Chinese Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Popular Culture - Essay Example e styles of Chinese people are entirely different from that of the other parts of the world, mainly because of political reasons rather than cultural reasons. Chinese people do not have the freedom to express their views and opinions freely. They forced to adapt a culture or living style which is digestible to the communist administration. Chinese media is under the control of Chinese communist administration and independent functioning of media is impossible in China. Another cultural aspect of China is the spreading of martial arts. In fact many of the current popular martial arts like Kung Fu, Tai Chi etc were originated in China. This paper analyses Chinese popular culture in general and media and martial arts specifically to know more about the Chinese popular culture and its effects on people. Morton & Lewis (2004) in their book, China: Its History and Culture, have pointed out that â€Å"Buddhism is wide spread in China with somewhere between 70 and 100 million followers. Buddhist and Daoist philosophy advocates deep breathing and slow motion martial arts activities in order to improve health† (Morton & Lewis, p.278). Buddhism and Daoism are two of the prominent religions in China. There are many similarities in the beliefs and practices of Daoism and Buddhism in China. Both the religions stress the importance of practicing martial arts and deep breathing for maintaining physical and mental health of the people. Moreover, ancient Chinese administrators and military also asked the people to practice these things in order to prepare a strong military force. â€Å"One can trace a history of military support for sports and martial arts back to the early imperial period peaking in the Tang dynasty†(Morton & Lewis, p.267). According to Kennedy and Guo (2010), â€Å"up until about 1900, Chinese martial arts training were conducted either in the military by active duty soldiers or villagers† (Kennedy and Guo, p.1). In order to win sports events and also to win

Complicated Attitudes Towards Female Characters Essay Example for Free

Complicated Attitudes Towards Female Characters Essay I agree with this statement, as the female characters are revealed to the reader as being powerful over men, seductive, suspicious, mysterious, bewitching and in the end, cause destruction. However, in the poems, males claim some possessiveness over the females. For example; in the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci a beautiful woman tempts men/ knights with her faery beauty. The knight in the poem, falls in love with her through her seductive actions, but then she abandons him. I met a lady in the meads, Full beautiful a faerys child This quote shows how mysterious the female is by describing her as a faerys child which basically means a mystical fairy in human form, who is playful and has magical powers. In La Belle Dame Sans Merci the reader only gets one interpretation of the female through the knights direct speech, this reflects a complicated attitude to the reader as we have a biased opinion of the female. Also, not having direct speech from La Belle adds to the mysterious-ness of female characters in Keats poetry. A male contrast in this poem is quite important, as in many of Keats poetry. The knight claims possession over the female. He creates garlands and bracelets for which could be used to enclose and trap her. I made a garland for her head, And bracelets too, and fragrant zone I set her on my pacing steed These quote shows his possessiveness over the beautiful woman. In the same way, The Eve Of St Agnes portrays these attitudes towards females. The narrator focuses on a virgin named Madeline, describing her as pure, nieve, vague and blinded by superstition. This gives the reader the impression of her being easily led and expressing her as being quite innocent. In the poem Madeline is at a party and is oblivious to everything going on around her, she is only thinking of the legend St Agnes. St Agnes Eve is believed by virgins that on this night they will see their future husbands in the dreams. The poet describing Madeline as one of these believers, shows the theme of suspicion and witchcraft, as Madeline will perform the rites associated with St Agnes. Keats uses negative capability to contrast innocence with flirtatious, this happens when Madeline goes up to her bedchamber to undress for bed. Of all its wreathed pearls her hair she frees; Unclasps her warmed jewels one by one; Loosens her fragrant boddice; by degrees Her rich attire creeps rustling to her knees: Describing the way she undresses makes her seem like shes doing a striptease. A male in the poem named Porphyro, affects the readers attitude towards Madeline, as he comes across as being the seductive one. As Madeline undresses he watches as hes hiding in her closet. This could portray to the reader about the attitudes towards women, that Madeline purposely stipped like that, because she was thinking about and wishing to tease Porphyro. But as a coincidence, he was there watching every move, showing the powerfullness of women over men. Also, the quote: Sudden a thought came like a full blown rose flushing his brow, and in his pained heart Keatss could be referring to how cunning Porphyro might be, as he was told by the old belle dame that its St Agnes Eve and Madeline had gone up to her bedchamber to dream of her future lover, giving him a seductive idea. To conclude, Keats uses many different met hods, to have an impact on the reader about complicated attitudes towards females in his poetry. Using sympathy as a weapon for the males in his poetry. However, more indepth reading shows that there may be contrasts between men and women and that their roles can be switched over.

Business Plan To Open A Retail Store Outlet Marketing Essay

Business Plan To Open A Retail Store Outlet Marketing Essay Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq  mi (99,200  km ²) and 3rd largest by population. But close to 85 percent of the population lives in villages. Almost 58 percent of Bihar is are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India. Bihar lies mid-way between the humid West Bengal in the east and the sub humid Uttar Pradesh in the west which provides it with a transitional position in respect of climate, economy and culture. It is bounded by the country of Nepal to the north and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Gangs which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14  km which is 7.1 percent of its geographical area. Hindi and Urdu are the official languages of the state, whilst the majority of the people speak one of the BiharI languages Angika, Bhojpuri, Magadhi or Maithili. Ancient Bihar (which consisted of Anga (East Bihar), Videha (North Bihar), Magadha (South Bihar) and Vaishali (North Bihar)) was a center of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India. From Magadha arose Indias first greatest empire, the Maurya Empire as well as one of the worlds most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism. Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important center of Indian civilization. Nalanda was a centre of learning established by the 5th century CE in Bihar. Today, Bihar lags behind the other Indian states in human and economic development terms, Economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the skewed policies of the central government, such as the freight equalisation policy, its apathy towards Bihar, lack of Bihari sub-nationalism (resulting in no spokesperson for the state), and the Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company. The current state government has however made significant strides in improving. Geography of Bihar Bihar is mainly a vast stretch of very fertile flat land. It is drained by the Ganges River, including northern tributaries Gandak and Koshi originating in the Nepal Himalayas and the Bagmati originating in the Kathmandu Valley that regularly flood parts of the Bihar plains. The total area covered by the state of Bihar is 94,163  km ². the state is located between 21 °-58-10 N ~ 27 °-31-15 N latitude and between 82 °-19-50 E ~ 88 °-17-40 E longitude. Its average elevation above sea level is 173  feet (53  m). The Bihar plain is divided into two unequal halves by the river Ganga which flows through the middle from west to east. Other Ganges tributaries are the Son, Budhi Gandak, Chandan, Orhani and Falgu. The Himalayas begin at foothills a short distance inside Nepal but influence Bihars landforms, climate, hydrology and culture. Central parts of Bihar have some small hills, for example the Rajgir hills. The Himalayan Mountains are to the north of Bihar, in Nepal. To t he south is the Chota Nagpur plateau, which was part of Bihar until 2000 but now is part of a separate state called Jharkhand. Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14  km ², which is 7.1 percent of its geographical area. Facts of Bihar Area: 38,202 sq km Population: 20645880. State code: 020 Independence: 15th August 1947 Republic day: 26th Jan 1950 INDIAN ECONOMY OVERVIEW India`s diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for half of India`s output with less than one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of the work-force is in agriculture, leading the UPA government to articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost economic performance. Government controls on foreign trade and investment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs (averaging 20% on non-agricultural items in 2009) and limits on foreign direct investment are still in place. The government in 2009 liberalized investment in the civil aviation, telecom, and construction sectors. Privatization of government-owned industries essentially came to a halt in 2009, and continues to generate political debate; continued social, p olitical, and economic rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1994, reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 7.6% GDP growth in 2009, significantly expanding manufacturing. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a major exporter of software services and software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and others worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit, running at approximately 9% of GDP; government borrowing has kept interest rates high. Economic deregulation would help attract additional foreign capital and lower interest rates. The huge and growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and environmental problem. INTRODUCTION TO RETAILING OF BIHAR Bihar Retail is the largest Retail Market in India in terms of population and social economic outline and Bihar s progressively rising excellence of life, a thriving wealth and customer marketplace creates it one of the newest targets for Retail section. Many big retailers first launched shops in the Indian capital. . The increasing insists for real estate by the retail brands, Retail Industry is position to develop by jump and bounce by 2010. North Bihar, South Bihar and Patna submarkets qualified maximum amount of forthcoming supply. About 19.7 million spaces are below special stages of completion. Patna and Patna submarket contains the maximum bring of beneath building stock, which will give about 5.6 million sq. ft. Organized Retail Space by the end of next year. Approximately 1.1 million sq. ft. of organized retail space has been rented this section, which is 33% higher to history section combination. Patna and Patna spectator Demand for prearranged retail space has greater than before mostly due to expansion of regional and national level retailing giants. Bihar Retail has one of the best in retail activity in the country. Taking the benefit of lack of Retail Space in Bihar, Most private builders are coming up with fresh Retail Projects in the area of south and North Bihar. In the middle of the Bihar submarkets, North and West Bihar have both proof about 10% raise, as other Bihar submarkets are fairly steady. INTRODUCTION TO MY RETAIL STORE (CONVENIENCE STORE) IN BIHAR I am going to open a convenience store in DISTRICT CENTRE near HERO HONDA show room in PATNA (BIHAR). The name of my store is SHAMAYA-FRESH. My store will sell fresh fruits and vegetables, staples, groceries, fresh juice bars and dairy products, FMCG, home, customer durable, food, with food accounting for the bulk of business. CONVENIENCE STORE: Convenience store provides a limited variety of assortments of merchandise at a convenient location in 2000-3000square/foot stores with speedy checkout. They are the modern version of the neighborhood mom and pop grocery general store.Convienence stores enable customers to make purchase quickly without having to search through a large store and wait in long checkout line .over half the items brought are consume within 30 minutes of purchase. Due to their small size and high sales convenient stores typically received delivery every day. They offer limited assortments and variety. Milk, eggs and bread once represented the majority of the sales, but now almost all convenience stores sell gasoline, which accounts for over 66% of annual sales. The second highest selling item is cigarettes, accounting for 14% of the sale.Convienence store operators also are tailoring their merchandise assortments to cater to the need of the local market. RETAIL ENVIRONMENT OF BIHAR BIHAR has been the attractive market in India for the consecutive year, although its appeal is starting to decline, according to a survey by management consulting company AT Kearney. A combination of increased consumption and an under-developed organized retail environment has made BIHAR an attractive destination for global retailer. However, BIHARs attractiveness has dropped from 100 to 92, on a scale of 100, this year. This is because new players have entered the market and the window of opportunity will get smaller over time. There is still significant opportunity, but the new players will have to deal with more competition, shrinking margins and more expensive real market. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OF BIHAR Bihar is Indias prosperous state with a per capita income of Rs. 11,650. The state has best infrastructural facilities available in the country. Major industries are manufacture of Sports Goods, Radio TV Parts, Plastic PVC Goods, Textiles, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Soft Drinks, Hand Machine tools, Leather Goods, Galvanizing Electroplating, and Printing etc. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates suggest that the Bihar retail sector is worth USD350 billion and is growing at over 20 percent per annum. Bihar, as compared to other states, has been relatively insulated from the global economic slowdown. This is apparent when looking at Bihars consumer confidence levels, its GDP projections for the new fiscal year, investor confidence in response to recent election results, etc. While the retail sector will benefit from positive macroeconomic and microeconomic factors, it should be noted that retailers are not resting on their laurels. Four strategies that retailers are using in this environment to increase growth and generate efficiencies are: Improving operational effectiveness: Retail Consumer companies are focused on optimizing operations, streamlining the movement of goods and increasing efficiencies. Supply Chain-Efficient sourcing practices, managing inventory turns and overall supply chain management is important measures to improve profitability. The ability to measure and manage supply chain risks is essential to the success of retail operations. Renegotiating rental rates-Retail rental rates have declined in most major urban cities by 20 to 40 per cent. As a result, several India-based retailers have embarked upon discussions to renegotiate rental agreements. Focusing on rural India-Increasing rates of industrialization, coupled with the Governments decision to waive farm loan repayments, make rural India increasingly attractive. Companies looking to enter rural India are customizing marketing messages, packaging sizes and price points to suit rural consumers. While there are challenges associated with serving rural India (such as inadequate distribution networks, misconceptions about rural Indian consumers, etc.), companies remain bullish on growth potential. Launching private labels-Indian Retail Consumer companies are increasingly launching private labels in a range of categories to appeal to value-conscious consumers. While private label products may have a no frills approach in their packaging and marketing, they aim to satisfy Indian consumers value preferences. Indias retailers view private labels as a robust value proposition and are also witnessing double-digit growth rates in the sales of these products.    Rationalizing prices offering sales/promotions-Indian apparel retailers, for example, have been reducing prices on their merchandise in order to meet consumers expectations for better-priced products and to encourage volume-based sales. Other retailers are extending sales and other attractive promotional offers to move stock, increase footfalls and drive revenue. Sales, a main characteristic in retail in western markets, are increasingly being used in India since value-conscious consumers are demanding sales and prefer to wait for promotions before buying apparel, footwear, etc.    CUSTOMER SERVICES PROVIDED BY MY CONVENIENCE STORE (SHAMAYA-FRESH) Acceptability of credit cards. Child care facility. Credit. Delivery to home. Dressing room. Extended store hours. Facilities for shoppers with special needs (physically handicapped). Parking. Special order. Each and every customer is very important to us. So according to their need and requirement me provide them better services, so that we can make good brand image of our store (SHAMAYA-fresh). BUSINESS PLAN TO OPEN A RETAIL STORE OUTLET INTRODUCTION: My store is opened in 3000 sq/ft. located at very convenient place. According to the taste and preference of my consumers we are providing them fresh products. For the store we need different materials such as: furniture, computers, printers, swapping machine, internet etc. MISSION: To build a just and sustainable, locally oriented food system for my consumers in Bihar by providing them fresh products. VISSION: To become a branded retail store in the world. OBJECTIVES: -Raising, preparing and eating a great variety of fresh, local and healthful food is one of the regions common values. -No one needs to go beyond the region for a healthful diet.   -Food consumption is possible within walking distance of its production.   -From an early age we learn experientially where and how our food is raised.   -Regional food production ranges from a few large farms to many small farms to numerous public and private gardens to potted vegetables plants in downtown city apartments.   -Food processing centers focus on local production and distribution in order to supply institutions, restaurant and grocery stores.   -Our connections to food beyond the region, while minimal, provide security in the event of food emergency, as well as opportunity to trade for foods impractical to produce regionally.   MARKETING PLAN A marketing plan is very important while opening a retail store. By seeing the following needs we had made our plan they are: -The target market- the segment towards which the retailer plans to focus its resources and retail mix. -The format which we will use to satisfy the target markets needs (nature of Merchandise and services offered, pricing policy, advertising and promotion program, Approach to store design and visual merchandising, typical location). -The bases on which we will build a sustainable competitive advantage. The competition Which is not easily copied and thus can be maintained over a long period of time. ADVERTISEMENT: Through advertisement we will be able to attract more and more consumers towards us. We can adopt sales promotion for our retail store. We will target at our ultimate consumer. Will make use of a variety of formats: premiums, coupons, contests, etc, will attract attention, will offer strong purchase incentives, and will dramatize offers, will boost sagging sales, will stimulate quick response, Short-lived. Not effective at building long-term brand preferences. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT PLAN OF MY RETAIL STORE OUTLET As our younger generation is very diet conscious so taking in consideration to this point we have thought to open a convenient retail store in DISTRICT CENTRE. It is youth meeting place with lots of crowd. The products which will be available at my store are: FRESH MILK FRESH JUICE STAPLES GROCERIES DAILY PRODUCTS HOME PRODUCTS FMCG PRODUCTS FRESH FRUITS VEGETABLES CONSUMER DURABLE PRODUCTS According to the demand of our products we will increase our product line in market. OPERATIONAL PLAN OF MY RETAIL STORE OUTLET LOCATION OF MY CONVENIENCE STORE (SHAMAYA-FRESH): Three most important things in retailing are LOCAION, LOCATION, and LOCATION only. The location which I have chosen for my store is DISTRICT CENTRE where we see huge crowd every day. We will be able to attract more and customers. We are providing fresh products to our consumers to their suitable location. Each and every thing is easily available in that locality. LAYOUT: Best method of encouraging customer exploration is to present them with a layout that facilities a specific traffic pattern. Another method of helping customer move through the store is to provide interesting design elements. KEY SUPPLIERS: we have contacts the local vendors of that area to that we can easily provide the products to our consumers. Vendors approach is the best way of supply chain efficiency in which the vendors is responsible for maintaining the retailers inventory levels in each of the store. My consumers will get fresh products on their demand at any time on demand. STORE MANAGEMENT: store management is very important in every store. The responsibility of store managers are: managing employees, controlling costs, managing presentation, and providing customer service. Managing store employees: -Recruiting and selection. -Socializing and training. -Motivating Controlling costs: -Increasing labour productivity. -Reducing maintenance and energy costs. -Reducing inventory losses MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT: According to merchandising management we will forecast our sales and develop assortment plans indicated in very general terms. We generally use staple merchandise items are continuously sold over a year. If there is greater the fluctuation in demand, the more backup stock is needed. FINANCIAL PLAN PROJECTED BALANCE SHEET Liabilities 1st year 2nd year Assets 1st year 2nd year Capital Fixed assets: Owners capital 1,75,000 1,75,000 Furniture 20,000 20,000 Liabilities Computer 25,010 20,000 Bank loan 3,75,000 3,50,000 Website development 25,000 28,000 Net profit 192990 587968 Current assets : Creditors 323287 Inventory 12,000 55,000 Prepaid courier exp 47,000 1,00,000 Prepaid Rent 53,000 60,000 Cash in hand bank 5,30,000 11,53,256 Deferred expenses 30,980 Total liabilities 7,42,990 14,36,256 Total assets 7,42,990 14,36,256 Total liability for 1st year: 7, 42,990 Total liability for 2nd year: 14, 36,256 Total assets for 1st year: 7, 42,990 Total assets for 2nd year: 14, 36,256 Financial plan is an integrated part of a retail market strategy. We have planned how we will invest our money in opening of our retail store. We have taken loan from HDFC bank at 8% interest. Sales growth will be aggressive the first 18 months as we sharpen our merchandise assortment, size scales, and stock levels to better meet our customers requirements. We anticipate a sales increase of 45% during our second year of operation. Marketing will continue to average 9% of total sales. We will invest residual profits into reducing debt and the lost income from large cash holdings. Our store expansion, while not a necessity, will be an option if sales projections are met and/or exceeded.

Cuban Relations Essay -- Essays Papers

Cuban Relations In the year 1959 a politician named Fidel Castro led a revolution against the Cuban government under Fulgencio Batista. Castro used his influence to persuade the Cuban people to fight for him in the revolution against Batista’s government. With the people on his side, Castro successfully overthrew the Cuban government and was eventually elected President. These people believed in Castro, and that he would make Cuba a better place to live and work in. Once Fidel Castro had control, he named himself dictator for life and made Cuba a socialist nation who openly embraced communism. Cuba became the only communist nation in the Eastern Hemisphere. As a result of this new socialist regime many Cubans fled to the United States into south Florida, which is only a mere ninety miles from Cuba. Shortly after Castro took control of the government, relations with the United States declined. Capitalist leaders, like the United States wanted to make sure that socialist countries trying to establish a communist system, such as Cuba would fail because the goal of communists is to develop a system free from private ownership, which is not in the best interests of the countries who are wealthy due to private ownership i.e. the United States of America. Under The Kennedy administration, America attempted to dethrone Castro from power in Cuba many times, including the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. While these attempts to get rid of Castro failed, in 1962 American President John F. Kennedy signed the Cuban Embargo to stop all imports, exports, and diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. The signing of this embargo was basically the beginning of the end for diplomatic relations between the United States of... ...the sanctions which have suffocated the Cuban economy in the past four decades. Until Castro wishes to comply with the government of the United States, the embargo will stand and Cuba’s economy will hurt because of it. Works Cited 1. U.S. Rejects Ending Trade Embargo on Cuba. Website. . 2. Senators who vote in order of Ending the Embargo. Website. 3. The Cuban Economy. Website. < www.pitt.edu/~press/books/cubaneconomy.html.> 4. Faces of Cuba. Website. 5. Fidel Castro:History Archive. Website. 6. U.S. Department of State. Website. < www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/.>

Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Confessions of an Economic Hit man John Perkins The reasons as to why I selected this book was heavily weighted on my personal interests. The fact that I am interested in matters of economics, imperialism, capitalism and deception and corruption on a government level, made reviewing Confessions of an economic hit man an enjoyable experience. â€Å"For them, this is a war about the survival of their children and cultures, while for us it is about power, money and natural resources. It is one part of the struggle for world domination and the dream of a few greedy men, global empire. † (prologue) If confessions of an economic Hit man had to be summarised in a sentence, the quotation above should give you the reader briefly; a general inquest into some of the main topics of discussion in the book. The author (John Perkins) describes in great depth the conflicts of interests between the developed and the developing world whilst integrating his life journey as part of a riveting and gripping novel. The book begins in the 1960’s and the author gives a personal account of his life, family and education threw till 1971, the year in which John Perkins became an â€Å"Economic Hit man†. Confessions of an economic Hit man tells a tale of how John Perkins amongst others exploited oil exporting countries such as Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela and Indonesia but to name a few names, in order for them to become indebted to the United States of America. John Perkins goes into grave detail in explaining how America has become probably the most powerful political and economic force in the world. The elements of genius and deception mixed with the strategic approaches of the so called economic hit men (â€Å"EHM’s†) gives an insight as to how these oil rich countries become indebted to the powerhouses of America such as the large engineering corporations, banks, CEO’s and politicians. In order to explain how EHMs go about their work, the author has chosen to make references to the Mafia, through these references it can be understood just how these strategies where implemented in to helping the American economy grow according to the views, expressions and experiences of John Perkins. Like our counterparts in the mafia EHMs provide favors. These take the forms of loans to develop infrastrucure – electric generating plants, highways, ports airports or industrial parks. † (prolouge) EHMs pronounce the idea of taking out large loans to the leaders of some of the countries named previously. The main intention of providing countries these inflated l oans, is in the end for these countries to default on the loan payments and in turn to be indebted to the USA. An important part of the process was making sure the infrastructure that was to be built, was built by American engineering firms such as MAIN, which John Perkins initially worked for. This factor was important as a large sum of the loan was instantly injected back in to the American economy via the engineering firms. If the EHMs are completely successful and the default on the loan payments occurs (which it inevitably will) then as the author puts it so well â€Å"when this happens, then like the mafia we demand our pound of flesh† (prologue). As a result America often try to command some of the following; control over United Nations votes, the installation of military bases, or access to resources such as oil. Thus a country has been added to the â€Å"global empire†. The author tries to diagnose what is wrong with the strategic decisions being made by the American government, himself and other economic hit men in the past by showing the consequences the strategic decisions have. Not only on the ones who reap the benefits from these decisions but of those who are affected negatively. An example of this is how the indigenous people of Ecuador were affected by the oil companies invading the very environments in which those people live and the destruction of cultures, habitats, wildlife and the people of Ecuador who lived in such areas. To give another example as to what is wrong with the strategic decisions made in the past in regards to the protagonist, the Mafia reference can be referred to once again. Mafia bosses often start out as street thugs. But over time, the ones who make it to the top transform their appearance. They take to wearing impeccably tailored suits and owning legitimate businesses. † â€Å"They are quick to lend money to those in desperate straits† They appear to be model citizens. However beneath this patina is a trail of blood† (page 139) Using the mafia analogy it is clear to diagnose what is wrong with the strategic decisions that have been made in the past and are still being made now in regards to, how governments and EHMs leave behind trails of blood just as Mafia bosses can in order to carry out their business. But the â€Å"model citizens† who are in disguise such as EHMs are seen in a completely different light in that to crime lords. Many strategies have been devised by empires over centuries, these strategies and decisions have helped shape the world as it is in its present state. The author explains how strategic decisions made in the past were the wrong decisions in his opinion, as John Perkins had seen first hand the devastation that could be caused by the American government in its pursuit for a â€Å"global empire†. An example of this is how in the 1960’s, a key strategy was being implemented by the world governments. This was the switch from neoclassical economics to Keynesian economics. In America this switch happened under the reigns of presidents Kennedy and Johnson. The switch to Keynesian economics meant that the government would play a major role in managing markets and in regards to welfare: health, unemployment, compensation and other forms of welfare. This now meant that government intervention was at an all time high. The author explains how a one Robert McNamara who at the time was the secretary of defense and then went on to become the president of the World Bank, had the single most important influence on the switch to Keynesian economics. â€Å"McNamara became a strong advocate of a Keynesian approach to government, using mathematical models and statistical approaches to determine troop levels, allocation of funds, and other strategies. His advocacy of â€Å"aggressive leadership† became a hallmark not only of government managers but also of corporate executives. It formed the basis of a new philosophical approach to teaching management at the nation’s top business schools, and it ultimately led to a new breed of CEOs who would spearhead the rush to global empire. (page 79) The author goes on to stress the importance of such an event and how the decisions which lead up to Robert McNamara becoming the president of the most powerful bank in the world. The strategic decision of developing and switching to Keynesian economics which lead to the World Bank becoming an agent in the â€Å"global empire† was described by the author as â€Å"Robert McNamara’s greatest and most sinister contribution to history†. page 79) Another key Strategic decision made in 1975 this time by John Perkins was one which shaped global economics at the time. It was that of an innovative approach to economic forecasting originally formed by a Russian mathematician. This was the Markhov method of economic modeling. The strategic decision made by the protagonist in this case John Perkins was one that would affect entire societies. Of course as explained before a EHMs role was to land large loans upon the shoulders of countries which would not be capable to afford the repayment of these loans. It was exactly what we wanted a tool that scientifically â€Å"proved† we were doing countries a favour by helping them incur debts they would never be able to pay off. In addition, only a highly skilled econometrician with lots of time and money would possibly comprehend the intricacies of markhov or question its conclusions†. (page 102) Together with the help of a Dr Nadipuram Prasad, John Perkins presented Markhov as a revolutionary method for forecasting investment on infrastructure. Now backed with â€Å"facts† and figures, EHMs such as John Perkins became very successful at what they did. This shows what was fundamentally wrong with USA at the time as the implementation of such devious strategy was used to exploit countries who had lesser knowledge economically and who were desperate to have a high flying economy like that of the US and also emulate some of the US infrastructure, such as shopping malls and airports. The author tries to make it fundamentally clear that the strategic decisions made by himself and the American government were wrong in every sense of the imagination. The author paints men such as George Bush, George Shultz and Robert McNamara with the same brush. He believes under their regimes people like himself were pawns in a game in which such men wanted the result to be: â€Å":an america that controlled the world and all its resources, a world that answered to the commands of that america, a U. S military that would enforce rules as they were written by america, and an international trade and banking system that supported america as CEO of the global empire. † (page 155) Through the experiences of the protagonist and the guilt that was felt through such a personal journey John Perkins makes his confessions clear but also tries to lead the reader into new strategic directions and influence society along the way. John Perkins essentially admits to feeling regret for some of his actions but through his writings he tried to correct some of his past mistakes as he aims to educate a new generation on some of the corruption which shapes all of our futures. â€Å"Most importantly this story must be told because today, for the first time in history, one nation has the ability, the money and the power t change all this. It is the nation where I was born and the one I served as an EHM: the United States of America† (page 219) An example of this is how John Perkins makes references and implications as to how the most powerful firms in the world have at their disposal, quite essentially the power and money to change global problems such as starvation and common diseases. â€Å"the big corporations, banks and government bureaucracies – that threaten the republic could be used instead to institute fundamental changes in the world. Such institutions possess the communications networks and transportation systems necessary to end disease, starvation, and even wars – if they could only be convinced to take that course. † page 128) To this example, John Perkins mentions it on numerous occasions but this quotation would best sum up how John Perkins tries to influence the reader on reviewing new strategic directions. John Perkins does not only attempt to influence entire societies or countries as shown with the previous examples but he also attempts to interact with the reader. In the epilogue John Perkins interacts with the reader and attempts to influence the reader in implementing new strategies in their lives in an attempt to make a difference on some of the issues discussed in this book review. An example of this is where John Perkins states â€Å"so the burden falls on to you to see the truth beneath the veneer and to expose it. Speak to your family and friends; spread the word. † (page 221). In regard to this John Perkins attempts to influence people’s day to day lives, from â€Å"downsizing† homes, wardrobes cars and to even consider meditation instead of shopping. He then goes on to mention household brand names such as Nike, McDonalds and Coca Cola in a clear attempt to influence the reader that these organizations have the ability to make their primary goals to clothe and feed the world’s poorest. John Perkins almost pushes the idea of equality on the reader as he uses his strong beliefs to try and make the reader consider new strategic directions as strategy after all is not just something that is implemented on a business level but something that can be implemented in one’s life. My opinion of this novel is that I have found it to be enthralling and the argument the protagonist makes is a very convincing and detailed one. It is clear to see that the feelings of the protagonist are extremely strong. So, however strong his argument, one must consider that the story is that of one man’s opinion and in all probability, possibly biased. The main argument the protagonist makes is that of one that takes me back to the very first quotation I had used from the book, that of â€Å"greedy men, and global empire† and how it is shaping the world and how essentially things must change. An example of why the story of John Perkins could be found so convincing is an example of today’s current economic climate. The greed of the some of the world’s largest banks has lead to a recession in which very few may have predicted. This recession has of course caused many of us to struggle. I believe steps could have been taken to stop this if such high levels of deception were not amongst the CEO’s and corporate leaders of some of the world’s leading financial institutions. As I do find the protagonists story and argument convincing I do not agree with it, as in a time of extreme capitalism and globalization many of us are powerless to stop events described in the novel and a current example of today’s recession from happening. Overall the book was a more than an interesting read and possibly an eye opener to many who do not have knowledge or understanding of some of the views expressed in the book. So I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone who takes similar interest into economics, imperialism and government corruption as I have. Word Count: 2028

The Status of Women in Ancient Times

The Status Of Women In Ancient Times Throughout the years, women have had to fight for the right to gain independence and freedom. They have been through good times and bad, but through all of it women have won respect and responsibility for themselves. In the times of Ancient Egypt, women had many more rights than other places. Inheritance and property were important to them. The status of women in Mesopotamia was as simple as a contract, and men were their priority. The Napoleonic Code and the Sharia Law were degrading and difficult.It is important that we reflect on what women have been through to learn for the future. In Ancient Egypt, women were mainly important for reproduction. Children were very important, and infertile women were divorced immediately. Marriage was a very important aspect, as it was almost considered a duty of the Egyptian people. It was also popular to marry cousins, brothers, and sisters considering family and dynasties were very important. If one was to be divorced it was a very private matter, but if they wanted, women could get divorced for any reason.The men were also free to marry as many women as they liked. Women could inherit their husbands belonging and property. They could give it to anyone or keep it, and many of the husband’s rules were written in his will. Women had a lot of rights in Ancient Egypt and that is very close to what we are today. In Mesopotamia, the rights for women were very different. The status of women in their marriage relied completely on a contract. The women were forced to stay with their husbands until he wanted to leave her, and there was nothing she could do if she was unhappy in the relationship.Once the husband divorced, they could not re-marry. Men dominated in every aspect, even the children. For women to have any inheritance or property it had to be in a written document. Some of the things women could do in Mesopotamian times were that they were able to buy and sell in the market place , and they could attend all legal matters. They could also conduct business on their property. The only reason why this was important though was because the men were lazy and wanted the women to work for them.The Napoleonic Code was a code in ancient times which also contained rules for women. The main aspect was that as long as men took care of the wives and protected them, the women had to have full obedience to their husbands. They had to ask to do anything and everything. There was no such thing as more than one marriage, because the only way a woman could divorce her husband was if they had grave or a severe injury. If the women committed adultery they would have three months in jail and a divorce, where as if the men committed adultery there was no punishment.The men were so powerful that if they were ever unhappy with their sons, they could get them arrested. The men had full use of the wife’s inheritance and property if she gave his approval, and it was very rare that she didn’t. Also, if anyone else wanted their inheritance, they would have to sue the owner of the inheritance. The husband managed the dowry completely, but had to give the wife one thing per year for maintenance or personal need. The only right the wife had was that she could make her will without the consent and authority of her husband.Lastly, the Sharia Law was unfair to women as well. The major inequality that is noticeable is that the Muslim men could marry non-Muslim women, but Muslim women could not marry non-Muslim men. Also the men could divorce their wives but he had to pay an already agreed sum of money that was established before the marriage. Women could onluy divorce men if they were infertile, insane, had leprosy or some other skin desease. The men had full power over the children, yet the mother could only have power over them if they were too young to part from their mothers.The worst part of the Sharia Law was that the men were given right under the Quran to hit their wives. The only right the women had were rights to inheritance, and the right to make a will. Researching all about the status of women in ancient times makes me so grateful to live the way we do today. Women should not be treated like objects or property. For a man to be able to hit a woman is so shocking to me. I believe that we should learn from our past world and know that we should not repeat some of the aspects of the law in ancient times again.

HOW TOOLS TRANSFORMED PROTOHUMANS essays

HOW TOOLS TRANSFORMED PROTOHUMANS essays According to archeological and physical record, tool use has had an enormous effect in the transformation of proto humans into modern humans. What stimulated tool use was the proto humans intrest in new and easier ways to do things. With the introduction of tools, body morphology changed and reproductive fitness increased. Evolution did not happened over night. It took 4.5 million years for humans to get where they are today. Scientists have concluded that about 3.5 million years ago, there was the first proto human. A proto human resembles extinct hominid populations that had some but not all the features of a modern homo sapien. Such features were prolonged moments of bipedality, change in the pelvis and the reduction of the sagittal crest. (Diamond 1992 pg 34) In order for this proto human to evolve into a human, it needed tools. Some of the tools might have been discovered by accident or by early creative geniuses? The way they discovered the tools is unknown, but the changes the tools made were to the physical morphology and the body behavior. They began to walk upright, gathered supplies, cut food, and used weapons.(Diamond 1992 pg. 40) About 3 million years ago, after generations of learning how to use these tools, the hominid came out of the trees, and stayed mostly on the ground. The animal had an abundance of food and water and lived in a population of; on the ground proto-human animals. Some adapted to ground life and started to become bipedal, but more than half of them stayed on all fours. The bipedal hominids vision increased, making it able to see and do more. It obtained the ability to use weapons more effectively and efficiently because it had arms with agility. It found all the good meat and valued resources then eventually took over the whole community. Soon after the bipedal creatures gained control t ...

Religion and the Syrian Civil War

Religion and the Syrian Civil War Religion played a minor but important role in the conflict in Syria. A United Nations report released in late 2012 said that the conflict was becoming â€Å"overtly sectarian† in some parts of the country, with Syria’s various religious communities finding themselves on the opposite sides of the fight between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s fractured opposition. Growing Religious Divide At its core, the civil war in Syria is not a religious conflict. The dividing line is one’s loyalty to Assad’s government. However, some religious communities tend to be more supportive of the regime than others, fueling mutual suspicion and religious intolerance in many parts of the country. Syria is an Arab country with a Kurdish and Armenian minority. In term of religious identity, most of the Arab majority belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, with several Muslim minority groups associated with Shiite Islam. Christians from different denominations represent a smaller percentage of the population. The emergence among anti-government rebels of hard-line Sunni Islamist militias fighting for an Islamic state has alienated the minorities. Outside interference from  Shiite Iran, Islamic State militants who seek to include  Syria as part of their widespread caliphate and Sunni Saudi Arabia  makes matters worse, feeding into the wider Sunni-Shiite tension in the Middle East. Alawites   President Assad belongs to the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that is specific to Syria (with small population pockets in Lebanon). The Assad family has been in power since 1970 (Bashar al-Assads father, Hafez al-Assad, served as president from 1971 until his death in 2000), and although it presided over a secular regime, many Syrians think Alawites have enjoyed privileged access to top government jobs and business opportunities. After the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in 2011, the vast majority of Alawites rallied behind the Assad regime, fearful of discrimination if the Sunni majority came to power. Most of the top rank in Assads army and intelligence services are Alawites, making the Alawite community as a whole closely identified with the government camp in the civil war. However, a group of religious Alawite leaders claimed independence from Assad recently, begging the question of whether the Alawite community is itself splintering in its support of Assad. Sunni Muslim Arabs A majority of Syrians are Sunni Arabs, but they are politically divided. True, most of the fighters in rebel opposition groups under the  Free Syrian Army  umbrella come from the Sunni provincial heartlands, and many Sunni Islamists don’t consider Alawites to be real Muslims. The armed confrontation between largely Sunni rebels and the Alawite-led government troops at one point led some observers to see Syria’s civil war as a conflict between Sunnis and Alawites. But, it’s not that simple. Most of the regular government soldiers fighting the rebels are Sunni recruits (though thousands have defected to various opposition groups), and Sunnis hold leading positions in the government, the bureaucracy, the ruling Baath Party and the business community. Some businessmen and middle-class Sunnis support the regime because they want to protect their material interests. Many others are simply scared by Islamist groups within the rebel movements and don’t trust the opposition. In any case, the bedrock of support from sections of the Sunni community has been key to Assad’s survival. Christians The Arab Christian minority in Syria at one time enjoyed relative security under Assad, integrated by the regime’s secular nationalist ideology. Many Christians fear that this politically repressive but religiously tolerant dictatorship will be replaced by a Sunni Islamist regime that will discriminate against minorities, pointing to the prosecution of Iraqi Christians by Islamist extremists after the fall of Saddam Hussein. This led to the Christian establishment: the merchants, top bureaucrats, and religious leaders, to support the government or at least distance themselves from what they saw as a Sunni uprising in 2011. And although there are many Christians in the ranks of the political opposition, such as the Syrian National Coalition, and among the pro-democracy youth activists, some rebel groups now consider all Christians to be collaborators with the regime. Christian leaders, meanwhile, are now faced with the moral obligation to speak out against Assads extreme violence and atrocities against all Syrian citizens regardless of their faith. The Druze Ismailis The Druze and the Ismailis are two distinct Muslim minorities believed to have developed out of the Shiite branch of Islam. Not unlike other minorities, The Druze and Ismailis fear that the regime’s potential downfall will give way to chaos and religious persecution. The reluctance of their leaders to join the opposition has often been interpreted as tacit support for Assad, but that isnt the case. These minorities are caught between extremist groups like the Islamic State, Assads military and opposition forces in what one Middle East analyst, Karim Bitar, from the think tank IRIS calls the tragic dilemma of religious minorities. Twelver Shiites While most Shiites in Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon belong to the mainstream Twelver branch, this principal form of Shiite Islam is only a tiny minority in Syria, concentrated in parts of the capital city of Damascus. However, their numbers swelled after 2003 with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees during the Sunni-Shiite civil war in that country. Twelver Shiites fear a radical Islamist takeover of Syria and largely support the Assad regime. With Syria’s ongoing descent into conflict, some Shiites moved back to Iraq. Others organized militias to defend their neighborhoods from Sunni rebels, adding yet another layer to the fragmentation of Syria’s religious society.

An Analytical Biography of The Catcher in the Rye Essay Example for Free

An Analytical Biography of The Catcher in the Rye Essay Critic Jonathan Baumbach explores the significance of innocence in J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. He claims that the novel is not only about innocence, but actively for innocence-as if retaining one’s childness were an existing possibility. Not only that, but he states that Holden wishes to be a saint: the protector and savior of innocence by preventing them from falling into the cruel adult world of corruption and fickleness. Although he also wants someone to prevent his own fall since he is in fact still a child himself. Baumbach states that this is Holden’s paradox, saying that he must shed his own innocence to protect innocence. These statements are what send Holden off into the three day soul-searching quest that dooms Holden to sinking into insanity in our novel. The critic opens with a rather descriptive insight about how others view and critique Salinger’s first and only novel, as well as pointing some of the flaws that Catcher has: â€Å"The novel is sentimental; it loads the deck for Holden and against the adult world, the small but corrupt group that Holden encounters is not representative enough to permit Salinger his inclusive judgments about the species.† Baumbach claims that Holden does not have enough information to comment on the phoniness of humanity as a whole based on his observations of only a select few. As the critic investigates further, he makes a few interesting points. Some of which regard Mr. Antolini: Holden’s former English teacher. Baumbach claims that Antolini’s kindness to Holden is triggered by a homosexual interest that he has in the protagonist. Pointing  out the flaws in his teachers marriage, as well as ambiguous actions that he had done while with Caulfield. Based on Baumbach’s misguided interpretation the reader could be lead to think that of Mr. Antolini’s gesture as one of a perverted old man rather than as one of concerned mentor. Additionally, the critic moves on to discuss Holden’s concern of where the ducks go during the winter. He claims that what Holden really wants to know is whether there is a benevolent authority that takes care of the ducks; for if there is one for the ducks, there is must be one for people as well. Next, Baumbach switches focus to Holden’s prayer to Allie, which takes place before he goes to visit his family’s apartment. The critic postulates that Holden’s prayer to Allie is not so much an act of anguish as an act of love. However, if one closely examines the scene in the novel, the reader will realize that Holden’s prayer is actually the act of one wallowing in self-pity, of one that has truly hit rock bottom. After examining Jonathan Baumbach’s critique I can gather that he is a wonderful writer, he uses a colorful vocabulary and his sentences are perfectly structured. Although a line should be drawn when using more complex vocabulary; for while reading the critique the reader will likely find themselves having to look up several words to understand the points the critic is trying get across. Not only that, but the critic makes several assumptions based on very little information or goes out on a limb to make a point. Moreover, Baumbach’s points regarding Mr. Antolini’s homosexual nature, the significance of the Central Park ducks, as well as Holden’s prayer to Allie are not entirely concrete, and leave themselves open for dispute. When a reader goes through a book more than once, they find things they never caught while reading it through the first time. One would realize that Holden views Mr. Antolini as a father figure and a role model and comes to him looking for all the answers to the questions no one has figured out yet. For example, during the story when Holden arrives at Mr. Antolini’s apartment, He knows that Holden is spiraling downward and is basically aiming to fall into that insanity he has been drifting towards throughout  the novel, he warns him of this and eventually the two head to sleep. Now the controversial action that causes some of the audience to believe that Mr. Antolini is sexually interested in Caulfied, is that he awoke to find him stroking his hair. Holden misunderstood and made such a rash decision to put everyone into that Phony corrupt persona that he believes humanity is composed of, and storms off out of his home. If Holden was thinking more clearly he would’ve probably been able to handle the situation more responsibly, realizing that Antolini was only stroking his hair in more of a concerned fatherly way. The reader can tell by the way Holden refers to Mr. Antolini they have a strong relationship and he views him as a surrogate father, and not some perverted old man that Baumbach has painted him out to be. Additionally, As far as the Central Park ducks are concerned†¦Holden’s obsessive curiosity about what happens to the ducks during the winter shows the more child-like side to his character. Although Baumbach believes that Holden is searching for a higher power, instead helps him relate to that child innocence he is so fond of. It gives him the hope that change isn’t always permanent. It also helps the reader compare Holden’s perfect world in which time stands still (Like in the Museum of Natural History), to the real world which is constantly changing. Proving that he isn’t searching for some sort of â€Å"higher power† in the ducks, but it was a way to keep in touch with his innocence of his childhood. Lastly, when Holden hits rock bottom in the novel he says a prayer to Allie, in which Baumbach claims that it is an act of love and anguish. Although, this isn’t entirely true. Holden is actually wallowing in his own self-pity, how could he pray to Allie for help when while Allie was alive he wouldn’t even allow him to go on his bike with him and a friend? Sure, he feels regret for it now that he is dead and no longer with him, but it happened yet again when Phoebe wanted to run away with him and Caulfied turned her down the same as he had done with Allie. Proving that after hitting rock bottom Holden is desperate enough to pray although he doesn’t actually believe in God, but is hoping that there is one to not only save him but the soul of his deceased brother as well. In conclusion, Baumbach as a critic did write a well-written review of J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye although it was a bit difficult to understand at times, he made a clear point and backed up his point with facts from the novel. He had colorful vocabulary and his critique flowed well together. Although the critique was a bit on the longer side I did enjoy reading it. The Catcher in the Rye which is believed to be J.D Salinger’s most famous work, had been an everlasting favorite of teens and tweens of the literary scene. This novel known for its stylized prose and focus on themes of angst, alienation, and rebellion has received wide acclaim for its extraordinary sense of originality. This novel will endure as a lifetime favorite of adolescence everywhere because it has life and is probably the most original piece of its time. An Analytical Biography of The Catcher in the Rye. (2016, Oct 18). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Real Estate Consulting Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Real Estate Consulting Project - Research Paper Example Using industry parlance, the mall has become a "greyfield." As per description, a greyfield mall is a centre that has not made the grade or is in the process of failing. From a layperson's point of view, the measure of failure can include (Tate 1): Additionally, from a retail market standpoint, a shopping centre becomes a greyfield site if the sales per square foot decline every year to below $150 and is vulnerable to becoming a greyfield site if sales per square foot annually are between $150 and $199. This amounts of sales per square foot measure and the dollar amounts revealed are common to both the United States and Canada (PricewaterhouseCoopers 14). To decipher the cause of the waning sales, the bigger questions that need to be asked are -1) what triggered the decline in trade for the mall' 2) what is the future of the mall' 3) can company X do anything about this future' and 4) what should company X do' Further investigation into the history of the mall's consumer environment, revealed that the maturing of the neighborhood is precisely the cause of the issues that the mall was confronted with, that is, while the housing stock stayed much as it was when the community started, the distinctive attributes of the population inhabiting within the area have been tremendously transformed. In one aspect, although the residents of the community are principally the same people, at the base, the current dwellers of the community are fundamentally young parents who bought houses in the community when it, and the mall, were new. The truth is that, while the people have stayed basically the same, they and thus there purchasing patterns, are all thirty five years older. Even though they may be the same individuals, these people are not obtaining and purchasing the same items that they were procuring 35 years ago when they moved into the neighborhood as 25-year-old parents. To boot, an enclosed mall has become less and less fashionable with many consumers and retailers. Consumers are fond of and appreciate very much products that are fresh, novel and interesting. Enclosed malls have been around for so many years now and consumers are now geared up to try new formats. Compounding the situation is the fact that many of the conventional mall anchor department stores that have fallen out of favor with consumers and taking their place are specialty apparel, home furnishing and

Common law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 1

Common law - Essay Example ......................................8 5- Vicarious Liability...................................................................................................................9 6- Occupiers Liability................................................................................................................10 7- Strict Liability........................................................................................................................12 8- Negligence and Vicarious Liability.......................................................................................13 9- Bibliography.........................................................................................................................15 Total words: 3725. Task 1: 1-a: Formation of a contract This question is about contract, the problem in this question requires a discussion of offer, invitation to treat, counter-offer, acceptance and in particular the postal rule. Each of these elements will be discussed i n turn and an evaluation of the facts would be made thereafter. Contracts and its formation and giving legal effect to them is a matter which has been scrutinized critically by case law and statutes. The contract being formed is dependent upon an offer, which in turn requires an acceptance upon the conclusion of which question of consideration is concerned (Mackendrick, 2009). As per Professor Atiyah, the issue of offer and acceptance has been determined by courts in two ways, that is ‘reason forwards’ and ‘reason backwards’, the former is where existence of offer and acceptance are determined first and then the conclusion on the dispute is made; the latter is where the courts can reason from the appropriate solution back to the legal concepts of offer and acceptance (Atiyah et al, 2006). Offer has been defined as an intent of readiness on the part of one party who is called an offeror, so as to be bound by the terms that he states, subject to the fact that such an offer is accepted by the offeree (the person to whom the offer is made) unconcditionally. There has been a distinction drawn between an invitation to treat and offer and the former is said to be intent of readiness of a party so as to start negotiations and is therefore not unconditional (Fisher v Bell)1. The two main cases in this respect are Gibson v Manchester City Council2 and Storer v Manchester City Council3. In Gibson, the treasurer issued a letter to G whereby it was stated that the Council may sell the house to him, was construed to be an invitation to treat, this was affirmed by the situation that G was requested to have a formal application for purchase to be made.. The approach taken by the court was that they took the correspondence between the parties into consideration when determining the outcome. Contrary to that the courts, in Storer said there was a contract which was present as the matter had moved beyond the phase of negotiations. An offer should be dif ferentiated from a mere statement of price that is an enquiry as to the price (Harvey v. Facey)4 (Mackendrick, 2009). The courts have found advertisements to be an invitation to treat (Partridge v Crittenden)5, however, interpretation of courts has led to certain exceptions and the reasons cited for it are the intention to be bound and certainty (Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co.)6. Display of goods in shops are generally held to be invitation to treat (Fisher v. Bell) (Furmston et al. 2007). In respect of Doris placing the vase on her shop it would be held to be an invitat

Managing Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Managing Projects - Essay Example Subsequent valid workday using the Predecessor's and successor's calendar The Earliest Time by which the Project should be Completed is the Ending Node TE (P) = 39 days As the Project will Start on 01 Dec. 2007 and there are 2 days weekly holidays, the Early Competition Date would be 25 January 2008. [Calculation shown in Appendix-1] Float Take another look at Network diagram has several pieces of information filled in for each node. The task forename and length are self-explanatory6. The most important task of developing the project schedule is to relate each of the responsibilities and combine duration, resource requirements, and reliance. We have to make several overtake all the way through the network diagram to calculate the values necessary to create a project scheduling. Early Finish EF = Early Start + Duration - 1 Early Start ES = EF + 1 (subsequent valid workday using the Predecessor's calendar) Late Start LS = LF - Duration + 1 (subsequent valid workday using the successor's calendar) Late Finish LF = LS - 1 Float = Late Start - Early Start Float = Late Finish - Early Finish7 In project management float is the amount of time that a terminal element in a project network can be delayed by, without causing a delay to: Subsequent terminal elements (free float) Project completion date (total float). For an example, consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of someone's home. There are various component activities involved in the project as a whole; obtaining the glass and putty, installing the new glass, choosing the paint, obtaining a tin of paint, painting the new putty once it has set, wiping the new glass free of finger smears etc. The owner cannot buy the new paint until you...Manipulating and analysing data help the managers to manage the projects and funds. Take another look at Network diagram has several pieces of information filled in for each node. The task forename and length are self-explanatory6. The most important task of developing the project schedule is to relate each of the responsibilities and combine duration, resource requirements, and reliance. We have to make several overtake all the way through the network diagram to calculate the values necessary to create a project scheduling. For an example, consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of someone's home. There are various component activities involved in the project as a whole; obtaining the glass and putty, installing the new glass, choosing the paint, obtaining a tin of paint, painting the new putty once it has set, wiping the new glass free of finger smears etc. The owner cannot buy the new paint until you have chosen it, he/she cannot paint the new putty until the window is installed and the new putty has set. Delaying the acquisition of the glass is likely to delay the entire project - this activity will be on the critical path and have no float, of any sort, attached to it and hence it is a 'critical activity'8. Julien, D.

LEACH protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks Research Paper - 1

LEACH protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks - Research Paper Example Low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) is a communications protocol that has overcome some of the limitations of various routing protocols on wireless sensor networks. It is mainly meant for wireless sensor networks where an end user intends to remotely monitor and control his/her environment. To achieve this, data obtained from various nodes is sent to a focal base station in the sensor networks; which enables the end user to access the network. Wireless sensor networks have found use in the economy of late and therefore the need to manage the energy constraints. Localization, fusion, and routing have been the areas of interests especially in dealing with the constraints of energy in the wireless sensor networks. Energy is determinant in the duration and lifetime of the system. Many studies and advancements have been carried out to solve energy management in various wireless sensor nodes. Cluster routing protocols have also been improved to increase energy management in WS Ns. It is undeniable that clustering is one of the most proven ways of prolonging the lifetime of networks for the wireless sensor networks which are energy constrained .The dissipation of energy in networks has been at the Centre stage for the effective functioning and lifetime of systems. Wireless distribution microsensor systems enable many networks found in the military and public domain. The dissipation of energy is therefore important in the wireless networks since it determines their effectiveness and reliability. The discussion in the below paper will analyze five reviewed academic journals to analyze the thesis statement that; the low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy protocol (LEACH) detects the faults on the network by transmitting and analyzing the periodical queries from the centralized node and increases the life span of the sensor nodes by

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to Essay

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to illustarte the points you make - Essay Example marketing department has to either seek new territories or new products or, most importantly, create new demand within an established market. Innovative ideas and affirmative action can generate new demand even for existing products. Initiatives like consumer loan schemes in association with banks, discounts, incentives, gift schemes, limited time offers and targeted promotion are the forte of marketing departments. Thus marketing plays a crucial role in any organisation. The famous four Ps (product-price-packaging-promotion) together with distribution and service form the tools of a marketing department. For successful marketing, it is necessary to understand the customer preferences for products, distribution logistics and strengths of competition. Customer preferences depend upon price, packaging and promotion. In all these matters, the marketing department has a vital role as it acts as the communication bridge between the customers’ preferences and the company. It also constantly monitors distributor / retailer activity, their inputs regarding customers feedback on product quality, price and attractiveness. While these activities keep the marketing department on its toes all the time, there is the ever-present threat of newer products and newer players entering the market, taking away customers on the one hand and the demands of management for improved performance on the other. Within the allotted budget, marketing department has to maint ain the existing market share and take actions for garnering new customers or entering new territories. These activities form the ‘challenging role’ for any marketing department. ‘Customer is the king’ is the marketing mantra and the efficiency with which he is serviced will determine an organisation’s success or failure. offering a basic product with variations in features, quality and packaging in order to service different customer segments. Obviously, this is intricately related to

Managing Projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Managing Projects - Essay Example Subsequent valid workday using the Predecessor's and successor's calendar The Earliest Time by which the Project should be Completed is the Ending Node TE (P) = 39 days As the Project will Start on 01 Dec. 2007 and there are 2 days weekly holidays, the Early Competition Date would be 25 January 2008. [Calculation shown in Appendix-1] Float Take another look at Network diagram has several pieces of information filled in for each node. The task forename and length are self-explanatory6. The most important task of developing the project schedule is to relate each of the responsibilities and combine duration, resource requirements, and reliance. We have to make several overtake all the way through the network diagram to calculate the values necessary to create a project scheduling. Early Finish EF = Early Start + Duration - 1 Early Start ES = EF + 1 (subsequent valid workday using the Predecessor's calendar) Late Start LS = LF - Duration + 1 (subsequent valid workday using the successor's calendar) Late Finish LF = LS - 1 Float = Late Start - Early Start Float = Late Finish - Early Finish7 In project management float is the amount of time that a terminal element in a project network can be delayed by, without causing a delay to: Subsequent terminal elements (free float) Project completion date (total float). For an example, consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of someone's home. There are various component activities involved in the project as a whole; obtaining the glass and putty, installing the new glass, choosing the paint, obtaining a tin of paint, painting the new putty once it has set, wiping the new glass free of finger smears etc. The owner cannot buy the new paint until you...Manipulating and analysing data help the managers to manage the projects and funds. Take another look at Network diagram has several pieces of information filled in for each node. The task forename and length are self-explanatory6. The most important task of developing the project schedule is to relate each of the responsibilities and combine duration, resource requirements, and reliance. We have to make several overtake all the way through the network diagram to calculate the values necessary to create a project scheduling. For an example, consider the process of replacing a broken pane of glass in the window of someone's home. There are various component activities involved in the project as a whole; obtaining the glass and putty, installing the new glass, choosing the paint, obtaining a tin of paint, painting the new putty once it has set, wiping the new glass free of finger smears etc. The owner cannot buy the new paint until you have chosen it, he/she cannot paint the new putty until the window is installed and the new putty has set. Delaying the acquisition of the glass is likely to delay the entire project - this activity will be on the critical path and have no float, of any sort, attached to it and hence it is a 'critical activity'8. Julien, D.

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to Essay

Discuss the role of marketing and the marketing department of tesco to illustarte the points you make - Essay Example marketing department has to either seek new territories or new products or, most importantly, create new demand within an established market. Innovative ideas and affirmative action can generate new demand even for existing products. Initiatives like consumer loan schemes in association with banks, discounts, incentives, gift schemes, limited time offers and targeted promotion are the forte of marketing departments. Thus marketing plays a crucial role in any organisation. The famous four Ps (product-price-packaging-promotion) together with distribution and service form the tools of a marketing department. For successful marketing, it is necessary to understand the customer preferences for products, distribution logistics and strengths of competition. Customer preferences depend upon price, packaging and promotion. In all these matters, the marketing department has a vital role as it acts as the communication bridge between the customers’ preferences and the company. It also constantly monitors distributor / retailer activity, their inputs regarding customers feedback on product quality, price and attractiveness. While these activities keep the marketing department on its toes all the time, there is the ever-present threat of newer products and newer players entering the market, taking away customers on the one hand and the demands of management for improved performance on the other. Within the allotted budget, marketing department has to maint ain the existing market share and take actions for garnering new customers or entering new territories. These activities form the ‘challenging role’ for any marketing department. ‘Customer is the king’ is the marketing mantra and the efficiency with which he is serviced will determine an organisation’s success or failure. offering a basic product with variations in features, quality and packaging in order to service different customer segments. Obviously, this is intricately related to

Management studies Essay Example for Free

Management studies Essay Introduction Since starting the DMS in September I have found the workshop programme very useful. I have learnt many styles and techniques of management and from this have applied to my workplace with very effective results, also using my workplace as an experimental ground for practising my new techniques. From this, I have learnt from my mistakes and errors and rectified them to continually improve my own performance, and thus improve the performance of my department within the business. From leaving school with four o levels, I started my working career as an engineer; attaining an apprenticeship at Phillips Components. After four years of completing this, along with a higher national certificate in computer aided engineering, I acquired a position of Toolmaker in the Toolroom. I then continued working as a Toolmaker for the next eleven years without ever considering a managerial position. After many years of Toolmaking I acquired the position of Improvement Technician within the Sub-components department (press shop) and after Twelve months was offered the position of Shift Leader within this department. From taking the leap from Engineering to production/people management it was recommended that I returned to college to complete a Diploma in Management Studies to gain the academic qualifications to compliment my new role. Learning Style and Teamwork Theory One of the first workshop sessions was based on learning style and teamwork theory. For this we completed questionnaires on learning style and the Belbin self perception inventory, a questionnaire based on individuals team role profile. The learning style questionnaire was designed to understand your preferred learning style and help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your style. The results are broke down into four different styles: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists and Pragmatists. After scoring myself on the questionnaire, the results suggested that I had a very strong preference towards being an Activist, a strong preference towards a reflector and moderate preference towards Theorist and Pragmatist. An Activist is a person who is very open-minded and enthusiastic about new ideas or experiences. They tend to act first and consider the consequences later. They tackle problems by brainstorming and thrive on the challenge of new experiences. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but, in doing so, they seek to centre all activities around themselves. With the learning style of an Activist I find it very hard work to sit down and study, I also find it very difficult reading a book as I tend to find my mind wandering off on to other activities I could be doing. Analysing my learning style within the workplace, I would tend to agree with these results. I have a reputation at work for being very enthusiastic and passionate about my department and also about the company I work for, also preferring to physically get stuck in with problems we encounter, rather than sitting down and discussing them. Within each learning style there is a set path we need to progress through in order to get the most out of any learning experience, these are as follows: Step one, having an experience In step one there are two easy in which we can have an experience; one is to be passive and allow the experience to happen and you needing to react, two is to deliberately seek them out in a proactive manner. Step two, reviewing the experience I tend to think this is the one we most often miss out on, we tend to jump this one and come to a conclusion before weve reviewed an experience in a none judgemental manner (with an open mind and no preconceptions). Time needs to be taken out to properly review any experience to gain anything from it. Step three, conclusions from the experience This involves looking at the reviewed experience step to understand and see what lessons can be learnt. Step four, planning the next step There would be little point in reviewing or coming up with any conclusions from the experience if we did not apply this newly gained knowledge to future events. The Self Perception Inventory The Belbin self perception inventory specifies nine roles for the efficient working of a team. Once the questionnaire is completed, a team role profile is then calculated for the individual and a counselling report is created. The chart below shows how I scored: Roles and Descriptions Team-Role Contribution Percentage Score Specialist 93% Plant 81% Resource Investigator 73% Shaper 69% Complete Finisher 63% Monitor Evaluator 50% Team Worker 25% Co-Coordinator 9% Implementer 2% My profile shows that I gain great intrinsic satisfaction from the nature of work in which I am engaged. For me work is like a hobby, offering me a chance to exercise my creative disposition and achieving professionalism all at the same time. As far as the outside world is concerned, I will be known and respected for my knowledge and special skills and for the fact that I am in the forefront of most new developments. My limitations I may have to accept apply to my administrative and managerial skills. I may have to make a conscious choice in terms of the direction of my career. A wider arena would offer broader prospects of advancement, but would also face stiffer competition, with the chance of me loosing some of my professional expertise. The alternative would be to build up my personal reputation in my own special area and carve out my own job within it. Reflecting on my results from the self perception inventory, I must realise that to become a better team player, I must understand my allowable weaknesses from the roles I scored high in. Also I must work on increasing the lower end scores, by becoming a better co-ordinator and implementer, also increasing my team worker skills. Residential To start the course off, our first learning experience of working within teams was the residential activity at Dove Nest. After a brief introduction (and cup o tea) we were soon split into four groups and given the mine field activity to complete. This being a perfect ice-breaker to the course, testing our teamwork skills and also a perfect opportunity to get to know other students. Instantly, different individuals personalities and trends were noticed and within minutes different traits were easily recognised as some members co-ordinated whilst others problem solved or challenged ideas. Our team decided it would be an advantage to amalgamate with the adjacent team to create a synergy were by we would attain greater power due to the creation of synthetic energy, i.e. the understanding that to join forces more than twice the power of each individual team would be achieved. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Although we did manage to complete task, we didnt accomplish it in the fast est time. Before to long we were soon split into other groups and given different tasks to complete with goals clearly set. One task I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from was a task where all team members had to run up a hill (about 20 metres) to a square marked out on the floor (approx 3m sq.). Inside the square was 18 randomly spaced tags pinned to the ground, numbered 1 to 18. Our task was for all team members to run up to the square, then all the tags had to be touched, respectively from 1 to 18, but only one member was allowed into the square at any one time. Once this was complete, all the team then had to run back to the start point and cross this point within a specified time. We were given an allocated time to plan the task and also only given three timed attempts to achieve our target. Instantly we conducted a brainstorming session to assess all our different options. Then after heated debate about which ideas we thought would be the most efficient we then decided to perform what we thought would be the fastest trials. After timing each option we then chose the fastest and analysed this to see if we could improve on the practiced times. Once we thought we couldnt improve any more we then attempted to reach our goal. Of the three timed events, the first one was about twenty seconds overtime, the second just under, but by the third attempt we had shaved about forty seconds off our original time, also clearly beating the goal set. We achieved this through everybody committing to the teams needs to achieve the goal set, where everybody knew their place within the team, even though everybody did not agree with some of the decisions. A great sense of satisfaction and camaraderie was achieved by the conquering of this task, with all the team thoroughly motivated and geared up, ready for the next task. Finally on day one we were given the task of running our own business, the final goal, to manufacture and sail a raft on Lake Windermere. Different roles of team members soon developed, one person accounting, another designing, whilst others negotiated with opposing teams to acquire either more money or materials. Once enough materials were obtained, the raft was ready to be manufactured. Again, different team roles were seen, as some members built the raft whilst others delegated different tasks, and others stood back, saying thatll never float, youll not get me on that, only to be proved wrong once the race got underway. For me, there were many learning points from Dove Nest even though at this point we had not covered these techniques at college. It was an excellent opportunity to improve my listening and negotiating skills, as well as improving my delegating techniques. The best learning experiences for me were teamwork and motivation. Working within teams were nobody knew other peoples knowledge or capabilities, or what specialities they may possess created an atmosphere were by to achieve the goals set, individuals roles had to be rapidly appointed. I also found the problem solving activities very stimulating, probably through my engineering background. Dove nest was also an excellent starting point to the course as many students (myself included) were novices to the styles and theories ahead, thus giving everybody a perfect foundation to the year ahead. Reflecting on how each team member performed on the residential, I think it would be an excellent idea to perform a similar residential exercise at the end of the year to recognise the improvement of individuals performance. Presentation Skills A great learning point for me was the workshop on presentation skills. When confronted with the task of presenting to the group I was keen to improve my ability as presentations are a key role in my position at work, whether presenting a fortnightly team brief or a project presentation to senior Management. Previous to workshop I have encountered some bad experiences in the workplace, due to inadequate planning beyond my control. After watching the video on presentations, I came away with a greater knowledge of what creates a good presentation. The key learning points for me being preparation, content and delivery. What is the purpose of the presentation and why? Know your subject do your homework. Know your audience, the objective being to keep them interested. A good presentation should have a suitable introduction, main theme and conclusion. The delivery is also essential, confidence being the key, keep to a specified time and remember that you are the person presenting and the effect of it is upon your audience. I found it very beneficial to be able to watch and judge peoples presentation skills reflecting with the rest of the group on how to improve these skills, not feeling under any pressure whilst doing so; an option not available at work. The experience of having someone give feedback to a presentation allowed me to fully focus myself on the need to learn from, and understand my shortcomings, is also gave me the opportunity to scrutinise the way in which I should deliver a presentation. As I have a learning style of an Activist, and therefore wanting to try anything once to gain a new experience, I chose to give my presentation on a non-work related matter. I decided to give my presentation on what I labelled The Millionaire Lifestyle Weekend a presentation on how to live a millionaire lifestyle for the weekend working within a budget that most people would find affordable. Fortunately I wasnt presenting until the third week, which gave me plenty of time to plan my presentation. Also gaining more knowledge on this subject through analysing other students presentations and making observations as to how their presentation could be improved. A key observation from myself was never apologise when presenting as this may come across as being negative. Also, try to keep the audience interested and keep within the time specified. Provide a handout for any important information, but dont distribute until the end of the presentation. When the time came to delivering my presentation, I was at first nervous, due to previous experiences, but after the first two slides I felt more at ease due to the environment in which the workshop was held and also due to the fact that I felt confident about what I was presenting thanks to sufficient planning and preparation. I think another added contribution was the fact that the first couple of slides grabbed peoples attention and instantly they were thinking this looks interesting, a very important learning point, grasp peoples attention on the first two slides. I realised that in doing this, people sit up and listen, thus giving the presenter more confidence in what he/she is presenting. I also learnt that the rehearsal of a presentation is extremely important; I practiced this presentation about Ten to Fifteen at home in front of the mirror, finding this to be a great benefit to delivering a good presentation. Overall it gave value to me as I now know how to structure presentations. I felt, as did the others in the group that their subject would be boring for anyone else but to the contrary, as I listened to other presentations they were entertaining, informative, and all had flow to them. This tells me that if the subject to be presented is put over in the way we have been shown then the information within it is retained by the audience. Since this workshop, I have presented to management at work and felt a lot more at ease, having greater confidence in myself by understanding the correct way to performing a successful presentation, understanding the emphasis on planning as well as delivery. I have now learnt to improve my presentation skills at work a lot more by watching and analysing others present in the workplace. Time Management The time management workshop was also of great use to me with respect to my position at work. I am responsible for the production of nine different sub-components all used in the manufacture of a cathode, with present cathode production running at 300k per day, although due to losses on automation, with some components I have to produce 160 good components to make 100 good cathodes. I am responsible for a workforce of 45 people as well as providing assistance in other departments as and when required. I find myself in a position where I am constantly fire-fighting on a daily basis, going home feeling that I have taken two steps back rather than one step forward. When we had the workshop on time management I was instantly keen to increase my knowledge on this subject as time at work is sparse. I found the video a great learning tool, by watching the situation with the manager who never seemed to have any time. I instantly related issues on the video to my workplace and started to understand the important factors of managing time efficiently. Learning to identify, and then change, any bad practices such as taking on too much work that I could possibly delegate out to others, or failing to plan and organise my day correctly, understanding the difference between efficiency and effectiveness. The key points of time wasting have stayed fresh in my mind since this session understanding that I need to prioritise, delegate, plan and communicate more effectively. From watching the video, I returned to work ready to try out my latest technique. Understanding that to manage my time for that day I must spend the first five to ten minutes planning my day a head, prioritising what jobs have to be done, what jobs should be done, what jobs need not be done and what jobs I could delegate out to others. Also deciding which jobs are important, urgent, urgent and important and so on. Once I have done this, I then write a priority list in order of which jobs I shall do when, ranging from must do to least important. Since doing this on a daily basis I have found that I get through a lot more issues at work and seem to find a lot more time to take on extra tasks without the worry of not being able to complete in the required time. This has taken a large amount of pressure of my working day. Although I am sometimes still rushed off my feet, at least Im not leaving for home with my head in a spin. Conclusion When first discussing the DMS to work colleagues, who had once been students on the course. They described the workshop sessions to me, explaining about peoples learning styles and teamwork theory and I have to admit I was very sceptical about the whole thing, not understanding about Activists and pragmatists, etc. But since attending workshop I have realised that what we have learnt is true to life and have found very useful. I do have the opinion that people who become successful managers do have that special gift and that managers are born and not trained. My opinion is that to be successful not only must you have that gift but you must also learn the different techniques learnt on workshop and understand how and when to apply them to daily life. I have found that a lot of what I have learnt a necessity in the role I am in at work. I also realise that not all situations in the workplace are the same, as peoples attitudes and characteristics all vary, some on a daily basis, and to be able to handle any situation without causing upset to the individual or the business is a skill only acquired over time. Dealing with issues can be a very delicate and tricky art, but with the correct personality, integrity and knowledge gained from the workshop, success is a not such a fantasy as a nearby reality. Bibliography. KELLET, P. (2002) Presentation Skills Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Effective Teamwork Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) Time Management Workshop lecture notes KELLET, P. (2002) How to Improve Your Learning Style Learning style questionnaire BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Inventory Mk2 BELBIN (2002) Self Perception Team Role Profile

Business Communication Systems Evaluation

Business Communication Systems Evaluation Oriston Cunningham Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information Jiggs $ Riggs Super Stores Ltd Table of Content (Jump to) Executive Summary Introduction Discuss the Range of Decisions to Taken Examine the Information and Knowledge needed to ensure Effective Decision taking Assess internal and external sources of information and understanding Justify Recommendation for Improvement References Executive Summary Business Profile Sucker Business Consulting Ltd Has over thirty years of experience which head office is based in New Kingston the business hub of Jamaica with functional offices across the Caribbean. We pride ourselves with the successes of our client base of over 2,500 business; micro, small and medium sized businesses that invest in our trusted professional consulting expertise to put them on a growth path, increase operational efficiency and a sustainable, profitability and revenue trajectory. We are a business of diverse professionals expertise with a focus to eliminate the complexity of problems faced by our client business’ and simplify business solution that will enable them to operate in a diversely competitive business environment. Business Profile JIGGS $ RIGGS Super Stores Ltd JIGGS Super Stores Ltd is a family owned business enterprise that has three outlets located in the parishes of Kinston, Manchester and St. James of the island of Jamaica. Great grant father JIGGS as he was passionately called by his family and friends had started a sales business out his garage in Kingston where he sold clothes, shoes and home accessories to the surrounding communities. The business expanded to the extent where he began to drive around with a delivery van and drop off orders to his loyal customers, he later joined partnership with a returning resident passionately called Riggs hence the name JIGGS $ RIGGS Super Stores Ltd. The first location was on Trafalgar road Kingston, The business grew to the extent where they felt the need to care for other customers thus the two other locations in Manchester and St. James. Both men had died and the business passed on their grandchildren Byron and Simeon who are co-managers of JIGGS $ RIGGS Super Stores Ltd. The recent performances of all three stores have declined steadily for past three years. The young partners tried a number of measures to stabilize the business: cut head count, extend operating hours, Increase longer payment terms and even turn off the air conditioning during operation hours but still operating at a loss and fail to breakeven. The co-managers have called a meeting and finally decided to sell and our client Private Partners (a group of small investors). The current financial position of JIGGS $ RIGGS Super Stores Ltd is as follows. Financial situation of Jiggs $ Riggs Super Stores Ltd INDUSTRY STANDARD July 2014 July 2013 July 2012 July 2011 REVENUE $8400000 $2500000 $2600000 $2400000 COST OF SALES 40% ($3200000) ($1500000) ($1600000) ($1500000) GROSS PROFIT 60% $5200000 $1000000 $1000000 $900000 EXPENSES 30% ($2800000) ($2400000) ($2400000) ($2300000) NET PROFIT 30% $2400000 -$1400000 -$1400000 -$1400000 Introduction Research Background The business environment is regulated by laws which guide organizations and their operations. The ever changing business environment demands the growth and development of businesses due to continuous aggressive competition and changes in market trends, (Klein, 2013). The mergers, acquisitions and take-over of businesses increased due to the growth of medium sized companies in their current markets and expanding their reach to new customers adversely, micro business operators are discouraged due to low financial performance and access to the kind of cash injection that will boost their business outlook. Business acquisition may have some draw backs also advantages both for the investors acquiring the firm and also for the previous owner(s). There are several legal matters that must be addressed in order for mergers, acquisition, take-overs and investments to take place. The paper will focus on evaluating the existing communication systems, designing new communication strategies to inv olve all stakeholders to own and drive the new growth changes necessary to put the business on the path to growth. The repot will look at communication terms and how they can be used by all stakeholders in the business. Germaine to the background of the research questions given, the researcher will establish a consultancy firm and present a case study of a small business Jiggs $ Riggs Super Stores Ltd owned by co-managers Byron and Simeon who have obtained new investors. The main impacts of this study is that for future referencing the researcher will have developed the skills necessary for understanding the relevance of communication within the context of business and how to use it to drive change and the overall growth of the business. Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives of the research paper are as follows: Assess how communications, knowledge and information can be improved within the business including making better use of IT systems. Create strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decision-making processes in the business. You will develop the communication processes, and improve systems relating to information and knowledge. Assess how managers in the business can improve the planning of their communications processes as well as their communication skills and can make the information and knowledge they gain accessible to other parts of the organization Literature Review (Michael E.D. Koeing) Knowledge Management, (KM) is a concept and a term that arose approximately two decades ago, roughly in 1990. This suggests that on the eve of the twenty first century and the advent of communication technology, managing communication knowledge and information or simply put knowledge management was seen to be very critical to join the bridges and make the links for individuals and business. In the early period of the knowledge management discovery Davenport (1994) originate version of definition: â€Å"He sees information management as specialized skill set which is needed by organizations in the promotion and integrated approach to identify, capture, evaluate, retrieve, and disseminate its intellectual assets; such as databases, documents, policies, procedures, and previously un-captured capabilities of the organization. The definitions though similar in nature are showing information as that vehicle that will bring the message of the organization to internal stakeholders and external stakeholders and will in effect create the intended model for success. Knowledge management from an operational was created within consulting community hence the principles of knowledge management went viral by the consulting organizations to other disciplines. Consulting firms since realized the opportunistic use of the Intranet to create the linkage to narrow the geographically gap and provide a greater dispersion of a knowledge-based organizations. (Steve Denning) make the contrast in his article (What is Knowledge) between the east and west, the interchangeable use of information and knowledge and the cultural preference of intuitive knowledge and the rational knowledge. He made the point that knowledge is sticky though information maybe transferable to other persons. In his discussion, the West depicted to lean more to the rational type of knowledge that is more scientific in nature and disregard on a high scale intuitive knowledge, some may argue the intuitive knowledge is not knowledge at all seeing that it is more implicit and tacit thus the movement of knowledge from person to person has deemed to be difficult which bring into focus the greater importance of rational knowledge. Polanyi (1975), and Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995). Further discussion that seeks to strengthens the soundness of knowledge as to that of information Western analysts (Karl Erik Sveiby) seek to put his mark on the subject see â€Å"knowledge† as wholly tacit (i.e. as capacity in action), consenting to other discussion that explicit knowledge is mere information. The East conform to a more traditional purview to celebrate the importance of the intuitive, when compared with the rational. The Upanishads for speak about a higher knowledge and a lower knowledge, they classify lower knowledge to that of the various sciences. Methodology In the acquisition of information both the qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed in the research execution. Qualitative research according Parkinson and Drislane (2011) is defined as a â€Å"research method using methods such as participant observation or case studies which result in narrative or descriptive account of a setting or practice.†(Parkinson and Drislane, 2011). The qualitative methods that will be used include questionnaire and interviews. Qualitative research interprets data and analyses words and ideas. The second research method that will be used is the quantitative method which is defined as an approach that assesses numerical data which can be used to support qualitative research findings. Quantitative method will be achieved using calculations and statistics gathered through questionnaires and surveys that will be administered to the entity selected for this research. Additional data comes from primary research tools that will be utilized by the researcher includes interviews, questionnaires and observations and the secondary tools that will be used are journals, books, newsletters, newspaper and online articles and documents. The methods selected are most appropriate as they will allow the researcher through the combining of the quantitative and qualitative research to provide the readers with a higher degree of accuracy, easier representation of questionnaire and survey answers. The qualitative method is less costly and more flexible considering from a student researcher context. TASK: 1 Discuss the range of decisions to be taken The type and scope of information used in organizations are complex and vast in variation to the size of the organization and the type of market they are operating in. Information and knowledge needs are also specific to the different functional areas of the organization thus it is the fluid of every working communication system that result into the overall success of the whole. Davenport (1995) knowledge management is a process used to harness, transfer and make the effective use of knowledge. Things to take into consideration are how information is harness and used at the different levels of the organization and the knowledge required, the different systems of information, their relevance, efficiency and effectiveness to the organization. The primary and secondary sources of information Examine the information and knowledge needed to ensure effective decision taking Information is knowledge obtained from investigation, study or instruction. e.g. Intelligence, news and facts or raw data (http://www.merriam-webster.com). According to the tripartite theory; knowledge is information that is processed that is believed, justified and is true. For effective decision making in the organization that will form part of its going strategy in a competitive business environment that is ever changing. The knowledge obtained by the sources of the organization internal and external must be in line with the goals of the business and fit with its different levels, strategic, tactical and operational. Strategic information needs- are customer surveys, market research, and statutory accounts, economic and financial information which are used to make long term decisions and shape the business strategy with overall vision. Tactical information needs- market reach, market survey, producers and consumers price indices, business performance indices, budget reports, consumer complaints departmental reports. Operational information needs- product quality matrix, quality management reports, production outputs, workforce performance, machine and equipment management and performance, batch quantity, economic order quantity. Assess internal and external sources of information and understanding Internal sources of information the means of data collection and compilation from systems internal to the organization which are used to enhance the decision making process and fuse the different linkages that enable the organization to achieve its objectives. Internal information in Jiggs $ Riggs Super Stores Ltd. Are Financial information financial information on the three super stores profits and losses, revenues, cost of sales, rates and taxes, staff wages and salaries. The financial manager and use this information to manage the performance of the business and see that it is profitable. Personnel Information this is the compilation of information of personnel by the business that is made available to them when so requested. Information is used to monitor productivity performance, length of work life, remuneration, productivity rate, health reports, information on training and development. Marketing Information marketing team determine value added products and services and their performances, information is obtained from sales and the informal channel used for innovation and to promote product based on the going trends. Purchase Information information used by the purchasing team to procure raw materials, good, services, and other inputs required to run the business. This team also monitors costs and quality to ensure there is value for money. Administration Information makes the linkages with the business’ workforce on business overall performance, annual budgets and projections, structural changes, changes in market conditions, investment and make the link with external partners and build relationships. External sources of information are sources of information generated externally by agencies or individual researcher or consultant Justify recommendations for improvement In order to improve the communication situation at the business the new management will embark on a communication strategy that is geared to harness greater involvement of all employees and improve their empowerment in the decision making process and make them full aware of the business performance on a more frequent basis. Conduct monthly town hall meeting deliberating on business performance, projections and market conditions Train all employees on how to improve and own the systems of communication Provide regular feedback on employees recommendation and reward where necessary References Davenport, Thomas H. (1994), Saving ITs Soul: Human Centered Information Management. Harvard Business Review, March-April, 72 (2) pp. 119-131. Duhon, Bryant (1998), Its All in our Heads. Inform, September, 12 (8). Koenig, M.E.D. (1990) Information Services and Downstream Productivity. In Martha E. Williams (Ed.), Annual Review of Information Science and Technology: Volume 25, (pp. 55-56). New York, NY: Elseview Science Publishers for the American Society for Information Science Ponzi, L., Koenig, M.E.D. (2002). Knowledge Management: Another ManagementFad?, Information Research, 8(1). Retrieved from http://informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper145.html Stephen Denning, The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations. Boston, London, Butterworth Heinemann, October 2000. Nonaka, Ikujiro and Hirotaka Takeuchi. The Knowledge-Creating Company : How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation. New York : Oxford University Press, 1995. http://www.kmworld.com/Articles/Editorial/What-Is-/What-is-KM-Knowledge-Management-Explained-82405.aspx http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information http://www.stevedenning.com/Knowledge-Management/what-is-knowledge.aspx http://www.theoryofknowledge.info/what-is-knowledge/the-tripartite-theory-of-knowledge/ http://www.contentedwriter.com/internal-sources-of-information/