Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Maths Coursework Trays Essays

Maths Coursework Trays Essays Maths Coursework Trays Essay Maths Coursework Trays Essay In this coursework candidates were given a task entitled Trays. The task consisted of a shopkeepers statement upon the volume of a tray which was to be made from an 1818 piece of card. The shopkeepers statement was that, When the area of the base is the same as the area of the four sides, the volume of the tray will be maximum. By saying this, the shopkeeper basically meant that when the area of the base of the tray is equal to the total area of the sides the volume of the tray will be at its highest. We were told to investigate this claim.Plan.1. I will investigate the different sizes of tray possible from an 1818 piece of card.2. After gaining my results I will then put them in a table.3. I will try to spot any patterns from my table.4. I will express any patterns or other formulae in mathematical notation.To investigate the different volumes given by different trays, I first decide to cut the corners in ascending order from 1-8. (The longest possible corner could only be 8 as after this there would be no base.) After this I worked out the formula needed to work out the volume for the various trays. For the corner size 11 the way I worked out the volume was 16x16x1 which equalled 256cm. Thus the formula to work out the volume for a tray made by an 18x18cm card is (n 2X) x X. In this formula the letter X represents the size of the corner. I tried my formula for the corner length of 2cm,(18- 2 x 2) x 2(n 2 x X) x X(n 2 x X) x XI take off two the corners from each side as the card is square.After finding out the formula I worked out the volume for the remaining trays.CornersVolume (cm)16x16x11x125614x14x22x239212x12x33x343210x10x44x44008x8x55x53206x6x66x62164x4x77x71122x2x88x832From my table I can see that the highest volume for a tray made by 18x18cm card is 432 cm this volume is reached if the corners cut are 3cm x 3cm. I can also see that the volume of the tray rises as the length of each corner rises until the corner size goes over 3. After this the volume starts to decrease as the size of the corner increases.After working out the volume for the trays I went on to work out the area of the bases of the trays along with the areas of the sides of the trays. I worked out the area of the base of the tray by finding the size of the side after the corner had been cut off and then square this number. For example to find out the area of the base of the tray where the corners were 1x1cm ,I first found out the size of the sides which were 16 and squared it. The answer was 256cm . The formula for this was (n 2x) which out would be 18 (n) minus 2 times 1(x) squared. I than proceeded to work out the area of the sides, which would be essential in proving that the shopkeeper is right. To work out the are of the sides of the tray I used the formula 4x (n- 2x). Here again the n represents the size of card 18cm. The x represents the size of the corner. You have to times your answer by four as there are four sides. To work out the area of the sides for a corner sized 1x1cm the calculations would be:4x (n 2x)4 x 1 (18 2 x 1)4 ( 16 )64cmCornersVolume cmArea of base cmArea of sides cm1x1256256642x23921961123x34321441444x44001001605x5320641606x6216361447x7112161128x832464From my results I can see that in regards to the area of the base, the area lowers as the corner size is increased. However the area of the sides increases as the size of the corner increases until the corner reaches the size 44 cm. After this the areas are repeated in reverse order.I then looked at my results to see whether any areas matched.I noticed that for the corner size of 3x3cm the areas matched as the area of the base was 144cm and the area of the sides was 144cm . I also noticed that the highest volume for a tray made from an 18 by 18cm piece of card was 432cm which also derived from the corner size 3cmX 3cm. I can thus make the conclusion that the shopkeeper is right.However to make sure that 432cm was the highest possible volum e available from an 18 by 18 piece of card I decided to use decimals. I decided on investigating corners of 2.9cm and 3.1cm . I used the same formulas.CornersVolumeArea of base cmArea of sides cm2.92.9431.636148.84141.52334321441443.13.1431.64139.24146.32From these set of results I can see that the corner size of 3cm has a higher volume than the corner 2.9cm or the corner 3.1cm. Also the areas of the sides and of the base only match when the corners cut out are equal to 3cm. I can therefore make the conclusion that to get the maximum volume from an 18cm by 18 cm card you need to have to cut out corners of three centimetres.I decided to see whether the shopkeepers theory was correct on different sized square cards. The card of which the trays would now be made will be sized 20 x 20 cm. I transferred the same formulae for the 18 x 18cm card. I recorded the following results:CornersVolume cmArea of base cmArea of sides cm1x1324324722x25122561283x35881961684x45761441925x55001002006x6364 621927x7294361688x8256161289x9162472You can see from the results that they are very similar to those which were recorded on the 18 by 18cm card. However there is one main difference, the maximum volume is not given when both the areas of the base and area of sides is equal. Thus I graphed the area of the sides against the area of the base.You can see from my graph that the two area values crossed between 3 and 4 consequently the highest value lay between these two numbers if the shopkeeper was right.CornerVolumeArea of baseArea of Sides3.05589.2905193.21169.583.1590.364190.44171.123.15591.2235187.69172.623.2591.872184.96174.083.25592.3125182.25175.53.3592.548179.56176.883.35592.5815176.89178.223.4592.416174.24179.523.45592.0545171.61180.783.5591.51691823.55590.7555166.41183.183.6589.824163.84184.323.65588.7085161.29185.423.7587.412158.76186.483.75585.9375156.25187.53.8584.288153.76188.483.85582.4665151.29189.423.9580.476148.84190.323.95578.3195146.41191.1845761441924.1570.884139.241 93.524.15568.0935136.89194.224.2565.152134.56194.884.25562.0625132.25195.54.3558.828129.96196.084.35555.4515127.69196.62I conclude from my results that the shopkeepers statement is not true on a 20x20cm card.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Native American Influence on the Founding of the US

Native American Influence on the Founding of the US In telling the history of the rise of the United States and modern democracy, high school history texts typically emphasize the influence of ancient Rome on the founding fathers ideas about what form the new nation would take. Even college and graduate-level political science programs bias towards this, but there is substantial scholarship on the influence the founding fathers derived from Native American governing systems and philosophies. A survey of the documentation demonstrating those influences based on the work of Robert W. Venables and others is telling for what the founders absorbed from Indians and what they intentionally rejected in their crafting of the Articles of Confederation and later the Constitution. Pre-Constitutional Era In the late 1400s when Christian Europeans began to encounter the indigenous inhabitants of the New World, they were forced to come to terms with a new race of people entirely unfamiliar to them. While by the 1600s the natives had captured the Europeans imaginations and knowledge of the Indians was widespread in Europe, their attitudes toward them would be based on comparisons to themselves. These ethnocentric understandings would result in narratives about Indians which would embody the concept of either the noble savage or the brutal savage, but savage regardless of connotation. Examples of these images can be seen throughout European and pre-revolutionary American culture in the works of literature by the likes of Shakespeare (particularly The Tempest), Michel de Montaigne, John Locke, Rousseau, and many others. Benjamin Franklins Views on Native Americans During the years of the Continental Congress and the drafting of the Articles of Confederation, the Founding Father who was by far the most influenced by Native Americans and had bridged the gap between European conceptions (and misconceptions) and real life in the colonies was Benjamin Franklin. Born in 1706 and a newspaper journalist by trade, Franklin wrote on his many years of observations and interactions with natives (most often the Iroquois but also the Delawares and Susquehannas) in a classic essay of literature and history called Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America. In part, the essay is a less than flattering account of Iroquois impressions of the colonists way of life and education system, but more than that the essay is a commentary on the conventions of Iroquois life. Franklin seemed impressed by the Iroquois political system and noted: for all their government is by the Council or advice of the sages; there is no force, there are no prisons, no officers to c ompel obedience, or inflict punishment. Hence they generally study oratory; the best speaker having the most influence in his eloquent description of government by consensus. He also elaborated on Indians sense of courtesy in Council meetings and compared them to the raucous nature of the British House of Commons. In other essays, Benjamin Franklin would elaborate on the superiority of Indian foods, especially corn which he found to be one of the most agreeable and wholesome grains of the world. He would even argue the need for American forces to adopt Indian modes of warfare, which the British had successfully done during the French and Indian war. Influences on the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution In conceiving the ideal form of government, the colonists drew upon European thinkers like Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and John Locke. Locke, in particular, wrote about Indians state of perfect freedom and argued theoretically that power should not derive from a monarch but from the people. But it was the colonists direct observations of the political practices of the Iroquois Confederacy which convinced them how power vested in the people actually produced a functional democracy. According to Venables, the concept of the pursuit of life and liberty are directly attributable to Native influences. However, where Europeans diverged from Indian political theory was in their conceptions of property; the Indian philosophy of communal landholding was diametrically opposed to the European idea of individual private property, and it was the protection of private property that would be the thrust of the Constitution (until the creation of the Bill of Rights, which would return the foc us to the protection of liberty). Overall, however, as Venables argues, the Articles of Confederation would more closely reflect American Indian political theory than the Constitution, ultimately to the detriment of the Indian nations. The Constitution would create a central government in which power would be concentrated, versus the loose confederation of the cooperative but independent Iroquois nations, which much more closely resembled the union created by the Articles. Such concentration of power would enable imperialist expansion of the United States along the lines of the Roman Empire, which the Founding Fathers embraced more than the liberties of the savages, who they saw as inevitably meeting the same fate as their own tribal ancestors in Europe. Ironically, the Constitution would follow the very pattern of British centralization that the colonists rebelled against, despite the lessons they learned from the Iroquois.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Write an essay stating why the US isnt really a democracy

Write an stating why the US isnt really a democracy - Essay Example However, there has been a consistent debate as to whether US can truly be considered as the democracy. The history of US indicates various legislative efforts, social and political divisions as well as racial bias which may not be otherwise accepted under democracy. Though there are no characteristics defined for democracy however, equality as well as freedom are considered as two important characteristics of democracy. Apart from this, democracy also need to ensure that the control is upward i.e. sovereignty reside at the lowest level of authority, political equality to each citizen as well as the social norms under which only those acts are considered acceptable which falls under the first two principles. As such democracy provides a complete system wherein political, social and economic rights of the citizens are taken care of and are considered as equal. (Levine,115) One of the key arguments in suggesting that US is not a democracy is based upon the fact that US is a republic. In democracy, people decide the matters directly through deliberations and town hall type meetings however, in a republic, the same is done through elected representatives of people. As such there is a fundamental difference between a democracy and republic and US being a republic may not be purely a democracy in its true nature. The Constitution of the country do not directly allows referendums and direct public opinion seeking in policy development matters. Despite this, some States however, engage into direct referendums and ballots to allow public to directly exercise their power to influence and create policies against issues of public nature. This argument is also based upon the assumption that the framers of the constitution were not actually in favor of providing public a direct mean of expressing their opinion. It is believed that the framers of constitution were of the opinion that the public may not have the required wisdom to express their opinion

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS - Essay Example Politics on this earth progressively became conquered by one type of division: the sovereign national state (SNS)ii. This study will focus on the questions-What is the Westphalian system and to what extent has it been undermined by globalization? The Westphalian system is the worldwide system emblematically instated at the Peace of Westphalia, 1648, which completed the Thirty Years War. At Westphalia the state was set up as an independent political division, meaning that it accredited no rival authorities. Popes and monarchs could no longer interfere straightforwardly in the relationships of the state, but neither could it include sovereign feudal jurisdictions or self-governing peasant societies. The plan of a universal society was devastated; or rather it was re-explained as a worldwide system. Several states were autonomous, but they co-existed in a surrounded space where they continued regular communications with each other. De jure, all states were identical, and although de facto a number of states visibly were more influential than others, the dissimilarities between them were not adequately large for a clear-cut structure to appear. Allegorically speaking, the Westphalian system was a game of billiards with states cr ashing and jumping into, and off, each other. Autonomy awarded each state the right to take care of its personal affairs: an opportunity first enjoyed by emperors and later, after the national revolts which was pursued by the French Revolution, by individuals. The Westphalian system produces guaranteed â€Å"national self-determination† and â€Å"non-interference† in the matters of other territories. To the states supporters this was a great move forward. Kingdoms, indeed any highly planned communication with other territories, associated with the past: to a Roman period, kept in mind for its â€Å"despotism† instead of for its centuries-long harmony, to the gloomy Middle Ages, or probably to a

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Coopers Creek Wine Management Essay Example for Free

Coopers Creek Wine Management Essay 1.0 Introduction Coopers Creek, established in 1982, became one of New Zealand’s more successful medium-sized wineries by following a strategy of resource leveraging via networks of co-operative relationships with other New Zealand winemakers in the domestic and export markets. This strategy allowed Andrew Hendry, the managing director, to consciously manage the growth of the company to retain the benefits of small size. However, with increasing globalisation of the wine industry, the changing nature of export markets, the early maturity of the New Zealand industry and the constrained supply facing New Zealand wine makers, Andrew Hendry was faced with the decision of how to position a smaller company for the future. He had to decide whether the network-based strategies that served the company so well continued to be appropriate under conditions of industry concentration, increasing competition and emerging globalisation. (Robbins S, 2006) 1.1 The NZ wine industry When Andrew Hendry established Coopers Creek, the New Zealand environment was highly regulated. By 1984, the New Zealand government had initiated a programme of deregulation, which included devaluation of the New Zealand currency, exchange rate flotation and general anti-inflationary measures. (Porter M, 2001) The opening of New Zealand’s domestic market meant that businesses had to improve their efficiency substantially over a short period. The agricultural sector sought out new markets, to replace the loss of their traditional dependence on the UK market with its increasing commitment to its European trading partners, and new products, reflecting a growing awareness that much of New Zealand’s exports were of a commodity nature. This period saw growing exports to Australia, the United States, Japan and the rest of Asia and exports of predominantly sheep meat and dairy produce being accompanied by more fresh fruit, venison and wine. A further response to fiercer competi tion at home and in overseas markets was an increasingly strong focus on quality, a case in point being the New Zealand wine industry. The New Zealand wine industry accepted the consequences of the liberalisation  of the domestic economy and recognised the need to understand how on-going changes in the international economic environment affected its prosperity and how to plan accordingly. Building from a low international base in the 1980s ($4.5 million in exports in 1987), New Zealand wine exports achieved phenomenal growth and accounted for $168 million in 2007, comfortably exceeding the $100 million by 2007 target set in 1999. The UK market was the most important export market for the industry in 2007, and at $84 million it accounted for around 50.22 per cent of total exports by value and 54.28 per cent by volume. Europe accounted for 66 per cent of exports with 85 per cent of that going to the UK. Four large firms, namely Corbans, Montana, Nobilo and Villa Maria, dominated the wine industry in New Zealand in 1999. The following year, Montana purchased Corbans and Nobilo was bought by BRL/Hardy of Australia. Between them, these large firms accounted for around 80 per cent of all exports in 2007, with another 17 medium-sized companies, of which Coopers Creek was one, handling 16 per cent in combination. For the most part, industry participants exported between 30 and 35 per cent of their production, but a few producers had much higher export intensity. (Wheelen, 2006) 2.0 Key Issues The key issues are: (Study Guide, 2008) (1)Despite entering early maturity, coopers creek remained constrained by issues of supply. (2)The cost of new land for grape planting was rising and more previously marginal land became economic to grow on, the problem was still one of access to capital for these resources. (3)A possible over supply of grapes in New Zealand, which could lead to heavy discounting. (4) A contraction in ownership within distribution companies in New Zealand and in USA, which could lead to certain markets being effectively closed to coopers creek. (5)Protection of strategically important grape supplies so the can insure they still get a proportion of the very highest quality grapes. 3.0 Planning 3.1 Life Cycle From a demand perspective, the worldwide wine consumption has stagnated. According to the Wine Institute, there is only a 2.04% growth in wine consumption from 1997 to 2001. In fact, worldwide consumption dropped from 227,875 hectoliters to 226,646 between 1999 and 2000. Generally there is a drop in consumption from the traditional wine drinking countries like France and East European countries, whilst demand has growth significantly from China. (Grant R, 2005) The production of wine has shifted from the traditional vineyards in France to the rest of the world. There are New-World Wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These wines are generally thought to be of moderate to high quality and are essentially challenging the traditional wine producers on the quality front. Furthermore, there are wines coming out from China and India. Because of the lower wages in these countries, wines can now be produced at a fraction of the costs of the French vineyards. Price has now become a big challenge that the traditional wineries have to face. Some authors even suggest that the Old-World producing countries like France has followed growth decline and now has entered a second life phase. While the New-world countries are in an emerging or growth phase As the industry moves towards maturity phase of its life cycle, the pace of consolidation will increase. (Times of India,2007) 3.2 PESTEL Analysis The following is a review of the major environmental factors, which will impact the industry to a large extent. A closer examination of the more important factors amongst them will allow for a tighter integration between the external environmental factors and the corporate strategy chosen for Coopers. Political factors Government regulation has always played a major role in the WI. There are increasing concerns that there will be new barriers and trade impediments to trade in the WI. One such example is the trade disagreement between US and European Union in the level of farm subsidies that the US alleged that the EU farmers receive. The same allegations may also be similarly levied on the European vineyards. In the Wine Institute report on International Trade Barriers to U.S. Wine 2006, European wine producers were noted to have received certain subsidies . Tariffs also have been the most important barrier to the international wine trade. Some governments impose unusually high tariffs on wine imports. Recent announcement in the media like India opening its market and slashing duties on imported wine and spirits bring good news to the industry, as this will allow them to enter this lucrative untapped market. Though due to WTO pressure the tariff has been reducing, which has lead to major wine producing countries imposing various non-tariff trade barriers. One such non-tariff trade barriers are research fundings made available by local governments to improve the overall harvest yields and quality of the countrys grapes . Economical factors The rising number of middle class worldwide has led to an increasing appreciation of wine and demand for wine. In developing economies of China and India, this class of consumer is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. With the continued increase of economic growth rates for both countries, these consumers can now afford to consume wine is expected to grow significantly as well . The effect of currency fluctuations on the WI will continue to play an integral part in influencing the WI. The proportion of wine being exported outside the wine producing country has increased. Even in a traditionally large wine consuming market, the proportion of wine, which ends up in foreign land, has been increasing. The continuing trend of exporting to new markets such as India and China is going to increase as wine producers cope with the declining wine demand in traditional home markets As a result, the wine producers exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates will increa se further. Socio-cultural factors The increased spending power, sophistication of the middle class in many countries with increased tendency of copying the west has helped to increase the demand for wine consumption. This growing group of earners from various countries is often well traveled highly educated consumers with needs and wants for the better things in life. The number of middle class across Asia is expected to grow by 1 billion in the next 8 years . With the shift in demographics in the developing countries, there will be more wine drinkers in the future. Increasingly, there are also more scientific evidences that there are health benefits to be derived from moderate drinking of wine especially red wine. As a result, there is an increasing acceptance of the beverage as health-product leading to a healthy heart. Technological factors Innovation and technological factors continue to drive improvement in production yields and better storage of wine. The Australian WI today has transformed itself from a small cottage industry to one of the largest exporter of wines internationally, even to the extent of eclipsing some of the older Old-World countries. The great leap forward for Australia can be attributed to the Australian wine producers clustering to innovate and improve existing processes. (Read C, 2006) The growth of e-commerce infrastructure and the increasing acceptance of buying things online have led to new opportunities for wine connoisseurs and wine producers alike. With this new technology, niche wine growers are able to reach out to the individual wine consumers without being drowned out by the marketing noise generated by the large wine producers. The ability to ship small quantities directly to individual wine drinkers without passing through layers of middlemen may mean that small niche growers may be able to find their position in a market dominated by large brand names . Environmental factors Within the Food and Beverage (FB) industry, the WI is markedly different from the other products due to the fact that FB products are limited by market, while the WI is limited by resource (land and grapes). Reason being wine is grown in moderate climates and on certain types of soil. Sudden climatic changes may adversely affect production yields or may even destroy crops all together. The significant changes expected in the environment from global warming, rising sea levels, rising carbon emissions and increasing acidity in the waters will all add to contribute to the adverse conditions for which growers will find themselves in. These conditions together with a scarcity of good arable land may act to constrain or even reduce the industrys supply. On the positive side, in one of the rare articles published in Newsweek on the positive effects of global warming, the author highlights that fast melting of Artic glaciers and increase in global temperatures may lead to opening of new vine yards in many parts of the world with weather conditions similar to the Frances Champagne region. Legal factors External environmental legal factors have acted in line with other environmental factors changes. For example, the advent of the Internet e-commerce has resulted in changes in legislation for wine sales, which crosses state lines in the United States . In addition, the origin of the grapes used to make wines also became a contentious issue for many wine-producing countries. The origin of these grapes and the proportion of local grapes used became an issue for branding and labeling of wines; as governed by new local legislation controlling wine labeling. 4.0 Organising 4.1 Porters 5 forces analysis We have analyzed Coopers internal environmental factors using Porters Five Forces analysis. Being in a specialized industry, it is not easy for another player to just come in wanting a portion of the pie. The WI requires specialized skill sets, special knowledge and extensive experience to stay competitive. It also needs very high investment especially for equipments used for processing of wine. This indirectly induces high entry cost which  is work as a barrier of for new entrants. There is also the expected retaliation faced by new entrants from existing players. Coopers together with other existing players may collaborate to deter competitors from coming in. For example, Coopers may start dropping its price and the other existing players may follow suit leading to a price war. On the whole, the force of threat of entry is low here. 4.2 Threat of Substitutes This industry faces stiff competition from not only other wineries but also from other alcoholic drinks such as beer, spirit and pre-blended mixed drinks and carbonated drinks. Product-for-product substitution is also possible should customers of Coopers decide to try out other brands/types of wine. For the health conscious, bottled water, energy drinks and natural fruit juices also provide competition. Possibility of generic substitution is also there where as customers may prefer to spend on purchasing cigarettes rather than drinking wine. Thus, there is a high force of threat of substitutes in this industry. 4.3 Threat of entry Competitive rivalry among existing firms is evident in this industry. Larger companies are acquiring smaller wine producers to monopolize the market resulting in dynamic competition amongst these companies. As the WI is at its mature stage, companies start to take market share from competitors to survive. As there are too many wine producers, adding on to the high power of buyers, companies may decide to go for price wars due to high fixed costs to gain market share. This industry has high entry and exit barriers due to the extensive capital investment and knowledge skill set needed. In addition one must have sustainable resource, as it takes several years for wine to mature. This means that industry players do not have many choices. Again this induces competition amongst them and price wars and low margins situations are likely to happen. Based on the information above, the groups came to the conclusion that the industry is Medium Attractive. 5.0 Directing 5.1 Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Using Porter generic competitive strategies, we find that Coopers has the ability to outperform its competitors by adopting a strategy of Focus Differentiation. Porter proposed that a firms competitive advantage in an industry is determined by its competitive scope – i.e., the breadth of companys target market coupled with companys unique resource (product range, distribution channels, target market etc.), For Coopers the scope of the target market is narrow. It is mainly targeting niche markets for premium wines in the wine drinking markets of Europe, US, Australia, Japan and a few emerging Far Eastern Asian markets. When targeting niche markets, the company either can go for Cost Focus or Differentiation Focus. Coopers should not be following the Cost focus strategy as NZWI compete in the high quality premium category wines. Reduction of overall cost is achievable only to a certain extent, as this industry is highly capital intensive with many inherent costs along the supply chain. Instead Coopers should concentrate either on particular market segment, or product line segment or geographic market with high growth potential or all three. By following a differentiation strategy Coopers would be able to better focus its resources capabilities to the serve the special needs of a narrow strategic target more effectively than its competitors. 5.2 Bowmans strategic clock Using Bowmans competitive strategy clock† too, Coopers falls under category 5, Focused Differentiation. This strategy is similar to the Porters generic model, which tries to provide high-perceived product benefits justifying a substantial price premium usually to a selected niche market segment. Coopers can use this strategy in new markets, by targeting sales into the same niches in more countries. While in established markets Coopers could even adopt Category 4 Differentiation –with price premium by offering better wine at the same price or by pricing it slightly higher than competitive brands in the same price bracket, to take advantage of the fact that fine quality wine will always demand a premium and at the same  promote it as premium category. (Meredith R, 2007) Cost Leadership may not be sustained for Coopers because of some of the following reason: Competitors can imitate – differentiation may not be sustainable it can easily replicated by competitors like South African or South American wine producers Bases of differentiation become less important to buyers Competing on just quality to demand high price may not be enough. For example in price conscious markets like UK, Holland and Germany, wines from South American and South were seen as better value than NZ wine Target segment can become structurally unattractive: Structure erodes This could happen for Coopers target market in US, restaurants and boutique retailers. They may form a group for centrally sourcing activities to drive down costs, somewhat similar to what happened with Tesco Supermarket Chain (UK). (Aylward, 2006) Demand disappears – there may be new research findings in future that may lead to lower consumption of wine. Or even they may be new legislation banning consumption of alcohol products in public places similar to that of smoking, which may lead to total disappearance of a target segment. From the evaluation of Coopers core competencies, the followings were recognized. Coopers is a typical entrepreneurial venture in that the founding entrepreneur, Andrew, had driven its development and growth. A critical factor of success of Coopers is Andrews ability to build relationships, within the context of an innovative and flexible approach, in order to leverage critical resources to pursue growth. Coopers strategy was based on having a carefully controlled but finite quantity of wine to sell every year. With Andrews commitment to quality, it has earned itself a relatively good reputation in the industry. From the evaluation of the KSF of the WI, the followings were recognized. Historically, the NZWI had focused on the production of premium wines, given its constrained supply, small scale, high cost structures and distinctive ‘clean and green growing conditions. Availability of consistent high quality products that has strong brand value and recognition are highly sought after and considered KSFs. 6.0 Monitoring 6.1 Wineries Both management employees of wineries play a key role and yield great power in terms of the quantity type of wine to be produced. Great deal of collaboration exists between the local wineries to share knowledge costs. 6.2 Grape growers Being key players, they control the quality and quantity of grapes grown. Many of the wineries are backward integrated by owning lands or having long-term contracts with individual producers. Power of suppliers is low. 6.3 Industry Associations Wine Organizations in NZ like Wine Institute, former Wine Guild with backing of the NZ government are very powerful. All Wineries have to take up compulsory memberships and contribute towards funding running of the organizations. These key roles of these organizations are promoting NZ wine in international markets, lobbying with foreign governments to open new markets, lowering of trade restrictions and tariffs etc. They also initiate research programmes and training for the entire industry, funded by the wineries. (Zalan T, 2005) 6.4 Consumers The final end user, this group needs to be well informed kept satisfied by providing high quality premium products with consistent quality and availability at affordable prices. Power high. 6.5 NZ Government NZ government is a key player with considerable power who has played a  pivotal role in the development of the NZWI. The government has been implementing new legislations in consultation with NZWI to meet the current market requirements. Some examples would include changes in government policy in the 1980s making it favorable for local manufacturers to export to foreign markets . (Harvard University, 2007) 6.6 Distributors, Retailers, Buyers Buyers like Supermarkets are powerful players who dictate the price type of wine stocked on shelves. WI is a buyer driven industry, where buyers hold a lot of power. 6.7 Domestic and Foreign investors This group needs the minimal amount of effort. They are satisfied as long as they get a good return on their investments. 7.0 Critical Analysis 7.1 Competitor Analysis The world WI is currently experiencing a situation of over-production. In the EU alone, it was reported by Food Drink.com that there is a surplus o f 1.5bn litres of wine, enough for every European Union citizen to take roughly four free bottles each. Millions of Euros have been spent to turn these excess wines into industrial alcohol. (All Things, 2006) The WI is a highly fragmented, with over a million wine companies around the globe. None of the firms control more than 1% of the retail sales, with top 10 players controlling 11% of the global market share (based on volume) . These industry competitors come from different wine growing countries and continents. This is especially true for Old-World Countries in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany) accounts for 60% of the world wine production and 80% of world trade . In contrast, the New-World Producers (Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, USA, New Zealand) wines are more consolidated. On average these countries appear to be more structurally attractive compared to Old-World Countries. Moreover, in the last decade the industry structure has been undergoing dramatic change. There is a growing trend of consolidation. Cash flow rich alcoholic beverage  companies are investing in the WI as their own markets of beer and spirits are maturing. 7.2 Stakeholder analysis The WI being a competitive industry has a varied, vibrant and balanced group of stakeholders, with frequent and varied channels of communication. All the forces involved try to build consensus within which the primary decisions in the industry are made. 7.3 Life-Cycle Analysis We have identified Coopers to be in the phase of Mature stage in the life-cycle model. In view of its competitive conditions, we also identify there may be many competitors which are likely to resort to price-cutting strategy for volume. Therefore one of Coopers directive is to differentiate its product portfolio through leveraging on its enhance brand equity to promote customers retention and loyalty within its existing customer-based and new customer groups whilst consistently driving cost efficiency through economies of scales and innovative efficient ways of bringing cost down. (Pape E, 2007) 7.4 Positioning analysis Coopers currently enjoy relatively good brand equity amongst its market segment. To infuse the same branding principle across distinctive first label allows them to capitalize on its already successful branding strategy, further maximizing the returns of their marketing investment especially for the second label. 7.5 Value chain analysis Through new ways of doing things such as possible bottling in import markets to reduce shipping costs, backward integration either through ownership or long term leasing with good quality of vineyards across NZ and beyond, could potentially reduce their overall cost per unit yet enabling them to utilize cost advantage strategy to expand the perceived value for the brand. 7.6 Business profile analysis This growth strategy do not require a complete reinvention of wheels, it  capitalizes on the existing goals and values of the group, its resources and capabilities, its structure and management systems and its industry environment to further produce enhanced features and products thus major increase in expenditures is not expected, instead an increase in financial perform is forecasted due to the additional opportunities from new market penetration. (Heijbroeck, 2003) 8.0 Recommendations: 1.The expansion of the cooper’s creek network of export markets and the development of second labels. These second label wines could generally be sold at lower prices thus protecting the price status of the Coopers Creek labels but gaining extra sales volume for the company. In most cases the second labels will sell through different distributors. 2.The above strategy will also help with over reliance on a few key distributors. In the case of the rapidly growing US market, coopers creeks have not appointed one exclusive national importer. Instead they will sell to some 20 independent importer/distributors in different states either by direct shipment from the winery or out of a warehouse in California. This will ensure the company doesn’t become a victim of the rationalisation of a large importers or distributors catalogue of wines carried. (Kogut B, 2006) 3.The steady acquisition of control of the vineyards producing their best grapes. That has taken the form of either complete acquisition by purchase, long term leases or the establishment of joint ventures with the vineyards under cooper creek’s management and tied up under long term supply contracts. In the last two years they have purchased three vineyards, leased one and entered one joint venture with an existing contract grape grower. They are currently looking at two further existing vineyards with a view to purchase or lease. 4.Continue to produce consistently high-quality products. 5. Maintain and increase its brand equity and recognition as a premium wine producer. 6.Establish international supply management to facilitate its global market operations. 7.Maintain or improve its already good relationships with stakeholders. 8. Ensure there is cost efficiency in its operations so as to maximise profit with minimum cost. 9.Last but not least, continue innovating in terms of its product and marketing. †¢Current  turnover is NZ$5.5M †¢Current production is at 1100tonnes per year (approx 85,000 cases) and aiming to be 1800tonnes by 2008 †¢They should purchase more of their own vineyards in the Hawkes Bay region in the last few years which would prove beneficial to them. †¢They should increase production of Pinot Noir which is one of their best vineyards by 400% and this will become a feature varietals alongside Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the future †¢All wine is made on site at their Auckland vineyard. On site facilities include Cellar door tasting room and retail shop, Plant buildings (tanks) and bottling line, warehouse and barrel store, landscaped gardens with picnic areas and children’s playground. (Johnson, 2005) A cellar/courtyard wine bar will open for lunches and private group bookings late 2003. Plans have been drawn up for a cafà ©/function centre but as yet no time frame as to when maybe initiated, which should be implemented soon. (Nielson A, 2006) 9.0 Conclusion It can be concluded, the NZWI is still considered to be at an early maturity phase of its lifecycle, as evidenced by a small number of takeovers and increasing concentration. As the industry matures, there is a need for NZ wine producers to retain focus on quality, differentiated products, while holding their premium price position. In addition, they need to play to their strengths in white wines and introduce more red wines into their portfolio. (Ghoshal S, 2007) As a company, Coopers needs to realize the trend toward deteriorating industry profitability is a constant threat in mature industries. As rivalry encourages overinvestment in capacity, international competition increases, and as differentiation is undermined by commoditization, attaining a competitive advantage becomes essential to achieving positive economic profits. Cost is the overwhelmingly important key success factor in most mature industries and three cost drivers tend to be especially important: Economies of scale, low-cost inputs and low overheads. Cost efficiency in mature industries is rarely a basis for sustainable  competitive advantage; it is typically a requirement for survival. Deteriorating performance among mature companies typically triggers the adoption of turnaround strategies, of which the company must choose the most suitable one for its profile. Coopers have so far maneuvered its way past the many problems that plague other producers. However, more emphasis might be needed in terms of differentiating itself from the other NZ brands. It would have to build on its brand equity, and continue to leverage on Andrews contact network. Most importantly, the establishment of a succession-planning project would also has to be included in future strategic plans so that the company will continue to prosper should Andrew decide to depart or retire. (Robbins S, 2006) 10.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. (Johnson, 2005) Johnson, Scholes Whittington , Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall, 2005 2. (Porter M, 2001) Porter Michael E., The Competitive Advantages of Nations, The Macmillan Press Ltd., 2001 3. (Wheelen, 2006) Wheelen, Thomas L. and Hunger, David J., Strategic Management and Business Policy, Prentice Hall, 2006 4. (Grant R, 2005) Grant, Robert M., Contemporary Strategy Analysis, Blackwell Publishing, 2005 5. (Read C, 2006) Read, Charlotte, Stakeholder Consensus Marketing. An explanatory national competitivess model for the New Zealand Wine Industry, September 2, 2006 6. (All Things, 2006) All Things Considered. Washington D.C., Global Warming Endangers California Wine Industry, December 5, 2006 7. (Times of India,2007) India plans duty cuts on wine, spirits, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/India_Business/India_plans_duty_cuts_on_wine_spirits/articleshow/1897262.cms, April 12 2007 8. (Pape E, 2007) Pape E., Bordeaux Meets Beijing; Chinas eager oenophiles are reviving the flagging French Wine Industry, Newsweek, April 16, 2007 9. (Meredith R, 2007) Meredith, R. and Hoppough, S., Why Globalization Is Good, Forbes, New York, April 16, 2007 10. (Aylward, 2006) Aylward, D. K. and Glynn, J., SME Innovation within the Australian Wine Industry: A Cluster Analysis, 2006 11. (Smith J, 2006) Smith, J.M, The e-Commerce Pendulum, Brandweek, September 18, 2006 12. (Pape, 2007) Pape, Eric Vineyards on the move Newsweek, April 2007 13. (Nielson A, 2006) Nielson, A., Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Vol.29, Iss 2, Spring 2006 14. (Asimov E, 2005) Asimov, E., New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast). New York, N.Y., August 31, 2005 15. (Zalan T, 2005) Zalan, T., Global, Local or Semi-Global? The Case of the Wine Industry, Australian Centre for International Business, Working Paper, No. 6, August 2005 16. (Heijbroeck, 2003) Heijbroeck, Arend M.A., Consequences of the globalization in the wine industry, Report made by Rabobank International, Symposium International, October 8 2003 17. (Ghoshal S, 2007) Ghoshal, S, Global strategy: An organizing framework. Strategic, Management Journal 8, 2007 18. (Kogut B, 2006) Kogut, B., Designing global strategies: Comparative and competitive value-added Chains, Sloan Management Review (Summer), 2006 19. (Porter M, 2004) Porter, M. E.,Clusters and the new economics of competition, Harvard Business Review, November-December 2004 20. (Harvard University, 2007) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, March-April 2007 22. (Slater S, 2002) Slater S. Malcolm, Michael Porter. Notes on Diversification As a Strategy. Harvard School Publishing, 2002 23. (Slater F, 2002) Slater F. Stanley, Olson. Eric, A Fresh Look at Industry and Market Analysis, Business Horizons. Kelly School of Publishing, January-February 2002. 24. (New Zealand Growers, 2006) New Zealand Wine Growers Research Committee, Research Development Strategic Plan, December 2006 25. (Robinson J, 2008) Robinson, Jancis, The Fast-Changing World Of Wine, http://www.sifst.org.sg/pdf/article-thefastchanging.htm. 26. (Robbins S, 2006) Robbins S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I. Coulter, M. @006, Management, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, Sydney. 27. (Study Guide, 2008) Foundations od Management Study Guide 2008, Southern Cross University.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Incomplete and Complete Achromatopsia :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Incomplete and Complete Achromatopsia The human eye requires both rods and cones for normal vision. Over 100 million rods are located in the periphery of the human eye, and about 6 million cones compose the fovea. Rods, the more sensitive of the two to light, are not able to differentiate wavelengths, thus cannot detect color, and perceive shades of grey, black, and white. Cones, on the other hand, are of three types, containing particular pigments. They are categorized as red, blue, and green depending on to which wavelength they are most sensitive. These cones are what render color vision to humans. Red-green color blindness is not uncommon in the general population. The unequal crossover in the X-chromosome which causes this disorder is much more easily achieved than the mechanisms which cause other types of color blindness, due to the proximity of the two pigment genes. Five to eight percent of men are affected with this genetic condition, and due to a lacking pigment, have trouble distinguishing between red, green and brown. (1) Blue color blindness, also known as incomplete achromatopsia or blue-cone monochromatism, is an X-linked recessive disorder in which only the blue cones and the rods are functioning properly. A previously proposed theory states that signals from rods travel in the same pathways which carry signals from the blue-cones, making color vision in a blue-cone monochromat impossible. However, current research on blue-cone monochromats shows that signals from some rods and cones may be traveling by separate pathways to where wavelength discrimination takes place, making color vision possible in this type of monochromat, when both rods and blue cones are working simultaneously under twilight conditions. (6,7) Total color blindness, or complete achromatopsia, is an autosomal recessive disorder. (2) This is defined as little or no function of the cone cells, (3) and is somewhat frequent among Moroccan, Iraqi, and Iranian Jews. (7) There is no treatment for this color deficiency, only ways to alleviate its expression. (4) The consequences on the lives of complete achromats are many, and those of children should especially be considered. Many educational materials use different colors to teach. If vowels are red and consonants are black, the two are virtually indiscernible to an achromat (They may be discerned under certain light conditions, a phenomenon known as spectral differentiation). They may also not have yet learned to discern the different shades of grey, and may need help deciphering traffic signals.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Change Management of Nike Company

I. INTRODUCTION Change management cannot be separated from the organization. It is because change is inevitable. But some people do not like the change itself. They tend to think about the bad effect of the change in the organization, such as layoff, downsizing, pay cuts, or relocation. In fact, the change can be the good improvement, such as the improvement of the technology, building new products, and increase the market. The management has to be prepared of the change management in order to make the effective change management. The change is needed to improve the performance of the organization.The change is used to make the good development of the organization, such as emerging in the bigger market place, getting the bigger revenue, etc. In this globalization era, the organization has to be dynamic in order to adapt to the environment that keep changing day by day. If the organization cannot implement the change management, the organization will not be competitive in the market b ecause the other organizations keep improving and change the management to adapt in the change environment. II. THEORY Definition of Change ManagementChange management is the process of planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling the compositions of the environment, internal and external of the organization, in order to make sure that the changes are implemented to approved plans and objectives of the changes is going well and has the little disruption (Oseni, 2007). Change management is the art or science of making changes with the certain systems or methods to make sense out of the organizational chaos that happen in the company and affect its employees, its suppliers, its vendors, and its customers (Ledez, 2008).External factors are the factors that force the company to do the change management. For example, the company need to adjust the price of the products to make it same as the market price, or to attract the customers. Process of the Change Change must be realistic and attainable. Instead of forcing change, it is better to ensure the number of participant that join into the change and the process of the change itself. Every change process should begin with these basic questions (Oseni, 2007): 1. What needs to be change? Change should not be introduced into the system only.Change can be caused from the organization itself or outside of it. The question is best answered when the limitations of the process are identified. The answer of this question should be able to address why the change is necessary. 2. To what should it be changed? It is one thing to know that there is a need to change the current system, but another question is to what it should be changed. Change cannot be justified into the organization that doesn’t know the better alternative to the current system. The change must be offering the better benefits to the new system than the current system does. 3.How should this change happen? Some changes are ended as a disaster. It only wastes the management time and investment. Whatever approach is adapted to effect the change must address the issue of how to minimize disruption to the system and minimize the cost also. 4. How can the change be sustained? If this question is not well addressed, all efforts are only a waste in the long run. This is the stage where many process changes face the problems. Stages of the Change In the change management, there are three stages of the change: 1. Pre-implementation Stage. In this stage, there are three parts: Conception of change idea This stage is where the need for process change is realized. For example, the need to improve the inadequacy in the current system. The need to reduce cost, the need to improve the service, etc. * Evaluation of the idea In this phase, the alternatives are identified. * Management’s eventual approval to introduce the process change At each of sub stage, especially the points at which the change idea was evaluated and approved, po ssible resistance by users and beneficiaries at the existing processes must be identified. 2. Implementation Stage In this stage, the process change is implemented.It is necessary for management to set up a standing committee to be proactive in identifying problems and resistance during the implementation and finding solution. When it cannot prevent problems and resistance, it should at least find effective solutions. All of the stakeholders need to be carried along as the implementation progresses for better understanding and cooperation. 3. Post implementation Stage This stage is ensuring that the process change achieves the predetermined objectives and that post implementation stage problems are identified and sorted out quickly. Management should ensure that all staff members affected by the change.All members should be given the feeling of importance in the successful of implementation of the process change. Change in any organization in one of stressful condition that company will have to deal with. How a company deals with change can, decides whether the company will continue to be profitable and forge ahead with new ideas and products and renew the organizational life cycle. Most companies that have continued to stay in business and stay profitable have continually added, renewed, and change the product line, the customer base and the general way to do the business.Based on John P. Kotter theory, there are eight steps that will enhance the change in the organization and help lowering the amount of stress. They are as follows: 1. Increase Urgency This will help focus the employees on the change at hand and leave the little time to look back at the previous system. 2. Build the Guiding Team Management must be well informed and have capabilities to make the change. They have to be a capable leader who can answer most question and if not can adequately respond to the employees in a timely manner. 3.Get the Vision Right Management has to be able to define t he company vision form to all levels. 4. Communicate for Buy-In Management should be able to sell the workers of the need for the change. 5. Create Short-Term Wins Management has to set the small goals that can be reached realistically. This will increase employees moral and distract from the difficulty of the change. 6. Empower Action The managers have to have the capabilities to guide the staffs without fear of rejections. 7. Do Not Let Up The act of the change has to constantly be pressed onward.Stop in the middle of process will only jeopardize the power of the new way since the employees will be stuck in the transition period. 8. Make Change Stick The company must live the new process. It cannot to go back in the old way once the change is made. Management cannot over communicate change. Both managers and employees have to know in advance about the situation. The managers have to have the power to take decisions on the spot based on the information that they have. But, they hav e to have the realistic goals.Managers and employees have freedom to make mistakes and learn without fear of rejection or public embarrassment because solution of change sometimes come out from the mistakes and later will find the better way to resolve the problems. III. PROBLEMS Nike is one of big company in the world that does the change management. Company profile NIKE, Inc. (NIKE), incorporated in 1968, is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. NIKE is a seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel worldwide.The Company sells its products to retail accounts, through NIKE-owned retail stores and Internet sales, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in approximately 190 countries around the world. The Company focuses its product offerings in seven key categories: Running, Basketball, Football (Soccer), Men's Training, Women's Training, NIKE Sportswear (its sports-i nspired products) and Action Sports. It also markets products designed for kids, as well as for other athletic and recreational uses, such as baseball, cricket, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, football (American), tennis, volleyball, walking and wrestling.The Company sells sports apparel and accessories, as well as athletic bags and accessory items. It also markets apparel with licensed college and professional team, and league logos. The Company sells a line of performance equipment under the NIKE brand name, including bags, socks, sport balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, golf clubs and other equipment designed for sports activities. It also sells small amounts of various plastic products to other manufacturers through its wholly owned subsidiary, NIKE IHM, Inc.In addition to the products the Company sells directly to customers through its Direct to Consumer operations, the Company has entered into license agreements that permit unaffiliated parties to manufacture and sell certain apparels, digital devices and applications and other equipment designed for sports activities. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Cole Haan (Cole Haan), designs and distributes dress and casual footwear, apparel and accessories for men and women under the Cole Haan trademark. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Converse Inc. Converse) designs, distributes and licenses athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories under the Converse, Chuck Taylor, All Star, One Star, Star Chevron and Jack Purcell trademarks. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Hurley International LLC (Hurley), designs and distributes a line of action sports and youth lifestyle apparel and accessories under the Hurley trademark. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Umbro International Limited, designs, distributes and licenses athletic and casual footwear, apparel and equipment, primarily for the sport of football (soccer), under the Umbr o trademark.Change Management in Nike * Strategic Management Changes Nike changed some people in some positions in order to driving deeper consumers’ connection and expanding the market share. Nike hopes that the changes will strengthen the global management team and look forward to the leadership in these key roles. The changes are: (www. info. nike. com, 2010) * Global brand and general management veteran Joaquin Hidalgo as Vice President of Emerging Markets reporting to President of Nike Global Operations, Gary DeStefano.Hidalgo brings over 20 years of Nike experience to the role, and most recently served as Vice President of Global Brand Marketing, where he was instrumental in building and expanding Nike’s brand globally through innovative product launches and highly successful marketing strategies. * Jayme Martin, a strong and strategic business leader with 13 years of Nike experience, becomes the company’s Vice President of Global Running reporting to Glob al Brand ; Category Management Vice President, Trevor Edwards. Martin has held various senior key global and geographic management roles across the Nike senior management team. Davide Grasso, a proven and seasoned brand leader becomes Vice President of Global Brand Marketing reporting to Global Brand ; Category Management Vice President, Trevor Edwards. Grasso brings 15 years of experience in various senior global and geographic marketing management roles in the U. S. , Europe and Asia Pacific regions. * Leslie Lane becomes the Managing Director and Vice President of the Nike Foundation, reporting to Nike Foundation CEO and President Maria Eitel. He will be responsible for leading the team to deliver the Foundation's next exciting chapter of global impact.Lane joined the company in 2003 to lead the acquisition and integration of Converse into the Nike portfolio. He also previously managed Nike’s Global Footwear strategy, finance and costing activities. * Product Design All pr oduct improves environmental profile as measured on Sustainability indexes evolved from Nike Considered Design ethos and indexes. Then, all new NIKE Brand global footwear will achieve silver rating and all new NIKE brand global apparel will achieve bronze rating. * Using of Water Improve the efficiency of utilizing the water by 15 percent per unit in apparel materials dyeing and finishing and footwear manufacturing. Waste Building the waste reduction in footwear manufacturing and reduced 10 percent reduction in waste from manufacturing across NIKE * Community Invest minimum 1. 5 percent of pre-tax income in the communities annually. The results of doing the change management in some factors are: (nikeinc. com, 2012) * The number of factory audits showing serious, repeated violations has remained low, at about 5 percent over the past five years. The number of contract factories with unknown conditions has decreased from 48 percent in FY09 to 8 percent in FY11, due in large part to in creased monitoring against NIKE, Inc. s Affiliate base. * Human Resource Management training was conducted in 79 percent of focus contract factories (76 of 98) which covered 94 percent of footwear volume, 43 percent of apparel volume. * CO2 emissions from contract footwear factories used to source NIKE Brand product were down 6 percent from FY08-FY11, despite a 20 percent increase in production. * 97 percent of NIKE brand footwear achieved a baseline level or better on Nike’s Considered Index. IV. ANALYSIS Nike was doing the change management in order to improve the performance of Nike. By doing the change management, Nike builds Nike’s long-term strategic vision.It is to decouple profitable growth from constrained resources. It is underscored by new targets and commitments, including a company-wide commitment to further integrate sustainability principles into its innovation processes, governance and portfolios. The work ahead is structured in two levels: continuous i mprovement targets against key impact areas to â€Å"make today better† and broader innovation commitments to â€Å"design the future† that establish how Nike is approaching longer-term change. Nike is known globally for innovative performance products and sustainability has now increasingly become core to Nike business approach.Nike has continuously invested in reducing the environmental and social impacts within the business and supply chain and has made substantial gains over the last decade. Nike knows that they cannot achieve the bold sustainability goals simply by delivering incremental improvements, but need to deliver innovations that rapidly evolve the way things are done at Nike. Nike also unveiled its new factory rating system, the Manufacturing Index, which looks comprehensively at a contract factory’s. This Index elevates labor and environmental performance alongside traditional supply chain measures of quality, cost and on-time delivery.Within the overall Manufacturing Index, the company has developed an innovative Sourcing & Manufacturing Sustainability Index (SMSI) which assesses contract factory performance on sustainability measures including measures of lean, environmental performance, health and safety, and labor management factors. After more than two years of development work and concluding a successful pilot program, the SMSI is currently being rolled out across NIKE, Inc. ’s global supply chain. V. CONCLUSION Change can be not really good at the first, because change is costly, wasting time, and become not useful thing.In fact, it is very useful in the organization to improve the performance. The organization need to follow the situation and environment and it forces the organization to do some change. When doing some changes, it needs to be carefully thought and implemented. The organization needs to have plans to ensure that the changes are doing well in the process and in the implementation. The top manage ment also has responsibility to ensure a successful process change. Change will be success if it is well managed. The management has to concern to the internal and external factors, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and also the competitors.The major objective of doing the change is to improve the performance to be better than before. It is the reason why when doing the change; the management has to be very concern on that. It is very possible that the change may destroy the organization. Because of that, the change has to be managed in the proper way. The successful change management will give good improvement for the organization. It may give more benefit also for the organization. References Ledez, Robert. E. 2008. Change Management: Getting A Tunned Up Organization. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. saycocorporativo. om/saycoUK/BIJ/journal/Vol1No1/article_7. pdf Ozeni, Ezekiel. 2007. Change Management in Process Change. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from ht tp://www. isaca. org/Journal/Past-Issues/2007/Volume-1/Documents/jopdf0606-change-management. pdf Profile: Nike Inc. retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://in. reuters. com/finance/stocks/companyProfile? symbol=NKE. N NIKE, Inc. Announces Strategic Management Changes. 2010. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. info. nike. com/media/pr/2010/05/20_StrategicManagementChanges. html FY 10-11 Sustainable Business Performance Summary. 2012. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from ttp://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-introduces-new-targets-elevating-sustainable-innovation-within-business-strategy#/inline/10492 Nike, Inc. Announces Senior Management Changes. 2012. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-announces-senior-management-changes–2 Werkman, Renate. 2010. Reinventing Organization Development: How a Sensemaking Perspective Can Enrich OD Theories and Interventions. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. onderzoekenadvies. org/wp-cont ent/uploads/2010/01/928458277. pdf Change Management NIKE Inc. Vanindya Permata Adi 014201000130 Banking Finance Class 2 President University

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Gmo Lab Report

Introduction During the course of this lab, we explored whether or not certain processed foods contained Genetically Modified Organisms. Genetically modified food is an important subject in the world today. Ever since Flavr Savr came out with their tomatoes grown from genetically modified seeds in 1994 genetically modified foods has become ever more popular amongst distributors of produce (Mestel, 2013). The world’s population has grown by around one billion in the last decade (US Bureau of the Census).At this rate, Genetically Modified Organisms within food products will increase dramatically, but is this for the best? There are many risk factors that have been brought up with genetically modified foods such as potential increase of cancer according to a French study conducted by Dr. Giles Eric Seralini (Kilham, 2012). Genetically modified food is a popular subject among scientists, as it has been researched quite often. A study was done in the Czech Republic over a course of five years (2002- 2007) to test many foods, such as tomatoes and rice, for approved and unapproved Genetically Modified Organisms.Similar to the experiment conducted in the botany lab, the scientists involved in this study used a Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, method to determine their results (Kyrova, Ostry, Laichmannova, Ruprich, 2010). Enrico Dainese and his partners did another similar study, on soybeans specifically. Like our experiment conducted on the cornbread mix, Dainese and his colleagues followed their PCR results with an Agarose Gel Electrophoresis (Dainese, Angelucci, De Santis, Maccarrone and Cozzani, 2004).An additional experiment closely related to the one performed by my partners and I is a study done in Brazil to better detect for GMO within their foods sold in markets a other places (Cardarelli, Branquinho, Ferreria, da Cruz and Gemmule, 2005). These articles show how GMO within foods are present all over the world. The reason my fellow group members and mys elf are conducting this experiment is to test a sample of processed food (in this case cornbread mix) for any existence of Genetically Modified Organisms using PCR methods. We hypothesize that the cornbread mixture has been genetically modified and herefore will show that in the results. Materials and Methods The purpose of this experiment is to use PCR method to identify genetically modified foods. During the experiment we, as a group, tested a known non- GMO food sample, oatmeal, along with our cornbread mix. We first weighed out 0. 77 g of the non- GMO oatmeal. We then proceeded to add 3. 85 ml (5. 00 ml per 1. 00 g) of distilled water (DW) to the oatmeal and ground them together with a pestle. The same was done with 0. 99 g of the cornbread mix and 4. 95 ml of DW. We pipetted each of these into separate screw-cap tubes consisting of 500 l of an InstaGene solution.These we incubated and centrifuged for approximately 5 minutes each. We then took six PCR tubes and filled them each up, 2 with the non- GMO oatmeal mixture, 2 with the cornbread mixture and 2 with a known GMO positive substance. The Non- GMO and GMO positives served as controls for the experiment. One of each of the two tubes contained 20 l of plant MM and GMO MM. The PCR tubes were then placed in a thermal cycler and after this we did an agarose gel electrophoresis to provide us with the necessary data received from bands that should’ve shown up n the gel. ResultsEven though we had followed procedure and accurately mixed the correct amount and type of DNA and Master Mix together, as shown in Table 1, we ended up getting shocking results. Photos were taken of the final gel slab the morning of the experiment (Fig. 1) and that same afternoon (Fig. 2). There seemed to be very little signs, if any, of Genetically Modified Organisms within the cornbread mixture. TABLE 1. PCR Tube Contents: Tube Number| Master Mix| DNA| 1| 20 l Plant MM (green)| 20 l Non- GMO food control DNA| 2| 20 l GMO MM (re d)| 20 l Non- GMO food control DNA| | 20 l Plant MM (green)| 20 l test food DNA| 4| 20 l GMO MM (red)| 20 l test food DNA| 5| 20 l Plant MM (green)| 20 l GMO positive control DNA| 6| 20 l GMO MM (red)| 20 l GMO positive control DNA| FIGURE 1. GMO Morning (AM) Agarose Gel Electrophoresis results FIGURE 2. GMO Evening (PM) Agarose Gel Electrophoresis results Discussion: The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not a sample of an off-brand cornbread mix had contained Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). As a result, we determined that there were no GMO traces located in the cornbread mix.This could be due to mistakes that may have been made during the procedure such as poor measuring or mixing, misreading results, or the cornbread mix really was not made with genetically modified foods. These results disprove our hypothesis, which stated that we believed there would be GMO traces found within the cornbread mix. It was disappointing to see that we had a negative resul t while many of the other groups received bold lines on their arag gel indicating that their foods contained high amounts of GMO. I was glad to see that not all processed foods contain it though as in with the results of the Czech Republic study.Out of all the tomatoes and papayas they tested, not one had resulted in the detection of GMO traces (Kyrova, Ostry, Laichmannova, Ruprich, 2010). We knew that the gel was accurately detecting GMO traces in foods by using the GMO positive control. Also to back up our assumptions that the Agarose Gel Electrophoresis results are accurate, it is shown in Dainese’s, and other’s, work. He used this method of GMO detection in his study to show that this is an effective way of detecting GMO traces (Dainese, Angelucci, De Santis, Maccarrone and Cozzani, 2004).It is interesting to see how genecticall modified foods are not only in the US but also in the Czech Republic and even in Brazil markets, where Cardarelli and his associates looke d into Roundup Ready soybeans and checked other substances for GMO traces (Cardarelli, Branquinho, Ferreria, da Cruz and Gemmule, 2005). Though I was disappointed to get negative results, I am happy that there was a variety in GMO traces within the whole lab. I don’t know if we would have learned much if we all got positive results. It would cause us to just assume that all processed foods have been genetically altered.The other researchers’ results intrigued me as to how different they all were yet they were all about the same thing in a sense. This lab has helped me realize how GMO within foods is affective all around the world and doesn’t just mean that the food is bigger or tastier, but has been affected by chemicals, both good and bad. Literature Cited: Cardarelli, Paola; Branquinho R, Maria; Ferreria T. B. , Renata; da Cruz P, Fernanda; Gemmule L, Andre. 2005. Detection of GMO in food products in Brazil: the INCQS experience. Food Control. 16(10): 859-866. Dainese, E; Angelucci, C; De Santis, P; Maccarrone, M; Cozzani, I. 004. A multiplex PCR-based assay for the detection of genetically modified soybean. Analytical Letters. 37(6): 1139-1150. Kilham, C. What You Need To Know About GM Foods Is Half The Story. 2012 Dec. 07. Forbes Magazine. Kyrova, V; Ostry, V; Laichmannova, L; Ruprich, J. 2010. AN OCCURRENCE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODSTUFFS ON THE CZECH FOOD MARKET. Acta Alimentaria. 39(4): 387- 396. Mestel, R. 2013 Feb 23. Genetically modified foods: Who has to tell?. Los Angeles Times. US Bureau of the Census. Current Population Projections. 2013. www. census. gov.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Hospital Corporation of America Mission

Hospital Corporation of America Mission The name of the organization is ‘Hospital Corporation of America’, which is abbreviated as HCA. This name comes from the organization’s vast investments. It is apparent that the corporation owns and operates numerous hospitals. Thus, it covers a large national market share.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hospital Corporation of America Mission specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Evidently, the name of the organization is straightforward; thus, individuals can easily understand it. This quality determines an organization’s popularity in the industry. Incase an organization uses identities that are hard to understand, only a few individuals will associate with it. It is appropriate for an organization to adapt a name that portrays the services it offers. For example, ‘National Hospital Corporation’ of America reveals that this organization deals with Medicare. HCA’s mission is the caring and improving of people’s lives through the provision of high eminence and cost effectual Medicare. This mission helps in motivating both employees and clients who seek the services of the corporation. It is evident that this mission statement is the reason behind the excellent services provided by different hospitals operated by this corporation. It is noteworthy that for an organization to succeed, it must have a mission statement. This acts as the guideline to the management and employees of that organization. The organizations vision is making Medicare easily accessible in communities (HCA, 2011). HCA is a privately owned company that operates medical facilities. Moreover, it is a profit making entity because it charges for the medical services it offers. The company has no one owner because a group of physicians founded it in 1960’s. A Chairman and C.E.O manages this institution. In addition, the company administration comprises of a president who is also the chief financial officer. The corporation has a huge market share evident by the large number of medical facilities that it operates. It is apparent that it has more than 170 facilities, which makes it one of the largest corporations in America. This means that it has employed many workers who foresee its daily operations. Thus, the institution has employed approximately 183,000 workers in its 170 facilities and in the community as community workers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident that HCA hires qualified professionals in accordance to the job specification. Furthermore, it also trains medical students under the internship programs. Most importantly, the corporation employs a significant proportion of workers in the private sector (Casenotes CLB, 2009). According to Kleber (2001), the corporation has its headquarters in Nashville in the sta te of Tennessee. However, the institution has one hundred and sixty four hospitals and one hundred and six surgery facilities in 20 states in the United States of America and Britain. It is evident that this arrangement has ensured the institution provides adequate services to the community. Analysts believe that the spreading of the institution’s facilities has brought services close to the community. Most importantly, the 183,000 employees that HCA has hired are highly qualified. This is because even though these individuals have gone through training in school, HCA ensures it gives them more training to enable them acclimatizes with the operations at the institutions. HCA was initially a domestic institution, but currently it has expanded to Britain. Thus, it is an international organization. Its status as an international organization has increased clients confidence in the institution’s services. It is apparent that institutions that extend beyond the borders appe al more to the consumers than domestic ones. This is because they believe this arrangement comes with personnel that are more qualified. Thus, it is obvious that the services offered are of high quality. HCA has managed to surmount the challenges that engulf international organizations. This is because it has an excellent management structure. Frist Wilson (2003) reveals that the history of the organization dates back to 1960 when ‘Dr.Thomas Frist Sr’ and his physician friends formed the park view hospital. This hospital operated well except for a few financial difficulties that it faced. Thus, Thomas and his friends started the search for a group that would manage the hospital. The most important function of this group was to provide finances for the growth of the hospital.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hospital Corporation of America Mission specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 1968, Thomas and two other physicians namely jack Massey and first Jr decided to form their own company called Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). HCA expanded with time by bringing together and managing a group of hospitals in the U.S. Its main aim was to provide quality services to the population. It is apparent that it succeeded in its initial mission because it worked closely with local physicians. The company then rapidly expanded, constructing hospitals in under privileged communities and accepting to manage hospitals owned by other companies and individuals. Its monetary resources, administration proficiency, and medical milieu enabled it to perform its duties excellently. It is noteworthy that the company focuses on a core set of excellently performing hospitals. In 1969, the hospital had eleven hospitals, which operated under its management and guidance. By the end of the same year, the hospital had twenty-six hospitals with a bed capacity of 3000. What followed a rapid growth, as the busine ss expanded until it attained operating revenue of twenty four billion dollars by 1981. In 1993, HCA acquired Medicare America and other health care ventures. As a result, the company augmented its market share. Today it is one of the largest businesses in America, as it provides many jobs to citizens. Moreover, it serves many clients. References Casenotes, Casenote Legal Briefs (CLB). (2009). Health Law Furrow Greaney Johnson Jost Schwartz 6th Edition. New York, NY: Aspen Publishers Online. Frist, W Wilson, S. (2003). Good people beget good people: a genealogy of the Frist family. Maryland, MD: Rowman Littlefield. HCA. (2011). Hospital Corporation of America. Web. Kleber, J. (2001). The encyclopedia of Louisville. Kentucky, KY: University Press of Kentucky.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Only Place

The Only Place The Only Place The Only Place By Mark Nichol In spoken English, even the most careful speaker may casually misplace the modifier only in a sentence, as in â€Å"The meeting will only be held if the ordinance passes.† The intended meaning here is that whether the ordinance passes determines whether the meeting is to be held. Literally, however, the sentence indicates that the holding is the only action that will pertain to the meeting if the ordinance passes. (The meeting will not be recorded or reported on, for example, but if the ordinance fails, perhaps these and other things will occur in relation to the meeting.) As the parenthesized sentence before this one demonstrates, the meaning is changed depending the positioning of only: In the original sentence, the meeting is not conditional on the passage of the ordinance, though that is exactly what the speaker or writer means. Therefore, to accurately convey the meaning of the sentence, the word only should appear immediately after the word, phrase, or clause it modifies. Because a speaker can provide stress to the sentence, a listener is unlikely to misunderstand it, but a writer has no such advantage. Ambiguity is not inevitable when misplacing the modifier in written expression, but the careful writer makes the effort to produce a sentence that is syntactically sound. Here is another sentence best expressed with only positioned correctly: â€Å"Are we certain that participants only reside in those neighborhoods?† The significant point appears to be that the participants reside in those places but do not have any other connection to them. The intended meaning, however, is that the â€Å"we† are uncertain whether the participants live only in the specified locations and not in other places. This meaning is best conveyed by writing, â€Å"Are we certain participants reside only in those neighborhoods?† Note the difference in meaning when inserting the modifier only in various positions in the sentence â€Å"Smith said he could only confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody.† 1. Only Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (No one else made the claim that Smith could confirm the information.) 2. Smith only said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (Smith didn’t say anything else.) 3. Smith said only he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (According to Smith, he is the only one who could confirm the information.) 4. Smith said he only could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (Smith could not do anything else but potentially confirm the information.) 5. Smith said he could only confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (Smith could confirm the information but do nothing else about or to it.) 6. Smith said he could confirm only that nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (Smith could confirm nothing else but the information he provided.) 7. Smith said he could confirm that only nine demonstrators were taken into custody. (Smith was able to specify that nine demonstrators, not another quantity, were arrested, with the implication that other demonstrators were not arrested.) 8. Smith said he could confirm that nine only demonstrators were taken into custody. (This sentence seems to indicate, albeit ungrammatically, that the people arrested were only demonstrators and had no other occupation or pastime.) 9. Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators only were taken into custody. (The number of demonstrators arrested was only nine; unlike version number 7, this sentence does not necessarily imply additional demonstrators.) 10. Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were only taken into custody. (The demonstrators were taken into custody, but nothing else pertaining to custody occurred to them.) 11. Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken only into custody. (The demonstrators were not taken anywhere except into custody.) 12. Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into only custody. (The demonstrators were taken into a type of custody known as â€Å"only custody†; like version number 8, this sentence is not grammatically correct.) 13. Smith said he could confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody only. (Nothing else was done to the demonstrators besides taking them into custody.) The usual placement error for this type of sentence is â€Å"Smith said he could only confirm that nine demonstrators were taken into custody,† where only erroneously precedes the pertinent verb, suggesting that confirmation is all that could be done. However, the point that the stated item of information, and only that item, could be confirmed is correctly stated thus: â€Å"Smith said he could confirm only that nine demonstrators were taken into custody.† (Therefore, version 6 above is the only version suitable to express the intended meaning.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?20 Words Meaning "Being or Existing in the Past"Adverbs and Hyphens

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Outline Chapters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outline Chapters - Essay Example There is also an emphasis that is placed on the skills requirements by career development practitioners. The chapter further moves on to discuss the history of vocational guidance and career development, which discusses the new paradigm for the theory and practice of career counseling. The chapter then moves on to provide a well set out timeline table of the various events that have taken place since 1883 until 2001. Furthermore the chapter provides for a discussion of the need for career development services which provides for numerous statistics of the country and the career development services that are presently used within the society. A discussion of the high school student needs and disabled persons needs. There is also a discussion of the definition of position, job, occupation, career and career development which help provide a basis for the further chapters. The author then moves on to the meaning of work and also why people work, this also includes the various definitions that have been provided in the past. The chapter is concluded with a clear summary to help recall everything discussed within the chapter. The main objective of this chapter is to provide the readers with the history of theorizing the career choice and development. The other objective that the chapter entails is the discussion of the trait – and – factor and also the developmental theories. Discussions of the applications and the theories have been able to stand the test of time in the sections. The chapter starts with the discussion of the purpose and evaluation of the theory of career development. The chapter moves on to provide a timeline of the history of career development and how it has theorized over the years. This time line provides for the events that have been dated back to 1909 until 2005. The chapter provides for a history of the theorizing process of career