Examine the Characteristics of Mystical and Conversion Experiences Essay

wo well-known categories of religious experience are Conversion and Mystical experiences. Throughout history there have been many reports of people having these religious experiences, and not all of the recipients are necessarily Christian in belief. Famous examples of conversion experiences include St Paul on the road to Damascus, and an example of a mystical experience could be the story of Theresa of Avila. Firstly I am going to look at the characteristics of mystical experiences, followed by an example of a mystical experience that I shall analyse before moving on to doing the same for conversion experiences. A philosopher called William James has designed a series of tests to see if a mystical experience conforms to a pattern that has arisen through the history of these experiences. William James said that the receiver of the religious experience should be passive, i.e. does not go out of his or her way to trigger the experience, it happens to them without their provoking it. The experience should be ineffable in that in the aftermath the receiver finds it very difficult to describe what had happened and how they had felt in normal communication, thirdly that there is a noetic quality to these experiences, meaning that some truth or great fact is revealed to the recipient of the experience. Finally the experience should be transient, this means that the actual experience should not take very long at all, perhaps a few hours, but afterwards it has a very long, if not lifelong impact on the person who had the experience. Mystical experiences often have an example of the defying of the laws of nature and physics, for example the hearing of voices or seeing of visions, or receiving of the wounds of Christ, the Stigmata, that came from nowhere and have no rational explanation. An example of a mystical experience, as I mentioned earlier, is the story of Theresa of Avila. Theresa was a Carmelite nun who had been raised as being deeply religious; when her mother died she turned to the Virgin Mary and became a nun. Throughout her life she was often seriously ill and during these bouts of illness she claimed to have experienced religious ecstasy, in which she saw a cherub repeatedly stabbing her in the stomach with a fiery spear, and where he stabbed her she felt bliss and pain equally. In one bout of sickness she lost the use of her legs for three years, and during this time she stopped praying until she was convinced by a priest to start again. Not long after she began praying again she experienced holy delights from God, which were moments when her senses were overwhelmed by the presence of God. Alongside this she experienced the levitation, meaning that she claimed to have had her body raised off of the ground by the Holy Spirit. The levitation is the main mystical experience of Theresa’s life; this is a very clear example of how the laws of nature are defied by the power of God. The experience is passive as she was ill in bed at the time, it wasn’t ineffable however as she could clearly explain what had happened, however the experiences of having her senses overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit that accompany the levitation certainly were ineffable. There was no great truth revealed directly but there is a lesson in her story. And that is that the Lord will watch over and take care of us when we are sick. It is hard to tell whether or not the experience was transient, as while the levitation took place over just a few minutes, we cannot know how deep an impact it had on Theresa, as she was already deeply religious, we cannot easily see how she changed as a person. Now we move onto conversion experiences, the most key characteristic of a conversion experience is that the recipient of the experience has a complete switch around of their religious beliefs, they are converted. This conversion stays in place for the rest of the experiencer’s life, the religious experience is transient. Conversion experiences can be either gradual or sudden, meaning that a person’s beliefs can change over time due to different stimuli or events, or they can change swiftly as a result of an undeniably holy action. An important fact to remember when discussing conversion experiences is that they can occur not just in regards to an individual’s religious beliefs, they can also impact on political and social ideals as well, and these kinds of conversions follow the same pattern as that of religious experiences. The example of a conversion experience I am going to talk about is the conversion of St Paul on the road to Damascus. Before his conversion Paul, or Saul as he was known, was a Pharisee who harshly persecuted the early Christians and was not in any way inclined to believe in the teachings of Jesus. One day Paul was riding down the road to Damascus, as he drew near to the city a light shone down from heaven and Paul was cast down to the ground, then he heard a voice saying â€Å"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me†? The voice identified itself as Jesus and instructed Paul to go to the city where he will be instructed further. The men accompanying Paul were amazed, as they had heard the voice, but had seen no man or any vision as Paul had. Paul opened his eyes, but found that he had been blinded, perhaps by the brilliant light, his men led him to the city and there he stayed, blind, not eating or drinking for three days. After the three days his sight returned, and he was convinced that he had seen the resurrected Christ. After the experience Paul could be found in the company of the disciples that were in Damascus, which shows a very large turn around in his ideals, because before the experience he would have arrested and persecuted those men. This story is a good example of a conversion experience as it shows a very big contrast in the subject before and after the experience, which is as I said previously, the main characteristic of a religious experience. To conclude the essay I would just like to summarise the characteristics of both mystical and conversion experiences, mystical experiences are most easily identified when evidence of supernatural even ts take place, such as the levitation, while conversion experiences are clearly shown in the change of the recipients religious or political ideals.

Components of curriculum and curricular approaches Essay

Aims of Elementary education( education act of 1892) In the elementary level, schools through their curricula should aim to: Provide knowledge and develop skills, attitudes, values essential to personal development and necessary for living in and contributing to a developing and changing society; Provide learning experiences which increase the child’s awareness of and responsiveness o the changes in the society; Promote and intensify knowledge, identification with and love for the nation and the people to which he belong; and Promote work experiences which develop orientation to the world of work and prepare the learner to engage in honest and gaining work. Aims of Secondary education In high school or secondary level, educational curricula aim to: Continue to promote the objectives of elementary education; and Discover and enhance the different aptitudes and interests of students in order to equip them with skills for productive endeavor and or to prepare them for tertiary schooling. Aims of tertiary education Tertiary education refers to college and university formal education based on the curricula of the different courses. The different courses should aim to: Provide general education programs which will promote national identity, cultural consciousnes,moral integrity and spiritual vigor; Train the nation’s manpower in the skills required for national development; Develop the professions that will provide leadership for the nation; and Advance knowledge through research and apply new knowledge for improving the quality of human life and respond effectively to changing society. School’s Vision is a clear concept of what the institution would like to become in the future. -It is the guiding post around which all educational efforts including curricula should be directed. EXAMPLE 1.A model performing high school where students are equipped with knowledge, skills and strength of character to realize their potential to the fullest. School’s mission School’s mission statement, spells out how it tends to carry out its Vision. -The mission targets to produce the kind of persons the students will become after having been educated over a certain period of time. EXAMPLE 1.Commits to the total development of individuals for life adjustment and to the upliftment of the economically deprived but deserving students through quality instruction, updated facilities and curricula responsive to the needs of the times. School’s goals The school’s vision, and mission are further translated into goals which are broad statements or intents to be accomplished. EXAMPLE 1.Build a strong foundation of skills and concepts 2.Efficient and effective administration responsive of the needs of the university and community. Educational objectives Benjamin Bloom and Robert Mager Defined educational objectives in two ways: 1.Explicit formulations of the ways in which students are expected to be changed by the educative process, 2. Intent communicated by statement describing a proposed change in learners. Objectives direct the change in behavior which is the ultimate aim of learning. Three(3) big domains of objectives Cognitive Domain (Bloom et al 1956) – domain of thought process 1.Knowledge-recall, remembering of prior learned materials in terms of facts, concepts, theories and principles. 2.Comprehension-ability to grasp the meaning of material. 3.Application-the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situation. 4.Analysis-ability to break down material into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. 5.Synthesis-ability to put parts together to form a new whole. 6.Evaluation-ability to pass judgment on something based on given criteria. Affective Domain(Krathwohl, 1964) Domain of valuing, attitude and appreciation 1.Receiving-student’s willingness to pay attention to particular event, stimuli or classroom activities. 2.Responding-active participation on the part of the students. 3.Valuing-concerned with the worth or value a student attaches to a particular phenomena, object or behavior. 4.Organization-concerned with bringing together different values and building value system. 5.Characterization by a value system or value complex-developing a lifestyle from a value system. Psychomotor Domain(Simpson,1972) -domain of the use of psychomotor attributes. 1.Perception-use of sense organ to guide motor activities. 2.Set-refers to the readiness to take a particular type of action. 3.Guided response-concerned with the early stages in learning complex skills. 4.Mechanism-responses have become habitual. Performance skills are with ease and confidence. 5.Complex overt responses-skillful performance with complex movement patterns. 6.Adaptation-skill well developed that the ability to modify is very easy. 7.Origination-refers to creating new movements patterns to fit the situation. Component 2 CURRICULUM CONTENT OR SUBJECT MATTER Curriculum Specialists Content or subject –another term for knowledge. -It is a compendium of facts, concepts generalization, principles and theories. -This is the subject centered view of the curriculum. Gerome Bruner  Ã¢â‚¬Å"knowledge is a model we construct to give meaning and structure to regularities in experience. Example of the broad subject areas or general education. Communication Arts -It include skills in listening ,speaking, reading and writing as well as the effective use of language in daily living. Social Studies -Include basic elements of Geography, History, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics,Civics,Political Science and Psychology. What subject matter will be taught in the different clusters in order to achieve the ogjectives? What criteria should be used in selecting the content? Here are some criteria which can be utilized in the selection of subject matter content or knowledge for the curriculum. 1.Self-sufficiency -According to Scheffler (1970) the prime guiding principles for content selection is helping the learners to attain maximum self-sufficiency in learning but in the most economical manner. 2.Significance -When content or subject matter will contribute to basic idea, concepts ,principles and generalization to achieve the overall aim of the curriculum. 3.Validity -The authenticity of the subject matter. 4.Interest -For learner-centered curriculum,this the key.A learner will value the content it it is meaningful to him or her. 5.Utility -Usefulness of the content or subject matter may be relative to the learner who is going to use it. 6.Learnability -Subject matter should be within the range of the experiences of the learners. 7.Feasibility – The subject matter or content be learned within the time allowed, resources available, expertise of the teacher and the nature of the learners. There are other considerations that may be used in the selection Of the learning content. As a guide, subject matter or content can be selected for use if these are: a. frequently and commonly used in daily life; b. suited to the maturity levels and abilities of students; c. valuable in the meeting need and the competencies of a future career; d. important in the transfer of learning. In organizing or putting together the different learning contents- Palma,1992 PRINCIPLES BALANCE -Curriculum content should be fairly distributed in depth and breadth of the particular learning area or discipline. ARTICULATION -When each level of subject matter is smoothly connected to the next, glaring gaps and wasteful overlaps in the subject matter will be avoided. SEQUENCE -The logical arrangement of the subject matter. INTEGRATON -The horizontal connections are needed in subject areas that are similar so that learning will be related to one another. CONTINUITY -The constant repetition, review and reinforcement of learning. COMPONENT 3 CURRICULUM EXPERIENCES This section will link instructional strategies and methods to curriculum experiences, the core or the heart of the curriculum -The instructional strategies and methods will put into action the goals and use the contents in order to produce an outcome. -The action are based on planned objectives, the subject matter to be taken and the support materials to be used.  Teaching methods ( time-tested methods,inquiry approaches,contructivist and others). Educational activities( field viewing, conducting experiments, interacting with computer programs, field trips and other experiential learning) Some guide for the selection and use of methods 1.Teaching methods are means to achieve the end.They are used to translate the objectives into action. 2.There is no single best teaching method. Its effectiveness will depend on the learning objectives, the learners and skill of the teacher. 3.Teaching methods should stimulate the learners desire to develop the cognitive,affective ,psychomotor, social and spiritual domain of individual. 4.In the choice of the teaching methods, learning styles of the students should be considered. 5.Every method should lead to the development of the learning outcomes in the three domains:cognitive,affective and psychomotor. 6. Fexibility should be a consideration in the use of the teaching methods. COMPONENT 4 CURRICULUM EVALUATION Worthen and Sanders -all curricula to be effective must have the element of evaluation. Curriculum evaluation -refer to the formal determination of the quality, effectiveness or value of the program, process, product of the curriculum. Tuckman(1985) -define evaluation as meeting the goals and matching them with the intended outcomes. Model of evaluation Stufflebeams’s CIPP -In CIPP, the process is continuous and is very important to curriculum managers like principals, supervisors, department head, deans and even teachers. C-context I- Input P-Process P-Product Context -refers to the environment of the curriculum. The real situation where the curriculum is operating is its context. Input -refers to the ingredients of the curriculum which include the goals, instructional strategies, the learners, the teacher, the contents and all the material needed. Process -refers to the ways and means of how the curriculum has been implemented.. Product -indicates if the curriculum objectives accomplishes its goals. Suggested plan of action for the process of curriculum evaluation 1.Focus on one particular component of the curriculum. -Will be the subject area,the grade level,the course,or the degree program? Specify the objectives of evaluation. 2.Coolect or gather the information. -Information is made up of data needed regarding the object of evaluation 3.Organize the information. This step will require coding,organizing,storing and retreiving data for interpretation. 4.Analyze information -An appropriate way of analyzing will be utilized. 5.Report the information -The result of evaluation should be reported to specific audiences. Reporting can be done formally in conference with stakeholders, or informally through roundtable discussions and conversations. 6.Recycle the information for continuous feedback, modification and adjustments to be made. CURRICULAR APPROACHES Behavioral Approach Frederick Taylor Anchored on the behaviorist principles, behavioral approach to curriculum is usually based on a blueprint. in the blueprint, goals and objectives are specified, contents and activities are also arranged to match with learning objectives. Managerial approach The managerial approach became a dominant curriculum approach in the 1950’s and 1960’s.The principal is the curriculum leader at the same time instructional leader who is supposed to ne the general manager. The general manager sets the policies and priorities, establishes the direction of change and innovation, and planning and organizing curriculum and instruction. Curriculum managers look at curriculum changes and innovations a they administer the resources and restructure the schools. Some of the roles of the Curriculum supervisors (Ornstein and hunkins,2004) 1.Help develop the school’s education goals. 2.Plan curriculum with students,parents,teachers and other stakeholders. 3.Design programs of study by grade levels. 4.Plan or schedule classes or school calendar. 5.Prepare curriculum guides or teacher guides by grade level or subject area. 6.Help in the evaluation and selection of textbooks. 7.Observe teachers. 8.Assist teachers in the implementation of the curriculum. 9.Encourage curriculum innovation and change. 10.Develop standards for curriculum and instructional evaluation System approach The system approach to curriculum was influenced by system theory. In this approach the parts of the total school district or school are examined in terms of how they relate to each other. The organizational chart of the scholl represents a systems approach. George Beauchamp -The system theory of education see the following to be of equal importance are 1.adminstration 2.counseling 3.curriculum 4.instruction and 5.evaluation Humanistic approach This approached is rooted in the progressive philosophy and child-centered movement. This approach considers the formal or planned curriculum and the informal or hidden curriculum. It considers the whole child and believes that in curriculum the total development of the individual is the prime consideration. The learner is at the center of the curriculum

The Lottery (critical Analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Lottery (critical Analysis) - Essay Example There is a great deal of irony in this story, situational irony, produced at the end of the story which leads to an unexpected turn of events. Throughout the story, Shirley continues to reinforce the quality and dimensions of relationships between the townsfolk, emphasizing how casual and well-acquainted everyone is with the dynamics of their family and personal lives. The author is setting the stage for the reader to make them believe that the final outcome of the lottery would be something insignificant, thus building dialogue that shows lack of concern about its meaning and a sort of indifference about the whole process which has apparently gone on for decades. The author uses foreshadowing in the story, especially early on when the children are gathering stones and piling them carefully, further guarding them in a protectionist method. Though it does not provide the type of symbolic cues necessary to determine what actually is involved with the lottery process, it does give subtle cues that the stones will somehow be involved in further dimensions of the story line. There is a great deal of symbolism used in the story, from well-detailed descriptions regarding the faded box, an object of scorn by some and seemingly unimportant to most. Though the box reinforces how long this lottery has been an active part of society, the disregard shown for the box attempts to make the reader believe that the lottery is something very minor in the town which explains its lack of upkeep over the years. Some of the dialogue between townsfolk also seems to indicate that they participate in the lottery as a form of obligation and through tradition, again fooling the reader to believe that the process will end with rather insignificant results. Using point of view from townspeople within their dialogue, the lottery is something with very minor consequences. â€Å"The most important quality of good fiction is the truth it tells – about humans and struggling

Dry-Dock Investment and Comparison of Europe and Turkey Dissertation

Dry-Dock Investment and Comparison of Europe and Turkey - Dissertation Example .†¦...10 1.3Research Questions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....12 1.4 Objectives..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....13 2.0 Literature Review †¦.........................................................................................14 3.0ResearchMethodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..............20 3.1 Overview of Methodology.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....20 3.2 Procedure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......†¦.............................22 4.0 Presentation of Results †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......†¦.............23 5.0Discussion...........................................................................................................29 6.0Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..34 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦37 Appendices †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....†¦.43 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background It is essential to understand that this research will carry out a comparative analysis of the dry-dock investments in both Europe and Turkey. More significantly, this research deliberates more on the services offered by maritime companies in the shipping sector including provision of dry-dock facilities. As a result, this research will focus also on several factor that companies consider before investing as the research seeks further to evaluate the reason behind variations in investments in both Turkey...This research will carry out a comparative analysis of the dry-dock investments in both Europe and Turkey. More significantly, this research deliberates more on the services offered by maritime companies in the shipping sector including provision of dry-dock facilities. As a result, this research will focus also on several factor that companies consider before investing as the research seeks further to evaluate t he reason behind variations in investments in both Turkey and Europe dry-docking markets. More than that, this research aims to investigate the growth in the maritime industry taking into consideration the increased demand for maritime sea transport as cargo transportation has become more convenient as compared to the other forms of transport including rail, air and road. With the changes in the increasingly competitive maritime sea transport market, because of its accessibility in water, it is essential to take into consideration the several factors that affect dry dock investments in the current market. More so, the demand change for shipping facility has been faced by a drastic increase in the sea transport. More significantly, the main aim of this research based on maritime investments, is to carry out a critical analysis of the level in which Europe and Turkey have invested in dry-dock facilities. More than that, this research also carries out an analysis on dry-dock investment through a thorough comparison between dry-dock business in Europe and Turkey. More so, investment in the port sector remains traditionally viewed as investment by the public sector.

Yahoo case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Yahoo case study - Essay Example But yahoo was not able to carry on the fame it had created for long time. In February 2008, yahoo share price fell from $31 a share to less than half of it. In the year 2011, the CEO of Yahoo Carol Bartz was sacked by the chairman of the company. However the share price of Yahoo had plummeted during the tenure of Carol Bartz. Analysis of the case The case study takes into consideration the problems and issues which Yahoo has been facing over the years. Initially the company was able to attract customers but with new competition from other online sites, yahoo started to losing its customers. According to the case study Yahoo lacked the hype and buzz in the technology market. The case study has also introduced many issues and problems that the company was facing along with its employees such as the corporate culture and political conflicts which highlighted the problem that the employees were dissatisfied with the mid level management; the organization was involved in silo thinking and bureaucracy, issue with respect to human resource, leadership changes and restructuring. In addition to the problems faced by Yahoo, the case study also talks about change in leadership. Marissa Mayer who was the head of the Google search group was appointed as the new CEO of Yahoo. Under the leadership of Marissa Mayer, change management has been implemented to get back Yahoo on the right track and Marissa Mayer aims to â€Å"focus on the users† as yahoo in recent years have been known for its distraction than delight. The case study shows how Marissa Mayer implemented the strategy of change management in yahoo and also follows the changes and step that she brought in Google. The case highlights the good and potential qualities of Marissa Mayer to bring about a change in Yahoo but at the same time it also highlights the resistance to change that the employees of Yahoo might face while dealing with the change. Identification of major issues Yahoo major problem was it never b een best at anything and instead of defining itself the company has fitted from one new web portal to another. Yahoo has 44 different business units and with just 3200 employees it had become unmanageable for the company. Despite having about 44 different business units it do not have sales unit leading to much more confused and chaotic situations. During the golden days of Yahoo, customers were getting involved with the company by themselves and the advertisement company was ready to spent dollars on it and as a result Yahoo did not established relationship with its customers as the customers walked it by themselves which led to arrogance (Willians 2008, 209)1 Corporate culture and political conflicts are said to be high in the organization and this can be seen another big issue for Yahoo and the new CEO Marissa Mayer. As per a review it was revealed that in comparisons to 98% of Google employees who thought the outlook of the company will be better in the future only 48% of employ ees of Yahoo felt the same. The employees were not satisfied with the mid level management as the mid level management was control freaks who pressurized the people without making any improvement. In addition with the existence of frequent re-orgs, this resulted in firing of employees and also scrapping of projects along with frequent turmoil at the executive

Human Resource Information systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Information systems - Essay Example They should be well equipped with leadership and motivational tools to facilitate the employees for better performance. The HR team should itself be motivated and work in accordance with the organizations objectives. The key elements that make an HR team extraordinary, is a team that encourages creativity, respect diversity and aims to improve the professional advancement as well as wellbeing of employees. It should have proper information system for their transactional activities like payroll, employee status changes and record keeping. With a proper IS in place, there will be minimum paper work required and the large chunks of data can be easily stored in databases, files and tapes which can further help in analysis of these records. In case of traditional HR, where HR professionals deal with training, recruiting, performance management, planning and compensation, a proper IS in place will make the entire process more easier and effective, having specially designed systems such as Learning management system, performance management system etc. Transformational activities that deal with strategic decision making, cultural or organization change, or increasing innovation, are one of the most important tasks of an HR department. The effective running of these activities is vital for an ideal HR department as they add value to the organization. With proper IS such as MIS or a Decision Support System in place for strategic decision making, such decisions can be taken with more ease and effectiveness. As mentioned in the earlier section, Human Resource plays a critical role in business. It not only helps in setting policies, motivating the employees, managing employee information but it actually plays a central role in streamlining the business processes. With the new technologies evolving and businesses adopting different information systems to help them run their business processes such as order processing

Application of TQM principles in manufacturing, Term Paper

Application of TQM principles in manufacturing, - Term Paper Example Introduction Quality assumes a multidimensional facet of business outcomes and activities. Various meanings attached to quality include conformance to specifications, performance, reliability, promptness, consistency, meeting customer expectations, hygiene etc. Organizations attach one or more of these attributes to their meaning of quality and thus strive towards achievement of all through Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM has been viewed in many ways by different scholars. A comprehensive definition would include what Hellesten and Klefsjo (2000) had used to describe TQM as, ‘a management system consisting of core values, techniques, and tools with the aim of increasing external and internal customers’ satisfaction with reduced resources. It aims at establishing a culture based on core values, and choose techniques, which support the values and tools suitable for the chosen techniques (as cited in Fredriksson, 2003; p.226). An evaluation of total quality management t hrough operations management strategies in manufacturing, service and nonprofit industrial sectors will be presented along with a general and critical review of these practices. Background: In the manufacturing sector, TQM concept was, in fact, revolutionized by the giant automotive company, Toyota, which was originally a Japanese native but currently a multinational setup. Daft (2008) candidly states, â€Å"Toyota is a model what happens when a company makes a strong commitment to total quality management,† (p.468). Although TQM was a concept that originated in the United States, its popularity and promising philosophy was grounded in quality management only after Toyota displayed its success from Japan. This was accomplished through steady performance over the years unlike other automotives of the West that ruled the market for short time; yet, Toyota’s success still remains, and is attributed to its TQM principles. Significance of Toyota’s way of working was realized by the rest of the world during 1990s through its highly efficient and fast design systems, most reliable and cost-efficient products and highly paid labor (Liker, 2004). Liker (2004) asserts that Toyota’s way of operations management, popularly referred to as the Toyota Production System, is a result of its quality management that goes beyond one’s belief along with congruent culture, referred to as the Toyota Way. A well-known service firm that attributes its success to TQM philosophy is Starbucks, the coffee shop that promises a delightful experience to its customers. Starbucks was started in 1971 at Pike Place Market, Seattle. More often, the name of this famous coffee place is accompanied by Howard Schultz, the salesperson that was instrumental in Starbucks’ immense success and later assumed the role of Starbucks’ CEO and Chairperson. Starbucks has recorded steady growth in the field of food and beverage industry during last 3 decades throug h its fierce competition, unmatched quality, delightful customer experience, cost-oriented operational strategies and the best human resources management practices. Starbucks is often quoted for its Total Quality Management practices and has been an example for many other entrepreneurial initiatives. Pahl (2009) highlights, â€Å"from a single store in Seattle, Starbucks has grown to operate more than 15000 stores across the world and employs more than 172,000

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Business Ethics - Essay Example The organizations are required to perform their activities for the welfare of humans. An organization has two common approaches for business ethics which are from shareholder and stakeholder viewpoints (Johnson and Abramov, â€Å"Business Ethics†). CSR is the responsibility of an organization for providing fair profits to the shareholders keeping in consideration the societal perspective of providing greater benefits to the communities as well. The decisions as well as activities which are performed should be beneficial for the society and stakeholders. An organization should perform operations in a transparent way in accordance with laws as well as standards for the benefit of the society (Catalyst Consortium, â€Å"What is Corporate Social Responsibility†). Business ethics and CSR are essential elements for an organization for providing fair returns to the shareholders as well as making decisions which are to be beneficial for the stakeholders and society. The shareho lder as well as stakeholder viewpoints of business ethics for an organization are the essential elements for implementing appropriate ethical values. From the perspectives of the shareholders, the decisions are made to provide a fair profit on investment. Shareholders are considered as stakeholders of an organization. These ethical values will help an organization to maintain a healthy relationship with the shareholders. Stakeholder perspective of business ethics is to perform activities or operations for the benefits of employees as well as society. The decisions of an organization are to be made for satisfying the needs of the stakeholders as well as these decisions have an impact on the people who are involved with the organization. Stakeholders are included among all those people who are a part of an organization. The key motives of an organization are to provide fair returns to the shareholders as well as to perform its activities with ethical values which are beneficial for al l those who are involved with the organization. Therefore, it is apparent that appropriate ethical decisions can be made through shareholder or stakeholder perspective of business ethics (Pfarrer, â€Å"What is the Purpose of the Firm?: Shareholder and Stakeholder Theories†). Shareholder perspective is mainly focused on the notion of generating profit for the organization. An organization is functioning with the motive of generating profit and the effectiveness of the organization is determined with the quantity of profit earned as well as on other economic factors. The primary aim of an organization is to enhance the values of the shareholders. The stakeholder perspective should be to serve the people who are involved with the organization with due consideration to the notion of improving the health of the society. This viewpoint of stakeholder should be considered as a top priority above profitability for an organization. There is a vast ethical decisions difference in term s of the perspectives of shareholders and stakeholders which clashes with profitability and responsibility of an organization (Value Based Management.net, â€Å"Shareholder Value versus Stakeholders†). The ethical values as well as CSR of an organization are to perform activities or operations with the motive of providing fair profit to the shareholder as well as serving an organization in accordance with the appropriate ethic

Containing and eradicating a pandemic Coursework

Containing and eradicating a pandemic - Coursework Example Yee et al. (2009) identify sixteen HA and nine NA subtypes. Low pathogenic AIVs cause respiratory diseases and low mortality in birds. High pathogenic viruses cause systematic disease that lead in turkeys and chickens. The origin of AIV began in 1990s in Hong Kong and recently spread beyond Asia, Europe, and Africa. Researchers were able to isolate some sick birds in Guangdong Province in China in 1996. In 1997, a boy from Hong Kong was infected with H5N1. He later succumbed to respiratory failure. At the end of 1997, the death toll of H5N1 victims in Hong Kong claimed 18 human lives and all live birds market. Researchers associate the death of H5N1 victims to the infected birds since upon the closure and depopulation of LBMs, human death ceased. The early epidemic investigations associate human cases and the exposure of LBM system in Hong Kong. The HA from human cases and subsequent H5N1 outbreaks in Asia genetically relate to the issue of birds in Guangdong. The lineage of the 2003-2006 H5N1 epidemic roots genetically from isolates in 1997. H5N1 HPAI continues to spread across Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong in domestic and wild birds. Human cases H5N1 resurfaces in Vietna m in 2003 that began another epidemic in Southeast Asia with sporadic cases in Europe, Africa, and Middle East. Currently, there is a global concern on the possibility of a outbreak of AVI influenza isolated human case HPAIV H5N1 continue in several Asian countries, and this could mutate to a form spreading rapidly to humans. Most of the human cases have a history of very close contact with infected poultry .inhalation of infectious droplets is the most common route of infection as Since October 2003, there has been 60percent case-fatality rate with most of the documented cases human cases dying (Lenes et al. 2010). In addition to humans, birds, fowls, and poultry died from

Corporate Social Network Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Network Essay

Impact of ICT on Accounting

Impact of ICT on Accounting Effect  of  ICT in the Accounting Records Keeping and how ICT features in todays organization in Sierra Leone 1.  Introduction Information and communication technology (ICT) connectivity (PCs and Internet) is very widespread in businesses of all sizes in Sierra Leone. As is the case with all technologies, small businesses are slower than large ones to adopt new ICTs. Potential small business benefits and firm and sector-specific strategies drive the adoption and use of ICTs. Furthermore, sectors are increasingly global and dominated by large firms and the structure of their values chains and operations shape opportunities for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Principal reasons for non-adoption are lack of applicability and little incentive to change business models when returns are unclear. SMEs also face generic barriers to adoption including trust and transaction security and IPR concerns, and challenges in areas of management skills, technological capabilities, productivity and competitiveness. The issues for governments are to foster appropriate business environments for e-business and ICT uptake (e.g. Sierratel to diffuse broadband, enhance competition), and target programmes to overcome market failures to the extent that they are needed in particular areas (e.g. Skill formation, specialized information). Advancement in technology has affected the way things are done in various domains. Accounting is no exception. The traditional books are being replaced by computers. Accounting staff are required to be computer literate and spend more time in front of a computer screen than writing on papers and in books. Information and communication technology (ICT) and e-business applications provide many benefits across a wide range of intra- and inter-firm business processes and transactions. ICT applications improve information and knowledge management inside the firm and can reduce transaction costs and increase the speed and reliability of transactions for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. In addition, they are effective tools for improving external communications and quality of services for established and new customers. For small firms to adopt e-business and e-commerce strategies and tools, benefits must outweigh investment and maintenance costs. Commercial considerations and potential returns drive adoption. Beyond a certain level of connectivity (PC, Internet access, on-line information or marketing), not all SMEs will necessarily catch up with large firms, simply because e-commerce may not bring large benefits and SMEs will stay with traditional business processes. Other barriers have been seen to be the availability of ICT competencies within the firm, and availability and cost of appropriate interoperable small-firm systems, network infrastructure and Internet-related support services. Lack of reliable trust and redress systems and cross-country legal and regulatory differences also impede cross-border transactions. 2. Why Have So Few SMEs Adopted ICT in Sierra Leone? Given the benefits that ICT can bring to SMEs, SMEs in Sierra Leone have been slow to adopt it. For example, 90 percent of SMEs still use basic communication technology such as fixed phone line and fax, and approximately 10% percent use CRM software. Meanwhile, their counterparts in developed countries are using advanced ITs. One cause of limited adoption is the lack of dynamism between ICT firms and SMEs outside of the ICT sector. ICT firms have not provided goods and services tailored to SMEs in the past because demand from SMEs has been low. However, their demand is low in part because ICT products available in the market are too complex and expensive. The result is a vicious cycle of limited supply and limited demand that ultimately excludes SMEs from the benefits of ICT. Other factors also contribute to the limited supply and demand of ICT for SMEs: Supply Side 1. Poor communications infrastructure results in limited access and higher costs.Sierra Leone have poor communications infrastructure. Outdated equipment and state-owned monopolies often result in expensive charges and limited coverage, especially in rural areas. This discourages SMEs from adopting even the basic ICT of fixed lines or mobile phones. 2. Most advanced ICT products are designed for larger firms and not SMEs.ICT firms used to target large enterprises because they had a larger budget and were willing to pay for more complex ICT services. Their products are often too expensive and too complex for SME users. However, competition in this market is making firms both large and small turn their attention towards the untapped SME market. Rosetta, for example, is pushing to capture SME customers by lowering prices by 50 percent and increasing awareness. Demand Side 1. Limited ICT literacy of SME owners hinders their ability to choose the appropriate technology and understand the concrete benefits it can bring to their business. Many SME owners in Sierra Leone are unfamiliar with operating a computer, are skeptical of the concrete benefits to its core business, and have the stereotype that ICT is only for larger companies. Even if they have the will and financial resources to integrate ICT into their core business, SME owners are often at a loss when needing to choose the most appropriate and cost-efficient product. 2. Limited ICT literacy of employees in SMEs hinders ICT adoption. Even if SME owners have a strategic understanding of why they should adopt ICT, their staff is often untrained. Training costs both time and money resources that SMEs usually lack. 3. Adopting ICT is an adaptive challenge, not a technical challenge. Adopting ICT is a difficult task for companies of all sizes, whether they are in developed or developing countries. In fact, a lot of management literature focuses on the organizational changes that firms must go through in order to effectively adopt ICT because they change the way firms do business. While the changes may be beneficial in the long run, they often hurt one department and strengthen another. For example, Zhang Hongwei, senior consultant with DLong International Strategic Investment, comments that in order to make ERPs cost-saving and efficiency-building features work, managers must be willing to take measures that can be anathema in the state-owned sector, such as selling businesses, laying off workers, and changing longstanding vendor relationships. All of this can be tough to do. Thus, SME owners are often reluctant to bring their firm through a learning curve that may be difficult and costly. 4. Lack of financing options limits SME ability to purchase ICT. Lack of financing and appropriate technology is clearly a major handicap to developing country producers and exporters, and it inhibits developing countries from deriving full benefits from their trade rights. Rubens Ricupero, Secretary General of UNCTAD, 18 February 2002, Geneva SMEs in Sierra Leone usually have limited ability to make larger investments in their firm due to the lack of financing options. Given the financial squeeze, IT budgets are usually small or nonexistent. In addition, adopting ICT is not a one-time cost because there are ongoing costs of maintenance, upgrading, and human capacity building. 3. Why Should SMEs Adopt ICT? SMEs are often the main driver for a countrys economic growth. However, as the number of SMEs increases, competition increases, which then results in a decrease in prices, customer base, or both. This in turn will erode existing profits, creating less incentive for people to start SMEs. This dynamic is captured by balancing feedback loops where the greater the number of SMEs, the greater the competition, resulting in a slower rate of growth for SMEs. To counter the increasing competition, firms can lower prices, increase promotion of their product, improve their product, add new distribution channels, and/or improve their internal processes. The challenge is to counter competition when the firm still has the financial resources to do so. Otherwise, once the pressure of competition sufficiently erodes the SMEs profits, it will no longer have resources to counter the competition and will have to exit the market. Foreign firms in both the import and export markets further add to competi tive pressures, especially if they react faster to improve their product, process, promotion, or distribution channels. This is the problem of the Digital Divide. When firms in developed countries adopt ICT, firms in developing countries like Sierra Leone will lose out on the competition. This in turn can slow the growth rate of SMEs and hurt the economy as a whole. ICT can thus play a very important role because it can help SMEs both create business opportunities and combat pressures from competition. Appropriate ICT can help SMEs cut costs by improving their internal processes, improving their product through faster communication with their customers, and better promoting and distributing their products through online presence. In fact, ICT has the potential to improve the core business of SMEs in every step of the business process. In Sierra Leone where SMEs already have basic ICT, adopting more advanced ICT still brings enormous benefits. Advanced communication technologies such as email can help firms communicate faster and cheaper with both its suppliers and clients. In 2000, an organization that uses paper took on average 7.4 days to move a purchase from request to approval, but if done electronically, only took 1.5 days. Advanced ITs such as ERP software can capture cost savings. Beyond cost savings, SCM software can also help increase productivity, efficiency of inventory controls, and increase sales through closer relationships and faster delivery times 4. Conclusion ICT has been now boon to every modern system to perform all its operations with computer as the middle principle. The application of ICT in Financial management has also accounted a lot more success and efficiency in performing various operations related to different activities to commit a financial transaction. So for as the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT is concerned it has notably produced better throughputs which were acceptable and reliable. The need of the hour is the plan and develops more security measures to ensure authentic and secure client and server communication. Sierra Leone SMEs in addition to dont having required expertise and knowledge and also lack of familiarity with technology is also beginning to use ICT with face fixed costs very high in comparison to their size, while for large businesses, this is not so. These costs include costs such as creation website, using e-commerce and costs associated with projects of electronic auctions, search engines and similar cases. While the costs associated with deploying advanced ICT technologies for industries and big businesses are not very significant. These are issues that a broad group of SMEs doesnt know digital technologies related to their business and their goods and services do not know appropriate for e-commerce (E-Business Policy Group 2002). SMEs often have to accept market conditions and they are not in a situation like the big companies that form the market conditions (this issue is concerned follow and leader companies in the market). Moreover, instability (such as financial insecurity in SMEs) and potential risks in e-commerce, many SMEs may be inclined to risk aversion and the choice of conservative policies and in fact they adopt policy of wait and observed in acceptation of digital technology. For many SMEs, there is considerable uncertainty about the opportunities and benefits of ICT adoption, this opportunities for them is still unproven. This problem causes that they are reluctance to complete the adoption of new business models and technology. 3. Small and medium companies due to limitations such as low investment, lack of laboratories, capacity less for communicating with and external consultants is facing to experiment with more serious problems for testing new procedures of business. Although financial cons traints are the most important limitations but factors such as less time, fewer resources and also imposed to these enterprises. Using modern ICT technology is In fact new ways that SMEs will face a substantial risk. Accordingly, we can say that the use of ICT in enterprises depends on the size of the firm. References [1] Aliyu A.A, Tasmin R.B.Hj (2012), The Impact of ICT on Bank Performance and Customer Service Delivery in Banking Industry, InternationalJournalofLatestTrendsinFinance,Economicsand Science, 2(1): 80-90. [2] Adwin A.M, Opkara A, Mike A.O, Francis A.O (2014), The Impact of ICT in The Strategic Management of Financial Institutions, International Review of Management and Business Research, 3(3):1588-1602 [3] Adesola M.A, Moradeyo O.A, Oyeniyi K.O (2013), Impact of ICT on Nigeria Banks Operations: A Study of United Banks for Africa (UBA) Plc, International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(9): 7-12. [5] Ashrafi, Murtuza. M (2008), use of impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman, Electronic Journal Information SystemandEvaluation, 10: 125-138. [6] Gichoya D (2006), Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of ICT Projectsin Government, Electronic Journal of EGovernment, 3(4): 175-184. [7] Binuyo A.O, Aregbesola R.A (2014), the impact of ICT on Commercial Bank Performance: Evidence from South Africa, Problems andPerespectives in Management, 12(3): 59-68. [8] Curristine T, Lonti Zsuzsanna, Jaumard I (2007), Improving Public Sector Efficiency: Challenges and Opportunities, OECD Journal of Budgeting, 7(1): 1-42. [9] Gadamsetty Sai Arun (2013), understandin financial inclusion in India and role of ICT in ICT, InternationalJournal of InnovativeResearch andDevelopment, 2(12): 198-201.

Print vs. Preaching in the Spread of Protestant Ideas Essay -- Religio

When considering the spread of Protestantism, it is essential to look at the role of printing and preaching. First, looking at printing, there is definitely a correlation between the rise of print and Protestantism, however print was only a substantial industry in countries like Germany, France and Italy, and even there, printed materials were only accessible to a literate minority. Second, the role of preaching must be considered, in spite of accusations by historians such as Susan Karant-Nunn, that it didn’t have a clear message and developed incoherently, this essay will argue that preaching via sermons and focusing on scripture was still as effective as pre-reformation sermons, as Luther and Calvin were very good orators. In addition, preaching was not just confined to the pulpit, oral communication among the general public, and the memorisation and recitation of catechism (the summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for r eligious instruction ) also helped to spread the Protestant ideas. A key factor when looking at the spread of Protestantism is the use of printing during this period. Luther, shortly after his Ninety-Five Theses (1517), during the 1520s, used pamphlets to spread his message and ideas around . It is clear by using the printing press Protestant ideas could be spread to a wider group of people from within Germany, to the rest of Europe and this â€Å"created a new reading public, who seized eagerly on the reformers’ ideas to form a large-scale ‘public opinion’† .There were also further implications as Andrew Pettegree and Matthew Hall point out â€Å"[the printed book] was absolutely paramount in first creating public interest in the controversies surrounding Luther, the... ...6) pp. 19-20. Pettegree and Hall p.801. Ibid 804. Pettegree p.11. Scribner and Dixon pp. 19-20. Ibid p.18. Pettegree p.17 and p.23. Ibid p.19. Ibid p.20. Pettegree and Hall p.796. Gerald Strauss., 'Lutheranism and literacy: a reassessment' in Religion and society in early modern Europe 1500-1800, ed. By K. Von Greyerz (London: German Historical Institute, 1984), 109-123 (p.115). Ibid pp.10-11. Ibid p.10 Ibid p.117. Ibid p.114 Pettegree p.18. Ibid p.19. Martin Luther, 'On the Babylonish Captivity of the Church', (1520), in Culture and belief in Europe, 1450-1600 : an anthology of sources eds. by David Englander, et al. (Oxford, UK ; Cambridge, Mass., USA: Blackwell in association with the Open University, 1990) pp. 177-180 (p.180). Scribner and Dixon p.20. Pettegree, p.24. Ibid p.23. Ibid p.23-24.

William Blakes Songs of Innocence and Experience :: Songs of Innocence and Experience Essays

Songs of Innocence and Experience In William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, the gentle lamb and the dire tiger define childhood by setting a contrast between the innocence of youth and the experience of age. The Lamb is written with childish repetitions and a selection of words which could satisfy any audience under the age of five. Blake applies the lamb in representation of youthful immaculateness. The Tyger is hard-featured in comparison to The Lamb, in respect to word choice and representation. The Tyger is a poem in which the author makes many inquiries, almost chantlike in their reiterations. The question at hand: could the same creator have made both the tiger and the lamb? For William Blake, the answer is a frightening one. The Romantic Period’s affinity towards childhood is epitomized in the poetry of Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience. "Little Lamb who made thee/ Dost thou know who made thee (Blake 1-2)." The Lamb’s introductory lines set the style fo r what follows: an innocent poem about a amiable lamb and it’s creator. It is divided into two stanzas, the first containing questions of whom it was who created such a docile creature with "clothing of delight (Blake 6)." There are images of the lamb frolicking in divine meadows and babbling brooks. The stanza closes with the same inquiry which it began with. The second stanza begins with the author claiming to know the lamb’s creator, and he proclaims that he will tell him. Blake then states that the lamb’s creator is none different then the lamb itself. Jesus Christ is often described as a lamb, and Blake uses lines such as "he is meek and he is mild (Blake 15)" to accomplish this. Blake then makes it clear that the poem’s point of view is from that of a child, when he says "I a child and thou a lamb (Blake 17)." The poem is one of a child’s curiosity, untainted conception of creation, and love of all things celesti al. The Lamb’s nearly polar opposite is The Tyger. It’s the difference between a feel-good minister waxing warm and fuzzy for Jesus, and a fiery evangelist preaching a hellfire sermon. Instead of the innocent lamb we now have the frightful tiger- the emblem of nature red in tooth and claw- that embodies experience. William Blake’s words have turned from heavenly to hellish in the transition from lamb to tiger.

Bush :: essays research papers

American Government Bush’s Address Before this speech I didn’t know what to think about Bush as a president. After reading his speech my view on him has changed greatly. Not only did talk about the American people but also other countries. Through out his speech he pleased both the anti-war Americans but the pro-war American’s also. Bush has a lot of respect, or bravery for saying that "the United States respects the people of Afghanistan--after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid--but we condemn the Taliban regime". It shows that he has his thoughts all collected and he is not rushing and attacking and putting blame on the people of Afganistan. He still has concerned for them, that they are just repressing their own people He tried to please every American by being saying there will be a war but not like other wars. By saying â€Å"Our response involves far more than instance retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have even seen.† He went on to say that it’s not a war against Afganistan but a war on terrorists'. I liked how bush puts his foot down and threatens the Taliban. Demanding them to close permanently every terrorist training camp and hand over every terrorist and everyone who participated to the proper authority. Saying that his demands are not open to negotiation or discussion so they must turn in the terrorists or "or they will share in their fate. He is threatening them but also has enough bravery to do it considering what they have already done In the last part of his speech he goes on how "we will come together† to strengthen American and so on then how he hopes that in the months ahead life returns to almost normal but how "our resolve must not pass". We will always remember that day and to whom it happened. I also liked how Bush showed the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the W. trade center trying to save others and how "This is my reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end. Then he ends it with how he will not yield, will not rest for the freedom and security for the

Operations Management Report on Lux Soap Essay

Acknowledgement: We thank all those people who helped us in preparing this report. Immense hard work has been done by all the members of our group in compilation of this report. We also thank our instructor Mr Jawad Bhatti, who has helped us always by providing us with the much-needed guidance, kind behavior, moral support and her valuable time. Our contact person in Unilever Pakistan, Ms. Sarah Siddiqui also provided us with her expertise in the construction of the report and we are extremely grateful to her for providing us with valuable insight and information with respect to LUX. The preparation of this report was a wonderful learning experience. We learnt to work in a group efficiently and equally. The experience gained by the preparation of this report will surely be beneficial for us in the future, always. 2 Executive Summary: Lux soap first produced in United Kingdom in 1899. It was produced by British company name Lever Brothers. Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever and his brother James. They using glycerin and vegetable oil such as palm oil to manufacture soap called â€Å"Sunlight Soap.† The flaked version of soap called Lux soap. Glycerin was a lucrative byproduct of the soap making process, and by the end of 1886, Lever brothers also had a glycerin factory. The beauty soap industry has a few major producers of which Unilever holds market share of slightly less than 50%. Other competing brands like Dove, Rexona and Capri have started to have a strong consumer base, but LUX.’s product features distribution and promotional activities have created high brand loyalty for which it is still the market leader. Since the 1930s, more than 400 of the world’s most famous female celebrities have been associated with Lux. Sarah Jessica Parker, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Mahira Khan are some actresses featured in Lux advertising campaigns in US, India and Pakistan. Today, Lux is the market leader in several countries including Pakistan, Brazil, India, Thailand and South Africa. Developed by Unilever, Lux (soap) is now headquartered in Singapore. Introduction Lux is a global brand developed by Unilever. The range of products includes beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives, hair shampoos and conditioners. The brand was founded by the Lever Brothers (today known as Unilever) in 1899. The name changed from â€Å"Sunlight Flakes† to â€Å"Lux† in 1900, a Latin word for â€Å"light† and suggestive of â€Å"luxury.† In 1924, it became the first mass market toilet soap in the world. It is noted as a brand that pioneered female celebrity endorsements. As of 2005, Lux revenue is at 1.0 billion euros, with market shares spread out to more than 100 countries across the globe. Lux toilet soap was launched in the United States in 1925 and in the United Kingdom in 1928. Subsequently, Lux soap has been marketed in several forms, including hand wash, shower gel and cream bath soap. Since the 1930s, more than 400 of the world’s most famous female celebrities have been associated with Lux. Sarah Jessica Parker, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai and Mahira Khan are some actresses featured in Lux advertising campaigns in US, India and Pakistan. Today, Lux is the market leader in several countries including Pakistan, Brazil, India, Thailand and South Africa. Developed by Unilever, Lux (soap) is now headquartered in Singapore. About Unilever Unilever is a multinational consumer product manufacturing giant operating in over hundred countries all around the globe. Unilever Pakistan is the Pakistan chapter of Unilever, where the company holds 60.75% share whereas the Government of Peoples Republic of Pakistan holds 39.25% share. Unilever’s one of the most popular brand in Pakistani  market is LUX. They have segmented the local market for  LUX according to geographical locations. It further  differentiates these segments into Socio Economic Cluster  (SEC) which takes into account the criteria of education  and profession which ultimately measures the financial  ability of consumers. The cluster is divided into five parts starting from A to E. Unilever targets the urban and sub urban upper middle class and middle class segment of the population, who falls under A to C of SEC. Tactical marketing tools, 4P’s,  are extensively used by the  company  to  market  LUX.  Though LUX is produced in  Pakistan, Unilever Pakistan  maintains the same standard  all around the globe. The  product is available in six  different  fragrances  under  three different sizes. Since the  demand  for  beauty  soap  market is to a great extent oligopolistic, variations in price lead to price war which can eventually break down the company’s market share.  Thus Unilever cannot provide a better price than its competitors. But the price is affordable by most of the people. Unilever Pakistan has outsourced its distribution channels to third party distributors which allow them to distribute LUX in massive  bulks amounting to around ten million pieces. It undertakes the largest promotional activities in the beauty soap industry. The beauty soap industry has a few major producers of which Unilever holds market share of slightly less than 50%. Other competing brands like Dove, Rexona and Capri have started to have a strong consumer base, but LUX.’s product features distribution and promotional activities have created high brand loyalty for which it is still the market leader. History of lux soaps: Lux soap first produced in United Kingdom in 1899. It  was produced by British company name Lever  Brothers. Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by  William Hesketh Lever and his brother James. They  using glycerin and vegetable oil such as palm oil to  manufacture soap called â€Å"Sunlight Soap.† The flaked  version of soap called Lux soap. Glycerin was a  lucrative byproduct of the soap making process, and  by the end of 1886, Lever brothers also had a glycerin  factory. Lever opened their small office in New York in 1895. The company started selling Sunlight and Lifebuoy but did not doing well until 1916. Lux soap was first launched in United States in 1916. The Lux trademark  was registered in United States in 1900.  Lux soap was launched in India in 1929  and later in Pakistan. The soap’s very first  advertisement  featured  actress  Leela  Chitnis as its brand ambassador. It was  popularly known as ‘the beauty soap of  film stars.  From 1930s right through 1970s, Lux soap colors and packaging were altered several times to reflect fashion trends. In 1958 five colors were made up the range: pink, white, blue, green and yellow. In 1990s, Lux launching its own range of shower gels, liquid soaps and moisturizing bars. Today, Lux soap is sold in 100 countries and sales achieved 1.0 billion euros in 2005 alone. From 1930s right through 1970s, Lux soap colors and packaging were altered several times to reflect fashion trends. In 1958 five colors were made up the range: pink, white, blue, green and yellow. In 1990s, Lux launching its own range of shower gels, liqui d soaps and moisturizing bars. Today, Lux soap is sold in 100 countries and sales achieved 1.0 billion euros in 2005 alone. Building the Beauty Soap Credentials: Introduced in the US in 1924, Lux became the world’s first mass market toilet soap with the tagline â€Å"made as fine as French Soap†. In the first 2 years of launch, Lux concentrated on building its beauty soap credentials. Advertisements offered consumers â€Å"a beauty soap made in the French method† at an affordable price, with the promise of smooth skin. Made with fine-texture, rich in fragrance, and manufactured using a method created in France, the first Lux toilet soap was sold for 10 cents apiece. 1928–1940: 9 out of 10 stars  This era saw key launches of LUX in the UK, India,  Argentina and Thailand. The brand concentrated on  building its association with the increasingly popular  movie world, focusing more on movie stars and their roles  rather than on the product. In 1929, advertising featured  26 of the biggest female stars of the day, creating a huge  impact among the movie-loving target audience. This was  followed by Hollywood Directors talking about the  importance of smooth and youthful skin. This pioneered  the trend of celebrity product endorsements.  In 1931, Lux launched a campaign with older stars, â€Å"I am over 31†. The series of print ads had stars talking about preserving youthful skin. Lux also launched campaigns featuring interviews with Stars and Close Ups of Stars, bringing to life the ‘9 out of 10’ idea 40s & 50s: Romancing the consumer Using movie star as role models, Lux’s strategy was to build relevance by looking at beauty through the consumer’s eyes. While still retaining the star element, the focus  shifted to the consumer and the role of the brand in her life. Advertising commercials showed ordinary looking women with direct references to stars, such as Deanna Durbin. 60s: Romancing the brand The 60’s saw a shift in advertising to product stories and the romanticizing of brand through its â€Å"sensorial & emotional† dimensions. This was the era of ‘the film star feeling’ and the ‘Golden Lux’, featuring stars such as Sandra Dee, Diana Rigg and Samantha Eggar. The bathing ritual, the ‘fantasy’ element that has been the imagery of Lux, was created in this era. The brand also moved forward with launching LUX in the Middle East, entering a more conservative market. 70s: Dimensionalizing beauty Reflecting the shift in beauty trends in the 70s, the Lux stars stepped down from their pedestals and were portrayed as multi-faceted women with natural, wholesome beauty that the ordinary consumer could relate and aspire to. The executions were more of ‘a day in the life’ of the stars with focus on their ‘natural beauty’. Stars included Brigitte Bardot and Natalie Wood. 80s: Owning the category space Establishing itself as THE beauty soap for stars and  beautiful women, the 80s emphasized the importance of  skin care – the first step to beauty. LUX was launched in  China at this time. Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch and Cheryl  Ladd were some famous celebrities used during this time.  In India actresses Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Madhuri  Dixit, endorsed Lux soap. 90s – Early 2000s: Advanced skin benefits In the 90s, Lux moved from generic beauty benefits to focus on specific benefits and transformation. More emphasis on functionality and variant associations with different 12 skin types as well as mention of ingredients. The communication was far more regional specific and localized, using stars like Malu Mader and Debora Bloch. This period launched product brand extensions Shower Cream and Gels and Lux Super Rich Shampoo in Japan and China. 2000s: Beyond movie stars In early 2000, the focus shifted from specific skin benefits to a stronger emotional space. The brand provided the link between the aspirational role models and real life with the campaign, ‘Lux brings out the star in you’. The benefit was now more than just beauty, it was also about the confidence that comes from beautiful skin. In 2005, Lux encouraged women to celebrate and indulge their femininity with the â€Å"Play with Beauty† philosophy, with stars like Aishwarya Rai. The brand also connected with consumers to take a more ‘active’ stance on beauty. From 2008, building off the brand’s root  strengths, focus has shifted to beauty (vs.  femininity), appealing to consumers’  fantasies and aspirations. Lux believes  that ‘beauty is a female instinct that  shouldn’t be denied’ and showcases the  pleasure that every woman enjoys from  using her beauty, encapsulating that idea  in a simple phrase: Declare your beauty.  Today, LUX products are manufactured at 71 locations with more than 2000 suppliers and associates providing the raw materials. It has key markets in Pakistan, Brazil, USA, China, Bangladesh and South Africa, and is a market leader in India (for soap bars), Pakistan, Brazil, Saudi Arabia (for soap bars), Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam. Operations at Lux Unilever has established itself as a leader in the FMCG industry, given its wide product range which consists of home care, skin and hair care, beauty care and oral care products.  An FMCG (Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods) is a regular model factory. Unilever under its skin care, soap category has 3 skincare brands; Lux (Middle Class), Dove (Upper Class) and Lifebuoy (Lower Class). Lux and Lifebuoy are produced (in-house production) in the factory located at Rahimyaar Khan in Pakistan while Dove is mainly imported as the production methods and procedure are extremely technical and critical to maintain the  high standards of the quality of the product. Another reason for importing Dove is the cost of production. Dove’s manufacturing is expensive due to the ingredients and raw material involved for it to produce in Pakistan and raw materials will be extremely expensive to import. Recently however, a rumor was spread in the market that Unilever Pakistan in order to cut down costs, will be outsourcing its production to Unilever South East Asian countries and will stop all the production in Pakistan. It was a rumor and completely untrue of them to be shifting to Malaysia. Unilever has one of the oldest factories in Pakistan and enjoy high EOS and have denied any intension to move production as it would be too expensive to produce outside Pakistan and import it back. The procurement of palm oil for Lux is the main ingredient in the production and manufacturing of the product. As palm oil is not produced in Pakistan, importing it from foreign suppliers is the best option available and costs are affordable for the company. Before the production is begun, capital expenditure is evaluated after which the setup is done for production in factories. The main raw material is in the production of Lux is palm oil which is imported due to its unavailability in the Pakistani region. This is the major head expense for Lux besides the facility itself. The production method for Lux and Life Buoy is batch processing and Dove is mainly produced through job order processing technique. Production is heavily dependent on palm oil. Production Process: The production method for Lux is batch processing and Dove is mainly produced through job order processing technique. Production is heavily dependent on palm oil. Lux Soap is the combination of animal fat or plant oil and caustic soda. The Soap needs two major raw materials: one is fat and the other one is alkali. Lux soap makers use fat that has been processed into fatty acids. This eradicates various impurities, and it produces as by-product water as an alternative of glycerin. Many vegetable fats, including olive oil and coconut oil, are also used. The alkali most commonly used is sodium hydroxide and sometimes, Potassium hydroxide is also used. Additives are used to enhance the color, texture, and scent of the soap. Palm oil is used for the manufacturing of Lux Soaps which is processed and bleached. This is then divided into two proportions as per the soap requirements; to manufacture Lux and Life buoy. After separation as per the proportions, alkali in the form of sodium hydroxide/ Potassium hydroxide are added to the palm oil barrels. Synthetic chemicals are added to clean and sterilize the mixture to remove any impurities. After this the mixture is divided into categories as per the product variety, after which perfumes and colors are added to give the soap a nice subtle fragrance and attractive color. Fragrances and perfumes are added to the soap mixture to protect the smell of dirt and leave behind a fresh smelling aroma. Substances to enhance the texture of soap include silica, talc, and marble pumice. Soap made without color is of a brown or dull grey color, but Lux manufacturers color the soap to make it more appealing to the end-user. Other material is then added according to the partic ular variety of soap. After the entire process of chemicals and ingredients have been added, the soap is further processed, cut and shaped into bars of soap according to the product specifications and SKUs of the product. The produced soap bars are then sent to packaging, where they are wrapped in the respective prepared packaging and transferred to warehouse until delivery has to be made. Loading and unloading of cargo and also wrapping of cargo is handled by labor but the process is mostly auto mated. Production Flow: Procured Palm Oil Is Processed And Bleached The Oil Is Divided Into Two Portions, For Lux And For Lifebouy Synthetic Chemcials Are Added To Clean And Steerelize The Mixture Other Ingredients Are Added As Per The Requirements Of The Product Variety Perfumes And Colours Are Added To The Mixture The Mixture Is Cooled, Further Processed And Cut Into Soap Bars The Bars Are Sent To Packagining Where They Are Wrapped In The Prepared Packs Packed Soap Bars Are Sent To Warehouses Until Delivery Costing and Expenses: The method of costing used for the manufacture of Lux Soaps is Batch Costing which is a part of Operation Costing. First of all the ingredients of the soap are mixed together in order to make a mixture. The entire mixture for the preparation of the soap produces, approximately, 1 lakh unit of soaps; this 1 lot will be treated as a batch  and will be automatically numbered by the help of machines during the process of packaging. The purpose of manufacturing the soaps using batch costing is that, it becomes easier for the company to track their product in the factory as well as in the market. For example, the end-user finds something wrong with the soap and sent a complain to the company, now if the management finds some defect in the manufacturing of the soap, it can easily track the batch number and withdraw all the soaps from the market that were produced in that particular batch. The cost of unit is determined by dividing the cost of the batch by the number of units produced in that batch. Given below is the cost sheet of Lux soap that shows the Material Cost, Prime Cost as well as the Factory Cost. PARTICULARS AMOUNT (in Rs.) Direct Material Acid Specialty chemicals Ordinary chemicals Perfumes TOTAL 6.45 0.11 0.04 0.81 7.41 Direct Labor 12.6 Direct Expenses 1.73 PRIME COST 21.74 Production Overheads Power 0.62 Maintenance 0.14 FACTORY COST 17 22.50 Revenue Generation and Costing: This table shows the details of the revenue and the cost generated to manufacture Lux Soaps REVENUE AND COST GENERATION OF LUX (Base for the preparation of Cost Sheet) PARTICULARS UNITS AMOUNT (in Rs.) Revenue Generated Sales Price Rs./packet 25 Sales Volume packets 3,20,000 Sales Revenue Rs. (in lakhs) 80 -Acid paise/ ml 4.5 -Specialty chemicals paise/ ml 2.75 -Ordinary chemicals paise/ ml 1.5 -Perfumes paise/ ml 7 Cost Generated Raw Material Prices Raw Material Volumes -Acid In 1000 litres 14.34 -Specialty chemicals In 1000 litres 0.41 -Ordinary chemicals In 1000 litres 0.29 -Perfumes In 1000 litres 1.15 -Acid Rs. (in lakhs) 6.45 -Specialty chemicals Rs. (in lakhs) 0.11 -Ordinary chemicals Rs. (in lakhs) 0.04 -Perfumes Rs. (in lakhs) 0.81 Rs. (in lakhs) 7.41 Raw Material Cost TOTAL Headcount -Manufacturing Numbers 11 -Marketing professionals Numbers 2 -Corporate employees Numbers 1 18 Average Monthly Salary -Manufacturing Rs./Month 10000 -Marketing professionals Rs./Month 15000 -Corporate employees Rs./Month 16500 Bonus on Salary (% of Salary) 12% Employee Cost -Manufacturing Rs./Month (in 10,000) 12.6 -Marketing professionals Rs./Month (in 10,000) 4.53 -Corporate employees Rs./Month (in 10,000) 1.63 TOTAL 18.76 Power Cost Rs. (in lakhs) 0.62 Packaging Cost Rs. (in lakhs) 1.73 Advertising Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 7.23 Commissions Rs. (in lakhs) 5.3 Maintenance Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 0.14 Insurance Premium Rs. (in lakhs) 0.5 Total Costs Rs. (in lakhs) 41.69 19 Strategy and Competitiveness: Vision: â€Å"We help people around the world meet every day needs for nutrition, hygiene and wellbeing, with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.† A clear direction: Unilever helps people around the world meet every day needs for nutrition, hygiene and wellbeing, with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life. In 2009, they launched called The Compass – Unilever’s strategy for sustainable growth. At the heart of that vision is the philosophy of working to create a better future every day for their consumers and the communities in which they operate. Another key element of their strategy is our aim of doubling the size of Unilever while reducing our impact on the environment. It’s a goal the company is seeking to achieve by developing new ways of doing business through which can minimize our direct impact. The company is also working with suppliers, consumers and the retailers who sell the brands to improve their sustainability credentials too. By combining our multinational expertise with the deep roots in diverse local cultures, Unilever is continuing to provide a range of products to suit a wealt h of consumers. The company is also strengthening its strong relationships in the emerging markets they believe will be significant for future growth. â€Å"Achieving significant growth objectives while decoupling growth from environmental impact is a bold but challenging vision,† says Unilever CEO Paul Polman. â€Å"Not many companies have yet taken it on. But I believe it’s the only viable vision. One that builds on Unilever’s long-term heritage and achievement, while supporting a responsible future.† . Supply Chain Management: The supply chain of Lux is the core feature which looks after the efficient  running of the entire business production and processes. Supply chain is divided into two parts one is the efficiency and the other looks after quality control. Supply chain is the core of Lux sales since it is responsible to make the deliveries to the depot, distributer and ultimately the shops. To ensure the supply chain is well maintained Lux management has weekly meetings and a software to record our forecast, orders placed by distributors (primary sales) and ultimately the orders delivered to the distributor. MSO is in direct contact with the brand team. He is responsible for required production and also informs organizations about lag or delays in production and all logistics involved and other things related to production. Forecast is based on a trend line that is predicted out of exponential sales trend graph and marketing impact added on. There are 2 major raw materials that go into production besides acid and bases. One is palm oil which is ultimately brought to the factory for further processing. The other is perfume which is globally tested and supplied. Various people within the supply chain department are responsible for various functions such as one for forecast and right demand planning, one for production and quality assurance (R&D) and one for ultimate supply and logistics. The management of the supply chain has the following processes which creates the whole flow of the supply chain network: Planning: Demand Planning: This phase is the pre-production phase where business analysts and managers sit together and create a strategic plan based on two core functions, promotional value selling and the base line target. Demand planning is carried out for a period of 5 years at Lux Promotional Value Selling is where Lux managers sit together with the planning team and set targets to achieve in terms of sales and production after advertising and marketing campaigns Base Line is the bottom line target of sales which can be achieved even without any marketing efforts. This is what the brand will achieve in terms of sale at all costs Supply Planning: In this phase the team forecasts the demands with the supply in order to procure the material required for the manufacturing of the soap bars. The supply plan is derived from the demand plan. Material Requirement Plan is the procurement plan in which  vendors and suppliers are identified and the material is procured. The details of procurement are established and are further shared with the budget control team. Master Production Schedule is the detailed plan of how the product will be produced, All details are included in this portion in terms of batches, number of bars produced, time period, production methods and flow, Procurement is done and the material is sent to the production department Production where the manufacturing and packaging is done and stored Distribution where product is warehoused and further sent to distributors around Pakistan and the distributors further give it to whole sellers. Supply Chain flow: Planning Distribution †¢ Demand plan †¢ Supply plan †¢ Warehousing †¢ Distributors Demand Plan Production †¢Manufacturin g †¢Packaging †¢Promotional Value Selling †¢Base line target Procureme nt Supply Plan †¢MPS †¢MRP †¢Buying Department †¢Warehousing Strategy and R&D: Strategy: The strategy used by Unilever is in two regions, production and campaigns. In order to maintain their strategic function, the factory is one of the oldest in Pakistan. It was Rahim Yar Khan and it was initially Unilever HO. It was initially chosen because of the following factors: 1. Proximity to Labor: Majority of labor working in the factory reside close by in Punjab region which is densely populated 2. Proximity to Source of Supply: Water supply from the rivers flowing close by provide ease of water availability (Punjnad) 3. Storage and Warehousing: Since the factory site was owned by Unilever, there was no space shortage problem so expansion and new installments was possible along with ample space for warehousing. 4. Community Considerations 5. Accessibility Research and Development: In order to maintain the competitive advantage of being the leading beauty soap brand of Pakistan, the R&D department also supervises production and packaging. R & D and Supply both monitor production and quality. Each  machine involved is configured for production according to the amount required and for how much should be in each carton so that the carton does not explode. R & D carries out research and tries to increase efficiency by running machine trials. Further to ensure quality product is produced and any likely flaws are eliminated, batch inspections are done at random to check the quality. The Supply Chain acknowledges the capacity of the machinery and production figures, therefore R & D only work on improvement and monitoring. The R&D department also carries out focus groups and sample testing when introducing new variants in the product according to consumer insight gathered through research and development. The R&D is responsible for the 24  suggestions for upcoming variants, which is then strategically planned by the brand team and tested at a small scale. If successful, the new variant is sent for production. Total quality management: TQM is different for every company and is defined by each with respect to 5 major factors: 1. Conformance to specifications 2. Fitness quality 3. Value for price paid 4. Support services 5. Psychological factors Being a manufacturing firm, Lux observes strict manufacturing quality as the focus is on a tangible product with respect to the features, reliability and conformance. Total Quality management for Lux is split into R&D functions which look into formulation, quality assurance, and packaging and ultimately logistics transit trials. Various people within the supply chain department are responsible for various functions such as forecast and demand planning, one for production and quality assurance (R&D) and one for ultimate supply and logistics. The quality of production at lux relies on the following basic concepts: ï‚ ·

Masonry History

Masonry Brick and cement have been important construction materials for centuries, and an experienced mason is an essential part of almost any construction crew. Masonry is a growing career that requires knowledge of history, materials, and techniques. Masonry consists of a lot of different things such as laying brick, block, or rock. It also consists of pouring concrete slabs such as foundations, driveways, or even pouring concrete walls. These skills require specialized training and practice to perfect. Masonry is the process of constructing a building from individual bricks laid in a specific pattern and bound together† (What is Brick Masonry? ). This specific pattern that is bound together is called a course. â€Å"Masonry is considered a durable construction method and brick is one of the most common types of masonry used in industrialized nations† (What is Brick Masonry? ). Concrete masons and concrete finishers work outside together and complete the long process o f pouring concrete such as foundations, slabs, or steps (Porterfield).Concrete is everywhere: on highways, bridges, sidewalks, or driveways, just about all ways of traveling (What is Brick Masonry? ). A variety of skills is required to be an experienced mason. â€Å"Keys to success are hand eye coordination, manual deterring, good balance, physical fitness, solid math skills, and team playing ability† (What is Brick Masonry? ). Masonry has existed for centuries. â€Å"The Egyptian pyramids, coliseum in Rome, India’s Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and some of the world’s most significant architectural achievements have been built with masonry† (Mason Contractors).Artistic, strong, and durable masonry structures have withstood the normal wear and tear for centuries (Mason Contractors). â€Å"Ancient records and excavations show that brick construction dates back more than 5000 years† (Master Masonry). For centuries, before technology came out, th e mason would have to hand form his brick that he was to lay in the wall later (Master Masonry). â€Å"Many of the brick used in construction in the early American settlements were brought from England† (Master Masonry).Records show that the first brick ever made in the United States were made in Virginia in 1611 and in Massachusetts in 1629 (Master Masonry). â€Å"In 1666 a great fire changed London from a city of wooden buildings to a city of brick construction† (Master Masonry). Because the English had first built everything in London out of wood, it acted such as a chain reaction and burnt the whole city down (Master Masonry). The British realized that brick was a better material for their needs, and so did many other civilizations. Through civilization, architects and buildings have chosen masonry for its beauty, versatility, and durability† (Mason Contractors). Masonry is used to stop disasters such as the London fire because it is resistant to fire, earthq uakes, and sounds (Mason Contractors). Since masonry is so popular, American masons can get expect to be paid well. On average a brick mason gets paid $30. 50 an hour (Bricklayers). â€Å"Bricklayers who work full time may receive benefits such as health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and retirement plan† (Bricklayers).However bad weather or downturns in construction activity can reduce hours (Bricklayers). Fifty percent of brick masons make $22. 56 with an annual wage of $46,000 a year (Brick masons and Block masons). Earth’s expanding population does provide masons some job security. â€Å"As the population grows more schools, homes, factories, and other structures will be needed† (Bricklayers). This growth will contribute to the demand for bricklayers and stonemasons. â€Å"Employment of bricklayers and stone masons is sensitive to the economy; if the economy slows down, then so does construction† (Bricklayers).Demand may also come from those wh o are renovating existing masonry buildings to maybe open a new business or make a new home to live in (Bricklayers). â€Å"With a crumbling infrastructure throughout the country the demand for cement masons who can repair and build highways, bridges, and other structures will be high in the coming years† (Porterfield). New concerns over the cost of heating and cooling buildings workers mean that workers will need to build energy efficient buildings in the coming years also (Bricklayers). The demand for terrazzo workers brick layers and stone masons is also expected to succeed the supply of skilled workers† (Porterfield). One is not required to go to college to be a mason, yet it is good to take courses such as construction trades or business classes. â€Å"There are also helpful high school classes that [one] can take such as carpentry, algebra, or physics† (Bricklayers). These classes can help in other careers too, not just masonry. â€Å"Since there are no co llege requirements some companies may require [one] to be at an experienced level before they will hire [one] on† (Porterfield).They may require one to two years experience to come on as a layer, or they may not require any experience to come on as a laborer who only mixes mud or takes brick to the layers. â€Å"Apprenticeship programs do four years of on-the-job; training, [one is] paid for the time [one spends] on the job and [one receives] at least 144 hours of classroom training† (Bricklayers). Bricklayers start out on the job by examining the blueprint or structure to see what work needs to be done, and then they start to unload the supplies for the job (Bricklayers). Bricklayers then lay the foundation, then they spread the mortar, then they tap the brick into place† (Bricklayers). Masons measure the distance from the reference points using levels or plumb lines (Bricklayers). â€Å"Bricklayers mark guides to follow as they lay the material† (Bricklay ers). Bricklayers start at corners because they are most difficult. The more experienced masons do the corners and the less experienced fill the corners in to form the wall (Bricklayers). There are a variety of ways to lay brick, and there are many designs and formats masons use.With all that is going to be said, people interested in masonry will need to know that a course is a row of brick, a header is when the short side of the brick faces out, and a stretcher is when the long side of the brick faces out (Bradshaw). The first and most basic type of brick pattern is a running bond; this is where the bond alternates instead of being stacked upon one another (Bradshaw). A common bond occurs when a header is laid so that the small end only appears on the face of the wall. A stretcher is a brick laid such that the long, narrow side only appears on the face of the wall.Brick laid in common bond with sixth course headers will have five rows of stretchers, one row of headers, then five mo re rows of stretchers, and one more row of headers(Bradshaw). Then there is the stack bond, which is where the brick is stacked right on top of each other (Bradshaw). There is also an English bond, which has one full course of stretchers and another full course of headers that alternate as such (Bradshaw). A Flemish bond is where every course is made of alternating headers and stretchers.Then there is the herringbone bond, in which every course is laid at an angle with the angle depending on the direction of the course. The Flemish and herringbone bonds are the most difficult ones to lay because the style is so detailed. A mason must measure and level the work exactly because imperfections show easily in both these styles (Bradshaw). The chart below is contains pictures of the six most common types of masonry bonds. These bonds are used in most commercial masonry jobs. Different types of bonds are used depending on issues like customer preferences and the types of structure being co nstructed. Six Types of Masonry Bonds Running Bond |Common Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | |Stack Bond |English Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | |Flemish Bond |Herringbone Bond | |[pic] |[pic] | Source: Brickwork GuideMasonry is a very important part of construction throughout the world. It has been around for hundreds of years and has grown and changed a lot since it was originated, which makes it a good construction method. The pay for a more experienced mason it outstanding, and the pay for an inexperienced one is still way above average. The demand for masons has gone down a whole lot in the past years, but I think that it will start to rise in the coming years. One better thing about the career is there is no schooling required; one just needs experience. These great reasons are why anyone able should get into masonry to start a great career for the rest of his or her life.

Modified food Essay

â€Å"Genetically Engineered foods, also known as GM and GMO’s is the manipulation of DNA by humans to change the essential makeup of plants and animals. The technology inserts genetic material from one species into another to give it a new quality, such as the ability to produce a pesticide, or to include genetic material from Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt); a natural bacterium found in soil. †Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. Scientists have been undergoing experimentation of this method for over forty years, in hopes of perfecting GM’s which they foresee will positively enhance the overall well being of humanity nutritionally and environmentally. Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 â€Å"Two techniques dominate the the GM farming industry: Some crops have been modified to be able to survive the weed- killer glyphosate, commonly sold under Monsanto’s Roundup brand. Roundup Ready crops purpose is objection is to decrease the need to till before planting, saving farmers time and money and reducing erosion and loss of soil moisture. Gylphosate is among the least toxic herbicides that can kill a broad spectrum of weeds, and thus is suppose to be safer for farmworkers and less environmentally damaging. The second technique is the introduction of genes from the soil bacterium Bacillis thurengiensis (Bt) produces a substance toxic to many pests but harmless to humans, wildlife and most beneficial insects, such as bees. While Bt has long been used by organic farmers, scientists have produced GM crops that manufacture their own Bt in the part of the plant susceptible to attack from pests- such as corn-plant roots prone to root- worm attack. †Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 What was once fairly quiet contention over the controversy of whether genetically engineered foods were safe or beneficial for human consumption and environmental preservation, has now spiraled into a social and political frenzy. People are now starting to demand for a food democracy. Currently, consistent negative findings of toxins, endangerment to human consumption, and environmental hazards have substantiated involving GMO’s; overturning the initial positive scientific and GM biotech producers projections. Government, FDA, GMO and GMO seed monopolizing company Monsanto have been accused of collaborating in order to keep GMO’s understudied, in consumer markets, and unlabeled. GM manufactures claim that GM’s are for the greater good of the world, stating that GM can end world hunger, stop climate change, reduce pesticide use, and increase crop yields. Smtih Jeffrey. â€Å"Not In My Fridge. † Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p If such a feat had been achieved, people would be rejoicing, but evidence has proven contrary. The main controversial arguments are; GM has not improved world hunger, GM has actually increased climate change, GM has doubled pesticide usage and now pest insects have developed an immunity to the pesticides, and GM has decreased crop yields. Smtih Jeffrey. â€Å"Not In My Fridge. † Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p GM is dangerous for human and animal consumption, and is an overall risk to our health and environment. â€Å"Lab animals forced to eat GM foods showed damage to virtually every system studied. They had stunted growth, bleeding stomachs, abnormal and potentially pre- cancerous cell growth in the intestines, impaired blood cell development, misshapen cell structures in the liver, pancreas and testicles, altered gene expression and ceil metabolism, liver and kidney lesions, partially atrophied livers, inflamed kidneys, less developed brains and testicles, enlarged livers, pancreases and intestines, reduced digestive enzymes, higher blood sugar levels, increased death rates, higher offspring mortality and immune system dysfunction. † Smtih Jeffrey. â€Å"Not In My Fridge. † Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p â€Å"Two dozen farmers reported that the GM corn varieties caused thousand of pigs to become sterile. Some also reported sterility among cows and bulls. German farmers link cow deaths to one variety of GM corn, while Filipinos link another variety to death among water buffaloes, chickens and horses. When 71 Indian shepherds let their sheep grace on Bt cotton plants after harvest, within 5 to 7 days 25 percent had died. The 2006 death rate for the region is estimated at 10,000 sheep. Since then more deaths were identified and toxins were also found in Bt cotton fields, investigators concluded that evidence strongly suggests the sheep death was caused by toxins, most probably Bt- toxin. † Smtih Jeffrey. â€Å"Not In My Fridge. † Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p â€Å"Three French scientists analyzed the raw data from three 2009 Monsanto studies on rats and found that three GM corn varieties caused liver and kidney toxicity and other kinds of organ damage. †Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å"Organic farmers fear that their non- GM crops could become contaminated by the spread of genetically modified traits by wind and insect cross-pollination. Once those traits are in the agricultural gene pool, there’s no way to remove it. This is pollination with a life of its own, it spreads forever. †Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35. â€Å"Another environmental concern is Roundup ends up in wetlands because of runoff and inadvertent spraying, and Roundup damages soil,† according to Rick Relyea, University of Pittsburgh assistant Professor. Two Purdue scientists, Professor Emeritus Don Huber and G. s. Johal, said in a paper published in 2009 that the widespread use of glyphosate can significantly increase the severity of various plant diseases, impair plant defenses to pathogens and disease, and immobilize soil and plant nutrients, rendering them unavailable for plant use. The pair warn that â€Å"ignoring potential non- target side effects may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering the soil infertile, crops nonproductive and plants less nutritious. †Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å"In 1992, the first Bush Administration sped up the GM process hoping it would increase exports and US dominance of food markets. The opposite ensued and the US government spent up to 5-billion-taxpayer-dollars a year in subsidies to prop up prices on the GM crop that many countries at the time rejected to adopt. Following other countries refusal of GM, the US government went on to try and force other countries to accept GM, â€Å"resorting to World Trade Organization Lawsuits against the European Union, GM food aid for famine- stricken nations, even threats to withdraw funds for AIDS relief if GMO’s weren’t adopted by African nations. † Smtih Jeffrey. â€Å"Not In My Fridge. † Ecologist; November 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 9, p27-31, 5p â€Å"Monsanto and a few chemi- biotech companies ultimately control GMO’s and GMO seed supply. Funding for university level research is often funded or controlled by the agrochemical companies. Biotech companies deny access to their patent-protected GM technology. † Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 â€Å"The FDA does not conduct independent testing for human or animal safety and relies strictly on the research conducted by the manufacturers of the products. While the main GMO producer, Monsanto, makes it impossible for independent scientists to study GM seeds. The biotech industry has convinced the FDA that GM crops are not substantially different from conventional varieties. † Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å" As the system now stands, biotech companies bring their own research to the government body overseeing their products. Multibillion- dollar company corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically- engineered crops, they have refused to provide independent scientists with seeds, or they’ve set restrictive conditions that severely limit research options,† wrote Doug Gurian- Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. † Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å"If GMO’s fail, shareholders in Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta and other companies will see their investments plummet. According to Yahoo! Finance, more than 80 percent of Monsanto’s stock is held by institutional holders such a Vanguard and funds such as Davis, Fidelity and T Rowe Price. † Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å"FDA officials have openly criticized efforts to label GM crops and food. In 2002, when Oregon voters considered measure 27, with contributions totaling $1,480,000. Next was Dupont, with $634,000,† said Cameron Woodworth in Biotech Family Secrets, a report for the Council for Responsible Genetics. Biotech companies Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences, BASF and Bayer Crop Science, plus Grocery Manufacturers of America ( a trade organization), PepsiCo, General Mills and Nesde USA contributed $900,000, wrote Woodworth. † Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. â€Å"Labeling advocates, along with 40 other countries, including all of Europe, Japan, and China want any GM food to be labeled. † Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 â€Å"Biotech companies claim that if GM products were labeled it would deter consumer spending, for by labeling GMO’s consumers would deem such products defective. Other high-ranking government officials have lobbied against labeling, stating, â€Å"If you label something there’s an implication there’s something wrong with it,† said Jose Fernandez, the U. S. State Department’s assistant secretary for economic, energy and business affairs. †Mather R. â€Å"The Threat From Genetically Modified Foods. † Mother Earth News. April 2012. Web. 2 April 2013. In March 2013, President Obama signed a rider which temporarily â€Å"requires the Agriculture Department to approve the growing, harvesting and selling of such crops, even if the courts rule environmental studies are incomplete†. http://www. foxnews. com/politics/2013/03/30/obama-signs-bill-that-protects-makers-genetically-engineered-crops-from-federal/. Which â€Å"prohibits the Department of Agriculture from stopping production of any genetically engineered crop once it’s in the ground, even if there is evidence that it is harmful†. http://opinionator. blogs. nytimes. com/2013/04/02/why-do-g-m-o-s-need-protection/ â€Å"The use of GM crops has become widespread among U. S growers of commodities, or big crops sold on future exchanges. Eighty- eight percent of corn and 94 percent of cotton, came from GM strains in 2012. Because corn and soy are ubiquitous in processed food in the U. S. , from corn- syrup- sweetened Coca- Cola to crackers made with soybean oil, its likely that most Americans consume a product containing a genetically modified ingredient everyday. † Jason McLure. â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. †CQ Researcher Plus Archive; August 31, 2012, Vol. 22 Issue 30 p1-35, p35 People should have the right and the choice to know exactly what they are ingesting and serving to their children and loved ones. â€Å"Just label it. †