed to be necessary for both profit oriented as well as non-profit organizations to engage and accept the notion of diversity with regard to gender for the reason of attaining increased creativeness as well as productivity (Rosado, 2006). Gender Diversity in Workplace The idea of gender is primarily based on the dissimilarities of features amid the individuals of different sex. These features act as a basis which discerns the males from the females. It is also based on the feelings of an individual of being a male or a female. Gender diversity generally relates to the proportion or ratio of the overall males to the overall females. The degree of diversity signifies whether the distribution of the genders is equal or it is distributed unevenly (Walter, 2012). Greater degree of diversity within a certain organization with regard to age is known to offer increased viewpoints as well as generation of fresh ideas. It is even considered imperative for the re ason of augmenting the competence in terms of comprehending the requirements of the customers. The aspect of diversity in relation to gender in the workplace assists in triggering an ensuring increased degree of sales for the organization. Gender diversity is also considered important for an organization for the reason of ensuring the sustenance of their respective operations. The notion of gender diversity relates to the actuality of the existence of variation in terms of the genes with regard to a species. The factor of genetic diversity makes it likely for a specific populace to become accustomed to the surroundings along with responding to the usual selection. The degree in relation to genetic disparity is considered to be the foundation of speciation. This specific factor is known to pose an influence regarding the ways individuals act together and perform or conduct oneself with respect to the other individuals present in the organization (Green, Lopez, Wysocki, & Kenper, 2011 ).. As a result of the mounting globalization in the industrial sector gender diversity has surfaced as quite an essential aspect for the modern business organizations. Gender diversity with regard to workplace has been defined as the comprehension and recognition of employees of both the genders. The major guiding forces of gender diversity within the workplace are the women employees. It is worth mentioning that during the recent days, business organizations have noticed the highest level of female employees in the workplace. Consequently, the number of families possessing dual income sources has also augmented along with the numbers in relation to working mothers who are single (Green, Lopez, Wysocki, & Kenper, 2011). Gender Diversity and Its Implications Gender diversity with regard to the workplace is noticed to prove gainful for the employers as well as the employees. The employees working in the same organization are likely to be quite reliant upon each other in terms of thei r work. In this context, the individuals of different genders significantly require to develop mutual respect for the reason of enhancing their productivity. Diversity in the work place can work quite effectively in boosting the marketing opportunities of the organization. It can further facilitate in encouraging creative activities amid the individuals and can also aid in recruitment activities

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Nanotechnology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nanotechnology - Term Paper Example On the other hand, Eric Drexler, the founder of Foresight Nanotech Institute introduced to the world the term â€Å"nanotechnology in 1986, and used it to describe the bottom up approach. In contrary to Taniguchi, Drexler looked at nanotechnology from the perspective of a physicist. He referred to nanotechnology as a large scale mechanosynthesis that is founded on the positional control of molecules that are chemically reactive. The founders of nanotechnology anticipate that, in the future, the term will probably include building mechanisms and machines with nano-scale dimensions, also referred to as the Molecular Nanotechnology (MNT) (Cutcliffe 81). According to McGinn (2010), nanotechnology has emerged due to the advent of modern technological trends used for creating more comfort for the mankind. This technology will totally refurbish the way in which electronic and digital devices operate (McGinn 116). The concept of nanotechnology is based on further reduction of the size of tr ansistors and that of electronic circuitry that would enable working at the molecular level. Its implementation would not be limited to the field of technology and science, rather medicine, construction and other sciences would equally benefit from it (Ghattas 271). Nanotechnology is being made into it to introduce and transfer it from laboratory to markets due to its productivity; this has caught attention worldwide research as well as investment. Nanotechnology has gathered a lot of attention across the world, and rapid investments are being made into it. Some of the likely benefits include; the reduction in size, the speed of processing, capability to access further small elements and running the electronic circuits, processors, machines at a more brisk pace (Cutcliffe 90). The problem to be addressed in the proposed study is since 2000, the U.S. Government has spent more than $15.6 billion in advancing the nanotechnology industry; however, research is not progressing at an effec tive and efficient rate because a roadmap for nanotechnology research to move technology from the laboratory into the marketplace has not been established (Waldron 6292). From FY2001 through FY2012, the federal government invested in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology through the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). Because of this focus and these investments, the U.S. has emerged as a global leader in nanotechnology. Further, nanotechnology is multiplying its applicability exponentially (Roberts, 2011). However, competition for global leadership in nanotechnology is escalating as nations and organizations worldwide increase investments in nanotechnology implementation (Waldron 6293). Maintaining U.S. leadership poses a technical, economic, and policy challenge for effective technology transfer to the private sector. Continued lack of attention to this concern will make it difficult for the U.S. to maintain its leadership role in the commercialization of nanote chnology. While the future of nanotechnology is promising and shows remarkable profitability for private industry, it is still a new practical science, and consequently it can be a high-risk and unpredictable commercial endeavor (Waldron, 6294). After 12 years and over $15 billion in research funds, the applications of nanotechnology appears to advance rapidly in research, yet slowly to being put in commercial practice in the United States (Holley 9). The idea of nanotechnology has

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Internet Marketing Management Assignment about Breitling watches Essay

Internet Marketing Management Assignment about Breitling watches (httpwww.breitling.com) 3000 Words - Essay Example In1914 the founder passed away and son, Gaston, took over the company. Aeronautics had made spectacular developments after 1914. In the year 1923 Breitling developed the independent chronograph push piece with automatic start and return-to-zero functions. Significant progress was made in the aviation industry between 1923 and 1942. Breitling launched the chronomat, first of its kind chronograph fitted with circular slide rule. American armed forces also became the clients of Breitling Instruments. The aviation industry was growing with leaps and bounds. Jet aircrafts had been developed and the first International passenger jet flight had been launched. Breitling achieved a major mile stone in 1962 when Astronaut Scott Carpenter wore the COSMONAUTE during his orbital flight. Breitling reached a major mile stone in 1969 with the launch of self winding chronograph. In 1979 Ernest Schneider a Pilot, watch manufacturer took over the reigns of Breitling from Willy Breitling. Chronomat was launched in 1984 and it becomes the best selling chronograph in Breitling collection. The military aviation industry was growing with leaps and bounds. Aircrafts like Stealth bombers were being developed. In 1999 after completing 100 years in Chronograph making Breitling submits its entire collection to Swiss official chronometer testing institute. Breitling Products: Breitling manufactures and sells Chronographs onl... Apart from this they have very high end product which is the "Breitling for Bentley" collection. This collection focuses on high end customers who value tradition, performance and novelty value of the product being purchased. What is a chronograph A watch with two independent time systems: one indicates the time of day, and the other measures brief intervals of time. Counters registering seconds, minutes and even hours can be started and stopped as desired, thus enabling the exact timing of an event. Internet Marketing Strategies: While developing a marketing strategy, it is important to consider the environment in which the business functions. Porter (Kotler, 282) has identified five forces to determine profit attractiveness. These are: Competitors: Consider the web sites that offer the same products. New Entrants: Offsite competitors and new people in the business. Customers: The people visiting the site. Suppliers: Companies offering parts of products, web hosting software firms. Substitutes: Other media used for product promotion. Besides this, "SWOT" Analysis could also be used. Strength and weakness is dependent on the marketers internal environment Opportunity and Threats are dependent on the external environment. Strength: How is your product/service better than the competition Why should a customer feel delighted by using your product or service Weakness: What are the opportunity areas in your product /service and how they can be over-come Opportunity: The marketer should strike at the right opportunity and the right time and should target the right people (Customer). Threats: The Marketer should know exactly what are the hurdles in Marketing the product(Technology , Competitors) Internet Marketing strategy gives you a

Friday, November 15, 2019

Economic Business Strategies of Ryanair

Economic Business Strategies of Ryanair Ryanair Introduction The economics of business vary, both depending upon the industry where they operate and the style and strategy adopted by the management. Within this paper it is intended to assess those economic factors as they relate to the â€Å"low-cost† airlines. To assist with this assessment Ryanair, one of the leading â€Å"low-cost† airline operators in Europe, will be used as an example. Existing Corporate Strategy Following the liberalisation of the airline industry, the consumer demand for air travel began to increase. However, when operators such as Ryanair, an Irish based company, was one of the â€Å"first-movers† (Faulkner and Campbell 2006). in adopting a â€Å"low-cost† strategy for Europe, similar to the model successfully introduced by Southwest Airlines (2007) in the US, the levels of demand increased dramatically. As can be seen from the numbers of passengers using UK airports (see table 1). Table 1 Airline passengers Year Passengers (m) 1980 50 1990 90 2000 180 The demand for airline seats is also forecast to more than treble by 2030 to around five hundred million UK passengers. Ryanair is an Irish airline operator that commenced business in the mid 1980’s with one 15-seater aircraft, has grown to a business that now has a fleet of over 150 aircraft and carrying over two million passengers (About Us 2007). Since the beginning of the century, the company’s growth rate has improved substantially, to a position where it is now supplying air travel to around forty million passengers (see figure 1), with an expectation of this rising to seventy million within the next few years (Ryanair 2007). The company has achieved this growth by supplying consumers with consistently low prices. It maintained these low fares by creating a â€Å"no frills† price advantage (Pettigrew et al 2002), which differentiated its service from the established airline competitors (Porter 2004, p.207 and Kotler et al 2004, p.407). In other words Ryanair offered cheap fares with lower levels of service. For example, free in-flight meals were eliminated. At one stage the no-frills policy included not providing ice for in-flight drinks (Creaton 2004, p.169), although this was reintroduced following complaints. However, to sustain this position, as Lynch (2006) and Faulkner and Campbell (2005), who submitted that to achieve and maintain low price in the market place, the business itself had to be structured in a way that provided a limited cost base. Ryanair has achieved this situation by taking a number of measures, which include: Maximising use of resources by using one aricraft type, increasing employee roles and reducing airpot turnaround times. Ticketless and direct selling via the Internet or phone, which served to reduce administrative costs. Use of secondary rather than main airports. This move enabled the business to negotiate lower airport fees. Single class travel, elimatiion of free inflight services and seat reservation helped reduce business costs. All of these measure have given Ryanair the flexibility to be able to maintain a flexibility of price, from 99p owards, and service and helped it to react effectively to industry changes. In terms of profit and the financial contribution that Ryanair’s strategy has achieved, as can be seen from the following financial data taken from the relevant company’s website, shows how successful Ryanairs appraach was in 2003, when compared with its main competitors (See table 2 below). Table 2Net profit percentages Company Percentage Ryanair 17.81% Easyjet 7.98% British Airways 7.28% Challenges There are significant future challenges facing the low-cost airline industry in general, and Ryanair in particular, which will need to be addressed. Amongst these are the following: Competition It increased regional and global harmonisation and development of air travel; Ryanair is bound to face increasing competition within the next five years. This could materialise from developing nations within Europe, where there is significant scope for new entrants (see figure 2) It could also result from the recently signed â€Å"open skies† agreement between the EU and US (Milmo and Gow 2007). Both of these actions could result in loss of market share to new entrants, which would impact adversely upon Ryanair’s current level of success and financial results. Similarly, Ryanair’s own growth predictions could reduce its profitability levels. Whilst growth brings economies of scale, it can increase management costs, which is counter-productive to efficiency (Creaton 2004, p.250). Taxation At present the airline industry is heavily subsidised. As identified with the Bized (2004) report, this benefits the industry players by around  £6 billion annually. These benefits include zero VAT, capped landing charges and fuel tax exemption. It is anticipated the removal of these benefits, by introducing the relevant takes could reduce passenger levels by over 22% as a result of the increase in prices. Whilst it is not expected that all these subsidies will be eliminated at once, there is little doubt that for political, treasury and environmental reasons some adjustments will be seen in these areas will be seen within the next five years. Environment The major challenge facing Ryanair relates to its impact on climate change. Following recent IPCC, the EU are becoming increasingly concerned with the airline industries contribution to this global issue. As a result, these organisations have developed industry targets that are expected to be met within the next 5 years and beyond (see table 3). Unless Ryanair adapts its corporate strategy to take into account these targets, the result addition costs, or reduction in service will impact severely upon its ability to remain cost efficient and to maintain its present levels of profitability. Future Strategy As has been advised by a number of researchers (Lynch (2006) and Faulkner and Campbell (2006)) every business needs to review its corporate strategy to address future challenges. There are two ways that Ryanair can address the challenges that have been outlined in the previous section of this paper In terms of reducing the impact of competition, and making it more difficult for new entrants, the business needs to continue to seek ways to sustain its cost reduction programme. This not only means that it has to ensure that the internal management structure efficiency of the business needs to be as efficient as it has been in the past, but also that the business needs to seek new measures of cost reductions. For example, expanding its automatic check-in processes through all its locations would greatly reduce the business human resource cost. It can also sustain its lower price policy by transferring the cost of flying from ticket cost to other aspects of the travel, for example luggage. This specific action could also offset any potential airport cost increases. However, the most effective strategy to adopt in order to address all of the challenges is to develop a plan that increases the supply to meet anticipated demand, whilst at the same time reducing the cost of that supply and the effects of increased taxations and meeting its environmental commitment. The most effective plan for this achievement is the conversion of the current fleet to higher passenger capacity aircraft. For example, the introduction of a significant number of Airbus models would double capacity on those flights. From an economic viewpoint it would also reduce costs. For example the maintenance and servicing costs would remain the same because aircraft numbers have not been increased, but will reduce as a percentage of the ticket cost. Similarly, airport costs and other taxes, such as fuel tax would also be reduced per passenger capita. Finally, because of the increased load, and higher efficiency of these aircraft, the emissions level per passenger km would also see a reduction, thus helping the business to meet its environmental targets. Conclusion As has been seen from this research, over the past two decades the business economic strategies that Ryanair has employed have been successful in helping it maintain competitive advantage, achieve passenger growth and fulfil its objective of increasing business value. However, with the future challenges facing the business from increased competition, rising taxation and environmental concerns, the business will need to adopt a that is flexible to change, whilst at the same time enabling it to continue to sustain and achieve the successes of the past. This will mean combining cost reduction with a production and supply system that reduces the impact of potential tax increases, whilst at the same time enabling Ryanair to meet the increasing demands of reducing its environmental impact. Bibliography Bized (2004). Low Flying Fares: An End to Cheap, No Frills? Retrieved 27 July 2007 from http://www.bized.co.uk/current/leisure/2003_4/010304.htm Brassington Frances and Pettitt, Stephen (2006). Principles of Marketing, 4th edition, Pearson Education Ltd. London, UK Channel 4 News (2007). If you care about the environment, you should fly Easyjet. Really? Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/factcheck+how+green+is+easyjet/509642 Creaton, Siobhan (2004). Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe. Aurum Press Ltd. London, UK. Faulkner, David and Campbell, Andrew (2006). The Oxford Book of Strategy: A Strategy Overview and Competitive Strategy. New ed. Oxford University Press. Oxford, UK. De Groote, P.D (2005). The Success Story of European Low-Cost Carriers in a Changing Airworld. GaWC Research Bulletin 174. Retrieved 27 July 2007 from http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb174.html Kotler, Philip. Wong, Veronica., Saunders John A and Armstrong, Gary (2004). Principles of Marketing, 4th European edition, Pearson Education Ltd. London, UK. Lynch Richard (2006). Corporate Strategy. 4th edition. Financial Times Prentice Hall. Harlow, UK. Milmo Dan and Gow David (2007). EU Open skies deal. The Guardian. London, UK. Pettigrew, Andrew M. Thomas, Howard and Whittington, Richard (2002). The Handbook of Strategy and Management. Sage Publications Ltd. London, UK. Porter, Michael E (2004). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors. The Free Press. New ed. The Free Press. New York, US. Report (2007). The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight. Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution. Retrieved 29 July 2007 from http://www.rcep.org.uk/avreport.htm Ryanair (2007). About us. Retrieved 14 May 2007 from http://www.ryanair.com Southwest Airlines (2007). About SWA. Retrieved 28 July 2007 from http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Metaphysical Conceit in the Poetry of John Donne Essay examples -- Bio

Metaphysical Conceit in the Poetry of John Donne      Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of John Donne's poems contain metaphysical conceits and intellectual reasoning to build a deeper understanding of the speaker's emotional state. A metaphysical conceit can be defined as an extended, unconventional metaphor between objects that appear to be unrelated. Donne is exceptionally good at creating unusual unions between different elements in order to illustrate his point and form a persuasive argument in his poems. By using metaphysical conceits in "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," Donne attempts to convince his love (presumably his wife) that parting is a positive experience which should not be looked upon with sadness. In the first stanza, Donne compares the speaker's departure to the mild death of virtuous men who pass on so peacefully that their loved ones find it difficult to detect the exact moment of their death. Their separation must be a calm transition like this form of death which Donne describes. The poet writes, "let us melt, and make no noise"(line 5). Cavanaugh explains that the word "melt" refers to a change in physical state and says that "the bond of the lovers will dissolve quietly like the soul of a dying man separating from his body"(par. 5). I do not entirely agree with Cavanaugh's idea that the lovers' bond will dissolve, but I do agree that there is a change in physical state. The bond will still be present, only altered because of the absence of a physical presence. The next conceit that is used by Donne is based on the Ptolemaic view of the universe as being divided into moving spheres. This obsolete fact would only be known by individuals who were well educated, as Donne obviously was. Donne's allusion to the studies... ...Donne, it can be seen that although every poem is unique, there are specific elements that are common in all of them. Works Cited Abrams, M.H., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993. Cavanaugh, Cynthia A. "The Circle of Souls in John Donne's A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." The Luminarium. 1999. ( 3 December 1999) Donne, John. "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning." Abrams, 1093-1094. Donne, John. "A Valediction: Of Weeping." Abrams, 1089. Donne, John. "The Indifferent." Abrams, 1085-1086. Donne, John. "The Flea." Abrams, 1090-1091. Mourgues, Odette De. Metaphysical, Baroque and Precieux Poetry. Folcroft, PA: The Folcroft Press, Inc., 1969. "Venus, of Greek Religion." The 1997 Canadian Encyclopedia Plus. CD-ROM. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1996.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

My Self-Assessment as a Writer Essay

Up to this point I’ve never really considered myself a writer at all. After skimming through the chapters and reading about all the processes, my assessment is, as a writer, I’m probably not very good. So this brings me to, what are you able to bring to the class? Well that’s easy. I’ve really wanted to learn how to write correctly. I’m extremely excited about all the information our textbook has to offer. I’ve wondered in the past how to do certain things and how they’re supposed to be done. This whole class is going to bring the pieces together. So I guess I bring excitement and enthusiasm to learn. My Strengths and Weaknesses in writing are hard to identify. Since I don’t write a lot, there’s not much to relate to. My sentence structure and vocabulary are weak areas. Sometimes when I write an e-mail, and then come back to re-read it; it just doesn’t sound or flow right. I’m uncertain and feel embarrassed by my use of grammar and punctuation, so I tend to make every attempt to avoid writing at all. My spoken thoughts are much easier to transform into what I’m trying to communicate. Strengths are an active imagination. I have thoughts or can take a side on almost anything. I could just pick any topic and write about whatever. Discovering material, planning out my ideas, and drafting it all together would also be strengths. Learning from others in the class will require interaction with the class. The discussion board will offer those opportunities. I hope to learn how others chose a topic or decide how they layout their work. I’d like gain some knowledge from their perspectives and ingenuity.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Why Oppose Racism essays

Why Oppose Racism essays Racism is a weapon used by those who are in a position of assumed power, against those with obvious cultural characteristics, seen as inferior. Racism hurts the victim both physically and emotionally and often has serious consequences as serious as death as a result of murder or suicide. Racism is also responsible for violent outbursts against our cultural others and damages social relationships. With the anguish that racism causes in society, it is evident that racism is wrong and should be opposed in society. If society continues to ignore racism in its current effects in Australia and other countries around the world, the effects will continue and as a result many national communities will not be able to reach their social goals of multiculturalism and reconciliation in socially cohesive and progressive surroundings. Racist aggressors avoid responsibility for their actions and consequently enable racism to perpetuate in society through the use of various tactics. Aggressors avoid responsibility through denial that they were being racist, minimization by stating victims escalate the situation, blame shifting i.e.; they started it, redefinition of the event, claim it was unintentional, say the racism issue is over or has been sorted, state that there are only a few racist people who let society down, aggressors may counterattack that they are racist because they have reason, or compete the racism by claiming that the aggressor is actually the victim (Kivel, P 1996). With aggressors avoiding responsibility for such treatment on cultural others, they are unable to see the effects of the issue. This in effect will result in the aggressors disagreeing that there is racism evident in society as they refuse to acknowledge their behavior and racism will continue to perpetuate in society. An example of this is with John Howard refusing to say sorry to the Abor...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on The Black And White Lines Of Racism

WALKING THE BLACK AND WHITE LINE OF RACISM Forty years ago today, Malcolm X, one of the most influential voices in the Civil Rights Movement was gunned down at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, by members of the Nation of Islam. While Malcolm X is often seen as one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, he is also often seen as having been an extremist and a racist. This essay seeks to prove that Malcolm X was, indeed, a racist, but that the term racist does not necessarily mean what most people think that it does. The term â€Å"racism† means many different things to people. To me it can be summed up as simply denying any person an inherent right due to their ethnicity. Racism is more than just skin tone, because it applies to people who are different in cultural ways. It is more than comparing apples and oranges; it is more like a comparison of different varieties of apples. People tend to focus on skin color because it is the most obvious sign that someone is different than they are, but racism is not just skin-deep. It is based on the overall belief that one culture or group of people is superior to another Malcolm X was a racist in the fact that, during the course of his life, he often believed that one race was superior to another. While most of his racist views were based on skin color, toward the end of his life, it became a cultural, when racism became more of an issue between religions than it was between colors. As a child, Malcolm was taught that being black was inferior to being white. As he grew older, he came to believe that being black was superior to being white. It was not until the end of his life that he finally started to believe that no race was superior to any other, but even then, he had spent so much of his life only seeing only in terms of color that it was not fully out of his system. In order to understand the complexities of the race issue in Malcolm’s mind, one must see how it was bui... Free Essays on The Black And White Lines Of Racism Free Essays on The Black And White Lines Of Racism WALKING THE BLACK AND WHITE LINE OF RACISM Forty years ago today, Malcolm X, one of the most influential voices in the Civil Rights Movement was gunned down at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, by members of the Nation of Islam. While Malcolm X is often seen as one of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, he is also often seen as having been an extremist and a racist. This essay seeks to prove that Malcolm X was, indeed, a racist, but that the term racist does not necessarily mean what most people think that it does. The term â€Å"racism† means many different things to people. To me it can be summed up as simply denying any person an inherent right due to their ethnicity. Racism is more than just skin tone, because it applies to people who are different in cultural ways. It is more than comparing apples and oranges; it is more like a comparison of different varieties of apples. People tend to focus on skin color because it is the most obvious sign that someone is different than they are, but racism is not just skin-deep. It is based on the overall belief that one culture or group of people is superior to another Malcolm X was a racist in the fact that, during the course of his life, he often believed that one race was superior to another. While most of his racist views were based on skin color, toward the end of his life, it became a cultural, when racism became more of an issue between religions than it was between colors. As a child, Malcolm was taught that being black was inferior to being white. As he grew older, he came to believe that being black was superior to being white. It was not until the end of his life that he finally started to believe that no race was superior to any other, but even then, he had spent so much of his life only seeing only in terms of color that it was not fully out of his system. In order to understand the complexities of the race issue in Malcolm’s mind, one must see how it was bui...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

People management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

People management - Assignment Example 67) insists that the common denominator in modern managerial thinking is that the conception of corporate culture is inclined towards encouraging managers to foster the development of strong organizational cultures. On the other hand, Schein (2004) emphasizes that corporate culture and the leadership of an organization is theoretically intertwined. This line of thought is supported by the ideas of Block and Laurinkari (2012, pp. 502) who discussed that corporate culture and the leadership of an organization are closely related. The conclusions of the discussion included that the codes of conduct, the statement of values as well as the principles defining service management are merely rhetorically set on the rules and the regulations of the organization. In short, the conclusions were that these statements are merely aspiration-based, therefore, without the leadership of an organization – they remain rhetoric (Block and Laurinkari, 2012, pp. 505). The conclusions demonstrate that it is the work of the managers, administrators and the leaders of the organization to make these statements, which are part of the corporate culture, a reality (Block and Laurinkari, 2012, pp. 507). The evidence from different studies, including Block and Laurinkari (2012) demonstrates that corporate culture forms an integral part of the focal areas that the managers of organizations should channel their attention to. The most important rationale, which justifies the significance of managing the corporate cultures of organizations – among leaders and the managers – include that it can affect the performance of organizations positively or negatively. Block and Laurinkari (2012, pp. 508) has also concluded that it is important for the leaders and managers of organizations to manage the corporate culture closely, particularly when planning or reacting in response to major changes within the organization. Corporate culture becomes a major driving force, during the times when an

Friday, November 1, 2019

Biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biotechnology - Essay Example However, a more specific approach of the upstream processes will be adopted in this essay. Downstream processes refer to the processes that take place after the fermentation process of purification to the packaging of the Biopharmaceuticals. Moreover, the issue of quality control techniques in a bid to ensure successful product analysis will receive attention in this essay. One of the critical steps in the upstream processing is the choice of an effective culture and expression system.There are three types of culture systems that may be adopted in the fermentation process. One of them is the batch culture, which is the commonest culture system that used in many industries because of lack of complications. The fact that batch bioreactors are easily available explains why many companies have exhibited preference for it. Batch cultures need to be loaded with all the required nutrients and substrates, and then inoculated with the selected microorganism. Although it is commonly referred to a closed system, there is an evident need to maintain a measure of exerting control on factors such as pH and aeration. After fermentation runs to completion, product removal follows (Boudreau & McMillan, 2007). Although the batch system has been highly preferred, it presents certain challenges, especially because of the surging lack of constancy in the producing formation. In the initial phase when the microorganism is undergoing growth, there is no productivity. Moreover, accumulation of the product also limits further production (Buckel, 2001). In other cases, the presence of a high substrate concentration in the initial phase serves as a form of inhibition. In a bid to address this challenge, the development if fed batch where an inflow is introduced was a benchmark of success. Although the batch culture still has some of the outstanding disadvantages of the batch culture, the fed-batch

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Descartes Meditations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Descartes Meditations - Essay Example He expresses his disdain about the knowledge acquired through the senses because the senses are deceptive. He compares the state of wakefulness and dream and finds no distinguishing features; they are alike and one cannot tell either from the other. He does this to find what is real. Having thought that all things could be imaginary, he assumes everything is imaginary. From this, he observes that even in dreams the objects have resemblance to real objects. Thus, he concludes that there must be some objects that are unquestionably real. In this class of real objects, he places figures, quantities or magnitudes, number and time. On these findings, he finds that only geometry and arithmetic constitute true knowledge which is irrefutable. Descartes examined the existence of God. He argued that if he exists, then he allows people to be deceived. He then disqualifies this pointing to the fact he is all good. In assuming there is no God, he concludes that the being responsible for human bei ng’s existence would be even more imperfect. Leaving this assumption, he devices the deceiving devil. In the second meditation, he observes that the only truth that remains even if there is a devil that deceives is the fact that he exists. Because even if he experiences deception in the existence of all things, it shows he exists; albeit as a thinking being. He observes that though wax changed in form when heated it still remained as wax through this analogy, he came up with other real things. The idea of a substance and identity is also true. In the third meditation, Descartes seeks to examine the existence of God. He wants to expand on his limited list of true knowledge. He argues that one idea cannot be truer than the other and cannot be considered false if it does not refer to an object. Because the existence of God is no bases on any assumptions, (it is an idea) then there is no base to evaluate its falsehood. Since his idea of God extended beyond the finite, it could no t have originated from himself as a finite being. Therefore, because he had an idea of God, then God exists. In the fourth meditation, he explains the chances of his erring in reasoning. Having recognized that a perfect God created him, Descartes seeks to know how he commits errors. He recognizes error as a defect and not a trait given by God. This error occurs because the power to differentiate between good and bad given by God to humans is finite, just as a person is finite. His knowledge and power to choose deceives him into error. In meditation five, Descartes finds another way of demonstrating the existence of God2. He observes that the things for which he has clear thoughts about, whether they exist out of his mind or not, they are true. The characteristics assigned to these ideas remain true. Then it follows that, in his clear thought, he has an idea of God with certain characteristics, then existence of God is true. In meditation six, he evaluates the existence of tangible o bjects and the difference between the soul and body. First he differentiates between thought and intellect. He uses the example of a triangle and notes that he can easily conceive of a three sided figure as well as thousand sided polygons. The difference was when he tried to form a mental image of the two figures; the triangle formed easily while the thousand-sided polygon did not. That which requires more effort to visualize is from imagination and that which is easy to visualize is f

Monday, October 28, 2019

Bees Disappearance Essay Example for Free

Bees Disappearance Essay A new federal report blames a combination of problems for a mysterious and dramatic disappearance of U. S. honeybees since 2006. The intertwined factors cited include a parasitic mite, multiple viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition, genetics, habitat loss and pesticides. The multiple causes make it harder to do something about whats called colony collapse disorder, experts say. The disorder has caused as much as one-third of the nations bees to just disappear each winter since 2006. Bees, especially honeybees, are needed to pollinate crops. The federal report, issued Thursday by the Agriculture Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, said the biggest culprit is the parasitic mite varroa destructor, calling it the single most detrimental pest of honeybees. The problem has also hit bee colonies in Europe, where regulators are considering a ban on a type of pesticides known as neonicotinoids that some environmental groups blame for the bee collapse. The U. S. report cites pesticides, but near the bottom of the list of factors. And federal officials and researchers advising them said the science doesnt justify a ban of the pesticides yet. May Berenbaum, a top bee researcher from the University of Illinois, said in an interview that she was extremely dubious that banning the pesticide would have any effect on bee health. She participated in a large conference of scientists that the government brought together last year to figure out whats going on, and the new report is the result of that conference. Berenbaum said more than 100 different chemicals — not just the pesticides that may be banned in Europe — have been found in bee colonies. Scientists find it hard to calculate how they react in different dosages and at different combinations, she said. Some of these chemicals harm the immune systems of bees or amplify viruses, said Penn State University bee expert Diana Cox-Foster. At a news conference Thursday, Sonny Ramaswamy, a top USDA official, said the scientific consensus is that there are multiple factors and you cant parse any one out to be the smoking gun. USDA bee researcher Jeff Pettis also cited modern farming practices that often leave little forage area for bees. Dave Gaulson of the University of Stirling in Scotland, who conducted a study last year that implicated the chemical, said he cant disagree with the overall conclusions of the U.  S. government report. However, he said it could have emphasized pesticides more. The environmental group, Pesticide Action Network North America blasted the federal government for not following Europes lead in looking at a ban of certain pesticides. Pollinators, like honeybees, are crucial to the U. S. food supply. About $30 billion a year in agriculture depends on their health, said Ramaswamy. Besides making honey, honeybees pollinate more than 90 flowering crops. Among them are a variety of fruits and vegetables: apples, nuts, avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, citrus fruit and cranberries. About one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination. It affects virtually every American whether they realize it or not, said EPA acting administrator Bob Perciasepe. Zac Browning, a fourth-generation commercial beekeeper who has hives in Idaho, North Dakota and California, said the nation is on the brink of not having enough bees to pollinate its crops. University of Maryland entomologist David Inouye, who was not part of the federal report, said he agrees that there are multiple causes. Its not a simple situation. If it were one factor we would have identified it by now, he said. Inouye, president-elect of the Ecological Society of America, said the problems in Europe and United States may be slightly different. In America, bee hives are trucked from farm to farm to pollinate large tracts of land and that may help spread the parasites and disease, as well as add stress to the colonies, while in Europe they stay put so those issues may not be as big a factor. At the news conference, Berenbaum said theres no single solution to the U. S. bee problem: Were not really well equipped or even used to fighting on multiple fronts.