Life Goes On Essay

Life experiences bring knowledge to people. Having a lot of good and bad experiences helps us improve our way of thinking; it opens our minds and teaches us unforgettable lessons about life, lessons that we have to apply in the future. My parents taught me to be independent and self-motivated by providing me opportunities to learn by trial and error. I was given a remarkable amount of freedom at a young age. When I was 6, my parents bought me an old computer for $25 from a local yard sale with the intention of letting me loose on it . I was thrilled .Motivated by curiosity. I delved into it at once and learned how to use each and every feature of the computer. My intellectual curiosity is the result of a unique combination of early influences and childhood experiences which have fueled my passion for learning inside and outside of the classroom—learning from everything I do . I hope to apply this curiosity to all aspects of my life. I have lived such a life experience in my last high school year. Along with 12th grade and turning up eighteen years old, I was going to become independent, ‘on my own feet’ as some would say. Time has taught me how to take fast decisions. Some of them were bad decisions, some were good. It was a very difficult period for me, as I was forced to fight against time, stress, hidden emotions and most important, I had to choose the road to follow for my career. The final exam was a hard challenge. There were times I felt I would quit; times of weakness when I searched peace in a cigarette without thinking it can make me dependent, all these times I was teaching a great lesson: maturity! I realized I wasn’t a kid anymore and that my own destiny can be influenced by a simple decision. This experience made me learn what truly means making sacrifices for achieving your goals. I gave up to my free time to replace it with hard working, interminable tiredness and meditations. It wasn’t an easy sacrifice, as desperation said her word in some moments. But the most important thing is the positive lesson it taught me, that is, never gives up fighting, no matter what happens because there is a hope for everything in life, and loosing it doesn’t bring you close to your goals. I have lost some of my friends for being able to reach on top, and this thing taught me what true friendship really meant and that some people we see as friends can turn out to be our worst enemies. To me, change is something new and you experience changes throughout your life. However, I learnt that telling everything about yourself can only bring bad things,  because you can never know how a relationship can turn out between people. I can say I found myself again in this last high school year, rediscovered my ambition and passion for the things I do.

Analysis of Wal-Mart Managerial Accounting Process Essay

Company Description For the final project of managing finance Wal-Mart Stores Inc is chosen as the discussion target. Being one of the grocery retail shop leaders in the world, Wal-Mart (WM) operates business with 10,000 retail units in 27 countries with about USD444 million of sales in 2012 (Wal-Mart homepage 2012). Driven by the corporate strategies, WM growth rapidly around the world. To support the growth, managerial effectiveness in the operations is very important. Since budget is the first step which put manager’s plan into operation, let’s take a close look at WM’s budgeting process. Budgeting Process Budget reflects a company’s plan, both long and short term, to accomplish business objectives. The focus of the WM’s budgeting system is on providing  better quality and services to the customers. WM follows needed considerations in its budgeting process and procedures. They implements flexible budget in its business that identifies overhead cost drivers and allocates capital to those over head costs properly. Through this way, WM is able to make a budget for different levels of activity. WM set goals and objectives and define their mission and vision clearly in their budgeting process. They plan for the stock requirement in order to achieve the forecasted level of sales. Budgeting process is also helpful to measure the performance of different departments in WM. It enables them to manage costs of different levels of action by weighing the actual costs against the budgeted cost (Plunkett, Attner & Allen, 2011, p. 558-560). WM takes corrective action to control those costs in order to make this closer the flexible budget prepared in advance. WM communicate goals and targets of each employee through budget and continuous report back to the corporate on operation, investment and financial activities based on budget information. Its budgeting procedures help WM to be competitive in cost and to economically use the resources that made better revenue for the company. In contrast to this, in this procedure, prediction is difficult for the manager because they believe on a range of estimates of what to expect financially. In addition, this process also depends on various variables that affects to each other. It is very complicated to prepare and difficult to understand for other employees of the company (Axson, 2010, p. 132-140). Management Accounting System Management accounting system (MAS) in WM play a crucial role to improve their business activities effectiveness. Management accounting information are collected, stored and prepared through use of well designed accounting information system. It simplifies getting information to people outside of the organization when necessary. Through use of MAS, WM determines its initial purchase price of raw material including subsequent operating and maintenance costs. MAS help to evaluate the pricing structure’s effectiveness by showing cost, sales and revenue data. It gives idea to the company to decide the price of the product to be competitive in the market. WM disseminates this information to its various parties through conducting  formal and informal meetings, conferencing, global network and employees’ survey techniques (Needles, Powers & Crosson, 2010, p. 720-722). Moreover, WM mainly uses its accounting reports based on principles of GAAP to make inform its stakeholders about its financial position. WM uses the strategic management accounting system which helps to enhance the effectiveness of decision making within the company. WM use MAS for everything from entering in new market to vendors/products selection and even new pricing process, promotion strategies and to distribution (Needles, Powers & Crosson, 2007). The accounting information from MAS of WM helps in planning, controlling and other managerial activities. Their system also able to come up all kind of alternatives with integrated accounting information which assist management to find out the best strategy for organizational effectiveness improvement (Wal-Mart homepage 2012). WM disseminate managerial accounting information through budgets for all departments which help all departments to facilitate proper integration in all kind of activities within the company. WM currently uses Vision Suite accounting software that includes different aspects of finance like AR/AP, general ledger, check writing and external accounting integration. This software is faster and relatively cheaper and generates accounting documents automatically. Through this, many types of useful reports can be generated for management to make decisions. On the other side, it can be susceptible for computer viruses and hackers. In absence of proper control and security, it can create problems for the confidentiality of the company (Gilbertson & Lehman, 2008, p. 6, 437 ). Costing System In term of costing process, WM is focus on inventory control since that is the most important part of their business to determine its profitability. To determine the cost of inventory, WM uses several costing method. In order to reduce inventory cost as well as determining accurate cost of products, WM uses both LIFO and FIFO. By using the retail method of accounting, inventories are at low cost or at least at market rate. This will help to increase the effectiveness of operation since WM is retail  business and this will facilitates competitive advantage over competitors. According to WM’s 2012 annual report, they use LIFO to determine weighting average cost for products in US and for inventories for international operations are using the FIFO method (Wal-Mart annual report 2012, page 31). These differences way of costing will enhance effectiveness of the company in managing cost. WM accomplish their strategy, â€Å"everyday low cost approach† (EDLC) through these co sting method (Wal-Mart annual report 2012, page 18). So as to allocate cost to different products, WM uses the activity based costing (ABC) system. ABC system enables the WM to better understand the cost structure and cost drivers. On the basis of this, WM takes effective decisions regarding price structure. The ABC approach can exhibit the actual work done relating with production more accurately in order to be useful in management accounting. The ABC system is used by management to collect a full cost view. VM can reduce the overhead cost by minimizing the number of cost drivers (Leitner, 2007, p. 5). In contrast to this, there is possibility that as per this method, costs can be more than profits. Apart from this, it also requires data input from multiple departments that can create greater risk of failure of data inputs. The cost of managing the system is also high due to having more cost pool volume. For instance, Wal-Mart is a large organization, as cost accounting information is difficult to separate, due to the presence of multiple product lines and numerous machine setups in complex production environments (Drury, 2006, p. 350-362). Capital Decision Making Process Evaluation of investment appraisal techniques is useful in capital decision making process by bringing together financial and strategic aspects of the project. The capital investment decisions of WM are mainly driven by its financial priorities such as growth, leverage and returns on investment. The major concern of WM is international expansion and its profitability (Wal-Mart annual report 2012, page 28). WM select and manage projects through the below steps: 1. Project information collection – collect information such as past performance, costs, benefits and associated risks. 2. Evaluating the project – Use cost benefit analysis, net present value, IRR etc to evaluate the project. WM uses discounted cash flow (DCF) investment appraisal technique in capital decision making process. They only invest its capital in projects that meet stringent payback periods and yield at least a required rate of return in a DCF analysis (Brigham & Daves, 2012, p. 544-549). 3. Selecting project – WM uses NPV and IRR method to evaluate projects’ alternative. For selecting projects, they will based on different criteria of the projects, but also taking into account the incremental revenue, time, company reputation etc.. The above help WM to ensure optimal utilization of their capital resources. For example, WM’s new solar project in California, they focused on DCF method to decide that it should invest its capital in this project or not. After implementing this technique, WM determined the average payback period for its energy saving projects that was 6.3 months. It also provided an annual return on investment of 190 percent on these projects that was profitable for the company. Therefore, WM wants to consider these discount flow values for its new solar project in order to make profits as future prospective (Ailworth, 2012). Capital Structure In term of capital acquisition decision, the main criteria are the long term sustainability and stability in performance. The cash flow is the main source of capital that ensures the long term success. WM considers market position, market trend, credit policy, financial status and stakeholders’ interests before deciding the best sources of acquiring financial capital. Sometimes, it also considers the financing cost to arrange the capital for running its operations. Credit rating of the company influences the WM’s decision on capital structure because its good rating helps it to take the credit from the financial institutions (Kronwald, 2010, p. 5-16). Instead of issuing common equity, WM is relying more on funds borrowing from market. Additionally, capital structure of WM is risky as their financing  rely heavily on debt or loans that may impact earnings. WM has been operating at 1.71 debt equity ratio (Yahoo Finance, 2012). Funding decisions of WM is associated with capital rising through debt more because of taking benefits of tax deduction and lower financing cost. â€Å"It has some implications such as funds generation; positive impact on financial result or company performance and meeting needs on operation and investment† (Seidman, 2004, p. 77-80). This is important to maintain low capital cost while achieving the company goals in the capital structure of the company (Wal-Mart Annual report 2012 page 28). Conclusion In order for the company to make effective managerial decision, various kinds of processes and approaches in budgeting and costing are necessary. WM implemented a well quality budgeting process which improves their effectiveness in accomplishing their objectives. Their budgeting process helps to motivate and improve effectiveness of employees and also help to create long term objective for the organization. They use MAS to do have the most cost effective vendors and products selection and also to manage all the accounting information to improve the effectiveness of the managerial decision. In order to reduce the total cost of products and maintain competitive position in the market, WM selected the appropriated costing process and procedure. Given their effective method of capital resources and effective capital structure for obtaining capital which helps WM to be efficiency in a lot of capital decision making as well as objectives accomplishment. In summary, the overall managerial a ccounting practices with WM is quite effective. Information Sources and Methodology Most of the information of this discussion was collecting from the annual report of WM for 2012. In addition, finance text books, journals and web sites are being used as well. For the annual report, 3 years has been reviewed in order to have a more clear picture of their growth as well as if there were any managerial practices or process been changed. A lot of information about WM’s financial and managerial accounting systems such as budgeting/costing process, capital structure etc are available in those resources. Observation methodology is used to analyze information. References Ailworth, E. (2012). â€Å"Walmart to install solar panels on 27 stores in Mass.† Retrieved from: http://bostonglobe.com/business/2012/05/14/walmart-install-solar-panels-stores-mass/kxHjt9sQrPxSvN5sPWTjsN/story.html Accessed on : Oct 25, 2012 Brigham & Daves, P. R. (2012). â€Å"Intermediate Financial Management†. USA: Cengage Learning. Drury, C. (2006). â€Å"Cost and Management Accounting: An Introduction†. USA: Cengage Learning EMEA. Gilbertson, C. B. & Lehman, M. W. (2008). â€Å"Fundamentals of Accounting: Course 1†. USA: Cengage Learning. Kronwald, C. (2010). â€Å"Credit Rating and the Impact on Capital Structure†. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Leitner, A. (2007). â€Å"Activity Based Costing†. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Needles, B. E., Powers, M. & Crosson, S. V. (2010). â€Å"Financial and Managerial Accounting†. USA: Cengage Learning. Plunkett, W. R., Attner, R. F. & Allen, G. S. (2011). â€Å"Management†. USA: Cengage Learning. Axson, D. J. (2010). â€Å"Best Practices in Planning and Performance Management: Radically Rethinking Management for a Volatile World†. USA: John Wiley & Sons. Seidman, K. F. (2004). â€Å"Economic Development Finance†. UK: SAGE. Yahoo Finance (2012). Retrieved from: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=WMT Accessed on : Oct 25, 2012 Walmart Homepage 2012. Retrieved from: http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-stores Accessed on : Oct 25, 2012 Walmart Annual report 2010 to 2012. Retrieved from: http://stock.walmart.com/annual-reports Accessed on : Oct 25, 2012

Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Journal - Assignment Example Bush: cowboy diplomacy, the Iraq war and America’s lowest standing on the international stage. In the coming weeks, Obama advisers plan to release a list of national security â€Å"surrogates† — high-profile Democrats like former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Wesley K. Clark, a retired general — who will write newspaper op-ed articles, give speeches and take Mr. Romney to task every time he opens his mouth about foreign policy, Obama advisers said. The plan is to draw a contrast between Mr. Obama — who, his advisers say, kept his word on ending the Iraq war, going aggressively after Al Qaeda and restoring alliances around the world — and Mr. Romney, who will be portrayed as playing both sides of numerous issues. â€Å"He was for and against the removal of Qaddafi, for and against setting a timetable to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, for and against enforcing trade laws against China, and while he once said he would not move heaven and earth to get Osama bin Laden, he later claimed that any president would have authorized the mission to do so,† said Ben LaBolt, press secretary for the Obama campaign. The more aggressive posture is a break from the past, when Democrats on the national stage battled against the perception that the party was not as committed as Republicans were to a strong defense and an aggressive response to terrorism. Mr. Obama himself, during the 2008 campaign, drew criticism from both Republicans and his primary opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, for what they called his naà ¯vetà ©, particularly over his willingness to talk, without preconditions, to American foes like Iran. But Mr. Obama’s victory that year over Senator John McCain, a Vietnam War hero, was in part a result of an electorate weary from years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, with a record that includes winding down the Iraq war and killing Bin Laden, coupled with the success of the military strikes in Libya and the removal

Ask week2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ask week2 - Essay Example How would your organization develop these ideas and concepts? One of the ways through which such ideas can be formulated could be through the sensing that, the organization needs to adjust its readiness. This sensing may arise from the feedback of clients or simply by a personal feeling of inadequacy that is also shared amongst the staff. In order for there to be successful generation of ideas, it is apparent that a complex adaptive system that allows for the open interaction of management, staff and clients is vital. Explain the rationale of sensing, that the organization needs and importance of sensing that arises from the feedback of clients and staff. System concept (f) is about theory-building and increasing knowledge. Although your concern is not about finding theory, it is apparent that this concept would be applicable in some ways. In what ways are system concept (f) useful in your quest to finding the best way of increasing collaboration between subsystems in order to achieve better quality in the work tasks to be performed? Application of CAS in your work based problem clearly stipulates that, important factors to success are â€Å"who and why/how† they adapt the system and processes. In relation to this assertion, do you find it possible that application of CAS would help solve your work based problem? If yes, in what ways? Utilizing CAS in your work based problem may open up new ideas of solving the problem. However, you may need to apply action research in order to have best solutions to your work based problem. In what ways are action research relevant in the application of CAS? According to Stacey, (2011) double-loop learning â€Å"involves changing a mental model, a recipe, a mindset, a frame of reference or a paradigm†, (pp 109). In what ways would you apply double-loop learning in order to solve your work

Cloud Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example 1-2). Cloud computing is widely acknowledged to have the capacity to revolutionize completely the way organizations and enterprises manage their information technology at the same time utilizing it more beneficially. However, the prevailing paradigm requires an infrastructural change in order to fit in for the enterprise needs. Through the adoption of cloud IT services, business enterprises are able to realize efficiency, agility, elasticity as well as cost reduction. Nevertheless, many studies have revealed hesitation by these organizations to adopt the systems for the reason of insecurity. Moreover, establishing sound relations between the clients as well as the service producer would go a long way in confirming the security threat as is interpreted by the research studies. According to Technical White Paper of July 2011, the design and operation of the cloud-based IT environment, sound systems as interpreted though security is a matter of joint efforts by both parties; the cloud c omputing service provider as well as the clients seeking the services (IBM Global Technology Service, 2011, p.3). The customers are subjected to major threats in hacking system; lose of stored data and the overall cooperation of the IT teams from the cloud computing service providers as well s the internal IT departments of the clients to the business. Many enterprises and organizations have come to appreciate the services of cloud computing especially with the increased use of fast internet services through ‘hand held’ wireless gadgets which makes it possible to access these services conveniently and more easily than was in the past (Ernst and Young, 2011, p.4). Studies have cited the increased use of cloud computing services to be beneficial not only from the consumer point of view but also to the service providers. However, there have been notable hindrances to complete adoption of the services especially within the business sector majorly for the reason of poor infr astructures through which no certainty is offered to consumers for the security of their data and information. However, the concerns that emanate from the pools is that the collection would be the best targets to hackers through whom sensitive information of organizations would leak out. Moreover, in the event of data leakage the cloud computing service providers have no specific provision on controlling the effects that would arise. These fears about security and secrecy of organizational information present the greatest challenge to both service providers and the customers. There is therefore the need for the industry to focus on investing in proper infrastructures through which cloud-computing services would be effectively offered. Clients to the cloud computing service providers are hesitant to adopt the dynamic system of data storage because they feel that the system does not fully guarantee the security to their data. On the other hand the crash of Dot com era, the web develop ment gave rise to a newer version of web-based applications, which would introduce rather interactive web pages than was the case with the previous versions of the web sites. The new web services introduced adopted the name of Web 2.0 and had a distinction from the previous web applications in that it allowed higher levels of interactions

Nursing Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Information Technology - Essay Example None of which she expected (Turner, 2003). This paper will discuss whether the decision to outsource IT makes sense and whether it would meet the Porter Value Chain Model. Hoppszallern (2009) discusses the fact that according to her research savings for the average company through supply chain management that includes the process of outsourcing IT can be $50-100 million over the life of the project. In a clinical situation this includes such things as the business process areas of medical records, billing, revenue cycle, and supply chain. The process of outsourcing not only reduces cost for the business but also provides accountability from the CIO, provides a change agent that is not bogged down by day to day, and objectivity by lack of close involvement with the departments. It also provides a larger base of knowledge over IT software as well as hardware. However, there is also a down side. That includes the fact that the IT director is also not loyal to the business, he may be a poor cultural fit, and he is not a peer at the executive level. There is also a great chance that the outsourcing will end up abroad and this brings up Senator Turners larg est complaint is that the business of the US does not belong abroad and available for misuse (Turner, 2003). Many of the complaints from departments about outsourcing are related. For example, most department heads complain that it takes twice as long to fix a problem and that the person on the phone does not understand the needs of the department. Projects take longer. This brings up the question of real value and whether or not the lost value of time for the departments in project time outweighs the cost of keeping the IT department in house (Robbins, 2004). In this writers organization, all of the IT department is already outsourced and the complaints are much the same as documented in the articles read for this paper. This includes the length of time it takes to initiate and manage a project as well as getting someone to fix a problem along with many other issues. The majority of the department heads would say that it has not been worth it but the CFO says that it has definitely improved the bottom line. Using Porters value chain management model in healthcare would give a path similar to what follows: 1. Data/ information technology 2. Information generation 3. Analysis 4. Actionable customer plan 5. Program assessment/reassessment The data comes in from 1. Medical claims data 2. Pharmacy data 3. Health risk appraisals 4. Laboratory values 5. Eligibility files 6. Utilization files 7. Operating systems and other external data resources. Much of this data comes from various kinds of claim forms. As we look at this first step in Porters value chain, we realize that there is information here that is certainly not information that we would ever want to be exposed to other places. This makes one wonder if the reduction in cost by outsourcing is worth the possibility of this information leaving the system. Then there is the issue of whether failure to transmit the information where it needs to go in a timely manner is possible and sudden changes in the data such as emergent lab changes, are they getting there timely. Who is aware of how important subtle changes are in the data Then there is the problem of how important data quality

World and Independent Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World and Independent Cinema - Essay Example Casino Royale reopens the sequence, creating a new timeline and chronicle sequence not meant to follow or head any earlier bond production. This enabled the movie to demonstrate an inexperienced and more valuable James and for once in the character, series of Miss Money Penny fails to appear. Additionally, forming the movie involved an intensive search for a new character to portray Bond, and critical debate surrounded Craig when he was appointed to take over from Pierce Brosnan, (Williams, 2006, p. 23). Casino Royale film documents the story of a newly selected British agent, James Bond, who in collaboration with impudent little agent of treasury, starts rogue mission to kill a terrorist bankroller in a high stakes poker game before his customers reach him first and try a global attack. The movie has some differences as compared to the mainstream (Hollywood) formula. For instance, when Pierce assumed the role of Bond J for Goldeneye, a lot was produced concerning the modernization of franchise. In fact, the only evident transformations were cosmetics, (Lindner, 2009, p. 45). Pierce Brosnan 007 is easily related to the character earlier performed by Connery S, Lazenby G, Moore R and Dalton T. With the rise of Craig Daniel to the authority to kill, martini, firearm and tux seismic shifts have taken place. The movie is not about the famous James bond of 1960s to 90s but the new era of M16s highly featured agent. The primary function of the film is to recreate the franchise. Daniel is not taking over after Brosnan; he is recreating the role. Additionally, as far as the film is concerned, little in the earlier 20 series has happened compared to the current scene. This is the origin story of Bond, and the only crucial bit of continuity is Dench Judy’s return as Mrs. M Forget. For decades now, James Bond formula has been submerged in an ocean of rip-offs and claimants, each highly over-the-top as compared to its successors. In a bid to

How are successful brands recognised by their visual appearance with Essay

How are successful brands recognised by their visual appearance with IKEA and MUJI case study - Essay Example Brand elements may include symbol, slogan, logo or anything that helps in identifying and distinguishing a specific product (Manocha, 2014). Successful brand elements include brand names as they communicate quality and evoke specific structures associated with the brand (Srinivasan & Till, 2002). The most important element in creating a global brand name is the brand name and the related wordmark or symbol. This represents the company or the product or service throughout the world. Branding design includes company or product name, logo design, graphic design, packaging design, display design, advertising design, promotion, and the concept of culture (Schrube-Otts, 2000). Use of brand elements or a combination of elements helps to form a style that expresses the theme of the enterprise, which becomes the differentiating factor. A brand should be able to help consumers to identify with it. A brand is not restricted to a logo, a symbol or a slogan; it depends upon the customer’s perception of the stimulus when the brand is presented. Brand names communicate details about the product quality, reputation, heritage, status and aesthetics (Baltas & Saridakis, 2010). Brand identity and distinct positioning are communicated across all nations through packaging graphics, which should, to a large extent be standardized. Brands are visually recognized by their signature colour schemes and unique graphic elements before they are recognized by their name (Roellig, 2001). Brand consistency is usually related to the brand’s visual identity, which includes the logo and the style used in communication (Plomp, 2012). Consistent visual identity does help anchor brand association in consumers’ minds but building a powerful and compelling brand requires more than visual identity. Visual recognition of a brand through its advertising or packaging is effective (Dawson & Dawson, 2009). Such distinction helps the audience to retain the memory of the brand

Age Discrimination in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Age Discrimination in the Workplace - Essay Example Thus, the essay critically examines discrimination in the workplace and the application of the law of age discrimination based on specific cases. Federal and state laws protect workers against age discrimination for workers who are 40 years and above. The Age Discrimination Employment Act protects workers above 40 years against unlawful treatment by the employers or fellow employees. The employer must have at least 20 employees. The employees are protected in all the stages, including retrenchment, recruitment, workplace conditions and terms, dismissal and return to work after illness (Thew, Eastman & Bourke, 2005). Consequently, the Age Discrimination Employment Act (AFDEA) is one of the acts that protect people against discrimination on the basis of age. The act prohibits the denial of benefits to the older employees. The benefits given to the young employees should also be given to the aged. Additionally, the act prohibits mandatory retirement (Gregory, 2001). In 1993, to ensure that they were no mandatory retirement, employees such as college professors phased the elimination of mandatory retirement. That means that they would leave their workplace at an age of their choice. While, at the workplace they are entitled to all the rights. Furthermore, a mandatory retirement policy was permitted to people who are 65 years and above. After retirement, they are entitled to a pension on a monthly basis. There is also a prohibition of age preference and limitations. When advertising for a job, companies should ensure that it is open to all ages not discriminating the aged by mentioning the exact age(Gregory, 2001). Companies should also not reduce the benefits of people in the workplace based on age. If the benefits are reduced, the younger employees should also experience the same. The Age Discrimination Employment Act also prohibits discrimination in promotions, wages, layoffs, and termination of employment. Age

Hotel Rwanda - The Rwandan Genocide Essay Example for Free

Hotel Rwanda The Rwandan Genocide Essay Hotel Rwanda is a film about the genocide that transpired within the premises of the city of Kigali, the heart of Rwanda during the year 1994. This evil act lasted for 100 days killing thousands of innocent lives of Rwandan men, women and children. But in the film, it did not focus on the genocide. Instead, it shed a light on the heroic and courageous deed of one ordinary man in an effort to save the lives of some of his countrymen. In the movie, almost all of the aspects of the genocide were tackled including the powerlessness of the United Nations to put a stop to the violent killings perpetrated by the Rwandan government and the Hutu rebels against the Tutsis. This was very much evident when the character of Dan Cheadle was promised by the UN Colonel that he, his family and all the refugees at the Milles Collines will be rescued. But when the colonel had a talk with another UN officer, the plan seemed to have changed. The colonel explained that only foreign nationals were allowed to leave Rwanda. Only a small number of troops were instructed to uphold peacekeeping and not peacemaking meaning they were not allowed to shoot at anyone even if they commit violent actions. More so, the minimal involvement of the international organizations and their eventual negligence over the escalating killings in Rwanda played a pivotal role in the increased deaths of thousands of people. Instead of helping the Tutsis to take refuge to a safer place in neighboring countries, these organizations decided not to get involve because of the misconception that nothing can restore the peace and order in an anarchic setting. Moreover in the movie, a Red Cross worker drew some attention because of how she showed her bravery by setting aside her fears and her own welfare just to save a few people from being mercilessly killed by the Hutus. Some aid workers decided to stay in order to help while others chose to flee in order to protect their welfare. Overall, the movie generated an accurate depiction of the Rwandan genocide. However, some controversial issues were downplayed like the role of the French in the uprising and arming of the Hutu rebels. After the genocide, some reports have surfaced that implicated a few French politicians and the French military with this tragic incident. According to the results of the findings of an â€Å"Independent Rwandan Commission,† the French government was â€Å"aware of preparations for the genocide and helped train the ethnic Hutu militia perpetrators. The report included that France provided the Hutus with â€Å"political, military, diplomatic and logistical support. † For almost 2 years, the commission had gathered data and interviewed several survivors. All the information that had been obtained, served as testimonies to the participation of the French government in the killing of almost 800,000 civilians in the span of 100 days (BBC, 2008). But the French vehemently refu ted the accusations. In their defense, they stated that the allegations were biased because the commission has only one thing in mind and that is to prove that the French are guilty. The â€Å"French Foreign Ministry said â€Å"there is no surprise in the conclusions of the commission given its mission† (CNN, 2008). Aside from this, the film also failed to include the admission of the United Nations of its failure to prevent the genocide. But for the UN, this became a learning experience. They realized that people should not be neglected specifically in times of dire need when lives are at stake (BBC, 2000). Given this new angle in the Rwandan genocide, it should have been also portrayed in the movie. This would have given viewers more accurate representation of what really happened in Rwanda in April 1994. Also, this would have been a chance for the whole world to determine who the real culprits were in one of the worst humanitarian crisis of the 20th century. More so, these events could have provided a comprehensive outlook on how humans are capable of doing horrendous and brutal acts just to have power and control.

The Role Of Cocoa In Conflicts Politics Essay

The Role Of Cocoa In Conflicts Politics Essay A great deal of attention has been given to the role of resource abundance in the onset and duration of conflicts. It is difficult to prove that the sole abundance of a certain natural resource can increase the risk of conflict. Different studies emphasize that the mismanagement of resources actually raises the risk of potential conflict.  [2]   Cote dIvoire, a resource-rich country, certainly had the potential to be just another African country in the claws of a resource-motivated civil war. As one of the worlds leading producers of cocoa beans, the cocoa trade undoubtedly played an important role in the countrys conflict.  [3]  Cocoa was used to finance the military expenditures of both government and rebel forces. However, little has been said about the role of cocoa in onset of the conflict. Cocoa cannot be considered the only resource that contributed to the conflict, but one must acknowledge the importance of cocoa. This is the case because it has been the backbone of Cote dIvoires economy for decades. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of resource governance in the onset of the conflict in Cote dIvoire. The analysis will be based on resource governance as transparent, efficient and fair allocation of revenues and non-harmful participatory implementation of policies including all relevant actors and affected communities.  [4]  This paper will analyze the governance of the cocoa sector because this sector has been the most important aspect of the countrys economy to date. It will begin with the post-colonial period and the rule of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, and then continue until the onset of the conflict in 2002. It was during this year that the united rebel forces Forces Nouvelles (FN) managed to gain control of the cocoa-rich northern part of the country. The management of resources, or resource governance, cannot be explained simply via an analysis of a countrys economic policies. It is important to examine both economic and political decision-making processes since the two are often interconnected. This paper will explain the relationships between the states economic and political decisions that, directly or indirectly, contributed to circumstances in which a conflict was more likely to begin. II SHORT OVERVIEW OF THE CONFLICT A former French colony located in West Africa, resource-rich Cote dIvoire was considered one of the most prosperous countries in the region. After gaining independence from France in 1960, it was subsequently ruled for 33 years by an autocratic leader named Felix Houphouet-Boigny. President Houphouet-Boigny is often referred to as the father of the nation. Although rich in various resources such as cocoa, coffee, timber, gold, diamonds, oil and gas, the golden years of prosperity during Houphouet-Boignys government were closely related to agricultural advances. To be more precise, the economic prosperity of the country was primarily due to the export of commodities. Dependence on primary commodities export directly influenced Houphouet-Boignys political platform. The governments policy encouraged migration from neighboring countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Liberia etc.) to cocoa rich regions. Over time, this drastically altered the ethnic structure of the country. When world market commodity prices fell in the 1980s, the effects were intensely felt in both economic and governmental sectors. Social unrest triggered by the governments unpopular attempts to downsize the unsustainable state apparatus ultimately resulted in the introduction of a multi-party system. The power struggle that occurred following President Houphouet-Boignys death in 1993 planted the seed of the ethnic division in Cote dIvoire. Henri K. Bedie succeeded Houphouet-Boigny. Bedie and other politicians placed questions of identity at the forefront of the political agenda. During this period of economic decline and uncertainty, it was not difficult to manipulate questions of identity that focused on distinctions between local the local first-comers and the migrant late-comers.  [5]  The distinction between foreigners and locals was an important political tool for defining citizenship. When Bedie enacted the new electoral code in 1995, all foreigners lost their right to vote. The new code also required that the parents of any presidential candidate be citizens of Cote dIvoire. Similar practices of exclusion occurred within military institutions. Although Bedie believed such tactics would minimize political opposition, it ultimately resulted in a military coup. In 1999, G eneral Robert Guei came to power. Political violence slowly became entrenched in Ivorian society. This occurred via a violent boycott of the 1995 elections, Gueis military coup and the military and civil unrest which preceded the 2000 presidential elections. When Laurent Gbagbo took over the presidency, he introduced a new program of identification that further deepened the gap between locals and migrants. In September 2002, multiple army personnel staged an attempted coup against President Gbagbo. This led to a de facto division of the country in which southern Cote dIvoire remained under the control of the government and the north was overtaken by rebel forces. French military forces called Licorne monitored a ceasefire-line, the zone de confience. Three rebel movements (Mouvement Patriotique de la Cote dIvoire (MPCI), Mouvement Populaire Ivoiren du Grand Ouest (MPIGO) and Mouvement pour la Justice et la Pix (MJP)) ultimately joined forces and became the Forces Nouvelles (FN). The Linas-Marcoussis Peace Agreement was signed in January 2003. As per the parameters of the agreement, all conflict parties committed themselves to forming a government of national unity. In the following years, both parties repeatedly obstructed various peace efforts following the Marcoussis Treaty.  [6]  After years of sporadic outbursts of violence, the March 2007 Ouagadougou Political Accord (OPA) was signed between president Gbagbo and FN leader Guillaume Soro. Soro was subsequently appointed Prime Minister. Implementation of the OPA has been very slow. However, it provided an adequate level of security and made the November 2010 presidential elections possible.  [7]   Preliminary elections results showed that President Gbagbo had lost the elections to his rival, former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara. The ruling party contested the results on charges of massive fraud in the northern territories of Cote dIvoire, which were controlled by the FN. International observers disputed these charges. The report of the results led to severe tension and violent incidents. To this date, the dispute over the election results in Cote dIvoire has not been settled. III RESOURCE GOVERNANCE USE AND ABUSE Post-Colonial Period Although often considered the golden years of Cote dIvoire, Houphouet-Boignys post-colonial rule did contribute to the countrys conflict. An abundance of land used for cocoa cultivation triggered the effects of the so-called resource curse. The resource curse thesis addresses reasons why a resource-abundant country fails to use resources in a way that would be economically beneficial. It refers not only to the socio-economic development of the country, but also to its governance and prospects for democracy.  [8]  The following chapter will analyze resource governance, economic development and the political decisions of Houphouet-Boignys government. It will demonstrate that these factors ultimately contributed to the onset of the conflict. 1.1. Economy, Politics and Policies Cote dIvoire gained its independence from France in 1960. By 1978, it was already one of the worlds leading cocoa producers. Cocoa, or more broadly the agricultural sector, constituted the backbone of the countys economy. Agricultural growth was mostly due to the conversion of forest areas into cropped areas and a shift in production from food stuffs to highly remunerative coffee and cocoa. Liberal immigration policies promoted by the government attracted a foreign workforce from neighboring countries. Rapid deforestation carried out by immigrant farmers later impacted agricultural capacities. 1964 marked the establishment of an important governmental institution. Caisse de Stabilisation et de Soutien des Prix des Produits Agricoles (CAISTAB) commercialized the cocoa and coffee sectors and guaranteed a fixed price for farmers through an advance sale system. CAISTAB bought cocoa directly from farmers and then sold it on the world market. The differences between the world market prices for cocoa and the prices paid to farmers were significant. The management of public revenues from cocoa was far from transparent and enabled government officials to indulge into corrupt activities. However, CAISTAB did bring about government investment in economic infrastructure and other services of great importance to farmers.  [9]   In 1967, President Houphouet-Boigny issued a decree stating that the land belonged to the person who cultivated it. This caused patronage relationships to form between the local landowners and the migrants who came to work the land. It essentially meant that the new laborers could sell part of the crops they helped produce. These relationships were often regulated through informal agreements between locals and migrants. However, some migrants gained land access on the grounds of a valid principle of entitlement to rights by virtue of invested labor (and not by virtue of descent), which was fostered by Houphouet-Boignys policies.  [10]  Migrants were also given the right to vote. The subsequent impact of this policy and its relation to the onset of the conflict will be discussed later in the paper. Cocoa prices continued to rise on the world market during late 1970s and revenues further contributed to Cote dIvoires development. CAISTAB, a stabilizing factor, ensured good prices for the farmers and continued to stimulate cocoa production. Additionally, inclusive politics regarding migrant farmers lended political support to the regime. The government was able to purchase social peace by ensuring that different ethnic groups received a share of the revenues. However, macroeconomic imbalances had grown to unsustainable levels, and the country carried a budget deficit of approximately 10% GDP. This was primarily a result of debt servicing problems due to rapid build-up of external debt during the second half of the 1970s, as well as inefficient resource allocation.  [11]  Unsustainable development and governance were only possible due to soaring cocoa prices on the world market. It is important to stress the interplay between the socio-economic, political and institutional dimensions. Lack of transparency regarding the distribution of revenues via CAISTAB and the nature and efficiency of infrastructural investments indicate the presence of politically motivated state activity in the economy. Most state investments were typical white elephant projects  [12]  that did not contribute to the countrys overall development.  [13]  Undoubtedly, there was too much government interference in economic activities. This resulted in the insufficient development of a strong, independent private sector vis-a-vis the government. Concurrently, Cote dIvoire endured widespread corruption and an absence of government accountability due to an autocratic regime and a lack of checks and balances. The Cocoa War Whether or not certain regime types are more susceptible to conflict than others is subject to debate. What is known is that the type and quality of political institutions that develop overtime within a country may determine how natural resources are managed.  [14]  The government failed to contribute to economic diversification or invest in infrastructure for cocoa processing. As the prime recipient of vast amounts of external rent, Cote dIvoires government had no intention of changing its policies or cutting excessive public spending. Excessive state intervention in the agricultural sector, dependence on cocoa export and an inefficient public sector all played a role in Cote dIvoires economic development when world market cocoa prices collapsed in the 1980s. The governments response was the two year Cocoa War in which a government-imposed cocoa embargo sought to influence global prices. This plan backfired and only proved beneficial to other cocoa-producing countries. When Cote dIvoire returned to the market, its share in world production was reduced to 20% and prices for farmers were halved. As the country hovered on the verge of bankruptcy, state expenditures were reduced. International financial institutions, such as the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), intervened. Cote dIvoires government was pressured into downsizing its large civil service and introducing greater transparency. CAISTABs powers were restricted and farm gate prices were cut by half. Succumbing to both pressure at home and abroad, the government introduced a multi-party system. Cote dIvoires high dependence on primary commodities export made it extremely vulnerable to external shocks. Furthermore, such vulnerability and dependence compounded the risk of potential conflict. The correlation between different economic characteristics such as dependence on primary commodity exports, low average incomes and slow growth played a role in increasing the risk of civil war.  [15]   New Government, Old Governance After Houphouet-Boignys death and forced political reform that introduced a multi-party system, the political arena was primed for a power struggle. New political circumstances and the continued economic downturn only increased overall political and social instability in the country. The following chapter will stress the lack of political will to introduce new, effective measures and ease the governments grip on the cocoa trade. It will also illustrate the political manipulation of identity. 2.1. CAISTAB and its Successors A scandal involving the embezzlement of 34.5 million USD in European Union (EU) credits intended for health care projects caused the WB and IMF to liquidate CAISTAB.  [16]  This resulted in even greater pressure on Cote dIvoires government to liberalize the cocoa market. Although liberalization meant the discontinuation of guaranteed prices for farmers, it did not improve their wages. Following CAISTABs liquidation, new institutions to govern the cocoa (and coffee) trade were formed. In barely a year, five new institutions came into existence. These included the Autorite de Regulation du Cafà © et du Cacao (ARCC), Bourse du Cafà © et Cacao (BCC), Fonds de Regulation et de Controle du Cafà © et Cacao (FRC), Fonds de Developpement et de Promotion des activites des Producteurs de Cafà © et de Cacao (FDPCC) and the Fonds de Garantie des Cooperatives Cafà © et Cacao (FGCCC). In order to fund the rapidly multiplying cocoa institutions, the government introduced new levies on each kilogram of exported cocoa. This had a direct impact on the farmers wages, as exporters simply transferred the cost of levies to the farmers. The reform of cocoa governing institutions only permitted diversion of cocoa revenue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for private purposes and towards off-budget expenditure by the Government, particularly military spending.  [17]   2.2 The Question of Identity Political opponents manipulated identity issues as a means of maintaining power. The distinction between the first-comers, or autochtones, and the late-comers, or allogenes, became central to the ongoing power struggle. In 1995, President Bedie enacted a new electoral code that exempted foreigners from their right to vote and stipulated that the parents of any presidential candidate hold Ivorian nationality.  [18]  This meant that approximately 25% of the population (mostly in cocoa rich regions) was deprived of its right to vote or run for president. Additionally, the parliament passed a new land law excluding non-Ivorian planters from acquiring land titles in principle (Art.1).  [19]  Due to the overall instability in the country, this law was never enforced. President Gbagbos contribution to the issue was the introduction of a new program of identification based on the concept of autochtony.  [20]  This new concept made it even more difficult for migrants to prove thei r village of origin  [21]  , thus further contributing to the autochtone allogene distinction. The lack of positive effects of liberalization coupled with the continued mismanagement of cocoa revenues through state institutions contributed to overall economic decline. High unemployment rates in urban areas put more pressure on the areas where cocoa was cultivated, because many youth returned to their villages and attempted to claim the land from migrants. Questions of ownership naturally arose. The 1967 decree stated that the land belonged to the person who cultivated it.  [22]  However, this principle now came into conflict with the principle of intergenerational justice, which guarantees the younger generation appropriate access to family land.  [23]   Onset of the Conflict The politization of the identity question that ethnically divided the country was a result of a fight for control of the countys vast resources. Continued poor resource governance further destabilized the economy. The following chapter will analyze the development of the discourse of grievance. 3.1. The Discourse of Grievance The grievance hypothesis suggests that part of a certain population, or a certain region of a country, may feel deprived of the benefits of resource-related income and therefore decide to fight.  [24]  In the case of Cote dIvoire, the fact that migrants were working the cocoa land turned out to be crucial. This is because the cocoa production sector was most affected by the governments suicidal economic strategies. Collier argues that rebel organizations develop a sense of grievance in order to function.  [25]  However, concerning Cote dIvoire, one may ascertain that the government actually fomented an objective sense of grievance among the migrants. This sense was then further exploited by the rebels. Collier argues that the motive itself (i.e. the real or imagined grievance) is not the core determinant regarding whether or not a country will experience civil war.  [26]  What appears more important is the feasibility of predation which determines the risk of conflict.  [27]  Different studies of Cote dIvoire do not examine whether the cocoa trade was used to finance the onset of the conflict. These studies find evidence suggesting that the FN rebels illegally traded diamonds and gold in order to finance themselves. Cocoa has been identified only as a resource that contributed to the duration of the conflict. Still, cocoa was a substantial source of revenue for the FN rebels. As soon as the rebels managed to seize power over the northern part of the country, they began taxing cocoa. They introduced the so-called protection taxes for travel within the FN controlled zone. Additionally, all trucks were weighed and the additional tax per kilogram of cocoa had to be paid. This s ystem later developed into an official taxing body called Le Centrale. Collier argues that sense of grievance alone is not enough for a conflict to start. Rather, it is the feasibility of the rebellion that will determine whether a country will experience civil war.  [28]  In the case of Cote dIvoire, both of the factors were present. The negative effects of poor resource governance, along with a number of political and judicial decisions, created an objective sense of grievance among the migrant minority and inspired this segment of the population to take up arms. Although the lootability of cocoa itself is debatable, the taxation system imposed to collect revenues from the cocoa trade was very profitable. IV CONCLUSION In Cote dIvoire, both resource governance and political decision-making processes had a significant impact on the later onset of conflict in the country. This interplay resulted in circumstances that made conflict more likely. The post-colonial autocratic regime of Houphouet-Boigny led to a government apparatus with full economic control. The lack of transparency and government accountability resulted in populist redistribution policies. The expansion of cocoa production and favorable policies for migrants changed the ethnic structure of the country and played a significant role in the onset of the conflict. Although favorable migrant policies might have been good for the countrys economy at one point, one other reason for their implementation was the fact that migrants were good soldiers and gave the government more legitimacy. Such policies were implemented in a country with no democratic institutions and under developed human rights mechanisms, which later made it possible for other political actors to abuse them. Mismanagement of cocoa revenues through CAISTAB made the country dependant on primary commodities export and therefore vulnerable to external shocks. The clumsy political and economic reforms that followed did not deliver the expected results and only paved the way for further instability. The manipulation of identities was the outcome of a power struggle due to the recently introduced multi-party system. Further mismanagement of resource revenues through new cocoa institutions, continued high public spending and forced liberalization of the market caused high unemployment rates and impoverished the population. One cannot say that the attempt to democratize the country and liberalize its economy was wrong, but one can question the way new rules were imposed. The country did not possess basic democratic mechanisms, an efficient system of control, or a satisfying level of transparency. The state was not ready to give up its piece of the cake from cocoa revenues and start playing fairly on the new liberal market. Ultimately, farmers had to pay the price. Growing unemployment rates, especially in urban areas, caused people to return to their villages and try to claim their land from migrant farmers. Unclear ownership of cocoa land impacted the developing identity issue by deepening the gap between the autochtones and allogenes. In addition to being deprived of some basic human rights, this raised the question of the access to cocoa land they considered their own. The farmers were also affected by the overall economic instability in the country and bore the weight of the governments reforms. Ultimately, the stage was set for the feeling of objective grievance to develop and serve as a motive for the onset of conflict. In the case of Cote dIvoire, the root causes  [29]  of the conflict were socio-economic development (dependence on primary commodities export, slow economic growth, high poverty rates, forced institutional reforms, liberalization of the market), state institutions (CAISTAB, new cocoa trade institutions), political processes (migrant policies, introduction of new democratic institutions, politization of the identity issue) and government accountability (lack of transparency resulting in high corruption levels, mismanagement of resource revenues). In order to understand the conflict in Cote dIvoire, it is important to analyze the interplay of all of these factors. These factors developed the sense of grievance and provided the motive that aggravated and triggered the conflict. The means and opportunity for sustaining the conflict were provided through the lucrative taxation system imposed by the rebels. V BIBLIOGRAPHY Basedau, M., Ley, J., (2005). Conceptualizing the Resource Curse in Sub-Saharan Africa: Affected Areas and Transmission Channels. In M. Basedau A. Mehler (Ed.),  Resource Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa  (pp. 9-24). Hamburg, Germany: The Institute of African Affairs. Basedau, M., (2005). Resourse Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa beyond the Resource Curse: Towards a Future Research Agenda. In M. Basedau A. Mehler (Ed.),  Resource Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa  (pp. 325-348). Hamburg, Germany: The Institute of African Affairs. Central Intelligence Agency, (2011). Africa: Cote d Ivoire. Retrieved January 24, 2011, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/iv.html. Collier, P., The World Bank, Development Research Group. (2000).  Economic Causes of Civil Conflict and Their Implications for Policy. Washington, USA: World Bank. Global Witness, (2007). Hot Chocolate: How Cocoa Fuelled the Conflict in Cote dIvoire. London, UK: Global Witness. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.globalwitness.org/library/hot-chocolate-how-cocoa-fuelled-conflict-c%C3%B4te-d%E2%80%99ivoire. International Cocoa Organization, (2001). Annual Report for 2000/01. London, UK: International Cocoa Organization. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.icco.org/pdf/An_report/anrep0001english.pdf. International Cocoa Organization, (2002). Annual Report for 2001/02. London, UK: International Cocoa Organization. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://www.icco.org/pdf/An_report/anrep0102english.pdf. Ross, M. L., (2004a). What Do We Know About Natural Resources and Civil War?.  Journal of Peace Research, 41(3), 337-356. Ross, M. L. (2004b). How Do Natural Resources Influence Civil War? Evidence from Thirteen Cases. International Organization, 58 (1), 35-67. Schure, J., Guesnet, L., Mà ¼ller, M. (2010). Natural Resources in Cote dIvoire: Fostering Crisis or Peace? The Cocoa, Diamond, Gold and Oil Sector. Bonn, Germany: Bonn International Center for Conversion. The World Bank, Occidental and Central Africa Department. (1994).  Republic of Cote dIvoire: National Agricultural Services Support Project (No. 12388 IVC). Washington, USA: World Bank. The World Bank, (2011). Data. Retrieved January 27, 2011, from http://data.worldbank.org/country/cote-divoire?display=graph.

Ground Effect :: physics

The Ground Effect (or Wing in Ground Effect) is a natural phenomenon that occurs due to vortices caused by a difference in pressure between the two sides of a wing. This effect can be very dangerous to inexperienced pilots, but can be utilized by creative engineers. Nearly all pilots have experienced a strange phenomenon during landing. While everything is happening as it should during decent, a 'cushion' of air gets trapped below the wing during the last few meters to the runway. This throws off the rate of decent and can be dangerous if the pilot has already begun to flare up and decelerate for landing. This means the plane would climb again while slowing down, which would easily lead to a stall. However, pilots who are aware of this effect can use it to their advantage. Pilots during World War II who had fuel leaks flew scant meters off the ground, conserving fuel until safe territory was reached. This effect is not really caused by a cushion of air at all, rather, by vortices of air off the tips of the wings. For a plane to create lift, its wings must create low pressure on top and high pressure on the bottom. However, at the tips of the wings, the high pressure pushes and the low pressure pulls air onto the top of the wing, reducing lift and creating a current flowing to the top. This current remains even after the wing has left the area, producing really awesome vortices. This flow of air reduces the high pressure and increases the low pressure systems, thus reducing lift and increasing induced drag a great deal. However, once the plane nears the ground (usually half of the distance from the wingtip to fuselage) this flow is significantly reduced. Therefore, the lift is significantly increased. This is the ground effect. Creative engineers can take advantage of the ground effect and create craft called Ekranoplans. These were gigantic boat planes built by the Soviet Union during the Cold War to transport large amounts of material quickly. These planes could only fly in the ground effect (over water, ice, or flat ground) but were very efficient.

Michael Faraday Essay -- biographies biography bio

Michael Faraday could be labeled the "underdog of modern science". The son of a poor blacksmith, Faraday was no stranger to hard work, which was perhaps the exact opposite of many of his contemporaries, who came from wealthy backgrounds and studied science as a sort of extracurricular activity. Although Faraday was unsuccessful when it came to money, he was very successful in the field of science, namely electric science. One of his most important discoveries is that of electro-magnetic induction. It was this experiment, and others of the like, that brought about the discoveries of Maxwell, Rutherford, and Einstein, and elevated Faraday from the son of a poor blacksmith, to a great man of modern science. A Book Binder Michael Faraday was born in the year 1791 in Newington, Surrey England. His parents were poor, and in 1796 his father moved the family to London in search of better work as a blacksmith. His father was a sickly man, and because of this Michael found work at the age of 13 as an errand boy for a local bookbinder. Mr. Riebau, the owner of the bookbinding shop, hired the boy to deliver books and newsletters to his patrons. During breaks, Riebau encouraged Michael to read books and to study. As Faraday grew older, he began attending local lectures held by John Tatum. At the lectures he took shorthand notes, and later rewrote the notes in more depth. While attending Tatum's lectures, Faraday became increasingly interested in chemistry as well as electricity. It was through these lectures that Faraday learned most of what he knew about electricity, galvanism, hydrostatics, optics and geology (Williams). In 1813, at the age of 21, Faraday became a lab assistant at the Royal Institute in Londo... ...was attached to the disk as well as the galvanometer. As the crank was rotated, Faraday noticed that the needle on the galvanometer moved. Moreover, the needle remained in that condition when the crank was rotated at a constant speed. This device Faraday named the Electric Dynamo (Williams). Works Cited Agassi, Joseph. Faraday as a Natural Philospher. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1971. Hart, Ivor B. â€Å"Electrical Science.† The Great Physicists. Freeport, NY: Books For Libraries Press, 1970. Hecht, Eugene. Physics: Algebra / Trig. Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson Learning, 2003. Segre, Kaplan, Schiff and Teller. Great Men of Physics: The Humanistic Element in Scientific Work. Los Angeles, CA: Tinnon-Brown, Inc., Book Publishers, 1969. Williams, L. Pearce. Michael Faraday. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc., Second Printing.

The Great Gatsby :: English Literature

The Great Gatsby The capacity to dream is a natural characteristic possessed by all mankind. Americans living in a country based on the philosophy of pursuing great American dreams go about pursuing their own goals in many ways. Ironically the American dream itself is the ultimate illusion that can never satisfy those who pursue it. The American dream was only possible when it was a potential. Nick in Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, realized this as he imagines a past when the Dutch first laid their eyes on the vast wilderness of the uninhabited United States. Gatsby’s ideals in this novel are the ideals of all Americans. Gatsby and Americans search for a dream and yet nobody truly understands what it is they are really in search of. People go about fulfilling these dreams by using cheap reality and in the end it does not measure up to the size of the dream itself; the dreamer is bound to be disappointed with every accomplishment of the dream. At the conclusion of Fitzgerald’s book, The Great Gatsby, the main character Gatsby has recently died and Nick stands facing the front door of Gatsby’s mansion. From this moment, Nick looks at Gatsby’s house for a last time. He sees a swear word on the wall, and like Holden in the book, The Catcher in the Rye, he too crosses the word out; trying to preserve the innocence. Nick wants to keep Gatsby’s dream pure even though it is already lost. Later on while Nick is all alone, everything begins to melt away. He starts to picture how it looked a hundred years ago when the Dutch sailors first reached a new world. Nick’s world becomes the world of idealism, where the physical world doesn’t matter; the great house of Gatsby begins to melt away and finally disappear in Nick’s mind for that moment. Nick sees that, â€Å"†¦for a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder,† (pg 189). For that one time the Dutch merchants saw the idea of property in a different way. The Dutch saw the wilderness and trees not as wood- cutters or property owners but as poets, like presented in Emerson’s, â€Å"Nature.† Wood- cutters own the timber physically, but, â€Å"there is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet,†(Nature). The Dutch saw the beauty of the land and trees and

Gattaca Viewing Essay

Gattaca Viewing Essay Themes in texts are what make them interesting and engaging. A text which has a number of intriguing themes is the feature film Gattaca, written and directed by Andrew Niccol, and released in 1997. One particular theme which is evident in Gattaca is the idea that the most important key to a person’s success is not their genetic material but their ambitions, drive and determination. This theme is explored in the film through the conventions of performance and characterisation, camera angles, camera shots and by music/sound.Early in the film Gattaca, Vincent undergoes a transformation. Prior to the transformation Vincent is seen as an unconfident person with bad body language, baggy clothing and glasses which all indicates that Vincent is inferior. Vincent wants to be able to work at Gattaca but he knows that he can’t make it in because of his genetic material (heart problem), so he meets German (broker) who helps Vincent undergo the transformation. When German asks Vincent how committed he is to the project; Vincent says â€Å"I’d give 100%,† to which German replies, â€Å"That’ll get you halfway there†.This shows you how much effort Vincent has to put in to get into Gattaca, but with drive and determination on Vincent’s side he not only gets into Gattaca but one of their elites. After Vincent’s transformation from a â€Å"borrowed ladder† to a valid his attitude and looks had changed completely. His posture and body language had become almost perfect and his attitude to life had also transformed completely; making him look like a professional. You can finally see the complete transformation when Vincent has his interview at Gattaca, when he looks into the mirror.You can see that Vincent is impressed with what he has transformed into. During the film Gattaca, the mission director at Gattaca was brutally murdered, in which Investigators took control of Gattaca and checked everyth ing, everywhere and everyone, gene to gene. When Vincent sees all of these people searching for clues and evidence he slightly loses faith and starts to rethink his whole dream. The investigators find a suspect, but no details are given except a picture (of Vincent) and the fact that the suspect is an invalid.There are many different scenes in which Vincent almost gets caught, but one of the tensest scenes was when Vincent went on the treadmill for his training. Prior to this scene we see Jerome clip a heart rate monitor onto himself and we see him ride his wheel chair so they can record his heartbeat, which we figure out that Vincent is going to end up using it. When Vincent goes onto the treadmill we see him quickly switch heart rate monitors and then we see him jogging. Then we see two investigator walk into the gym facility where everyone is getting there heart rate checked, including Vincent.While the investigators are talking to the doctors we, the viewers can hear Vincentâ₠¬â„¢s heart beat (non-diegetic), which slowly builds up the tension. Then when the investigators and the doctor are talking about Vincent, his Heart beat monitors recording finished early so we can hear his real heartbeat which is going really fast so he quickly unclipped his heart rate monitor and walked off. This shows you the risks and challenges that Vincent faces every day and the ways he deals with them.At the beginning of Gattaca Vincent and his brother Anton play a dangerous game called â€Å"Chicken†. Chicken involves Vincent and Anton battling against each other and against the great force of nature as they swim out into the ocean as far as they possibly can until one gives in or turns back. Both Anton and Vincent are presented through high angles to show their inferiority and insignificance compared to rough and wavy ocean. There are also scenes in which they are displayed through eye level shots to show that the conditions are equal to both of them.Later on in the film Vincent and Anton go back out into the ocean and have another game of Chicken in which Vincent, against all odds beats Anton. This is a significant part of the film because Vincent finally realises that he can achieve anything and he can finally travel into space. â€Å"It was the one moment in our lives that my brother was not as strong as he believed, and I was not as weak. It was the moment that made everything possible†. Camera angles help support the theme that the most important key to a person’s success is not their genetic material but their ambitions, drive and determination.At the end of Gattaca, Vincent was only moments away from achieving his goal to go to Gattaca. At the same time Jerome is preparing to end his life. These two scenes are intercut so we can see Vincent finally getting onto the rocket and achieving his goal while Jerome is stepping into the incinerator preparing to kill himself because he lived a miserable life, having perfect genetic material but a lack of determination and drive. This scene is extremely tense because we feel emotionally overwhelmed; happy for Vincent and sympathetic for Jerome.We also feel quite emotional because we know Jerome is going to die happy and we know that he was happy to be part of Vincent’s transformation: â€Å"I got the better end of the deal. I only lent you my body †¦ you lent me your dream†. This is the final scene of the film that completes the theme. Vincent made his dream come true, not because of his genetic material but because of his ambitions, drive and determination. It is evident in the feature film Gattaca, by Andrew Niccol that the key to a person’s success is not their genetic material but their ambitions, drive and determination.Gattaca is full of interesting ideas and themes which are explored throughout Vincent’s journey. The conventions of performance and characterisation, camera angles, camera shots and music/sound all help deve lop the theme. I believe that this would have to be one of my favourite movies because of all of the representations and because the story behind it inspired me to become a better person. I would also recommend this movie to anyone because it reaches out to a wide target audience and I would definitely rate it a 10 out of 10. By Anthony (hshs)

Compare how a sense of claustrophobia is built up in the Handmaids Tale and an Evil Cradling

Margret Atwood's fictive autobiography ‘The Handmaid's Tale' And Brian Keenan's autobiography, ‘An Evil Cradling' documenting his kidnapping by fundamentalist Shi'ite militiamen both present a sense of claustrophobia. Each novel presents tional. strophobia Keenan' the manifestation of claustrophobia within the protagonists. ‘An Evil Cradling' presents Keenan's physical claustrophobia as a hostage and the emotional entrapment. Both authors successfully create a sense of claustrophobia whilst exploring the different situations of both protagonists. Both Offred and Keenan's lifestyles appear even more claustrophobic in contrast to their previous lives. There is an asymmetry in the presentation of a sense of claustrophobia within and between the two novels. Whilst on the one hand, both writers deal with the notion of claustrophobia as having a negative consequence on their lives. On the other hand the life of the main protagonists before their captive state is presented with considerable differences. These differences are exemplified in the opening chapters of both texts. Keenan in his exploration of life before captivity seems to suggest life was not all that tranquil and certainly not without its problems before he was taken captive in the Lebanon, where one might imagine the root of all his problems with claustrophobia began. In the preface Keenan states, â€Å"I was brought up in that harsh, divided landscape of Northern Irish, working class and I went into with all its baggage. † Furthermore he claims in his first chapter, â€Å"Before I left Belfast, I had been torn with a desperate kind of love and distaste for my place. Both statements from the two parts of Keenan's book, show that his life, as he puts it himself, was a type of ‘cul-de-sac. ‘ This metaphor for a dead-end shows that Keenan was no more free in his native Ireland, so much that he was forced to seek mental comfort elsewhere. The entire opening chapter of an evil cradling highlights Keenan's disconnection with his country and how he felt trapped and a sense of c laustrophobia in a place so familiar to him. Contrastingly, Atwood presents her protagonist as having a far more affectionate, possibly ‘rose tinted' view on her life before taken into captivity. In Atwood's ‘A Handmaid's Tale' Offred conveys a large amount of nostalgia towards her past. In the opening chapter Atwood contrasts the senses of the past. The lights are vividly described as â€Å"a revolving ball of mirrors, powdering the dancers with a snow of light. † Atwood chooses this poetic metaphor to show her fondness towards previous times. Atwood describes the simplicity of the lights under the regime â€Å"The lights were turned down but not out. † Offred's feelings of extreme claustrophobia are exacerbated through the juxtaposition of the former senses. In Offred's case she is more sensitive towards these feelings of freedom. Offred is a victim of gradual entrapment that has been apparent in her society for many years; chapter 28 reveals the gradual oppression of women â€Å"Things continued in that state of suspended animation for weeks†¦ Newspapers were censored†¦ roadblocks began to appear, and identipasses†¦ † by stripping women of their political and social rights the Gileadean regime came to power. Offred uses listing to highlight the continuous changes in society, specifically directed at women, showing her own shock and resentment towards her gradual confinement. Offred does not only demonstrate nostalgia towards her past in the opening chapters. Atwood constantly uses similes throughout that are reminiscent of the past. These similes present an escape from the routine regime; they often involve the senses which allow Offred to escape the regime by remembering and juxtaposing elements and senses of the past. † It's almost like June,† Offred shifts in mental perspective via association of seasons, Offred's memories of the seasons are superimposed over Gilead's charade of normality, it is as though Offred escapes into her own private narrative underneath her imprisonment as a handmaid her recollections act as freedom from the past. Both Offred and Keenan's sense of claustrophobia is intensified by the way that their human rights are no longer recognised and they have no freedom of choice. Keenan's beard is used in ‘The Devil's Barbershop' to symbolise his dignity and freedom of choice. Keenan is very reluctant to have his beard shaved off; his behaviour becomes the manifestation of claustrophobia. He becomes attached to his beard and it symbolises his freedom of expression, â€Å"I've had this beard for too long for some halfwit who thinks he owns me to make me what he wants me to be. Throughout this passage Keenan uses long sentences that highlight his heightened emotions, Keenan's aggressive tone towards his captors also shows his reluctance to change, Keenan's identity is displayed through his beard and similarly to Offred he is being made to conform and accept his claustrophobic surroundings. In â€Å"The Handmaid's Tale† Offred is defined by her uniform, and looses her previous identity. This expresses that in Gilead their lives have become so claustrophobic that even their ability to express themselves has been repressed. Offred feels trapped in a system which rigidly controls women. The colour coding of women's clothes indicates that in this society their individual identities are lost in prescribed roles. â€Å"Everything except the wings around my face is red: the colour of blood, which defines us†¦ a sister, dipped in blood. † Atwood uses this negative metaphor to highlight Offred's feelings towards loosing her individuality. Offred's uniform in addition acts as a physical restriction, â€Å"The white wings†¦ they are to keep us from seeing, but also from being seen. It is made apparent that their clothes are also a way of physically restricting them as way of control, deliberately designed to limit the Handmaids view. The blood red is a constant reminder of the vilification of women in Giliadean society. ‘Blood red' is symbolised throughout the novel and acts as a constant reminder to Offred's role in society, although her role as a child barer allows her more freedom unde r the regime it is also the one thing that traps her. The description of the characters' surroundings and routines present a sense of claustrophobia, Offred's account of going out and doing the daily shopping illustrates this. Under the Gileadaen regime the Handmaids never went out unaccompanied, this partnership system provided both chaperones and spies. Offred considers the image of both women dressed identically in red, thinking of them as doubles, both visually and in circumstances. â€Å"The truth is that she is my spy, as I am hers. † Each woman traps the other. However, a suggestion of freedom is present in the structure of the two novels. For Keenan, his ability to let his mind wander in times of extreme captivity has been vital to his survival. Keenan changes tenses abruptly, from describing the cell, to a present time, showing the way in which his mind jumps, to escape his present situation. However, in â€Å"Into the Bread Basket† Keenan's senses were shut down by the â€Å"tight confinement of the tape† which â€Å"will not let my mind escape. † Now that even his mind cannot escape he feels as if a â€Å"riot is bursting out within my senses† which further reflects how his repressed senses are desperate to escape the confinement, without his freedom of mind Keenan finds himself completely trapped. Correspondingly, Offred is able to escape into her private world of memory and desire. Offred uses storytelling as a means of personal survival her narrative is the only way of bridging the gap between an isolated self and the world outside. â€Å"It is also a story I am telling, in my head, as I go along. † Offred is able to escape the intense feelings of claustrophobia through expressing her feelings. Atwood chooses short sentences to emulate the natural nature of speech resulting in a flowing structure. Fear plays a main role in increasing the sense of physical claustrophobia experienced by both Keenan and Offred. In ‘into the bread basket' Keenan uses imagery that creates associations with death â€Å"I am being embalmed and mummified† and â€Å"I am going back to the coffin. † This demonstrates how in such claustrophobic conditions where all his senses have been effectively shut off he is completely helpless and that in these cramped dark conditions the difference between life and death becomes uncertain. Keenan carries on this extended metaphor in the oxymoron â€Å"a living corpse† this again reflects the negative experience of being in such claustrophobic conditions. Finally, both authors have used literary and structural techniques to reveal the many ways in which claustrophobia can be created and intensified. Although the two protagonists' situations are very different, as Offred lives a controlled and limited life and Keenan one of absolute entrapment they show many similar traits and emotions triggered from their individual feelings of claustrophobia.

Harvard Referencing

The Harvard referencing system It is important that you identify in your assessment when you are using the words or ideas of another author. The most accepted way of acknowledging the work of another author is to use a referencing system. It is important that you write down the details of your sources as you study. When taking notes, use a separate page for each new book, journal article, or electronic source. At the top of each page, clearly record the following information for future reference. For books, record: * The author’s or editor’s name (or names) * The year the book was published * The title of the book If it is an edition other than the first * The city the book was published in * The name of the publisher For journal articles record: * The author’s name or names * The year in which the journal was published * The title of the article * The title of the journal * The page number/s of the article in the journal * As much other information as you can fi nd about the journal, for example the volume and issue numbers For electronic resources, try to collect the information on the left if it is available, but also record: * The date you accessed the source * The electronic address or email The type of electronic resource (email, discussion forum, WWW page, etc) Whenever you use someone else’s ideas or words, you must put in a reference. Direct quotations – this is when you copy another author’s material word-for-word. You should show the reader that it is a direct quote by placing the material in inverted commas. Traditionally, double inverted commas have been used (â€Å") but it is now acceptable, and preferable to use single inverted commas (‘). Sometimes it is difficult to avoid the direct quotation as the author’s words may precisely describe the point you are trying to make.An example for direct quote from a book or journal article with one author: When organising our time, Adair (1988: 51) sta tes that ‘the centerpiece will tend to be goals and objectives’. OR When organising our time ‘the centrepiece will tend to be goals and objectives’ (Adair, 1988: 51). When you take another author’s ideas and put them into your own words. You are still copying someone else’s work, so you must reference it. You do not need to use inverted commas when you paraphrase, but you must clearly show the reader the original source of your information.All of the sources you refer to in the main body of your assignment need to be listed at the end of the assignment in a reference list. When creating a reference list, the sources should be listed alphabetically by author’s surname, but when the author is anonymous or unknown for any one source, insert that source in the alphabetical list using the title of the source instead of the author’s name. All sources should be listed together; there should not be separate lists for books versus journal articles versus electronic sources.The reference list should be on a separate page from the rest of the assignment and should be simply titled ‘References’ and the title should be in the same font and size as the other headings in your assignment. When you use the Harvard System, you are only usually required to produce a reference list. It is generally important in the text of an assignment to show the reader the author’s name, date of publication and page numbers of the original source. In the reference list, it is important that the author’s name, the year of publication, relevant titles, and other access information is faithfully reproduced.Department of Lifelong Learning: Study Skills Series http://education. exeter. ac. uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing. htm Central Queensland University ESLS Unit (2001) Referencing: The Harvard referencing system, [Online], Available: http://www. cqu. edu. au/edserv/undegrad/clc/content/resources. htm [14 Aug 2001] Lewis, D. (ed. ) (1999) The written assignment, Brisbane: QUT Publications. Wells, D. (2001) Harvard referencing, [Online], Available: http://lisweb. curtin. edu. au/guides/handouts/harvard. html [14 Aug 2001].

Food Adultration Essay

Food Adulteration Food adulteration with poisonous chemicals has reached a dangerous proportion posing serious health hazards in the country, said experts and government officials yesterday at a discussion jointly organised by The Daily Star and non-government development organisation RDRS Bangladesh. Basic food items on the market like rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, and sweetmeats are adulterated with hazardous chemicals in an indiscriminate manner, though food-grade preservatives and colours can be safely used in permissible quantities, said the discussants. The discussion on â€Å"Hazards of Food Contamination in National Life: Way Forward† was held at The Daily Star Centre in the capital. Views about the proportion of adulterated food items on the market varied between 70 and 90 percent. RDRS put the proportion at more than 90 percent referring to test results of government laboratories published in newspapers, while the officials and researchers present at the discussion said it is 70 per cent. More than 76 percent food items on the market were found adulterated in a random survey by Public Health Laboratory of Dhaka City Corporation in 2004. There are approximately 150 food items in the country, said SK Roy, a senior scientist at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). Poisonous residues in food items leave the worst impact on children’s mental and physical growth and women’s fertility, cause cancer, and damage vital human organs like liver, kidney, and heart, the discussants said. Roy in his presentation said formalin is applied on fish for preservation; calcium carbide on fruits to ripen; brick dust in chilli powder; urea to whiten rice and puffed rice; sawdust in loose tea; soap in Ghee; and artificial sweetener, coal tar, and textile dyes in sweetmeats. Formalin applied on fish, fruit, meat, and milk causes throat cancer, blood cancer, childhood asthma, and skin diseases, he said. Poisonous colouring agents like auramine, rhodomine b, malachite green, yellow g, allura red, and Sudan red applied on food items for colouring, brightness, and freshness — damage liver and kidney, and cause stomach cancer, asthma, and bladder cancer, said Roy. Colouring agents chrome, tartzine, and erythrosine are used in spices, sauces, juices, lentils, and oils — causing cancer, allergy, and respiratory problem. Calcium carbide may lead to cancer in kidney, liver, skin, prostate, and lungs. Rye flour used in barley, bread, and wheat flour contribute to convulsion and miscarriage. Hormone used in cauliflower causes infertility of women. Agino moto or monosodium glutamate used in Chinese restaurant food items cause nervous system disorder and depression. Urea put in puffed rice and rice causes nervous system damage and respiratory problem. Sulphuric acid used in milk for condensation causes damage to the cardiac system. Dr Syed Humayun Kabir, director of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution, said not just anyone should get trade license to produce food items, and the mass media must check the authenticity of a food product before carrying its advertisement. Application of excessive and unauthorised pesticides also cause contamination of food, he said adding that additives used for making food items attractive can be lethal if those are cancerous. But some permitted preservatives, thickening agents, gelling agents, antioxidants, and stabilisers could be harmless if applied in appropriate quantity, said Kabir. Food grains, veget ables, and fish also get contaminated by industrial pollution of the soil, air, and water, he said. Burnt engine oil is used to fry Jilapi, while artificial fragrance is applied on flowers, said Khalil Ahmed, executive magistrate of Dhaka City Corporation, who operates a mobile court against adulterated foods in the capital. Dr Selima Rahman, executive director of RDRS, said most of the food adulteration occurs in the hands of middlemen in the process of transportation and marketing. Urea is dangerous for kidney, she said adding, â€Å"At present, a total of two crore people are suffering from kidney diseases for various reasons.† Food adulteration has been happening on a massive scale for the past half a decade due to increased investment, expanded market, and high consumer demand, according to Roy. Some items like guava, lemon, and hog-plum [amra] are however still free from chemical aggression, he said. Greed for fast super profit and moral degradation among food traders have led to today’s alarming situation, he added. †The pattern of diseases is changing. In our student life, prevalence of infectious diseases was high. Now the number of patients suffering from cancer, diabetes, and kidney diseases are on the rise due to food adulteration,† said Dr Md Golam Kibria Khan, asso ciate professor of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The importance of customer support services Essay

The importance of customer support services - Essay Example To become a multinational company the management has to expand its units across the country. As company and its other units are slowly expanding so does the problems are increasing day by day. Let's take the example of High Fields Hotels. High Fields Hotels comprises a group of five hotels based in Southampton and concentrates more on weeknight business clienteles. Employing proper technological applications for appropriate work solves many problems. High fields Hotels uses latest technological applications that solve daily problems with ease. High Fields Hotels uses PCs to meet the requirements like billing, checking in and checking out of the customers etc High Fields Hotels uses network systems in the five hotels. They use a central reservation systems that can keep them updated about the different activities of the hotels all the time. Their strategies include low price and highly qualified customer care service. This factor played an important role in the long-term development of the Hotel. The cheaper prices with high quality service and further free goodies attracted many. Another factor is the customer service. Customer plays an important role in the development of the company because it is the customer who uses the product that was developed by the companies was good at it. In any marketing sector marketing plan is considered to be very imp... The important elements of marketing plan are to precisely define the business, identify the goals and serve as the firm's resume. Pro forma balance sheet, an income statement, planning precise strategies and cash flow analyses comprises the basic components of a marketing plan. Preparing a marketing plan helps in the allocation of resources properly, making good decisions and handling of unseen or unexpected complications that may become hurdle in the future development of the business. One of the important aspects of marketing plan is that it provides organized information about the company and importantly a good business plan helps in attaining a loan application. Other important applications include informing the details of the company to the sales personnel, suppliers and others so that they become aware of company's goals and achievements. One of the important areas of development in consumer marketing section is attracting customers. According to marketing and advertising rules and guidelines, customers always impress upon to buy something for themselves. The marketing agencies to attract the customers, they make publicity of their product through media. High Fields Hotels strategies fully coincide with the above rules. In the present market everything sells by brand names, the marketers are expected to put up good brand name products for sale. The purchaser desires to have or own a good brand name product and material with good quality at reasonable and cheaper rate. If the marketers were able to meet this demand of people of the society, definitely there would be a souring business for their product. High Fields Hotels from its good service, customer support service and with competitive prices has achieved this. The

Design Management Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Design Management Research Report - Essay Example Mostly we focused on qualitative and quantitative research on our client company, and conducted competitor analysis to get a better understanding of the client company and the industry. Furthermore, we adopted Psychographic research about the company’s value, color theory, and competitor analysis to get insight into the problems of current company’s logo and strategies. In addition, we carried out case studies to find out how other companies successfully approached similar projects and how they obtained the best results. Project overview- According to the 2010 annual report of Invest Toronto, the logo is â€Å"The fresh, modern and energetic branding that will serve and invest as well as the story teller for our vibrant city.† However, we found that the logo has heavily focused on visualizing the city of the company rather than express the company’s values or objectives. A logo for a brand represents and distinguishes itself from others as an image, and th e right corporate identification makes it easier for the company to achieve its business objectives. The right consumer experience with a corporate identity helps them to choose the company when it comes down to a decision. Therefore, setting up a clear and positive corporate identity especially for a company in its earliest stages of development, such as Invest Toronto is very important. To achieve this, the company requires a corporate identity that reflects its value, ethics, future and principles, and one that gives a strong positive visual experience of the company. Since among the company’s objectives and roles is attracting foreign companies to Invest Toronto, the logo should be understood by people from different cultures and give a positive image to them as well. We also conducted research on the client company, and found that there was lack of consistency in terms of brand identity. The use of different background logo colors in different social media might confuse viewers and alleviate planting of a clear visual representation of company to its audiences. Thus, when creating a corporate identity, there should be a strong, clear branding system and marketing strategies that expose the company to the public more. Description of the client company Invest Toronto is the primary business, sales and marketing corporation for the City of Toronto and was organized by Toronto City Council in September 2008, Invest Toronto's initial Directors Board was confirmed by Toronto City Council on February 24, 2009. There are fifteen board of directors since the company is at the starting stages it has about thirty employees are under Renato Discenza the CEO and President of Invest Toronto. The city is the sole shareholder of Invest Toronto and the former has set up the business objectives for the company, which corresponded to its interests. Precedents/ case studies 1British Columbia Lottery Corporation: The rebranding of the British Columbia Lottery Corporati on in 2011 was one of the most recent successful rebranding measures similar to the rebranding of Invest Toronto, since British Colombia Lottery Corporation is closely connected to Provincial Government of British Colombia since its establishment. Considering the requirement of understanding gambling industry, the advertising agency, Cossette, had to look into the Government, media, and public review to fulfill the