Fatigue design consideration in columns under wave cyclic loading Research Paper

Fatigue design consideration in columns under wave cyclic loading - Research Paper Example Studies reveal that there are significant calculations and estimations that need to be considered to determine the effects of wave conditions on these structures. The present study focuses on these factors, and the types of fatigues that are possible. This would bring into light the necessity for experts to consider an extensive study on the structures, the materials employed and the conditions of the waves such that effective measures may be applied in the process of construction. Introduction: Considering the issue of cyclic wave loading, it is necessary to understand that both cyclic strains and residual strains or strains that are permanent in nature are developed when a sequence of cyclic loads affect the underground soil. The permanent or residual strains stay behind at the end of each cyclic load reflecting a growing effect that gets accumulated with the effects left by earlier storms. Greater attention has been provided to evaluations of peak cyclic displacements that occur a long with a storm. However there are greater needs for studies on issues of permanent displacement. While considering these issues, it is also necessary to take into consideration the relationships among the properties of the soil, cyclic loading as well as well as the residual strains and the shear stress (Marr et al, 1981, pp.1129-1130). Concrete components used in offshore structures encounter forces of strong wave owing to frequent storms and are open to tremendously rigorous conditions of the environment leading to decay of steel that is fixed in the structure and worsening of the concrete material. Fatigue loading tests are conducted in this regard in order to obtain fatigue properties of column joints that are already stressed, the results of which can then be compared to those obtained from static loadings. Considering joints and columns in the offshore structures, it has been found that many types of offshore structures constituting concrete that is already stressed have be en built up with intentions to make use of the space of the offshore and to take advantage of the natural resources in offshore regions (Kiyomia et al, 1988, p.139). The present study focuses on the concept of fatigue design implemented in columns under cyclic wave loading. Literature Review: Kiyomia et al (1988, pp.139-140) in their studies had discussed about the determination of the conditions of waves for fatigue designs. According to them the waves of sea are an assortment of numerous sinusoidal waves reflecting different periods of time and amplitudes. Moreover, the conditions of the wave vary based on the site of the construction. The conditions of the waves at every location need to be estimated and assessed by statistical procedures by means of wave records. â€Å"The relationships between the numbers of waves and the wave heights are needed to determine the fatigue limit state according to the service life of the facility when using Miner's rule for calculating the fatigu e strength of the joints. To estimate the serviceability of the joints, the wave conditions, expressed as the number of waves and wave heights over a period of 1 month to 1 year, are needed†. A study considered by International Maritime Organization discussed that the likelihood of damages to fatigue designs owing to cyclic wave loading need to be taken concern of in the â€Å"design of self-elevating and column-stabilized units† (International Maritime Organization, 1990, p.72). Such analyses of the fatigue designs are required to be conducted with the studies based on the intended mode and the operations involved in the designs of the units. Also, the analysis needs to consider the life of the intended design and the convenience of individual structural

Behavioral Theory With Reference To Coca Cola Company Business Essay

Behavioral Theory With Reference To Coca Cola Company Business Essay Leadership theories are widely spread around us with their roots emerging from different practical examples and real time implications from numerous organizations. The basic aim for the evaluation of leadership theories is to provoke an environment of successful management and maintain the smooth running of the management with management and leadership qualities. Following leadership theories are quoted from Coca Cola Company, how the company has gained such phenomenal success and a word from CEO. Coca cola Company mainly sees these theories to build the leadership qualities among their employees. Behavioral Theory With Reference To Coca Cola Company: The developers of behavioral theory suggest that leaders can be made, they are not always born. They believe in the fact that leadership qualities can be learned over a period of time and they are not merely innate traits but they are successful behaviors of describable and explainable actions present in the behavior itself. These actions are easier to be learnt rather than adopting numerous different traits. CEO of Coca Cola Company persuades and ensures that the employees are given a chance to learn and develop leadership skills monitoring the improvement from time to time followed by selecting those employees who possess successful leadership skills. Developing a behavioral theory is comparatively easier assessing leaders and leadership success actions. Here CEO can recognize behavior use which raises to failure there it added a second layer of understanding. Trait Theory With Reference To Coca Cola Company: Trait theory suggests that successful leadership is an amalgamation of traits that defines leadership skills and qualities. Companies like coca cola assess the employees on psychological traits focusing on unique qualities. CEO of Coca Cola Company evaluates the employees on the basis of their behaviors and work structures. Trait theory suggests the possession of the following qualities and skills confirms successful goal leaders and Coca Cola Company focuses on retention of them. Qualities Skills Assertive Willing to assume responsibility Energetic Tolerant of stress Assertive Cooperative Adaptable to situation Persistent Desire to influence others Alert to social environment Achievement oriented and ambitious Decisive Persuasive Organized Fluent in speaking Conceptually skilled Diplomatic and tactful Creative Clever Knowledgeable about group work The above list of qualities and skills are essential in achieving organizational goals and serve as an inherent part of a good leader. Participative Leadership Theory: This theory aims at developing an understanding to decision making in different scenarios. The theory suggests that people working in teams must be more collaborative and less competitive. Team based decision making is better and more committed than individual persons. Coca Cola Company uses this theory and focuses on the development of teams for more focused and cooperative decision making rather than being alone. Leaders are selected for individual teams based on qualities as commitment, collaboration, cooperation, motivation friendly behavior etc. different programs are arranged so that the team member can participate and develop those leadership traits. Coca Cola Company effectively inculcates this process. Leadership Theories Development of Leadership Impact Of Managerial Styles On Organizational Effectiveness At Nestle: Democratic and Decentralized Management: This dynamic world is a constant threat to leaders bringing challenges and even opportunities. To achieve organizational effectiveness Nestle has thereby gained insight to developing and ensuring Democratic and Decentralized Management Style pursuing decision making. Nestle delegates the authority of decision making sharing it among the workforce whereby maintain team leaders to adhere to single coherent direction. The team members are all converged to individual participatory roles for full involvement pertaining to organizational effectiveness. It also believes in sharing of vision and goals and participation of all employees to gain operational speed, removing organizational barriers, leveraging strength of people, and focusing on organizational effectiveness. Nestle supports and employs the idea of minimal levels of management so that the information can be flown through all the levels and there is no communication gap pursuing organizational effectiveness. The idea of minimum spans of control and flexible authority and flatter organizations enable people development and also focusing on fulfilling of targets and goals. Nestle focuses on direct personal commitment and encouragement therefore decentralized management style is the best suited for this organization whilst seeking organizational effectiveness when all the employees will feel themselves a part of the organization and work in correspondence to that. All the above mentioned goals cannot be achieved and organizational effectiveness cannot be in full bloom if applied another management style known as Autocratic, which does not allow the information to be shared among workforce and discourages employees involvement in decision making and gives off a centralized organizational structure not suited to Nestle at this stage. http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/Documents/Library/Documents/People/Management-Leadership-Principles-EN.pdf Motivational Theory Impacting Employee Motivation: Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs: Motivation is defined as a driving force initiating a particular behavior in response to drive (external/ internal cues). A motivated employee is significant to organizational success. They make your organization lucrative and are highly productive and essential to different organizational working conditions. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory focuses on the employees internal needs that must be full filled at every level prior going to the next level to motivate their behavior. Considering five basic needs of Maslow involves the fulfillment of these needs along the pyramid as follows: Physiological needs: reflect the basic needs to be fulfilled in the first place which includes food, water, clothing, shelter etc Safety needs: are actually the security needs including medical treatment, adequate wages to support family, better household and the like. Belongingness needs: include the fulfillment of needs of social relationships, maintaining social circles of friends and social networks, being essential part of communities, an active member of society etc Esteem needs: encircle the aspiration for realization, ability, status, and acknowledgment. Self actualization needs: include the upbringing of yourself seeking new opportunities and looking for greater chances of growth in you. If the organization is fulfilling these needs, the employee is motivated and works in order to retain organizational success, development and growth. Example: This motivational theory is found to be in common practice by almost all the firms around the world today including IBM, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Nestle, and General Motors etc ascertaining to employee motivation and morale. http://hotelmule.com/management/html/07/n-2107-5.html Motivating Employees in a Startup Venture from Nataraj Pangal Theories Relating To Work Relationships and Interaction: As the organization continues to grow and expand globally, the evolving work relationships are placed continuously on a broader spectrum. This evolution put forth a challenge to management theory by continually changing the assumptions under which organizations are doing their work. Following theories are focused on work relationships among employees in an organization: Personal Flexibility and Adaptability: This approach is based on the removal of Inter-personal conflicts with its viewpoint to keep the group members appropriate likelihood to develop their own individual comfort zones as being essential part of the group. One way to remove and root out the interpersonal conflicts among the group members is through Mediation approach. http://jethrolmi.com/admin/uploads/attachment-35-J-0031.pdf Systems perspective approach of work interrelationships: This approach delivers the idea that communication is the binding stone as a result of which different systems and subsystems are retained by an organization. Positive synergy: Groups are considered to be more inclined towards performing faster and better when seen in a shared way rather than their individual output expectations. Positive synergy is useful in order to achieve more from the group performance as a whole. Interdependence: Interdependence reveals the fact that all the employees are dependent on each other. The output of one department and employees become the input for other department and employees, if a ball is dropped by one, the group as a whole is likely to meet failure and goals would not be achieved. Homeostasis: Homeostasis refers to the natural tendency of balance, synergy, coordination and equilibrium, maintained among homogenous or heterogeneous groups and teams of employees. Moreover it is also referred to as the propensity for a given system to continue to maintain its stability in the time of change. Politeness Theory: Politeness theory (PT) was developed by Brown and Levinson hence explaining the fact how interactions are maintained and delivered among participants (employees) by using politeness strategies. Based on Goffmans (1967) conception of individuality and face work, in the politeness theory by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) verified when, why, and how interpersonal communication is raised through, or in the absence of, politeness. http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4984_Dainton_Chapter_3.pdf Characteristics of Different Organization Structures: Organizations are established based on various goals that need to be accomplished over the period of its life, and these functional/ operational goals are achieved by synchronizing the efforts of employees and various other participants of the organization according to the following organizational structures. Functional Structure Functional structure is the division of work force and work processes into separate respective departments. The different departments such as sales force, marketing, finance, research and development departments etc have their own functional perspectives pouring a single coherent outcome. Divisional Structure Divisional structure is used where larger organizations are taken into account, and when the larger organization is divided into different divisions and sub areas. For example, the now-defunct Nestle Company is organized into divisions for each geographic area to handle specific needs. Matrix Matrix structure is an amalgam of divisional and functional structure. Organizations like Nestle a large multinational company, the matrix structure allows for the benefits of functional and divisional structures to exist in one organization. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/different-types-organizational-structure-723.html Culture and Structure of Nestle and its Impact On Organizational Effectiveness: Organizational Structure Of Nestle: Nestle is a worldwide dairy and beverages organization tremendously successful across the world. Nestle exhibits a decentralized organizational structure minimizing the span of control and reducing the levels of management. Decentralized Organization: Organizational effectiveness is a function of organizational culture and its structure depending upon the operations it performs. Nestle is a decentralized organization and it contributes to the success and growth of this organization. Nestle allows its employees equal opportunity to enjoy and sustain a high level of autonomy. This gives them enough courage, sense of responsibility and motivation to perform their jobs fulfilling their job responsibilities. Major changes and the strategic decisions are executed and planned at the headquarters level but the daily routine based activities are handled by the employees. The subordinates are allowed to concentrate, derive and implement daily operations. The responsibility of taking operating decisions is pushed down to strategic business units. The employees enjoy a high degree of autonomy with regard to decisions involving pricing, distribution, marketing, human resources, and so on. SBU or regional managers are not allowed to make operational or strategic decisions on anything except for exceptional situations. Nestle follows a traditional top down hierarchical structure of command. The companys executive body is the Board of Directors. Leading the company is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Nestlà © therefore allows the unchanged person to hold both the positions. Organizational Culture Of Nestle: The culture of Nestle comprises of the distinctive behavior patterns and values that makes up the organization differing them from the rest. A simple and quick assessment of the organizational culture can be made by interacting with the people working in the organization and by exploring how people interact with each other and perform their jobs. A number of aspects of Nestlà ©s values and hence working practices relate to interpersonal relationships among employees, nestle believes in maintaining fair and unbiased relations without any disconcert of race, age, gender and other diverse cultures. All the employees are encouraged to embrace the Nestlà © way of working and interacting with fellow employees and subordinates. Nestlà © aims to maintain fair, sincere, direct, and caring work environment for people making up the organization. Nestlà © has therefore successfully developed a fair and unbiased set of values and principles enabling the employees to get maximum fair and honest treatment. These values and principles clinch the involvement and participation of diverse cultures, respecting them and developing long term relationships with all of its suppliers and customers. These values play a major role in building the organizational culture. The culture of an organization will alter and shift over time, both in response to changes in the external environment as well as to internal pressures within the organization. Nestlà © Lesson Plan from The Times 100 website: www.tt100.biz Case Study: Nestles Growth Strategy http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/261835.html Taking the present merger into account the new organization thus formed needs to be restructured on various grounds. I have thereby stated few dimensions that need to be discussed for employee effectiveness in the new organization: Meeting Notes: Organizations can facilitate information and creativity through effective communication and effective HRM. Creativity is at the heart of all organizations and recently has gained a principal focus. For example IBM focuses in innovative engineering and its success and growth depends on creativity in field of technology and newer unique outputs. While recruiting, strategic HRM is concerned with selecting those individuals who continues to elicit high level of creativity in their work, skills and abilities, who knows how to respond to various solutions in unique ways, and undergoing different problem handling parameters. As IBM has reported that one of the greatest achievement for any organization to have leadership competence is through Creativity http://www.cersi.it/itais2009/pdf/TR_3/itais2009_submission_25.pdf http://executivenewswire.com/2011/02/how-can-creativity-and-innovation-be-facilitated-within-a-company-by-emmanouel-perakis/ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585192.2012.690567 The importance of learning in organizations has been raised to a point that enables the employees to learn from their mistakes and a new organization that is undergoing restructuring after merger must take into account this parameter for performance. Hero merged with Honda Company in India and went into restructuring of organization leading to organizational learning, to help make the new management learn a blend of new and existing organizational operational styles. Organizational learning brings continuous improvement to employees performance and thereby facilitation organizational success, survival and growth. According to the book The Fifth Discipline  by Senge, explains his point of view as The ability to learn faster than your competition may be the only sustainable advantage for your organization in the long run. Moreover Learning organizations helps in generating and practicing new knowledge. This ability enables companies to stay ahead of change and the competition. http://www.leadershipandorganizationalculture.com/2012/04/importance-of-learning-in-organizations.html Effectiveness of Team Learning: Traditional learning had been the practice of the past when the peer team leader primarily acts as a disseminator of information responsible for ensuring learning, solely. On the other hand, team learning means to empower the team members giving them the opportunity to think, plan and act, enhancing their abilities to perform. According to the researches by various institutes including Stanford University and University of Michigan etc, team based learning is an important evaluator for effectiveness of employees (team members). Sharing of information among team members and flexibility to perform and cooperate within teams is essential to the completion of any task on a regular basis. Through team learning, members freely and easily recognize their shared and individual roles and responsibilities in an effective way. Team Learning Effectiveness is a proven and practical diagnostic tool for assessing team effectiveness and improving work group performance in any organization especially for a new restructured one like this. http://teaching.uncc.edu/articles-books/best-practice-articles/instructional-methods/building-learning-teams http://www.reliablesurveys.com/teameffectiveness.html Approaches To Organizational Decision Making: Valuable information is the building block to organizational decision making. Many firms such as Mckinsey and Co. provide consultation on how firms use the appropriate data. Organizations have preordaining access to large amounts of data, including consumers, economic concerns, employees, stakeholders, financial figures, competitors etc in raw and unstructured format. An organizational setting like this binding into a merger recently needs to focus on evaluating the importance of data collected since past. In order to realize value and to help organizations become more sustainable in the longer term, it is crucial to improve the ways they measure and manage their performance. Such mountains of data make decision making difficult and vague. Therefore value data is extracted from the raw data known as information which is meaningful to the organization when updated, relevant, timely and accurate. Using different information systems and information technology tools make effective decision making. Tools such as Decision Support Systems and Management Support Systems etc are of critical value. http://www.auditcommission.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/AuditCommissionReports/NationalStudies/Cranfield_Information_use_review.pdf Approaches To Risk And Uncertainty In Decision Making: Different workshops are conducted enabling the participants to undergo decision making based on simulated situations. This enables them to perform well under actual circumstances. Workshops increase their level of performance and risk handling under uncertain conditions. In addition to this I also prefer the development of mitigation policies to be pursued under risky and uncertain circumstances while undergoing decision making. Integrated assessments can inform decision makers of the relationship between risk involving factors, adaptation potentials, and costs of emission reductions and the benefits of avoiding uncertain scenarios. These assessments have frameworks to deal with incomplete or imprecise data. As with Unilever and Procter and Gamble they estimate the demand and supply based on pre defined policies to handle the uncertain high or low demand times. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg3/en/tssts-ts-2-2-decision-making-risk.html Workshop on Risk Assessment and Safety Decision Making Under Uncertainty Evaluation of Effectiveness of Organizational Decisions: Organizations such as International Energy (a masked name) made critical mistakes in decision making incurring extra ordinarily high costs referred to as failure costs. Therefore successful organizations such as Wal-Mart employ a structured approach means establishing assumptions and procedures for the way we make decisions around here. There are five critical elements pursuing effective organizational decisions. The above diagram explains the systematic approach to organizational decision making including criteria, facts, alternatives, commitment, and closure. The main objective of decision making has high lightened that particular goal you want to accomplish in the long run through effective decision making, whereas having vague and incomplete goals leads to failure. Wal-Mart,an online retailer store focuses on goals and makes decisions accordingly. Companies like International Energy focuses on reliable and accurate use of facts when and where required. There is too much data but screening the necessary and vital valued data is an important step t effective organizational decision making. Gaining insight to application of alternatives is essential to making right choices while making critical and great decisions. Seeking for alternatives reinforce the need to examine more than one option and nearly always improves the quality of decision making as the CEO of International Energy reports. Companies like Dow Chemicals, Intel, and Wal-Mart etc embed decisions regarding business-unit strategy in contracts that detail the specific strategic decisions that have been made, the resources required to implement the strategy effectively, and the individuals who are accountable for delivering on the decisions. Moreover when the decision is not communicated,, responsibilities are established with their time frames implementation and a continuous feedback monitoring mechanism for performance, an effective decision will be of no use. Wal-Mart decided not to offer steep discounts during the holiday selling season. On Friday after Thanksgiving, competitors noticed Wal-Marts strategy and began trumpeting their own holiday discounts, sensing an opportunity to draw customers away from the retail giant. But Wal-Mart was closely monitoring results, and its executives figured out that the new scheme wasnt working well enough. They quickly reversed the decision and within days, every store in the Wal-Mart system had returned to the companys traditional practice of holiday discounting. http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/decision-insights-11-how-organizations-make-great-decisions.aspx Analysis of the Effective Management of Change in Organizations: Change management has always been a challenge to the organizations. The dynamic environment surrounding the organizations keeps on becoming uncertain and unpredictable. To manage the flow of events it the principle of change management must be of focal point. Moreover, for an organization undergoing a merger, the new management resulting from the combination of the two pre existing organizations, has to undergo challenging situations of change. This change is necessary as well provoking effective management styles. The change management is about maintaining a dynamic equilibrium within the environment you are operating. By diagnosing the situation which arises as the result of change management one can ensure that: The goals can be achieved as there is enough stability There must be operational continuity so that nothing would be distracted as the result of change The organization is adaptable to different situations and can manage the internal and external events as well as the change There is enough motivation so when the rite time comes the change can be adopted easily The management role is all about coping with the change so that the processes (internal as well as external) should only be minimally disrupted as accelerating change can increase the level of complexity and management problems. It can be a range of activities which can act as a trigger for change like old machinery is beyond repair , changes in legislations , changes in technology , merger and acquisition activity (as in our case) taking place as a consolidation in the banking sector , economic scenarios etc. according to Geliner and Earnst, 1996: The change will bring in Fresh challenges and tasks; this will largely offset the job security situation as more motivation can be gained http://www.mightystudents.com/essay/Managing.Change.Organizations.34325 Summary: The behavioral and traits theories are essential components for understanding the relationship of leadership styles and linking them with innate or learnt behaviors and/ or characteristics. The significance of participative leadership theory is through its implementation at various levels in every organization In addition to this, motivation at every level leads to success and growth promise on part of employees, fruitful for the organization. The different organization styles, structures and diverse cultures operate in large and small organizations. Their base is made stronger with the practice of such rules, policies, structures and cultures making them an inherent part of their organization and allowing new and existing employees to act in unison with them. Lastly the different modes of decision making and the risks in making decisions are also evaluated on experience and judgments based on knowledge and insight. The team based learning helps in better solutions to make the employees perform more collaboratively and less competitively. Conclusion: Lastly I have concluded through my vigorous analysis that leadership theories, motivation styles, organizational culture, structure and styles are most important for the proper functioning of an organization. The effectiveness of decision making factors are also very fruitful and their understanding of flow of information is significant to any organization whether big or small.

Autism :: Papers

Autism Autism or PPD (pervasive developmental disorder) is defined by the Columbia encyclopedia as a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the inability to relate to and perceive the environment in a realistic manner. The onset of the disorder is in infancy or early childhood, generally before the age of thirty months, and males are affected four times as often as females. Symptoms include impairment in social interaction, fixation on inanimate objects, inability to communicate normally, and resistance to changes in daily routine (Anthes, 1997). Characteristics of Autism Diagnosing Autism is based on four characteristics: difficulty with language, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, resistance to change and difficulty with social interaction. ?Other characteristics of autism may include: making the same repetitive motion for hours, repeating a sound or phrase, inability to hold a conversation, practicing unusual play patterns, and extreme sensitivity to sound and touch? (Riccio, 1999). Autistics can exhibit any combination of these characteristics in any degree. That is why autism is referred to as a ?spectrum? disorder, because at one end of the disorder a child may be inflicted with some symptoms, while at the opposite end a child may be inflicted with multiple symptoms with many areas in between. Children who display few symptoms may be characterized as ?mildly autistic?. Early signs of Autism may appear in the first months of life. Autistic infants tend to stray away from other people, avoiding touch and become limp or stiff when picked up or help. Autistic children don?t reach maturation as fast as normal children. A normal child will point to objects or smile when seeing their mother before the end of their first year, but children with autism develop this behavior much later. These symptoms may go on unnoticed by parents or doctors in infancy, but by the age of two to three it is clear that something is wrong. History of Autism In 1943, a man by the name of Leo Kanner formally identified autism; he labeled the disorder ?autistic disturbance of affective contact? (?Autism Web? n.d.). Autism was first described in America, officially, in 1980 with the publication of DSMIII (Tanguay, Robertson, Derrick, 1980). There was much confusion, both before and after Kanner's description, regarding the continuity of autism with schizophrenia and other then-recognized forms of psychosis (Lippcott/Williams & Wilkins, 1999). Kanner noticed that autistic infants had a reverse pattern typically observed in normal infants.

12 Angry Men: Emotion Essay

Emotions have significant role in the film 12 Angry Men when the jurors have to come to a decision about whether the boy is guilty or not. The different emotions shown by the jurors hinderstheir perspective and judgements on the case as well as towards the testimonies from the witnesses taken during the trial. Juror #3 was firm and determined that the boy was guilty. He had a powerful hatred towards teens in general after having past experiences with his own son. This makes him look past all the evidence built against the claim that he is guilty. For example, he refused to believe the doubt towards the testimony of the old man. As per the testimony the old man heard the boy yell â€Å"I’m gonna kill you† as well as heard a body hit the floor a split second later. After discussing in detail it comes into consideration that there could have been no way for the old man to hear anything as the el train would have been roaring past his window. As described by Juror #8 one is unable to hear their own thoughts with the unbearable noise of the el train. This clearly brings the old man’s testimony into doubt. Juror #3 is still persistent and stubborn to believe the truth that is being set in front of him solely because of his anger and hatred towards teens. See more:  Mark Twain’s Humorous Satire in Running for Governor Essay In contrast, Juror #2 is new to the juror and hence very happy and excited about the case. When he gets the opportunity to talk about the case, he is very open towards any argument that is being made. He thinks logically of every piece of evidence that was not bought in court and makes his decisions regarding that. Therefore with a very unprejudiced happy mind his ability to think logically and reasonably about the case comes into practice. This is how different jurors come to different conclusions through their emotions in the movie 12 Angry Men.

ICT System Specifications

For my database to run efficiently, the luxury car dealership needs a computer with certain specifications in order to run the certain software. I have researched the necessary system requirements for the software I use to create and run databases. These programmes include the operating system (the OS) and the program I use to create the actual databases. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate * 1Ghz 32-bit or 64-bit processor * 1GB of system memory * Direct X 10 * 128Mb Graphics Card * 40GB HDD with 15GB of free space * DVD-ROM Drive * Audio Output Capability * Internet Access Capability * Keyboard and Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 * 500-MHz or faster processor * 256Mb of RAM or greater * 2GB of Hard Drive Space * DVD Disc Drive * Windows Vista, Windows XP Home, Professional or Media Centre Edition with Service Pack 2 * Super VGA (800Ãâ€"600) Monitor or greater * Broadband Connection * Programmes included are the 2007 versions of: Microsoft Access, Communicator, Excel, InfoPath, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher and Word. Microsoft Office includes all of the necessary programs for the car dealership's database including Microsoft Access to create it and Microsoft Word for the mail merge. It is quite expensive but it is compatible with all documents and is a quality product, used by many businesses every day. I myself use these Microsoft Office programs so it is easier for me to create the database. As well as Microsoft Office, there is also another type of software currently found on the internet and as a free download. The program is called â€Å"Star Office†. This is available for free from a website: www.sun.com, where you can download the program for free. The program can be linked with Microsoft Office, as there is a word processor (Microsoft Word), spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel), presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint), E-Mail Client (Microsoft Outlook) and Databases (Microsoft Access). The system specifications of â€Å"Star Office† are: * 320Mb of Hard Drive Space * 128Mb of RAM * Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition/Professional/Media Center Edition 2005 with Service Pack 2 * For Download from the Internet – Broadband Connection * For Installation by Disc – DVD Disc Drive The advantages of using Star Office are that it is free from their website, it includes most of the functions from Microsoft Office and it does not take up a lot of space on the Hard Drive or RAM. The fact that the software is free is that is it not as good as Microsoft Office because it cannot open all the documents, which could be difficult for the dealership if they create a document on Microsoft Office (say from their home) and when they try to upload it onto the computer at work, it might not be able to open. I decided to choose the Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 for the company because it is a quality product and it is compatible with all documents. It is also the top of the range version with all of the necessary programs for the dealership, unlike Star Office. It is also much easier to use for both new and existing users of the dealership. However, it is quite expensive but the overall cost is less than using Star Office. The computer's operating system is also made by Microsoft, which is a genuine company and are also the company who make Microsoft Office, so they are compatible. The company users may also have used Microsoft Office before so it would be familiar to them. The company have also asked me to purchase new computers that will benefit them. I have looked at several computer websites and tried to find a computer with at least the exact specifications shown above for Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007. As I have been with the knowledge of computers for a long time, I know which computer manufacturers to trust. I looked at several online stores including PC World, Currys Digital and Sony Centre Online and I have found two PC's that meets my needs and the company itself. I chose Sony as the computer manufacturer as they are very reliable, they build quality computers and they have a superb repair service if the computer crashes. I have found this laptop on Sony's website that suited the company and me: Sony Vaio AR Series with Blu-Ray Disc Drive Specifications * Intel(r) Core(tm) Duo Processor T2500, Supports Enhanced Intel SpeedStep(r) Technology * Microsoft(r) Windows(r) Vista Ultimate * 1920 x 1200 Display * 1024Mb of RAM * Blu-Ray Super Multi Double Layer DVDà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½RW/BD-RE drive * NVIDIA(r) GeForce(tm) Go 7600 GT with 256MB dedicated Video Memory * 802.11a/b/g Wireless Receiver * HDD (Hard Drive Disc) 160Gb This laptop costs à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2000 from Sony's website or from Sony's store. This might seem quite expensive yet it has all the necessary specifications and more. The RAM (Random Access Memory) is very large – 1024Mb. This means that they can load up a lot of programs at once without any lag time. This will benefit the company as they will be able to open many programs at once e.g. opening the database and Microsoft Word at the same time and they would not have to close a program down to open another. It also has Windows Vista Ultimate. This will benefit the company because most of the users would have used a Microsoft operating system before so all of their documents are compatible and they know how to use Microsoft Windows without any training. It also has a DVD Disc Drive, which means they are able to write and re-write DVD's. There is also a Blu-Ray Disc Drive. The Blu-Ray discs can hold up to 60 GB of data and it is re-writeable. This means that the company can save documents and files on several large discs and is able to re-write any disc placed in it (as long as the disc is re-writeable). This means that they can back-up all of their documents and files onto the disc so that if their laptop crashes, the documents will not be deleted. The laptop is ideal for the company because it is portable, so the manager can load the specifications of the car and show the customers the specifications next to the car, rather than looking at the car then looking at the specifications. The hard drive is also very large – 160 GB – which can easily store all the necessary programs and more programs if the company wish to install more programs. The laptop also has a wireless card built-in which means that if the company has a wireless router, they can access the internet wirelessly. This means that they can carry the laptop anywhere and have a wireless connection. They can show the customers the car manufacturer's website when they are looking at that particular car so that they can see what the specifications are and what the price would be when bought new from the cars dealership. Finally, the laptop has a large screen, which means that there will be no difficulty looking at the screen and not being able to see what is on there. The screen is also backlit so if the room is dark, you can see the screen more clearly and easily. The backlit screen is brighter when plugged into the mains but darker when portable in order to save battery life. The other computer I was looking at was another Sony desktop computer: Sony Vaio VGC Series (Black) * Intel(r) Pentium(r) D Processor 820 (2.80 GHz and 800 MHz FSB) * Genuine Microsoft(r) Windows(r) Vista Ultimate * 250 GB SATA hard disk drive * 1 GB (2 x 512 MB) DDR2-533 SDRAM, maximum 1 GB * 20†³ WXGA (1366 x 768) widescreen X-black LCD screen with double lamp technology * ATI Mobility(tm) Radeon(r) X700 graphics card with 256 MB HyperMemory(tm) * Wireless LAN 802.11b/g * Wireless QWERTY keyboard with pointing device (touch pad type), wireless optical mouse and remote control Between the Sony laptop and the desktop, I have chosen the desktop as the company's new computer. The reasons why I chose the desktop are that the desktop is very slim, similar to the laptop. Also, the desktop's power is from the mains, not from a battery pack which the laptop has and needs recharging every two hours or so. The desktop has a wider screen than the laptop, making it easier to see. The screen is also backlit, similar to the laptop but it is always bright. However, with the laptop, when portable, the screen is dark and not backlit. The desktop has all the necessary requirements and features the company need. The desktop specifications are much better than those of the laptop. Firstly, it has a 250GB hard drive disc, the laptop has 160GB. The desktop also has a 1024Mb which is equal to the laptop. The desktop is bundled with a wireless card so at the company can connect to the internet wirelessly without any Ethernet cables. The laptop has a wireless card yet it uses a lot of the laptops battery life and significantly reduces it to one hour's battery life when connected wirelessly. Finally, the desktop is bundled with a wireless keyboard (useful for typing on desks or when standing), a remote control (to control presentations such as slide shows and picture galleries) and a wireless optical mouse (useful when working on a desk). The most important reason why I chose this desktop was that it was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500 cheaper than the laptop – the desktop costs à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1500. I thought that the selling price was quite good considering that when you buy the desktop; you have higher specifications than the laptop which costs an extra à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500, which has poorer specifications. I chose the computer manufacturer Sony because they make high quality computers with excellent specifications, reliability and at a reasonable price. An alternative to using Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate is using Apple's OS X Tiger 10.4. This is very similar to Windows yet it uses different programs, so the same applications are not cross compatible, so the company's employees would not be able to view documents made on a Macintosh on a Windows PC. I did not choose Mac OS X because the employees and I have no training in using this software. Also, the Mac is more graphically advanced than Windows, yet this is unnecessary because the computer is only needed for running a database and does not have to have a lot of graphical power. Finally, Mac OS X is much more expensive as it includes all the software made by Apple. Most of the software is unnecessary for the dealership so purchasing a Windows Vista PC is more beneficial as the user can choose what programs you wish to purchase. Printers There are two types of printers available to purchase; inkjet and laser. I decided to choose one suitable inkjet printer and one laser printer for the dealership and then work out which would be the best to purchase. I decided to choose â€Å"Lexmark† as the printers manufacturer because they are very reliable, efficient, cheap and a well known brand. I myself have a Lexmark printer and I recommend their printers to all of my customers. Lexmark Z845 * Inkjet Printer * USB Connection * 100 paper tray * 24 pages per minute in black * 18 pages per minute in colour * Windows and Mac compatible * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 This printer is very cheap – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50. This is beneficial for the user and the dealership because it would save them quite a lot of money on a laser printer, like the one below. It also prints both colour and black ink so the user can print out documents such as reports as well as print out photos of the cars if he wishes to. The printer can also hold a lot of paper before it has to be refilled which is good because the user could ask the computer to print 100 pages and would be able to leave the printer printing for a long time. However, this printer is inkjet so it takes a lot longer to print both colour and black ink pages than a laser printer which could be annoying and time consuming for the user as he may have to print out the documents as quickly as possible for a customer waiting. The ink also runs out very quickly, which means that the user would have to purchase more and more cartridges. These are also very expensive, which is not beneficial for the company. Lexmark E120N * Laser Printer * USB Connection * 165 paper tray * 20 pages per minute in black * Windows only compatible * à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½80 The alternative to the inkjet printer is this laser one. It holds 165 pages until it has to be refilled – 65 more than the inkjet printer. This means that the user is able to leave the printer for a long time to print out documents until he has to refill the paper. It also prints 20 pages per minute in black which is quite a lot. This means that the user can print off reports very quickly, saving the user time and effort. The toner is also very long lasting and is quick and cheap to change – unlike the inkjets cartridges. This will save the user time and money when the toner has run out. However, this printer only prints in black so the user would not be able to print any colour documents or photos from the printer. It is also more expensive – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 more than the inkjet printer which is not beneficial for the company. I decided to purchase the Lexmark E120N for the company. Firstly, it is laser so it is able to print a lot of black pages very quickly and efficiently, saving the user time and money replacing the cartridges of the printer as the toner is much cheaper. Also, the printer holds more paper than the other one so the user does not have to keep refilling the paper tray as often as using the laser printer. Unfortunately, the printer only prints black pages. However, the company would not need to print out anything in colour as it only needs to print out reports, so buying an inkjet printer would be inadequate. Also, the printer is more expensive but by saving money from buying toner rather than inkjet cartridges, the money is effectively paid back from the saved money. Internet I also decided that the company should purchase a broadband connection for many reasons. Firstly, if the company were to expand in the future, they would be able to communicate with the other dealerships across the region, saving time and money spent on making phone calls to the other dealerships for information. Looking at the software requirements of Windows Vista Ultimate, the company needs to have an internet connection so that they can register their computer and OS with Sony and Microsoft to prevent any illegal copies of it being made. The internet connection also benefits the company as they would be able to update vital downloads on their computers. The internet may also benefit the company because they would be able to compare their prices with other companies who rent luxury cars, so that they know if they are over or under charging for their rentals, benefiting the company and the customers themselves. Also, the company is able to download new information from the car manufacturer's website including new cars and new details. They could also purchase new or used cars from the manufacturers directly through the internet. I recommend to the company that they purchase a fast internet connection of 8Mbps. This would benefit the company and the user because they would be able to download updates from Microsoft very quickly and efficiently, they would be able to access website quickly saving a lot of time for the user, they would be able to surf the web and download items at the same time and it would be future proof for the company so that they would not have to upgrade their internet speed for a long time. However, if the company purchase an internet connection, they would have to purchase some software to protect it against viruses and spy ware. A program they should purchase is Norton Anti-Virus 2007. This can be purchased via the internet or as a software package. This would provide protection for the company's computer against viruses such as â€Å"Trojan Horse† and spy ware which allows other computers to access information and document from your PC, effectively ruining your privacy. If the computer was attacked by one of the 114,000 viruses on the internet, the computer's data could become corrupted and any valuable data could be lost. By purchasing this software, this will prevent any damage happening to the company's computer.

Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur

Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur Too Much French Vocabulary Is the Haute of Hauteur By Mark Nichol Thanks to the longstanding political and social influence of France on what is now the United Kingdom, French and its dialects have had a significant impact on the English language. Linguists estimate that nearly one-third of English words are derived from French, and though some are more efficient or evocative in meaning than words that evolved from Old English, terms that ostentatiously signal their place of origin should be used in moderation. Many words we take for granted stem from French, among them some of the terms most closely associated with the United States, such as equality, justice, and liberty. However, Gallicisms, expressions and idioms clearly identifiable as French (though they often have become naturalized citizens in English), are also numerous. For example, many speakers of American English use one or more phrases beginning with the French word for good: â€Å"bon appetit† (literally â€Å"good appetite,† meaning â€Å"enjoy your meal†), â€Å"bon mot† (literally â€Å"good piece,† meaning â€Å"witty remark†), â€Å"bon vivant† (literally â€Å"good liver,† meaning â€Å"one who lives well†), and â€Å"bon voyage† (literally, â€Å"good journey,† meaning â€Å"enjoy your trip†). The first and last are universally familiar, but â€Å"bon mot† and â€Å"bon vivant† are less widely known. And although most well-educated people understand what a coup de grace is, it would be considered pretentious to write of a coup de foudre (literally, â€Å"strike of thunder,† meaning â€Å"love at first sight†), a coup de maitre (literally, â€Å"stroke of the master,† meaning â€Å"masterstroke†), a coup de theatre (literally, â€Å"stroke of theater,† meaning â€Å"dramatic turn of events†), or a coup d’oeil (literally, â€Å"strike of the eye,† meaning â€Å"glance†). Likewise, many other French terms may be at best vaguely familiar to readers, and though readers may not mind going to the dictionary once or twice, writers should be cautious about annoying them by lacing their work with too many words or phrases such as habituà © (â€Å"one who frequents a place†), â€Å"idà ©e fixe† (â€Å"obsession†), louche (â€Å"questionable, or arousing suspicion†), and manque (â€Å"failure†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before Words8 Writing Tips for Beginners5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Juggling Online Classes and Work

Juggling Online Classes and Work Almost 20 million students are enrolled in college, according to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics. Close to 2.5 million college students are enrolled in distance learning programs, and the vast majority of them are working adults. Staying abreast of academic requirements is a job in itself, but for students trying to balance a job while pursuing a college degree, it’s a Herculean task. Fortunately, with some planning and discipline, there are ways to successfully juggle both school and work.   Dr. Beverly Magda is the associate provost for strategic partnerships at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Harrisburg, PA, and has over 15 years of experience in higher education with a focus on non-traditional, adult learners, continuing education, and online education. She believes that there are three keys to achieving success while working and taking online classes. Change Your Mindset One advantage of distance learning is the lack of time spent commuting to a college campus. Also, students can usually view classes at their convenience. As a result, there is a tendency to view this type of learning as easier, and this mentality can set students up for failure if they take a lackadaisical approach to their studies. â€Å"Students must set aside time weekly, if not a few minutes daily, to dedicate to the online courses,† Magda tells ThoughtCo, adding that online courses – whether core requirements or not - entail more time than most people realize. â€Å"Students think online courses will be easier, but once they get into them, they realize the courses take more work and concentration.† Its a sentiment shared by Dr. Terry DiPaolo, executive dean for online instructional services for the LeCroy Center for Educational Telecommunications at Dallas County Community College District. First, study of any kind isnt easy - it requires a great deal of time, commitment and perseverance, DiPaolo explains.  Ã‚   In some ways, studying online can be harder for some students - feeling isolated from instructors and feeling like they dont get a chance to really to get to know others students is something online students commonly report. Organize/Get a Head Start Staying on top of assignments is critical, and getting ahead can provide a cushion if something unexpected arises (such as contracting a 3-day virus or a temporary increase in work demands). Magda recommends that students start thinking of ways to get ahead. â€Å"As soon as you sign up for the course, read the syllabus and think about what work you can do ahead of time and do it.† Dawn Spaar also works at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Spaar is the director of adult and professional studies, and she tells ThoughtCo that students need to organize and prioritize their academic work. â€Å"Decide what needs to be done today versus next week instead of procrastinating or cramming at the last minute.† Some assignments may include group projects. â€Å"Coordinate early with classmates for group work and/or to get together to finalize an assignment,† Spaar recommends. Creating an effective calendar system will also help students hone their study habits during this juggling act. â€Å"Organize and plan- plan your semester on a calendar that incorporates due dates for projects at work, travel, your childs events, and other events.† Manage Your Time There are 24 hours in a day, and there’s nothing you can do to add more hours. However, as performance coach Michael Altshuler says, â€Å"The bad news is time flies; the good news is youre the pilot.† Managing your time and honing your study habits may be the most difficult part of the juggling online classes and working. â€Å"First, make a plan for the times and places you can complete school work with no or minimal interruptions,† Spaar advises. â€Å"For example, you may find it best to study late at night or early in the morning when the kids are asleep.† Also, Spaar says don’t be afraid to ask your family for some alone time.   While it’s important to stick to your schedule, that’s easier said than done. â€Å"You can be sure that something will tempt you away, but be firm and stick with plan,† according to Spaar. And if you get off track, be willing to make the necessary adjustments. â€Å"Eliminate a favorite TV show and catch it later, and put off the laundry for another day,† she says. The good news is that you don’t need large chunks of time. For example, Spaar recommends finding a quiet place at work to study during lunch breaks. In fact, Dan Marano, director of User Experience at Cengage, tells ThoughtCo that students can study in 15-minute spurts. â€Å"You don’t need to have marathon cram sessions or pull all-nighters to get school work done,† he says. â€Å"Make the most of your commute on public transportation and time spent waiting in line to fit in readings and quick reviews of your course materials.† And Marano advises students to take advantage of the various tools that may be available through online programs. â€Å"For example, many digital course materials come with free mobile apps that make catching up on readings or studying in short bursts easy and convenient on your mobile device, no matter where you are.† Marano warns against underestimating the impact of these short intervals of time – and he says they help students to avoid getting burned out.   The final step in time management may sound contradictory, but you need to schedule breaks. Marano explains, â€Å"Make the most of your free time by planning a fun or relaxing activity ahead of time so you feel less inclined to take unnecessary breaks.† Several studies have shown that taking breaks can boost productivity levels. By effectively managing your free-time and scheduling designated breaks from schoolwork, you can avoid procrastinating and actually increase your productivity level and also spur creativity.

Barbara Jordan - Biography and Career Profile

Barbara Jordan - Biography and Career Profile Barbara Jordan grew up in Houstons black ghetto, attended segregated public schools, and an all-black college, where she graduated magna cum laude. She was involved in debate and oratory, winning a number of awards. Known for: role in Watergate hearings; keynotes at 1976 and 1992 Democratic National Conventions; first Southern African American woman elected to Congress; second Southern African American elected to Congress after the end of Reconstruction; first African American woman in the Texas legislatureOccupation: lawyer, politician, teacher:Texas Senate 1967-1973, U.S. House of Representatives 1973-1979; professor of political ethics at University of Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs; chair of U.S. Commission on Immigration ReformDates: February 21, 1936 - January 17, 1996Also known as: Barbara Charline Jordan Law Career Barbara Jordan chose law as a career because she believed she would then be able to have an impact on racial injustice. She wanted to attend Harvards law school but was advised that a black woman student from a Southern school would probably not be accepted. Barbara Jordan studied law at Boston University, saying later, I realized that the best training available in an all-black instant university was not equal to the best training one developed as a white university student. Separate was not equal; it just wasnt. No matter what kind of face you put on it or how many frills you attached to it, separate was not equal. I was doing sixteen years of remedial work in thinking. After earning her law degree in 1959, Barbara Jordan returned to Houston, starting a law practice from her parents home and also getting involved in the 1960 election as a volunteer. Lyndon B. Johnson became her political mentor. Elected to the Texas Senate After  unsuccessful tries at being elected to the Texas House, in 1966 Barbara Jordan became the first African American since Reconstruction in the Texas Senate, the first black woman in the Texas legislature. A Supreme Court decision and redistricting to enforce one man, one vote helped make her election possible. She was reelected to the Texas Senate in 1968. Elected to Congress In 1972, Barbara Jordan ran for national office, becoming the first black woman elected to Congress from the South, and, with Andrew Young, one of the first two African Americans elected since Reconstruction to the U.S. Congress from the South. While in Congress, Barbara Jordan came to national attention with her strong presence on the committee holding Watergate hearings, calling for the impeachment of President Nixon on July 25, 1974. She was also a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, worked for legislation against racial discrimination, and helped establish voting rights for non-English-speaking citizens. 1976 DNC Speech At the 1976 Democratic National Convention, Barbara Jordan gave a powerful and memorable keynote speech, the first African American woman to give a keynote to that body. Many thought she would be named a vice presidential nominee, and later a Supreme Court justice. After Congress In 1977 Barbara Jordan announced she would not run for another term in Congress, and became a professor, teaching government at the University of Texas. In 1994, Barbara Jordan served on the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. When Ann Richards was the governor of Texas, Barbara Jordan was her ethics advisor. Barbara Jordan struggled for many years with leukemia and multiple sclerosis. She died in 1996, survived by her long-time companion, Nancy Earl. Background, Family: Father: Ben Jordan (Baptist minister, laborer)Mother: Arlyne (church activist) Education: Phillis Wheatley High School (1952)Texas Southern University (magna cum laude)Boston University (1959, law) Elections: 1960: volunteer for Lyndon B. Johnsons nomination1962: Texas House of Representatives (unsuccessful)1964: Texas House of Representatives (unsuccessful)1966: Texas Senate (successful)1972: U.S. House of Representatives (successful)1974, 1976: re-elected to U.S. House

What is grammar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What is grammar - Essay Example (Aitchison, 1993 p. 125) Respectively, grammar can be formal, notional, and functional. Formal grammar concentrates on the study of linguistic forms; it may apply formalized techniques of logic and mathematics. Notional, or semantic, grammar studies the meaning of linguistic patterns; it assumes the existence of extralinguistic categories in order to define grammatical units. Formal and notional grammars are competence grammars that center on the speaker’s knowledge of language (the rules the speaker must know to use the language properly). Competence grammar contrasts with functional grammar which studies the use of linguistic patterns in speech and writing. Competence grammars are primarily linguocentric; they study the language without its relation to the speakers and the situation of speech. Performance grammars are mostly anthropocentric; they consider the linguistic patterns used in speech and influenced by the characteristics of the speakers and the communicative situations. Lingocentric and anthropocentric grammars can be practical and theoretical. Practical, or normative, grammars are prescriptive; they attempt to establish rules for the correct use of language in society. The speakers of language use practical grammars as reference books. Theoretical grammars are descriptive; they provide a precise account of language in its actual usage. A theoretical grammar may go beyond the study of individual languages, in which case it uses linguistic data as a means of developing insights into the nature of language as such, and into the categories and processes needed for linguistic analysis. (Aitchison, 1993 p. 148) Theoretical grammars describing the linguistic patterns at a particular period of time are called synchronic grammars. Synchronic grammars comparing the systems of two or more languages are called comparative grammars. Along with synchronic grammars, there are diachronic, or historical, grammars that

Two Events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Two Events - Essay Example It acted as a wakeup call for USA to defend its citizens. The following paper looks at the above two events and how they have contributed to the current state of America. Attack on Pearl Harbor On 7th December 1941, the United States of America was intentionally and abruptly ambushed by the air and naval forces of the Japan Empire. The location of the bombing and sinking of American ships was the Pearl Harbor Naval and Army base in Oahu, Hawaii. The US eventually entered World War II due to this homeland assault (Takaki, 2008). I believe that the effects of Pearl Harbor were mostly positive for Americans. Even though the attack terrified the nation, it also united a nation that had been divided due to the war in Europe. After the attack, there were various drives launched such as scrapped iron drive, united paper drives and recycled items. These were used to make items vital for the war such as machine guns, flame throwers, binoculars, and hand grenades. Even the youngest were helpfu l as school children had coin drives in which they gathered coins to purchase war bonds to support the government (Dower, 2011). The second positive effect is that it assisted in ending the Great Depression which had started in 1929. It brought a great need for an industry that provides materials for war-times like ammunition, guns and uniforms for the troops. At the end of the war, citizens purchased all they could not during the war period. There was also a decrease in the rate of unemployment as ten million men and women joined the army while those left at home took jobs in factories. Another positive outcome was that as a resolution not to permit a repeat of World War II, the United Nations was born. The Senate that had declined to sanction the membership of America in the League of Nations following World War I, eventually irresistibly sanctioned US membership in the UN after World War II (Stone, & Kuznick, 2012). There however were some negative elements of the attack in that over 2000 citizens died and 21 ships were sank or damaged seriously. Japanese-American citizens were placed in relocation camps as a measure to ensure that there was no risk of a Japanese descendant acting as a spy for Japan (Takaki, 2008). They were forcefully evicted from their homes within 48 hours and lived in poor conditions. However, in 1988, congress gave a formal apology to the affected and gave the survivors compensations of $20,000 each (Stone, & Kuznick, 2012). After this gesture, America has now turned to be one of the most democratic nations in the world. Its citizens and government became more appreciative to human rights of foreigners and citizens. Conclusion It is clear that if we forget the past then we are bound to repeat its mistakes. The two attacks, even though devastating, shaped USA in their own capacities. They served to bring the nation together in times of crisis. We would not be the strong united superpower we are today without such occurrences. As a count ry, we should take precautionary measures in future and also arrest perpetrators of such attacks while still maintaining socially correct honor to the opinions and rights of mankind. It is right for us as a country to defend ourselves against future attacks but we should do so without destroying our civil rights and values as we do. References Didion, J. (2003). Fixed Ideas: America Since 9.11. New York: New York Review Books. Dower, J. W. (2011). Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor / Hiroshima / 9-11 /

Phase 2 Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Phase 2 Discussion Board - Assignment Example Those that deal with the maintenance of motor engines such as retail shops cannot be considered part of the automotive industry. Since the development and upgrade of motor engines started from as long as 1890s, significant development and changes in the past years. For instance, the production of motor engines for use has greatly increased since today, the world population has grown and there is the growing need by consumers to have vehicles. With the upgrade of vehicles, there have been developments that have been mainly concentrated on the safety side of the vehicles (Weygandt, Kieso & Kimmel, 2010).   They have been ranked stricter on follow-ups than ever before, ranging from weight to security and to resilience, when it comes to today’s vehicles. This has come with the cost of new materials that have brought out new and advanced techniques for the construction and designing of vehicles. Before there was the knowledge that plastic could make vehicles, the sole material us ed at the time was metal. With the introduction of plastics, there has been advancement in the technology used for making newer vehicles. With the new technologies, manufactures have been able to answer to rising demands for advancements. Plastics have the ability to make vehicles to appear wonderful and attracting. Again with the introduction of plastic in vehicles, it has been known that they use current technology to make enhance vehicles. Another new development has been the introduction of new spark plugs that have been noted to endure more miles than those currently present. With the introduction of the new spark plugs, there have been concerns on the usage and cost of the spark plugs. From the design, development, manufacture, marketing and selling of the plug, there are concerns about how to design a more reliable method of choosing between the Job Order Cost System and the ‘Process Costing System’ (Crosson & Needles, 2011).   Compare and contrast between the Job Order Cost System and the Process Costing System. The Job Order Cost System is a system that is used when products are made with the basis on specific customer orders. With this system, every product that is manufactured is considered as a job, thus costs are made depending on the number of jobs done. With the production of these products, another thing that is considered is the services. Services rendered are also considered as a job and count in the overall costs. The system is designed to take into account and track by job the costs which are incurred while producing each job (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2012).  This includes materials used, labor, and overhead that are present in the environment where the manufacture is taking place. When it comes to the process of ‘job order costing system’, ‘the record keeping’ and ‘cost assignment problems’ are complex in the system particularly when a company sells many different products and services compared to when it only has a single product or service. With the different products, the costs become different. Again, cost records must be maintained for each specific product or job. In order to track data for the jobs produced, there are certain documents that are used namely; 1. Job cost sheet: This is a document that is applied to track the total job cost summary detailing from the job number, job and client data and cost that involves materials,

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment Example For Wright, globalization brings some order in the world while for Kaplan it is a source of chaos but both agree that it is not a new phenomenon as traces of it can be found in history. Kaplan and Wright view globalization as a growth in interdependence among nations enhanced by commerce and improved technology. The expansion of commerce began in the prehistoric period driven by improvements in transport, roads, wheels and boats. These improvements were meant for facilitating wars but when there was no fighting, they were used to do deals (Wright). Even today, trade is enhanced by improved transport and communication making it accessible to cross boarders and trade with other nations. The building of ships, planes, trucks, and railway has connected many countries to the rest of world thereby enhancing globalization. According to Kaplan, the geographical location of a country is vital in determining its success in commerce. America has been able to rise in the global scene due to adva ncement in transport and its strategic position where it can connect to the rest of the world. It can connect to Europe through the Atlantic Ocean, Asia through Pacific Ocean and other countries through the Indian Ocean. It is thus able to exchange with those countries through its shipping lines. Information technology has also been attributed to the spread of Globalization. According to Wright it started in early days when writing was discovered in Mesopotamia as a way of keeping records. It was later used in the form of contracts that enhanced international trade. The discovery of print also accelerated globalization. In Wright’s words, it makes it cheap to transmit information thus giving power to the powerless groups. He gives an example of the rise of Protestantism from the Roman Catholic Church that was facilitated by the emergence of print media in the 15th century. People like Martin Luther used the print to their advantage to spread ideas and attract masses. Today, i nformation technology also helps to advance the terrorism ideals as people from all over the world watch news of terrorism activities through televisions, internet and other social media. The events of 9/11 attacks were broadcast all over the world and Osama bin Laden became a local name thus globalizing the world through media. Technology advancement has also resulted in development of nuclear weapons necessiting the governments to unite against such activities by forming a global security watch bodies. Globalization over time has led to both positive and negative consequences. According to Wright, globalization has led to expansion of governments thereby forming global governance. This is due to increasing interdependence among nations; what happens in one country affects other countries thus creating the need for a world body such as World Trade Organization to regulate commerce and trade. The United Nations is also a world body that ensures security among nations. America being a pertinent player in the global scene therefore has a duty to protect its interests and this makes it necessary for it to intervene in the affairs of other nations to ensure they are stable. This is due to the fact that if trading nations are unstable, then America will be affected due to interdependence. This explains America’s interest in ending Iraq war. Globalization also leads to growth of morality. According to Wri

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture Term Paper

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture - Term Paper Example The trial court used the three year statute of limitations to terminate the grievance on the grounds that the architect should have learnt the basis for its grievance and marched in to the courts much earlier than it had done. On petition, this ruling was overturned. The court established that there was no steadfast evidence hence convincing the trial judge to decide that the architect was on notification of the supposed copyright infringement preceding the passing of the legal period. Moreover , the court revised the AIA contract treaty and ruled that there were no grounds for establishing that the architect’s ideas were â€Å"work for hire† or that the development proprietor had any under contract founded copyright importance in the architect’s ideas. A closure agreement among the parties also considered the usage of the ideas and was a vital contemplation by the court. In Warren Freedenfeld Associates, Inc. v. McTigue et al., 531 F.3d 38 (1st Cir. 2008), a vet erinarian hired an architect to scheme the design of a veterinary hospital. The contractual agreement that was applied for this purpose was an AIA deed. Even though the court does not outline which specific AIA document was applied, it is probable that it was B 141 (1987) meanwhile the court refers to Article 6 as relating to tenure of documents. When it comes to architectural documents Copyright can be described as property that is founded on a person’s creative skill and labour. The copyright law was created to protect the original architect’s work from unauthorized use and to ensure the the originality of the creation is maintained at all times. Copyrights are physically intangible however they grant an unoriginal user the rights to copy or to publish the original work to facilitate communication to the public. Architectural copyrights are governed by certain Copyright acts. Architects who own Copyrights have exclusive economic rights that vary according to the diff erent types of works and other subject-matter protected by copyright. This differentiates the various forms of works which are normally protected by copyrights. For instance in the literary, dramatic or musical works category the rights granted to the creator may include the right to reproduce the work e.g. making recordings like films or albums. They might also be granted the right to publish their work and also the right to perform their work in public through concerts. In the case of artistic works the creator has the right to reproduce the work in material form or can communicate the work to the public via electronic forms. Besides the economic rights, there exists moral rights which apply to all works and are derived from the French droit moral which include the right to integrity of authorship, the right to attribution of authorship and the right against false attribution of authorship. Moral rights endure for the term of the copyright but it should be noted though, that an au thor's right of integrity of authorship in respect of a film is limited to the author's lifetime. Transmission of copyrights Copyright can be dealt with in the same way as other forms of personal property. It can be assigned, licensed, given away, sold, left by will, or passed on according to the laws relating to intestacy or bankruptcy. This does not apply to moral rights whic

Organizational Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Behavior - Assignment Example In the business world emotions can lead to bad decisions. A leadership theory that describes the action of the leader, Ron Hunter, is the transformational leadership model. Transformational leadership occurs when leaders broaden and elevate follower’s interest and stir followers to look beyond their own interest for the good of others (Schermerhorn & Osborn & Hunt, p.301). During the climax event of the movie which occurred when Ron took over the ship in order to stop Frank Ramsey from launching a nuclear missile Ron displayed transformational leadership. Ron was able to gain the trust and confidence of the crew who risk their careers by following Ron. The crew realized that Ron’s orders were more logical due to the fact that without a confirmation to launch the Alabama could initiate world war III. There were two characters that displayed power in the film. The two people that displayed power in the film were Frank Ramsey, Commanding Officer, and the Executive Officer Ron Hunter. Frank Ramsey due to his position had legitimate power. Legitimate power or formal authority exits when the leader has the right to tell others what to do and the employees are obligated to comply with the directives (Clark). Ron Hunter was able to gain the trust of the crew by the utilization of rational persuasion. The key conflict of the film occurred when Frank Ramsey wanted to launch a nuclear missile to Russia without receiving the confirmation he needed. The communications went down and Frank assumed that the order to launch was imminent. Ron could not in his right mind accept that decision due to the fact that the repercussions of the action were horrendous if the Alabama made the wrong decision. The conflict that occurred could be considered dysfunctional. The conflict passed through the four stages of conflict which are antecedent conditions, perceived conflict, manifest conflict, and felt conflict. The consequences of the conflict

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture Term Paper

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture - Term Paper Example The trial court used the three year statute of limitations to terminate the grievance on the grounds that the architect should have learnt the basis for its grievance and marched in to the courts much earlier than it had done. On petition, this ruling was overturned. The court established that there was no steadfast evidence hence convincing the trial judge to decide that the architect was on notification of the supposed copyright infringement preceding the passing of the legal period. Moreover , the court revised the AIA contract treaty and ruled that there were no grounds for establishing that the architect’s ideas were â€Å"work for hire† or that the development proprietor had any under contract founded copyright importance in the architect’s ideas. A closure agreement among the parties also considered the usage of the ideas and was a vital contemplation by the court. In Warren Freedenfeld Associates, Inc. v. McTigue et al., 531 F.3d 38 (1st Cir. 2008), a vet erinarian hired an architect to scheme the design of a veterinary hospital. The contractual agreement that was applied for this purpose was an AIA deed. Even though the court does not outline which specific AIA document was applied, it is probable that it was B 141 (1987) meanwhile the court refers to Article 6 as relating to tenure of documents. When it comes to architectural documents Copyright can be described as property that is founded on a person’s creative skill and labour. The copyright law was created to protect the original architect’s work from unauthorized use and to ensure the the originality of the creation is maintained at all times. Copyrights are physically intangible however they grant an unoriginal user the rights to copy or to publish the original work to facilitate communication to the public. Architectural copyrights are governed by certain Copyright acts. Architects who own Copyrights have exclusive economic rights that vary according to the diff erent types of works and other subject-matter protected by copyright. This differentiates the various forms of works which are normally protected by copyrights. For instance in the literary, dramatic or musical works category the rights granted to the creator may include the right to reproduce the work e.g. making recordings like films or albums. They might also be granted the right to publish their work and also the right to perform their work in public through concerts. In the case of artistic works the creator has the right to reproduce the work in material form or can communicate the work to the public via electronic forms. Besides the economic rights, there exists moral rights which apply to all works and are derived from the French droit moral which include the right to integrity of authorship, the right to attribution of authorship and the right against false attribution of authorship. Moral rights endure for the term of the copyright but it should be noted though, that an au thor's right of integrity of authorship in respect of a film is limited to the author's lifetime. Transmission of copyrights Copyright can be dealt with in the same way as other forms of personal property. It can be assigned, licensed, given away, sold, left by will, or passed on according to the laws relating to intestacy or bankruptcy. This does not apply to moral rights whic

Approaches of Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Approaches of Organizations - Research Paper Example The idea of invisible hand dictates that if all the individuals of the society would go on to pursue their own self-interests then not only they would achieve their own goals and objectives but at the same time, they will also satisfy the societal needs and expectations (Dyck & Neubert, 2008). Even if the company and its managers appear to be focusing on other variables such as environmental preservation, employee development, stakeholder management and others, that is only because they want to achieve the financial result which is the bottom line of the company. Much of the productivity and development that we witness today is actually a result of mainstream approach, which ruled the management and industrial scene for decades. On the other hand, multistream management refers to the approach, which calls for taking the holistic view of well being of multiple stakeholders associated with the operations of the business. Managers using the multistream management approach are more likel y to focus on practical wisdom, experimentation, workplace democracy, self-control, dignification, ethical conduct, and others. The company and its managers realize that they are operating in a wider other, where the extended society and its members are also the stakeholders of the company. Financial numbers and quarterly results become a secondary concern for the company and its managers and the prime focus become managing and balancing the company’s expectations with the well being and requirements of all stakeholders.

Strategic Management And Business Planning For Mcdonalds Marketing Essay

Strategic Management And Business Planning For Mcdonalds Marketing Essay 1.0 Introduction The concept of Mc Donalds restaurant chain stems from the union of two creative intellectual heads of American siblings Maurice Mac Richard Dick Macdonald who moved into California in 1930, USA to commence a restaurant business which turned reality in 1937. The brothers understanding implementation of thoughts in restaurant business paved the way for many aspiring entrepreneurs in 1948, when they introduced the speedee service system by which they cut short the hassles of customers at the same time as a business strate4gy reduced hamburger cots to as low as 15 cents. The menu list was also sorted out tactfully which inspired many intellectual minds like one of Ray Kroc, who took over the company during 1955 was the founder proprietor of present Mc Donalds restaurant chains. Presently the headquarters of Mc Donalds restaurant chain is located at Oak brook, Illinois, USA. 1.1 Internal resources capabilities Presently Mc Donalds operates in over 100 countries around the world has opened up 32,000 restaurants across the globe and has employed more than 1.6 million employees worldwide. More than 97% of the employees work at company operated outlets. The Mc Donalds restaurant chain has influenced the whole American society in a massive way. The geographical statistics are such that by the late 90s Mc Donalds became a necessity for most Americans who resided in places which were just a 3-minute drive from individual Mc. Donalds outlets. (John f, 1995) The company has till date has ranked among the top restaurant chains consistently; it was ranked the best restaurant corporation in 2007 by the Restaurants Institutions magazines list. It has been felicitated with the goodwill of best industry leader in 2010 by business week magazine. (Business week) The major strength of the company has been their treatment of employees likewise more than 60% of its US employees are from the minorities group woman. In a recently published sales report, Mc Donalds has reported to have fared its sales figures by 5.7% in USA, 5.3% in Europe 10.3% in Asia, Middle East Africa combined. The Media release below states the exact figures. mc (Corporate data) Mc Donalds has been by far superior to its closest global competitor Burger King holdings Inc., Yum brands etc. Direct competitor comparison reflects the difference. dir (Revenue income) 1.2 McDonalds SWOT Analysis 1.2.1 Strengths The real strength of Mc Donalds food chain has been its global approach, via which it has left its competitors far behind in any global markets. Mc Donalds has lately explored the developing country markets like Taiwan, Malaysia, china, India etc. which have secured its sustainability in terms of expansion, that is global presence. Developing countries markets have a growth rate of 7-28% in terms of retail packaged food ranging from above middle level incomes to lower middle level incomes. (USDA, 2005) The real strength for Mc Donalds in these countries are its already larger than life image which caused people in China go fond in 1994 when the chains busiest outlet in Beijing. China was announced to be relocated. Investments in developing countries like Brazil have brought in fresh lease of life to Mc Donalds authorities. The company has set its foot tight based on stats of 66,000 job creations, adding $1.5 to Brazils economy. The following points will stress on the global strengths of Mc Donalds: Through student scholarship programs, Mc Donalds has built its image equivalent in stature to its global presence. The cleanliness of the restaurant chain, which fact was given importance by Ray Kroc from the very first day itself. It has places its outlets at public places like airports, popular malls, gas stations, petrol pumps. Mc Donalds has shown sheer adaptability when it comes to flexing itself for the sake of a regional market. One fine example is it runs its operations in India without including beef in its menu. (James L. Watson, 2006) It has one of the most famous trademarks which global people have accepted as substantiate of trust. Its global presence, because this fact makes up for deficit in revenues for any particular region. More than 80% of its restaurants worldwide are run by franchisees, which dont allow all regional economic ups downs to affect revenues. (shareholder data) Secured online delivery options in developed countries, which enhances public data security as well as trust (online ordering). Through various environmental initiatives globally, Mc Donalds has enhanced its sustainability. Investment barriers in France lifted after global economic slowdown (time news). 1.2.2 Weaknesses The majority weaknesses of the company have generated in economically mature countries where food restaurant business scopes have reached saturation. Annual growth rates in such nationals or zones 2-3%. Anti west emotions, anti-trust on multinationals are posing barrier in countries like India. (Dr. Amit Rangnekar, NMIMS) The major weaknesses are listed below: Stagnant annual growth rate in developed nations. Companys share distribution law is bound to Illinois state local law which may not be compatible with laws in other global countries. (corporate rule boundary) Lack of innovation in menu in the recent past. Its menu is predominantly children (children orientation). The company has had a number of lawsuits in Malaysia UK most of which are trademark disputes. (bbc news) The major threat is the growing population globally which shrinks every food chains possibility of expansion as foreign investors are expected to exploit local resources. Ronald Mc Donald House charity which has taken the noble responsibility of looking after health well-being of children. (rmcd.com) 1.2.3 Opportunities Investment in new ways of promoting Be more flexible in terms of target customers Investments in Asia, Latin America needs to be extended with only 169 students in India, 1200 only in Brazil. Recent investments in Football world cup 2010, launch of Shrek happy meal has increased its scope many a pounds more. Presence of its subsidiary 500 Mc Cafe in countries like New Zealand Australia which further enhances its revenues. Opening up of French market to further investment owing to global economic crisis. (Time article, 2009) 1.2.4 Threats The biggest threat as to any other international brand suffers is the hiccups of economy in regional markets. Most of the currencies it earns are calculated in US$ which are a further drawback. The predominant threat has been of local conflicts originating from the chains rapid expansion strategies Expansion of major competitors Burger kings in Asia pacific, UK, and Latin America with a total of 12,000 restaurants Investments in promotional campaigns in new markets. Evacuation of Mc Donalds from France in early 2000s. (Czinkota M, 2009) 1.3 External Market Factors There are various external factors that are affecting the marketing strategies of Mc Donalds globally. These have been discussed below: 1. The first one is the Globalization that means the closer contact between various parts of the world with increase in the mutual understanding, friendship, and personal exchange between the citizens of the world. 2. Diversity among the cultures, languages, etc. between various people of the world. 3. The last one is the ethics and code of conduct of Mc Donalds in various markets across the world. Mc Donalds has to act appropriately in different parts of the world. The cultures and the people have to be kept under consideration. For example, in India the menu contains only fish and chicken products in non-vegetarian menu. Beef products are a complete no. Global market decisions have to be made uniquely according to the country or the part of the world Mc Donalds wishes to serve. Mc Donalds understand that diversity in the cultures is not only ethical issue, but also business issue. Mc Donalds owns over 30,000 restaurants in different parts of the world, which means that Mc Donalds franchises with operators, employees, and customers that belong to almost all the cultures, ethnicity and religions on the earth. McDonalds has over 30,000 restaurants around the world, which means franchise owner/operators, employees, and customers represent just about every culture, religion or ethnicity on earth. With this, Mc Donalds is required to promote local suppliers with this diversity and also need to retain those suppliers that have same cultural background in every country. Mc Donalds is an international brand now that has successfully spread its wings in all parts of the world. Mc Donalds being such a popular brand, they have had the opportunities that they have successfully met and they had the ability to overcome their weakness and fight with the threats to have a stand in the market. 2.0 Macro Environment Analysis It includes 6 factors as given below: Political Factors The political ambience as for any international brand is very complex. The taxation rules, labor laws, environmental laws vary from country to country as per governmental rules. In 2003, the tax burden of Mc Donalds in Brazil mounted to 33% of revenue growth. Further in Latin America the company operates more than 1800 restaurants. The labor laws in vital markets such as the one in Brazil made it mandatory to follow an anti-discriminatory employment policy which truly is synonymous with Mc Donalds global policy.(global policy) Scenario in European markets are very promising, It has employed more than 2,78,00 employees for its operations there more than 60% of its operations are operated by local residents there, which decreases its burden of falling under direct local law jurisdictions. In Asian markets, revolving around Japan, China, India predominantly the political aspects are bright where a mix of matured developing economies where labor laws are doesnt affect much because join t venture franchisee operated businesses. (Europe environment report, 2005) Economic environment The global economy has been predicted by experts to increase at a steady rate. GDP growth is liable to private investment consumption. GDP in developed countries are projected to increase by 6.2, 6, 6% in order of years 2010, 2011, 2012. European market GDP growth are expected to grow at 3.3% in 20101, 2011 3.5% in 2012. Asian markets were predicted to go through a slow economy in 2008-2009 which is evident from Chinese economy growth of 7.5% in 2008. The revenue of Mc Donalds in Brazil market was a satisfactory US$3.3 billion in 2003 (20). The brand registered revenue of US$5.8 billion in 2005 in European market which contributed one-third revenue globally. The south-east Asian market is expected to flourish on large scale with predictions of Mc Donalds India revenues grow by a double in 2010 according to Mc Donalds India managing director, Vikram Bakshi. (Reuters report, 2007). Social environment The social environment varies largely from developed countries to developing countries. As in Us Europe, people trust brands more on quality of services other etiquettes. Whilst in developing countries of Asia, consumers spend US$580 billion on meal purchases outside home which is entirely contrasting $170 more than Mc Donalds US market stats double the size of spending in European markets. The fast food chain has a policy to take care for its customers well, as they try to make any food product just prior to its delivery and keep it maximum for only 20 minutes, after which that product, if not sold consumed, is thrown into trash box. Technological Factors The McDonalds is running since a quite long time and they keep on enhancing their technological upfront. To talk about the services provided by the esteemed fast food chain, they take around 35 seconds per order to deliver in case the food items are well prepared in advance, but this time goes up to 4 minutes per order in case the food is not prepared in advance. Thus, this shows the advancement they have in their technology to produce a food item in less than 4 minutes of time. McDonalds have significantly been indulged into adopting and getting use-to to the new technology. The various parts of the management system, like the inventory system and the supply chain management system of McDonalds are so effective that they allow the company to work with ease by enabling easy payment methods for the suppliers and the other vendors. McDonalds actually recycle our used cooking oil into bio-diesel and then use it in delivery fleet. It has eliminated the concept of polystyrene based packag ing and made people switch to paper and card board packaging which is today been manufactured by the recycled paper. It has also diverted the waste to Energy from Waste (EFW) facility in Sheffield and South London areas and plans to do that everywhere. Legal Factors McDonalds has taken well care of providing all the necessary details of its workings and informations related to the nutritional substance of their products, to its customers for the better trust and functionality. This is basically been done by this organization to be free from the obese charges on it. 2.1 Porters competitive forces model The Porters 5 Forces model deals with the various factors outside the industry which actually influence the nature of competition and the forces within the industry, known as micro-environment, which actually influence the ways by which the company competes and also the industrys profitability is conducted by the Porters Five Force Model. Five Forces Analysis 2.1.1 Competition Nowadays, every industry is going highly competitive and so is this fast food restaurants industry. There are now n numbers of small and big fast food businesses who are always competing with each other in order to broaden their own customer base. McDonalds however an exception to this is. Being in this industry since 1940, McDonalds has excelled in this sector and in order to stay in the competition amongst the rivals, it came up with the Mc Cafà ©. Launching of this cafà © helped the company to continue in the business existing as a major fast food business. Moreover, another big step was taken and was noticed when McDonalds started with its Breakfast in order to the other breakfast serving food joints. And, since then till date, it is growing and existing as one of the favorites of the customers. 2.1.2 Ease of Entry There exists a very high cost of entering such a favored and well established industry. The entrant needs to invest much in the research and development, in entering and setting up and also in the competition. Moreover, well established and full functioning entities of this business for e.g. McDonalds makes it more difficult for a new entrant to hold the large market share of customers. Thus, the new entrants, if any, wont be able to succeed and also provide the product to meet up the price competitions. 2.1.3 Substitutes There exist, a large number of substitute products in this industry and there exist wide variety, the customer can substitute a McDonalds burger with any other beverage, dairy product or anything else, and vice versa. 2.1.4 Strength of Supplies The power of supplying the fastest and the safest way is an essential requirement in the fast food industry and to talk about McDonalds, its supply system is the one which is highly talked about and taken as an example to be followed. 2.1.5 Strength of Buyers The relative strength of the customers is actually low in this industry due to the availability of the substitutes and due to the people going more health conscious. 2.1.6 Distinctive Notion As per the reports of Business Week, currently, McDonalds hold 9th rank in the top 100 brands all over the country, as per the survey done in 2007. This fast food giant has a history of 69 years and has actually established a linkage with the customers. Having such a close relation with the buyers had made it rank so high and is now operating 120 and more franchises and restaurants, in India itself. 3.0 Key Elements of a Competitive Business Strategy of McDonalds None of the organizations can exist in vacuum. They need industrial competition and expansion in order to exist and survive. Analyses of the competitors in the market not only help in analysis a firms weakness and threats but also strengths and opportunities. These competitive business strategies can be applied to Mc Donalds and it can be found that what made Mc Donalds the leader in the market despite the tough competition in this industry. Greatest business strategy of Mc Donalds that has added to its strength is the product value. Customers know that what will come their way once they enter a Mc Donalds outlet. The emphasis on human resource is given by Mc Donalds that means taking care of both employees and customers. Next strategy was the new products that are in line with the new generation and new taste. The diversity of the firm to bring up new product ideas is also strength. Trends with the customers changes and they dont stick to the brand till they have any new innovation to settle them with. Mc Donalds has given some new products to the customers and keeps coming up with innovative tastes like Mc Puff, Chicken Salsa Wrap, Ice Creams, etc. People can find Mc Donalds easily when they go out. The overexposure worked for Mc Donalds as they people get taste easily and its handy. With diversity in locations and such a huge chain of restaurants, Mc Donalds has made sure that the service and quality is maintained equally at every corner of the world where Mc Donalds exists. The secret of market strategy lies in the audience firm targets. Mc Donalds mainly targeted kids. With their happy meals and fun toys, they attracted kids. However, now they target not only kids, but people of every age. This is clear with the advertisements they bring up regularly. All this has been because kids dont remain same; they grow up and become adults eventually. Thus, it is better to target all age groups and keep everyone happy. There are various weaknesses that Mc Donalds has suffered; however, they are overcoming them with latest technologies and products. Like, internet is one technology that they have adopted to target the customers and provide them with attractive offers and various new excitements with Mc Donalds. Internet is not only used for motivation and improve performance, but now Mc Donalds even gives ease of ordering through internet and having delivery at their doorstep. The overall evaluation of the external and internal factors helps in planning appropriate competitive business strategies. The strategies are modified keeping strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in mind. The available resources have to be considered while planning. Making use of the core competency, mc Donalds can sustain the market competition effectively. There are three aspects that have helped Mc Donalds in competitive business advantage and these are: The managerial level and the organizational processes share a very good coordination and integration in Mc Donalds. All the employees and the managerial work in order to achieve the common goal. Mc Donalds understands the market well enough and they know the need of the hour and what changes are to be made to meet the present requirement. Mc Donalds is an organization that is flexible in terms of laws, government policies, customer trends and adaptation of technologies. Mc Donalds concentrates on the advantages of the organization. Apart from expansion strategies, Mc Donalds makes sure that organizational behavior and managerial expertise is maintained all over the globe. Structural, financial and technological assets of Mc Donalds are in excellent position in market, which has given it a competitive business advantage. Mc Donalds also has right kind of people to manage these assets in right direction and improve overall performance of the firm. Mc Donalds started with a vision that one day they will be the leaders in food industry and they have worked hard to realize that dream. Mc Donalds started with the intension to help out people who have almost no time to cook or are unable to cook or people who have no time to visit a proper restaurant. The aim was to provide quick service with quality and within cheap price. Keeping this vision in mind and goal to achieve, Mc Donalds used the right kind of man force and targeted right kind of people and now the world is aware of the success of Mc Donalds. Mc Donalds has implemented the best of the ideas with their strengths and advantages to have an edge over the market. The marketing strategies they adopted, worked for them. Some of the unique features of the firm made them amazingly popular in the market. Cheap value products with timely new innovative ideas targeting different groups of people have made Mc Donalds the largest fast food chain in the world. Drive through and take away counters have added extra ease to the customers and also the same quality and taste all over the world has won Mc Donalds respect and loyalty. Today everything is outsourced by Mc Donalds. Finance, customer care, etc all is outsourced and managed by different bodies for Mc Donalds so that Mc Donalds can pay attention to the competition, fight it and still maintain the quality and deliver what is expected of them. Cheap price meals and flexible timings of the Mc Donalds outlets have done wonders for them, still Mc Donalds mangers are not sitting quiet, they work regularly to maintain it all along and win over all kind of competition. There are many old and new competitors that have tried to take the position what Mc Donalds has made, but dedication and quality service from the firm has made sure that they dont shake from their position and they still stand tall and with heads high. Mc Donalds has learned through its course of success, what importance of customers is and how to make sure that they stay happy and loyal. This is the biggest competitive advantage that Mc Donalds enjoys. 3.1 Conclusion McDonalds is working efficiently throughout the globe, thus it should continue to provide better and quick services to its customers. The food giant should further try to lower down the cost in the supply chain network in order to provide with low cost products to its customers. McDonalds should also try to expand their Happy Meal choices in order to attract more and more customer base and also to retain the current levels. It should also plan for opening more McCafes serving the premium quality and specialty should be defined as the coffees and other beverages. Trying to have a concept of gifts during festive seasons for youth, kids as well as senior citizens will also help McDonalds to gain acceptance amongst people. Thus, keeping all the factors in mind, McDonalds is working good and should try to gain more acceptances combining the elements of globalization and internationalization. 4.0 References BBC news, available at [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8243270.stm], [accessed on Aug 15, 2010] Business week ratings, available at [http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/news/twenty_best_companies.html?DCSext.destination=http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/csr/news/twenty_best_companies.html], [accessed on Aug 15, 2010] Corporate data, (2005), 2005 McOnomics report Brazil puff, USA Czinkota M, et al., (2009), Emerging Trends, Threats and Opportunities in International Marketing p.323, Business Expert Press, USA Corporate data, available at [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97876p=irol-newsArticleID=1457937highlight=], [accessed on Aug 16, 2010] Children oriented business, available at [http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/students/faq_for_students.html], [accessed on Aug 16, 2010] Dr Amit Rangnekar, nod, Case of Strategic Adaptation, NMIMS, India Employee data, available at [http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/students/mcdonalds_does_good/diversity_at_mcdonalds.html?DCSext.destination=http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/students/mcdonalds_does_good/diversity_at_mcdonalds.html], [accessed on Aug 16, 2010] Europe environment report 2005, available at [http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/etc/medialib/csr/docs.Par.19910.File.dat/McDonalds%20Europe%20Environment%20Report%202004.pdf], [accessed on Aug 16, 2010] East-Asia economy, available at [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0, contentMDK: 22009548~pagePK: 34370~piPK: 34424~theSitePK: 4607, 00.htm], [accessed on Aug 16, 2010] James L. 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