Essays for Social Networks Essay

Through her Amigas: Fifteen Candles novel, author Veronica Chambers demonstrates a picture of perfect unity that enables a group of friends to achieve otherwise insurmountable feats. Such exhilarating togetherness urges the involved parties – Gaz, Alicia Cruz, Jamie, and Carmen – to selflessly work towards ensuring that their colleague – Sarita – succeeds in her endeavors. It happens that Cruz encounters Sarita while the former is undergoing her internship. On learning that Sarita is about to celebrate her quincenera – the customary fifteenth-birthday coming-of-age party, Cruz willingly offers to help her newfound friend. Consequently, Cruz mobilizes her three friends to assist in organizing Sarita’s party. Through the novel, Chambers explores Cruz impeccable networking skills coupled with her , as well as her three friends’ – utter unselfishness as the four work to make Sarita’s quincenera a vibrant success. For instance, Cruz is depicted to be a very experienced networking agent owing to the speed and precision with which she mobilizes her 3 friends to assist in executing Sarita’s party. To illustrate, after learning of Sarita’s upcoming quincenera, Cruz sets out to inform and persuade her friends to join in this cause. Soon, three friends are working hand-in-hand with both Cruz and Sarita to make the party a resounding success. Through this acts, the four friends demonstrate commendable unselfishness. This is because, although Sarita is relatively new to them, the 4 individuals wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to her cause. Cruz is the most notable unselfish individual because she momentarily sets aside her preoccupation with a just-begun prestigious internship program to give her undivided attention to Sarita’s party. In conclusion, from Chamber’s novel, the selfless nature and commendable unity that Cruz and her 3 friends demonstrate is evident. Thanks to Cruz’s excellent networking skills, the quartet quickly gangs up to aid Sarita in her party preparations. The Secret River by Kate Grenville A man’s undying determination for independence Through her The Secret River novel, author Kate Grenville describes the character called William Thornhill as depicting an endless quest to achieve autonomy. This autonomy is best explained by Thornhill’s desire to be free from poverty that has haunted him all his entire life. For example, a close examination of this character’s troubled life shows that he has endured extreme hardships. To illustrate, Thornhill has been rendered a petty thief due to the poverty that surrounds him. The man has to provide for himself as well as his family despite the shockingly little income that he manages to salvage. He thus engages in acts of petty theft so as to make ends meet. For this socially unacceptable behavior, Thornhill is apprehended, tried, and handed a life sentence that is soon reduced to the requirement that the convict spends his remaining days in Australia’s New South Wales region. Once in Australia, Thornhill demonstrates his true and noble intentions away from the troubles back in London. For example, the convict tries as much as possible to avoid engaging in any type of confrontations with the native Black residents in his new home. In addition, Thornhill strives to acquire and own land that would enable him exercises self-determination besides acquiring other possessions. Through such actions, Thornhill demonstrates that he desires to lead a quiet and peaceful life free from unnecessary troubles. Further, the character has a keen desire to be free from the yoke of poverty that formerly detained him. Grenville thus explores the character’s true identity and inherent peaceful nature. In conclusion, through The Secret River novel, Grenville traces Thornhill’s life history, showing that the character is intrinsically a peaceful and honest individual. For instance, the author shows that extreme circumstances have made Thornhill a dishonest person. Consequently, after being brought to Australia free from London’s hardships, Thornhill demonstrates love for peace and a desire to exercise self-determination. Argumentative essay: Money can break people According to an age-old saying ‘money makes humans mad’. This is especially true if persons allow their insatiable desire for money and associated riches to cloud their reasoning capacities. Consequently, such persons become captive to the allure of money and the associated perils. To name just one negative consequence of this habit, an uncontrolled desire to have more money can make one lose sight of more important things in life such as one’s family. The consequences that result from an inhibited pursuit of money and wealth are usually very disastrous. For example, one may have their marriage – or even an entire family – disintegrating beyond repair in case the central figure takes to a ridiculous search for money. Examining the very rationale behind one’s pursuit of money shows that an unbridled search for wealth can have consequences that amount to the metaphorical breaking of the person who depicts such a habit. To illustrate, it is obvious that one looks for money so as to acquire life’s necessities, thus making life enjoyable. Further, since no man is an island, every person desires to have pleasant company. Such wholesome companionship is mostly attained in a family setup. The concept of someone losing the very family which, coupled with wealth, would make their lives complete as they search for money thus constitutes a metaphorical breaking of someone. It is thus accurate to say that money breaks people. In conclusion, the ‘money breaks people’ statement takes shape when someone loses their family due to their insatiable greed fore more riches. This is because, the persons have lost one of the most important entities that can help actualize their enjoyment in the so-acquired riches.

Health and Safety in the Workplace Essay

Health and Safety play a very important role in the workplace today. Many organizations take the responsibility of their employees’ safety and health seriously due to the various affects that could stem from a lack of providing a safe work environment. During the 20th century our nation has become a world leader in setting an example for the world involving the workers right to a safe and healthy environment. Because of the various laws and research conducted in the United States, there have been countless number of accidents that have been prevented and thousands of lives saved because of awareness. I, being a Safety Coordinator and a workplace accident survivor, know firsthand the importance of safety in the workplace and the negative outcome for employees and organizations that do not practice a safe work environment. I would like to take this time to give a little information on my personal experience on workplace accidents and the importance of safety in that environment. In 2007 I was employed as a bridge carpenter working for a large construction company in Biloxi, MS. As a bridge carpenter is was exposed to many dangerous and high risk situations that put my life at risk on an everyday basis. I felt this company actually cared about the safety of their employees. We were provided with every piece of safety equipment that was needed to perform our job as safely as possible. The equipment was fairly new and OSHA approved. If it was found to be inadequate, it was immediately removed out of service and either fixed or replaced. Not to mention every morning we conducted toolbox safety meeting and equipment inspections. This particular day of my near fatal accident, we were setting rebar cages for columns maybe 30 to 40 feet in height. It was my responsibility to climb the cage, after it was set on the footer with a crane, to unhook the rigging from the crane. I had all the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) on and the cage had been secured at th e bottom by come along rigging devices. As I climbed the cage and Unhooked the rigging from the crane, the cage began to sway from side to side. Before I could start my descent, the cage and myself still attached to it with three different positioning, fell in the water, which by the way was the Gulf of Mexico. As my feet touched the bottom I began to panic and fight to free myself by unhooking myself from the cage. Several of my co workers jumped in the water to rescue me, but they were unable to locate my body. But they were able to locate the cage I was attached to. Thanks to quick thinking they were able to hook the crane cables back to the cage and hoist the cage and I out of the water successfully. But by this time I was not breathing and had no pulse. They lowered me on a crew boat and began to perform CPR. The CPR was unsuccessful so they began to take me to the dock where the ambulance was awaiting my arrival. During the time of the boat ride, I suddenly began to cough up water and slowly came to my senses. I was taken to the hospital and was blessed that I did not sustain any major injuries. During the accident investigation it was found that the cage we were setting was not the correct one for that particular footing and one of the come along holding it in place was functioning properly to catch the cage as it began to fall. This is when I actually began to take workplace safety seriously and start my career in that field. During the course of this paper it is my intent to present key components of workplace safety and health and provide new insight and personal experience that has and will affect my career and personal life and lives of those around me. The Role of Safety and Health in the Workplace Workplace safety is the practice of an employer using preventative measures to prevent hazards to the employees’ health and personal safety. This practice includes creating plans and procedures for employees and managers in the workplace. In addition, workplace safety involves creating policies and keeping emergency materials available for employee and manager use while at a work site. Workplace safety has caused strikes, contract negotiations and concerns among the different labor unions. These groups have negotiated union contracts and initiated lawsuits on behalf of workers who have an unsafe workplace. The Union Auto Workers created â€Å"Workers’ Memorial Day† as a day to honor workers who are killed on the job in the United States. David Micheals, the new head of OSHA, made this profound statement â€Å"these catastrophic events are powerful reminders of the risks faced by workers across the country every day. Fourteen workers die on the job each day, far from the headlines, often noted only by their families, friends, and co-workers.† (Markowitz & Rosner, 2011, p.26) Manufacturing jobs are heavily mentioned on this day due to the dangers of operating machinery or equipment. Workplace safety in many businesses requires additional training for the employees and management. This can include a lecture by an expert, hand-on training or a tour of the grounds and materials. For example, an employee whose job requires the use of a machine is not only trained to use the machine, but he is typically trained on how to operate machinery to avoid injury, dismemberment or death. The employee can also be trained on what to do if a co-worker injures herself on the job. As I stated in the introduction of this paper, I know firsthand the importance of safety and health in the workplace. By understanding the role of workplace safety and its history, employers and employees are able to apply these safety concepts to their everyday work related routines. I have learned that workplace safety and health reach far beyond the OSHA Act of 1970. Safety involves adopting a way of thinking and a way of functioning in all environments. Organizations such as unions have fought for workers right to a safety and healthy work environment. The campaigns they have fought so diligently to win have proven to be effective in fighting diseases like tuberculosis, typhoid, and smallpox that not only for the workplace but also for the general public. (Markowitz & Rosner, 2011, p.27) Occupational Safety and Health Administration In 1970 Congress passed into law The Occupational Safety and Health Act which formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or (OSHA). This act â€Å"declared that every worker is entitled to safe and healthful working conditions, and that employers are responsible for work being free from all recognized hazards†.(Silverstein, 2008, p.416) Even forty years later, many people still do not believe that OSHA is up holding the standard in workplace safety and health for which it was designed to do. Today a worker still becomes injured or sick from a dangerous job every 2.5 seconds plus a worker dies from a workplace injury or illness every 8 minutes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety, also known as NIOSH, has authority for workplace safety and health matters at federal workplace locations. In the federal workplace environment, NIOSH has an enforcement authority that corresponds to the authority OSHA exercises over workplaces operated by private sector emplo yers. In some instances, state-run programs supersede OSHA authority, and the Occupational and Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages the development and operation by individual states of workplace safety and health programs. However, to qualify for this exemption to OSHA authority, a state-run program must establish standards and enforcement criteria that match or exceed the effectiveness of the federal OSHA program. As of April 2010, 26 states and U.S. territories have such programs in place with 23 of those 26 covering state and local government workplaces as well as workplaces operated by private sector employers. The Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 established mandatory health and safety standards and directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Secretary of Labor to create improved health and safety standards to protect the health and welfare of coal miners in the U.S. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) established a national minimum wage, guaranteed time-and-a-half for overtime in certain types of jobs, and prohibited employers from hiring minors. Today the FLSA helps to enforce and protect the rights and wages of non-exempt employees. I do not have much experience working directly with OSHA but as an OSHA outreach trainer, I have become accustom to understand the importance and impact they can and do have in a workplace environment. Working as a safety coordinator for several different contractors has given me an insight as to how some organizations adhere to OSHA regulations and how other organizations do not. With this insight and from knowledge gained from this course, I see that we still need stay focused on continuous safety awareness and to ensure OSHA enforces the laws and regulations for violators. By understanding the history and the need for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in our society, I have a greater enthusiasm to perform my job functions as a safety coordinator at a higher level and expect the people around me to adhere to the same level of faithfulness. Safety Issues In The Workplace Safety issues are an important topic in today’s workplace, especially with the rise in accidents in places of work and business. Accidents may often be small, but they can also lead to life-altering results such as mutilation and even death. The most common type of safety issue in workplaces relates to tripping and falling, however, there are many other causes to be considered. An organization with a superior policy for dealing with safety issues should be considering topics such as ergonomics and the arrangement of the space so that the tasks best fit the people who complete them. In this discussion the focus will be on three in particular which are repetitive stress injuries, workplace stress, and substance abuse. In today’s society, there are many jobs that require sitting at a work station all day. Employees that perform these types of jobs run a higher risk of being injured by chronic and repetitive motion task, like typing on a keyboard, eyestrains, lifting or mov ement injuries, poor ergonomics or workstation accidents. (Lowe, 2012, p.104) Majority of musculoskeletal injuries and pain affecting office workers are a result of sitting for long periods in the same position performing the same or repetitive motions. I have learned that the key to prevention and treatment of these problems is reducing muscle and tendon overuse. A great method to reduce these injuries from happening would be massage therapy. Massage therapy allows the tendons to release pressure that has built up throughout the day or work hours. Another treatment method would be employees do daily stretches at their workstation. When I began working as a carpenter, every morning we would start the day out by doing a series of stretches to loosen our muscle the same way an individual would if they were preparing to exercise. Work related stress is another major safety issue that affects the workplace. Workplace stressors like interpersonal conflict and work overload can have a profound effect on the health of an organization’s employees. â€Å"Findings indicate that work overload and interpersonal conflict mediate the impact of role stress on emotional exhaustion, job attitudes, and behaviors.† (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) Interpersonal conflict happens due to the negative social interactions between co-workers in the workplace. Also interpersonal conflict is one of the most important stressors at work due to the effect it has on employees’ emotions and their ability to work as a team. Work overload is the employees’ perception that the job is placing excessive work demands on them. In today’s workforce employees are pressured to deliver greater output while using fewer resources. Overloaded individuals often experience feelings of impatience and being rushed, which in turn affects the quality of their interactions with co-workers. â€Å"Because of rising unemployment rates, layoff survivors are more likely to experience larger workloads because they now perform both their former workload and that of those who left.† (Boles, Jaramillo, Mulki, 2011, p.329) From my experience interpersonal conflict and work overload can have a big impact on the health of all employees with no regard to title, pay grade, or seniority. These stressors can cause emotional, mental, and physical health issues for all they affect. Through newly found knowledge, I have gained a greater understanding of the effects that workplace stress can have on an organization’s employees and how they interact with one another. Organizations can counteract these stressors by providing additional support to individuals who are being affected by these workplace stressors and conducting workload/interpersonal conflict evaluations bi annually. â€Å"Handling problems of substance use and abuse at work are some of the most challenging issue s confronting employers.† (Dwoskin, 2012, p. 32) The law requires employers to provide a safe, healthy and productive work environment to employees, but it also requires employers accommodate the needs of substance abusing employees. This could cause a conflict, because the substance abusing employees may be causing the health and safety issues in the workplace. Employers have the right to insist on a drug and alcohol free workplace and to take disciplinary action against individuals who violate the zero tolerance rules. Under the law â€Å"employers may hold alcoholics and recovering addicts to the same performance standards as other employees.† (Dwoskin, 2012, p.32) This means that employees that abuse drugs and alcohol may be discharged or held to disciplinary action based on tardiness, absenteeism, and poor job performance. But on the other hand, the ADA says they cannot be discriminated against if they are found to be disabled. The ADA defines discrimination as â€Å"not making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability† (Dwoskin, 2012, p.34) During the course of my research of this particular issue, I learned effect that substance abuse in the workplace can have on the safety of that individual and the people around them. I also learned that in certain situations that a person abusing drugs and alcohol can be protected by the ADA if they are found to be disabled and the employer must accommodate their disability in the workplace. I have known several instances where employees have failed random drug screens and have been able to keep their jobs. But in those instances the employer required the employee to seek professional help in dealing with their addiction. Safety Programs â€Å"A safety program can best be described as a dynamic set of intervention activities implemented at a worksite where the aim is to prevent incidents and accidents at the workplace† (Bjerkan, Olsen, Naevestad, 2009, p.391) These safety programs are usually comprised of activities such as safety training, equipment and housekeeping inspections, safety meetings, and safe behavior observations. There are five key components to a properly structured safety incentive program. The first component involves using an entire campaign to promote your program by building teamwork thru interaction with the employees. The next component is establishing an award vehicle that should be handed out weekly. The third component states to award employees with merchandise rather than money. Usually when employees receive money as a reward they tend to forget the reward and wee the money went to. But when an employee is rewarded with merchandise, they can recall how they received it and this enco urages them to win again. The fourth component says to promote the program using items such as posters, caps, balloons, newsletters, flyers, parties, and company drawings. The last component states to make everyone a winner. It might seem to cost more, but it will pay off in the long run by promoting the idea that everyone that practices safety in the workplace is a winner. Wellness is a lifestyle that encourages good physical and mental health. It is a balanced lifestyle that includes an emphasis on the body, mind and spirit. Wellness Programs were created to encourage all faculty, staff, and retirees to live healthier lifestyles and create a culture of health throughout the organization. Workplace wellness includes organizational policies designed to facilitate employee health including allowing flex time for exercise, providing on-site kitchen and eating areas, offering healthy food options in vending machines, holding â€Å"walk and talk† meetings, and offering financial and other incentives for pa rticipation, among many other options. In the course of researching safety programs, I have learned new techniques that will enhance my knowledge in designing safety programs in the future. Working of several different companies has allowed me to be exposed to different types of safety incentive programs. I have seen what does work and also what does not work. During the course of this paper it was my intention to present key components of workplace safety and health and provide new insight and personal experience that has and will affect my career and personal life and lives of those around me. By exploring the role of safety and health in the workplace I have gained greater understanding of its history. I can now assist employers and employees to apply these safety concepts to their everyday work related routines. In researching OSHA, I discovered a greater knowledge of the importance of the OSHA Act of 1970 and the administrative offices that have developed from the Act. Offices such as OSHA and NIOSH were established to up hold the laws and standards set by the OSHA Act in the workplace. My knowledge has grown during the development of this paper which has allowed me to view different aspects of safety and health that I previously did not have knowledge of. References Dwoskin, L.L. (2012). Substance Abuse in the Workplace: ADA and FMLA Issues to Consider, Part II. Employee Benefit Plan Review, 66(8), 32-38 Jaramillo, F., Mulki, J., & Boles, J. S. (2011). WORKPLACE STRESSORS, JOB ATTITUDE, AND JOB BEHAVIORS: IS INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT THE MISSING LINK? Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 31(3), 339-356 Lowe, W. (2012). Keying Into Office Worker Injuries. Massage & Bodywork, 27(4), 104-107 Markowitz, G., & Rosner, D. (20110. FROM THE TRIANGLE FIRE TO THE BP EXPLOSION: A Short History of the Century-Long Movement for Safety and Health. New Labor Forum (Murphy Institute), 20(1), 26-32. Doi10.4179/NLF.201.0000005 Moran, R.E. (2012). WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: Better OSHA Guidance Needed On Safety Incentive Programs. GAO Reports, 1-46 Olsen, E., Bjerkan, A., & Naevestad, T. (2009). Modeling the effects of a large-scale safety Culture programme: a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. Journal Of Risk research, 12 Silverstein, M. (2008). Getting Home Safe and Sound: Occupational Safety and Health Administration at 38: American Journal Of Public Health, 98(3), 416-423 Stanley, J. (2012). Osha’s Warning on Safety Incentive Programs Are Wide of the Mark. EHS Today; Vol. 5 Issue 10, p. 63-64

Employability Skills Essay

Employability Skills for Team Manager Fresh Days Morrison’s. The role at Morrison’s of being team manager at fresh days will require the applicant to have certain qualities and skills. You will need to be a high performer in order to be successful in the Morrison’s job role. To be eligible for this team manager job you will need a certain list of employability skills to ensure that you are the right applicant for the job of team manager at fresh days Morrison’s. For the job at Fresh Days Morrison’s you will defiantly need to have good verbal communication as team manager because you will have the responsibility of your team members day in and day out and you will be overseeing projects which you would be in charge of so you will need to be able to communicate with colleagues to make sure everything will run smoothly and then you will need to report back to the director. You will need to be able to plan and organise well so you are able to plan out and then organise a project well and then carry it out effectively. Time management is an essential employability skill that will be required, you will need to be able to perform efficiently to the amount of time you have and manage it effectively within projects and daily work days. As a team manager you will need to be able to have exceptional leadership skills, being able to motivate your team and being someone that they come to for guidance is really important in this job. Flexibility is a good skill to have in this job as you will need to adapt to different situations, tasks and environments quickly as team leader so that you team members are able to come to you for help if they are unable to adapt quickly. Morrison’s are looking for these specific employability skills as they know that without these you will not be suitable for the job and will not succeed, then neither the applicant of Morrison’s will benefit from this. Personal Skills for Team Manager Fresh Days Morrison’s. You will need to be a natural born leader to be successful in the team manager fresh days job at Morrison’s, you can’t be shy or held back you have to be able to take charge of a situation straight away without any difficulty and you will have to be a good directing others by making sure all the tasks are complete. It is very important that you are confidant within yourself so that people in your team can respect and look up to you, without confidence you will not succeed in being a team manager and you would not be best suited for this job. We require that you’re an ambitious person so that we know the goals of the company that are set can be achieved without any problems and if we set harder goals you are motivated to reach these goals. Something that we think is essential in a team manager is motivation because if your team members see that you are motivated it will motivate them to perform well in their work. You will need to have a skill of reporting back to people as this job position requires you to report back to the director on a daily basis. Morrison’s are looking for a real leader to be their team manager at fresh days Morrison’s to help the business succeed. Communication Skills for Team Manager As a team leader you will need to be a very good listener, you will have to take on your team members problems within the tasks, their ideas and anything else they have to say, without this communication skill your team will not succeed in the tasks and daily requirements that are set. You will be the leader of your team and it is your job to hear everything everybody has to say even if you don’t necessarily want to. It is necessary that you are able to take feedback from your bosses with good intentions, you have to be able to take bad feedback and then learn from it and take good feedback and be proud of it. If you want to be a good team leader you will need to be assertive in this job so that everything that you know needs to be done will be done with no complications or without any colleagues saying that didn’t know what you were talking about, you need to be assertive so that tasks and projects are completed efficiently. You will defiantly need to be a good talker to get your colleagues attention and to be able to share everyone’s ideas and thoughts on the task set for that day so everyone in that team feels like and equal member of the team.

Computer Center Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Computer Center - Case Study Example Figure 2 shows the configuration of Input 1. The other two inputs are configured similarly with only difference of arrival times. Figure 2: Settings of Inputs The job readers have normal distribution, all the three having the mean of 3 seconds and standard deviation of one second. The configuration screen is shown in figure 3. Figure 3: configuration of job readers. The Print Spooler (CPU) is configured with exponential distribution with mean of two seconds as shown in figure 4. Figure 4: Print Spooler configuration The Line printers are again configured with normal distribution having mean of 7 seconds and standard deviations 2.1 seconds as shown in figure 5. Figure 5: Line Printer Configuration Finally, the configuration of the simulation is presented in figure 6. All the statistics have been selected except costing. Figure 6: Simulation configurations Output of Simulation There is one precaution in the simulation. The maximum arrivals in all the three cases were set at 5000. Hence, by design the arrivals in input 2 would stop coming at 5000 whereas the other two will continue till their individual arrivals reach 5000 each (first Input 3 and then Input 1). If the simulations are allowed to continue even if arrival of entities in Input has reached 5000, the system will be left with only two active inputs (and later on only one active input when arrival of entities in Input 3 reaches 5000 as well). This could have resulted in wrong calculations of the system. Hence, the author stopped the simulation as soon as Input 2 reached 5000 entities. Following are the results of the simulation: (A) Number of entities entered the system: Figure 7: No. of entities entered... The inputs are configured as exponential with arrivals every 70 seconds for Input 1, every 15 seconds for Input 2 and every 35 seconds for Input 3. Figure 2 shows the configuration of Input 1. The other two inputs are configured similarly with only difference of arrival times. There is one precaution in the simulation. The maximum arrivals in all the three cases were set at 5000. Hence, by design the arrivals in input 2 would stop coming at 5000 whereas the other two will continue till their individual arrivals reach 5000 each (first Input 3 and then Input 1). If the simulations are allowed to continue even if arrival of entities in Input has reached 5000, the system will be left with only two active inputs (and later on only one active input when arrival of entities in Input 3 reaches 5000 as well). This could have resulted in wrong calculations of the system. Hence, the author stopped the simulation as soon as Input 2 reached 5000 entities. There was no waiting time per entity because no queues were formed anywhere in the system: This appears obvious because the arrival intervals of entities are much higher than overall throughput of the system. (C) Average throughput time per entity: The average throughput time per entity (value addition time + transfer time) is presented in figure 9.

Coffee Production on the International Markets Term Paper

Coffee Production on the International Markets - Term Paper Example Unfortunately, FLO has faced a number of challenges in rolling out its â€Å"sustainability criteria.† This has especially been attributed to overreliance on supply chain relations in the administration and management of this endeavour (Jaffee 12). While Fairtrade has sought to offer solutions for economic sustainability at the producer level, it fails to provide a solution to macroeconomic variations which dictate price and credit behaviour. This has triggered massive campaigns within the consumer markets in favour of fair-trade labelled coffees. The global supply of coffee is approximated to have been 8 percent above the demand as per 2003 world’s depressed prices. This, in turn, led to world’s coffee prices hitting its all-time lowest in 30 years, has declined by about 50 percent in a span of three years. Governments eager to boost their export earnings contributed heavily to this scenario as they encouraged their farmers to grow more coffee. All this was done oblivious of the catastrophic impact on the world market. East African countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya are among the coffee producers that were heavily hit by this price slump. The low coffee prices in the global market had rippling effect as small farmers who contribute significantly to the total production started feeling exploited. Fairtrade was thus adopted to restore some sanity in within the coffee industry. The specific objective was to protect small farmers in the developing world from exploitation by the developed world. Fairtrade thus guarantees $1.26/pound (a living wage) in addition to access to credit facilities from cooperatives (Ruben, Ruerd, and Simone 23). The creation and consequent demand for Fair-trade labelled coffee has forced the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to rise up to the occasion and address social responsibilities as demanded by the developing countries.  

Health & Healing in Cross Cultural Perspective Essay - 2

Health & Healing in Cross Cultural Perspective - Essay Example The fact remains that the origin of the Non-Western Healing System is not really known. It is the origin of the individual practices of the Non-Western Healing System that are known and this would be established in this section. Acupuncture has its root in China; Ayurvedic medicine can be traced to India, Kampo medicine originated from Japan, homeopathy can be traced to a German physician, Samuel Hahnemann, osteopathy, naturopathy and chiropractic can be traced to the United States of America. Other forms of Non-Western Healing System have been traced to the cradle of civilization, Egypt. Thus, Non-Western Healing System does not have a direct root or origin . The Non-Western Healing System treats and/or heal diseases that Western Healing System has not recorded real success in taking care of. The Non-Western Healing System have proven to be the best remedy for treating certain types of cancer, treatment of osteoarthritis, infertility, stimulation of the immune and nervous system, re pair of the bones, digitalis, hypertension, heart failure and chronic back pain. The aforementioned illnesses or diseases are not the only type of ailments that the Non-Western Healing System treat and/or heal as they take care of a wide range of illnesses that have not even been mentioned. This shows the extent at which the Non-Western Healing System have helped to improve the quality of health care to citizens of the world and no wonder it has gained a wide acceptance by most people that were initially used to the Western Healing System (Winkelman). The practitioners of the Non-Western Healing System are people that have made ground-breaking research in order to come out with an extensive method of treatment that has benefited and is still benefitting the whole world (Chen 39). Some of the practitioners of the Non-Western Healing System were born into it, as the practice of this system of healing is in their bloodline. Practitioners of this healing system in countries like China a re actually born into it. There are some practitioners of the system that actually achieve the position through some specific experience. There are even cases that some practitioners have been reported to have received divine wisdom from a divine power that changed their lives forever and gave them the necessary skills to contribute their quota to the Non-Western Healing Systems. It was not until recently that people have been made to receive identical training with Doctors of Medicine and this is actually because of licensing. People have been made to receive formal training in the fields of osteopathy, chiropractic, Thus, Non-Western Healing System has been expanded in such a way that the practitioners achieve their position through research and education. Acupuncture, which seemed to be the most systematically researched and recorded Non-Western Healing practice also has some of its practitioners receiving some sort of formal training (Winkelman). Based on my study of the Non-Wes tern Healing System, there are some issues that needs to be understood by biomedical doctors if they are also treating the same patients in US hospitals. Two of these issues shall be addressed in this paragraph. One of these issues is that,

Information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Information management - Essay Example Its primary focus in the past years has been becoming a wellness, health and a nutrition company through the new acquisitions and existing brands (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The brand portfolio of Nestle covers almost all the beverage and food categories. These categories include nutrition (healthcare, infant, weight and performance management), dairy and milk products, breakfast cereals, ice cream, beverages, coffee, chocolate, culinary products (cooking aids, prepared dishes, sauces), pet care, bottled water, and confectionery. Many of these brands have category leadership in the local and global market. Among the international best-known brands include Nestea, Purina, Nescafe, Maggi, Nestle and Buitoni. Revenues for Nestle exceeded 100 billion United States dollars for the year 2007 (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company is run through a decentralized group of companies that promote and rely on the organizational learning of the Group. The headquarter offers guidance, consultancy, and leadership to the local and regional organizations. Identification of the opportunities within the Businesses and Markets are done by the central competence units and they help the local management in the improvement of business performance (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company has numerous supply chains, a number of methods for predicting demand and infinite variety of ways of collecting payments and invoicing customers. The complexity of these processes has become very difficult to manage and they have been a bottleneck for the company. The Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Chief Executive, Peter Brabeck standardized the operations around the world in 2003 in order to overcome some of the difficulties faced by the company. GLOBE (Global Business Excellence programme) was then initiated and its aim was to bring all the Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s operations to utilize a single computer system for all of its financial, manufacturing and sales operations (Barnes

Love Malin problems related to hunger and life and death Case Study

Love Malin problems related to hunger and life and death - Case Study Example On a more specific ground, Mali, a nation in the West Africa is evaluated and assessed on the basis of its problems related to hunger, life and death. There are numerous causes of deaths in Mali. Most of them are: accidents, wars, homicides and diseases (Dettwyler, 1994). These causes are just but general, are the same as in the rest of the world. Therefore, there are unique conditions that accelerate Mali’s problems in relation to the three variables aforementioned. The distinctive reasons are intertwined to explain the gap between this nation and the rest of Africa, as well as with the rest of the world. On the same note, anthropology has a role to play. Malnutrition is a common problem in Mali. Lack of proper nutrition among both children and adults has been a result of extensive hunger across the country. There are little or no efforts by the government to resolve this issue, so affording proper meals is a hustle by itself. Over and above the hunger issue there are certain diseases that have kept this country cornered. They are: malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases. Malian problems mostly impact young children since they are adversely affected by malaria. Biomedicine has fundamental role to play here, but the core values of the Malian culture are a significant stumbling block. There are some efforts in pursuit to address the Malian problem. Some have succeeded while others have failed. The impact characteristic of these efforts depicts collaboration with the locals in order to deal with the problem from their perspective. Malian condition of hunger, life and death makes its impacts across personal and social boundaries. There are social, economic, political and psychological effects of these problems. Emotional stress, tragedies and frustrations are often experienced by locals prior to problems that relate to hunger, life and death. These problems cannot be simply addressed by taking

World History. The risk to the Middle East and the US of a nuclear Essay

World History. The risk to the Middle East and the US of a nuclear Islamic Iran - Essay Example Speculation based on past history since the 1948 Israeli independence and first Arab Israeli war. Without question, a nuclear armed Iran would have serious implications for the region. In an article by Sanger (2010) it was postulated that in the case of China a containment strategy was utilized (Not actively engaging in a nuclear war but deterring its dangerous moves). Ultimately, at the moment most Americans are more worried about a trillion-dollar debt rather than the nuclear arsenal that the East Asian nation posses. However the debate rages of the risks associated a containment strategy with Iran. Over the years Iran has seen a significant increase in its domestic energy demands, which places a significant strain on the amount of oil that can be used for export. Under this guise, the nation has suggested that it would like the capacity to generate electricity thought the use of nuclear power plants. Whilst this may seem like an innocent enough proposition it remains the case that this action could bring with it a nuclear armament. According to Fathi (2005) it is the case that the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated at the annual anti-Israel demonstration that â€Å"Israel must be wiped off the map.†

Agile versus Waterfall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Agile versus Waterfall - Essay Example System development is a team based activity which is completed by following a particular project management approach. In this scenario, a project management approach is a map which guides the software development team all the way through the project life cycle. This paper presents an analysis of two different project management approaches in the context of an e-commerce web site. This paper basically compares and contrasts agile and traditional project management approaches. In this scenario, we are going to manage the development of an e-commerce web site. I have been assigned the responsibility of a project manager to manage our company’s e-commerce Website where customers can browse the company’s products, place orders, and interact with the company’s customer service representatives. We have been given a deadline of three months to complete this project and we have approximately twelve people in the team. There are three offshore developers in Ireland and two QA testers in Dallas, TX. In addition, the remaining project team and the product owner are in San Diego, CA. 1. Comparative Analysis of Agile and Traditional Project Management Without a doubt, agile project management approach has been developed to deal with a variety of issues and pitfalls those were not addressed by the traditional project management approach effectively. In this scenario, some of the important issues can include delivering high quality software promptly under quickly and continuously changing business environment and requirements. It is believed that agile project management approaches have an excellent reputation in the IT and software sector. The research has shown than more than 69% of IT firms are adapting one or more of agile methodologies for use in common project management as well as organizational development (Lucia & Qusef, 2010). In spite of all the attractions that have been brought by the agile project management approaches, a large portion of sta te-of-the-art organizations (in all the categories e.g. packaged software, web-based software, or software/hardware systems) still adopt the traditional approaches to project management that have already been used for so many years. One of the most attractive features of this traditional project management approach is its support for the requirements documentation. In this scenario, this documentation includes requirements documents and specification documents. However, it depends on the firms who they use these terms. In fact, in many cases these two terms may indicate the same thing and are identical, or in some cases they can indicate the completely different parts of the process. In this scenario, the title of the document is not important, however its intended idea and information is delivered in some way with the purpose that the technical team could get an idea of the intended solution to a market problem that is being resolved with what goals. Normally, smaller project and u pdates can have a limited set of documents, while a larger, riskier project can require more documentation (Product Arts1, 2012; Kotonya & Sommerville, 1998; Product Arts, 2009). The research has shown that the requirements engineering process heavily depends on documentation for knowledge sharing while agile project management approaches are based on face-to-face collaboration and communication between developers and customers in order to reach similar goals. In this scenario, agile project management approaches do not take into consideration the documentation aspect effectively. On the other hand, in traditional proje

Beginning The Audit Report Essay Example for Free

Beginning The Audit Report Essay I would like to thank you for vesting your company and trust in our firm to be your auditors. In this letter an explanation of the general terms and the process of our audit will be defined. This is only an educational purpose letter and is not an agreement. THE AUDIT PROCESS An audit is an examination and review of companies financial statements. The examination is performed with a view to portray an opinion of whether the companies financial statements prove a true and fair statues of the company. Auditing the activities of the company will be planned, executed properly and thoroughly reviewed to assure that all statements are in compliance with laws and regulations. The following is the process as to which our firm will be conducting the audit: We have a strict clientele screening process, once the screening process of  the company is concluded and confirms that youre company is an acceptable client we will proceed with the next step in the process. Once the screening process is passed we might need to contact the companies previous auditor and have agreed consent from them to proceed. If the previous auditor does not consent or if your company does not allow us authority to contact he previous audit our firm will not perform the audit in your company. After all consents have been given there will be an audit engagement letter that will be issued to your company, which would represent the agreement between your company and our firm. The agreement would give the fundamental basic terms of the way the audit will be performed and what expectations of the firm and company will be. Once your company receives the engagement letter, all data will be collected from your company and the environment. The information collected will allow us to identify problem areas from prior audits. When all data is gathered we will complete a risk assessment of the company so that the best audit approach may be selected. For low risk companies we may test controls to analyze whether or not the companies internal controls are functioning followed by a smaller set of substantive testing. If the company is high risk your internal controls are weak, we would will rely heavily on substantive testing in order to make sure that there is no misstatements in the companies accounts. Whichever approach is chosen the analytical process during different parts of the audit will be the same. Once the main work is completed we will review the audited work and bring forth any issues to you that have risen from the audit work. When the issues are resolved (if any), the audit report will be issued. This would conclude our audit process on the companies accounts and statements for the year. Attached you will find other documents which will give you a better understanding of the audit process. Please if you have any questions please feel free to write to us. Thank you, The auditors. _Attachments:_ Engagement checklist Engagement letter Timeframes for the audit ENGAGEMENT CHECKLIST AUDIT YES/NO Introductory letter sent to client Screening process of client complete First meeting with client complete General issues were discussed with client Consent to contact previous auditor requested Detailed meeting with client discussing engagement terms held Letter of engagement sent to client Changes to scope made (if any) Letter received by client and accepted Audit timetable copy sent to client ENGAGEMENT LETTER To: Directors of Apollo Shoes. This letter serves as representation that we will act as auditors for Apollo Shoes, therefore responsibility of the company and our firm in all respected areas of the audit. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Responsibility of preparation and accurate presentation of the financial statements in accordance with IFRS and SFAS will be held by management. The respected responsibility includes: Appropriate accounting policies should be selected and applied Internal controls relevant to the preparing and presenting financial statements should be designed and implemented. Financial reports should be free from misstatements. Accounting estimates should be made to a reasonable and circumstantial amount (Apra, 2009). AUDITORS RESPONSIBILITY Our firms responsibility is to give the company an opinion on the financial statements that are presented to us based on our audit findings. We will review all data collected and ascertain that information and work is in compliance with statutes, regulations, GAAP, SFAS, and IFRS. We will also ascertain that the data is in compliance with the code of ethics for professional auditors (Apra, 2009). Audit will include the review and examination of all figures and facts on a test basis. Due to the nature of the test there may still be a risk that some misstatements will go undiscovered. In order to reduce risk we encourage and need Apollo to provide and make necessary arrangements relating to the execution of the audit. Our firm will require unrestricted access to all records, documentation and all information requested by our firm. Any representation that the company makes in connection to the audit will be expected to be confirmed and in writing. When the firm feels that there is sufficient work reviewed and completed by the auditors to establish an opinion, the firm will issue and audit report. The report will be given to the company if all issues and circumstances brought forth by the auditors is resolved by the company. FEE AND OTHER ISSUES The firms fee will be charged on a fixed amount of $12,000 plus an additional hourly wage based on the number of hours worked by the firms staff on your companies audit engagement. This additional fee will vary depending on the level of seniority the individual has and time spent. Our firm will issue a management letter, which will focus on the companies weaknesses in the internal control system, which arose from the audit. This letter is a professional courtesy letter and is not a part of the audit. Please sign this letter and send it back to us. Once signed, this letter will represent the confirmation of the terms of engagement. This letter will remain effective until the letter is superseded, canceled or amended. Sincerely, Auditors On behalf of directors: Signature: __________________________________ TIMEFRAMES FOR THE AUDIT AUDIT DATE COMPLETED DATE REVIEWED Gathering of knowledge about client: Industry stats Product range Markets operated Key customers Key suppliers Competitors Risk assessment Initial analytical procedures Key evaluation of audit approach Selection basis of samples Testing receivables Testing and checking inventory Testing payables Testing long-term liabilities Testing capital and other shareholders funds Testing and verifying non-current assets Verification of cash and bank details Final analytical review Review of post balance sheet events Application of accounting standards Audit finalization Issue of audit report References Arens, A.A., Elder, R.J., Beasley, M.S. (2012). _Auditing and Assurance Services_ (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Prentice Hall.FASB. (2014). Apra. (2009). _Auditor Report._ Retrieved from http://www.apra.gov.au/Superannuation/upload/AuditReport_Vn2-Sept.pdf

Transhiatal Approach Essay Example for Free

Transhiatal Approach Essay Abstract: Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a stretch-induced functional disorder of the spinal cord, which is directly related to filum fixation. Classic surgical approaches to the filum involve open surgery and include varying amounts of spinal bone removal. In an effort to reduce the morbidity and mortality of these procedures, we explored a less invasive method. We evaluated the ability, safety and feasibility for extradural endoscopic dissection of the filum terminale by performing upward orientated navigation in the sacral spinal canal through the sacral hiatus using a rigid endoscope. Four adult, phenol-formalin embalmed cadavers were used for extradural endoscopic dissection of the filum at the tip of thecal sac. After preparing the anatomical area of sacral hiatus, a rigid endoscope (Storz, of 3.8 mm external diameter with one working channel) was inserted into the sacral spinal canal and the filum was identified and cut easily. In all cases, it was possible to manipulate the rigid endoscope and inspect the full length of the extradural sacral spinal canal, especially at the S1-S2 level. Our results indicate that the tested transhiatal approach for upward orientated extradural endoscopy represents a minimally invasive procedure that provides an appropriate and feasible route to the extradural sacral spinal canal. Furthermore it is an attractive alternative for filum dissection in cases where tethered cord syndrome is not accompanied by any other pathology. Introduction Physicians and scientists have explored the clinical usefulness of spinal endoscopy over six decades. Endoscopic spinal surgery represents a major advance in the treatment of spinal disorders. It involves the use of small incisions that preserve normal tissues while allowing the spinal pathology to be fully treated. This technique carries interesting clinical benefits, and its utility continues to expand as technology advances. Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a manifestation of spina bifida occulta and can occur as a complication of surgically closed spina bifida aperta. The mechanical cause of TCS is an inelastic structure anchoring the caudal end of the spinal cord and preventing cephalad movements of the lumbosacral cord. Stretching of the spinal cord occurs in patients either when the spinal column grows faster than the spinal cord or when the spinal cord undergoes forcible flexion and extension. Symptomatic TCS can occur in adults as well as in children, manifesting with various clinical symptoms (Dachling, 1982; Kaplan, 1980; Klekamp et al. 1994), such as pain, neurological deficits, and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Further studies have shown that early surgical correction in adults is recommended because of the high risk for irreversible neurological deficits (Bermans et al. 2001). In recent years, further research efforts of scientists have ranged from full-fledged neurosurgery to minimally invasive approaches and have involved the use of flexible and rigid endoscopes for diagnosis and treatment of certain pathological entities (Heavner et al. 1991; Sabreski Kitahata, 1995 1996; Warnke et al. 2001, I, II; Warnke et al. 2003). Encouraging results from the performance of co-axial downward orientated thecaloscopic procedures, with flexible steerable endoscopes in the lumbar subarachnoid space in living humans (Warnke et al. 2003), prompted us to study further thecaloscopic procedures for filum terminale dissection by using a rigid endoscope. This procedure usually offers a better optical view of the studied anatomic structures. The aim of the present anatomic study was not only to determine if the tip of thecal sac could be clearly visualized. Based on the fact that epidural endoscopy through sacral hiatus was proved to be safe and possible (Sabreski Kitahata, 1995 1996; Sabreski Gerens, 1998), it also sought to explore the possibility of using a rigid endoscope to untether prefixed filum terminale. Materials and Methods For this study, four adult phenol-formalin embalmed male cadavers from the Anatomy Department of the Medical School of the University of Athens were dissected using microsurgical and endoscopic techniques. Neurosurgical   technique Fig.2Insertion-of-the-rig Fig.1Sacral-Hiatus Cadavers were placed in the prone position. A midline skin incision was centered over the sacral hiatus [fig. 1]. After anatomical preparation, the rigid endoscope [fig.2] was inserted through the sacral hiatus and directed into the sacral spinal canal cephalad. It was angled in that manner in order that it would face the tip of thecal sac. The filum, which was holding thecal sac, was identified and dissected [fig.3]. The rigid endoscope used was a Storz with a 3.8mm external diameter and one working channel. For the documentation, a video-tape (Fuji VHS) was used and digital photographs were taken using a Fuji AS-205.    Results With the help of a rigid endoscope, it is possible to visualize directly the tip of thecal sac and to perform a dissection of the filum terminale. A rigid endoscope was inserted into the sacral spinal canal and, with the benefit of the visibility it granted, was advanced cephalad with relative ease. The rigid endoscope provided a large field of view, which enabled the anatomical structures to be seen. The filum can be easily identified in fine detail, as it is the only structure adherent to the tip of thecal sac at the S1-S2 level. This procedure represents a minimally invasive method for direct visualization of the tip of thecal sac and dissection of filum terminale. Discussion Diseases of the spine predispose persons to chronic complaints ranging from mild discomfort to intense pain. Endoscopy of the anatomic structures contained within the spine makes possible thorough examinations for existing pathology and facilitates the application of appropriate methods of therapy (Warnke et al. 2003; Sabreski Kitahata, 1996). Use of neuroendoscopy has become widespread in spinal surgery for conditions ranging from degenerative disease to deformity correction (Heavner et al. 1991; Sabreski Gerens, 1998; Sabreski Kitahata, 1995 1996). The growth in the number of minimally invasive spine surgical procedures being performed has been spurred by both technical advances and by its associated reduction in operative morbidity (1998; 1995; 1996). However, minimally invasive techniques are primarily employed in extradural procedures. Transhiatal extradural filum untethering provides the ability to untether a prefixed filum in a minimally invasive way. When referred to a neurosurgical clinic, adult patients with tethered cord syndrome tend to show significant progressive neurological deficits (Klekamp et al. 1994; Dachling, 1982).   Some authors (van Leeuwen, et al. 2001) have advocated prophylactic surgical treatment for the prevention of progressive neurological symptoms, which is, in this case, related to low morbidity. As an alternative to the risky open surgical treatment procedure, we evaluated the extradural endoscopic procedure for untethering of filum in cadavers. Extradural filum untethering could be indicated in cases of prefixed filum without other accompanying pathology such as meningomyelocele, CSF fistula, or arachnoidal cysts. It could also be performed before a surgical intervention, which generally include dura opening and removal of various amounts of spinal bone. During inspection of the sacral spinal canal with the rigid endoscope, the declination of the sacral spinal canal did not bring difficulties for the upward manipulation of the endoscope. Following the physical inclination of the sacral spinal canal, the filum could be approached and dissected before reaching the lumbosacral angle. In some instances, it was difficult to dissect the filum because of its elasticity. However, the minimally invasive nature of neuroendoscopy provided by this procedure, and by the employment of the rigid endoscope, allows for a larger field of view at the sacral spinal canal through a smaller incision. This access and the ability to perform extradural inspection and filum dissection using this transhiatal approach are comparable with other therapeutic interventions used in neurosurgery, such as the endoscopic epidural placement of catheters in anaesthesiology. Conclusions This method of extradural endoscopic dissection of the filum terminale minimizes surgical trauma and provides excellent visualization of and access to the extradural sacral spinal canal. Furthermore, it enables the filum to be identified and thus provides a minimally invasive alternative to current open surgical procedures indicated for filum untethering. Utilization of this procedure could: (1) facilitate untethering of prefixed filum terminale without opening the dura and (2) minimize patient morbidity thereby presenting an overall attractive alternative to current methods of filum dissection. At present, neuroendoscopy is most widely used in minimally invasive spine surgery, but novel uses continue to emerge in the literature. As technology evolves and more experience is obtained, neuroendoscopy will likely achieve additional roles as a mainstay in spinal surgery. References Heavner JF, Cholkhavatia S, Kizelsheeyn G. (1991). Percutaneous evaluation of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   epidural and subarachnoid space with flexible endoscope. Reg. Anesth. 15 S1: 85. Iskandar BJ, Fulmer BB, Hadley MN, Oakes WJ. (2001). Congenital tethered spinal cord   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   syndrome in adults. Neurosurg. Focus 10(1): Article 7. Kaplan JQ, Quencer RM. (1980) The occult tethered conus syndrome in the adult.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Radiology 137:387-391. Klekamp J, Raimpondi AJ, Samii M. (1994) Occult dysraphism in adulthood: clinical   Ã‚   course and management. Child Nerv Syst 10:312-320. van Leeuwen R, Notermans NC, Vandertop P. (2001). Surgery in adults with tethered   Ã‚   cord syndrome: outcome study with independent clinical review.   J. Neurosurg.   Ã‚  Ã‚   (spine) 94: 205-209. Pang D, Wilberger JE. (1982) Tethered cord syndrome in adults. J. Neurosurg. 57: 32-47. Sabreski LR, Gerens, F. (1998) Safety of epidural endoscopy. Reg. Anest. Pain Med.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23: 324-325. Sabreski LR, Kitahata LM. (1995) Direct visualization of the lumbosacral epidural   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   space through the sacral hiatus. Anest. Anal. 60: 839-840. Sabreski LR, Kitahata LM. (1996) Persistent radiculopathy diagnosed and treated with  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   epidural endoscopy. J. Anesth. 10: 292-295. Warnke JP, Tschabitscher M, Nobles A. (2001). Thecaloscopy Part I.: The endoscopy of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the lumbar subarachnoid space: Historical review and own cadaver studies.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Minim. Invas. Neurosurg. 42: 61-64 Warnke JP, Mourgela S, Tschabitscher M, Dzelzitis J. (2001) Thecaloscopy Part II:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Anatomical Landmarks. Minim. Invas. Neurosurg 44:181-185. Warnke JP, Kà ¶ppert H, Bensch-Schreiter B, Dzelzitis J, Tschabitscher M. (2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thecaloscopy Part III: First Clinical Application. Minim. Invas. Neurosurg   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   46:94-99.

Does Language Influence Our Ethnic Identity English Language Essay

Does Language Influence Our Ethnic Identity English Language Essay In this essay I will argue that language influences and does play an important role in our ethnic and social identity. Language has many definitions, here are a few that have been proposed over time, Henry Sweet, an English phonetician and language scholar, stated: Language is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words, words are combined into sentences, this combination answering that of ideas and thoughts (Crystal, 1987:6). The American linguists Bernard Bloch and George L. Trager stated, A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates and the Study of the relationship between language and culture; it usually refers to work on languages that have no written records (Crystal, 1987:7). The scholar Benjamin Whorf has noted language shapes thoughts and emotions, determining ones perception of reality (Pei, 1996:21). John Stuart Mill said, language is the light of the mind (Pei, 1996:21). Despite the research of e arly scholars in this field, it was discovered what they felt to be important relationships between languages, thought, and cultures. Some characteristics of language include à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦different linguistic levels (phonological, intonation and rhythm, lexical semantic, syntactical and socialinguistics), language is a dynamic (changes constantly), has dialects (language variation), is sociolect (language depending on social class), and idiolect (individual language in which no two people speak exactly in the same way) (Pei, 1965:33). Language expresses many faces of a persons individuality or identity through speaking, belonging, providing the most natural badge, or symbol, and of public and private identity, the relationship between language and the many faces is very important to our identity as it shows how we interact with others. Ethnic and social identity plays an important role on the way in which language exercises a dominant influence on our perception, whatever our mother tongue. The most distinctive feature of ethnicity in groups is not their mother tongue, but the foreign accent and dialect that characterize their use of the majority language (Pei, 1965:35). Over the movement of time, many of these features have become established, resulting in new varieties of language. Well known cases include the range of English language and dialects associated with the Indian sub-continent, from the West Indies, even from Puerto Rico. A non-regional example would be people with a Jewish descent, whose speech has had a large influence on many European languages. Why would language play an important role in ethnic identity? Because language is such a widespread and evident feature of community life, to choose one language over another also provides an immediate and universally recognized badge of identity, language also provides a particular clear link to the past, often the only detailed link, in the form of literature. But this link exists even after the ability in language has been lost; for example, many present day Italian-Americans know very little Italian, but they still see Italian as a symbol of their ethnic identity. Ethnic identity is a commitment to a group with which one has ancestral links. Once a group becomes conscious of its ethnic identity, it will wish to preserve and strengthen its position. There is also a drive for language to act as a natural barrier between cultural groups, promoting conflict rather than cooperation. For example in bilingual communities, this factor is less important; but even here, language can focus the sense of political grievance in a clearer way than any other factor. Between the 1960s and 1970s, Western Europe and North America experienced an ethnicity thriving. Considerable progress was made in integrating immigrant groups within their communities and there was a widespread rising of consciousness about ethnicity issues. This was especially noticeable in the United States (US), where a census showed that 17% of the American population claimed a mother tongue other than English, and the largest claims relating to Spanish, German, Italian, French, Polish, and Yiddish. However, during the 1970s a further change took place, where there was still an overall increase in the number of people claiming a mother tongue other than English. The Spanish still had to find their identity within the culture, because they were less accepted and were more aware of the importance of maintaining traditional linguistic ties in order to find their identity within the culture. Language plays a crucial role in both the external perception of an ethnic group by outsiders and in the self-identification of an ethnic group (Schmidt, 2008:2). Language is explicitly mentioned in most academic works related to ethnic identity at the same time, it is emphasize that although identity is deeply anchored in a society, this leading to a strong emotional attachment to identity markers, is not the only crucial aspect of group identity (Schmidt, 2008:4). The major tendency is to regard ethnicity as composed of self-identification of a group, as well as its external perception by others. Ethnicity is considered the property of a group, associated with ancestry, culture, and of course language. There are other views that emphasize the importance of ethnic boundaries and regard ethnicity as an aspect of relationship which often consists of ancestral, cultural (and at times racialized) traits that are commonly associated with particular ethnic groups, both by the members of groups themselves and by others. There are subjective and objective characteristics of ethnic groups. For example, Jenkins states, the belief in common decent is of subjective nature, whereas language and cultural practices are objective means of facilitating a groups formation (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996, :13). He concludes that ethnic identification arises out of and within interaction between groups. Whereas Francois Grin considers ethnicity as the result of subjective assignation or self-assignation (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:13). He defines ethnicity as a two-tier social construction in which one tier is non-elective (composed of ancestry, mother tongue, and cultural models internalized d uring childhood), and two-tiers result from assignation (by themselves and by others). His definition is consistent with Fishermans for whom ethnicity is made up of three elements: paternity- the perception of intergenerational continuity, patrimony linguistics and cultural substance of what is passed on and gives substance expression to this continuity, and phenomenology- the self-perceived character of ethnicity. No matter if those traits are subjective or objective, they are all means of facilitating a groups information. Why would language play an important role in social identity? Because social identity refers to the membership or association of an individual with a primary and other human groups, ranging from immediate family and expanding outward based on such factors as the individuals capacities, experiences, mobility, and location (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:15). A groups native language spoken by an individual is likely the strongest social identity; it is usually corresponding with immediate family and extended family. The strength of language group identity resides with the fact that language provides the primary means to categorize, think about, make sense of, and express our understanding of reality. When distinct groups that are each homogeneous are closely located and their differences are significant the psychosocial concept of the other frequently becomes powerful. This means that the membership in ones group is regarded superior to the other and that the blame for a range of dissatisfactions or circumstances is assigned to the other group ((Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:18). Nationality, in the geographical sense of identity with or without a foundation can be a redoubtable social identity, especially in more developed countries with great mobility. Probably the clearest way people have of their desire to be close to or different from those around them is through their choice of languages. Few societies are wholly monolingual, and it is this possibility for different languages to act as symbols of the social structure to which they belong. The use of different languages is often a sign of a distinct religious or political group. Switching from one language to another may also be an indicator of distance in everyday circumstances, as can be seen in different bilingual areas. Languages have developed a wide range of varieties for handling the different kinds and levels of relationships, which identify the social structure of a community, for example, occupation, subject matter, social status, and setting, but may also have been used as signs of social identity. The role in which language plays in social and ethnic identity is the only way we have to acquire conceptual concepts (e.g. love, freedom, power, etc.) and to increase out knowledge, other than direct physical experience. Language offers belonging with those who share it, and the smaller the language group, the stronger the bond will be. Language is knowledge, and in todays world knowledge is one of the key factors in being competitive. Knowledge is what creates the successfulness and growth we tend to take for granted. In an advanced industrial society and in an increasingly co-dependent world, the knowledge of other languages becomes essential. Just think of how the Internet has changed our lives, millions of people all over the world, that share common interests are able to converse with each other and exchange ideas. Not only are they able to do this because of all kinds of various technical advances, but also its because they share a universal language. Language is obviously a v ital tool, not only is it a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but also it forges friendships, cultural ties, and economic relationships (Dwyer, Denis, and Drakakis, 1996:42). Throughout history, as Ive shown, many have reflected on the importance of language. There would have been no poets, philosophers, political leaders, writers, and other forms of art introduced in the world if language was not there. Therefore it can rightly be said that language fulfills the basic human need of talking and enabled us to depend on others for its various needs in order to live. Language is a tool of communication in ones hand. Language has played a significant role in the service of mankind and it can be considered as a pioneer in the progress of human civilization. Crystal, David (1987) The Use of Language. pp.6-70 Schmidt, Ulrike (2008) Language Loss, and Ethnic Identity. pp.1-4 Duranti, Alessandro (2009) Journal of Linguistic Anthropology. pp.204-209 Pei, Mario (1965) The Story of Language. pp.21-38 Dwyer, Denis and Drakakis, David (1996) Ethnicity and Development. pp.13-45 Jannarone, August (2006) Journal of Social Identity. pp.1-2

The Inspiration of Caedmon :: Caedmon Essays

The Inspiration of Caedmon    The poem "Caedmon," written by Denise Levertov, enlists readers to learn more about God and creation and by doing so expands their understanding of the universe.   At one point or another in life, people go through stages where they have no inspiration and sometimes shrink back from something that they think is too complicated to achieve.   Therefore, they are limiting themselves and their undeveloped talents, much like Caedmon was before his sudden inspiration by the messenger of God.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of the poet Caedmon and his sudden inspiration is recounted in the Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History.  Ã‚   In the following lines of the poem "Caedmon" when he is asked to contribute to the songs, he feels that it is impossible and that if he were to attempt to sing, he would break their verses like a clumsy dancer:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All others talked as if   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   talk were a dance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clodhopper I, with clumsy feet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   would break the gliding ring.   (1575)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When anyone would try to nudge him forward to contribute, he would always use the excuse that he was a cowherd to escape the passing of the harp and retreat back to the barn with the animals.   He would feel content and at home amongst the animals where he was not forced into improvising verses to keep the banquet lively.  Ã‚   While he is sitting amongst the animals, the event occurs that changes his life.   In the following lines of "Caedmon," he describes the angel that suddenly appears in front of him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Until the sudden angel affrighted me - light effacing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   my feeble beam,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a forest of torches, feathers of flame, sparks upflying:   (1575-76)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next few lines are in conjunction with a similar event that is recounted in the Bible.   In the poem "Caedmon," the event is described as follows:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   but the cows as before   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   were calm, and nothing was burning,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   nothing but I, as that hand of fire   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   touched my lips and scorched my tongue   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     and pulled my voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   into the ring of the dance.   (1576)    In Chapter 6, Verse 6 of Isaiah, Isaiah is told to prophesy and he is unwilling, much like Caedmon was unwilling to contribute to the passing of the harp.   Isaiah has a similar experience when an angel confronts him in the following lines of the Bible:

The Shinto vs. Genesis Creation Story Essay -- Scripture Analysis

â€Å"And God said let there be light, and there was light†¦Ã¢â‚¬  according to the Genesis story, an entity which bears no tangible face or bodily structure created the world with nothing more than a swift tongue. It bore the shape of the earth, the plentiful bounty of the soil, the beauty of animals, and the wonder known as humanity all within the time span of seven days. It created the notion of societal law, moral principle, and a reverence for a deity by loyal subjects. And it instituted a harsh rule of law which instigated the idea that if any part of you, mind or body, were to disobey it, you would be punished in the now and in the after. Nonetheless, the Christian telling of how our world came to be, although following a path negligent of the idea of a multilateral approach to understanding God, seems to carry some similarities to that of Shintoism. Or differences? The Shinto creation story is a work of art in and of itself, not to mention it takes on the idea that mul tiple humanoid deities, not an unidentified mass of spiritual benevolence, created this world. In addition, we take on a different approach to creation, in which rather than things being born out of spoken word, our world was actually artistically created by two master creators of land and sea, Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto . First, let us analyze the particulars of the Christian Genesis story as to begin formulating the basis of comparison and contrast. We shall look at the two parts of Genesis, the first discussing the formulation of earth and its inner particulars, in concert with the first few verses associated with the second part of Genesis, which touches on the creation of the first man and woman: â€Å"Light is commanded to appear†¦ the light is divided ... ...ase of the world of Christians, who view God as a supreme being bound to a code of law which serves to protect their interests and ensure that their life is respected and continued. Works Cited 1) New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 2001. Print. 2) Shimazono, Susumu. 2005. "State Shinto and the Religious Structure of Modern Japan." Journal Of The American Academy Of Religion 73, no. 4: 1077-1098. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 23, 2012). 3) Rutgers University, "Genesis." Accessed April 21, 2012. http://crab.rutgers.edu/~goertzel/genesis.html. 4) "Shinto." BBC News. BBC. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . 5) Leeming, David Adams. 2010. Creation Myths of the World : An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed April 21, 2012).

F. Scott Fitzgerald :: essays research papers

F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald is in many ways one of the most important American writers of the twentieth century. In his first novel, This Side of Paradise, Fitzgerald epitomized the mindset of an era with the statement that his generation had, "grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, and all faiths in man shaken†¦"(Fitzgerald 307). Aside from being a major literary voice of the twenties and thirties, Fitzgerald was also among "The Lost Generation’s" harshest and most insightful social critics. In his classic novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald blatantly criticized the immorality, materialism, and hedonism which characterized the lifestyles of America’s bourgeois during the nineteen-twenties. Collectively, Fitzgerald’s novels and short stories provide some of the best insight into the lifestyles of the rich during America’s most prosperous era, while simultaneously examining major literary themes such as disillus ionment, coming of age, and the corruption of the American Dream. The life of F. Scott Fitzgerald is marked by as much, if not more, romanticism and tragedy than his novels. Throughout Fitzgerald’s life, he unsuccessfully battled alcoholism, depression, and himself, in a quest for both personal and literary identity. At the age of twenty-three, Fitzgerald published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to critical raves and unimaginable economic success. Shortly after the publishing of this novel, Fitzgerald was able to coerce Zelda Sayre into marriage. This marriage is manifestly the most significant event of his life—eventually, Zelda would not only expedite, but essentially, cause the personal and literary downfall of Fitzgerald. Upon marriage, and also coinciding with the pinnacle of Fitzgerald’s fame, Scott and Zelda began living a life of wasteful extravagance that was often characterized by recklessly drunken behavior. In order to maintain this lifestyl e, Fitzgerald was forced to put aside working on novels, and focus his creative efforts on penning lucrative, but by no means extraordinary, short stories. Throughout their marriage, Zelda put constant economic, as well as, emotional strains on Fitzgerald. She encouraged his short story writing, as well as his drinking, and was continually swaying his focus from writing to socializing. Also, Zelda’s eventual mental breakdown triggered Scott’s own series of nervous breakdowns. Because of these factors, Zelda is often considered the prime instigator of Fitzgerald’s literary and personal declines. Yet in spite of Zelda’s overtly negative influence on Fitzgerald, he continued to love his wife to the day he died.

Marketing Galaxy Essay

The company that I have chosen for the basis for my report is Mars Incorporated. They have been placed the 5th largest privately held company in the United States and had a $30 billion annual sales in 2010. The majority of people think of chocolate when they hear of Mars; however their confectionary products are not the only thing they focus on. They cater for six business segments:- †¢ Petcare †¢ Wrigley †¢ Food †¢ Drink †¢ Symbioscience †¢ Chocolate They are a privately owned company with more than 65,000 Associates who are committed to delivering the best quality in the segments above. Out of the six segments I will be focusing on one ‘Chocolate’. Mars have 4 billion dollar global brands which includes ‘M&Ms’; ‘Snickers’ and also ‘Milky Way’. Chocolate confectionery is very much a part of everyday life in the United Kingdom. The UK is the largest chocolate consumer in the world with an annual average per capita consumption of 11.5 kg followed by Liechtenstein with 10.9 kg. The reason why I have chosen this company is because they have a strong background when it comes to chocolate and three of their products ‘Galaxy, Mars Bar and also Bounty’ have been listed in the Top Ten Chocolate bar of all time. One of the products that Mars Incorporated that interest me is ‘Galaxy’ which is extremely popular in the United Kingdom; Middle East and in Africa. Galaxy is also known as Dove in many parts of the world such as United States; Germany; Malaysia and Greece. Nevertheless, the chocolate used in Dove products is a different taste from the chocolate used in Galaxy. Galaxy has 11 different products such as Galaxy Ripple; Galaxy Cookie Crumble; Galaxy Counters. As we know Galaxy has many different spin offs, which gave me an idea for a new product. â€Å"Galaxy Smooth White†. Galaxy believes that the indulgence about chocolate is about the whole experience. It has a luxury yet sensual feel towards it. The majority of white chocolate products is mainly aim at the children market, providing products such Milky Way and Kinder Bueno. There are a few white chocolate products for adults however are on the upper scale such as Divine; Fair-trade and Green & Blacks. When looking into the needs and wants of a ‘Galaxy’ chocolate, customers still want that luxury feel when they take that first bite. (Galaxy calls it ‘Love at first bite’). Customers want a warm feeling inside and for that moment, they don’t want to worry about how many calories they are going to add. Galaxy Smooth white delivers exactly this and more. It provides adults with a white chocolate that is not deemed to be immature or just any chocolate that you would have daily in your lunch box. This chocolate is for lovers of white chocolate or chocolate in general; who enjoy indulging themselves with an experience that allows them to be in their own world where everything is perfect for that moment. 70% of the whole UK confectionery market is accounted for by chocolate, with annual sales of  £3.75bn. White chocolate only accounts for just 1 to 2% of UK chocolate consumption (milk chocolate accounts for 92%). Tony Bilsborough, Head of UK Media Relations (Cadbury) believes that there is a massive growth potential with white chocolate. â€Å"We’ve seen the figures and our competitors have, too,† he says. â€Å"I think you could say that white is the new brown.† According to market research it has shown that white chocolate is famous among the female segment of the United Kingdom population. Women in return have rewarded Galaxy with sales figures that have totalled companies such as Ferrero, Green and Black’s, and Lindt combined. (According to UNS Worldpanel data.) Galaxy’s target market is women between the ages of 25 and 45 however for Galaxy smooth White, I would want to lower the age to 21, as I believe in this generation, women from the age of 21 are deemed to be more mature than they were 10 years ago as they are more independent and becoming more career focused. When looking at segmentation criteria for Galaxy Smooth white, I looked at ‘Demographic’. This segmentation involves dividing the market into different groups based on variables that relate to age, gender, family size, income, occupation, education, lifecycle and generation. This is known to be one of the most popular bases for segmenting consumers groups, mainly as consumers wants are closely linked to such variables as income and age; and there is more data available to assist with Demographic segmentation process. Below are the main demographic segmentation variables for ‘Galaxy Smooth White’: Age/gender As explained above Galaxy Smooth White will be aimed at 21-45 year old women. As facts show that women in the United Kingdom find white chocolate very popular. There are many white chocolate available for children so breaking into that market will be a massive risk, whereas white chocolate aimed at women is a quite small market waiting to be broken. Galaxy is also known to be a chocolate that is soft; sensual and even romantic. So aiming this product towards men will be a big fail. Income When looking at this product, its shows it’s a luxury good. However compared to products such as Green & Black and Divine it is not at that end of the scale. Galaxy Smooth White appeals to consumers of all types of income which makes it different from competitors such as Divine who are aimed at those with a medium to high income. Lifestyle When looking at Galaxy Smooth White the type of women it is aimed at, is those with a hectic lifestyle; so whether it be someone who works all through the week; a mother of four or even a student who constantly in their books. The aim of the chocolate is that when a women needs a moment for herself, Galaxy Smooth White allows her to calm down; allows her to focus on herself; her needs and for that moment nothing else matters. The reason why I chose women between the age of 21 and 45 for the target market is that apart from children they are the main consumers for white chocolate. There is also room for a luxury, sensuous affordable chocolate in the confectionery market. I still want to keep Galaxy’s consumers as a target market as the company has been influencing it consumers to fall in love with Galaxy’s silky taste while also endorsing itself as a symbol of indulgence, femininity, and sensuousness. It is important that Galaxy’s traditional image is reserved as there are many benefits for Galaxy Smooth White to be associated with Galaxy. One brand that may be seemed as competition is Cadbury’s Dream, which is portrayed by them as a ‘white chocolate made with real smooth, melt in your mouth chocolate’. I know that Galaxy Smooth White will be positioned at a higher rank compared to Cadbury’s Dream as I have a more solid knowledge of my target market and Dream did not have a clear clarification of what their target market was. Galaxy has been linked to female-friendly activities such as book and films such as The Devil Wears Prada and Sex and The City. All this relates to Galaxy Smooth White Brand. When marketing Galaxy Smooth White, I need to make sure that I create a successful mix of: †¢ Being the ‘right’ product †¢ Sold at the ‘right’ price †¢ Sold in the ‘right’ place †¢ Using the ‘right’ promotion †¢ Product Galaxy is already a household name and is known for being a chocolate that caters for women. One of their branded names is ‘Why have cotton when you can have silk?’ When looking at what the customers wants from the Galaxy Smooth White, they still want that feeling of having a soft, smooth silk like feeling of white chocolate. Not only does it have to taste right, it has to look perfect. The packaging should be similar to the current Galaxy Smooth Milk however have white/sliver silky foil covers with the same colour background, however the words ‘Galaxy’ written in white. The Galaxy Smooth White should be written in white. We still want to keep the packaging simple as the product is our main focus. Comparing this product to others such as dream, I think the Brand name does put Galaxy Smooth White at an advantage as what we are selling relates to the brand; has been backed up by the brand. So we are in a position where the consumers know what to expect. Price Galaxy bars are now (46g) sold at a retail price of 57p. The larger ones (125g) are sold at  £1.26. When looking at pricing the ‘Price must be right’. In regards to Galaxy Smooth white I will use, Penetration Pricing. The aim of this is to increase the market share of a product. Galaxy Smooth White could you the â€Å"Special Introductory Offer†. Here I am able to set a relatively low initial entry price, lower than the established price to attract new customers. This strategy aims to encourage consumers to switch to the new product because of the lower price which will be  £1 for 125g and 45p for 46g. Although this type of pricing is mostly associated with a marketing objective of increasing market share or sales volume, in the short term profits will result in being lower than if the price was set higher. However long term, there would be profitability of higher market share, so the pricing strategy can often be justified. Place We have to make sure that the Galaxy Smooth White is obtainable in supermarket, online and even local shops. Galaxy Smooth White should be available for consumers as other confectionaries are. So even a vending machine at work should have ‘Galaxy Smooth White’ waiting for the consumer to buy it. Our distribution channel will be Suppliers –wholesalers/companies-Consumers. I also would want to send samples to catalogue companies as a way of introducing the new Galaxy Smooth White. The type of Catalogues I would like to send samples to be â€Å"More† and â€Å"Cosmopolitan as they are magazine that are aimed at women aged 21-45. Promotion The target market does need to be aware of the existence and availability of the product through promotion. To promote Galaxy Smooth White there needs to be a broad range of advertising, through magazine; television and billboards. The best time to promote and launch Galaxy Smooth White would be Christmas as it can relate to the ‘White’ Christmas theme. It also related back to the brand, as many people will be busy buying Christmas presents; students will be busy trying to get all their Christmas assignments done in time and they can relax with a bar of Galaxy Smooth White. The marketing mix should be more than a checklist of the 4P’s as we mist blend together all the elements. The pricing, promotional and distribution strategy of ‘Galaxy Smooth White; must be consistent with the product and target market. Booms and Bitner (1981) suggested another extra 3P’s that are: †¢ People †¢ Physical evidence †¢ Process People looks at all the people whether they be directly or indirectly involved with the product. Process analyses the procedure in which the flow of the activities of which the product is consumed. Lastly, physical evidence is related to the environment in which the product is delivered. People The impact that people have within the market should never be underestimated. This is most obvious when looking at front line sales to customer service staff which will have a direct impact on how your product is perceived. Galaxy as a whole makes sure that the customer services staff are provide high quality services to our consumers. This is why ‘Galaxy Smooth White’ will be distributed in well names supermarket known for their excellent customer service such as ASDA and Tesco. All the elements of the marketing mix will have an impact in regards to Galaxy Smooth White but ‘People’ carries an importance of regarding marketing as an integral part of the way I would do business is clear. Process This part of the mix is about being ‘easy to do business with’. We have all been in situation where we have either become frustrated at call centres that are not able to answer our questions; irritated when you are unable to purchase something in the shop because it is not recognise on their computer and you clearly see it on the shelf. Situations like this make this element important. This element will make sure ‘Galaxy Smooth White’ looks at this from its consumer’s side. We will make sure that the process right and easy. Physical Evidence With tangible goods such as ‘Galaxy Smooth White’ we can offer our consumers the chance to ‘try before you buy’, or at least see, touch or smell the good. This is why in out promotion element I explained by sampling the chocolate in magazine, aimed towards our target market. Through this we will be able to build trust and then a relationship with the consumer and to do this we must provide evidence of the quality that we will be providing as possible. Physical evidence refers to all the tangible, visible touch points that our consumer will come across before they buy. Overall, I do believe that this product will sell well because its new product made from an existing product and Galaxy has a strong name on its own and the products that have been made from Galaxy have all been a success and are still marketable. References New year, new Galaxy – Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ Cocoa . 2011. New year, new Galaxy – Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ Cocoa . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.galaxychocolate.co.uk/. [Accessed 29 November 2011]. About Mars | World Famous Company | Mars . 2011. About Mars | World Famous Company | Mars . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.mars.com/global/about.aspx. [Accessed 29 November 2011] 7-Ps – Extended Marketing Mix – Booms and Bitner. 2011. 7-Ps – Extended Marketing Mix – Booms and Bitner. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_booms_bitner_7Ps.html. [Accessed 12 December 2011 Nestle Marketing Mix and SWOT . 2011. Nestle Marketing Mix and SWOT . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12163694/Nestle-Marketing-Mix-and-SWOT. [Accessed 12 December 2011]. Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more – MORE Magazine. 2011. Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more – MORE Magazine. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.more.com/. [Accessed 12 December 2011]. How to Develop Your Distribution Channels | Marketing M.O.. 2011. How to Develop Your Distribution Channels | Marketing M.O.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.marketingmo.com/strategic-planning/how-to-develop-your-distribution-channels/. [Accessed 12 December 2011].