Saturday, August 31, 2019

Anatomy, Atoms, Cells

Please define the terms anatomy and physiology. Explain the connection between anatomy and physiology within the human body; basically how do they influence one another? Then using the terminology of the anatomical landmarks/regions and directional terms, please write 2 example sentences with proper usage. For example, â€Å"the axilla region is superior to the cubital region of the body†.Anatomy is the study of internal and external structure and the physical relationship between body parts (which means cutting open). Physiology is the study of how living organisms perform their vital functions ( Another word for Greek). The connection between anatomy and physiology within the human body is that structure and function are always presented. You can not have physiology without anatomy because physiology is the study of the function of anatomical structures. Two examples: 1.) â€Å"The Abdomen is located in the Epigastria region of the body.† 2.) â€Å"The calf is inferi or to the hips.†2.Compare and contrast the two feedback mechanisms our bodies use to maintain homeostasis. What would happen if our thermoregulation (temperature control) used a positive feedback to maintain homeostasis?There are two feedback mechanisms our body uses to maintain homeostasis, they are negative feedback and positive feedback. Both feedbacks signal a response to the situation. Negative feedback however will correct the situation where positive feedback drags the process on or exaggerates the situation. If our thermoregulation used a positive feedback to maintain homeostasis our system would start to fail, malfunction or even produce a disease. This is because homeostasis would not be able to fully compensate itself correctly.3.Please define pH and briefly describe the pH scale. Do you think all of our body fluids (stomach juice or blood, as examples) are the same pH? Why or why not? How do pH changes affect protein (enzyme) function? How could this interfere with the body's physiology?pH is the negative exponent of the hydrogen ion concentration, expressed in moles per liter. The pH scale is a solution with a pH of 7 is neutral. pH above 7 is called basic or alkaline, pH below 7 is acidic. I do not think that all our body fluids are the same pH because some things have extreme acidic some are neutral and some are extremely basic. pH changes the shape and enzymes functions start to deteriorate. This is because the pH shifts out of normal limits. This could interfere with out body’s physiology by slowing down the reactions to support life. It could alter our chemical reactions to make them permanently change itself.4.The plasma membrane (cell membrane) is a dynamic component of the cell. What is the plasma membrane composed (made) of? Compare and contrast active and passive transport.Plasma membrane is composed of phospholipids, steroids, proteins and carbohydrates. Passive transport moves ions or molecules across the plasma membrane w ithout any energy expenditure by the cell. Active transport is the high energy bond in APT provides the energy needed to move ions or molecules across the membrane. Both active and passive transport can provide for the Carrier-Mediated Transport.5.What would happen to the cell and body function if there were damage to the mitochondria? Damage to the Ribosomes? Damage to the DNA? Damage to the receptors on the plasma (cell) membrane?If there were damage to the mitochondria the cell and body function would lose energy. This is because mitochondrion is a organelles that provides energy to a cell. If there were damage to the Ribosome the cell and body function would lose manufacture proteins. If there were damage to the DNA the cell and body function would not be able to collect genes or hold the information needed to synthesize thousands of proteins. If there is damage to the receptors on the plasma membrane the cell and body function would  lose the ability to bind materials togethe r or trigger the cells activity.

Friday, August 30, 2019

A Critique of Jean Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring Essay

Different views of nursing gave rise to the formulation of various nursing theories that contribute greatly to the advancement and evolution of the nursing profession as a whole. Some focus on the curative nature of nursing, while others revolve around the social and ethical aspect of the profession that complements conventional medicine. Among the latter is Dr. Jean Watson’s Theory of Transpersonal Caring, which this paper attempts to analyze and evaluate using J. Fawcett’s Framework of Analysis and Evaluation of Conceptual Models of Nursing. Dr. Watson’s personal views of nursing brought about the conception of the theory in 1979, at the time when she was a professor of nursing at the University of Colorado. Her background in educational-clinical and social psychology influenced these views, along with her involvement in a nursing curriculum that sought to establish a standard to nursing that transcends settings, populations, specialty, subspecialty areas and so forth. It was an attempt to bring meaning and focus to nursing as an emerging discipline and distinct health profession with its own unique values, knowledge and practices, with its own ethic and mission to society (Watson, 2006). Originally, Watson’s theory revolved around three major elements, namely the carative factors, the transpersonal caring relationship, and the caring moment. She stated ten carative factors that served as guidelines for the nursing practice and basically centered on the principles of caring. The transpersonal caring relationship describes how the nurse goes beyond an objective assessment, showing concerns toward the person’s subjective and deeper meaning regarding their own health care situation, while the caring moment is defined as the moment (focal point in space and time) when the nurse and another person come together in such a way that an occasion for human caring is created (Cara, 2003). In this context, the four essential concepts of nursing – person, environment, health, and nursing – are encompassed in the theory. Being holistic in nature, the theory presents its framework as a congregation of all these concepts, centering on the person. Watson regards a person as an individual with unique qualities and unique needs. The person is recognized as a being capable of communicating with another beyond physical interaction. The person is viewed as whole and complete, regardless of illness of disease (Watson, 2006). The environment is regarded as a healing space, where the person’s awareness and consciousness can expand and promote mindbodyspirit wholeness and healing (Watson, 1999). Inevitably, the state of a patient’s environment can influence an individual’s state of health. The physical environment can affect how the person can connect and exist in the spiritual environment created by transpersonal caring relationships, and could affect the effectiveness of the science of caring. Health is referred to as the unity and harmony within the mind, body and soul. It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and functioning (Hagopian, 2007). The theory establishes that caring can promote a person’s health better than the curative means of conventional medicine. Through caring, the care giver recognizes the condition of the recipient at a deeper level, enabling him/her to sympathize as needed, and provide the appropriate care needed by the patient. With this means of understanding the patient better, there is greater chance of addressing the patient’s needs, creating the needed balance in his/her physical, mental, and social well-being. Watson defines nursing â€Å"as a human science of persons and human health – illness experiences that are mediated by professional, personal, scientific, esthetic, and ethical human care transactions† (Watson, 1988). The theory also emphasizes caring as central to nursing, and is essentially what the theory wishes to achieve. Nursing is not just about curing an illness or disease – it is beyond that. It is about the nurse being able to center consciousness on the entire being of the other in order to detect his/her inner condition, and impart genuine concern through caring moments communicated through â€Å"movements, gestures, facial expressions, procedures, information, touch, sound, verbal expressions and other scientific, technical, aesthetic, and human means of communication.† The role of consciousness is deemed greatly important, because then the nurse exhibits commitment and sincere intention to connect with the patient at a deeper level, thus becoming an effective aid in nursing the patient back to health, physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Watson, 2006). As can be derived from what has been discussed, the theory is concerned with establishing nursing as a profession distinct from the curative nature of conventional medicine, to which it has been originally strongly associated with – the original role of the nurse being to primarily care for the patient as dictated and required by disease or illness. The theory places emphasis on the transcendent and healing quality of a caring relationship shared by nurse and patient. It describes how transpersonal caring goes beyond physical reality and ventures into the spiritual, opening greater possibilities of healing and well-being, as opposed to disease-based medication and regard to patient. Watson’s theory has guided nursing practices in different areas, including rehabilitation centers, hospices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. Watson’s model proved to be socially significant, as well. It has served as a conceptual framework for guiding community health nursing practice, and has been described as â€Å"philosophically congruent with contemporary global approaches to community health and health promotion† (Rafael, 2000). However, this model can both lead to nursing activities that meet social expectations, and create expectations that require societal change. In this time when people think twice before trusting, nursing professionals may have to exert more conscious effort in making the connection and creating transpersonal caring relationships because beyond the hesitation, society expects the nursing community to be sympathetic, concerned, and genuinely caring of their patient. On the other hand, as transpersonal caring becomes increasingly successful in the improvement of the patient’s well-being, higher expectations of nurses are created. This may lead to society being increasingly dependent on nurses, and less on medical technology. The effectiveness of Watson’s theory has been validated with its use as a guide in several studies centering on caring science. It has been â€Å"recommended as a guide to nursing patients with hypertension, as one means of decreasing blood pressure and increase in quality of life,† in a study made on its effectiveness on the quality of life and blood pressure of patients with hypertension in Turkey (Erci, Sayan, Tortumluoglu, Kilic, Sahin, & Gungormus, 2003). In another study on caring for old adults, it was established that the theory was effective in improving the quality of life and peace of mind, body, and soul of the older people, just by caring and listening attentively to what they have to say (Bernick, 2004). Through the years since the conception of the theory, Watson’s work continues to evolve. In recent updates, she had offered the concept of clinical caritas processes over the original carative factors. It basically injects more spirituality and love into the framework. Such a perspective ironically places nursing within its most mature framework, consistent with the Nightingale model of nursing, yet to be actualized, but awaiting its evolution within a caring-healing theory. This direction, ironically while embedded in theory, goes beyond theory and becomes a converging paradigm for nursing’s future (Watson, 2006). References Bernick, L. (2004). Caring for older adults: practice guided by Watson’s caring-healing model. Nursing Science Quarterly, 17(2):128-34. Cara, C. (2003). A pragmatic view of Jean Watson’s caring theory. International Journal of Human Caring, 7(3), 51-61. Erci, B., Sayan, A.,Tortumluoglu, G., Kilic, D., Sahin, O., & Gungormus Z. (2003). The effectiveness of Watson’s Caring Model on the quality of life and blood pressure of patients with hypertension. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(2), 130–139. Hagopian, G. (2007). Nursing theorists. Retrieved February 8, 2007 from www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/arohap/aphome/NURS3006/Resources/theorists.ppt Rafael, AR. (2000). Watson’s philosophy, science, and theory of human caring as a conceptual framework for guiding community health nursing practice. ANS. Advances in Nursing Science, 23(2):34-49. Watson, J. (1988). Nursing: Human science and human care. A theory of nursing (2nd printing). New York: National League for Nursing. Watson, J. (1999). Postmodern nursing and beyond. Toronto, Canada: Churchill Livingstone. Watson, J. (2006). Dr. Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. Retrieved February 8, 2007 from http://www2.uchsc.edu/son/caring/content/evolution.asp

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Questions: Mobile Phone and Personal Navigation Devices Essay

Overview As TomTom, one of the largest producers of satellite navigation devices in the world, entered 2010 it faced stiff competition from its traditional rivals such as Garmin and from new competition from cell phones. Although its sales reached an all time high of â‚ ¬1.74 billion in 2007 by 2008 sales had slipped to â‚ ¬1.67 billion. That year the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. The decline in sales continued with 2009 sales slipping to â‚ ¬1.48 billion, although the company managed to post net income of â‚ ¬86 million that year. TomTom employed over 3,000 employees in 40 countries. Since its founding in 1991, the Netherlands-based company experienced steady growth. It offered an array of information services and devices aimed at the consumer and business markets. It led the navigation market in Europe, and was second to Garmin in the United States. In 2007, it outbid Garmin to acquire Tele Atlas in a vertical integration strategy to control the map creation process. TomTom paid â‚ ¬2.9 billion for Tele Atlas. As 2009 came to a close, Google announced it would offer turn-by-turn navigation within cell phones. Google said the product, initially limited to driving directions in the U.S. would be free to consumers. As the U.S. and European markets for navigation devices matured, TomTom was faced with decisions related to the relative emphasis it should place on its stand-alone navigation devices, built-in navigational units for automobiles and aviation, and business devices and services aimed at companies with large mobile workforces. Suggestions for Using the Case Students should find the TomTom case interesting since many of them probably own a GPS unit or use a smartphone- based GPS application. The Nintendo case is excellent for drilling students in applying the concepts and analytical tools covered in Chapters 4 and 5. The case provides sufficient information to allow students to fully examine the competitive forces at play in the personal navigation industry, consider the industry’s driving forces and key success factors, and examine TomTom’s internal situation. In addition, the case’s decision focus allows students to consider what TomTom must do to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. To give students  guidance in what to do and think about in preparing the TomTom case for class discussion, we strongly recommend providing class members with a set of study questions and insisting that they prepare good notes/answers to these questions in preparing for class discussion of the case. You may also find it beneficial to have your class read the Guide to Case Analysis that is posted in the student section of the Online Learning Center for the 18th edition at www.mhhe.com/thompson. Students will find the content of this Guide particularly helpful if this is their first experience with cases and they are unsure about the mechanics of how to prepare a case for class discussion, oral presentation, or written analysis. TomTom: New Competition Everywhere! *This teaching note was prepared by Professor Woody Richardson, Mississippi State University. We are most grateful for his insight, analysis and contributions to how the case can be taught successfully. * In our experience, it is quite difficult to have an insightful and constructive class discussion of an assigned case unless students have conscientiously have made use of pertinent core concepts and analytical tools in preparing substantive answers to a set of well-conceived study questions before they come to class. In our classes, we expect students to bring their notes to the study questions to use/refer to in responding to the questions that we pose. Moreover, students often find having a set of study questions is useful in helping them prepare oral team presentations and written case assignments—in addition to whatever directive questions you supply for these assignments. Hence, we urge that you insist students spend quality time preparing answers to study questions— either those we have provided or a set of your own questions. The case can be used effectively for a written assignment or oral presentation. Our recommended questions for written assignments are as follows: You have recently been hired by TomTom as a new market analyst and have been asked to assess the attractiveness of the personal navigation industry and determine TomTom’s competitive strength. Please prepare a 5-6 page report that evaluates competition in the industry, assesses industry driving forces, and lists industry key success factors. Your report should also include an assessment of TomTom’s internal  situation and makes specific strategy recommendations that will allow TomTom to improve its market and financial performance. Assignment Questions 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing?  2. How well is the strategy working?  3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? Teaching Outline and Analysis 1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing? For the most part, TomTom has followed product development and market development strategies with clear emphasis on differentiating its product. Its 2007 acquisition of Tele Atlas was clearly illustrative of vertical integration. Through the years its acquisitions and patent development display elements of an offensive basis of competitive attack based on pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market share away from less innovative rivals. A good use of the history section of the case is to have students classify or label TomTom’s historical actions related to products and markets into product development or market development. The results might look like the following table. Time Action Described in Case Strategy Early 1990s Software development for handheld computers to commercial applications. Product Development & Market Development 1996 Announced first navigation software Market Development 2001 Entered Mobile car satellite navigation market Market Development 2006-2008 Acquired Datafactory AG to power TomTom Work Acquired Applied Generics for Mobility Solutions. Acquired Tele Atlas for map creation Product Development Product Development Vertical Integration 2009 TomTom for the iPhone released Market Development The TomTom Group consisted of TomTom (Business to Consumer), Tele Atlas (Business to Business), WORK (Commercial Fleets), and Automotive (Auto Manufacturers & Suppliers). In response to the economic downturn that began in 2007, increased competitive threats, and growth declines in the U.S. and Europe, the company shifted its business mix toward value-added services. The potential results of this attempt to make personal navigation devices (PNDs) a smaller proportion of total revenue were at best uncertain. 2. How well is the strategy working? The short answer is that up until the global economic downturn beginning in 2007 and continuing in 2008, TomTom’s strategy had produced outstanding results. However, as the losses in 2008 indicate, the strategy bears scrutiny. The downward pressure on prices due to competition and the slowing of discretionary expenditures due to the global recession produced a financial strain on TomTom. An examination of Case Exhibits 3 and 4 reveals the following trends from the first Quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009: ÃŽ ½ European Revenue Down 22% ÃŽ ½ North America Revenue Down 52% ÃŽ ½ Global PNDs sold Down 29%. At the same time, the selling price and overall operating margins had been decreasing since 2007. The gross profit margins from 2006-2009 were as  follows: 2009 2008 2007 2006 50.6% 53.3% 56.0% 57.6% This caused net income to drop much more precipitously than the decline in sales. Couple this information with a debt load over â‚ ¬1 billion due to the acquisition of Tele Atlas and the company appeared to be in a financial bind. For all of 2008, the company posted a loss of â‚ ¬872 million. 3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What kind of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability? The outlook for industry profitability is not what it was 5 years ago. Students should be able to develop an outlook by using Porter’s Model of Industry Attractiveness as discussed in Chapter 3 of the text. Rivalry among Competing Sellers Rivalry will intensify as industry growth in US & Europe slows. Margins will continue to decline. Firms will fight to utilize capacity through further price cuts. Growth in China & India would mitigate the rivalry intensity. Buyers Big Box stores exert strong pressure on price, terms & delivery. Car makers also exert strong influence owing to their purchasing power. Suppliers Very limited influence as all key components are controlled through vertical integration. Threat from Substitute Products Major Threat – Cell phones for PNDs predicted to dominate by 2013. Less Threat – Fleet management & Automotive markets. Potential New Entrants Nokia’s acquisition of Navteq signals their intent to integrate phone and navigation services. Google’s announcement also signals its entry into the market. Up until recently the industry was much more attractive. Physical maps were not much of a threat as a substitute, but by 2009 the industry was undergoing a sea change regarding cell phones as substitutes. For the younger consumers who have never not known cell phones, the expectation that navigation be a common feature will be a strong force in the market just as many in this generation only wear watches as fashion ornaments because they are never without their cell phone. These tech-saavy consumers may eschew separate devices for navigation. 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company? Strengths Weaknesses †¢ Brand Name Recognition †¢ Map creation capabilities †¢ Innovative features — Mapshare — Points of Interest — Traffic updates †¢ Automotive partnerships †¢ European market share †¢ Sales declines †¢ Shrinking margins †¢ Debt load since Tele Atlas acquisition †¢ Relative weak sales outside Europe & the United States †¢ Stand alone (separate) products Threats Opportunities †¢ PND unit sales decline †¢ Multifunctional devices (cell phones/smart phones) popularity is growing †¢ Strong Competition from Traditional competitors – Garmin & Magellan †¢ Strong Competition from new competitors – Nokia & Google †¢ Potential legislation to restrict/ban navigational devices from autos †¢ Aging satellites that support GPS †¢ Growth of India & China †¢ 65% of U.S. adults don’t own any kind of navigation device of any kind †¢ High fuel prices encourage better fleet management & fuel efficiency for consumers †¢ Environmental concerns encourage better fleet management & consumer behavior to be â€Å"green† 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? This is a difficult question. Certainly the move to reduce the company’s reliance on PNDs, a product category with declining sales, prices, and margins seemed a prudent measure. The efficacy of this strategy will depend on at least two key questions. ÃŽ ½ How fast will the PND market continue to shift to cell phones? If the analysts are correct and the cell phones will dominate the delivery for personal navigation devices then TomTom may need to accelerate its plans to reduce its dependency on this category. Students should recognize that as the demand for stand-alone PNDs declines the price will drop even more precipitously. ÃŽ ½ How fast can TomTom grow its non-PND business lines? One bright potential bright spot for TomTom could be the demand for more partnerships with car makers. Car makers will likely offer navigational devices as standard features rather than luxury options. TomTom could be well positioned (if it chooses to do so) to garner a share of this market similar to its deal announced at the end of 2008 with Renault. Of course, the car makers would continue the downward price pressure, but would represent a sizable market opportunity. Of course, should legislation be introduced to ban navigational devices in automobiles this would have a profound effect on TomTom and its competitors. Some students will be quick to point out that the markets in China and India would be lagging the U.S.  and Europe and would therefore be ripe for market penetration without any significant outlay for new product development. However, better students will point out that China and India both have significant cell phone penetration and they may actually be more desirous of product integration and multi-bfunctionality. 6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats? First, there appears to be no â€Å"magic bullet† capable of taking a strong #2 player such as TomTom to number one in the industry unless Garmin were to make a major misstep. The diffi culty of making a recommendation is further exacerbated by the move to cell phones for PNDs. However, TomTom might consider some of the following actions. ÃŽ ½ Focus on information solutions, specifically the â€Å"Better Routing† & â€Å"Better Traffic† information goals mentioned in the case. Provide these solutions regardless of type of device. ÃŽ ½ Defend and Develop markets not dependent on cell phone devices (e.g. coast guard, maritime, aviation, and fleet management markets.) ÃŽ ½ Seek more automotive partnerships – use the Renault and Avis experiences to ramp up sales in this area. ÃŽ ½ Extend product life – attempt to recoup R&D efforts by seeking markets in developing countries where the disposable income may be reaching the threshold to adopt PNDs. ÃŽ ½ Aggressively market fleet management solutions. ÃŽ ½ Develop more applications/partnerships similar to the iPhone experience. Find a way to â€Å"ride the dragon.† Find a way to participate in the growth in multifunctional cell phones. Even a small portion of this huge market would be extremely lucrative. Epilogue Immediately following Google’s October 28, 2009 announcement mentioned at the end of the case, TomTom and Garmin offered Black Friday discounts of 25% up  to 40% on some units. In 2010, the company generated sales of â‚ ¬1.521 billion with a net income of â‚ ¬108 million. TomTom announced in a February 25, 2011 Reuters report by Roberta B. Cowan that it faces â€Å"such a rapid decline in its key market for personal navigation devices (PNDs) that its shift into new businesses may not be fast enough to compensate.† The company forecasted that the overall PND market would decline by 10 to 15 percent in 2011 and that its earnings would not grow.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 24

Education - Essay Example The system will empower student’s partnership with education stakeholders thereby creating a more attractive and friendly learning environment. The significance of education in the national development is a key issue that requires efforts from all zones to ensure achievement of the best results. The pace of national developments in Saudi Arabia requires policy makers and other stakeholders to be more vigilant on issues that may hinder educational goal achievement. It is the reason that parents and the ministry of education felt needed address and the best way is through making education system friendlier to students (Doumato and Marsha 57). A positive move will have a great impact on the education system bearing in mind that students are more sensitive on issues of freedom, process and the education environment. Students are subject to many challenges in the course of learning. These challenges may be a limiting factor in achievement of their goals but with a friendlier school and learning environment, these challenges may be minimal. Most students even drop out of school citing inability to cope with school life a reason that has made the ministry support a friendlier school environment to ensure students appreciate and feel catered in the learning process (Sedgwick 23). The efforts to make school life friendlier have significant benefits but at the same time has many negative effects on student’s education and their adequateness to adapt to the general life. Technology is important and is a key factor in making learning environment more appealing but has negative effects attached to it. The encouragement of student-teacher relationship has many benefits and lays several negative effects too. The use of buses by students to and from school may also have negative effects on student’s life. The negative impacts range from moral corrosion, change of lifestyles, health

The four management functions in relation to operation management Essay

The four management functions in relation to operation management theory - Essay Example The paper tells that there are four functions that a manager accomplishes in a business organization. These four functions are known as planning, controlling, organizing, and leading. This section of the paper will look at these individual functions closely. Planning involves the "ongoing process of developing the business' mission, and objectives, and how they will be accomplished." The planning process can be used in a broad sense to take into account the whole organization. This will include devising the company's mission and vision. It can also be applied in a specific situation such as the formulation of a strategy to increase the company's market share. Organizing, on the other hand, refers to the creation of the company's organizational structure. This involves determining the functions to be done as well the resources to accomplish them. Organizing also includes how processes will be managed and coordinated. In summary, the organizing function encompasses how managers distrib ute tasks to job holders and focus on division of labor, coordination, control of tasks, and flow of information within the organization. The third managerial function is leading to other writers refer to this function as directing. Leading "is influencing people's behavior through motivation, communication, group dynamics, leadership, and discipline." The real essence of leading is for the manager to equip the employees with their needs to realize the organization's objectives while giving them room to achieve their respective career objectives. Controlling is the managerial function which necessitates the identification of the company's specific goals. Controlling is a "four-step process of establishing performance standards based on the firm's objectives, measuring and reporting actual performance, comparing the two, and taking corrective or preventive action as necessary." Put simply, the controlling function of management is the check and balance system which tries to reveal th e inefficiencies in the strategies employed in realizing the goals of the organization. Controlling is very significant as it tells the managers the loopholes and enables them to correct their systems in order to enhance the company's performance. The operation is one of the functional areas of an organization. Operations management is essentially the area which carefully manages the processes of the company's value chain in order to efficiently produce and distribute its products and servicesÃ'Ž Operations management is indispensable in the functioning of any business organization may it be a small start-up entity or a large manufacturing firm. Operations management deals with the management of the company's core activity. Therefore, the functions of operations managers vary with the major activity of a business entity. The operation manager of a company engaged in the manufacture of children’s toys is basically tasked to oversee the firm’s value chain from the procu rement of raw materials, assembly, sales, and after sales services such as handling of complaints and warranties. On the other hand, the operations managers of a service company like a spa handles day to day activities like management of workforce to service the customers.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

On-Job Training And E-Learning In The Petrochemical Plants Research Paper

On-Job Training And E-Learning In The Petrochemical Plants - Research Paper Example The researcher states that training has become a need of organizations of today. This has encouraged me to conduct research on one of the most important industries of the economy, Petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry is critical to the success of any economy and therefore I got interested in analyzing and identifying how businesses in the petrochemical industry train its employees. Technology has influenced businesses and it has changed how businesses train its employees. Therefore I am interested in analyzing and comparing two of the most used training techniques in the petrochemical industry; On-Job Training And E-Learning. This research study aims to analyze the impact of training on the performance of employees in the petrochemical industry. Two important training techniques are analyzed; on-job training and e-learning. The report, therefore, analyzes whether on-job training and e-learning have a positive or a negative impact on the performance of employees in the p etrochemical industry. The report also analyzes which of the two techniques are more effective to enhance the performance of the employees in the petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry has become highly competitive. It is believed success is dependent on three important factors in this competitive market and these factors are efficiency, quality, and product development. In the petrochemical industry, there are different types of reactants, toxic gas emissions, and other chemicals that have potential for toxic and are flammable. Therefore training of employees is significant in ensuring that health and safety measures are made and employees are safe. Training is helpful in improving the efficiency of the employees as well.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Implenting Dorothy Orem's nursing theory on a psychiatric practice Essay

Implenting Dorothy Orem's nursing theory on a psychiatric practice unit - Essay Example The contribution of the patients toward their care is apparent. This proceeds to the evaluation of the role of nurses in the sustainability of effective nursing techniques. Evaluation However, prior to the evaluation of the contribution of the Orem's theory to the generation of effective nursing techniques, it is vital to evaluate the description that is painted from the embrace of the theory. Orem's theory is established from a connection of actively interrelated assertions that steer towards the development of a common idea. The theory places its aim at configuring out different avenues upon which the central aim can be attained (Z?eleznik, 2010). This aim is narrowed along the improvement of the service, as the desires and interests of the patient are prioritized. The developments of these assertions are built along a logic approach. This implicates that the development of the theory is founded on an interweave of logical assertions and principles. This perception assists in the d evelopment of an effective theory in terms of acceptance (Barbosa & Severinsson, 2010). Pointing on the nature of the theory, a general conclusion can be ascertained on its simplicity in terms of ease of understanding. It is eminent that the utilization or the adoption of this theory is highly pegged on the ease upon which its effective implementation can be achieved. The developments of complications along the deciphering of its content are highly reduced since the perception or the development of a reliable conclusion is easily attained. The development of successful scientific theories is strengthened by the ability to allow for the integration of increased abilities to evaluate each hypothesis proposed by the theory. It is eminent that the integration of successful evaluation methodologies is essential in the development of ultimate faith in scientific theories. This can be reflected in the Orem's theory, which allows for the utilization of simplified methodologies towards the e valuation of its relevance. Such backgrounds contribute grossly to the development of convenient nursing options for the medical world. It is apparent that the development of the Orem's theory focused on achieving these assertions. This is with regard to the structure upon which it is developed. The simplicity in deduction plays a contributory role in the development of effective adoption models for the theory. Upon evaluating the streaking points that seek to define the perception upon which the theory is developed, it is essential to identify the details that jolt the theory. Apparently, Orem's theory is founded on three principle assertions that can be defined as the sub theories to the main idea. Amongst these is the theory of self-care, a theory that seeks to improve the standards upon which health care can be improved. This aspect of the general Orem's theory seeks to identify health care as an international religion subscribed by each individual. The central aim rests at ensu ring that the perceptions of safety (with regard to health) are not solely based on the shoulders of the nurses but to the patients, as well (Barbosa & Severinsson, 2010). The theory seeks to re-cluster the whole ideology of effective health by distributing it to the individuals that stand to reap the utmost benefits of effective health care practices. This refers to the patients who can be defined as

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Marxism theory of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marxism theory of the State - Essay Example For instance, Marxism has different impacts compared to pluralism and elitism. However, Marxism is still the preferred theory for governance in countries like Russia and China. Supporters of Marxism in Russia argue that it creates balance in the society compared to pluralism and elitism1. Marxists advocate for the institution of political and legal structures that create a classless society. Karl Marx and Engels devised the theory after conducting several studies on the dynamics that shape the society. The two philosophers formulated the theory at a time when governments were struggling with political, social and economic structures in the society. The theory was an alternative to leadership that was failing in the society. Marx recommended the theory because it provided solutions to challenges that faced pluralism, elitism and feudalism. Based on initial literature review processes, it appears that Marxism is the most convincing theory for governance. Marxism political system Marxis m is a theory that puts the society into classes based on their economic capabilities. According to the theory, everyone in the society has a fundamental role to play in enhancing stability of the state2. The theory is opposed to totalitarian rule when the state has autonomy in controlling the social political and economic aspects of peoples’ life. Marx argues that discomfort of the masses has the possibility of destabilizing the society. Therefore, Marx suggests that measures should be enacted to enhance understanding amid different classes of the society. In Marxism, the classes are based on the individual’s access to the means of production. People who have the capacity to manipulate the factors of production are at the top of the class. The second group is the middle class identified as those who control the factors of production, but lack sufficient control as the upper class. The last group is the lower classes who partake in the production but they receive fewer benefits from the process. Authority serves at the behest of the class that owns wealth in a classified society. According to the theory, instability in the society results from class struggle. This means that there can never be peace as long as a particular group of people is dissatisfied with the administration. A need arises for people in authority to formulate measures for creating a balance in society to prevent conflicts from arising3. According to Marx, a shift in power is likely to happen whenever a particular class feels that the authorities do not represent their interests. Marxist approach allows individuals to take control of the factors of production in the society4. The theory enhances stability in the society because it encourages individuals to produce wealth that can be used by the community. According to Marx and Engels, the theory makes it easy for the ruling class to maintain stability in the society by quelling any form of discomfort among the classes in the so ciety. According to theory, a State is the authority that takes control over the other classes. The State is responsible for controlling the factors of production. Politics play a significant role in influencing economic activities of the classes. Interestingly, the ruling class constitutes the minority in the populace in several instances. However, the ruling class is influential based on their economic capability. The ruling class thrives at the ignorance of the middle class who comprise the bulk of the population yet they lack the capacity to control the State. Given their numerical strength, they can overthrow the government at will but they are unsuccessful because

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Managing Marketing Channels Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing Marketing Channels - Literature review Example As the paper outlines, intermediaries are specialists in selling. They have the contacts, experience, and scale of operation which means that greater sales can be achieved than if the producing business tried to run a sales operation itself (Tutor2u, 2008, pg. 1).  "The main function of a distribution channel is to provide a link between production and consumption. Organizations that form any particular distribution channel perform many key functions" (Tutor2u, 2008, pg. 1). These can include factors such as information, promotion, contact, matching, negotiation, physical distribution, financing, and risk taking (Tutor2u, 2008).  The amount of information an intermediary knows is crucial for market planning. The ability of an intermediary to promote a product tells how efficient it is at communicating product and offer information. Contacts held by a particular intermediary let a business know how well it can find and communicate with prospective buyers. The ability of an interme diary to match means whether or not it is able to meet the needs of prospective buyers. Negotiation refers to the ability of an intermediary to reach agreements on prices and other terms. The physical distribution for an intermediary refers to its ability to transport and/or store products. The ability to acquire and use funds to cover costs refers to the financing ability of an intermediary. Finally, an activity such as holding stock in other organizations shows an intermediary's willingness to take risks (Tutor2u, 2008).  Ã‚  According to the material presented at Tutor2u (2008, pg. 1), "All of the above functions need to be undertaken in any market. The question is - who performs them and how many levels there need to be in the distribution channel in order to make it cost effective." Three examples of channel levels include those channel levels which consist of no intermediary, one intermediary, and two intermediaries. When there is no intermediary in a channel, it is known as direct marketing. An example of this is a factory outlet store. A channel with one intermediary is usually a retailer. A channel with two intermediaries could be illustrated through the UK drug market (Tutor2u, 2008).  Oversaturation occurs when the marketplace is crowded with a particular product or service. One relevant example of this in the U.K. is superhero movies. During the summer of 2008, a large number of superhero films were released-such as the Incredible Hulk-leaving the market oversaturated with them (Guardian, 2008). An example of a conflict occurring over stock levels is the recent release of Mac's iPhone all throughout the world, including the UK. When it was released into the marketplace, consumer demand exceeded the supply available. Therefore, it was hard for distribution channel members to keep them on store shelves (MacRumors, 2008). An example of conflict involving direct versus indirect channels comes into play with Computer Associates. According to Yirrell (2002, pg. 1), "The world's third largest software vendor has pledged to eliminate the long-standing conflict between direct and indirect and has launched a strategy which it claims will encourage the two sides to work together."

Friday, August 23, 2019

Proposal designs Seminar Unit 8 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Proposal designs Seminar Unit 8 - Research Paper Example Submitting an inaccurate budget in your proposal packet may mean that the organisation has poor financial management practices or there were inaccuracies when writing the budget. The two main consequences that may result due to these inaccuracies are that the whole proposal may be reviewed negatively and thus the grant denied or the proposal may be sent back to the grantee for corrections on the budget. The consequence here will depend on the materiality of the inaccuracies (Karsh & Fox, 2009). Funders like to imagine that they are funding a proposal that will be able to carry on its activities into the future with or without their help. It is therefore important to show how the program will sustain itself after the grant as this shows the funder that their grant will be of future benefit. A sustainable project will show the funder the need for initial funding and this will influence their decision in a positive way (Karsh & Fox,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Social Identity Theory and its Impact on People’s Reactions to Petrol Queue Jumping Essay Example for Free

Social Identity Theory and its Impact on People’s Reactions to Petrol Queue Jumping Essay Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether the social identity theory applies when it comes to peoples’ reactions to petrol queue jumping. It intended to ascertain whether participants demonstrated more reaction to those who jump queues, outside their own in-group (those who drive luxurious cars as opposed to non-luxurious car drivers). This study was influenced by a similar experiment conducted by Helweg-Larsen LoMonaco (2008) about queuing among U2 fans and their reactions to queue jumping. The experiment involved 49 participants who indicated they didn’t drive a luxury car, in a Melbourne metropolitan petrol queue, 26 of whom were males, aged 18-58 years (M =33:82; SD = 11. 26), in addition to this there were 23 females, aged 18-61 years (M =33.11; SD = 11.26). A questionnaire was utilized which included basic information as well as strength of identification with other drivers. Assessment of how upset queue jumping made them feel on a scale of 1-7 was also utilised. The results demonstrated that there was a reasonably high reaction rate, with statistically significantly results that proved drivers have a high level of social identification amongst other drivers within the same social class. The hypothesis that those who operate a non-luxurious vehicle will appear more distressed about queue jumping, when it is by someone driving a car of luxury as opposed to someone who is driving a car that is considered non-luxurious was supported. This helps support the existence of the social identity theory although the implications of this are that perhaps a broader definition of what ‘reaction’ to queue jumping needs to be developed, as well as using a larger sample size of people from several states or perhaps even countries. Social Identity Theory and its Impact on People’s Reactions to Petrol Queue Jumping It’s normal for most people to have a fundamental curiosity for finding out the causes of and therefore finding explanations for the behaviours demonstrated by humans. It is via this inquisition that queue jumping is explored, it is recognised as a human behaviour that most people will have to deal with in their everyday lives. It is generally known as the social phenomena where another person skips the line and rather then waiting at the  end of a queue. Queue jumping, as it is commonly known, has been researched in various cases including research within the animal community. Particularly in a study about wasps, which demonstrated that queue jumping may be seen as a rule for inheriting dominance (Bridge Field, 2007). This is not the sole study in regards to queue jumping, Milgram et al (1986) investigated the responses to queue jumping by assigning intruders to wait in queues (either single or multiple confederates) and they found that if there were more than one intruder it would provoke more of a reaction amongst the participants. They were also able to deduce from this study that those who preceded the intruders in the line felt more distaste for the queue jumpers as opposed to those in front of the queue jumpers (Milgram et al, 1986). This study demonstrates the social implications that queue jumping can have on an individual and the reason that so much weight has been assigned to the importance of researching queue jumping is because through this human interest, social theories, such as the â€Å"Social Identity Theory† have taken place. Social Identity Theory is a theory based on group membership as well as intergroup interactions that are based on self-categorisation, social comparison and the structure of a shared self-definition in terms of ingroup-defining properties (Vaughan Hogg, 2011). There are two dynamics to social identity that are attributing causality for behaviours, these include: social identity, which is the definition of self in terms of group membership as well as personal identit y, which is when one defines self in terms of personal relationships and traits (Vaughan Hogg, 2011). The main component to the social identity theory is the in-group/out-group differentiation which â€Å"is an inevitable characteristic of social life, and many social psychologists are still very busy with the issue of intergroup differentiation† (TaÅŸdemir, 2011). This study is relatable to other research particularly one executed by Thoitis Virshup (1997) in which groups of people were classified into â€Å"me’s and â€Å"we’s† and this is a clear representation for in-groups and out-groups. They discussed the notion that there is a sense of obligation and protection of one’s own ingroup as they are willing to empathise with those perceived to be similar to the individual as oppose to the â€Å"we’s† who were seen as dissimilar to the individual (Thoitis Virshup, 1997). In terms of human behaviour, social identity theory and queue jumping can be  closely interrelated as queue jumping has been was investigated by Helweg-Larsen LoMonaco (2008). In this study U2 fans where given a questionnaire whilst waiting in an overnight line to obtain floor spots at his concert the following day. The purpose was to reflect on their reactions to line-intrusion and the results showed that the queue is a social system and line intrusion was most upsetting to fans with a greater the commitment; the more dedicated the fan the more upset they were by queue jumping (Helweg-Larsen LoMonaco, 2008). In regards to queue jumping, there is much curiosity as to whether the social identity theory can be proven but little research. It is important to study reactions to queue jumping simply because of the social implications that are derived from this, as understanding how people function within a social in-group and how they react to an out-group can be vital. Through this knowledge one may able to apply this to discover solutions to problems such as peak hour traffic and how to best overcome this problem and avoid road rage and car-crashes. With that in mind the study below aims to investigate whether social identity affects how upset people feel about jumping a queue in order to purchase petrol. It is predicted in this study that those who operate a non-luxurious vehicle will appear more distressed about line intrusion, when it is by someone driving a luxury car rather that a non-luxury vehicle. This prediction is based on the social identity, assuming that the social identity theory can be demonstrated. Method Participants This study involved 49 participants who indicated they didn’t drive a luxury car, in a Melbourne metropolitan petrol queue, 26 of whom were males, aged 18-58 years (M =33:82; SD = 11.26), in addition to this there were 23 females, aged 18-61 years (M =33.11; SD = 11.26). Design The scheme utilised in this study was a one-way between-factor design. In relation to queue jumping it compared participants reactions from (LUXURY) whether the queue jumper drove a luxury car in which 24 where allocated and (NON-LUXURY) whether the queue jumper drove a non-luxury car in which 25  participants were allocated. As well as the main dependant variable being the measure of how distressed people felt about the queue jumping. Materials/Apparatus A questionnaire including background information (such as age; gender; number of years driving; type of car driven; how long they had been waiting in the petrol queue; whether they had waited in petrol queues before; whether they had ever witnessed queue jumping and when; and how much they usually paid for petrol) was employed. The questionnaire also evaluated their strength of recognition with drivers of non-luxury cars using Brown, Condor, Mathews, Wade and Williams’ (1986) 10-item measure of social identification (1 =strongly disagree; 7 =strongly agree). A total maximum score of 70 was possible on this measure. The questionnaire also implemented four items that each measured how distressed queue jumping (overall) made them feel (1=not at all upset, to 7=extremely upset). These items were revised versions of questions included in Helweg-Larsen and Lomonaco (2008) and a single measure/index (called REACTION) was calculated by summing the answers to these four items; with hig her figures indicating that people were more distressed by the queue jumping. A total maximum score of 28 was possible on this form of measurement. Procedure Ethics approval was first obtained from Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee. Participants were then selected in the Melbourne metropolitan region petrol station where queuing for reduction of petrol prices happened frequently. In the first occurrence, four drivers were employed and were requested by the experimenter to act as experimental stooges. Two of these drivers were required to drive a luxury car: 1. a Maserati GranCabrio Sport; and 2. a 2012 model Porsche 911. One of these (luxury car) drivers was asked to take up a place in a petrol queue and allow queue jumping to happen, while the remaining driver was expected to jump the queue to the place immediately preceding to that drivers location in the queue. The other two drivers were asked to drive a non-luxury car: a Ford Fiesta or a Holden Astra. One of these (non-luxury car) drivers was also required to take up a place in the petrol queue and to allow queue  jumping to happen, while the other driver was asked to hop the queue in the place immediately preceding that drivers place in the queue. This meant that other people in the queue were open to the elements of queue jumping, that was being put up with, either among luxury car drivers or among non-luxury car drivers. The two queue jumping incidents were staged to take place at a distance of 10 cars from the petrol pumps, within the same day but separated by two hours in time (with queues stretching for numerous blocks). No other queue jumping, besides those associated with the current study, was observed to have taken place. Each of the participants in the queue behind the place where the queue jumping occurred was approached, after the incident, by one of four experimental research assistants and they were then asked to answer a questionnaire about queuing for petrol. At the conclusion of the study, all participants were debriefed and notified that they were permitted to contact the experimenter to gain access to results. Results Table 1 Mean and Standard Reaction to Queue Jumping of Luxury and Non-Luxury cars N Mean Standard Deviation LUXURY 2425.712.10 NON-LUXURY 25 23.60 2.14 TOTAL 49 24.63 2.35 The results from Table 1 illustrate that the total Mean was 24.63, where the maximum response possible was 28 for REACTION (as well as a maximum of 70 on the social identity scale) and the total Standard Deviation being 2.35. This indicates that the scores were relatively high in regards to the total amount possible. Using SPPS version20, a one-way between variable factor, ANOVA was carried out on the dependant variable of REACTION. Reaction was perceived bigger when the queue jumping was done by a luxury car driver (M=25.70; SD=2.09) as opposed to when it was by a non-luxury car driver (M=23.60; SD=2.14);(F(1, 48)=12.12;p

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

English society and lifestyles Essay Example for Free

English society and lifestyles Essay He also demonstrates his strength by bending a fire poker in half, this proves that he is dangerous and willing to go to any length to get what he wants. Because of his butch, scary description in the first part of the story, he may come across and un-educated. He is actually very cunning, he thinks of all the fake things in his room, these lead to the deaths. He is very clever, even Holmes addresses him as cunning. Jabez Wilson Jabex Wilson is a character in the story the red headed league he is the owner of a local pawnshop, he is given a false job in the story. The fake job he is given, although simple pays very good money, he takes the job and leaves his partner in charge of his pawn shop, him taking the job shows that, like anybody in Victorian England, he would do anything for money, he also took on his assistant , Vincent spaldling, because he offered to come at half wages. Vincent Spalding Vincent Spalding is the character of Wilsons assistant in the red headed league. He tricks Wilson into leaving him the shop so that he can dig to a nearby bank. He is actually john clay in disguise, john clay is a famous bank robber who is wanted by the police. he is very cunning with the way he works, he fixed a fake advertisement, fake job, fake identity all for one job, this in some ways shows that he has determination and devotion to what he does. The place of servants The place of servants throughout these stories, is not very obvious. in the speckled band the manor house in which Helen Stoner and Dr Roylott live, is said to have a room for the maid. this shows that housing was provided for servants. It shows that although there is a definite hierarchy between master and servant, considerations are made on the part of food, and housing. The role of women In the three stories which I studied the role of women varies, in the man with the twisted lip Mrs. St Clare comes across as the type of woman that stays in and cooks and cleans at her husbands demands, she has dinner for him at his arrival home in the evening and doesnt ask where his money comes from or what he does, she just accepts that it is money. Whereas is the speckled band Helen Stoner is much more independent of her self, she rides on the train and dog cart in the early hours of the morning without permission, she tries to find out for herself the cause of her sisters death and seeks out her own help even though she is fully aware of her stepfathers capabilities. The nature of Law and Order Compared to real Victorian England the police in the stories come across as very laid back, in the red headed league they are fully aware of the happenings and still offer to make all of it disappear even though it is a very large investigation, and is very important. Although the police are satisfactory to the community, Holmes always seems to outsmart them, as it were, always get there first. But yet he is not a part of the police service, he isnt running a private service for money because he only asks for the expenses to be paid. this shows his devotion to the service and how he doesnt do it for the money. Transport and communications The transport in the stories is quite modern in some parts, in the speckled band, Helen stoner uses a train to reach Holmes, this shows that train run at all hours, because she was traveling at early hours of the morning. She also used a dog cart or horse and carriage. Communication was not really mentioned in the stories but telephones are mentioned a few times, this shows more than telegram communication is used . Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Strategic Planning for Starbucks

Strategic Planning for Starbucks Introduction Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazines coffee in the U.S. and Starbucks is the ninth and, above all, the company received the prestigious award of happiness. This recognition has Starbucks in planning long-term strategic management, which helped them also, enabled the world to grow your business. The company increased its Starbucks stores fifteen percent for 1987 and for more than six thousand two hundred thirty branches in the country. The criterion is that successful companies to maintain local interest in almost all societies in which they and the criteria are the financial strength to work for the faculty of social responsibility, services and quality products, the value of investment long term and quality management. The company is the distributor of coffee and the foreground is the brand of specialty coffee in the world. The company operates seen produce environmental, economic and social. Starbucks also has sales operations in more retail sales and production to drink Fra ppuccino coffee drinks and Starbucks coffee and ice cream joint venture (Seattle, 2003). The review of the performance of organizations by the Director of the company or the owner and the preparation of the plan on the basis of this review is strategic planning and some factors involved in this process are important issues that must be aligned, comments must be the daily work be separated and must be checked regularly. All these have to be clearly marked to develop a better strategic plan in some respects, †¢ What is the current state of the organization? †¢ What are the objectives? †¢ What are the strategies of the companys novel is in terms of risk? Strategic development of a better all organizations must focus on issues of vision, values, goals, tasks, programs and strategies (Business Papers, 2009). The main competitive strategy of organizations around the strategy of market behavior is to explain the system ahead of other competitors, the companys strategic direction. Porter model provides comprehensive information on the companys strategy and the corresponding threats and opportunities in the external environment of the company. Five workers were highlighted, which is defined through which every society and in all markets, profitability, competitive intensity and attractiveness of a company (Olivia Hunt, 2007). SWOT Framework Analysis SWOT analysis identifies strengths organizations, threats, vulnerabilities and opportunities. Strength: The main strength of Starbucks is from a customer and is very satisfied with the taste and quality of coffee. The company owns a brand of high and businesses are in good financial shape. The organization seeks to expand its high-speed pace and started in several stores in the United States in 2009. Brand awareness also helps the organization is successful, the strength of Starbucks in places that are convenient as shopping centers, etc. Library has excellent customer service. Strong mission and ethical values of the organization has a leadership role in the environment in all facets of the organization. Weaknesses: Starbucks organization has a good reputation for the creation and development of new products, but now with time. Prices compared with competitors are very high and operating costs are high. The company profits are dependent on coffee products. After less control over the operations outside the United States is the greatest weakness. Opportunity: The organization Starbucks is having a too good reputation in the markets to seize the opportunities in business process. The diversification of products is different forms like whole grain sales in supermarkets, the entry of the organizations in international markets such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. Starbucks co-brand with various food manufacturers. Threats: The recession in the present can affect sales in the international market could also pose a threat. Competitors are higher in developing countries, price changes can be a threat to Starbucks. Strength in international markets Starbucks faces due to political and cultural problems, differentiation from competitors minimized by imitation (John Williams and Tony Curtis, 2006). Starbucks have been chosen the topic because the organization has more strategic plans and research carried out showed that the organization was successful in its business markets. Task 2 Marketing Strategies The strategic decisions of organizations are Porters Five Forces, SWOT analysis and Ansoff analysis. Starbucks strategic decision can be explained by Ansoff Matrix Strategic options for organizations such as the action-oriented creative alternative uses that the responses to the external situation facing organizations. The benefits of strategic options, especially on trends, facts, dangers and global market participants are based. There are several strategic options as a support five forces, Ansoff Matrix and SWOT analysis pestle. Starbucks to recognize support five forces that these analyses of the global market options are explained. Five Forces Porter Potential new entrants: This option to analyze the organization to the current environment will help the organization competes. There is an increase in industry size of the coffee industry of scale. Some of the organizations such as Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds has distribution channels can be transported around the world through the coffee at low cost much new to other organizations towards the world market. Starbucks has to be cautious and other large organizations benefit from economies through the purchase of bulk coffee beans from the farmers to accept lower prices. There are some disadvantages in comparison can be forced to the costs imposed new entrants into the economies of scale. Deputy: There is a decrease in the products in the specialty coffee chemistry and many organizations have the industry with the threat in the type of products that have been recorded. The replacement of commodities will continue under the threat of the coffee industry are the drinks of Coca-Cola and Pepsi provided. Suppliers to negotiate, the bargaining power has changed in many ways, and it was through the growth of the coffee industry. The first time Starbucks has the authors, the coffee beans at low prices Starbucks started to be influenced to buy the coffee. The organization has reduced the capacity of the buyer to another, however. Industry rivalry: Since 1987 Starbucks rivalry rivalry with industry drastically changed in the early days of Starbucks coffee industry had to complete with coffee shops in the small, but now more of the competition, and this is the size of the industry. The main competitor of Starbucks is the Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee, and this has created the third. The organization has made many changes to compete with their competitors who have modeled their coffee shops and newspapers and magazines have introduced Wi-Fi to attract customers. Bargaining power of buyers: The life force that the bargaining power of buyers has made, and this has applied to the modern coffee industry. The buyer of the specialty coffee industry is still single customer and that makes the industry easy to negotiate with customers. Negotiations with customers can depend on the type of buyer and Starbucks are two types of buyers, the children are able to say or individual buyers often large and multinational organizations (Argenti, 2004). Stakeholders Starbucks has stated a number of social indicators; the organization has also listed a number of stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, environmental groups, shareholders, coffee farmers, community members and staff. Coffee producers: Since 2002, the organization says that Starbucks has its price support for coffee farmers in the profit and supports families of farmers. The organization is responsible for managing the policy-maker today, the politics of environmental policy, economic, social and quality of manufacture, sale and cultivation of coffee, which is when the farmer and the cafe called the fairness in that it comprises 2004. In 2005, for the definition of principles is concerned COFFEE in the world procurement team has to be rolled out. In 2004, when coffee was 1.6 percent was purchased from Fair Trade suppliers that have been collected. After that, support the victims was obvious, and the Starbucks organization offering credit available to coffee producers. For the smaller coffee producers, the organization, indicating nearly six million dollars for the benefit of the interest rate of 2.5 percent. This is a support center for farmers in Costa Rica that provides technical assistance to f armers and also provides training for sustainable production of high quality coffee supplies. Manufacturer: As a Starbucks and evidence must meet the individual providers to demonstrate some of the rules. Some are specific indicators of economic responsibility, social responsibility, and employment measures, product quality and work management. Tracks status of purchase, better conditions and higher prices for suppliers, received high marks. Starbucks organization is with suppliers of bakery and dairy products in 2004, adopting strict measures to promote sustainable produces participate. Employees: The main objective of the business philosophy that makes the members feels comfortable and valued and treated with dignity and respect. In Fortune magazine, Starbucks was placed at the 34th level in 2004 and which has been considered to be among the top most organizations in the world. The benefits for employees are given in Starbucks which are independent of the age which also includes contributions of the employees to the organization. This channel will also promote two-way communication and this review included the mission, where members of the situations that can inform the direction in which the experience is to work with the guiding principles (Andrew L. Friedman and Samantha Miles, 2006). The organization must adapt to employees who are highly qualified and able to offer the customer service people. The benefits of the company have the capability of employees through training, have improved in the right way can provide good customer service. Been divided the company also benefits the employee and the relationship between market value of organizations and their contributions. Farmers, if not the coffee beans of high quality products, the market value of organizations is reduced and the competition is to cross the profit margin. By adopting some of these principles and strategies the organization can provide the at most fine quality coffee to customers throughout the world (Mark Brown, 2010). The direction of the organization should focus on strategies of the company by the models fit the organizational capacity of concentration. Starbucks management to focus more on staff, contributing greatly benefit organizations, the staff should be treated as a partner. Task 3 For any organization to succeed in its business process then its team has to understand the policies in the strategic and loss account, which provides more success than others to understand. This is the vision, mission, goals and values. The vision is the statement or the motto explaining the organizations goal or organizations can say whatever they want which includes their desire and targets. This should be echoed all types of people in the organization that helps employees who are fired, and even more proud that, as they have become part if the success of organizations. For the future of the vision statement of the organization indicates the direction and shape. The mission statement is the exact explanation of what the organization actually does, and this explains why the company exists today. Organizations of each member or employee must be able to carry out the mission of the company said. Each company has its own mission statements and management should be able to keep the def inition of the statements. Values are the strategic states, which are grounded and define how people behave in society as a whole, and this will give value to suppliers, internal customers and the community. This is mainly explained the measures, the adoption of the values that people will have in the organization are. This makes the employees of the organization to give each other see their expertise to the company to greater success. The determination of the effectiveness of organizations and has developed a very precise and clear sense of priorities, beliefs and direction because these are the values that well understood. In identifying these organizations goals, values and takes a practice that leads to performance feedback (Susan M. Heathfield, 2010). Starbuckss mission is to nurture and inspire the human spirit like a cup, a neighborhood and a person at a time. For the maintenance of the Mission of the Organization for the recording, the international brand has taken the aggressive approach in the different distribution channels such as retail, fashion, hotels and airlines. The vision of Starbucks is that the organization is to restore the old tradition of Italian coffee house back to the international world wants. The other important vision of Starbucks gave the customer a superior experience feeling of Art, where they also have a place to think and think and can make a great cup of coffee. A research project was conducted by researchers that have been made by the team of people in the techniques of coffee. Developed on the basis of this process, Starbucks, the identity of the corporate structure and has also created a store at the base of templates: roast, taste, cultivation and brewing. The targets are based primarily on customer satisfaction and these differ. The performance also defines the key to success. The key objectives are five and share risks and share rewards, market entry, development of common products, the confirmation of government regulation and technology. Other benefits include the distribution and political connections that depend on access and relationships (dollars start, 2010). Business Ethics Economic Ethics of Starbucks supports the mission, protecting the reputation and culture through the resources that the partners who make ethical decisions can help with the work. The maximum received reports of ethics in relation to issues of employee relations, and this trend is consistent with other companies and this is the alternative coverage as part of the compliance program (Business Ethics, 2010). Organizational Culture The corporate culture at Starbucks is the structure of beliefs, assumptions and values think and act accordingly within the company. The organization hired the Roman people and provides training to them during this process; employees learn the operation of machines and customer service and after staff which has been described in the culture of the organization (Cesario minor, 2009). The most important factors in the organization of Starbucks are the best quality of service and coffee beans. The Starbucks customer service should be high quality as the products of young Starbucks customers and low-income and less educated people rank as well as people and this training can make the organization, to see how a strategy for deployment and attracted the marketing opportunity. Task 4 Changes in Marketing Environment The Starbucks organization provides with the manifestation of the way changes are made. For example, if the house was the organization changed voice mail and sent a letter to staff, together with details of changes (Lucy, 2008). The organization is a coffee house with operations around the world, the person who organizes Howard D. Schultz has made efforts to alert the organization began during the Great Depression in 2008. Efforts were made to the customer experience, which has gained back only a few channels, if the employee has heard of the barista. In 2009, Starbucks has a reminder of the laity opens its employees and has closed some stores, but after that the benefits of the company to began renovating the shares, the revenue growth that has raised more than $ 24 per share. Then in 2010 the organization received more benefits in the second quarter of the reason is, began regular customers and visited more money spent. If the organization grows began there was an increase in customer traffic. This organization of Starbucks, the food offerings and also led to increased efficiency of the machines of automatic espresso machines. The recession of 2008, the company must change the economic climate, spending ha bits on luxury items (The New York Times, 2010). Functional areas: Each organization is radically different ways by the structures, rules, positions and recognized chains of dynamic structures in which the communications staff of the organization is divided into fixed and is expected instead to keep width according to requirement. The basic methods of the organization are the people on the basis of the methods according to geographical areas of the product. Function: This function divides the company into teams with the same fields as accounting, human resources, finance, marketing, etc. Due Process: This section makes people according to the processes, the implementation of the process successfully. For example, the retail industry organizations, such as Travis Perkins, Dixons and Argos, and these staff organizations to serve the customer equipment, packaging and presentation. Product: This group of people as a team for the products they produce. As each company has different departments and groups are divided by service. By geographic area: This explains that large organizations are in different geographical regions and different places or countries enlarged (The Times, 2010). The Starbucks organization is independent of some of the external relations; this has been the consistent process for the selection, management and search for a partner that develops high quality. Starbucks functional areas, the technical product development, procurement and purchasing operations, operations for the understanding of the activities of the organization say they will help supply relationship. The organization divides its employees to the division, as it helps the employee to work effectively and give the results of efficacy (Ranjay Gulati, 2010). Starbucks functional areas supports the organization in achieving competitive advantage in the world with this organization the advantage of always looking for new ideas, new experiences, new products for customers. Market trends are running in the Starbucks also questioned. This study contributes to the manufacture of their products at the best part of the community (Claudia Espejo, 2008). Task 5 Implementation of marketing strategy Milestones table sets out the objectives of Starbucks, strategy and objectives, and their release of Sales and Marketing Program. For each case is a landmark, it provides a qualitative and quantitative information on start dates and end budget figures, the responsibilities of departments and directors. When preparing a table of Milestone is important to consider the following points (strategic planning, 2010): Key points for monitoring critical business development in the organization. Specific steps to reduce the risk due to the increased viability For derivatives, the changes business plan in the plan can be overcome by available resources and contingencies are developed in accordance with the strategic plan. Available systems exist to determine the progress of society to achieve the milestones approved The objectives and the analysis is an integral part of the daily process of planning and management. Effective marketing strategy can succeed with products and services for developing the strategic plan and overall business planning (strategic planning, 2010). After the development and implementation of organizational effectiveness, efficiency and economy must be assessed. Assessment programs enable the organization to bridge the gap between the customers and organization. Evaluation methods help suppliers to be informed of decisions on profitability and that these programs can represent savings in reference to the expectations of local and international market. Evaluating the effectiveness, economy and efficiency cannot (Services, 2010): Improve management of evaluations, implementation and impact assessment, market and process the results. Improved long-term evaluation and strategic planning of the procurement notice. Improvement of deadlines, budgets and annual plans. Cases of validation programs regarding the uniqueness of the particular market. Improve and support for the use of screening tools that show the profitability and economic value of specific projects and programs Investigate whether the procedures and protocols of the EMV standard (assessment, measurement and verification) to behave with the expectations and demands close Planning and implementation of quality assurance. After the implementation of the new strategy is important to continuously monitor and can be explained by the following examples: Environmental strategies: They involve changes based on location, time or place where you can enjoy the behavioral problems and examples include: the change of the communities with the implementation of the new strategy, avoiding the configuration situations, because unexpected behavior of customers, etc. Behavioral strategies: These involve changes because of the consequences or past behavior of customers and employees. These can be explained by examples: an increase in corporate social responsibility to achieve the objectives of the organization, improvement of the reward for keeping the desirable conditions for employees, etc. Key Milestones Year Milestone 1979 Starbuck was born 1996 This year first Starbuck store was started and this was the first global store. 1999 This year in Beijing Starbucks was started. 2004 The share of the profits has increased with 90 percent. 2005 Fiscal goals have been achieved (Sarah E. Lockyer, 2004). Conclusions Starbucks has begun planning for the strategic management with the objective of achieving long-term prices on the prestigious U.S. magazine Fortune. The main criterion was to study the relevance at the local level so that, in terms of social responsibility, services and quality products to the value of long-term investment plan to operate and maintain the quality management. He used the principles and techniques and tools to develop marketing strategies and education. Marketing strategy, which was followed by the pattern of the five ports of Starbucks Corporation, it helps to know the inclusion of the following marketing strategies of the company. Have the potential entrants, substitutes, suppliers, bargaining power, competition in the industry, and bargaining power of buyers, the coffee producers, suppliers and employees. The successful organization can be developed more when its employees understands the strategic states such as vision, mission, objectives and values. The developme nt of these criteria, the Starbucks can aggressively as an international brand of different channels, like the fashion industry airlines, hotels, and commercial approach. To protect the reputation and corporate culture of the organization, the management has to follow some of the business ethics and values which in turn make the involvement of the employs. Organizational culture plays an important role of values, beliefs and assumptions about the recruitment process for all companies and customers. Maintain the best quality is the key to the success of Starbucks because it helps to attract customers from all communities. Due to the international economic crisis in 2008, the companys efforts to customers and other suppliers due to take over the strings. In addition, the company has evolved over climate change in marketing spending in the areas of functional luxury products, such as the role which is the method by product and by geography. Finally, the planning of the new marketing st rategy and its implementation are carried according to the changes that occur in settings made by the market.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber by Ernest Hemingway Essay

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber In Ernest Hemingway's story, "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber," Francis Macomber, according to Hemingway, is a very unhappy man because of his cowardly display after facing a wounded lion and because of his inability to stand up to his wife. However, Francis Macomber regains his happiness and bravery while out hunting buffalo; unfortunately, it is short lived. Francis Macomber is a man in his mid-thirties, "very tall, very well built†¦ and considered handsome." He excelles at court games and has quite a number of big-game fishing records, yet, this morning he â€Å"has just shown himself to be a coward.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ordeal started the night before when Francis was awakened by the sound of a lion roaring, which frightened him for the rest of he night. In the early morning Francis, Margot (his wife) and their guide Robert Wilson go out to hunt for this lion. After coming upon the lion, Francis shoots three times, hitting it twice and only wounding it. The wounded lion went trotting off into the tall grass, hiding and waiting for the hunters to come after him. Before the men go in after the lion, Macomber sat, "sweating under his arms, his mouth dry, his stomach hollow feeling, wanting to find the courage to tell Wilson to go on and finish off the lion without him." As the men enter the tall grass, the lion came charging at them. The next thing he knows, Macomber is "running wildly, in panic in the open, running ...

Monday, August 19, 2019

Comparing Those Rainy Mornings, In The Cutting of A Drink, and The Return :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing Those Rainy Mornings, In The Cutting of A Drink, and The Return      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two short stories "In the Cutting of a Drink" and "The Return" bring different responses from me.   "In the Cutting of a Drink" makes me think about what it would be like to go into a new culture.   It also makes me think about the current decline in moral values.   "The Return" reminds me to be more thankful for the many things I take for granted.   It also makes me think about how hard it can be to cope with change.   In the poem "Those Rainy Mornings" I am reminded of my grandma and what a kind, loving, wonderful person she is.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Frank Chipasula's poem "Those Rainy Mornings" the speaker is talking about his aunt Gwalanthi.   The speaker tells us what a wonderful loving person his aunt is.   In the first section the speaker tells us how his aunt would wake up at the crack of dawn and build a fire.   Then she would begin cooking porridge. In the second section of the poem the speaker talks about waking up "out of the nagging nightmare."   Then the speaker describes his aunt a little bit more, "her soft but husky call."   In the last section the speaker talks about how kind his aunt is to take care of his brothers and sisters while his parents "strayed to the copper mines."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This poem makes me think about my grandma and all the wonderful things she has done for me.   The speakers aunt is an old fragile woman, "hoe-broken palms" and "scrawny ribs."   But she is also a very hard worker and loving person.   Both these things remind me of my grandma.   My grandma may be old and fragile but she is still a very hard working and loving person.   My grandma is always up at first light doing household chores or working in her garden.   Many times we have to force her to go inside, so she won't be exposed to the hot sun for to long. I can't count the number of times my grandma has made my bed, folded our clothes, washed our dishes, or done various other household chores for me and my family. I could never fully repay my grandma for all the wonderful things she has done. My grandma, like aunt Gwalanthi, is a very kind, hard working person.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ama Ata Aidoo's "In the Cutting of a Drink" is about a person relating his story of looking for his lost sister in a big city called Mamprobi.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Jousting :: Essays Papers

Jousting Depending on who you ask, there are many different things that come to people's minds when one hears the word, chivalry. Some might say: knights, castles, horses, damsels in distress, Knights in shinning armor.... i could go on and on. I think of all these things as well, but I also think of Jousting. In a time when courage, honor and integrity were valued jousting was not only a sport, but a way for knights to prove their skill and courage. When we think of a knight in shining armor, we almost automatically think of the grand joust. It's hard not to imagine the thunderous hoof beats and the roar of the crowd as two knights race towards each other in a test of skill and nerve. The joust grew from the chaotic melee of the tournaments that were always taking place. As more and more restrictions were put on man to man combat; a tournament was developed where men rode horses and carried lances. This dangerous form of combat, was an event designed to test the horsemanship and weapons skill of the individual knight. Jousting tournaments caught on quickly because it truly tested every aspect of a chivalric man. Not only did it test the skill a knight had with weapons, but it also tested his skill with of controlling and riding a horse. In a sense, a jousting match could prove or disprove a knights ability to be a truly chivalric knight. In the joust the knight used the lance, a weapon specifically designed for mounted combat. At first jousters would simply spur their horses towards one another, weapons ready, each attempting to knock each other off there horses. If a knight was knocked to the ground, his battle was as good as lost. For the mounted warrior could run him down, trample him with his horse, or spear him with his lance; all while out of reach of the land bound fighter. When the joust came to represent the horsemanship of the fighter, safeguards evolved. The lance was fitted with a three pronged tip called a coronal, which was designed to keep the weapon from penetrating a knights helm and to re-distribute the force of the impact. Also, armor was developed specifically for the joust.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Concert Report

Andrew Griffin Roberta Gregg Music Appreciation 10-17-11 Concert Report 1 Initial Response:My initial response to the concert was of much surprise. First, when I walked in I didn’t expect to see such a formal event. Thank goodness I showed up in my work clothes! My initial reaction to the music however was one of great surprise. I didn’t really know what to expect from the Lee’s Summit Symphony because honestly I didn’t even know they existed. Once the symphony began to play â€Å"Don Giovanni† my mood instantly changed. The symphony was incredible, and the music was not what I had expected at all.I was surprised by how much of the music I had actually heard before and just not realized it. First Half: Instrumentation and Technology: The instrumentation in the symphony was incredible. The symphony included multiple violins as well as numerous other sting instruments, but also instruments from the percussion, and woodwind groups. One instrument that really helped set the undertone of the music was the timpani. The timpani also really help to keep the rhythm. The drums are membranophones which are instruments that are played by being struck, plucked, or rubbed. Another instrument that really stuck out to me was the harp.The harp was played quite a bit and created a beautiful tone for the music. Technological wise, there wasn’t a lot in the symphony. There was one electrical piano that was located in the back of the symphony, but I wasn’t able to really hear it. The piano however would be an idiophone which is an instrument that produces sound by striking itself. Harmony: The harmony of the Overture was mostly consonant but showed some dissonance to reflect the overall mood of the music. The consonance and dissonance led to the harmonic progression which established a clear sense of key.The harmony in â€Å"Don Giovanni† was very stern. In Classical music most if not all pieces had a privileged harmony which is one harmony that is more important than the others. This was evident in the overture. The harmony seemed to be most evident during the instruments noisiest parts. Mozart was known for these daring types of harmonic innovations. Musical Time Period: As far as the musical time period we haven’t covered the Classical era yet in class. However, new developments such as Mozart’s daring harmonies and the rise of opera music were characteristics new to the classical era.Second Half: Melody: â€Å"Titan† in the beginning had a very gentle melody. As it opened the music was calm and peaceful. The shape started out very contour or a small wave, but as the music progressed the shape began to show ascending and descending patterns. The movement of the music was both conjunct and disjunct. A climax was present in the 4th section. There are a couple of times when the music builds up as if it were about to reach the climax but then descends and doesn’t reach the clim ax until nearly the end.Tempo/Dynamics: The tempo of â€Å"Titan† was pretty upbeat and sprightly. As far as instrumentation wise, the strings were very fast similar to those of the baroque era. It had a dance style speed like the baroque era as well. The third movement is the slowest of the four, and fourth is the most involved. The drums really become a part of the fourth section and they make it seem as if the tempo changes drastically because they play in between the beats. The dynamics are very similar to the tempo in this piece. The introduction is slow but steadily picks up.The piece appears as if it were written to build up to the climax which is pretty cool. Throughout the third and fourth parts the music builds up to the climax but doesn’t actually reach the climax until the very end. Musical Time Period: This piece of music took place in the Romantical time period. We haven’t covered this time period yet in class but one of the biggest things I took o ut of this music was the climax build up. The climax was built up multiple times but descended and then the climax was finally reached at the end. This was very unique.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Machete Season

3) Discuss the idea of forgiveness and guilt in Machete Season. In your paper, analyze how the men discuss the idea of guilt how they understand the concept of forgiveness. Consider: How do different men in the group understand guilt and forgiveness? Do the men feel guilt? Are you surprised by their sense/lack of guilt? Why are you surprised? How does Hatzfeld treat this topic? Philosopher Paul Ricoeur posed the question, how â€Å"can one forgive someone who does not admit his guilt? (Hatzfeld 195) Whether this admission of guilt is enough to be forgiven or not, the â€Å"sincere† taking of responsibility for one’s actions is an absolute minimum in striving for forgiveness. Ricoeur’s question becomes especially relevant when discussing the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, in which the Hutu perpetrators, who killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsi, are now seeking forgiveness for their actions. In Machete Season by Jean Hatzfeld, a close-knit gang of such Hutu genocide p erpetrators was interviewed concerning their role in the genocide as well as their views concerning regret and forgiveness.While a majority of those interviewed admit their guilt in killing the Tutsis, their lack of remorse makes  their apologies and actions largely  unforgivable. This insincerity can be seen through their selfish concerns and motives, emphasis on receiving forgiveness from God rather than those victimized, and vision of a return to a completely unaffected future. Prior to assessing the sincerity of their regret and apologies, we must see to what extent they believe themselves to being responsible.These men cite several key recurring justifications for their actions. The first is the intoxicating anti-Tutsi environment created by the Rwandan President’s death being blamed on the Tutsis. These men claim that the consequent emotion led to many of them being â€Å"carried away in a tumult, an uproar, a commotion†(215) and resorting to violence. This t urbulent environment also made accepting orders more intuitive, and Joseph-Desire goes as far as disclaiming â€Å"responsibility for his actions† as he was â€Å"simply following orders†(171).And while these factors were claimed to have helped them initiate these murders, the progression of the killings was accredited to the â€Å"approval† and â€Å"satisfaction† of surrounding people, until they just â€Å"got used to killing†(23). It is clear that these mass murders in many ways believe that they were not responsible for the thousands of deaths, an ignorant attitude made clear through Joseph’s â€Å"stupid, odious, and untenable†(171) demeanor when in trial.Yet, despite minimizing their participation and blaming others, an overpowering â€Å"egocentrism†(240) arises in these interviews and these killers describe themselves as much more than â€Å"simply peripheral figures† in the genocide. A great contradiction betwe en their described roles and their denial of responsibility is thus created, one that highlights the naivety of these men. With these poor attitudes combined, the base for a sincere feeling of regret and remorse is already diminished. Despite this naive belief in innocence, the perpetrators still are willing to offer apologies to the victims.Alphonse highlights the necessity of a â€Å"proper truth from the offender, a sincere request†(204) in a proper apology. The irony is, this is exactly where Alphonse and his fellow killers’ apologies fail. The sincerity of their apologies are thwarted with the same naive and untenable thought processes exemplified by Joseph. The first of such weaknesses arises in the clearly self-centered and selfish motives for asking for forgiveness. Rather than viewing the apology as a mean to help support those affected, many of the prisoners view it as a way to alleviate their own situations.As Hatzfeld describes, these apologies are in many ways a â€Å"selfish act† because it facilitates the â€Å"diminishing of his offence and, thus, his punishment, even his guilt†(199). This is made clear in many of the interviews when discussing forgiveness, as the conversation often shifts to the discussion of the prisoners own problems such as Fulgence’s â€Å"shivery†(157) when thinking of his â€Å"prison future†, Elie’s dreams void of â€Å"the killed people†(162) but rather consisting of a return to his â€Å"house†, and Pio’s desire to â€Å"assuage my memory†(160).Asking for forgiveness becomes a means to getting out of prison sooner, returning to family and friends sooner, and finally, to ease their own nightmares rather than concern for the victim’s own families, futures, and mental states. Comments like â€Å"He asked for forgiveness of everyone at his trial, and he still got a heavy sentence†(203) reflect the naive and selfish attitude t hese killers have, not understanding the â€Å"extraordinary effort†(199) needed to forgive such horrific crimes.This selfishness is also reflected in to whom they are addressing, the next weakness in the sincerity of their apologies. Rather than asking the victims for forgiveness, the most effected by their actions, many of these prisoners seem to be more worried about receiving forgiveness from God, and protecting their own futures. Fulgence epitomizes this attitude when he claims that the perpetrators must â€Å"give a little something to those who have suffered. And leave God the too-heavy task of our final punishment†(193).While the victims are the most effected by the events, Fulgence believes they only need a â€Å"little† compensation, and rather, focuses forgiveness on what will become of him. Pio also reflects this selfish attitude admitting his fear of â€Å"punishment-here below or up above†(160) and later goes on to say that he only sees â₠¬Å"God to forgive me†(207). Forgiveness involves two people, the culprit and the victim, however, the prisoners seem to only factor in themselves, made clear in the proliferation of first person pronouns such as â€Å"our† and â€Å"me† as demonstrated above.The ineffectiveness of this one-person methodology is made clear when viewing forgiveness from the eyes of a survivor, Gaspard, who claims, â€Å"Real regrets are said eye to eye, not to statues of God†(163). The perpetrators clearly do not acknowledge the role of forgiveness in the lives of the victims, whether to help cope or as simple as a gesture, a view that again tarnishes any sincerity in there apologies.With the ultimate power in the hands of God, these mass killers seem to view the return to a completely ordinary life until judgment as tangible, and focus much of their narratives on their own futures. They feel their actions can simply be forgiven and forgotten by â€Å"succeeding next timeâ € (163) and thus overlook any need to sincerely redeem themselves in the present. The transient nature of their guilt can be seen when Fulgence boldly admits, â€Å"I thought wrong, I went wrong, I did wrong†(157), and yet, soon after asserts, â€Å"those dead people and those acts of killing do not invade my dreams†.He clearly lacks remorse, as the horrors caused by his atrocious actions apparently no longer cross his mind. This unregretful attitude is again affirmed through his belief that these same horrific actions are so easily forgotten when he claims, â€Å"Time has punished me for my misdeeds and can allow me to begin an ordinary life†(192). Again, â€Å"my†, â€Å"I†, and â€Å"me† are consistently seen, showing the egotistical nature of the perpetrators, even when discussing the future.Over and over again, the victims’ futures are disregarded and rather, the perpetrators look forward to â€Å"get soccer going again†(160), to â€Å"work without hearing another word, except talk about crops†(193), and to reunite with one’s â€Å"wife and house†(162). Through these aspirations, it becomes clear how little responsibility they feel for their actions. In the end, many of these views and attitudes tarnish the sincerity of the perpetrators desire to forgive, making it that much harder for survivors to try and reconcile with the events of the genocide.While these trends are apparent in many, if not most, of the prisoners interviewed, it’d be unfair to assign this lack of insincerity to every Hutu involved. On occasion, members of the gang do show glimpses of genuine concern, even to the extent of writing letters to victims from prison. However, if these accounts do show anything definite, it is the clear difficulty in apologizing and forgiving after genocide, the first step in any hope for true reconciliation.