Raymond Carver Neighbors Essay - 1975 Words

Neighbors Neighbors is a short story written by Raymond Carver in 1988. It is from the collection of short stories Short cuts. The short story is in brief about the married couple Bill and Arlene Miller, who lives opposite the married couple Harriet and Jim stone. Bill and Arlene constantly see themselves in the light of the Stones happy life. Bill is a bookkeeper and Arlene is a secretary, while Jim is a salesman for a machine-parts firm. In the story the Stones are going on a business trip combined with a family trip. Bill and Arlene are set to look after the Stones apartment, feeding the cat, Kitty, and water their plants. In the Stones absence Bill and Arlene show themselves from a side you normally dont experience from†¦show more content†¦Ã‚‘ We have a short precise presentation of the two people Bill and Arlene, but they could for that matter had been anybody. They dont stand out in any way and you dont seem to get an inner connection with them through the story due to its very minimalistic form. The story is very contemporary and modern, which means that we dont need any additional background information to read and understand Neighbors. The fact that Carver leaves most of it up to the fantasy gives the reader place to think. That is what characterizes this minimalistic way of writing and its the very thing that gives place for imagining. The interesting thing in the story however isnt the composition or the way of writing. The story hungers to be studied in depth. In Neighbors Carver gets a hold on a very underlying level of the human; that is so to say the way we are when no one else is aroundÂ… When Bill for the first time walks over to feed Kitty he acts completely disrespectfully towards the Stones. He lays some of Harriets prescription pills down in his pocket and he merrily drinks some of their whisky. When he returns home he gets the feeling of having left something back. He has this feeling because he knows it is wrong to sneak around in other peoples apartment and behave like it is ones own Ââ€" he is therefore nervous for his action that might be tracked back to him. He omits telling his wife about it, but the question is also if there really is anything to tell? HeShow MoreRelatedThe Idea, By Raymond Carver And The Death Of Justina1225 Words   |  5 PagesIn both postmodernism short stories, â€Å"The Idea,† by Raymond Carver and â€Å"The Death of Justina,† by John Cheever, the authors critique middle-class and suburban values. In the 1950’s-1960’s the United States and the Soviet Union were at international conflict, which caused th e Pro-American/anti-communist defense line in America. In order not to get hunted down by the FBI the family units needed to project that they were â€Å"good guys† by living in a suburban community with the traditional roles of theRead More Themes in Raymond Carvers Literature Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesThemes in Raymond Carvers Literature In Short Cuts, by Raymond Carver, characters experience trials and problems in their lives, whether extreme such as in A Small, Good Thing and Lemonade or nominal such as in Vitamins. They all seem to depict these struggles as uphill battles which the characters cannot and mostly do not overcome. The characters throughout Carvers Short Cuts struggle through their lives in private desperation, often to ultimately realize that they are bound toRead More Raymond Carvers Neighbors Essay462 Words   |  2 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Neighbors† the speaker’s attention seems to be more directed on the Bill and Arlene Miller. The Millers are a married couple who were once a happy couple but as the years went along they felt grew apart. It seems as though they are too busy comparing their lives to the Harriet and Jim Stone, which are their neighbors, that they don’t have time to fix their marriage. The Stones do what married people should do and that’s â€Å"go out for dinner, or entertaining at home, or travelingRead More Robert Altmans Film Adaptation of Raymond Carvers Short Cuts4363 Words   |  18 PagesRobert Altmans Film Adaptation of Raymond Carvers Short Cuts The characters in Robert Altmans film adaptation of the Raymond Carver anthology Short Cuts think theyre islands entire of themselves. They suspect their lives and their worlds of isolation, alienation, separation, in multiple senses of the words. They fail to see, or perhaps purposely ignore, connections between themselves and those around them, between their actions and the ramifications of those actions. And while a typicalRead MoreThe Most Important American Fiction Writer1661 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver has been called â€Å"the most important American fiction writer in the second half of the twentieth century† and â€Å"the most influential American short story writer since Ernest Hemingway† (Kleepe vii). He was very successful despite his many difficult life experiences. Carver grew up during a very difficult time in America. However, early on, Carver and his wife believed their hard work would eventually pay off despite the challenges in the world aroun d them. They thought it would fix almostRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Cuts By Raymond Carver2189 Words   |  9 Pageseveryone s ashamed to admit. In the book, Short Cuts by Raymond Carver there are clear signs of alcoholism in his characters that also reflected on himself. Carver is a very talented writer and his short stories contain lots of symbolism for the reader to interpret. Carvers’ addiction, mediocre jobs, and family problems was shown through the characters he created in each novel, and the character usually doesn t have a happy ending. Raymond Carver was born Clatskanie, Oregon in 1938, and died in PortRead MoreCritical Analysis of Raymond Carvers Neighbors757 Words   |  4 PagesAll We Really Need in Life is Each Other Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Neighbors† is a moral based story. In the beginning of their marriage Bill and Arlene were very content with one another’s companionship, but now they live in envy of their neighbors, Harriet and Jim. It seemed to the Millers that the Stones live a much more fulfilling life. When Harriet and Jim are away on business/vacation trip they would entrust Bill and Arlene to feed Kitty, water the plants, and look after their apartment. The Miller’sRead MoreIt’S Interesting How Everyone Has A Differing And Personal1659 Words   |  7 Pagesour life we will all experience love whether it’s for a human being or maybe just for your dog. Why is this question so hard to answer? I perceive love in a positive way but on the other hand Raymond perceives love differently. That’s okay because we all have different definitions. Throughout Raymond Carvers short stories he uses disconnection, distrust, and doubt to portray the idea that bad relationships and negative emotions can lead to misconceptions about love. In Carver’s story, â€Å"What We TalkRead MoreLove in Literature2486 Words   |  10 Pagesof the forms of love used in literature. In Simon May’s â€Å"Love: A History†, May mentions agape love, defining it, stating that â€Å"This love is compassionate and giving: the love of neighbor shown by the Good Samaritan† (May pg.177). The use of agape love as a catalyst for positive character development is evident in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral†. The narrator of the story, who is ignorant and closed–minded, encounters a blind man whose name is Robert. Robert recognizes the narrators closed-mindednessRead MoreWealth Envy in Richard Cory, by Edwin Arlington Robinson Essay1408 Words   |  6 Pagesshould have been observed. The results of this study seem to indicate how an individual’s self-view is much more dependant on how he stacks up to the neighbors rather than compared to his own previous position. As the level of wealth grows within a community, individuals do not see themselves gaining financial ground on their competitors and neighbors. They only see wha t they still do not have instead of recognizing how much of a better position they are able to enjoy. This constant comparison and

Benefit Cost Analysis Of Social Programs. Child, Youth,

BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PROGRAMS CHILD, YOUTH, AND FAMILY PROGRAMS MAYA BOZKURT SPRING 2017 Abstract This paper examines the benefit cost analyses of youth, children, and family programs by means of investigating previous studies in the area and comparing benefit cost analyses of different programs. Benefit cost analysis (BCA) of these programs differ from BCA of infrastructure, health or environmental programs due to the mental and intangible consequences. This paper addresses the main principles applied in BCA and procedural steps. It also compares BCA of programs conducted by nonprofit and government organizations. The strength and challenges of BCAs in family, child and youth programs are also assessed. I reached to a†¦show more content†¦For the public programs, BCA is recommended by legislators. According to Circular A-94, for formal assessments of federal programs BCA is recommended since it is a more comprehensive method than the cost-effectiveness analysis (Circular A-94, 2016, pg.1) Social programs consist of many different kind of programs including general welfare, education, housing, senior programs, social security benefits, health, youth, children, family, etc. Since social programs refer to a very broad category, I limited my study to youth, child, and family programs. In this paper I will explain the literature review I made on BCA applications of youth, children, and family programs. In the first part of my study, I will give some background information about BCA of such programs. In the latter part, I will explain how BCA is applied to those programs. At the third part of my paper, I will give examples from BCA done before and will compare these analyses. The next part of my paper will consist of challenges that researchers face during the BCA of youth, child, and family programs and recommendations from some different studies. Finally, I will summarize my findings. 2. Background Decision makers attach particular importance to BCA for the choices between the youth, child, and family programs as time passes (Karoly,2008, pg.iii). Implementing social programs moreShow MoreRelatedThe Child Welfare System That Could Benefit From Technological Advancements1135 Words   |  5 PagesSOCIETAL CONCERNS There are so many aspects of the child welfare system that could benefit from technological advancements the societal concerns revolve around priorities. Between educational consistency, funding, caseloads, connectedness and training society needs to consider which aspect should be addressed first that will most significantly impact the best interests of the child. 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Poor mental health is related to other health and development concerns in child and youth, notably lower educational achievements, substance abuse, violence, and poor reproductive and sexual health (Patel et al.2007). It has become very vital to involve child and adolescent in treatment programs to prevent any unpleasant consequences. The social and psychological interventionsRead MoreAB 12: Help for Emmancipated and Discharged Youth1409 Words   |  6 PagesGoals of Current Policy and Implementation AB 12 attempts to address the need to have services for youth who have been emancipated or discharged from the foster system. This is required as the data on the subject highlights that youth are simply often not able to be thriving adults on their eighteenth birthdays. Many find themselves on the street homeless, without jobs, in jail or parents before they are fully able to care for themselves. The goal of AB 12 is to extend foster care to age 21 andRead MoreBeacon Programs And Summer Youth2194 Words   |  9 Pages Program objective: Beacon programs and summer youth help keep youth off the streets it would help them find better jobs and stay in school. Activity A: creating more beacon programs or easier access; Intervening process: better placement for our youths in our summer programs that provide employment as well as other recreational activities. Beacon programs are funded by the community and assist children age of six into adulthood. According to the DYCD website, we have a total of eightyRead MoreThe Benefits of Early Childhood Education1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe Benefits of Early Childhood Education The writer of Proverbs 22:6 wrote: â€Å"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it†. Early Education has benefits that can follow well into adult hood. Early childhood education is the organized practice of educating those who are in early childhood. According to the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), early childhood spans the human life from birth to age eight (Early Childhood EducationRead MoreThe Efficacy And Effectiveness Of Social Anxiety790 Words   |  4 Pageson studies looking at â€Å"standard† CBT interventions, which typically consist of 11- 18 weekly sessions. In general, the field of psychotherapy has been shifting toward brief, more intensive approaches in order to reach more patients and become more cost-effective (Ost and Ollendick 2017). Further, recent studies have suggested that for exposure to be maximally effective, it should be delivered in sessions that are close in proximit y (Craske et al. 2012). As a result, an increasing number of studiesRead MoreSocial Psychological Theories Of Criminal Behavior1494 Words   |  6 PagesIn the world of youth and delinquent, criminals advancing their activity into adulthood, social psychological theories help to develop the criminal justice field to better cope with what is faced by youths. â€Å"Social psychological theories of criminal behavior emphasize subjective life experiences, such as the development of one’s identity, cognitive and emotional processes, and the capacity to make choices.† (Listenbee, 2014 p.1.) Utilizing social aspects of the past and present criminal justiceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Child Poverty Capital Of Canada Article By Laurie Monsebraanten1728 Words   |  7 PagesToronto holds onto it s shameful title: Child poverty capital of Canada, article written by Laurie Monsebraanten, social justice reporter was published on October 13th,2015. According to the article in 2011, $16,456 Measures for the low income of a single person and for a two parent family with two children under the age of 16 the measures of low income was $39,912. This article talks about Toronto having the highest percentage of poverty within the youth community followed by Montreal that is 25%Read MoreSex Education, Why Should We Care?1310 Words   |  6 Pagesthere seems to be a growing consensus claiming that schools can play an important role teaching the youth make informed decisions and help them shape a healthy lifestyle. That is why high schools are considered as the best environment to implement sex education programs within their syllabus to instruct teenagers not only about abstinence but also about a safer sex practice. Indeed, these types of programs have been included because of the increasing number of sexually-active teenagers, which are a matter

Functions of Hobart Meat Slicer free essay sample

I will be going into detail of how to use the Hobart 2912 automatic meat slicer. The main purpose of this object is to slice food items to your personal preference or thickness. It is important that all of the operating parts are in their correct positions before the product is in use. There are ten compartments that make up the meat slicer. They are the top knife cover, fence, carriage tray, retaining clip, meat grip, carriage tray handles, index knob, switch knob, gauge plate, and the latch knob. The operation of this product manually is pretty simple you just have to be very careful being that the slicer does have blades that will cut if you don’t use the product correctly. You must first make sure the gauge plate is closed; pull the carriage toward you until it stops. Next, you make sure the meat grip is out of the way and place the product that you plan on slicing on to the carriage tray. We will write a custom essay sample on Functions of Hobart Meat Slicer or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You then adjust the fence by loosening the thumb screw and sliding the fence close to the product and then tighten the thumb screw back up. After that, you set the meat grip against the product. Before plugging up the slicer, make sure the lever is positioned in manual. If you do not need the meat grip slide it to the top of its travel and rotate it under the carriage tray so it will not interfere with the slicing process. You then adjust the gauge plate by turning the knob to the desired thickness. The numbers on the knob are not approximate and are used only as guidelines. You turn the slicer on by using the switch knob until it turns on and then letting it go. Use the carriage tray to push the carriage back and forth manually to cut the product. You turn the product off by using the switch gauge as well. To operate this product automatically, you do the following. You rotate the speed selector dial to desired speed making sure the carriage is in a stable position. Make sure the level is in the manual position and pointing downward. You then rotate the lever to automatic. Any of the six speed selections can be used on automatic and adjusted at any time by rotating the dial. When you clean the slicer you should always make sure the slicer is unplugged. Remove the carriage plate and hand wash with a mild detergent and make sure you try the slicer completely. Pull on the black lock-nut to release the blade cover for washing. Make sure you are very careful with the blade cover because the edges are sharp. Turn the thickness dial counter clockwise this helps you cover more of the blade for cleaning. A soft cloth and mild detergent will get the job done when cleaning the blade and other items that can be taken apart, make sure you dry and reassemble after you wash. The manual provides you with helpful safety precautions that I mentioned throughout this detailed explanation. I hope this information was helpful to you and gave you information on how to use the Hobart 2912 Meat Slicer.

The Day of Doom by Michael Wigglesworth free essay sample

â€Å"The Day of Doom† by Michael Wigglesworth The Day of Doom is not just any ordinary poem. Michael Wigglesworth, the poet, wrote this poem in such a way that the reader in the end should ask themselves this question, what must I do to be saved? The words of each stanza are crafted in ordinance with scriptures of the Bible. â€Å"The Puritans believed that the Bible was God’s true law, and that it provided a plan for living† (Kizer). Wigglesworth’s ultimate goal in writing this poem as a Puritan minister was to stress the ramifications of sin but also to glorify the reward of salvation. Words of hell fire and brimstone flowed from the mouths of eloquent ministers as they warned of the persuasiveness of the devil’s power† (Kizer). Puritans viewed sin as vile in the eye sight of God. â€Å"The Bible describes sin as the breaking, or transgression, of God’s law† Wigglesworth describes in stanza 2 how comfortable men and women became with sin in their life. We will write a custom essay sample on The Day of Doom by Michael Wigglesworth or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Wallowing in all kind of sin, /vile wretches lay secure:/The best of men had scarcely then/ their lamps kept in good ure. /Virgins unwise, who through disguise/amongst the best were number’d, /Had closed their eyes: yea, and the wise/ through sloth and frailty slumber’d† (9-16).The tone of this particular stanza is an attention getter because of three particular words that are used. Frailty, sloth, vile all describe moral demeanors which Wigglesworth carefully placed at the beginning of this poem to capture foreshadow of something unexpected to come. Sloth in particular is a sign of an unexpected outcome because according to â€Å"Christian moral tradition, it is one of the seven deadly sins† (Spain). Wigglesworth is telling us that sin is apparent but the soul must be ready at all times because no man knows the hour or the day when God would come back to Judge his people. He illustrates this revelation in stanza 4 which states â€Å"They put away the evil day,/and drowned their cares and fears,/Til drowned were they, and swept away/by vengeance unawares:/So at last, whilst men sleep fast/In their security,/Surprised they are in such a snare/as cometh suddenly (25-32). Puritan believers are taught to live a strict lifestyle and to adhere to the word of God. This is why the ramifications of sinful behavior are punished by God. Wigglesworth not only described the unfavorable side of sin, but he also included in his poem the reward of sustaining from it.Sustaining from sin was far harder than it seemed but â€Å"the regenerate would reign with Christ eternally† (Baym, and Levine 239). The Day of Doom speaks to the hearts and minds of all believers who sacrificed their â€Å"earthly† lifestyles in order to gain something more joyous than what couldn’t possibly be received here on earth. The Puritans believed â€Å"God was at the fore front of their minds, He was to motivate all of their actions† (Kizer). This is why Wigglesworth voice about salvation in his poem spoke loud in reference to the precious reward of salvation.He not only wanted his readers to picture what it would be like to enter the Kingdom of Heaven but to realize that it is far better than entering the Kingdom of Hell. In stanza 221 he use words such as glorious, divine and bright to persuade us that Heaven is definitely where you want to end up after ascending from earth. â€Å"O glorious place! Where face to face/Jehovah may be seen, /By such as were sinners whilere/and no dark veil between. /Where the sun shine, and light divine, /of God’s bright countenance, /Doth rest upon them everyone, /with sweetest influence† (1761-1768).As a minister, Wigglesworth had a duty; a covenant with God to make sure the souls of the people did not perish. This poem is a very imperative message for all believers to make up their mind and decide what side they want to be sitting on when that final hour appear before the m. Do you want to sit on the right side, which is the symbol for Heaven or the left side, which is the symbol for Hell? The Day of Doom could definitely fit in the category of a Puritan Document. This poem speaks volumes in reference to the Puritan faith and how easy it is to forget about the Puritan morals and values if you are not careful.This is why the Puritan religion was not a religion that was â€Å"only practiced on Sunday; it was a way of life† (Emerson). By the amount of stanzas in the poem, it can be concluded that Wigglesworth wanted to make sure he covered all the important issues that Christians face with their lifestyle of salvation. He didn’t leave room for believers who backslid as well as nonbelievers to have any excuses as to why the Wrath was as it was. â€Å"One day, one week, wherein to seek/ God’s face with all your hearts, /A favor was that far pass/ the best of your deserts. You had a season, what was your reason/ such precious hours to wa ste? / What could you find, what could you mind/ that was of greater hast† (865-872)? I believe this poem was popular in its day because it kept the Puritans focused on their ultimate goal which was to ascend to Heaven with God. This poem was a reminder of where you would spend eternity if you did or didn’t do the right things in the eyesight of God. Although the bible is truly a source that could be referred to in a time of uncertainty, The Day of the Doom brought bible verses to reality.I believe the Puritans memorized the poem so they would have a quick reference just in case the thought of backsliding occurred. â€Å"Actions spoke louder than words for the Puritan faith, so actions had to be constantly controlled† (Kizer). Not only was memorizing this poem important for the adults, but the children were taught to memorize it as well. Wigglesworth definitely poured his heart into this poem which was demonstrated by his word choices and the length of the poem. Salvation and only that, it was he stood for.

Murder of Andrew Jackson essays

Murder of Andrew Jackson essays For the past few weeks America has been at unease due to the shocking and unexpected murder of our beloved President Andrew Jackson. Since that tragic day in late February of 1837 one question has been engulfing the minds of every man woman and child in this nation, who did it? And why did they do it? Top police investigation forces have been working around the clock in a frantic effort to expose the unknown assassin. The Presidents murderer had carelessly left behind a satchel filled with various items. The items that were found inside the satchel are the only clues the police were able to recover from the scene of the crime. Many of the clues can be traced back to one man. One man, that had such a terrible hatred toward Jackson that it drove him to the most drastic and extreme of all acts, the act of cold blooded murder. Now I will set the nations ardent curiosity at ease and reveal the unknown assassin. This man is no other than the South Carolina senator, former Jackson Vice-President, John C. Calhoun. Calhoun was a strong supporter of the states rights, he hated how Jackson mistreated the southern states. Calhoun was also angered by Jacksons intolerance to any notion of state power over federal power, for example the South Carolina crisis. Jackson also destroyed all of Calhouns political aspirations when he was forced to resign as Jacksons Vice-President, as Jackson favored other members of the cabinet over Calhoun. Calhoun had so much anger and resentment for Jackson, he needed to take revenge on him for destroying his political life and for the mistreatment of the state of South Carolina. Calhouns hatred drove him to taking the ultimate revenge on Jackson, what he ended up taking from Jackson was his life. Calhoun strongly challenged many of Jacksons nationalistic and personally hurtful policies, which may have been enough to drive Calhoun to this treacherous act. Back when...

Last Time Consecutive Democratic Presidents Were Elected

Last Time Consecutive Democratic Presidents Were Elected Political analysts and Beltway pundits can debate the obstacles facing Democrats in the 2016 presidential election. But theres one inescapable truth facing the partys nominee, no matter if its Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren or Julian Castro: Voters rarely elect someone from the same party for consecutive terms. â€Å"Mostly, the White House flips back and forth like a metronome. Voters just get tired after eight years,† the writer Megan McArdle wrote. Explains political analyst Charlie Cook: They tend to conclude that it is time for a change, and they trade the in party for the out party. In fact, since American politics evolved into what we know as the current two-party system, the last time voters elected a Democrat to the White House after a president from the same party had just served a full term was in 1856, before the Civil War. If thats not enough to scare of presidential hopefuls in the Democratic Party who want to succeed two-term President Barack Obama, what is? Last Democrat to Succeed a Democrat The last Democrat elected to succeed a Democratic president was James Buchanan, the 15th president and the only one ever to come from Pennsylvania. Buchanan succeeded President Franklin Pierce. Youd have to go back even further in history to find the most recent instance of a Democrat being elected to succeed a two-term president from the same party. The last time that happened was in 1836 when voters elected  Martin Van Buren to follow  Andrew Jackson. This, of course, does not include the four terms of Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt; he was elected to the White House in 1932 and re-elected in 1936, 1940 and 1944. Roosevelt died less than a year into his fourth term, but he is the only president to have served more than two terms. Why It's so Rare There are very good explanations for why voters rarely choose a president from the same party for three consecutive terms. The first and most obvious one is fatigue with and unpopularity of the president who is completing his second and final term at the time of the election for his successor. That unpopularity often sticks to the candidate of the same party. Just ask some of the Democrats who sought unsuccessfully to succeeded Democratic presidents including  Adlai Stevenson in 1952) Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and, most recently, Al Gore in 2000.   Another reason is distrust of people and parties who hold power for too long. The distrust of people in power ... dates back to the age of the American Revolution and the mistrust of hereditary rulers with no curbs on their powers, wrote the National Constitution Center. What It Meant in 2016 The rarity of presidents from the same party being elected consecutively is not lost on political analysts when it came to the 2016 presidential election. Many believed the success of Hillary Clinton, who was the most likely contender for Democratic nominee, hinged on who the Republicans chose. Opined the New Republic: The Democrats could benefit if the Republicans nominate a relatively inexperienced right-winger or someone who possesses the temperament of a high school football coach rather than a president ... If they opt for an experienced centrist in 2016  -   Florida’s Jeb Bush is the obvious example  -   and if the party’s right wing doesn’t demand he toe the line, they could stand a good chance of reclaiming the White House and of confirming Americans’ reluctance to keeping the same party in the White House three terms in a row.

Mgt dq 2 wk2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mgt dq 2 wk2 - Essay Example Strategic management is a broader concept that includes strategic planning as a component of a company-wide analysis of top level managerial procedures. Other activities that are included as a component of strategic management include the development of policies, allocation of resources, and evaluations of performance related to initially specified goals. Analyses are a key feature of strategic management, as is the inclusion of tactics, finances, and objectives in the formation of a complex but thorough managerial method. Some of the prominent advantages associated with strategic management are the development of market foresight, quick reactions to unexpected problems, fostering dedication within the company, and the early identification of opportunities for improvement (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). The type of businesses that would benefit the most from strategic management are those which are relatively stable over long periods of time. The method produces strategies that are meant to be long-term in scope, but rapidly changing markets and/or operation restrictions could make this goal virtually impossible (Wall, 2010) using traditional strategic management methods alone. However, strategic management is highly valuable where chaos is less of a concern, as it may be the best option to optimize the use of available

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and Essay

Can terrorism be defeated Discuss in terms of both the military and non-military responses to the threat - Essay Example These conflicting opinions are now in the process of ripening and it is hoped that it will not be long before they find their application in practical terms. Discussion Older theorists have proposed that terrorism can be defeated if certain principles are followed. Terrorists often win because we respond to terrorism the way terrorists want us to respond. If our response is not in accordance with the terrorist's will, they fail to achieve their objective. So, it should be realized that the choice is ours. If we can learn to refuse to act upon the will of terrorists, we can hope to defeat terrorism, although we cannot always prevent it (Fromkin, 1975). Such ideas have dominated the minds of intellectuals of the past, but keeping in mind the present scenario of the world, we can infer that such ideas are far from reality. The previous two decades have seen a rise in the tendency to control terrorism using the military approach. The idea of intervening within states for the resolution o f military conflicts appeared prominently in the international scenario in the early 1990s, when in the Gulf war and later in Cambodia the international community played its role (Snyder, 2008). Subsequent years have seen a surge in such military measures and a collective effort on part of many countries to contain terrorism and limit it to its origins. They have, however, resulted in a growth of terrorist activities across the world, let alone stopping its spread. Our recent experiences of waging war against terrorism have only made us realize some bitter realities of the life. Most modern discoveries in neuroscience, anthropology, human evolution and paleoethnology have favored the idea that Homo sapiens are not inclined towards killing others of their own species. The similarity between a 'killer in uniform' and a 'killer without uniform' is striking. Both have to be fed with 'hatred' in the process of de-humanizing them, during which they are trained to overcome their natural te ndency to allow others to 'live' (Ram & Summy, 2008). Such discoveries have led us to believe that the military approach is, in fact, not the solution to the problem of terrorism. Theorists of insurgency have focused on the element of preserving public sympathy during military actions to gain benefit after takeover of states. Similarly, an indirect approach to contain insurgency, which is termed the 'hearts and minds' approach, emphasizes the need to gain public support by political means (Snyder, 2008). Such observations have favoured the non-military approach for the solution of terrorism. Democracy is considered by some to be the solution for terrorism. This may be true in some cases, but again it has its own limitations. In many European states where democracy is the rule, a number of terrorist groups have emerged, which not only fail to comply with the norms of democracy for their own expression but also use democracy as a tool to augment their deleterious activities (Snyder, 2 008). Such observations have led us to believe that perhaps, the non-military approach is too 'soft' for terrorism oriented mentality. So, the lesson learnt during war on terrorism is that terrorism cannot be defeated; instead, it can only be attenuated, reduced and controlled to some degree. Unrealistic hopes of completely sweeping

Davidson ethos. Recommenaatlon Essay Example for Free

Davidson ethos. Recommenaatlon Essay At the core, these three transformations†in manufacturing, product development and at retail†come down to one thing: we must ensure, in a world of ever-increasing customer expectations, Harley-Davidson continues to fulfill dreams through remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences far into the future (Harley Davidson, 2011, p. 5). All of HDs improvements end here. The improvement require all stake holder to work together to make the customer experience unique. The improvements, if effective will add to the Harley My recommendation to Harley executives is to remember to stay true to the brand, but to attempt to market products to find new consumer within the US. Since HDs inception, Harley has been associated with the freedom of America, but it may be losing it American consumer while changing to a global market. Harley-Davidson demographics has long shown its reliance on an overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged consumer base would ultimately challenge sales in North America, where it still earns two-thirds of its revenue (Kelleher, 2013). The goal that I propose s to include marketing to a younger group with a disposable income. I have been introduced to Harley; in fact, I learned to ride on a Buell in a Harley Drivers Edge Safety Course. I an African American female and have never been in the Harley advertising demographic. Harley does have a female riders program but its not advertised. All of the commercials that I have seen for Harley actual talk about the experience and financing. Although it is an American institution like a lot of older brands, it may lose it appeal a younger population. Increasing its consumer base an only be beneficial to its other stakeholders. It may potentially prevent manufacturing Jobs from being transferred outside of the U. S. as Harley seeks consumers in other locations. Harley Davidsons use of strategic management is in line with the needs of its main stakeholders. The companys mission acknowledges the need to meet the demands of all stakeholders for a more effective organization. Harleys vision recognizes what HD brand means to the consumer. The organizations goals and objectives seek to make the brand more effective in the current global arket while satisfying the needs of its stakeholders.

Applying Platos Allegory of the Cave Essay -- Plato, Philosophy, Phil

Applying Plato's Allegory of the Cave to Oedipus Rex, Hamlet,and Thomas Becket Plato was one of the greatest philosophers of all time. He is recognized all over the world as one of the greatest minds of all time. Knowledge is required under compulsion has not hold on the mind.(Durant 24). Plato's dialogues are the fruit of a rare mind; but the could not have kept their perennial freshness if they had not somehow succeeded in expressing he problems and the convictions that are common to Plato's age and to all later ages. Genius alone is not enough; or perhaps it were wiser to say that we recognize genius only in the power of divination that overleaps the boundaries of a special time and place.(Jowett xi). Although Plato did not come up with the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates did, he transcribed it. In their own ways, Oedipus Rex, Hamlet, and Thomas Becket, prove that one must break the chains of the cave to discover the truth. In view of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, several literary works contain characters who break from the shadows of the cave to witn ess "the real world". Plato's Allegory of the Cave, presents Socrates instructing one of his students to imagine that there was a cave that was totally dark, except from the light that comes from the entrance and from a fire. The student was instructed then to imagine that the inhabitants of the cave have their necks and legs chained to the wall, impossible for the inhabitants to move. The people who control the cave place objects in front of the fire so that the inhabitants of the cave only see the shadows of the objects that the people want them to see. The chained inhabitants never get to see the real objects, only the distorted images of the objects. Furthermore, the inhabitants of the cave perceive the distorted objects as real, not the actual objects as being real. Socrates, then tells the student to imagine if the inhabitants of the cave were suddenly freed of the chains. The inhabitants would be in agonizing pain, for the first time in their lives the individuals can stand and move their heads. Their bodies are not used to being in such positions. The inhabitants of the cave, now are able to behold the light glimmering outside the cave. The inhabitants who were only adapted to only darkness, perceive light. The light stabs at their eyes, it is too painful for these individ... ...the cave and witness the light of the real world, one will never get to see the harsh truth of their destiny. Works Cited Gibson, Anna Lee, "Allegory of the Cave." Advanced Placement English Writing Manual and Literary Guide. Ed. Jewell Worley and Frank Gentry. Wise: Wise County Vocational-Technical Center. 1992. The Canterbury Story. Anglicans Online. Http://www.anglican.org/online/uk-europe/lambeth/canterbury.html. 3 Dec., 1997. Jowett, Benjamin. The Dialogues of Plato. Ed. William Chase Green. New York: Liveright Publishing Company. 1954. Durant, Will. "The live and opinions of the greater philosophers." The Story of Philosophy. New York: Simon and Schuster Rockefeller Center. 1961. Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." England in Literature. Illinois: Scott, Foresman, and Company. 1987. Becket Murder. Hyperhistory. Online. Http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/ppersons5_n2/beck.html Stravinsky, Igor. Oedipus Rex . Online. Http://www.coc.ca/98stra-synopsis.htm. Jaspers, Carl. "Plato." The Great Philosophers. Ed. Hannah Arendt. New York: harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. 1962. Jowett, B. The Dialogues of Plato. New York: Random House. 1937.

Apple.Inc Pros and Cons

Apple Inc. is the best in the world at innovative product development. Because the company develops hardware, software, and associated digital services rather than just focusing on one dimension, it can provide an unmatched user experience. This allows Apple to capture high margins from its products and services. But by my definition, product development is not supply chain management; procurement, manufacturing, and logistics are. That said, Apple Inc. has a fascinating supply chain that is very different from traditional supply chains.This supply chain comes with pre-built advantages and disadvantages. On the advantage side, demand management is easier. Apple doesn’t have to get the demand forecast for a new product right. As long as it underestimates demand for a hot new product, Apple will have loyal customers clamoring for the new devices and willing to wait. In fact, the projected backlog leads customers to line up for hours before stores open to buy a new product. This helps to create marketing buzz. Because Apple Inc. has become so large, it has procurement advantages smaller rivals can’t match.Financial analysts are beginning to focus on Apple’s supply chain. Samsung lost $10 billion in market value when Apple placed a huge order for flash memory with Elpida, securing more than half of that company’s supply. Apple reportedly has price advantages in securing key components, manufacturing capacity, capital equipment, and airfreight capacity. Like other companies that have huge procurement clout, when Apple asks a supplier for a price quote, it demands a detailed accounting of how the manufacturer arrived at the quote, including estimates for labor and material costs and projected profit.Manufacturers can get hit with penalties for quality issues and warranty claims. Apple is becoming so big that even though it has a number of customized components that it has to pay extra for, the company’s cost structure is starting to resemble that of some of its rivals that only source common components. But other parts of the supply chain become more difficult for a company that differentiates itself based on product excellence. Apple Inc. works to lock up the supply of key components, particularly custom components, with exclusivity agreements.This serves to protect the uniqueness of its products. In some cases, Apple invests in capital equipment to make these special components (the company lends the production equipment to its manufacturing partner). At times this production machinery becomes Apple exclusive either because of exclusivity agreements or because Apple is so large that a backlog for the equipment becomes horrifically long. Managing new product launches is also more important for a â€Å"fashion† manufacturer. The process from design to production launch typically takes 10 months. Read more about Pros and Cons Of ReligionThis includes sourcing, testing, government approvals (like FCC approval for an iPhone), and factory dry runs. For weeks prior to the launch, factories work overtime to build hundreds of thousands of devices. Then they work more overtime to clear the backlogs. According to Apple Inc. ’s supplier responsibility progress report, the company’s standard labor policy is for workers to work a maximum of 60 hours per week and to get at least one day off per week. And yet, at 93 of its suppliers, more than 50 percent of their workers exceeded these rather low limits.In fact, working conditions at Foxconn, Apple’s partner for final assembly and some core components, have been bad enough that Apple has gotten a bit of a black eye from press reports of accidents, suicides, and labor strife. While the existing customer base has largely ignored these labor relations problems, the demographics of the people that buy Apple products indic ate a concern for social responsibility. Further, the Chinese market is becoming very important to Apple, and closer Chinese governmental scrutiny could affect shipments. What is different about Apple’s launch planning is the extreme secrecy attached to it.Apple places electronic monitors in some boxes of components to track them from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. The goal is to discourage leaks and ensure customer delight and surprise when the products hit the market. One article claims that Apple has shipped devices in plain boxes, even tomato boxes, to avoid detection. But Apple Inc. , like many companies in the electronics industry, has a supply chain with a high-risk profile. Many of its key components come from northern Taiwan, the company sole sources several customized components, and it relies on massive factories located in Shenzhen, China for final assembly.Any sort of man-made or natural disaster at any of these sites could potentially grind Apple†™s supply chain to a halt. In conclusion, Apple Inc. ’s new CEO, Tim Cook, is a supply chain guy with a strong reputation. He is working to improve the company’s reputation for social responsibility. But if I were Apple, I’d rather have another product development guru like Steve Jobs. To drive continued growth and margins, the company needs to continue to excel at product development, but only needs to be competent in supply chain management.

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Provide a rational for a promotional campaign. MM Explain the rationale for the campaign you have just created such as why you chose that specific promotional mix, timing, cost, media mix etc and why it is expected to achieve its goals. For this task you are required to explain and Justify why you have created your campaign (for Task UP) as you have. I suggest you do this one factor at a time*. Your response should be written in sentences and paragraphs. Factor Justify its use Promotional Mix Why have you chosen the specific type of promotion that you have?What are Its advantages over other types of promotion? Do you foresee any problems of using this type of promotion? How can these be overcome? Timing Why have chosen the specific times for your campaign/promotion? Why is this time most appropriate? What other times did you consider? Why were these discounted? Media Mix Why have you chosen the specific forms of media will be used within your campaign? Why Is this? What forms of medi a were considered but discounted? Why were they discounted? Budget Justify the cost of your campaign – why does it cost what it does? Could these costs be reduced?The advert is trying Your next paragraph with demonstration analysis. This will be the flirt half of your analysis that will focus on the success of the campaign (Analysis +). You will need to research how the campaign might have helped the business achieve its aims. Image, profits, sales etc? For each ‘success' you may wish to use PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain). The campaign has helped this business In many ways. 1 OFF their aims by†¦. Another way that it has helped the business is This has helped them achieve their aims by†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The third paragraph will also be analysis.However here you will focus on any repacks of the campaign (Analysis -). Again, we will need to research this using the internet any negatives that might be associated with the advert. Image, profits, sales etc? For each à ¢â‚¬Ëœdrawback you may wish to use PEE (Point, Evidence, Explain). Unfortunately the campaign also caused some drawbacks. The first drawback caused was†¦ PEE.. This may have prevented them from achieving their aims by†¦.. The second drawback caused was†¦ PEE†¦. This may have prevented them from achieving their aims by†¦.. Your final paragraph will be a support Judgment – your evaluation.From your all of our research and the analysis you have completed was the campaign a success or failure overall? How much of a success or failure? Why? Use the word ‘because' to back up and Justify any Judgments you make. Overall I have found that the campaign was a success/failure. The first reason for this Furthermore†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Because, because, because†¦.!! Make sure you apply your answer directly to your business and the campaign you have chosen. Use words like moreover, firstly, secondly, furthermore, to compare, I have found, in contrast, to conclude, to summaries, as my research shows†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ If you are uncertain, please see Mr. Quarto.

A world lit by fire essays

A world lit by fire essays The book A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester is actually a very good book when you look at it more into depth. This book basically talks about the failure of medieval Europe and that in the year 1500, after a thousand years of neglect, the roads built by the Romans were still the best on the continent. Several quotes similar to this show his liking for Rome and the civilization once built by them. The speaks about the many people of the time, the innovators and explorers who revolutionized the entire way the world was looked at, using hundreds of other characters the reconstruct the image of that time. Throughout the book he talks about several different times and problems of the medieval and post-Renaissance period. The three main issues that he addresses are the decline of civilization, the church being corrupt and the deeds committed by the sailors even though they knew what they were doing could be a waste of time or even leave to their death, explaining all they had to endure. The first chapter, entitled The Medieval Mind is basically bout the hardships the people had to face when life turned to manors and becoming a serf. People were constantly fighting, the war count was endless and the death count was even higher. Due to the sufficiency of agriculture and not much else, literacy also declined and disease increased and epidemics struck. The drainage was bad, which contributed disease and the death count. The farmers, or serfs, were constantly at work and had low quality tools to work with which made their life even harder, already trying to live off of scraps with a family to feed. Manchester however seemed to associate a lot of problems with the downfall of the Roman Empire. The Shattering is a chapter about the corruption of the church at that time, but although this chapter is mainly about it, the corruption is cited throughout his book. He states that the church officia...

Sample Appeal Letterâ€Academic Dismissal from College

Sample Appeal Letter- Academic Dismissal from College If youve been dismissed from college for poor academic performance, your college will most likely give you an opportunity to appeal that  decision. The best approach is to appeal in person, but if the school doesnt allow face-to-face appeals or if the travel costs are prohibitive, you should plan to write the best appeal letter possible. (In some cases, you might be asked to do both- the appeals committee will ask for a letter in advance of the in-person meeting.) Qualities of a Successful Appeal Letter Demonstrates an understanding of what went wrongTakes responsibility for academic failuresOutlines a clear plan for future academic successConveys points in an honest tone In the sample letter below, Emma was dismissed after she ran into academic trouble because of difficulties at home. She uses her letter to explain the extenuating circumstances that caused her to perform below her potential. After reading the letter, be sure to read the discussion of the letter so that you understand what Emma does well in her appeal and what could use a little more work.   Emmas Appeal Letter ThoughtCo. Dear Dean Smith and Members of the Scholastic Standards Committee: I am writing to appeal my academic dismissal from Ivy University. I was not surprised, but very upset to receive a letter earlier this week informing me of my dismissal. Im writing with the hope that you will  reinstate me for next semester. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain my circumstances. I admit I had a very difficult time last semester, and my grades suffered as a result. I dont mean to make excuses for my poor academic performance, but I would like to explain the circumstances. I knew that registering for 18 credit hours in the spring would require a lot of me, but I needed to earn the hours so that I was on track to graduate on time. I thought I could handle the workload, and I still think I could have, except that my father became very ill in February. While he was home sick and unable to work, I had to drive home every weekend and some weeknights to help out with household duties and to care for my little sister. Needless to say, the hour-long drive each way cut into my study time, as did the chores I had to do at home. Even when I was at school, I was very distracted with the home situation and was unable to focus on my schoolwork. I understand now that I should have communicated with my professors (instead of avoiding them), or even taken a leave of absence. I thought I could handle all of these burdens, and I tried my best, but I was wrong. I love Ivy University, and it would mean so much to me to graduate with a degree from this school, which would make me the first person in my family to complete a college degree. If I am reinstated, I will focus much better on my schoolwork, take fewer hours, and manage my time more wisely. Fortunately, my father is recovering and has returned to work, so I should not need to travel home nearly as often. Also, I have met with my advisor, and I will follow her advice about communicating better with my professors from now on. Please understand that my low GPA that led to my dismissal does not indicate that I am a bad student. Really, Im a good student who had one very, very bad semester. I hope you will give me a second chance. Thank you for considering this appeal. Sincerely, Emma Undergrad A quick word of warning before we discuss the details of Emmas letter: Do not copy this letter or parts of this letter in your own appeal! Many students have made this mistake, and academic standards committees are familiar with this letter and recognize its language. Nothing will torpedo your appeal efforts faster than a plagiarized appeal letter. The letter needs to be your own. Critique of Sample Appeal Letter Any student who has been dismissed from college has an uphill battle to fight. The college has indicated that it lacks confidence in your ability to succeed academically, so the appeal letter must re-instill that confidence.   A successful appeal must demonstrate that you understand what went wrong, take responsibility for the academic failures, outline a clear plan for future academic success, and demonstrate that you are being honest with yourself and the committee. Many students who appeal an academic dismissal make the mistake of attempting to place the blame for their problems on someone else. Certainly external factors can contribute to academic failure, and it is fair to describe extenuating circumstances. However, it is important to own up to your own mistakes. In fact, acknowledging mistakes is a major sign of maturity. Remember that the appeals committee does not expect college students to be perfect; instead, they want to see that you recognize your mistakes and have learned from them. Emmas appeal succeeds fairly well in all of the above areas. First of all, she does not try to blame anyone but herself. She has extenuating circumstances- her fathers illness- and she is wise to explain them, but she doesnt make excuses. Instead, she acknowledges that she did not handle her situation well. She owns up to the fact that she should have been in contact with her professors when she was struggling, and ultimately should have withdrawn from classes and taken  a leave of absence  when her fathers illness started to dominate her life. The overall tone of Emmas letter is sincere. The committee now knows  why  Emma had such bad grades, and the reasons seem both plausible and pardonable. Assuming she did earn solid grades in her earlier semesters, the committee is likely to believe Emmas claim that she is a good student who had one very, very bad semester. Emma also presents a plan for her future success. The committee will be pleased to hear that she is communicating with her advisor. In fact, Emma would be wise to have her advisor write a letter of support to go with her appeal. A few elements of Emmas future plan could use a little more detail. She says that she will focus much better on [her] schoolwork and manage [her] time more wisely. The committee is likely to want to hear more on these points. If another family crisis arises, what will Emma do to ensure that she is able to stay focused on schoolwork? What is her time management plan? She wont become a better time manager simply be saying she will do so. How exactly is she going to learn and develop more effective time management strategies? Are there services at her school to help with her time management strategies? If so, she should mention those services and describe how she will utilize them. On the whole, Emma comes across as a student who deserves a second chance. Her letter is polite and respectful, and she is honest with the committee about what went wrong. A severe appeals committee may reject the appeal because of the mistakes Emma made, but many colleges would be willing to give her a second chance. More on Academic Dismissals Emmas letter provides a good example of a strong appeal letter, and these six tips for appealing an academic dismissal can help guide you as you craft your own letter. Also, there are many less sympathetic reasons for being kicked out of college than we see in Emmas situation. Jasons appeal letter takes on a more difficult task, for he was dismissed because alcohol took over his life and led to academic failure. Finally, if you want to see some common mistakes students make when appealing, check out Bretts weak appeal letter.

Allstate Insurance Company Social Responsibility Essay

Allstate Insurance Company Social Responsibility - Essay Example In general, the company and all its managerial including all its employees, families, and agency owners are enthusiastically involved in enhancing and bettering the living state of communities across the country. Allstate insurance’s main concern is to protect the people and be at the forefront in helping to put the people’s lives back together. In many cases, the Allstate Company runs cleanup campaigns, lends a hand to the needs of established youth groups in the country, aids in raising funds for various needy organizations, seeks to create links with other organizations, and creates awareness for valuable issues of all kinds. In the recent past for instance, the company committed itself to build yet another playground in the city of Chicago, raised funds for the Museum of Science and Industry exhibits, funded the Chicago Children’s Museum, and supported a reading program in the city. Further, Allstate Insurance is committed to sponsor other organizations where such as the Goodman Theatre, the Mexican Museum, and the Chicago Urban League among a host of other responsibilities. In pursuit to achieve its priorities of serving the community in the most and efficient way possible, Allstate Insurance Company has developed a credible criterion of investing in communities. This involves three well established and enforced ways: I. Financial Resources – this has been the key drive for Allstate Insurance Company. It involves being useful and depended on by other organization and groups. It structures itself in a way that other organization and small group can look unto the company whenever need arises. The company raises funds generously to the organizations and groups that are truly in need. It does this in the form of grants emanating from â€Å"The Allstate Foundation†, donations, and contributions from various corporate. II. Time – Allstate Insurance has put into consideration the value of time and has implemented a way of utilizing every single minute in the most effective and efficient way. They achieve this by ensuring that all employees participate actively in all activities undertaken in the company. It also makes sure that all its officers and agency owners are actively involved in all community programs, nonprofit boards, and community event such as creating relevant awareness. III. Leadership – Allstate Insurance Company has taken a step further to enhance its leadership. In doing this, the company commits itself to create a mutual relationship with other organization and joining them to address critical issues affecting the communities they serve. By so doing, the company remains up to date of even issues that could otherwise go unnoticed in the community. This also involves funding and providing support where necessary to enhance the activities. Further, Allstate has divided the communities into three groups just to enhance timely and effective operations: i. Local communities â€⠀œ this is where the company’s clients and agency owners reside and work. Moreover, agency owners and the clients invest their time and funds in the local communities as they are well protected and offer certainty. ii. Chicago Metro Area – this is due to the fact that Chicago is the hometown of Allstate Company and therefore access is almost perfect and management is enhanced. iii. National –

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

OSHA Legal Aspects of Safety and Health - Essay Example OSHA is also allowed to issue multiple penalties incase the consideration is on per instance basis (Ehlke, 2005). In this case, the standard violated needs to have clearly stipulated that compliance is per individual employee. In this instance, record keeping and lead protection standards stipulate that all recordable injuries should be entered on the log and an employee should be removed from work after being exposed. Also in case an employer has persistent high rates of injuries and/or fatalities, long history of violations, intentional ignorance to standards and lastly, bad faith multiple citations can be issued (Ehlke, 2005). These are good examples where multiple violations can be cited by OSHA under the egregious violations policy. It is important to note here that OSHA has the discretion to group violations and use this as a basis to propose penalties with multiple violations attracting single or multiplied penalties. References Ehlke, B. M. (2005). OSHA targets for 2005. Retr ieved 25 Jan. 2011 from, http://library.findlaw.com/2004/Aug/1/231145.html

Slow Down and Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slow Down and Play - Essay Example especially a parent to keep on insisting that their children should direct all their efforts towards academic work, however important it may be, and forget allowing them time to mingle with their friends through constructive activities such as sports and child games (Miller 2008 p 49). This is due to the fact that it helps them to become more aware of their surroundings as well as improving their socialization skills which are essential in their later lives especially in environments that require sharing of resources. In order to experience this, I have been able to go out and play, with the intention of understanding more on the real effects of participating in games. This I accomplished by involving myself in two different sporting activities i.e. playing football and climbing mountains. It is important to note that this requires personal motivation especially in mountain climbing due to the fact that there are a lot of challenges involved, which may discourage someone from accomplishing his mission. Unlike in other professional sporting activities such as those involved in Olympics as well as football competitions, whereby participants are always under pressure from sponsors, fans and their governments to accomplish the goal of acquiring a medal, playing in this case was purely intrinsic as the persons involved were out to have fun without caring much on the achievements, in fact, we took it a way of spending leisure and relaxing from the routine tasks which are boring and stressing. Mountain climbing is rather a difficult task especially since it requires a lot of stamina and confidence to enable you to hold on to the rocks as well as to keep up with the pace of other team members. Football on the other hand requires team work and as such, the success of your team depends on how well you calculate your moves incorporated with lack of selfishness in passing the ball. From this experience, it is true to say that team work irrespective of whether it is between

Types of Sub-Contractors

Types of Sub-Contractors 1.1 Introduction A sub-contractor has its own principal obligation to carry out his own sub contract work and complete in accordance to sub-contract documents. Contractor rarely complete a building all by himself without the help of a sub-contractor. A nominated sub-contractor has a contract under contractor who is usually instructed to construct the part of the building work under his expertise such as plumbing, electrical, roofing, cement work and plastering. A sub-contractor may be in individual or an incorporated company who perform his job partly in the project. According to Alberta Labour Relations Board (2002), when an officer is trying to decide which party is the true employer, it does not matter if the subcontractors work is: Part of an existing contract Contract between a general contractor and an owner Portion of work the owner is carrying n the owners account Under the standard form of the JCT contract there are 3 types of subcontractor: Domestic subcontractor A sub-contractor chosen from the list by the contractor becomes a domestic sub-contractor. Contractor will remain his responsible for domestic sub-contractor works and for any defects therein to the employer. Nominated subcontractor The principal acts as the middle man between the sub-contractor and the main contractor, whereby he independently invites tenders as sub-contractors and handles the negotiation of the subcontract and hence the main contractors are directed by the principal to enter into a subcontract with the subcontractor selected on terms and condition negotiated by the principal. Named subcontractors The employer is involved hands-on in the process of inviting and selecting tenders and after the final decision on the sub-contractor, the employer instructs the main contractor to enter into the sub-contract with that respective company. According to Chappell (2007), are 2 situations where a person to be ‘named Where work is included in the contract documents and priced by the contractor to be carried out by a person named in the documents Where there is a provisional sum and the architect issues an instruction naming a person to carry out the work it represents. 2.0 Review of appointing a specialist contractor JCT 98 A contractor and sub-contractor has a common relationship in construction industry where the responsibility to complete a building relies on contractor. Sub-contractor will enter into a contract by signing a contract with contactor and provide part of the building work to the sub-contractor by contractor. According to Standard Form of Building Contract (1998), a nominated contractor is being nominated when the Architect/the Contract Administrator uses a prime cost sum or by naming a sub-contractor, reserved to himself selection and approval of the sub-contractor to the Contractor who shall supply and fix any materials or goods or execute work, the sub-contractor so named or to be selected and approved be nominated in accordance with the provisions of clause 35 and a nominate sub-contractor should be Nominated Sub-Contractor. If a Contractors tender has been accepted he should not sub let his work to a Domestic Sub-Contractor without the consent of the Architect/the Contract Administrator. Clause 13.1 nomination of a sub-contractor to supply and fix materials or goods to execute work of which the measured quantities have been set out and priced by the Contractor in the Contract Bills fir supply and fixing or execution by the Contractor. Any variation under clause 13.2 Nominated Sub-Contractor in connection under such additional work is of a similar kind to supply and fixing of materials or the execution of work for which the Contract Bills provided that the Architect/the Contract Administrator would nominate a sub-contractor 2.2 Procedure appointing a specialist contractor JCT has issued some following documents which related to Nominated Sub-Contractors and are referred in the Conditions by the use either of the name or the identification term. According to standard form of building contract (1998) the following procedure is the Standard Form to nominate a Sub-Contract Tender 1998 Edition (NSC/T): Part 1: The Architect/the Contract Administrator will send an invitation to tender a Sub-Contractor Part 2: Tender by a Sub-Contractor Part 3: A Contractor and nominated Sub-Contractor under clause 35.5 will agreed into particular conditions Therefore the following steps are to nominate a sub-contractor should be: Architect/the Contract Administrator will complete the invitation to standard tender of Part 1 NSC/T and together with relevant section of employer/nominated sub-contractor agreement, NSC/W. A complete drawings/specification/bill of quantities describing the work will send to the tenderer. In part 2 Sub-Contractor and Employer signed as approved together with a copy of the numbered tender documents listed in and enclosed with NSC/T part 1 together with any additional documents and/or amendments where have been approved by the Architect/the Contract Administrator and to execute the warranty NSC/W The Architect will then nominate the sub-contractor using the standard nomination, NSC/N instruction to the main contractor. A copy of the invitation tender and the successful sub-contractors tender will be submitted to main contractor, the drawings/specification/bills of quantities on which the tender was bases and the executed warranty. Once the main contractor has received the documents, in within 7 days he should make a reasonable objection to the selected tenderer in writing. If main contractor fails to do so, he will tend to reach an agreement with the selected tenderer on the ‘Particular Conditions in Part 3 of NSC/T. When the Particular Conditions has been reached, contractor and sub-contractor will sign Part 3 of NSC/T and execute the sub-contract agreement articles, NSC/A which incorporate by the reference the sub-contract conditions NSC/C Lastly, a copy of NSC/T Part 3 and NSC/A signed by the contractor will submit to Architect for his records. 3.0 Review of appointing a specialist contractor Post JCT 2005 3.1 Review on a specialist contractor Post JCT 2005 Based on JCT SBC 05, there is no longer nominated sub-contractor in the contract due to numbers of problems arise because when a project is not ready to start work on the commence date, sub-contractor uses this opportunity to demand for extra money. Therefore there are only domestic sub-contractors in Standard Building Contract (SBC). 3.2 Procedure appointing specialist contractor Under JCT SBC05 clause 3.7 stated contractor should not without the consent of Architect/Contract Administrators sub-contract the whole or part of the work to a sub-contractor. He should responsible carrying and completing the Works in all respect in accordance with Contract Documents which is the same condition in JCT SBC 98 under clause 35.2. Furthermore, it stated if there is a Contractors designed Portion, Contractor should not sub-contract the design without Employers consent and should not in affected his obligations as a Contractor. Employer can narrow in choosing sub-contractor when the â€Å"work must be measured or describe adequately in some other way in the bills of quantities so that it can be priced by the contractor.†(Chappell, 2007) When selecting a domestic sub-contractor, the lists must at least contain three names to be chosen by the contractor to carry out the work in project. Employer or contractor may add in additional to the list before an agreement to a sub-contract is entered into respect of particular work. Architect will ensure that the list of domestic sub-contractors are willing and has the expertise to carry the work. Once the main contract is let, additional names are still able to be added where it has given a maximum opportunity for the contractor to take advantage on the competitive prices. If there is a circumstance before entered into a binding contract where the list name is below three therefore: Employer and contractor must agree on the addition of the names must contain at least three in the list Or, contractor carries the work by naming himself in the list and may sub let his work later with architects consent Lastly, a sub-contractor is chosen form the list by the contractor becomes a domestic sub-contractor where employer will not have responsibilities on domestic sub-contractor. Contractor will wholly responsible on domestic sub-contractor whether the â€Å"problems of delay, financial claims or termination of employment.†(Chappell, 2007) 4.0 Review the method of appointing a specialist contractor NEC 3 ECC 2005 (Option B) 4.1 Review the method of appointing a specialist subcontractor NEC 3 ECC 2005 The NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) 2005 (Option B) have been designed in order to sub-contract work to sub-contractor. A sub-contractor in NEC 3 ECC 2005 (Option B) has a contract with contractor in performing his duties such as Construct or install part of the works Provide a service necessary to provide the works or Supply the plant and materials which the person or organisation has wholly or partly designed specifically for the works Based on NEC 3 ECC 2005 (Option B) under clause 26.1 stated, Contractor is responsible in providing work to the sub-contractor regardless whether there is a sub-contract work. In NEC 3 ECC 2005 (Option B), Project Manager who is the one to approved whether a sub-contractor is allowed to enter a contract unlike in JCT SBC 98 and JCT SBC 05 where Architect in charge in approving sub-contractor. In order to have a sub-contractor, Contractor must submit the name of proposed Subcontractor to the Project Manager for acceptance. If there is a situation where a Project Manager does not accept a sub-contractor therefore Contractor is not allowed to Provide the works to sub-contractor until the Project Manager has accepted him into the contract which stated under clause 26.2. Before nominate a sub-contractor, according to NEC 3 Engineering and Construction Contracts Option B (2005), Contractor is required to propose contract conditions for each sub-contractor to Project Manager for acceptance unless: an NEC contract is proposed the Project Manager has agreed no submission is required Contractor is not allowed to appoint a sub-contractor if the proposed contract conditions to the Project Manager is not accepted. If Project Manager rejects the Contractors proposal of the conditions in the contract regarding the subcontractor, it is because of: the conditions do not allowed Contractor to Provide works the conditions do not include a statement that the parties to the subcontract shall act in a spirit of mutual trust and co-operation. 5.0 Review of nomination sub-contractor in construction industry 5.1 Reasons to nominate sub-contractor According to Atkinson (1999), the reasons for nominating sub-contractor(s) into a project are: (a.) the nominated sub-contractor is selected by the employer (b.) the company choice which the employer wishes to use is in his hands and that decision is not required to be objected to pricing. (c.) in regards to the timing of involvement and appointment of sub-contractor(s), it is left to the employer to meet his requirements (d.) a nominated sub-contractors design expertise, contract knowledge and services coordination can be utilised since he can be involved in the early stage (e.) if required, the sub-contractor can be made part of the contract team and be fully involved in the project. (f.) the distinct line of responsibility to the employer is established through a clear contractual liability. (g.) the introduction of formal links between sub-contractors and the consulting engineer, promotes efficiency as architect, QS and employer time is saved since long chains of correspondences are absent and price, design, programme, and variation are acted quickly on. (h.) delays can be avoided by establishing direct links and involvement 5.2 Why nominated sub-contractor has been omitted? In JCT SBC 05, nominated sub-contractor has been omitted from the standard form due to it has caused problems arise. The main problem is having a conflict relationship between the main contractor and subcontractor where â€Å"one party and the responsibility for that choice being put on another party.†(Chappell, 2007) Furthermore, the reason sub-contractor has been omitted due to demand for extra money when a project is not ready to be started on the commencement date but if there is no law implied when is the commencement date therefore contractor must come up with a reasonable date. The numerous frequency of the existing business relationship occurrence between the nominated subcontractor and the client gave rise to the issue of nominated subcontractors dominating the construction industry since the overall pricing is under the influence of the nominated subcontractor which gives them the power to affect the overall construction cost. The reason behind the ability of the subcontractors to gain such power to influence pricing in the construction industry is because subcontractors are lacking competition amongst each other. 5.3 Appraising the advantages and disadvantages nominating Employer In nominating Employer, there advantages and disadvantages Advantages: Employer has the right to nominate his decision which sub-contractor to carry out the work Employer will have the power on sub-contractors design through early design stage. With warranty NSC/W Employer will have a direct contractual link with sub-contractor in design and selection of materials by sub-contractor. Disadvantages Employer has no right against main contractor if they were defected design caused by sub-contractor If there was a delayed caused by sub-contractor therefore contractor is entitled for to an extension of time and will not have to pay for liquidated damages as warranty NSC/W will recover damages caused by nominated sub-contractor Lack of management on site because contractor is not responsible delay by nominated sub-contractor Employer will bear all the extra cost when there is determination of nominated sub-contractor employments either default or insolvency except delay caused by architect taking reasonable time for renomination. 6.0 Conclusion In my opinion, JCT SBC 05 had omitted nominated sub-contractor which gives simpler to the construction industry. It is clearly defined with nominated sub-contractor in the industry it has caused numerous problems to the employer and main contractor. Therefore without sub-contractor, it will help to decrease the proper parts of the risks which they have received under the main contract for sub-contractor to create its own risk beyond contractors control. However, each standard form of contract has own critics towards nominating a sub-contractor whether it has benefited more to employer or contractor. 7.0 References Atkinso.D, (1999). Subcontracting [online] 1 June. http://www.atkinson-law.com/cases/CasesArticles/Articles/SubContracting.htm [Accessed 25 July 2009] Alberta Labour Relations Board, (2002). True Employer and Subcontractor [online] 1 June. http://www.alrb.gov.ab.ca/procedure/24(f)(ii).pdf [Accessed 25 July 2009] Brand, D., 2009. Contract nominations. [Online] 5 January. Available at: http://cmguide.org/archives/315 [Last accessed on 23 July 2009] Chappell, D. (2007). Understanding JCT Standard Building Contracts. 8th Edi. Taylor Francis. London New York. Karnick, M., 2009. Nominating the best project subcontractors. [Online] 12 July. Available at: http://cmguide.org/archives/1357 [Last accessed on 23 July 2009] Office Of Government Commerce (2005). NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract: Option B: Priced Contract with Bill of Quantities. 3rd ed., Great Britain, Bell Bain Limited. Price, J. (1994). Sub-Contracting under the JCT Standard Form of Building Contract. Macmillan. Standard Form of Building Contract (1998). Local Authorities with Quantities. Great Britain, The Joint Tribunal Limited

The Yellow Wallpaper -- Literary Analysis, Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The psychologically thrilling story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman explores the dark and twisted aspect of the American society in the nineteenth century. Through the use of theme, Gilman creatively captures the cultural subordination and struggles women faced on a regular basis. The first theme present in the horrific and heart wrenching story is the subordinate position of women within marriage. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† begins with the narrator’s wish that her house were haunted like those in which â€Å"frightened heroines suffer Gothic horrors† (DeLamotte 5). However, this wish is in essence to empower herself. The narrator is already afraid of her husband and is suffering mentally and emotionally. She desperately wishes for an escape â€Å"through fantasy, into a symbolic version of her own plight: a version in which she would have a measure of distance and control† (DeLamotte 6). Throughout the text, Gilman reveals to the reader that during the time in which the story was written, men acquired the working role while women were accustomed to working within the boundaries of their â€Å"woman sphere†. This gender division meritoriously kept women in a childlike state of obliviousness and prevented them from reaching a ny scholastic or professional goals. John, the narrator’s husband, establishes a treatment for his wife through the assumption of his own superior wisdom and maturity. This narrow minded thinking leads him to patronize and control his wife, all in the name of â€Å"helping her†. The narrator soon begins to feel suffocated as she is â€Å"physically and emotionally trapped by her husband† (Korb). The narrator has zero control in the smallest details of her life and is consequently forced to retreat into her fantasies... ...at the narrator will possibly be physically restrained or imprisoned at some point when her husband regains consciousness. At that point, he will have no other choice but to send her back to her doctor or a mental institution. Nevertheless, the narrator’s mind will always remain free, emulating the freedom relished by the woman in the wallpaper. Unfortunately, this escape of reality means that the speaker will never reclaim any sort of rationality. With the deed of freeing the woman in the wallpaper, the narrator unintentionally guarantees the long lasting burden of insanity. All in all, the heart wrenching and goosebump producing story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes the reader on a psychological rollercoaster ride. Through the swift use of theme, Gilman ingeniously illustrates the struggles women faced during the nineteenth century.

“Night demonstrates the potential of man’s inhumanity to man” Essay

Elie Weisels â€Å"night â€Å" gives us a clear insight into the levels of inhumane behaviour which existed in the times of Nazi Germany from the Germans and even the Jews themselves. Elie also makes clear the great malice shown by some people, during a time where discrimination was a trend created by German propaganda – a situation which made any act of inhumanity acceptable. Nonetheless Night also shows us the way in which people are willing to sacrifice, purely for the survival of others. â€Å"Night† also demonstrates the nature of the human qualities by showing that even in the most inhuman and cruel circumstances, we can survive something like â€Å"hell on earth† Concentration camps showed us inhumanity on a scale previously unimagined. However the setting in place of such inhumane behaviour began some years before with the systematic dehumanising of the Jews by breaking down social structures and relationships and taking away their place in civil society. The novel shows that there is great inhumanity displayed from this personal journey of Elie Wiesel. The Jews were tortured every day for no reason at all other than for the SS officers’ own amusement. The SS officers treated the men as if they were animals, making them fight for food. Women, babies, old, sick, and handicapped were put into the crematoriums as soon as they arrived at the camps. The Germans stripped the Jews to nothing and took away everything close to them, separation from loved ones, isolation, transportation and the ruthless, cold actions towards them in the camps such as starvation and selections of the fittest. They killed people for no reason, with no remorse whatsoever. Tortures, being treated like animals, and being burned alive or killed were all things that led to the Jews feeling as if they were not human. As the treatment of the Jews gets worse, so do their own actions. After their time at Birkenau, the prisoners were in very bad shape. All were starving, but some more than others. At this point, one of the young men kills his own father for his ration of bread and is then promptly surrounded and killed by some of the more disgusted Jews who had seen the crime. While the justice administered by the other Jews is a sign of humanity hanging by a thread in the minds and hearts of the prisoners, the young man who killed his own father signifies as much of a tendency in the opposite direction. While some would argue that the  goal of survival could possibly justify the means, the effect the Nazis are having on the minds of the Jews cannot be ignored. Despite the relenting bleakness and horror of life in the camps, Elie Weisel survives with his emo tional insanity and survival remarkably intact. The critical things that helped people to survive in to camps included human connections, such as friendships and family relationships, hearing and making music and random acts of kindness from strangers. By doing whatever he needed to so he could survive, Wiesel’s identity had truly changed in the concentration camps. Elie survived the concentration camps for nearly two years. Even though he often claims that he wanted to give up, that he wished he would die, he still fought against death. He writes â€Å"our first act as free men was to throw ourselves onto the provisions. We thought only of that. Not of revenge, not of our families. Nothing but bread.† This quote shows that, though Elie has lost his identity so much that he is almost like a wild animal, he has still managed to keep the instinct to survive. This endurance showed that he never was able to fully give up on life. He somehow pushed past the Nazi cruelty to live through malnutrition, torture, and sorrow. Even as his emotions shut down to the point where he could not cry for his dead father, he was shutting down so he could survive the experience of the death camps.

Harry Potter and Culture Industry Essay

Harry Potter – this name is familiar with all the age groups in the world today and the reason behind it is well known to all of us. The Harry Potter book series written by a single mother J. K. Rowling, who wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams that a story she thought of while travelling in a train, would gain so much popularity. So much so that her character and her name would become a household name across the globe! J. K. Rowling Harry Potter books came into the market in 1998. The first part called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone gained a lot of popularity with the kids and slowly with the adults too. Due to its huge success it was converted into a motion picture as well and so the first movie when on to release in the year 2001. Subsequently the other parts (books) were out in the market and the movies started releasing as well. Of course it was after the stupendous success of the initial books that J. K. Rowling was encouraged to write on the further parts. So what is it in Harry Potter that attracts so much attention? Or what is it that makes people want to read a 600-700 pages long book again and again. This isn’t just a single book we are talking about, but every book in the series is read all over again by people repeatedly. These books tell us the story of an orphan, Harry who lives with his aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon, and not to forget his huge sized cousin Dudely with a nut sized brain. He leads a miserable life until the he turns 11, when he realizes that he is actually a wizard. He is admitted to the Horgwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So follows his journey of magical experiences. Very unique but impressionable characters are introduced in the book in Rowling’s own style. The books detailing his experiences at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have bred passion, obsession, creativity, and a new or renewed interest in reading throughout the world. JK Rowling has created an elaborate cast of characters and an environment for them to inhabit that appeals to adults and children alike. The fantasy aspect of the wizarding world expands the imagination, and transports the mind to new and exciting places; introducing magic opens new realms of possibilities within the plots. Anything could happen. Her intricate stories contain strands of the believable and unbelievable, altering the predictability that readers commonly encounter and endure in fiction. Harry Potter Movie Poster These factors contributed to the â€Å"Harry Potter Phenomena† which actually swept across the world as soon as the movie series became huge hits! Young children started identifying with Harry’s shy but brave character. The terrifying Lord Voldemort and how he is after Harry’s life, after having murdered his parents when Harry was a baby. The innocence of school life along with the mixture of magic, hit children’s minds like the Magic Bullet Theory, wherein, the information seen by audiences hits their minds like bullets and penetrates within. At the same time, the themes driving the stories resonate with classic literature, offering mature readers tales that wear like a comfortable pair of shoes, while introducing younger readers to concepts they will encounter throughout their lives. The main theme of the series is the subject of many theories, including, but not limited to: good versus evil, prejudice, love, death, sacrifice, friendship and loyalty. In actuality, all of these elements contribute to the timeless nature of the stories. As and when the books started getting really famous with a specific target audience, the first big leap that was taken to expand the entire Harry Potter concept were the movies. When the movies were made they went on to click with the younger as well as the older audiences. One part after the other, the movies became darker slowly loosing the initial happy and bright appearance. They now started seeming more â€Å"real† and â€Å"practical†. There was a feel of â€Å"there is more to Harry Potter† than what you expect. The covers of all books started having two versions, one which was bright and the other dark and mysterious so that the books would appeal to adults as well. Slowly there was Harry Potter everywhere! There was Culture Industry starting to take place because of the entire Harry Potter concept. By Culture Industry we mean that suddenly a particular thing which is extremely popular is produced in front of us in many different ways. It is â€Å"claimed† by the respective producers that their product is unique and adds more to a particular franchise. This concept focuses on media and marketing. Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno define the Culture Industry through its focus on the media and mass marketing. This industry is unique in that it does not reflect economic processes and essentially becomes homogenous; thus, variation is meaningless. The Culture Industry is characterized by three specific ideas: Monopoly, Mass Production, and Technology. So there is lesser control over production of certain products and lesser control in the market. Hence when a certain product is newly launched in the market, people rush to purchase it and explore that particular product. So what happens when the novelty of that product wears off? Simple, another product is launched in the market and promoted on its â€Å"unique† properties. But the actual catch here is that every product is almost similar to one another, but it is sold as being different from the previous one. Hence people are urged to buy them. This also gives them another product in place of the previous one. This is termed as â€Å"Pseudo Singularity† rightly meaning false singularity. This is how the culture industry also called as Mass Industry works. When Culture Industry meets something like Harry Potter, what is created is a huge successful mass industry which becomes immensely lucrative and popular. Also when the subject is like Harry, who mainly appeals to people due to his emotional appeal, his belief in friendship, love and braveness. These are the factors on which various products apart from movies like merchandise are publicized to people. There are Harry Potter theme based amusement parks, the costumes, competitions to test your HP knowledge, digital games and websites like Pottermore where you actually live Harry’s life. You are sorted into different houses just like in the book and you face different adventures like Harry. There are things taken from the book which will entertain and amuse people. Like the broom used to play the game Quidditch again an imaginary concept of a game like football but you are actually flying on broomsticks. Harry Potter wands, cards, hats, glasses and the famous scar which Harry have all became commodities and we are expected to purchase them. The main objective here is to make people feel like Harry himself. Examples of various Harry Potter Merchandise So even if J. K. Rowling has completed her set of books, producers still want to reap the profits from this subject. Hence, even after she officially completed her books, due to tremendous response and popular demand she wrote another book where people know what happens after Harry defeats Lord Voldemort and finishes his studies from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So much is the popularity of Harry Potter. Not only Harry, but other main characters like Hermoine and Ron (Harry’s best friends), Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, Sirius Black etc have gained a connect with the audiences. There is a feeling generated that â€Å"my best friend to needs to be like Ron† or â€Å"I wish I could study magic†. This feeling of longingness is usurped but the producers to contribute more to the culture industry! These feelings are then used by the people to generate more and more profits, hence trips to the castle where Harry Potter was shot are arranged. Though a particular location is not used continuously in the movies, they keep changing, but so much is the craze that people travel all the way to Scotland just to see where their Hero spent this school days. All in all a different culture itself is created and we don’t realize it. Such is the nature culture industry and it prevails n today’s world to a much greater extent. The main feeling of Love always triumphs over the evil makes Harry Potter what it is. I would like to end my putting in a famous citation in the book- It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore This is one of the most famous quotes from the series and rightly, it is our choices that make us who we are. People chose to love Harry Potter even though the entire concept being imaginary because it has appealed to their hearts. It is this emotional factor which makes us give in to the ‘market and producers’ but in the end, they are our choices, aren’t they?

Operating a Franchise Management Essay

Operating a Franchise Management Essay Operating a Franchise Management Essay Operating a Franchise Management Essay Franchising refers to a business relationship in which the owner of a business (a franchisor) provides an independent business or an individual (franchisee) with a licensed privilege to operate under its trademarks and name. In this arrangement, the franchisor may provide the franchisee with a varied assistance, depending on the type of a contract the two entities have signed. Some of the assistance extended to the franchisee by the franchisor include organizational training, marketing strategies and resources, and an access to the franchisor’s business concepts. Franchising is attractive to small businesses because it offers an opportunity to start a business easily. Its attractiveness results from the support afforded by the franchisor. Moreover, since the franchisor is experienced in the business, the franchisee gets a chance to use tested concepts and receives a constant guidance. The franchisor, on the other hand, benefits because franchising provides a cheap way of expan ding business since a little investment is required. Therefore, the agreement is a win-win strategy for both parties. Since the development of this concept, many businesses have adopted it because it helps businesses penetrate markets at a faster rate than when using their own subsidiaries. The franchisee, especially in the international market, is a local business. As such, the franchisee knows and understands the market better than the franchisor. Culture is an aspect that has had a great impact on international organizations when entering foreign markets. The failure to understand culture may prevent an organization from successfully penetrating a foreign market. The presence of a franchise that is conversant with the local culture helps in identifying and serving the local needs efficiently. Types of Franchises There are two main types of franchises, which include product distribution franchise and business format franchise. Product distribution franchise provides the franchisee with the rights and license to distribute its products in designated regions. The distributor uses the company’s logos and trademark, which identifies the franchise as an authorized dealer of the manufacturer. In this type of franchise, the franchisor does not provide the franchise with the entire system to help in running the business. This type of franchise is found in soft drinks, gasoline and automobile industries. To operate a product distribution franchise, the owner of the franchise must pay a specified fee or purchase a certain amount of products from the franchisor. The business format franchise is the most popular form of franchising and involves full rights to the franchisor’s business processes. The franchisor provides the franchisee with a full access to its business format, a quality control process, methods of operations, a marketing strategy, a license for its trade name, a two-way communication system and services, as well as some products to be sold. In addition, the franchisor can help the franchisee set up the facility within which the franchise will operate. This is the fastest growing type of franchise across industries. Franchising Arrangements Single-Unit Franchise Business owners have different arrangements under which they can operate franchise businesses. The most common arrangement is known as a single-unit franchise where the franchisor permits the franchisee to operate one franchise unit (Awe, 2006). Once a single-unit franchise has become operational, the franchisee can buy additional single-units. This is known as a multiple or single-unit relationship. Multiple-Unit Franchise The second arrangement is known as a multiple-unit franchise. It is divided into two sub-units. The first sub-unit is called an area development. In the area development relationship, the franchisee can open more than one unit in a specified area. The franchisor provides the franchisee with exclusive rights to develop the chosen territory. The second sub-unit is known as a master franchise. In this relationship, the franchisor grants the franchisee more rights than the area development franchisee. In master franchise arrangement, the owner of franchises can have multiple units and has the right to sell them to other people within the franchise territory. This arrangement transfers most of duties, tasks, responsibilities and benefits formerly enjoyed by the franchisor to the operator of master franchise. Representative Franchise In addition to these two main arrangements, there may arise another hybrid relationship known as an area representative franchise. The area representative purchases a territorial franchise to service and sells it as unit franchises. The contract signed by the representative is not with the unit franchisees, but with the franchisor. This representative receives a portion of the fees paid by the unit franchisee to the franchisor. The fee received by the representative is as a result of servicing the unit franchises in the territory. How to Evaluate a Franchise Starting a franchise involves some risks because the investor wishing to operate it must invest and pay fees to the franchisor. Moreover, since the franchise agreement allows the operation for a specified period, the franchisee must be cautious when choosing the franchisor with whom to enter into an agreement. The franchisee must make sure that, by the time the franchise is terminated, the business has earned some profits and returned on investment. There are two essential qualities that determine a successful franchise, i.e. trust and understanding between the franchisee and the franchisor. Therefore, the franchisee must assess the opportunities available and the trustworthiness of all the franchisors. The second aspect that the business person wishing to start a franchise must assess is a financial position and track record of the franchisor. Financial records are crucial because they indicate the profitability of the franchisor, which may provide a possible prediction parameter for the franchisee’s profitability. The investor wishing to operate a franchise must analyze the market within which this franchise will operate (Bisio Kohler, 2011). Market evaluation is critical because the franchisee will be able to determine whether the prospective market has some potential customers that will be willing to purchase products at the expected prices. Moreover, this assessment can enable the investor to analyze the trend of the population purchasing the products to ensure that the market is expanding and not shrinking. Comparing disclosure statements from various franchisors helps an investor to relate the fees, benefits, restrictions and risks associated with every potential franchisor. Therefore, such an evaluation guides the investor to make an informed decision on the right franchisor to work with based on the details contained in disclosure statements. The prospective franchisee must assess the potential franchisor on the type of activities involved in the business. The business activities may require special skills that the franchisee may not have. The franchise must match the skills and capabilities of the franchisee so that the management will be excellent and profitable. Another assessment criteria to use is whether the franchisor has been market tested. During an initial business setup, the franchisor must have tested the business model through pilot tests in the market. Such a study must have been guided by professionals. On the other hand, the market testing could be based on the number of years the franchisor has been operational and successful. Market testing is crucial because a tested franchisor is likely to survive in the market for a longer time than a new one. The franchisee must also assess how existing franchisees are operating and their level of satisfaction with the franchisor. The franchise system may look viable on paper, but frustrating in practice. To have the practical information on what it takes to operate a franchise with the franchisor, evaluating existing franchisees is essential. The business model of the potential franchisor is crucial to the prospective franchisee because it can determine whether the business is based on a fashionable foundation or a permanent base. Every investor would wish to have the security assurance that the business in which to invest will be in existence for a long time. A franchisee must, therefore, assess the permanence of a franchisor before investing. It is essential for a prospective franchisee to understand the amount of capital required to start a franchise with different franchisors. Different organizations have different capital requirements for their franchises. The franchisee, therefore, should evaluate potential franchisors and choose depending on the amount of the capital available. In addition to evaluating the minimum capital requirements, the capital required in a worse case scenario should be assessed. Different franchisors provide support services to franchises, but there is no uniformity in this provision. The type of relationship between the franchisor and franchisee may determine the level of support available for the franchisee. The support services extended to the franchise can either increase or decrease its chances of survival. The more the support services provided the higher the chances of surviving and becoming profitable. Advantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisee Professional Guidance In a franchise relationship, the franchisor is experienced in the field of management and operating businesses. On the other hand, the franchisee may not have managed a business before, which means that there is the lack of expertise on the side of the franchisee. Depending on the level of assistance provided by the franchisor to the franchises, the franchisee can get some technical and managerial assistance from the franchisor. This assistance can be provided before the franchise is launched and during its operations. The advantage in operating a franchise is that the franchisor provides training and offers the progressive assistance in the course of the franchise’s operations. The technical help that the franchisor can provide the franchise with includes a business layout, design, equipment, purchasing and location. Efficiency The efficiency of operating a franchise is high compared to a start up business because the franchisor has leant through the own experience where problems were arising during a business start up. The franchisee is, therefore, provided with the information that will help the franchise evade common mistakes that lead to high start-up capital requirements (Hetten, 2011). As s result of having a prior knowledge on the processes to avoid and those to focus on, the franchise that is being efficient expands easily. Opportunity To Learn The presence of experienced franchisors in a franchise relationship enables investors to operate a business without any prior knowledge and experience. This advantage is crucial to people who decide to change their careers. They can own a franchise without any experience in the field of business. Some of the organizations sell that franchise with the operations to people with no prior knowledge. Such people are trained from scratch and are able to adapt to the system’s culture at a faster rate than a person who has worked in an organization with a different culture. Therefore, the franchise allows the franchisee to learn how to operate a business practically. Recognized Standards Franchisors require standardization in many aspects of their operations to be adopted by franchises. These aspects have been tested either through experience or a research and have proven to work for the franchisor. One such aspect is quality control. The quality of products can differentiate a business from another and initiate customer loyalty. The application of these uniform standards in all the franchisor’s operations differentiates brand names and create preferences among customers. Although franchisees have the limited independence, the compliance requirement helps them to apply proven methods and practices, which lead to increased revenues and profitability. Potential for Growth The learning and experience gained by operating one franchise can help the franchisee to operate other franchises elsewhere. An opportunity to operate the franchise in another location may arise. Franchisees with experience and knowledge can expand their operations to new locations where they would increase their profits and a scope of operations. Distinctive Trade Identification A franchise has an advantage over other start-up businesses because its association with a recognized franchisor improves its goodwill in the market. The franchise, therefore, enjoys the success in market penetration by being associated with a known brand. Since building a brand name is costly and dependent on time, franchises become famous within a limited time and using fewer resources than other start-up businesses. Advertisement Programs Advertisement is crucial for the success of any organization, irrespectively of the products being sold or the industry in which the business belongs to. An advertisement consumes large portions of marketing budgets and reduces profits and returns on investments. The franchise is exempted partly from the advertisement costs because when the franchisor advertises on a massive scale, the franchise benefits for being associated with the brand name. Disadvantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisee Cost of Franchise Although the franchises are assisted during the start-up and the progress of business by the franchisor, the help comes with the price. Once the business becomes operational, the franchisor starts charging loyalty fees in the form of sales revenue percentages. This cost is invisible during the start-up, but becomes evident once the business starts making profits. Since the charges are continually charged, they become a burden to the franchise because the business has to ensure sales up to a certain limit to guarantee that the business can pay the fees. Risk of Misunderstanding or Fraud Not all franchisors are genuine in their business. Some of them promise many things to franchises, but rarely fulfill them. Franchisees may not see the need to involve an attorney in the transactions, but it is crucial because the contract may contain faults that only people involved into the legal profession can understand. Therefore, franchises represent opportunities and risks in an equal measure to franchisees. Over-Dependence The help that franchises receive from franchisors may limit the involvement of franchisees in managing the business. The franchisor may not understand the unique needs of the customers in local regions. This means that methods and means used by the system may not apply to some localities. At such times, the franchisee should decide on how to serve the needs of such customers without relying on the franchisor. The control exercised by the franchisor on the franchise may make the franchisee over-dependent on the franchisor to the point of not being able to adapt to unique methods that would fit localities. Restricted Creativity and Freedom Franchisors place numerous restrictions on the way their franchises conduct their businesses. They have to follow procedures and standard ways of doing things. Any creative franchisee cannot conduct a business differently without offending the franchisor. Moreover, franchises are geographically restricted because they may enter another franchise territory. The restriction can be destructive such that even when the franchisee notices that some products are not suited to the market. They have no remedy because the franchisor has the final word to say. Negative Effects from Other Franchises’ Poor Performance When other franchises licensed by the same franchisor perform poorly in terms of quality or customer service, the effects can be felt even by those franchises that perform well. Since the franchises have the same brand name, customers aggrieved by one franchise are likely to view other franchises with contempt. This may lead to poor sales in high performing franchises. Therefore, franchising may be detrimental to franchises when the franchisor allows low standards in some of its business units. Termination or Transfer Problems A franchise is a contract between two parties and has a time frame within which it can be terminated. Either party may decide to end the contract even when the other party does not wish to end the relationship. This is a disadvantage, especially to the franchisee who has devoted time and energy to build the business. Another aspect that is problematic in this relationship is the transfer of ownership. During the contract signing, the franchisee may not have considered that the business may need to be transferred to another person such as a family member. For this reason, a clause detailing the procedure of such a transfer may not have been included in the contract. It, therefore, becomes difficult to transfer the ownership to another person. Advantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisor The franchising relationship is like a double-edged sword because it benefits and receives disadvantages both the franchisee and the franchisor. From the franchisor’s point of view, the following advantages result from the relationship: Rapid Expansion with Little Capital Investment In conventional business models, expansion requires a heavy capital investment. However, this is different when franchising is concerned. The franchisee comes up with the capital to invest. It is given the assistance in establishing the franchise using the money by the franchisor. This means the franchisor can reach new markets at a faster rate without investing capital. The relationship is, therefore, beneficial to the franchisor because the inputs are few, but the outcomes are numerous. Highly Motivated Franchisees In terms of performance, franchising is likely to outperform other modes of investment because the franchisee has a personal interest in the business and is more motivated than a company’s employee. As such, the business of the franchisor can perform better than organizations that rely on the employees’ motivation. The performance of the franchise is high because of the motivation from franchisees. The Expansion Is Controlled Within a corporate chain, rapid expansion sometimes occurs and out-paces the central management of an organization. When this happens, the management may lose control of critical processes and its ability to control all the organizational aspects. In a franchise relationship, the expansion is controlled because franchises are territorial and limit the extent to which the franchise can operate. The franchisor is, therefore, able to control the expansion of the business and has a tight control over its operations. Ability to Purchase in Bulk Purchasing goods in bulk is cheaper than buying fewer items. The presence of many franchises allows the franchisor to purchase supplies and products at great discounts. These discounts increase the franchisor’s profitability and reduce franchisee’s costs. Multiple Revenue Sources Having different sources of revenue is the strength to any business because it diversifies risks. The various sources of income for franchisors include the fee that is paid upon signing a contract, revenue from sales of various products and a portion of franchise’s revenue. The arrangement differentiates the franchising relationship from other corporations and diversifies its sources of revenue. Disadvantages of Operating a Franchise to a Franchisor Franchisee Dispute Conflicts are common between franchisees and franchisors regarding the payment of loyalty fees, hours of operation and expansion. Initially, the franchisee does not envisage such conflicts because the mind is usually focused on a positive side of the business. This changes when the reality of business dawns; and the franchisor starts demanding fees and other compliance issues. These disputes can disrupt business and harm trust, which is essential to the success of the franchise business. Loss of Control Although the franchisor controls several aspects of the franchise business, there is an individual aspect of the franchisee that must be respected. When the franchisor needs to implement changes, consultations between the parties involved must take place. The consultations do not always result into an agreement, and the franchisee may not agree with the franchisor. This makes it difficult for the franchisor to implement changes. The result of this loss of control is that the franchisor may be unable to respond to changing tastes and preferences in the market. In such a case, the franchisor turns to the company owned units. Any testing on a new product is done through these units. The results from the tests are crucial during the negotiations because they act as the evidence of success that can be achieved by the proposed changes. Profit Sharing Once the franchisee recovers the initial investment, subsequent earnings may represent 30-50% return on investments. Such high levels of return on investment are the indication of money that would have otherwise been earned by the franchisor using the company’s owned units. The franchisor would receive all the earnings taken by the franchisee through the company’s owned units. Therefore, franchisee’s earnings are foregone revenues for the franchisor. Legal Issues of Franchising The legal issues affecting franchising involve two documents. These include the Disclosure Document and Franchise Agreement. The state and federal laws in the United States govern the relationship between the franchisor and the franchise. To perform this role, the government requires the franchisor to supply the franchisee with the information that outlines the nature of the two parties’ relationship. The legal aspect of the franchising relationship is contained in two documents known as the Disclosure Document and the Franchise Agreement. The Disclosure Document The Disclosure Document provides the franchisee with information about the franchise system, the franchisor and agreement to be signed. The franchisee should be provided with the document before the contract is signed so that there is enough time to scrutinize the issues therein and make informed choices. The law prohibits a franchisor from selling a franchise before presenting the disclosure document to the prospective franchisee. In the United States, 14 states require franchisors to register their disclosure document with the state to notify that they will offer franchises. This document is important to the prospective franchisee because the vital information that can affect the performance of the franchise is contained in it. Some of the vital information that can help a prospective franchisee to make a wise decision is management’s experience in franchise management. The franchisor’s experience in managing the business can determine whether the franchise will have a prolonged future or not. A franchisor with the limited experience may not offer a profitable and reliable franchise. Another vital piece of information contained in the disclosure document is the litigation history and bankruptcy records. The number of litigation cases in the document can inform the prospective franchisee on the type of legal problems the franchise is likely to face. The franchisor with a long history of legal cases is less attractive to franchisees. On the other hand, bankruptcy records can provide the essential information about the ability of the firm to remain profitable in future. The franchisor with several bankruptcy records indicates inefficiency in managing the business. The information regarding territorial rights informs the prospective franchisee on how large the operation territory is. Sometimes, the franchisor may have many franchises competing for the operational territory. The disclosure document provides the franchisee with details of the geographical size within which the franchise is allowed to operate. The existence of numerous franchises sanctioned by the same franchisor within a small territory can limit the prospects of a new franchise. Such information is crucial because the franchisee prefers a large territory to serve because it provides a large market share. The disclosure information outlines the responsibilities of both the franchisor and the franchisee. This information may be unclear to the franchisee when the document is not provided prior to the contract signing. Consequently, the relationship between the two parties may be strained in the future regarding their duties towards each other. The responsibilities such is the level of support available to the franchisee is crucial when the decision to operate a franchise has been made. The franchisee is likely to choose the franchisor who provides the best support among other considerations. The Franchise Agreement Compared to the disclosure document, a franchise agreement is more specific in defining the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee (Selden, 2011). The agreement specifies how the system works and the extent to which the franchisee can use trademarks and products. This is essential because the franchisee can understand the extent to which the franchise will benefit from the use of trademarks and licenses. In the franchise agreement, the rights and obligations of both parties are clearly defined and the standard procedures of operation outlined. The importance of this legal document is that the written procedures and standards illustrate the amount of control the franchisor exercises over the franchisee. When every activity of the franchise is strictly guided by operational procedures and standards, the franchisee has a little freedom and creativity curtailed. On the other hand, when the procedures only apply to some activities, the franchisor has limited control over the franchise. This is beneficial to the franchisee because the personal innovation can be incorporated into the business and improve its performance. The franchise agreement contains the information that indicates when the franchise relationship will be terminated. The franchisee benefits from knowing when the franchise will be terminated because forecasts can be done to determine whether the business will have earned returns on its investment and profits. When the forecasts predict that the business will have earned substantial profits, then the franchisee can enter into an agreement with the franchisor. However, when the business is likely not to make any profits by the time of termination, the franchisee may opt not to operate the franchise with the franchisor. The crucial information about the amount of money the franchisee should pay the franchisor is contained in the franchise agreement. The money to be paid out can affect the business performance; and it is, therefore, important to compare such payments across a number of franchisors. The cheaper the payments are, the more profitable the franchise is likely to be. This is because the money paid out to the franchisor either comes from the franchise profits or revenues. Having this information before signing the contract helps the franchisee get the best deal based on facts and figures. The franchise agreement details the terms and the rights to transfer the franchise. At the initial stages of the franchise formation, the franchisee may not have thought about the transfer of the business to another person, such as a next of kin or selling it. However, the procedures required must be known before signing the contract because the agreement may omit such information or write in favor of the franchisor. Even when the franchise duration is long, the franchisee may wish to transfer ownership. The agreement details the procedures. The franchisee should engage a legal counsel when examining the agreement to ensure favorable terms regarding the franchise transfer that should be included in the contract before signing it. Finally, the franchise agreement contains some information on how the franchisor conducts training of franchises; how the franchisor offers assistance and marketing strategies to the franchise. Training offers the franchise a good chance of survival than other forms of start-up businesses. The training methods that the franchisor uses are tested through experience and, therefore, provide the franchisee with the practical knowledge and skills that other start-up businesses lack. Some franchisors create advertisement programs that cover their franchises. The franchise agreement should detail the advertisement strategies used by the franchisor and the role of the franchise in the process. This knowledge helps the franchise plan the marketing budget. Between the two types of franchises, the business format franchise is capital intensive and provides more opportunities than the product distribution franchise. The choice between the two ones may be determined by the amount of capital and skills the prospective franchisee has. The franchise arrangement adopted by the investor depends on the investor’s skills in management and capital availability. Investors with advanced skills and large capital reserves have the ability to operate multi-franchise units or an area representative franchise. From the analysis of the merits and demerits of franchise business to both the franchisee and franchisor, the advantages seem to outweigh disadvantages. This is why there is an increasing number of franchises being operated throughout the world. The choice of the franchisor, which is informed by the evaluation before signing the contract, can reduce the demerits and maximize the merits. Therefore, the prospective franchisee should carefully evaluate the franchisors using the identified criteria to choose the one that will meet the needs of the franchisee and profitably.