Monday, December 23, 2019

Abortion Is A Controversial Issue Of Abortion Essay

Abortion is defined as terminating a pregnancy before the fetus has been born. Abortion has been and still is very controversial and has had an increasing amount of cases all over the world. In 2000 there were over one million abortions in the United States (Harper, et al, 501). Abortion is one of the most common procedures women undergo. According to the current abortion rates about thirty percent of women will have an abortion by the age of forty-five (Jones and Kavanaugh, 2011). Most abortions are attributed to unplanned pregnancies. In 2001 half of the 6.4 million pregnancies were not planned and half of this number resulted in having an abortion (Jones and Kavanaugh, 2011). Abortion is one of the biggest aspects that healthcare faces. Although the view of abortion is very controversial there are still many aspects that people do not know about the issue. When the controversial issue of abortion is brought up most people have their minds made up when you ask them if they agree o r disagree with the topic. Although, change is possible with how people feel about the topic. Norma McCorvery, or better known as Jane Roe was brought to the supreme court after being granted an abortion in 1973 (Kaczor 3). Although she was granted to have an abortion, she now does not agree with the rights to an abortion. The supreme court case made abortion legal for women in America and since then about 55 million abortions have happened (Heidinger III 9). Many people have changed theirShow MoreRelatedAbortion : A Controversial Issue Of Abortion Essay2668 Words   |  11 PagesAbortion is terminating a pregnancy before the fetus has been born. Abortion has been and still is very controversial and has had an increasing amount of cases all over the world. In 2000 there were over one million abortions in the United States (Harper, et al., 501). Abortion is one of the most common procedures women undergo. According to the current abortion rates about thirty percent of women will hav e an abortion by the age of forty-five (Jones and Kavanaugh, 2011). Most abortions are attributedRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion878 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent discussions of abortion, the controversial issue has become whether or not women should be given the right to take their unborn child’s life away. Many believe in all having the right to live while others believe in the right to be given a choice. Women do not want to be given restrictions, they want to be able to have a voice when making decisions. With abortion women have a hard time making their decision based upon the judgement others make if the decision of abortion is followed throughRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Issue1256 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion is a very controversial issue. To first start out abortion is the deliberate termination of a woman’s pregnancy, most often performed within the first 22 weeks of pregnancy. People can either be pro-choice or pro-life for abortion. Being pro-choice means that people believe that it is a woman’s choice to get an abortion if they want one. Pro-life means people believe no matter what if a woman is pregnant they should have the baby; no abortion. I intent to explain why women who get pregnantRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion1555 Words   |  7 Pagestopic of abortion in the United States has been and remains one of the most controversial issues in western culture and politics. An abortion can be defined as the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it can survive on its own. This comprises two major forms of abortion: spontaneous, which is often referred to as a miscarriage or induced abortion, which is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. The term is commonly used to refer to the induced abortion, and this is the abortion, which hasRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion865 Words   |  4 Pages Today, people have the right to voice their thoughts regarding a topic, rather they’re different or alike, creating a new philosophy about it, or supporting the traditional belief. In regards to the topic, Abortion has been a subject of controversial matters. Some believing they have the right to do such an act while others would absolutely disagree. Before supporting such an act or not, we typically take into consideration the goods and bads of the action first. While taking a life might be oneRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Issue882 Words   |  4 Pagesconsider abortion as a rightful act, and abortion is a name of destroying human life. Now a days our society faces several types of issues Abortion is one of the complicated issue for both ways health and society that’s why abortion become a very controversial issue that’s become debatable in politics. In addition, these researches will describe the different issues of abortion, such as, legal laws on abo rtion, restriction of abortions, rate of abortion and consequences of the abortion. Abortion isRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Issue911 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is a controversial issue in many countries all the time and there are always two sides of abortion. Pro-life supporters believe that abortion is immoral, so they argue that it should be illegal because an unborn baby is life. However, they do not figure out that woman who is on the inevitable situation such as infection, rape, or extreme poverty would still have the abortion even though the abortion is illegal. Many women die due to unsafe abortion, which is illegal and performed by uneducatedRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Issue989 Words   |  4 Pagesaverage total of abortions performed annually in America (operationrescue.org). Abortion is a very controversial issue in the United States and all across the globe. First, I will discuss the different types of abortion. Next, I will explain when the abortions are performed. Then, I will share some of the laws regarding abortion in the United States. Finally, I will express my views on abortion. Abortion should be illegal in all states. First, I will discuss the various types of abortion. There are threeRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Issue843 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion Abortion has been a very controversial issue in the United States for the past several decades. Many people think that is it morally wrong. To say that something is morally wrong is an opinion. Since everyone’s opinions are different on this topic there have been many court cases and protests against abortion. However there are a lot of people out there that believe that abortion is a rightful decision. My personal opinion on the abortion controversy is that every woman should have theRead MoreAbortion: a Controversial Issue1159 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion: A Controversial Issue One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I choose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mothers womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, abortion is morally and ethically wrong because it leads

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Racism a Raisin in the Sun and Family Free Essays

Man Walter Lee Is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, and obsessed with a business Idea that he thinks will solve all of his economic and social problems. He thought the novel Is looking for ways to carry his family on and give them every material thing they want. He Is desperate because he sees the other people with economic resources while his family is struggling to move on. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism: a Raisin in the Sun and Family or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is the perfect example of the mid twentieth-century men who believe they are the ones who have o carry their families with the economic resources and struggle to achieve it, that’s why he gets desperate because although he tries he seems he is not getting it. Sometime these men get blind and don’t realized what really they are doing because the will to help their family is too big. Throughout the novel Walter looks for ways to give the family what they want. He works on liquor store and he thinks that will provide him the financial security needed to boost them out of poverty, but sometimes he gets desperate and thinks none of this will help him. â€Å"Sometimes It’s eke I can see the future stretched out In front of me – Just plain as day. The future, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waling for me – a big, looming blank space – full of 522). One can clearly see how Walter fears that his life will always be a life of nothing. He is overwhelmed by a sense of dread and fears that his suffering will continue on and on forever. Walter was so desperate he often fights and argues with Ruth, Mama, and Beneath. Also a thing that makes him like that is the racism at that time he often see who the White people from high social status had everything they want, kids attended different schools, neighborhoods were separate from the other, that also made him be like that. He was so desperate he inks to a new low and calls Mr.. Lender back, saying that he’ll accept the Money, a think his family was not agree with. This is really Walter’s lowest point In the whole play. He’s prepared to totally shame himself for the money. In the end, though, Walter Is redeemed when he eventually refuses to take the money from Mr.. Lender. Once he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth express their dreams of owning a house, he realizes that buying the house is more important for the family’s welfare than getting rich quickly. Walter finally becomes a man when he stands up to Mr.. Lender and refuses the money that Mr.. Lender offers the family not to move in to its dream house in a white neighborhood. â€Å"Talking ’bout life, Mama†¦. Mama, you know it’s all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the â€Å"token. † I’ve figured it out finally. Yeah. Some of us always getting â€Å"token. â€Å"(Handlebars 570). What Walter did here was correct because he was making horrible mistakes for him and his family instead of helping them; he was making the wrong thing. He looked to much the other things and envy what the white people had; made him almost took the wrong decision, but because he listen Mama and Ruth he realized that accomplishing a family dream will fulfill them more the Glenn them material things. Having a house was always Mama’s dream. Although undergoes the greatest transformation. His Journey takes him from total Jerk, obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes, to a man worthy of respect. In Walter Younger, Lorraine Handlebars shows how poverty and racism can twist and depress people, turning them against those that they most love. Of course throughout Walter, Handlebars shows us how these social barriers can be overcome through personal determination and staying true to one’s own beliefs. Sometimes one care too much about the things other people had and the willing of getting them make you think in wrong way, and instead of helping the ones you one to help you end making and error for yourself and the people you wanted to help. How to cite Racism: a Raisin in the Sun and Family, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Shipping and Logistics Management

Question: Discuss about theShipping and Logistics Management. Answer: Introduction The shipping industry is very crucial especially in today`s commercial world where globalization is being realized and volumes of international trade have increased over the years. It is therefore important for optimum productivity and efficiency to be realized in the shipping industry. More than 95% of all international/ cross boarder trading takes place through water and these goods are carried by freight ships (Lim, 2016). These goods include raw materials which are used for manufacturing, machines and equipment as well as consumer goods. The choice of transportation by the shipper is influenced by a variety of factors which affect the shipping logistics. Some of the logistics that shippers consider include; cost of transportation, efficiency of the means, reliability, the transportation time as well as quality of services offered by the shipping company (Pardalos, 2009).Despite the large size of this industry and the huge profits that companies make, there are also major risks as sociated with this business. The high levels of risk and large capital requirement make it necessary for individual shipping companies to form alliances. Another factor that contribute to formation of alliances in the shipping industry is for the companies to minimize cost and be able to market their business together more effectively. Due to this reason, it is very important for Hapag-Lloyds to remain in The Alliance. Below is a detailed discussion of benefits and disadvantages of remaining in a shipping alliance. One of the major benefits of collaborations between companies in the shipping industry is the joint marketing activities. Companies in the shipping industry need to advertise a lot. This is due to the high level of competition in this industry (Konings, 2008). It therefore makes it necessary for any company operating in the industry whether new or existing to put aside a substantial budget for marketing activities. Since the marketing costs are high, it is therefore very necessary for the companies to come together and carry out joint marketing operations. This will go a long way in reducing the cost for the companies (Forte, 2013). This will in turn help the companies to lower their shipping charges and therefore attract more customers. Joint marketing by shipping companies is also more effective than individual companies marketing. This is because the companies will be able to pull their resources together and therefore can pay for better means of advertising which will reach more potential customers.. It is therefore crucial for Hapag Lloyd to remain in The Alliance so as to enjoy the benefits of joint marketing. Another major benefit of shipping companies being in alliances is due to the operational issues such as sharing of slots, sharing of vessels and joint services (Panayides Wiedmer, 2011). In the fleet sharing services for companies in a shipping alliance, specific companies handle slot capacities in each voyage depending on their contribution to the number of ships in the alliance. The companies in the alliance are able to share TEUs depending on the volume of goods they are transporting to a particular route. Each company allocates their own capacities but the stowage plan is prepared by the ship operator for all voyages. If a one of the companies for example in The Alliance was shipping goods to the port of Miami and there is extra capacity in the ship, the extra capacity that exists in the ship can be allocated to another company in the alliance which intends to transport commodities to the same destination. Companies can also manage their slots through slot charter or slot purcha se (Lim,2016). This arrangement ensures that the companies belonging to the alliance buy the slots at a cheaper price compared to when they buy from a company outside the alliance. These arrangements help companies within the alliance to achieve their expected carrying demand. The companies in a shipping alliance are also able to increase their profits margin. This happens due to the savings that the companies are able to make by sharing slots in the ships. For this to work, its important for companies in a shipping alliance to have a concrete slot allocation plan. Hapag-Lloyds should therefore remain in the alliance so as to enjoy additional profits accruing from extra saving by sharing of slots. Another major benefit that Hapag-Lloyds would enjoy by remaining in The Alliance is that of joint services for companies in the alliance. Joint Services Corporation for shipping companies in the same alliance is very strategic (Panayides, 2011). This is because; customers of the shipping companies are able to enjoy efficient services from a central point instead of seeking for the same services from different companies with different locations and procedures. These saves the customer both time and effort they would have spent on getting the services from different shipping companies. This offers customers convenience (Lun, 2010).The quality of services provide to customers when the companies decide to offer the services jointly is much more improved. This is because, the services are centrally coordinated and therefore the likelihood of misunderstandings and miscommunication between customers and the company is greatly reduced. Improvement of customer services through the shipping al liances will help in building consumer loyalty among existing customers and therefore the company is able to maintain its existing customers (Talley, 2012). High quality services will also attract new clients for the shipping companies in the alliance and therefore resulting to higher profit margins. The brand of the individual companies will also grow as result of the exemplary services offered by the alliance. Companies in a shipping alliance are also able to carry out joint infrastructural investments. This happens when the shipping companies in the alliance pull their resources together and make joint investment in assets such as freight ships (Agarwal, 2010). The investment carried out by companies in a shipping alliance is mostly for investments with large capital requirements which would be difficult to be raised by a single company. Joint investments are important in this industry because they help in distributing the risk among the companies (Talley, 2012). Risk distribution will therefore mean that in case of loss, the companies involved in the investment will share the cost depending on their capital contribution. This therefore makes it easier for a company operating in this industry to continue operations even if it does not recoup its initial cost of investment. Hapag-Lloyd will also be able to enjoy the low cost of capital. This is because other means of obtaining capital for investment are very expensive. An example is obtaining loan from banks which charge very high interest rates. Despite the many advantages that come with Hapag-Lloyd remaining in The Alliance, there are also various shortcomings that the company will face by remaining in The Alliance. The following are the disadvantages of shipping companies being in a shipping alliance. One of the major disadvantages of the company remaining in the shipping alliance is the loss of control. Remaining in the shipping alliance for Hapag-Lloyd will mean that the owners and the managers will not be in complete control of the activities of the company. This is because the company will be obliged to obey and honor the agreement signed in the alliance charter which requires companies to carry out most of their activities jointly. The company has to operate in relation to the schedules of the alliance and the allocation of slots in the vessels is done by the alliance. This therefore makes the company less flexible in its operations and daily activities (Bryson Daniels, 2007). Another significant shortcoming of remaining in The Alliance for Hapag-Lloyd is that the carrying out of joint investment activities by the company makes it very difficult for the company to control its growth and development. This is due to the fact that by the company remaining in the alliance, it becomes difficult to pursue its own growth plans. Being in the alliance means that the company will have to give priority to the projects being undertaken by the alliance rather than their individual activities. The company may eventually skid off its path and vision and may eventually fail to achieve its business objectives. This may also lead to the company becoming bankrupt. By remaining in The Alliance, Hapag-Lloyd may not be able to achieve its objectives in relation to marketing and advertisement. The joint marketing efforts mean that the whole alliance will be marketed as opposed to marketing individual companies (Jong, 2016). This may be a disadvantage to individual companies whose volume of business has not increased as a result of being in the alliance (Schwab, 2015). The joint marketing efforts may also stall the growth of the individual companys brand. This may hurt the long term objectives of the company. By Hapag-Lloyd remaining in The Alliance, the company may suffer losses and lose customers in case the alliance fails to deliver high quality services to its clients. The shipping industry is driven by the level of efficiency and the quality of services offered to customers (Lun, 2010). Due to the changing market and consumer trends in this industry its important for companies to remain focused on consumer needs. Therefore if the alliance fails to remain innovative and focused on consumer needs, the alliance may lose its customers after some time. This will affect the individual companies in the alliance and it may result to losses and eventually bankruptcy. Conclusion From the analysis, it is very vital for companies in the shipping industry to form shipping alliance due to the various advantages that the companies in these alliances enjoy. Some of these advantages include minimizing costs through sharing of facilities, joint investment which helps the companies to undertake huge investments at a low cost and the joint provision of services which results to increased efficiency. There are also disadvantages of being in alliances such as loss of control over management of the company, and increased dependency on other members of the alliance. A company in the shipping industry should therefore analyze and weigh the advantages and disadvantages and being in the alliance before deciding to join any alliance. For Hapag-Llyod, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and therefore the company should remain in The Alliance. References Lun, Y. H. V., Lai, K., Cheng, T. C. E. (2010). Shipping and logistics management. New York: Springer. Schwab, C. (2015). Horizontal collaboration in the maritime industry: Ports and terminals. Bryson, J. R., Daniels, P. W. (2007). The handbook of service industries. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Pardalos, P. M., Chaovalitwongse, W. A., Furman, K. C. (2009). Optimization and logistics challenges in the enterprise. Dordrecht: Springer. Talley, W. K. (2012). The Blackwell companion to maritime economics. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. In Lee, C.-Y., In Meng, Q. (2015). Handbook of ocean container transport logistics: Making global supply chains effective. Lim, J. (2016). The Effect of Alliance Partnership on the Alliances Performance of Global Alliances and Joint Service in Liner Shipping Companies. Korean Logistics Research Association, 26(5), 35-44. Notteboom, T., Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp., Asian Logistics Round Table. (2011). Current issues in shipping, ports and logistics. Antwerp: UPA University Press Antwerp. Agarwal, R. Ergun, . (2010). Network Design and Allocation Mechanisms for Carrier Alliances in Liner Shipping. In Forte, E., Grimaldi, G. (2013). Economics and logistics in short and deep sea market: Konings, J. W., Priemus, H., Nijkamp, P. (2008). The future of intermodal freight transport: Operations, design and policy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Panayides, P. Wiedmer, R. (2011). Strategic alliances in container liner shipping. Jong-Sub Lim,. (2016). The Effect Strategic Alliances on the Performance in Container Liner Shipping Companies. Journal Of Distribution Science, 14(6), 99-106. https://dx.doi.org/10.15722/jds.14.6.201606.99

Saturday, November 30, 2019

IT Project

System request Companies dealing in car rental business have been experiencing a higher demand of cars for rent than what they can supply. The main challenge in this case is the increasing number of visitor into the country as well as the expansion of the tourism industry. This is brought about by the massive investment in infrastructure and business that has made Abu Dhabi a stopping point for most of the tourist.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IT Project-Planning phase specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prominent individual including sportsmen, actors and actresses, models, great organization leaders, and even presidents have been known to visit Abu Dhabi for their holidays, meetings and shopping. The country has some of the best shopping malls in the word. Much capital inflow in form of investment from both the citizens and foreigners has become common in Abu Dhabi. There is need to improve the systems being c urrently used by the car rental businesses in the market to serve customers. Most of the systems are manual and time consuming leading to unwanted delays. The car rental businesses, who are the clients for this software have requested for efficient system software that will cater for the increasing demand. The software should provide for easier coordination of tasks and quick retrieval of data. The system should also store much information concerning the client and the car for easier record keeping and follow up. The client wants a system that can be adopted into their current system without so much change in terms of requirements. The software should utilize the readily available hardware and not demand for complete change of the entire system Problem statement After thorough assessment of the situation in the Abu Dhabi car rental businesses, we saw that there was need to address the situation. The demand for cars to rent is higher than what businesses can provide. The main reason is that the system used by most businesses does not allow quick and efficient service delivery to the customers. The service per customer in a unit time is too big and thus much time is spent serving a few customers. The software to be developed is to be done in such a way that it provides a database for storing both client and vehicle details. The software should also allow for online transactions without getting congested.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This means that it should have the capability of handling as many transactions as possible without causing any delays in the system. Another critical element that the software should meet is the memory. Much information will be stored within the system including the terms and conditions for the contract, the client details, car details, charges per day, car history, time span for the contract and any other data as need ar ises. This information has to be accommodated within the system. Development of the software shall involve adoption of other available software of same functionalities that will be modified and customized to meet the current demands. Business profile Abu Dhabi is among the most visited areas by tourists in the world. Car rental business has been on the increase with many companies venturing into the sector. The country has many tourist attracting features and that draws tourist from different regions of the world into the country for different purposes. There are those who visit the country for leisure purposes, for commercial purposes whereas others for business meetings and conferences. The country is continually growing and therefore, attracting more tourists. Visitors would always want to tour different places within the country. As mentioned before, most people visiting the country are foreigners who mainly come for a shorter time. This implies that as long as the number of tou rists into the country is increasing, the car rental business shall also be on the increase. In fact, the current businesses available cannot meet the market demand. Abu Dhabi is known for its prestigious hotels, world-class shopping malls, prominent buildings, and famous conference facilities in the world. It is also an attractive spot for businesses in various domains. There are so many opportunities for business within the country that no one can afford to be idle. Car rental business has proved to be one of the fastest growing businesses within the country. The main reason behind this growth is the expanding tourism sector. Most tourists would want to drive around and visit various places within the country. In addition, most of the visitors in the country are international dignitaries and high class persons who would want to move around in private cars.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on IT Project-Planning phase specifically for you for only $16. 05 $11/page Learn More Because of their short-term stay in the country, most of them would opt for using rental cars than buying new ones. The current system of car renting by most companies is manual and this takes longer when serving customers. Most customers would wish to carry out all their transactions online without making longer queues to get the service. Some companies have gone a step farther and implemented an online system of booking cars. However, this has also not been successful because of the number of customer wishing to use the service. Instead, it has resulted in congestions and thus slowing down the speed of service delivery to the esteemed customers. Most of the companies in this sector are large with several departments. The number of employees varies from 100 to 500 depending on the size of the company and client base. Clients are many and their demand for cars for rental is higher than what the companies can offer. Business aims and objectives T he business goals and objectives for this particular project shall be to come up with software that shall bring forth the following results: Ensure efficiency and quick retrieval of data Ensure better record keeping of client and vehicle details Enhance the ability and effectiveness of the members of staff to perform tasks as planned Eliminate incidents of superfluous data entries within the company Promote an online system of data entry and retrieval Provide a user-friendly interface for transactions Project goals and objectives Ensure user participation in the design of the software Ensure realization of all the business goals and objectives within the set time span and budgeted funds. Lessen the impact of the software system on the basic operations of the business The scope of the project Customers prefer a user-friendly interface that will provide them with quicker services efficiently. This project aims at developing software system that will be adopted by companies in the car renting business. The benefits of using the software will not only benefit the service providers but also the customers at large. For instance, customers will be required to enter their details and select the model of the car they wish to hire. The system immediately will provide them with the available cars of that model as well as their government assigned registration numbers. The system will help car dealers to find the details of clients with particular cars just at the click of a mouse. They will only enter the registration number of the car and all the details about the client having the car are displayed. The software will enhance efficiency in the operation. Additionally, the software will help car rental businesses to accommodate the increasing number of customers and avoid confusions brought by ineffective manual systems.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Because of improved efficiency, companies will save much time and increase their turnover. This project shall involve a number of activities and processes. Some of the processes and activities pertaining to the project include; Phase 1: signing contractual agreements This shall involve entering into contracts with the respective companies. The companies that will be willing and ready to adopt the software shall enter into contract with the software developer and accept to the terms and conditions related to the contract. The other stakeholders involved at this level shall be the project sponsor, the team of professional experts, and the coordinating panel. Phase 2: detailed design It shall involve detailed design of the project. This entails bringing together the required tools for the software and assembling them together into the desired form that finally will produce the desired software. It shall also involve generating the codes as well as assembling the required hardware for t he development process. Thereafter, detailed documentation on the software developed shall be done before presenting the product for testing and validation. Phase 3: Installation and testing It shall involve installation and testing of the software for presentation purposes. After the software has been developed and the related documents processed, it shall be tested whether or not it meets the purpose for which it was meant. This shall be done in a form of presentation to the panel of clients and other clients for purposes of validation. In case it is found inefficient it shall be modified until it meets the ultimate target for the project. Phase 4: integration of hardware and software It shall involve amalgamating the hardware required and the software developed into a system. This shall be done at the business premises of the various companies that would have subscribed to the software. Phase 5: Training After a successful testing and installation of the software, there remains a need to train the staff and technicians on the functionality of the software. Users have to familiarize with the new system and know well how it works. This shall be done for purposes of maintenance and operations of the system. Feasibility evaluation Risk assessment The software to be developed will bring forth efficiency and ensure quick service delivery to the customers. Some of the benefits of this software are development of a client database that shall ensure quick retrieval of necessary data by the respective companies. It shall also ensure proper coordination within the companies hence leading to a well-organized internal system. As a result, much time shall be saved as well as increasing the output of the companies involved. When compared to the current system in use by most companies, the new system shall enable these companies to reach many customers and the work rate shall also improve drastically when using this system. The following shall be required for the developme nt of the software and its successful application. Hardware requirements In the development of the project, the main hardware requirements shall be around five computers with 512MB RAM and a memory of not less than 80GB. These shall be connected and networked to allow for faster flow of work within the company Software requirements The software shall be tailored in such a way that it is compatible with all available operating systems. However, for security purposes, anti-virus software shall be required to boost the system and avoid any system breakdown because of malware and other software hazards. Technical requirements The development of the software shall require experts to carry out all the operations until the product is realized. Once developed, less is required to run and maintain the system. The system shall need at least three experts in addition to other employees to run. In a nutshell, this project shall lead to a reduction in the operational costs. There will also be a remarkable decrease in personnel payment costs as the system will need a lesser number of personnel to run. Most important, the software shall increase the turnover of the company due to an increased client base. Qualitatively, the software shall enhance quick decisions within the company because data can be accessed faster and the intended decision made on time. As outline in the preceding sections, this software shall enable the user to retrieve all the information concerning the whereabouts of a particular car by entering its registration number. All the information including the contacts of the client shall be displayed on a click of a mouse. Moreover, the adoption of the software shall be a competitive tool in the market as those companies using the tool shall have an advantage of reaching a larger number of customers. On the other hand, there are risks involved when using this software, especially during the early times of its application. Most customers may shun away from usi ng the software because of the fear of losing their money. Therefore, some customers may go elsewhere the old system is used. The new system software is likely to attract a negative public perception because many employees shall be laid off thus leading to unemployment. The software is developed to reduce the costs of operations and maximize on the profits of the respective companies. Despite the limitations, the software has more benefits when applied and therefore remains the best option for efficiency. Table 1: Expected costs ITEM Quantity Cost ($) Hardware requirements Computer 5 @500 Uninterruptible Power system (UPS) 5 @70 Software requirements Antivirus software 1 per computer @10 Operating system 1 per computer @50 Technical requirements Technicians for maintenance 3 @500 pm Training staff on the use 1000 Software development experts 5 1000 Testing the software 200 Other costs System upgrades 150 Operational costs 100 Training developers in updated technologies 370 Project assumptions The software will be designed in such a way that it can be used with almost any available operating system. The most obvious ones are Microsoft Windows (in all its formats) and Mac OS. The software should easily work in harmony with other drivers such as those providing the connection to the printer and the company’s database. This will help in streamlining of operations, from the front desk all the way to the administration office. In addition, the following were assumed when preparing this plan: plan is subject to alterations depending on the emerging issues Constraints Car rental businesses are willing to adopt the new AutoXpress car rental software. The managerial team will ensure all the team players are available at all times The coxswaining panel shall get involved fully in the execution of the whole project. Failure to make the necessary changes within the specified time limits will result into delays that will auto matically hamper other processes All the players in this project shall be bound by the set rules and regulations without compromise. The project constraints AutoXpress will be a relatively easy software to handle and will therefore work on computers with different system specifications. However, it is also necessary to note that there has to be a base limit of requirements for it to run effectively. Verification and validation is also a demanding task, given the competitive nature of the software design industry. As such, it will take a lot of work to ensure that all loopholes are sealed, if this software is to pick up in the market. Because of the need to store information on the cars’ history, it will also be mandatory that the clients who use the software be in a position to afford proper data storage facilities, the other option being to hand-over the function to companies that specialize in data storage and distribution. Some of the major barriers to this project are: There are insufficient financial sources for the project funding The legalities related to this project cause many uncertainties on resource availability. The project is faced with a challenge of withdrawal of funding by the sponsors In case of war outbreak, the implementation of the project shall be completely hampered Table 2: Project work plan Time required Software project management plan 1 week Specifying Software requirements (both hardware and software) 1 week Preparation of design documents 2 weeks Preparation of a validation plan for quality assurance and verification of the software 6 days Software design and development 5 weeks Presentation of the developed software 3 days Updating the software 1 week Database preparation and installation 1 week Testing and validation of the software 1 week Integrating the system 5 days Final presentation 1 day Installation of the software 1 week Training users on the operation of the software 2 weeks Rec ommendations for the next phase The next phase should focus on the division of the tasks and assigning of roles. The criteria for choosing a professional team to steer the project to completion should be set up. The various consultants required for the successful completion of the project should be identified and their participation in the project defined in the next phase. The tasks should be broken down into smaller units and each participant or group assigned specific task to accomplish within the time span specified. This report on IT Project-Planning phase was written and submitted by user Tamia Silva to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Requiem For An Aristocrat

Requiem for an Aristocrat â€Å"It’s lonely at the top,† a cliche that Faulkner reaffirms in his classical short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In this southern tale, a social class structure separated the â€Å"high and mighty Griersons† from the rest of the town. After the Civil War, the southern upper class society was dwindling with the northern industrialists rising in national influence. Emily Grierson was the product of an overprotective single father raising a high society child. During this era the southern high society type was considered a dying breed. Emily’s father instilled values and morals that only an arrogant aristocrat could set in a child. Emily’s inability to involve herself in social settings, her blatant disregard of the law, and her radical approach to intimate relationships all stem from her father’s upbringing. The town was filled with people Emily had no desire to interact with. She kept herself locked inside her house and sent Tobe, her servant, to take care of mostly all obligations that required social interactions. She spent the greater part of her life inside this fortress of solitude she considered home. During Emily’s years as a young lady, she was led to believe none of the young men deserved her. The young men did not measure up to her father’s expectations so he dismissed them. Even at thirty years of age, Emily remained single because her father would limit her social interaction. So it was common for the townspeople to refrain from associating with such distinguished people. The entire town attended Emily Grierson’s funeral without knowing her beyond her name. This type o f upbringing left Emily isolated. Emily held an â€Å"above-the-law† attitude that was common amongst aristocrats in the southern states at that time. Once Emily’s father died, the mayor felt obligated to allow Emily to refrain from paying taxes. When Emily visited her druggist for arsenic, he all... Free Essays on Requiem For An Aristocrat Free Essays on Requiem For An Aristocrat Requiem for an Aristocrat â€Å"It’s lonely at the top,† a cliche that Faulkner reaffirms in his classical short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily.† In this southern tale, a social class structure separated the â€Å"high and mighty Griersons† from the rest of the town. After the Civil War, the southern upper class society was dwindling with the northern industrialists rising in national influence. Emily Grierson was the product of an overprotective single father raising a high society child. During this era the southern high society type was considered a dying breed. Emily’s father instilled values and morals that only an arrogant aristocrat could set in a child. Emily’s inability to involve herself in social settings, her blatant disregard of the law, and her radical approach to intimate relationships all stem from her father’s upbringing. The town was filled with people Emily had no desire to interact with. She kept herself locked inside her house and sent Tobe, her servant, to take care of mostly all obligations that required social interactions. She spent the greater part of her life inside this fortress of solitude she considered home. During Emily’s years as a young lady, she was led to believe none of the young men deserved her. The young men did not measure up to her father’s expectations so he dismissed them. Even at thirty years of age, Emily remained single because her father would limit her social interaction. So it was common for the townspeople to refrain from associating with such distinguished people. The entire town attended Emily Grierson’s funeral without knowing her beyond her name. This type o f upbringing left Emily isolated. Emily held an â€Å"above-the-law† attitude that was common amongst aristocrats in the southern states at that time. Once Emily’s father died, the mayor felt obligated to allow Emily to refrain from paying taxes. When Emily visited her druggist for arsenic, he all...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Cases in Digital Innovation and Transformation

This paper focuses on the research on the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction when it comes to consumption of goods and services. Research on the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction is identified and customer personas are made from the data collected. Customer journey maps are also generated using the data on customer research on the subject. The paper contains a research on Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. General market research is carried out the banks operations to help understand the operations of the company and the financial services industry in China (Oswald& Kleinemeier, 2017). The information on customer behavior and the impact that perception has on customer satisfaction levels in this industry is determined and explained. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is a Chinese Multinational banking company and it is the largest bank in world by Total assets. ICBC is also the most valuable bank in the world by market capitalization since February 2017. The company was formed in the year 1984 by the year 2015,it had assets worth US$3.616trilion (Solis, 2015). ICBC opened its first branch outside China in the year 1999 in Luxembourg. It later became the European headquarters of the bank in the year 2011. The company was made public in the year 2006 and it became the largest IPO at the time valued at US$21.9 billion. As at the year 2015,ICBC had approximately 3.5 million corporate customers and more than 170 million individual customers. The company serves corporate clients from across all sectors and industry including manufacturing, transportation, power, gas and water as well as construction industry. The biggest customer is the manufacturing industry followed by transportation, storage, and teleco mmunications industry. China`s banking system underwent significant changes between 1990s and 2000s. The banking system of China has become more like the banking system in the West. Before the 1990s banking in China was run exclusively by the state (Pijl, Lokitz& Solomon, 2016). Over the previous two decades, the narrative has significantly changed since more private banks are emerging and more of the public owned banks have become autonomous. Financial and banking services in China are regulated by the People’s Bank of China. The four biggest banks in China commonly referred to as the â€Å"Big four† are state owned and this shows that the banking industry in China is still largely controlled by the state. The four biggest state owned commercial banks include the China Construction Bank (CCB), Bank of China (BOC),The Agricultural Bank of China(ABC) and the ICBC (Kalbach,2016). The banks were formed through the introduction of commercial Bank Law in 1995 which helped in commercializing operat ions of state owned bank. BOC specializes in foreign exchange transactions and trade finance. The CCB specializes in medium and long term specialized projects such as infrastructure an housing projects. ABC specializes in offering financing to the agricultural sector in China as well as offering wholesale and retail banking services to farmers. The policy banks in China banking and finance industry include the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC), China Development Bank(CDB) and the Export-Import Bank of China (Chexim) (Diamond,2016). There are also various city commercial banks that are majorly owned by the local governments. Private investors also have a minority shareholding in these banks. The other significant players in China`s banking system is the Trust and Investment Corporations, County Banks, Credit and Deposit Insurance companies. Creating customer personas is very important for a company since it helps the organization offer tailor made services that help to improve the levels of customer satisfaction. The use of personas in business has increased in the recent past since organizations are facing growing demand for more personalized and tailor made services. Customers expect organizations to understand their tastes and preferences better and serve to meet their needs as expected. The personas help the organizations in understanding how customers behave and why they behave in such a manner and this enables brands to make changes in their operations which help them to improve customer satisfaction. ICBC serves different segments of the banking sector globally (Kalbach, 2016). In order to develop customer personas in different industries, it is important to segment the market of ICBC based on the industry in which a corporate customer is operating. Customer persona for individual customers is based on the data o n the behavior of individual customers conducted through market research. A persona of a company operating in the manufacturing industry is created based on the available primary and secondary data on that company. 361 degrees is a major designer and manufacturer of shoes and sports products in China. The company was first established in the year 2002 and the brand name,361 degrees was launched in 2004. The brand name represents 360 degrees of a circle plus an extra one degree which represents the professional functionality on which innovation and creativity is added (Barnes & Kelleher, 2015). The characteristics of the company and its needs are analyzed to help ICBC understand its needs as a customer and hence improve customer satisfaction. 360 degrees may get services and products such as long term loans for expansion and investment, short term capital, cash deposit services. ICBC can also offer corporate mobile banking, corporate telephone banking, and corporate internet services (Wright & Snook, 2017). Given that 360 degree has outlets in many countries across Asia and Europe, Internet banking services for the company can be tailor made to help customers from different countries pay for goods using a common paying method which is simple and convenient. 360 degree also needs corporate wealth management services. A company operating in different countries and especially through outlets that are not owned by the company needs to manage its wealth effectively and efficiently. ICBC can manage the manufacturing plants of 360 degrees to help cater   ICBC should create a spe cial profile for the company to help cater for all the corporate banking needs of 360 degrees which is a manufacturing company. ICBC can also receive deposits on behalf of 360 degrees (Information Resources Management Association. 2018). The deposits can be in form of payments made by different clients or the sale of assets. l   He has been in restaurant business for the last 9 years l   Location of business is Shanghai l   He needs short term business loan to expand his business l   The interest rates charged on loans l   The customer does not want high interest rates on loans l   The customer deposits cash regularly l   Most of the transactions by the customer are online l   He takes huge risks in his business l   He has a variety of personal investments Customer preferences and personality l Likes tailor made banking and finance products l Uses mobile banking a for most of his transactions l Makes regular transactions involving deposits and withdrawals l   Internet banking products that offers customer convenience l   Wide range of personalized banking services l   Loan terms depending on the customer history with the company. The Chinese banking industry is very competitive. One of the major competitors of ICBC is the Bank of China limited. The bank is also government owned and it offers the same products as ICBC. One of the metrics that is used to compare the two banks is the customer support services. ICBC has better customer support because it has online customer support system where the customers can be able to interact with the company and problems that they face are addressed (Cardoso, Fromm, Nickel, Satzger, Studer& Weinhardt, 2015). The other metric is the problem resolution time. ICBC takes less time to solve problems that customers present to the company. This is because the company has an elaborate online automatic customer support system. ICBC also has a large number of staff working in the customer care department. Comparison with China construction Bank Limited; China Construction Bank Limited offers banking services mainly to the businesses in the construction industry. The customer support system of CCB is efficient and effective and it enables the company to become competitive and to offer specialized customer care services to different customers. This helps in improving the level of customer satisfaction. The time taken to solve customer problems is also a crucial determinant of customer satisfaction. Both competitors have focused on coming up with the right systems and programs to help improve customer satisfaction. This has been mainly by designing online customer self service websites where customers can be able to solve their problems without having to consult the company. Social media monitoring is one of the tools that can be used to monitor customer experience by ICBC. The company should establish social media accounts through which the company can get feedback regarding the experiences of customers when dealing with the company. Another tool is seeking for feedback directly from customers and avoid over-reliance on social media. Customers can be requested to fill feedback forms after they visit the bank or through the companies` website. Analysis of company information regarding customers is also an important tool for monitoring as well as the rinse and repeat technique. From the analysis of the results of the study, it is clear that ICBC offers its customers high quality products and services compared to its customers. This has promoted the companies` growth beyond China and ensured that ICBC becomes the largest company in the world in terms of assets. ICBC has relied on technological innovation to improve customer satisfaction which is at the core of the success of any company in the banking industry. ICBC offers corporate customers mobile and internet banking and it was one of the first companies to offer these product. ICBC has been able to focus on satisfying customers in the corporate world by making it easy for them to open accounts and obtain big loans at highly competitive interest rates. The paper also discusses the profiles of different categories of customers, both individual and corporate customers and draws journey maps for both. Cardoso, J., Fromm, H., Nickel, S., Satzger, G., Studer, R., & Weinhardt, C. (2015). Fundamentals Of Service Systems. https://Rave.Ohiolink.Edu/Ebooks/Ebc/9783319231952. Barnes, R. A., & Kelleher, B. (2015). Customer Experience For Dummies. Diamond, S. (2016). Content Marketing Strategies For Dummies. Information Resources Management Association. (2018). Mobile Commerce: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, And Applications. Http://Search.Ebscohost.Com/Login.Aspx?Direct=True&Scope=Site&Db=Nlebk&Db=Nlabk&An=1540772. Kalbach, J. (2016). Mapping Experiences: a Guide To Creating Value Through Journeys, Blueprints And Diagrams. https://Search.Ebscohost.Com/Login.Aspx?Direct=True&Scope=Site&Db=Nlebk&Db=Nlabk&An=1234236. Nielsen, L. (2013). Personas -- User Focused Design. London, Springer. https://Www.Books24x7.Com/Marc.Asp?Bookid=54139. Pijl, P. V. D., Lokitz, J., & Solomon, L. K. (2016). Design a Better Business: New Tools, Skills, And Mindset For Strategy And I. John Wiley & Sons. Oswald, G., & Kleinemeier, M. (2017). Shaping The Digital Enterprise Trends And Use Cases In Digital Innovation And Transformation. Cham, Springer. Revella, A. (2015). Buyer Personas: How To Gain Insight Into Your Customer's Expectations, Align Your Marketing Strategies, And Win More Business. Solis, B. (2015). X: The Experience When Business Meets Design. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1002/9781119172529. Wright, T., & Snook, C. J. (2017). Digital Sense: The Common Sense Approach To Effectively Blending Social Business Strategy, Marketing Technology, And Customer Experience.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Quantitative Easing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative Easing - Essay Example Quantitative easing has policies that when well implemented can result to reduction of systematic risks and improve market confidence. Consequently, it can contribute to higher inflation than desired in case policy makers overestimate the amount of easing required (Gibbons, 2011:224). This essay will seek to explain the extent in which the practice of quantitative easing threatens the independence of policymakers. Quantitative easing is another bank bailout. Money created in form of promissory notes or bonds and is available to only those banks that have received the quantitative easing (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells, 2011:98). When the rate of interests is high, there is an alternative method of influencing the price of money circulating in the economy. This alternate solution is quantitative easing whose aim is to lower the rates of interests affecting companies and households where the central bank takes the most important step, QE, by generating new money for use in an e conomy. Therefore, quantitative easing, dubbed printing money, assumes the definition of unconventional monetary policy acquired by the central banks in view of stimulating the economy at times when the conventional monetary policy fails. ... 2012). These unconventional measures had principle element in the United Kingdom whereby, their policy was to purchase assets with finances from the central bank, in short, quantitative easing (Howells and Hussein, 1997:378). Between March 2009 and January 2010, there were more than 200 billion Euros purchases of assets. Overwhelmingly, this amount comprised of government securities that ended up representing 14 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product (Howells, 2010:314). The motivation and implementation of these central banks’ asset purchase had significant economical impacts and according to the Bank of England, quantitative easing made considerable uncertainty regarding magnitudes of the UK’s financial market (Douglas, 2011). Recently, the growth of broad money slowed dramatically within the economy of the United Kingdom since when recession commenced. Indicators of the recession were in part things like reduced borrowing by households and companies. Presumably , the Bank of England had to practice quantitative easing on behalf of Monetary Policy Committee in order to offset the UK’s economy from this weakness (Joyce, 2010). This practice boosted huge sums of money holdings into the economy. However, it threatened the independence of the policymakers since there is documented evidence from the monetary data depicted that the asset purchase program led to an increase in prices of assets (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells 2011:102). In addition, it ultimately contributed to increase in nominal demand in the UK’s economy making other evidence from other financial markets corroborative (Ellis, 2009:31). In 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee made a stern decision of making the economy of the United Kingdom an elaborate market with

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Workplace Violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Workplace Violence - Research Paper Example Non physical violence such as intimidation, abuse, threats etc, physical violence like punching, kicking, pushing etc and aggravated physical violence using weapons are the major categories of workplace violence. â€Å"The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health says there are 3 people murdered every day at work. Murder is the second highest reason for death in the workplace with over 1000 being killed every year!† (Workplace Violence Statistics) Workplace violence is not good for the interests of either the employers or the employees. It can destroy the mutual relationships between the employers and employees. Cooperation is necessary among the employees since most of the organizational works are at present completed using team work. Workplace violence will destroy the cohesion of various teams formed in an organization for completing different works. This paper briefly analyses the topic workplace violence, its causes and possible preventive measures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 564 work-related homicides occurred each year in the United States from 2004 to 2008. The BLS reports that "most shootings occurred in the private sector (86 percent) whereas 14 percent of shootings occurred in government. ... ting better salaries compared to the employees of few decades before, but along with the increased salary, they are getting increased stress also from their workplaces because of increased responsibilities. Failure to fulfil the expectations of the employer may result in loss of jobs and hence employees always work under pressure. The employee is connected with his family, society and workplace in different ways. All these institutions give more responsibilities to him. It is difficult for him to find enough time to fulfil all his commitments. Overtime duty is strictly implemented in many organizations because of manpower shortage and overload of works. Thus the current employees are tied most of his times to the organization and they are not getting enough time to meet their other requirements. In short, most of the current employees are working under immense stress which can lead towards workplace violence. Private sector employment laws in America are weaker compared to the public sector laws. Private firms in America give more freedom to the workers as part of their modern scientific management principles. However, workers often exploit their freedom in an unhealthy manner which may lead towards increased workplace violence in the private sector. In public enterprises, strict screening is performed at the gates for guns and weapons, before the employees enter their offices. On the other hand, in private organizations, such intense screening is not there and it is easy for the private employees to enter the company premises with guns like dangerous weapons. One research study about workplace violence showed that: â€Å"91.6% of shootings on the job committed by men and almost 38% of shootings in the workplace happened in "white collar" situations† (Workplace Violence

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Myofascial Triggger Point Essay Example for Free

Myofascial Triggger Point Essay This chapter is the review of the available literature concerning the theoretic content that is necessary to understand the trapezius muscle and its role in the symptoms associated with upper back pain. Particularly the issues about the types of trigger points, including a discussion of myofascial trigger point therapy and acupuncture trigger point therapy. More importantly the awareness and understanding on how to improve the quality of life by learning about the alternative options, making changes and applying self-help strategies on myofascial trigger points. Given this points, a brief description of the topics are noted: It is painful to say that about 23 million persons, or 10 percent of the U. S. population, have one or more chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system (Imamura, Fischer, Imamura, Teixeira, Tchia Kaziyama, (1997). The most common reason for the breakthrough of pain and rigidity in the head, neck and shoulder is the development of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) activity in those areas. Factors responsible to set in motion trigger point in the muscles of the neck and shoulder region include postural disorders, drooping of the shoulder girdle, direct and indirect overloading of the neck muscles, acute trauma to the neck and anxiety (Baldry, 2002). For instance, the muscle most often affected by MTrPs is the trapezius muscle. Any position or task that requires the shoulders to carry out the weight of the upper extremities repeatedly or for prolonged periods of time overloads the upper trapezius muscle, and strongly boosts the development of MTrPs (Mense, 2001). Incidentally, MTrPs extremely common and became a painful part of nearly everyone’s life at one time or another. ), the upper trapezius active MTrPs are common in patients presenting neck pain (Simons Travell 1999). Surprising statistics suggested that neck pain has a lifetime incidence of 45%-54% in the general population (Fernandez-de-las-Penas, Alonso-Blanco Mangolarra, 2007). Trigger points are tender to direct pressure or squeezing, they are painful and they are palpable as hard nodules. Rachlin, 2005). In fact, Simons Travell (1999) has described pain due to TrPs is a cause of pain in all parts of the body and it has been reported as a source of pain in numerous medical conditions. Patients presenting mainly with upper body pain or headaches are more likely to MTrPs pain than patients presenting with pain located elsewhere (Rachlin, 2005). Indeed, therapy for MTrPs has been used by Bilkstad and Gemmell, (2008) with anecdotal success in patients with non-specific neck pa in. Gemmell and Allen’s (2008) study also proved that a session of trigger point therapy, has a clinical meaningful effects in the treatment of acute trigger points of the upper trapezius muscle. Certainly acupuncture for MTrPs is an effective and efficient technique for the treatment of myofascial pain and dysfunction. That is, an acupuncture needle is inserted through the skin and moved gently up and down through the MTrPs. The effect is to de-activate the trigger point and relax the muscle according to Travell and Simons (1999). Furthermore, studies of neck pain have proposed that manipulation is an effective therapy, especially when combined with exercise (Rubinstein, Leboeuf-Yde, Knol, de Koekkoek, Pfeifle van Tulder, 2008). Gatterman (2005) stated that chiropractic treatment of the spine has a relaxing effect on the spinal muscle and a loosening effect on spinal articulations, hence making a difference in a number of ailments drawn by cervical structure. Historical Background Review  Back to 1816, British physician Balfour, as cited by Stockman, described â€Å"nodular tumors and thickenings which were painful to the touch, and from which pains shot to neighboring parts† (Stockman, 1904 p. 107-116). In 1841, trigger points have been documented in western medicine research. In the European literature, regional musculoskeletal pain conditions have been documented since the 18th century (Reynolds, 1983). Dr. Janet Travell (1901-1997) is generally credited for bringing MTrPs to the attention of healthcare providers. MTrPs have been described and rediscovered for several centuries by various clinicians and researchers as far back as the 16th century, de Baillou (1538-1616), Ruhmann (1940) described what is now known as myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Bron Dommerholt, ( 2012, p. 1) acknowledges, myofascial pain syndrome is defined as the â€Å"sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms caused by Mypfascial Trigger Points†, and has become a recognized medical diagnosis among pain specialists. The first trigger point manual was published in 1931 in Germany nearly a decade before Dr.  Janet Travell became interested in MTrPs These early descriptions and other historic papers did illustrate the basic features of MTrPs quite accurately (Simons, 1975). In 1966, Dr. Travell founded the North American Academy of Manipulative Medicine, together with Dr. John Mennell, who also published several articles about MTrPs (Mennell, 1976-1989). In the early 1960s, Dr. David Simons was introduced to Dr. Travell and her work, which became the start of a fruitful collaboration eventually resulting in several publications, including the Trigger Point Manuals (Simons Travell 1999). The Trigger Point Manuals are the most comprehensive review of nearly 150 muscle referred-pain patterns based on Dr. Travell’s clinical observations, and they include an extensive review of the scientific basis of MTrPs. Both volumes have been translated into several foreign languages. These books are considered the definitive reference on myofascial pain and locating trigger points. Trapezius Muscle This diamond shape muscle is situated in the neck and upper part of the back and lies most superficially (Moore Dalley, 2006). It was given its name because the muscles of the two sides form a trapezium. The main action of the trapezius is to aid in head, neck and the clavicle movement. The trapezius commonly contains trigger points, and referred pain from these trigger points bring patients to the office more often than for any other problem. Figure 2. 1 shows the trapezius- a large kite-shaped muscle, covering much of the back and posterior neck. There are three main parts to the muscle: the Upper, middle, and lower part. Each part has its own actions and often different functions. Figure 2. 1 Trapezius Muscle Namely the upper portion of the trapezius muscle laterally flexes the head and the neck towards the same side, and assists in extreme rotation of the head so that the face turns to the opposite side. It can draw the clavicle backwards and raise it by rotating the clavicle. It usually helps to carry the weight of the upper limb during standing, or support a weight in the hand with the arm hanging. Acting bilaterally, the upper fibers extend the head and the neck . The upper trapezius can reflect headaches on the temples, dizziness, severe neck pain, intolerance to weight on your shoulders. While the middle trapezius reflects pain on the mid-back, headaches at the base of your skull and superficial burning pain close to the spine. On the other hand lower trapezius on the mid-back refers pain to the neck, and/or upper shoulder region (Simons Travell, 1999). Figure 2. 2 Trapezius Trigger Points Myofascial Trigger Points The word myofascial means muscle tissue (myo) and the connective tissue in and around it (fascia). According to the most commonly accepted theory, a myofascial trigger point ( Figure 2. ) is an area of hypersensitivity in a taut band, or contraction knot of skeletal muscle with respect to pain (Simons, et al. , 1999), as opposed to healthy muscle, which does not contain taut bands or trigger point (Shah, et al. 2005). The trigger point feels like a pea embedded within the muscle to the touch. A trigger point is always tender and becomes painful, like contracted knots that refers pain and tightness upon direct compression and is mediated by a local twitch response (Hong, 2006; Simons et al. , 1999; Simons, 2004). Auleciems (1995) furthermore researched the incidence of MPS, reported to be as high as 85% at certain American pain clinics. Figure 2. 3 Myofascia Trigger Point Taut Band Myofascial Trigger Point Development There are existing studies to account for the development of trigger points and subsequent pain patterns, but scientific evidence is lacking. Many researchers concur that an acute injury or repetitive small injuries may lead to the development of a trigger point which creates some degree of tissue damage (Rachlin, 2005). The damage to muscle and connective tissue can befall several ways. From lack of exercise, prolonged poor posture, vitamin deficiencies, sleep disturbances, and joint problems (Simons Travell, 1999). Examples of predisposing activities such as typing/moussing, handheld electronics, gardening, home improvement projects, work environments, holding a telephone receiver between the ear and shoulder to free arms; prolonged bending over a table; sitting in chairs with poor back support, improper height of arm rests or none at all (Simpson McCarthy, 2001); sustained loading as with heavy lifting, carrying babies, briefcases, boxes, wearing body armor or lifting bedridden patients. Injury from falling down stairs or whiplash injury in a motor vehicle accident (Lavelle, Lavelle, Susti, 2007). Myofascial Trigger Point Classification Trigger points are classified as being active or latent. The active, painful phase of the trigger point is the one which motivates people to seek relief. The active trigger point hurts when pressed with a finger and causes pain around it and in other areas. (Hong, 2006; Simons, 2004). The active trigger point referral symptom may feel like a dull ache, deep, pressing pain, burning, or a sensation of numbness and fatigue. If unaddressed or ineffectively treated, eventually other muscles around the dysfunctional one become stressed and develop secondary trigger points. It is not unusual for chronic pain patients to have multiple, overlapping referred pain patterns, making diagnosis and treatment more complex. Trigger points can also lie quietly in muscles, sometimes for years. This type of trigger point is called latent. Latent trigger points are very common. Probably one wont know they are there for the fact that they cause pain unless it is compressed. Latent trigger points cause restricted movement, distorted muscle movement patterns; stiffness and weakness of the affected muscle (Fricton, Kroening, Haley Siegert, 1985). When firm pressure is applied over the trigger point in a snapping often causes the muscle to â€Å"jump† or briskly contract a â€Å"local twitch response† (Simons et al. , 1999). The reaction of a twitch response during palpation of a trigger point, or during a trigger point release procedure, is a reliable confirmation that the trigger point has been accurately located. When a trigger point in one muscle can create pain in another area it is known as referred pain. This referred pain is felt not at the site of the trigger-point origin, but remote from it (Mense Schmit, 1977). For example (Figure. 2. 4), a primary trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle refers pain to the temple region of the head. All muscle tissue is potentially prone to developing trigger points. Fig. 2. 4 Referred Pain from Trapezius Trigger Points Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points As a matter of fact treating each trigger point is relatively simple. Treating the whole myofascial pain syndrome so that pain fully goes away is a more complicated process. Pharmacologic treatment of patients with chronic muscle pain includes analgesics and medications to induce sleep and relax muscles. Antidepressants, anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed (Imamura et al. , 1997). The long-term clinical efficacy of various therapies is not clear, because data that incorporate pre- and post-treatment assessments with control groups are not available. No laboratory test or imaging technique has been established for diagnosing trigger points (Fricton et al. , 1985). However, the use of ultrasonography, electromyography, thermography, and muscle biopsy has been studied. A variety of hands-on skills, such as stretching, massage, manipulation, mobilization and strengthening (Simons, 2002), and a wide variety of modalities namely, diathermy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, ethyl chloride Spray and Stretch technique, dry needling, and trigger-point injections with local anesthetic, saline, or steroid heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, mechanical pressure and light energy, are available to physicians and therapists for the treatment of trigger points (Edward Knowles, 2003). For instance trigger point therapies can help specifically a number of health issues such as: 1) Relieve migraine and headache 2) Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion Ease dependence over the counter or prescription medication 3) Release endorphins that work as the bodys natural painkiller 4) Enhance immunity by stimulating the bodys natural defense system. 5) Increase blood flow to bring oxygen (Dommerholt Huijbregts (2011, p. 18 ). The proposed principle of treatment of MPS is to inactivate the active MTrPs through the use of various therapeutic modalities (Hong, C. 2000). However, the various treatments are beyond the scope of this study, the main focus here is to determine the efficacy of acupuncture and myofascial trigger point therapy for upper back pain. Acupuncture Trigger point pain may result from old or new injuries, excessive work out, incorrect body mechanics and poor body posture. In this light, acupuncture treatments can help return the balance to muscles. It is one of the safest ways to address physical problems. Using FDA-approved grade of acupuncture needles, it stimulates the muscle fibers, generating involuntary twitching of muscles located on the suspect trigger point (Figure 2. 5). Usually leads to an immediate reduction of the tightness as well as a reduction or elimination of the related problems (Scholar Hong, 2000. Aside from relieving muscles from stress, acupuncture treatment releases endorphins, boosts the nervous system, enhances the immune system, and causes a number of other biochemical and hormonal changes (Napadow, Webb, Pearson, et al. , 2006). Acupuncture is a time proven and safe method to optimize health. In restoring balance to brain and nervous system functions, it helps regulate blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature, which is indirectly beneficial to managing and relieving body stressor (Birch, Hesselink, Jonkman, et al. , (2004).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Revision Rich Essay -- essays research papers fc

Revision In Adrienne Rich's essay "When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-vision", the author writes about her personal experience as a woman writer in a male dominated society. Her essay consists of poems, which she had written throughout different times in her life, to demonstrate the transformation in her writing. As a woman writer in a male dominated society, Rich begins writing in the traditional style, "the man's way," but as she continues writing, Rich breaks from these traditional styles to form her own. Like Freire, Rich believes people should break from society and be able to think and question things for themselves. While Freire wants to change the educational system, Rich wants to change writing. Both Freire and Rich want to break from the traditional ways of the past. Rich believes that women need to break from the enduring attitudes of traditions which society has placed upon them. Rich is upset with the limitations placed on women in society, particularly i n marriage. It is for this reason that the themes of many of Rich's poems are advice for women to live life for themselves, listening only to what their hearts tell them. The three poems "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law" and "Planetarium" are analyzed to demonstrate the changes in Rich's way of writing. Rich wrote "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" in 1951, while she was a student. At this time in her life she conforms to tradition in her writing, and tries not to identify herself as a female poet. Rich does not identify herself as a female poet by detaching herself from her character and allowing her character to accept the life that man has placed upon woman. Rich's writing is constrained by man because she allows her character to be oppressed by man and does not make her a conscious being of oppression. In "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers", Rich writes about a woman who does not break from the accepted roles of society. Aunt Jennifer does not have the freedom to live for herself because of society's expectations on women. The only way for Jennifer to free herself is by making up a fantasy world. The author writes about the universal issues involved in the relationship between men and women, in where woman is a slave to man. Rich writes "the massive w... ...s the writer of the essay. Rich criticizes and critiques her own poems to demonstrate the differences in her writing. She transformed language by breaking the traditional views and by writing about man's power over women. At first it prevented her from writing the way she wanted just because she was a woman. Society did not expect a women to have a job as a writer instead writing was considered as a hobby for women. Rich had been taught that society considered poetry to be "universal" meaning non-female. Because Rich had been taught that poetry was "universal" it was very hard for her to write the things that she wanted too. Rich lost herself to society, becoming a mother and a wife and not being able to write as much as she liked. After a couple of years she divorced her husband and found herself again. As a result, Rich is her own teacher. She taught herself to have the courage to rebel against society and become a conscious being. Works Cited Rich, Adrienne. "When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision". Ways of Reading. Ed. John Sullivan. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 601-615.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Jeremy Bentham versus John Stuart Mill

Utilitarianism speaks of pleasures, pain, quality, quantity, etcetera. This paper intends to reintroduce the definition, concepts, as well as, ideas provided by the greatest thinkers namely: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. It also aims to state the differences between their concepts. Finally, its objective is to mention whose definition/concept/idea with regards to utilitarianism is more plausible. Utilitarianism According to Jeremy Bentham.Jeremy Bentham technically defines â€Å"utility† as â€Å"that property in any object, whereby it ends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness or to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered† (Bentham 1948, p. 126). Jeremy Bentham developed the aforementioned idea on utilitarianism through the following premises: First of all, that â€Å"pleasure, happiness, goodness, benefit, advantage, etcetera† are terms that equate to one another (Germi no 1972, pp. 235 – 236).Second is that the aforementioned terms in the first are actually measurable, thus, quantifiable as well (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236). Third, that an act of people, as well as, the government should be based upon the rule that take full advantage of pleasure and decrease pain (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236). Last but not least, â€Å"it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong† of human action in every situation, and in particular when governmental action is called for (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236).Utilitarianism According to John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, sees â€Å"utilitarianism† as the â€Å"foundation of morals† because it holds that, â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness† (Ebenstein & Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). What does John Stuart Mill mean w hen he mentions happiness and unhappiness, you may ask? Well, happiness he says is similar to pleasure and the non-existence of terrible pain or any kind of pain for that matter (Germino 1972, p.240). Unhappiness for John Stuart Mill, on the other hand, is akin to pain, as well as, the deprivation of enjoyment/pleasure (Germino 1972, p. 240). Differences This is where we see the first difference of his thoughts from that of Jeremy Bentham’s since at this point, he already rejects first premise, that all those terms aforementioned are all similar to each other or that the quality of pleasure is actually equivalent to each other (Germino 1972, p. 240).Deducing from that idea, if pleasures vary in superiority, as well as, in amount, and if only those men who have experienced the entire assortment of pleasures are capable of reflecting upon and comprehensibly articulating their experience are proficient of judging excellence, then the lawmaker/member of parliament can no longer e stablish/agree on governmental policy on the basis of â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number† (Germino 1972, p. 240). Another difference is that, actually, John Stuart Mill is not focused on â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number† but on the â€Å"greatest happiness† alone (Germino 1972, p.240). â€Å"Utility† is still equivalent to pleasure but now there is already an acknowledgment that there are various kinds because of excellence and greatness (Germino 1972, p. 240). Third, John Stuart Mill rejects the thought of Jeremy Bentham, which states that the motivations for humans to act can all be reduced to one’s own interest and to his own exploration for the utmost satisfaction (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). John Stuart Mill negates this by saying that a human being may also get pleasure/satisfaction by joining or participating in someone else’s happiness (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p.95). Simply put, pleasure do es not only result from one’s own interest but also from what humankind and harmony is experiencing (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). Last but not least, John Stuart Mill declines the idea of Jeremy Bentham, which reiterates that the individual is the only one capable of judging his or her own interest (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). John Stuart Mill negates this by saying that there are several instances wherein a person needs the intervention/meddling of the government for his own good (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p.95). For example, the government should intervene if the issue is with regards to education, employment, social issues like poverty etcetera, since a person is not automatically the best judge of his or her interests as proven by the examples aforementioned (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). The More Plausible Utilitarianism Now that we have seen how Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill define utilitarianism, it is now time to scrutinize what is more plausible, utilitarianism according to Jeremy Bentham or utilitarianism according to John Stuart Mill?If we alter their definition slightly, say, what is functional is high-quality and accordingly the principled value of conduct is â€Å"determined by the utility of its results† and that the utilitarian tradition sees that the ultimate purpose of honorable action is to reach the â€Å"greatest happiness for the greatest number† (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). If the aforementioned is to become a general rule for our laws then the â€Å"greatest happiness for the greatest number† will certainly be reached (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p.95). At this point, we cannot still pinpoint what is more plausible since both Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill upholds that concept. I believe that John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism is more plausible than that of Jeremy Bentham’s because of the following reasons: First of all, the premise of Jeremy Bentham that â€Å"plea sure, happiness, goodness, benefit, advantage, etcetera† are terms that equate to one another is a little too vague (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236).It is a little confusing to utilize every term he has given interchangeably; it is as if all these terms have the same weight in terms of magnitude and excellence/superiority (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236). Second, Jeremy Bentham’s argument â€Å"it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong† of human action in every situation, and in particular when governmental action is called for may lead to an unnecessary abuse on the part of the government (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236).For me, this has flaws since it may be used to make it appear that there is always a need for the government; these parts of his idea should have certain restrictions, for instance, it should be added that, the government may intervene, however, the consent of the populace also should be taken into consideration (Germino 1972, pp. 235 – 236). Finally, Jeremy Bentham’s thinking with regards to an individual’s motivations for humans to act can all be reduced to one’s own interest and to his own exploration for the utmost satisfaction (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95).To me, it is a little bizarre since he is like undermining the capabilities of individuals to think of ways on how to make himself attain pleasure (Screpanti & Zamagni 1995, p. 95). References Bentham, J. 1948, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Blackwell, Oxford. Ebenstein, W. and Ebenstein, A. 1991, Great Political Thinkers: Plato to the President. Harcourt Brace, Forth Worth. Germino, D. 1972, Machiavelli to Marx: Modern Western Political Thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Screpanti, E. & Zamagni, S. 1995, An Outline of the History of Economic Thought. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

H&M: Target Costing and Business Model Essay

In the world globalization competitive increasingly environment, how is H&M’s business model maintain and enhance the competitiveness of high-speed growth? With the research of target costing and business model of system innovation theory, you can understand the H&M’s successful business. And you can understand to make much more profit by controlling target costing. Password 1: Accurately grasp and dig into the demand of the client value. Customer, this is undoubtedly the center of the whole enterprise. Philip Kotler , who from American Marketing From EMKT.com.cn think solving the problem in accordance with the conventional innovation of logic in such a competitive market is no longer applicable. But creative thinking that is based on customers showing growing charm. It is by the original alternative concept and product development to stimulate new markets and profit growth. Obviously, H&M is the master of â€Å"creative thinking† to customer demand, H&M noted that almost every shopper likes fashionable design and image of luxury clothes. But the vast majority of people have to wait until the clearance sale. Why cannot meet the customers demand of famous brand fashion design and cheap parity? According to the survey of professional organizations Verdict Research, the average price of clothing in 1995 fell 34%. But in the same period the number of women buying clothes has doubled. This suggests that consumers pay more attention to the fashion style. They buy more clothes, but wearing the times less. Meanwhile, the current consumer market is showing to the two extreme diversion state of â€Å"luxury† and â€Å"save money. In the â€Å"luxury† mode, consumers buy product and service of high quality, reflecting the personality characteristics and meeting the emotional needs at any cost. In the â€Å"save money† mode, consumers try their best to find low-cost but high-quality goods. These â€Å"contradictions† demand implies the desire of consumers for affordable fashion. H&M Fashion Group, which is to see the change of social structure and consumers, seeking to find crack password equilibrium point, creating a cheap fashion clothing brand positioning. It use the combination of its use of changing fashion and luxury quality and public evaluation to realize trafficking â€Å"fashion† like McDonald’s selling hamburgers.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Verbs of Being Definition (English Grammar)

Verbs of Being Definition (English Grammar) In traditional grammar and pedagogical grammar, a verb that does not show action instead indicates a state of being. In other words, a state-of-being verb identifies who or what a noun is, was, or will be. Although in English most being verbs are forms of to be (am, are, is, was, were, will be, being, been), other verbs (such as become, seem, appear) can also function as verbs of being. Compare them with stative verbs, and contrast them with verbs of doing (dynamic verbs), or action verbs. Stylistic Advice: Avoid "Be" When You Can Unfortunately, to be verbs do not make for the most exciting writing to read when a piece is overloaded with them (buzzing with bes). Action verbs are stronger than to be verbs because they portray more imagery. Action verbs also make for more impactful, shorter sentences, as to be verbs often are found in passive sentences as well. Replace being verbs where you can, during your editing round of writing your piece. (The drafting phase is for getting your information organized and put together.) Not all being verbs or even passive voice can be avoided, of course, but where they can be replaced, your sentences will be livelier  and punchier and will flow more quickly. Improving Examples Compare the following sentences and their improvements: Jerry was working hard.Jerry worked hard.Mary is a big fan of Bach.Mary adores Bach. In the latter improvement, the verb was changed completely, to be more descriptive. Excising Passive Voice To get rid of passive voice, turn the sentence around and start with the doer of the action rather than the object of the action. See the difference between: Their house was invaded by bugs.Bugs invaded their house.The package was sent by Bob.Bob sent the package. Passive voice has its place, such as when the result is more important than who did the action. For example, The record low temperature was broken last night, after 104 years, or when the actor is unknown, such as in, Its recommended to have the furnace serviced once per year. (Though these sentences still could be revised out of passive by adding subjects and recasting them, such as We hit a record low last night, breaking a 104-year record and Manufacturers recommend having...) Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" One of the most famous being verb sentences surely is the famous soliloquy of Hamlets, in his eponymous Shakespearean play. Author Crystal Downing reminds us, though, that people need to take into account the fact that the speech is written in iambic pentameter when working out its meaning: When people pronounce Hamlets famous line, they usually emphasize the that, as though Hamlet cannot make up his mind about killing himself: To be, or not to be-

Monday, November 4, 2019

Film Report Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Film Report - Movie Review Example Its theme revolves around an unconventional form of love, in which the other person involved does not see his mysterious admirer. At first, the audience cannot see romance as a theme in the movie because the film opened with the unveiling of a monument only to find out that the Tramp is relaxingly cradled in its arms, plus his pants got hooked by the monument’s sword when he was asked to leave. The audience can see the theme when Tramp saw the blind woman selling flowers in a corner. It was conceived that he liked the woman the first time he met her. In emphasizing the theme, the film used Tramp’s gaze and fondness for the blind woman that obviously tell the audience he likes her at the first encounter. 2) What were the choices made by the main characters and what were the consequences of those choices? First, Tramp’s helping of a drunk millionaire when he was about to commit suicide in a river resulted to a newly-formed friendship. Because of that, Tramp was abl e to see the millionaire’s house and was offered a drink, aside from the friendship. Moreover, the Tramp was also able to find out the condition of the blind woman he met on the street when he decided to find her. As a result of the growing affection he has for the woman, the Tramp decided to help finance her costly eye operation, and even pay for their rent. The Tramp decided to be a street cleaner and a boxer. He was not successful, though, in winning the fight. Accidentally, he met with his millionaire friend in a street. His friend, likewise, decided to help his friend, and gave him the money he needed. Despite the odds (thieves sent his millionaire friend to sleep while they were talking in the living room), the Tramp was able to give the money to the blind woman, and she had her operation successfully. In the end, the cured woman acknowledged the Tramp when they met for the first time after he was imprisoned. The woman accepted the Tramp when she first saw him, and the Tramp’s love was also requited. 3) What three or four sequences are most important in the film? Why? First, it was during the time when the Tramp met the blind woman in the street, and immediately falls in love with her. It gave him someone to look forward to. Second, when he tried to stop the drunk millionaire from committing suicide. That started their friendship, even though the millionaire is hostile when he is not drunk. Their friendship paved way for his access to various parties, and even driving the millionaire’s car. Third, the Tramp’s surprise visit to the blind woman’s house made him know her condition and the need for a costly eye operation. It was because of knowing her situation that made him determined to help her. His friendship with the millionaire also helped the blind woman to be cured through his money given to him. Because of their acquaintance also, he was imprisoned and spent his life in jail for stealing the millionaire’s mo ney (apparently, the millionaire did not remember anything after the thieves hit him on the head). The final sequence was when the Tramp and the cured woman finally met, and their love was proven in the end. 4) Did the ?lm surprise you with anything unusual in its story, style, technique, or implications? The film

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) Case Study

Brand Portfolio Project (advertising) - Case Study Example In 1964, the first year of its operation, the company sold about1300 pairs of shoes generating revenues of about $8000 dollars. The company acquired a full-time employee in 1965, with an annual turnover of close to $20000. With the increased sales volume and growth in stock, the company opened its first retail store in 3107 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California in 1966. Because of the rapid growth in revenues and demand for the company’s products, the company in 1967 expanded its operations to the East Coast in Wellesley, Massachusetts. As the relationship between Blue Ribbon Sports and Onitsuka Tiger approached its final stages in the year 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports was preparing to launch its new footwear designed by Carolyn Davidson (Frisch 6). In June 1971, Blue Ribbon Sports, branded as Nike first used the Swoosh designed footwear, subsequently registering for a trademark and patents of the products. Over time, the company has grown tremendously due to the extensive us e of television advertising for their products. Getting into a number of partnerships with different individuals such as John Brown and partners and Wilden+Kennedy, the later who has remained the official advertising agency for the company, Nike has successfully managed to transform its operations from a small company to a multi-billion dollar enterprise (Google finance Web). In the fiscal year 2012, Nike managed revenues in excess of US $24.1 billion. With the increase in product quality and focus on customer satisfaction, the once small distributor of athletics wear and apparel currently has a market value of approximately $10.7 billion (Nike Inc. web). This makes Nike the biggest company in the sports and athletics brands, ahead of companies such as adidas. Nike’s Mission The company’s mission statement drives its growth and success, making it a profitable and high performing organization in the sports business. This forms the ultimate goal of its operations, gearin g its management and employees to work in an enthusiastic way. According to Nike inc. (web), the company’s mission is, â€Å"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.† Objectives and Strategies Although initially the company used TV as the dominant advertising strategy, in the recent past a number of strategies drives the advertising campaign of Nike. Among the most significant advertising methods forming the company’s current advertising strategy, include internet marketing, email management technologies and broadcast, methods that the company believes directly influences its target customers. The ability of the company to select reliable media to convey its messages and sell its products to the right people is the main reason for its success. Additionally, the company creatively uses these media forms to complement each other, creating a bigger impact in the market than any other sports company does. As the world started embracing adve rtising and corporations started using internet as an advertising tool, Nike too launched its website in the year 1997 in a bid to market its products. As the company took its products to the internet-advertising platform, it adopted an email management system called EchoMail that integrated its emails into one database center. In order to offer its loyal customers personalized services, the company decided to