Military Language: Through My Eyes Literacy Narrative

Jaron Dowell Professor Benjamin Smith ENGL 1113 20120930 Military Language: Through My Eyes My drill instructor TSgt Huggins proudly stated to my flight of sixty other high school kids from around the U. S. , â€Å"Well boys we just got some breaking news from the commander, the state of Texas’s elevation has increased by four inches and it’s your all’s responsibility to right this wrong and the only way to do that is to push, so get on your face and keep pushing till I say stop. When most people overhear military personnel conversing with one other, I’m sure their first thought would be that the English language is being butchered because all they hear are acronyms. Examples are abound everywhere: if you overheard me saying that it’s time to go chow at the DFAC, most civilians would just stare at me with a puzzling look, but if other military personnel or someone familiar with the terminology overheard me, they wouldn’t question what had ju st been said at all; on the contrary, they would just know that it was time to go eat at the dining facility.The first time military language was introduced to me was the unforgettable day of June 29th, 2009 in the unforgivable heat of southern Texas at Lackland AFB. While 99% of my senior class was off having a last hoorah before they went off to college, I was getting told to get on my face and do pushups till my arms fall off by a man so huge, the earth shook beneath his feet. I was hundreds of miles away from home, and it suddenly hit me for what I had gotten myself into. Over the next two months I would have my views on life be changed almost on a weekly basis by what was going on around me.If I had known on my first day of what I should have said to Huggins question, I wouldn’t have had a problem, but instead I did the most idiotic thing you could do: I let out a small chuckle. With a blink of an eye, sergeant Huggins was in my face and letting me know if I thought some thing was funny, to which my response was â€Å"Sir trainee Dowell reports as ordered, sir I do not find you a funny man at all. † I thought that was the proper answer, but I was very wrong. Huggins was all-knowing and had an answer to everything.He just stared at me with a blank expression and said â€Å"That hurts trainee, here I was letting you see my talent and you go and do this to me, well since I’m obviously not the funny one how about you tell me a joke, so that way I can learn from a professional. † That moment I started to open my mouth and before a word was spoken an explosion went off, â€Å"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING, YOU WILL NOT SPEAK, YOU ARE NOT FUNNY, YOU ARE GOOD FOR ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY, YOU WILL BE MY LATRINE QUEEN AND YOU WILL HAVE MY BATHROOM CLEAN ENOUGH TO EAT OFF, DO YOU UNDERSTAND! To which I responded â€Å"Yes sir. † It was at that moment I understood exactly the beauty of just saying two words and nothing else, â⠂¬Å"yes sir† was my dearest companion and would serve me well for the next couple months. Military culture was infusing itself with me more and more each day that I was at basic training. It was always adapting and helping me to understand the world around me and its intentions were obvious since very first day of basic training: to break me down, just to build me up.The act of being yelled at was literacy in its purest form. To me it was a means of communicating the disciplines I would have to endure in order for me to be a contributing force in the United States Air Force. Although I was not a fan of being yelled at on a regular basis, it began to dawn on me that in order for me to progress; I would have to learn the language that was presented in front of me. As simple as the language may have appeared to me at first, I learned that it was actually quite intricate.Not only did it combine language being spoken, but it utilized body language as well. The body language was the hardest aspect for me to grasp at the beginning; although I may have not intended to disrespect any MTI; my body language seemed to always be saying something completely opposite of what I had just spoken. But through persistent â€Å"behavioral modifications,† or as I like to say â€Å"getting my head chewed off,† I was able to overcome that obstacle in no time at all.I had learned the art of being a big guy that could be tinier and quieter than a field mouse. I had learned my lesson and now began the practice of listening before speaking and it was worked wonderfully in my favor because I hadn’t received the wrath of any of my drill instructors. I started to realize that the military was teaching me valuable tools that would help me throughout my life, not just a means for me to survive basic training.At times the language and environment was harsh but I came to the conclusion that I needed to take a step back and allow someone to help me progress myself as a n adult. For me, graduating basic training was one of the proudest moments of my life and whenever I look back at that day, I know that if I hadn’t of been put through that stress, I wouldn’t have the skills I do today to deal with that. The military was a great thing for me to experience, and I will always be thankful for that.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 8

I found Damon dancing with Hilda, ushering her around the dance floor with the lightest touch. Wherever his fingers touched she bent, curling into him a trifle more than was acceptable and falling against him more than was necessary. Other girls looked on enviously, clearly hoping to dance with him next. He pretended to devote all his attention to the poor girl, but glanced up just long enough to shoot me a dazzling smile. I waited impatiently for the dance to end, wishing I could compel the musicians to stop. But whatever Damon's powers of compulsion, mine were severely lacking thanks to my meager diet. As soon as the last beat was played, I marched up to my brother. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to†¦ ?† he asked, innocently, indicating Hilda. â€Å"Because I'm sure she will. If you'd like her to.† Hilda studied her dance card, the picture of confusion. â€Å"Let's go get a drink,† I said, taking him by the elbow. â€Å"Exactly what I was thinking,† he agreed, mock-seriously. He snapped his fingers, as if at a dog. â€Å"Hilda†¦ ?† â€Å"Leave her alone,† I ordered. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Fine. A waiter will do just as well.† But he allowed me to place an iron grip on his arm and guide him through the crowd, past the refreshment room, through a library and into a poorly lit study. â€Å"What the hell are you doing here?† I demanded the moment we were alone. â€Å"Trying to enjoy myself,† Damon said, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. He dropped his accent immediately. â€Å"Did you see the spread? The salmon's from Scotland. And Adelina Patti is here, too – Father would have just died. Oh wait.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"He did die. You murdered him, in fact.† â€Å"Only after he tried to kill us,† I pointed out, clenching my fists. â€Å"Correction: after he succeeded in shooting both of us. We're dead, brother.† Damon grinned at me. He was circling me. Casually, as if he didn't mean to, as if he was just walking around idly, making conversation while admiring the decor. It reminded me of how he'd paced the ring at the circus back in New Orleans, when Gallagher had forced him to fight the mountain lion. Damon picked up a small statuette and turned it over in his hands, but his eyes stayed locked on mine. I squared my shoulders, feeling the predator's response as he challenged my personal space. â€Å"I'm asking you again, Damon: What are you doing here?† â€Å"Same thing as you, brother. Starting a new life, far from home, and war, and tragedy, and all of those other things immigrants like us are escaping. New York is where the action is. I figured if it's good enough for my brother, it's good enough for me, too.† â€Å"So you did follow me,† I said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"You stink,† Damon said. â€Å"Don't act surprised! It's not just you. Everyone stinks. We're hunters, Stefan. About halfway up the coast, it wasn't hard to figure out where you decided to go after New Orleans. I just made sure I got here first. There isn't a train yet that can beat me on a horse. Well, several horses. A couple of them died of exhaustion. Like your poor, poor Mezzanotte.† â€Å"Why, Damon?† I said, ignoring his casual cruelty. â€Å"Why follow me here?† Damon's eyes narrowed and a flash of rage shot through them, exploding from the hidden depths of his soul. â€Å"I told you I was going to torment you for the eternity you blessed me with, Stefan. Did you think I would break my promise so quickly?† I was used to Damon's fits of pique. His anger had always been like a summer storm, quick and violent, causing damage to anyone or anything nearby – and then it was over and he was buying a round at the tavern. But this fury was new, and it was all because of me. I averted my eyes so he couldn't see the pain and guilt written there. â€Å"What do you want with Lydia? What does she have to do with anything?† â€Å"Ah, Lydia,† Damon sighed, infusing his voice with pretend longing. â€Å"Charming, isn't she? Definitely the best catch of the three sisters. Not that Margaret doesn't have her own charms, of course, but she's a bit sarcastic for my tastes, and, well, married.† He shook his head. â€Å"But then there's Bridget. Such a lively girl! Such verve!† â€Å"†¦ anyone seen Stefan?† As if on cue, we could both pick out her whining, childish soprano from four rooms away. â€Å"†¦ and such an irritating voice,† Damon finished, wincing. â€Å"First thing I would do, brother, is compel her to silence. You'd be doing the world a favor.† I clenched my jaw. â€Å"You were obviously involved with the Sutherlands long before we crossed paths here.† â€Å"Oh was I?† Damon asked. He put down the small statue he had been holding and turned it this way and that on the desk, as if deciding which way it looked best. â€Å"Poor girl was getting soaked – did she tell you the story? She loves it. For all of her pretending to be hard-nosed, she's a weak-kneed romantic as bad as the rest of them. A sudden storm out of nowhere, a dry cab for Lydia†¦ rich, rich Lydia†¦ with a sheltered upbringing and open, welcoming family.† â€Å"Oh, you are a master of subtlety. Controlling men's fates,† I said, rolling my eyes at Damon's preening. â€Å"I am a master. Who do you think left Bridget for you to find?† he demanded. He stuck his face toward my own so that our noses almost touched. â€Å"Who do you think wounded her – just enough – for poor, old, predictable Stefan to find? Stefan, who's sworn off drinking from humans, who I just knew would rescue the damsel in distress rather than finish her off.† A cold chill crept up my spine. â€Å"And then of course I compelled the entire family to welcome you and take you in,† he finished with a careless wave of his hand, as if it had been nothing. A sense of resignation and understanding flooded my body. Of course he had compelled the family. The Sutherlands' easy acceptance of me into their home had rankled me, and I should have realized earlier that something was hugely amiss. How did a man of Winfield's stature let a stranger, a vagrant, into his home, and never ask anything about his family or acquaintances? A man of his kind of wealth had to be careful about whom he allowed to get close. And Mrs. Sutherland – she was such a cautious mother, yet she allowed me to escort her and her daughter on a walk in the park. Though this was hardly the time, I couldn't help but wonder if her seeming affection for me had been true, or if it all had been due to Damon's Power. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† I asked again. Here we were, back in the thick of it, but this time I understood just how dangerous my brother was and just how far he'd go to get revenge on me. â€Å"Nothing terrible, Stefan!† he said, grinning and stepping back, throwing his hands in the air. â€Å"But think of it! Me with Lydia wrapped around my finger. You with the adoring Bridget†¦. We'll marry the sisters and, just as you always hoped, we'll be brothers again for eternity – or at least as long as they live.† â€Å"I'm not marrying Bridget,† I blurted out. â€Å"Yes, you are,† Damon said. â€Å"No, I'm not,† I repeated. â€Å"I'm leaving New York. Tonight.† â€Å"You are staying here and marrying Bridget,† Damon said, coming to within an inch of my face, â€Å"or I will start to kill all the people in this place, one by one.† He was deadly serious, all traces of cavalier, joking, devil-may-care Damon gone. The smoldering anger was back. â€Å"You can't do that,† I growled. â€Å"Even you aren't strong enough to take down an entire ballroom.† â€Å"Oh really?† He snapped his fingers over his shoulder. A maid appeared from the next room, as if waiting for his signal. She already had a kerchief tied around her neck from where he had fed on her previously. He gestured with his chin at the window, and she gamely went over and began to unbolt the latches. â€Å"I can compel Bridget and her entire stupid entourage in there to go jump off a balcony,† Damon growled. â€Å"I don't believe you,† I said as calmly as I could. Only Lexi seemed able to control more than one person at once. And Damon wasn't nearly as old as she. â€Å"Or I can stalk them one by one and rip their throats out,† he offered instead. â€Å"It makes no difference to me.† The maid stepped up onto the sill and began to climb onto the rail. â€Å"Bastard,† I murmured, rushing over to grab the poor girl before she killed herself. â€Å"Get out of here,† I growled at her, unsure if I was compelling her or not. Suddenly she looked confused and scared, the spell broken. She bolted out of the room, sniffling. â€Å"Why?† I demanded when she had gone. â€Å"Why do you want to marry Lydia? Why is it so important that I marry her sister?† â€Å"If I have to live forever, I might as well do it in style,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"I'm sick of living from person to person, meal to meal, having no place to call home. When I marry Lydia, I'll be rich. A houseful of servants to attend to my every whim†¦ to feed my every need,† he leered. I wasn't sure he was just talking about blood. â€Å"Or, I could just take the money and run. Either way, I'll be a lot better off than I am now. Winfield is swimming in money.† â€Å"Why involve me?† I asked, feeling weary. â€Å"Why not just go off and do whatever it is you need to do, ruining people's lives?† â€Å"Let's just say I have my reasons.† Damon flashed me a harlequin's grin. I shook my head in exasperation. Just past the door of the study, a couple walked arm in arm through the library, in search of a quiet place to talk. Beyond them were the happy noises of the dancing throng, laughing conversations, the tap of heels on the floor. I watched distractedly, picking out Winfield's booming voice as he lectured someone on the basic tenets of capitalism. â€Å"What will you do with them?† I asked. With Damon as son-in-law, Winfield Sutherland's life expectancy had just been drastically reduced – and Lydia's as well. â€Å"Once I have their money? Pfff. I don't know,† Damon said, throwing his hand up in the air. â€Å"I hear San Francisco is fairly exciting – or maybe I'll just go and take that grand tour in Europe you'd always dreamed of.† â€Å"Damon – † I began. â€Å"Or I could just live here, like the king I do so want to be,† he continued, cutting me off. â€Å"Enjoying myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had a horrible image of Damon satisfying his every carnal desire in the Sutherland household. â€Å"I won't let you do this,† I said urgently. â€Å"Why do you care?† Damon asked. â€Å"I mean, it wasn't me tearing through New Orleans†¦. What was your body count toward the end there, brother?† â€Å"I've changed,† I pointed out, looking him in the eye. â€Å"Yes, of course,† he said. â€Å"Just like that. Whatever could have†¦ oh!† He grinned. â€Å"It's Lydia, isn't it? Once again following in my footsteps, brother. Everything I have you just want. Like Katherine.† â€Å"I never loved Katherine. Not the way you did.† I was attracted to her, of course – who wouldn't have been? She was beautiful, charming, and a terrible flirt. Damon hadn't minded her dark side, and in fact seemed to appreciate it. But when I was with her under her heady spell, I just wanted to ignore her vampire side. And when the vervain cleared my thoughts I was repelled by what she was. All of my feelings, deep feelings, for her, had been the stuff of glamour. For Damon, it was all real. â€Å"And I don't love Lydia,† I said. â€Å"But that doesn't mean I want to see her – or anyone – hurt.† â€Å"Then you do exactly as I say, brother, and everyone will be fine. But if you step out of line, even once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon dragged a finger across his throat. â€Å"Then their blood will be on your hands.† For a long moment, all was silent as Damon and I glared at each other. I had vowed to never harm a human again, to never allow a human to come to harm because of me. I was trapped as neatly and as permanently as if I were still a sideshow vampire at a circus, tied with vervain ropes – and Damon knew it. I heaved a sigh. â€Å"What do you want me to do?†

Marginal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Marginal Analysis - Essay Example Please revise with a more specific explanation. Please revise to include a clear and direct relationship between marginal revenue and total revenue. B.1. The submission does not provide an adequate explanation of the relationship between marginal cost and total cost. Please revise to include a clear and direct relationship between marginal cost and total cost. F.1. The essay does not clearly explain what a firm would do with respect to output decisions if marginal revenue is less than marginal cost. Please revise to address whether the firm should increase or decrease production. Definition. Marginal revenue is defined as the additional revenue obtained from selling one more unit of the good that he produces (William Boyes and Melvin, Michael, 2002, p. 202-205). To better understand it, let us present it in the form of a graph.(see graph l) We have here a demand graph showing the quantity of a certain item the consumers are willing to buy at a certain price. At price of $10, people are willing to buy 100 pcs. Total revenue $1000 It is blue area under the demand curve. People will not buy more if the price is increased, and in order to sell more, price must be dropped. It is important to be aware of the demand curve to understand the marginal revenue because it will show how much the producer needs to lower the price in order to sell another item. Demand curve is the slope going down (D) The relationship that exists between the two is the additional revenue that is given by producing another unit of production. It can further be related as the unit revenue the last item has sold , or how much is the contribution to revenue of the last item sold The causaL relationship that exist is for each item sold, marginal profit = marginal revenue – marginal cost. And if MR IS greater than MC at a certain point of output, then profit is positive; and the same relationship exists when MR is less than MC result is

Zara Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Zara - Case Study Example Zara’s success has also been attributed to the production of new designs and strong marketing strategies that encourage customers to visit their stores again (Pahl & Mohring, 2009). The use of these strategies has played a huge role in acquiring a larger market; hence, the bigger profit margins. Zara has also acquired some approaches that enhance growth in sales. Unlike most firms in the fashion industry, Zara has been applying the strategy of outsourcing by contracting external manufacturing firms. The outsourcing strategy is an advantage because it avoids the manufacturing costs such as labor. Other firms in the fashion industry include H&M and GAP. The disruptive business The disruptive business model has been used Zara to determine how different the business operates from other businesses in the same industry such as GAP. This determines whether the business achieves its long term efforts to increase their revenue and existence in a competitive market. The disruptive busin ess model mostly involves producing, redesigning and renovating products of services that are provided by the business so as to have unique products and services from firms in the same industry.6). ... Most of the company management teams avoid embracing change because they fear that the new approach may never work, or they may affect the overall performance of the company (Osterwalder & Pigneur, 2010). This factor causes most of the companies not to implement the disruptive approach of management whereas; disruptive approach of management has become the cause of the success of various companies. Modern companies that need to thrive in the market should focus on renovating their products and investing in newer innovative brands as well as their services. Unlike GAP Zara has been able to produce the latest fashion designs because of their consideration to customer specifications while producing new designs and renovating the existing ones. Failure to invest in new and renovated brands leads the company to risk management efforts. Some of the factors to consider while incorporating the disruptive business models include; when new products were last produced, last changes made in the company operations, the last time to enter a new market and whether the company renovated their products among other factors. For a company to grow in revenue and profit margin, it should invest in change and renovations (Jones, 2006). Over the recent past, the apparel industry has been affected by economic pressures due to low costs of manufacturing. This has caused most companies in western countries to seek for new strategies to develop new products and renovate the existing brands. These companies seek for new plans of operation for survival in the highly competitive market and grow in terms of sales and profit margins. This method however, is challenging because the

Introduction to Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Introduction to Mass Media - Essay Example Thus, Leo Bogart of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau observed that in the 1992 Winter Olympics, the CBS coverage was crammed with so many ads that the event itself has been relegated to a â€Å"mere sideshow.† Media is also a business concern and media organizations need advertising revenues to survive, but too much of ads smack of greed and present an irritating distraction to consumers. Regulating the volume of ad placement in media will not work, as demonstrated in the US when the National Association of Broadcasters required radio and TV stations to limit the quantity of their commercials in a given program as part of a code of ethics for the broadcast industry. The stations protested and the federal court subsequently ruled against the NAB-ordered limitation as arbitrary and monopolistic. Therefore, the best way to solve the problem of advertising clutter, I think, is to leave the matter alone to consumer welfare groups since it is the consumers themselves who feel slighted by this media practice. There are well-organized consumer groups everywhere who can mount a campaign to persuade newspapers and magazines, radio and TV networks to moderate their ad placements by appealing on their common sense and spirit of fair play. Among the possible arguments is that by serving up more ads than content, the newspapers or stations might alienate their readers or listeners who will feel that their interest is being subordinated to monetary considerations. Regulatory bodies like the Advertising Standards Canada have helped advance consumer interest in such areas as public health, child welfare and quality programming. For example, the ASC edict controlling or banning ads on alcoholic beverages in broadcast media, depending on the age and educational level of a program’s target audience, certainly promotes public health and well-being through responsible consumption of alcohol. The same benefit is derived from

Research Problem of Coca-Cola Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Research Problem of Coca-Cola - Case Study Example Therefore, this called for a change of strategies by Coca-Cola and their option was to introduce a new product that offered the same feature like their competitors. In this case, they had to conduct a research in order to introduce a new product to market. Â  After the investigation, they identified that Pepsi was offering a product that had a sweeter taste and this contributed to a growth in the preference resulting in increased market share. Coca-Cola commenced a research project, whereby they spent two years and $4million prior to settling on a new formula. They conducted 200, 000 taste test on the final formula and a blind test, whose results were sixty percent of the consumers choosing the new formula over the old one. In fact, fifty-two percent of the customers choose it over Pepsi, and this was an indication that new coke would assist in dealing with the problem of losing the market share to Pepsi. Â  There was a narrow definition of the research problem by Coca-Cola, given that the research emphasized on the taste only and ignored the feelings of the customers in relation to replacing the old Coke with a New Coke. Therefore, Coca-Cola Company should have investigated on other intangibles such as the band name, history, packaging, cultural heritage, and reputation. In fact, they forgot that the symbolic meaning of coke was more important to the consumers than the taste. Moreover, Coca-Cola should have focused on the conducting a marketing research considering these emotions. Furthermore, there was a poor judgment during interpretation of research planning strategies by the managers. Â  

How does information technology enable strategy in travel Assignment

How does information technology enable strategy in travel - Assignment Example Customer relationship management has also been facilitated through technology. The use of technology has allowed Airlines to enable their customers to make inquiries about travel arrangements into which immediate feedback is given via their customer care function. Additionally, communication with travel agents has been facilitated through technology which in return has allowed Airlines to effectively meet the needs and preferences of their customers as one of the objectives of strategic management (Gasson 1). More importantly, the application of technology has allowed companies within the travel and tourism sector to effectively monitor travel. This involves the use of travel tracking systems for Airlines. As a result of this, travel companies which employ these services are more reliable and secure to travel with their flights. Therefore, technology is argued to be a strategic plan that the travel companies have employed to attract and retain customers and in this regard make these companies more competitive within the travel business (Lewis, Janjaap and Alexander 24). Strategic management within air travel business involves marketing of travel services to current and new markets. Technology has been used as one of the enablers of marketing and promotion for airlines. This is achieved through the use of websites by air travel companies to communicate their business strategy, services, safety and reliability to their clients. In addition, the association of airlines with accommodation and hotel industry as presented within travel websites has made the travel companies more appealing (Gasson

Management and auditing Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and auditing - Article Example iability of the information that IT system supports and the system operate with the required intention to produce reliable outputs (GFS Consulting, 2014). ITGC comprises of the following control types: Secondly, I recommend that the agency adopt IT Application controls. The application is designed and operates automatically in ensuring accurate and complete processing of data. They vary with the type of business and the purpose. Similarly, they are very essential in ensuring the privacy and security of information which are transmitted between applications (GFS Consulting, 2014). There are many types of IT applications and they include: Moreover, there is a need to have IT controls and Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who will oversee the accuracy, security as well as the reliability of the systems managing and reporting the organizational data. Enterprise Resource Planning System and financial accounting are integrated with the initiation and authorization, processing as well as reporting of financial data. Therefore, they may involve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance to mitigate particular financial risk that the agency may face (GFS Consulting, 2014). I believe additional IT control of the 22 employees will benefit the organization as it will be able to control access to the organizational data. Authorization will be essential in controlling the personnel who are required to access company information. Additionally, the agency will be able to have an automated system which detects and fix problems hence minimizing human interference. Every personnel will have a history on how he or she uses the system, hence helping in making further recommendations and adjustments on how to control the agency

Stuart Davis, American Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stuart Davis, American Painting - Essay Example The essay "Stuart Davis, American Painting" explores Hotel de France, painted by Stuart Davis. We can also see some part of the street. Accordingly, this painting was made at Paris, France particularly in the area of Montparnasse during the stay of Stuart Davis in that place in 1928 to 1929. The purpose of the painting was to convey the American artist’s feeling of great pleasure in the city’s being the only one of its kind. The work of Davis is a painting which is particularly oil on canvas. Oil on canvas is a series of things that are done in order to achieve a particular result of painting with a dry insoluble substance, usually dust or powder that was usually reduce, as by pounding or grinding, when suspended in a liquid vehicle becomes a paint that are tied with a medium of drying oil. This kind of painting is especially particular in Europe. Traditional oil painting techniques often begin with the artist sketching the subject onto the canvas with charcoal or thinn ed paint. Back to the painting of Davis, the work is a still life. This painting is a still life or the work of art depicting a subject matter, typically is a common place in Paris. The painting is a still life since it is man-made. In case that there is happening in the painting, it might be that people who are coming to and fro of the painting, we can see people who are standing near the window of the painting. There might be also people walking on the street, a sales representative with a big smile standing just in front of the kiosk.

Business Environment of Zurich Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Environment of Zurich - Essay Example Likewise, their products and services are diverse and categorized according to the clientele they serve. These products and services range from motor vehicle and home insurance, life insurance, savings and investment, as well as pension and retirement planning (for individual clients); property, casualty, workers’ compensation, corporate life and pensions, financial lines, and accident and health (for small and mid-sized organizations); and finally construction, global energy, marine, motor fleet, international programs, and risk engineering (for large and multinational corporations). As Zurich operates in a vast global environment, the purpose of this case study is to provide an assessment of the business environment of Zurich. Specifically, the following questions would be addressed: (1) what is meant by the term â€Å"customer centric†? How has Zurich’s primary research helped it be even more customer focused? (2) Explain the difference between primary and sec ondary market research. How could secondary data support primary research? (3) Analyse how Zurich positioned itself in a customer focused way. (4) Evaluate to what extent help point has enable Zurich to differentiate itself in the insurance market and provide an example of similar service provided either within the same or different environment. Environment The article on Business Environment published online by the Excel College of Higher Education defines the business environment as â€Å"the influences and pressures exerted by external factors on the business† (Excel College of Higher Education, n.d.). As such there are eight constituents of the business environment composed of: demographic, economic, geographical and ecological, legal, technological, social, educational and cultural, as well as the political environment. For Zurich, as a global organization, its scope of operations include Europe (Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom), North America (USA, Ca nada), Asia-Pacific (Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia), and other markets such as Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil (Zurich Insurance Company Ltd., 2012). Their business environment is therefore vast as it encompasses strategic locations worldwide. Further, due to the wide span of demographical and geographic scale, both opportunities and risk abound. Thus the prevailing economic, political, socio-cultural and legal factors that applies in the respective countries wherein Zurich operates influence their business activities. Their financial success really depends on the strengths and competitive advantages manifested by Zurich and the reaction, as well as response of entrenched competitors within their area of operations. Business Aspect (1) What is meant by the term â€Å"customer centric†? How has Zurich’s primary research helped it be even more customer focused? The term customer-centric means that â€Å"the customer (is placed) at the center of policy-related proc esses† (Gujral, 2007, p. 48). The meaning is more expounded by Booz Allen Hamilton (2004) who averred that customer centric organizations, like Zurich, â€Å"moved beyond lip service and re-oriented their entire operating model around the customer, increasing customer satisfaction, and their own profitability in the process† (Hamilton, 2004, p. 1). As indicated in the Zurich case study on â€Å"Providing a customer-centric service†

Impact of Web Services Essay Example for Free

Impact of Web Services Essay Web services are self-contained, self-describing, and modular applications that can be published, located, and invoked across the Web. Web services Perform functions that can be anything from simple requests to complicated business Processes†. (http://webservices. xml. com/pub/a/ws/2001/04/04/webservices/index. html) We are the habitants of the 21st century. This is considered as the most innovative century of the world. Day-by-day innovations have made the world a global village. Everyday, new models of home appliances are introduced in the market, and not only home appliances but also everything is changing itself day to day. Even human beings have adjusted their lifestyles according to the modern era. In old days, people used different sources to communicate with each other. They would send telegrams telephoned their fellows. Slowly as their minds began to innovate, they produced new sources of communication. Through many gradual changes we produced and benefited many things. The human mind is very sharp because it can do any new if it is utilized in positive way. This mind had innovated many things. And today the most popular source of communication is the web service. This is also the effort of human’s sharp mind. The web service is the easiest way to communicate people through computer. This service has several benefits and loses. When this service was launched it became very popular and now through this service people have established their businesses. This service provides entertainment, information, professions and benefit people in several other ways. â€Å"The Colorado Department of Agriculture uses Web services to publish deer and elk tracking data, Jet Blue Airways Corp. uses them to process credit card transactions, and the state of New Mexico uses them for content management†. Enrique Castro through his article focuses on the future obstacles, which will be faced by the society and how will it affect the businesses around the world. â€Å"Assessing the future impact of Web services is at best an uncertain exercise from todays vantage point. There will be technical consequences, but perhaps the most profound will be its effect on society and business. What will be the effect on IT workers, especially those on developed economies who are? Concerned about off shoring? Will a 90% reduction in the cost of Enterprise Application Integration projects lead to more unemployment? Or will businesses decide to tackle more ambitious projects with the extra productivity? At the same time, as the technical hurdles to attain a certain level of functionality are diminished, comparatively, business Considerations rises in importance. This means programmers and IT workers will need to get more involved with the business aspects and business consequences of their tasks. The needs to build on business skills are a frequent theme in trade journals today. Jobs that require business skills and internal company business knowledge are much harder to outsource†. (Castro, 2003) Through these scholarly articles and scientific point of view, people who use web service regularly have a bad effect on their health. Using web service regularly and continuously is a health hazard. The rays of computer are so powerful that they can damage the eyes in many ways. It strongly affects the iris inside the eye. These rays damage the brain also. It has severe effects on the human health. Web Services have a great impact in our daily life. People who are known of the web’s Negative and positive aspects try to spread awareness about it. Professional people use web for their work but today the rising question is about the young generation. Is it? Doing the right jobs on the web or just using it for fun, entertainment? It is very necessary to tell the kids about the positive and negative aspects of the web. It is a source to promote awareness among people but nowadays people are misusing the web services in several ways. â€Å"The maturing of Web services and interoperability standards allow users to have access to a framework that enables them to access spatial data and applications from anywhere across the network, as was recently demonstrated in the Australian Spatial interoperability Demonstration Project (SIDP) project. This means that data can be obtained from point-of-truth custodians, avoiding duplication and enabling business continuity solutions, saving significant time and money and delivering better information products. Despite these obvious benefits, this approach highlights a number of issues around security, connectivity, privacy, licensing, etc. These need to be, and can be, dealt with effectively. However, sometimes such issues begin to lead lives of their own. They turn into myths that risk resonating with the decision-makers, hampering much needed Innovation. † (http://www. directionsmag. com/article. php? article_id=2011trv=1) Through different opinions, Web services are very helpful in businesses, media and in our daily life. It helps us in every field either it is networking, marketing or any other occupation it is a proved fact that without web services we cannot go further in any field. Analysts have analyzed that web services would create problems in the future because people would be using web services above requirement and they will be dependant of web services. Lastly, I would conclude that web services are a way to communicate people across the world. It is a very useful technological service. It provides us better information, entertainment and knowledgeable facts about the habitants of the world. Today many people are misusing it just for the sake of money and their entertainment. People have made web services a black-money earning source, but we should try to destroy the destructive minds that are providing a wrong impression of the web services to us. It is a common belief of our society that media and web services are very-beautifully playing their role in destroying the youngsters. Web services have negative impact too on the Society, but it does not mean that we start avoiding such a useful source of information. References Web Services Impact Web Services Impact http://www. eweek.com/article2/0,1759,537367,00. asp? kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K0100440 Retrieved January 27, 2007 Web services to offload integration from professional services | InfoWorld | News | 2003-05-23 | By Paul Krill http://www. infoworld. com/article/03/05/23/HNzap_1. html Retrieved January 27, 2007 Enrique Castro. An Introduction to Web Services. Ziff Davis Channel Zone, November, 2003 http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_zdzcz/is_200311/ai_ziff113418/pg_5 Trends in Web Mapping: Dispelling the Myths around Web Services Articles http://www. directionsmag. com/article. php? article_id=2011trv=1 Retrieved January 27, 2007

Leonardo Davinci The Greatest Genius History Essay

Leonardo Davinci The Greatest Genius History Essay Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Anchiano, near Vinci in the Republic of Florence, which is now Italy. He died on May 2, 1519 in Cloux (now Clos-Luce) France. Leonardo da Vinci is believed to be the greatest genius that ever lived. Leonardo had become a master in more fields of any other before or since him. Most geniuses such as Albert Einstein or Alfred Hitchcock were masters only in a single field. It was not the case with Leonardo. He believed that all subject matter was interconnected in one way or another. Leonardo expressed a great deal of his other works in his works of art. He was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculpture, architect, engineer, mathematician, musician, scientist, a writer, and a well-known inventor. Da Vinci, the Artist Leonardo started his career as an artist in about 1469 in Verrocchios fabled workshop. Leonardo, a youth at the time was Verrocchios assistant. One of their famous masterpieces was the Baptism of Christ. This painting was started in 1472 and took roughly 3 years to complete. It is currently being housed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. A great deal of the detail of this painting was believed to be done by Leonardo himself. X-rays of the painting and comparing them to the original sketches shows that Leonardo had done the painting entirely different that the way Verrocchio had intended it to be in finished form. This may be the earliest indication that Leonardo was trying to free himself from his masters coaching to follow his own path. Verrocchio had felt threatened by the fact that da Vincis angel in the painting had seemed to be a great deal better than the other three which were painted by Verrocchio (John the Baptist) and other students) After this Verrocchio had lost in terest in painting and concentrated on his other talents such as sculpture and metal working. Suffice to say, this was Verrocchios last well-known painting and the start of Leonardos career as a famous artist. Another of his more famous works, the Mona Lisa, has brought forth much controversy over the years since its completion in 1506. It was painted in Florence, Italy on wood with oil paints and now currently resides at the Musee du Louvre, Paris. Some of this controversy includes such questioning as follows: Why is she smiling (was she secretly pregnant at the time of the painting), is this really a woman or a cleverly disguised self-portrait of Leonardo himself? If Mona Lisa was actually a self portrait of Leonardo, then the smile couldnt have been of a secret pregnancy, but most-likely of a secret that the painting is actually based on the artist. The Last Supper is another one of Leonardos great works of art. It is a mural that measures 30 feet by 14 feet. This great size mad it a great challenge for the very talented Leonardo. The work was started in 1495 and after 3 years of many sketches and preparatory drawings, the work was finally completed in 1498. This painting was done at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie on the north refectory. This job focused on a scene at the moment of the announcement Judas betrayal. Instead of seating them in a traditional seating arrangement for that time, he seated them so that one could see each of the apostles faces and facial expressions as they hear the announcement of the betrayal of Jesus. This job couldnt have come at a more perfect time for Leonardo, for he was in his time of depression. This job not only brought him out of his depression, but it also won back the Duke Lodovicos patronage and through this he acquired a vineyard and a piece of property of 16 rods located near San Vittore. Other paintings by Leonardo include St. John in the Wilderness, Benois Madonna, Sala delle Asse, St. Jermome, Adoration of the Magi, and many others. Da Vinci and his sculptures Leonardo not only had a talent for art, which he seems the most famous for, but also he had a flare for sculpture. Some of his more well-known sculptures are the Horse in Bronze and the Il Cavallo. The Bronze horse was started in 1482 when the Duke of Milan had commissioned Leonardo to build the worlds biggest horse in honor of his father to guard over the Dukes castle. It stood 24 feet high upon its completion. The sculpture started out as a full size cay model and was eventually later cast in Bronze, thus the name the Bronze Horse. Leonardos other well known sculpture, Il Cavallo, was another horse sculpture that he would not see completed. This only exists in the form of the multitude of drawings that were left behind by da Vinci. Also left behind were two issues da Vinci had with his sculpture. The first was the fact that he needed to fill the space where the horses belly was to be and the second issue was settling on the position of the rider. Unfortunately for Leonardo, this wa s one sculpture he could not complete. Da Vinci, the Inventor Leonardo had many great inventions for his time period and a great deal of them was ahead of their time. These inventions can be put into a number of categories according to the invention and the intended purpose of the invention. The first category would be flight. This category includes the parachute, the helicopter, and the glider. The second category is forgeries. In this category would be the Turin Shroud. The reason for this as being in the forgery category is the fact that people question whether it is authentic or it was one of da Vincis illusions of making it look authentic by using his many artistic talents. The third category of his inventions is maps. Leonardo had made great improvements in the area of map making in his time period. The fifth category is the military. This category includes the plans he had drawn up for an automobile (re-invention), the invention of a three-tiered machine gun, a scaling ladder (improvement), and a military tank. Even his paintings, which are the sixth category, can be considered as inventions for Leonardo in the fact that he had made improvements in the art and also in his creative techniques. The seventh category for inventions for da Vinci is statues in the fact that, just as in paintings he had made improvements and used different techniques and also invention. The last but not least category in the inventions for da Vinci is a category that I would have never even thought or known about is robots. Leonardo was experimenting with this concept in 1495. The robot is a knight in appearance and is wearing the traditional armor for the time which was Italian-German. It had realistic features as well. For instance if one were to look into the mouth of the robot one would find it looked as a real humans mouth would. Leonardo had done this to prove to himself how easily a human beings body could be imitated. This to me in itself shows pure genius. I could go basically on and on forever about the great deal of accomplishments of the great Leonardo da Vinci. He had made great improvements to the art world, helped science a great deal, made inventions and plans for inventions that would be a great help to society. He was also a great mathematician, musician and writer as well. I believe that for one to be considered the greatest genius to ever live they need to have a vast knowledge of a multitude of different subjects. Leonardo da Vinci is the only person thus far has come to mind as that such person who greatly qualifies for such an honor.

An entrepreneurial firm

An entrepreneurial firm Introduction A business that is privately owned and operated with a small number of employees and has relatively low volume of sales is called a small business. It can be started at a very low cost and on a part-time basis. Small Business Management refers to management of such small businesses. A firm which undertakes risky ventures and engages in product-market innovation is called an entrepreneurial firm. (www.highbeam.com) An Entrepreneur is a person responsible for setting up a new enterprise. He has the initiative, skill for innovation and ideas. He looks for high achievements and assumes significant accountability for risks taken and their outcome. Entrepreneurship involves taking risks, investing under uncertain conditions innovating, planning and taking decisions to increase productivity and profits. The purpose of this project is to understand and analyze the characteristics of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial firms by critically evaluating the entrepreneurial orientation of the Google Inc and entrepreneurial traits of its founders, critically evaluating the entrepreneurial orientation of a local small business and entrepreneurial traits of its founders and commenting on the differences/similarities between the two. The local small business chosen for this project is Layali al Asalah. It is an institution which encourages Omani women fashion designers to hone their skills to become more creative and innovative. Entrepreneurial Orientation Entrepreneurial Orientation refers to the processes, practices, and decision-making activities that lead to new entry(Lumpkin Dess, 1996, p. 136).It is a key ingredient for a firms success. Entrepreneurial Orientation is a strategic response to a complex set of institutional environment and firm factors. Entrepreneurial behaviour, behaviour that is more aggressive, innovative, proactive and risk taking, is significantly associated with specific attributes of the institutional environment of the firm. It is also associated with the perceptions that firm leaders have of that environment and the resources available to the firm for responding to environmental conditions. (www.freelibrary.com) Entrepreneurial Traits Entrepreneurial Traits, also known as entrepreneurial competencies refer to a mixture of knowledge, skills and personality required to successfully run a business with superior performance. Some of the most prominent traits possessed by successful Entrepreneurs are: Initiative: It is an inner urge in an individual to do or initiate something. Entrepreneur is an innovator who explores new ways of working to initiate and accelerate the process of economic development. He is always on the lookout for opportunities and is ready to exploit them in the best interests of the organization. Motivation Persistence: An entrepreneur is self motivated towards achievement, is never disheartened by failures and is dedicated to what he does. Commitment to efficiency: An entrepreneur is always keen to devise new methods aimed at promoting efficiency, making work easier, simpler, better and economical. Idea generation: An entrepreneur generates new ideas through vision, insight and observation and also through environmental scanning and market survey. Creativity: Creativity refers to richness of ideas and originality of thinking and ability to produce something new through imaginative skill. Innovation: Innovation means doing new things or doing things in a new way. It includes new processes of production, introduction of new products, creation of new markets, discovery of a new and better form of organization and the like that enable the organization to gain competitive advantage in the market. Introduction to Google Inc. Mission: To organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. (www.google.com) About Google Inc.: Google Inc. is a search engine, an entrepreneurial venture by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Google, initially named Backrub, was started as a research project by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. In 1997 they registered the domain name google.com derived from the word googol, a mathematical term to representing one followed by 100 zeros. It was named so to reflect the immense volume of information that exists, and the scope of Googles mission. In 1998, it became a privately owned incorporate known as Google Inc. With use of state of the art technology and extensive research on search algorithms, Google successfully established its brand name in internet search engines. It now employs almost 20,000 employees world over with a management team which boasts of having some of the most experienced technology professionals in the industry. Google became successful because it was faster and better at finding the correct answer than other search engines at the time. Over the years Google has grown an d expanded offerings from a single service to dozens. Its dedication to its users and belief in the possibilities of the Internet remain unchanged. Products and Services offered: Online productivity software like the Gmail e-mail software, applications such as the web browser Google Chrome, social networking tools like Orkut and Google Buzz, the Picasa photo organization and editing software, Google Talk instant messaging and phone operating system like the Android mobile. Culture: Google is known for having an informal corporate culture. Google still maintains a small company feel even though it has grown a lot since its inception. Its commitment to innovation depends upon everyone feeling comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. No employee hesitates to directly pose questions to Larry or Sergey. When not at work, the employees pursue interests from wine tasting to flying Frisbee. Entrepreneurial Orientation of Google Inc. Risk taking: Embarking on new ventures like Google Green and Google Venture gives evidence that Google inc. is a risk taking firm as significant amount of resources were committed in these ventures without surety of their success. Google is the only company in the world which was bold enough to take the risky step of playing with the Companys logo by creating doodles. In 2011, Google will launch Google TV which is a combination of TV, applications, search and entire web on TV. This is a risky venture considering that it will be in direct competition to conventional TV. Innovation: Even after having successfully established a brand name, Google Inc. has continued to invest heavily in innovation and launched many new products and designs over the years. They have kept the element of imagination that transforms designs from simple to delightful alive and kept evolving products in new directions. Some of their innovative products are: Google Translate: It is the worlds largest machine translation engine having more than 50 language pairs. Google Translate mobile version can transcribe ones voice, translating the content into any other language of choice and then speaking it back to the User. Android: It is a mobile service which lets Users access information at will. Users can carry out various tasks like checking mail, online shopping etc from their mobile phones. Google Instant: It predicts Users search and shows results instantly even before typing is finished. Google Books: It allows users to manage a personal bookshelf, see what books friends are readings, share books etc. Google Chrome: It is a modern browser designed to handle complex dynamic web. Chrome was built based on three ideas: simplicity, speed and security. Its powerful JavaScript engine helps Chrome handle complex web applications at lightning speeds. It includes features designed for efficiency and ease of use. For example, one can search and navigate from the same box. It has built in features like translation, built-in malware, phishing protection and auto updates to ensure the browser is up-to-date with the latest security updates. Service consciousness: Google Inc. is committed to providing best quality of services to the Users. The company knows that time is valuable for Users and therefore it aims to provide fast, accurate and easy-to-use services. Googles search interface is offered in more than 110 languages and translation tools are available to translate web pages to address the needs of people around the globe. Competitive aggressiveness: Competition keeps Google Inc. on the toes. Google continuously invests in research technology to keep ahead of competition. Owing to cut throat competition from rivals like Microsofts Bing, Google has enhanced output potential of every internet search by introducing Google Instant which makes the search faster by almost 2 to 5 seconds. Autonomy: It refers to the independent actions taken by entrepreneurial leaders or teams to start a new venture and seeing it succeed. Google Inc. has started various new ventures like Google Org Google Green and worked hard to make them successful. Entrepreneurial traits of Googles Founders: Vision: Googles founders were very technology savvy and wanted masses world over to have access to the vast information available all over with the help of technology. They had the vision to make internet and power of search to help people use information to improve their lives and contribute to economic development. Passion: Googles founders are passionate about their business. Being one of the worlds largest research groups focused primarily on addressing search related problems, they know what they do well, and how they could do it better. Their dedication to improving search helps them apply what they have learned to new products. Creativity: From the beginning, Googles founders have been working on technology that can help improve existing ways of doing business. They have built an informal culture and a working environment where employees are encouraged to be creative and create innovative products that solve real-world problems. To motivate the employees, a Founders Award is presented to teams who create innovative products. Risk taking: Larry and Sergy saw an opportunity for search engines and took a risk by creating Google Inc. after heavily borrowing money. Opportunity seeking: They believed in the possibilities of internet and saw an opportunity in the market for search engines. Their idea was new and risky but they were determined to make it work. Even after its success they are always on the lookout for opportunities and ready to exploit them in the best interests of the organizations. They work with their teams to discover peoples actual needs, including needs they cant always articulate. Armed with that information, they create products that solve real-world problems. There was a need to be able to access information on the move, saw that as an opportunity and developed android. There was a need for Search results being faster, so developed Google instant. Small Business: Layali Al Asalah Vision: To promote fashion as a great medium to showcase the designers creativity as well as empower, teach women about business and entrepreneurial skills. (www.layalialasalah.com) About Layali Al Asalah: Layali Al Asalah which means Night of Culture is a small business entrepreneur venture in Oman started by three friends Samah al Wahaibi, Najla al Kindi and Nadia al Zakwani, It is a fashion institution which trains Omani women fashion designers to make it big in the fashion industry. It encourages Omani women interested in fashion designing to think creatively, improve their technical skills and discover the entrepreneur within them. The three friends realized that many Omani women were into fashion designing but lacked formal fashion know-how. They wanted to do something interesting and different for female fashion designers in Oman but had no formal plans of establishing any business. Samah got an opportunity to attend a seminar Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Salzburg which was about accomplishments of women from worldover. The success stories of the talented women inspired her to start a business venture of her own. Upon returning to Oman she got together with her two friends and in 2006 founded Layali Al Asalah Co. to provide formal training and education in fashion designing aimed at attracting emerging Omani women fashion designers. They started off the venture by organising a competition called When Authenticity Speaks, where the theme centred on the Omani embroidery. The competition categories included Omani outfits for women and handbag shoe designing. This competition is now an annual event. Scholarships to pursue courses in University of Milan are awarded to the winners to who then go on to create their own fashion brands. Products and Services offered: In addition to providing formal training and education, their offerings include arranging Concerts, Event Management, Fashion Shows and organizing Workshops and Exhibitions. In 2009, they created an Asalah villa, which rents space at reasonable rates to budding designers who are otherwise compelled to operate from home due to high market rental. Â  Building upon the success of Layali Al Asalah Asalah villa, they opened up a store called Layali Al Asalah Shoes. The strong selling point about their shoes is that all shoes have a strong Omani presence with glimpses of several other cultures in it. Entrepreneurial Orientation of Layali Al Asalah Innovation: Layali al Asalah is an innovative venture as there was no such fashion institution in Oman till this venture, which offered any training to Omani women in fashion designing. The competition When Authenticity Speaks also is one of a kind in Oman where themes include Omani embroideries and the designers get to show their creativity in Omani garments, handbags, shoes, etc. The winners are chosen through online voting which is also an innovative idea using latest technology. The competition is made more lucrative attractive to women by offering of Scholarships for further studies at University of Milan. The concept of Asalah villa helps budding designers promote their business, create a client base and participate in exhibitions. Layali Al Asalah Shoes churn out shoes with innovative designs. Each shoe is wrapped in Omani and various other cultures. For example authentic Omani silver jewellery is incorporated into rainbow hued shoes representing Omani culture. Annual bazaar under the name Asalah Bazaar is another innovative idea where the participants display their collections sell the products at discounted prices. Risk taking: Layali al Asalah is willing to accept business risks as is evident from their various new ventures like Layali Al Asalah Shoes Asalah villa started over the years since their establishment even though there was no surety of success. Funding for the new business ventures is a challenging task for the organisation due to limited availability of resources. Proactiveness: Layali al Asalah is an opportunity-seeking, forward-looking venture which has been proactive in introduction of new ideas like the Design competition, organisation of annual bazaar for display sale of products, etc. It has created new products like shoes with glimpses of Omani other cultures. It has stayed ahead of the competition and has been acting in anticipation of future demand of their offerings. Autonomy: Asalah villa and Layali Al Asalah Shoes were new ventures by Layali al Asalah where the founders took the necessary steps independently to ensure success. Service consciousness: The organisation is fully devoted to ensure that their services are of highest quality standard and it puts in its best for achieving these standards. The organisation believes in excellence which is reflected in everything it does. The workshops and exhibitions are held in line with the progress in world fashion industry. Scholarships to desiring candidates ensure that they can compete with the latest in fashion industry. Entrepreneurship traits of Layali Al Asalahs Founders: Risk taking: The founders were very young and inexperienced in the field of business management. Although they were highly motivated and enthusiastic, they were not familiar with the risks of the business. However, they took the risk of starting the business without worrying much about the consequences. Even after successfully establishing the organisation, they continued to venture into implementation of innovative ideas like Asalah villa and Layali Al Asalah Shoes. Self confidence: Though the founders lacked resources and knew it was a risky venture, they were determined to convert their idea into a reality and were not cowed down by difficulties as they believed in their abilities and strengths. Not only did they make the venture successful, they continued to grow it by opening more branches. Creativity: It refers to the phenomenon whereby a person or a group of persons create something new which may be a product, a solution, or an enterprise which has some kind of value for the society. The creativity of founders of Layali Al Asalah is evident from their ability to use their imagination, analytical approach and intelligence to convert their idea of fashion designing institute into a reality. They continued to explore new ideas like designing shoes with Omani jewellery and gluing Chinese embroidered silk fabric onto the shoes. The concept of Asalah Villa Bazaar to help budding fashion designers also depicts their creativity. The founders came up with I Read A Book a creative concept aimed at promoting reading of books amongst Omani people, through a fashion show with the theme of libraries, books and reading which brought to light the libraries available locally. Opportunity seekers: The 3 founders saw an opportunity for opening an organization that would encourage those interested in fashion designing to improve their technical skills and discover the entrepreneur within them. In Oman there were several shoemakers who made slippers for Omani men but hardly any for womens shoes. Hence an opportunity in shoe making market was discovered and Layali Al Asalah shoe was created. Rentals are considerably high in Oman and therefore budding entrepreneurs are compelled to limit their businesses to their homes. Capturing this as an opportunity, the founders launched Asalah villa, which rents space at reasonable rates to budding designers. Â   Conclusion The prime difference between a an entrepreneur and small business owner is that the small business owner remains contented with earning enough profits to live his life a comfortably and keep his business running, is not really interested in expanding his business and is more than likely to keep the business within the family. Another notable difference between the two is that a small business owner tends to need motivation; whereas, an entrepreneur is fuelled by ambition, drive and inspiration. Small business owners are not the ones to think out the box; whereas, entrepreneurs come up with new ideas, innovative products, as well as construct creative strategic marketing plans. In a competitive environment innovation provides the basis for sustainability of an organization. Entrepreneurs innovate and the instrument of entrepreneurship is innovation. Entrepreneurship is a creative activity and an innovative function. Innovation may be in the form of a new product or production process, opening a new market or a new form of organization. Economic growth depends on the rate of applied technical progress i.e. innovation which in turn depends on the supply of entrepreneurs in the society. Thus the entrepreneur is the agent of change in the society because he is the one who always searches for change, identifies needs, responds to them and exploits them as an opportunity and in turn generates employment opportunities for others. Upon analysis of the traits of Google Inc. Layali Al Asalah, it can be concluded that Google Inc. is an entrepreneurial firm while Layali Al Asalah is a small business with very strong entrepreneurial orientation and therefore can also be considered an entrepreneurial firm. Both the firms have similarities in certain prominent traits like risk taking, innovation, autonomy and service consciousness. Both firms had humble beginnings at a small scale and went on to grow and expand their operations. Important differences exist in the level of innovation and competitive aggressiveness. While Google Inc. is more innovative competitively aggressive, Layali Al Asalah is limited in its scope of innovation and competitive aggressiveness as it competes in a very small market compared to Google Inc. which has a global reach. Google Inc. has stronger impact on the economy due to its huge size, extensive reach to the world masses and available resources while Layali Al Asalahs impact is more at the local economy level as it addresses the needs of a smaller population of masses, is smaller in size and has limited resources. Google Inc.s business is largely dependent on innovation for growth and therefore it invests heavily in the employees thereby creating jobs all over the world further contributing to the economic development of many countries. Entrepreneurial firms like Google Inc and select small businesses with very strong entrepreneurial orientation like Layali Al Asalah contribute significantly to the strengthening of the economy by efficiently utilising resources and creating opportunities for people prevent the economy from stagnation as they continuously innovate and sustain competition. In comparison, the small businesses without any entrepreneurial orientation are unlikely to fuel the economic growth of any country. It is therefore better to have entrepreneurial firms instead of small businesses without any entrepreneurial orientation.

Stradivarius: Unsurpassed Artisan or Just Lucky? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Stradivarius: Unsurpassed Artisan or Just Lucky? There are about seven hundred Stradivarius violins still intact from the 17th century, and they are among the most sought-after instruments in the world (3). Most, if not all, of the greatest violinists of modern times believe that there is something in the Cremonese violins that provides superior tonal quality to all other violins. Skilled violinists can even distinguish between different qualities in the sound produced by individual Stradivarius violins. The challenge for scientists is to characterize such differences by physical measurements. In practice, it is extremely difficult to distinguish between a Stradivarius instrument and a modern copy on the basis of measured responses because the ear is a supreme detection device and the brain is a far more sophisticated analyzer of complex sounds than any system yet developed to assess musical quality. There have been many theories as to why Stradivarius violins produce such legendary brilliance and resonance, none providing a conclu sive answer. To understand the factors that affect the quality of sound produced by violins, the functioning of the violin must be understood. First of all, sound is produced by drawing a bow across one or more of the four stretched strings, but the strings themselves produce almost no sound. The energy from the vibrating string is transferred to the sound box, which is the main body of the violin. The bridge, which supports the strings, acts as a mechanical transformer; it converts the transverse forces of the strings into the vibrational modes of the sound box (4). The bridge itself also has resonant modes, playing a role in the overall tone. The front plate of the violin is expertly carved with f-holes which boost the sound output at low frequencies, through the Helmholtz air resonance. The Helmholtz air resonance describes the action of the air bouncing backwards and forwards through the f-holes (1). Then, front and back plates are skillfully carved to get the right degree of arching and vari ation in thickness. Even the tiniest changes in the thickness of the plates and the smallest variations in the properties of the wood will significantly affect the specific resonance in the frequency range (1). There are many theories as to the "secret" of Stradivarius violins. Of course what was obviously first explored was the exact size of the violins and ratio of the parts of the violin to each other. It was proposed

Essays --

INTRODUCERE ÃŽn condiÃ… £iile economiei de astÄÆ'zi, angajarea este un proces important atà ¢t pentru organizaÃ… £ie, cà ¢t ÅŸi pentru viitorul angajat. Pe de-o parte, organizaÃ… £ia cautÄÆ' candidatul care sÄÆ' à ®ndeplineascÄÆ' cà ¢t mai multe dintre cerinÃ… £ele postului, iar pe de altÄÆ' parte, candidatul à ®Ã…Ÿi doreÅŸte un loc de muncÄÆ' care sÄÆ'-i satisfacÄÆ', à ®ntr-o proporÃ… £ie cà ¢t mai mare, nevoile. Este un demers dificil pentru ambele pÄÆ'rÃ… £i. Angajarea este o laturÄÆ' deosebit de importantÄÆ' a activitÄÆ'Ã… £ii de gestiune a personalului, deoarece reprezintÄÆ' o condiÃ… £ie esenÃ… £ialÄÆ' a creÄÆ'rii unei organizaÃ… £ii ÅŸi pentru cÄÆ' este o activitate permanentÄÆ'. Recrutarea ÅŸi selecÃ… £ia de personal este o operaÃ… £iune esenÃ… £ialÄÆ' ÅŸi dificilÄÆ', care are o influenÃ… £Ã„Æ' majorÄÆ' asupra à ®ntregii activitÄÆ'Ã… £i a organizaÃ… £iei . Rolul acestei operaÃ… £iuni este de a identifica "omul potrivit la locul potrivit". Subiectul lucrÄÆ'rii este de actualitate, pentru cÄÆ' angajarea reprezintÄÆ' un proces prin care toÃ… £i trecem sau ne dorim sÄÆ' trecem, de aceea cunoaÅŸterea etapelor poate sÄÆ' contribuie la creÅŸterea ÅŸanselor de angajare. RECRUTAREA DE PERSONAL Recrutarea reprezintÄÆ' activitatea managementului resurselor umane ce are rolul de a identifica candidaÃ… £i pentru posturile vacante oferite de organizaÃ… £i, pentru ca aceasta sÄÆ' selecteze persoanele cele mai potrivite. OperaÃ… £iunea are ca scop obÃ… £inerea necesarului numeric ÅŸi asigurarea unei calitÄÆ'Ã… £i a forÃ… £ei de muncÄÆ' atrase, pentru satisfacerea nevoilor organizaÃ… £iei, cu un minim de costuri. Recrutarea este o operaÃ… £iune complicatÄÆ', costisitoare, ce are un puternic impact asupra organizaÃ… £iei. Aceasta trebuie sÄÆ' se concentreze pe identificarea ÅŸi atragerea personalului calificat. Succesul recrutÄÆ'rii depinde foarte mult de cà ¢t de bine este definit postul vacant, cà ¢t de exact s... ...de angajare, pentru a fi eficient atà ¢t pentru companie, cà ¢t ÅŸi pentru viitorul angajat, trebuie privit cu seriozitate ÅŸi trebuie sÄÆ' urmeze anumiÃ… £i paÅŸi. Angajatorul, à ®n momentul desfÄÆ'ÅŸurÄÆ'rii procesului de angajare, are à ®n vedere satisfacerea nevoilor sale ÅŸi a cerinÃ… £elor companiei, dar pentru a fi eficient acest proces, se recomandÄÆ' ÅŸi luarea à ®n considerare a nevoilor candidaÃ… £ilor ÅŸi identificarea unui punct comun ale celor douÄÆ' pÄÆ'rÃ… £i. ÃŽn acelaÅŸi mod, viitorul angajat trebuie sÄÆ' ia à ®n considerare nevoile companiei atunci cà ¢nd este antrenat à ®n procesul de angajare, urmà ¢nd ca dupÄÆ' decizia finalÄÆ' sÄÆ' poatÄÆ' sÄÆ'-ÅŸi negocieze propriile nevoi. Este importantÄÆ' cunoaÅŸterea atà ¢t de cÄÆ'tre companie, cà ¢t ÅŸi de cÄÆ'tre candidaÃ… £i, a paÅŸilor unui proces de angajare ÅŸi adaptarea pÄÆ'rÃ… £ilor implicate la acestea, pentru creÅŸterea ÅŸanselor fiecÄÆ'rei dintre pÄÆ'rÃ… £i de a-ÅŸi satisface nevoile.

E-waste Essay -- Waste Management, Disposal and Recycling

Over the past decade there was a prominent development observed in the sphere of high technologies production, so the scale of electronics market becomes wider and spins up from day to day. â€Å"According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), consumers were expected to purchase 500 million units of consumer electronics in the US in 2008. US households spend about $1407 per year on hardware.† (Electronics Takeback coalition, 2010) Accordingly, there is a clear tendency of rapid substitution of electronic appliances observed, as every other day producers offer consumers more efficient and powerful gadgets instead of their predecessors. Consequently, high rate in electronics upgrading results in shortening of their lifespan and following stockpiling of needless gadgets, which then become a part of municipal waste. These end-of-life electronic devices are often called ‘electronic waste, or e-waste’. Now approximately 20-25 million tons of e-waste is estimate d to be produced worldwide every year with the largest number of electronics being discarded in Europe, the United States and Australasia. (Brett H. Robinson, 2009) Hence, there is a serious challenge of management of e-waste disposal appearing across the whole world. Figures show that a very small percentage of electronic waste undergoes recycling process, whilst its lion share is stockpiled in landfills or incinerated with the rest of solid municipal waste. According to EPA, in the U.S. in 2008 3.16 million tons of electronic waste was produced and only 430.000 tons which constitute 13.6% were recycled. (TakeBack Coalition, 2010) This essay will present main points of e-waste problem, analyze possible solutions of the problem and discuss if they are suitable and efficient en... ...ied to the electronic waste issue. However, not all of them can be successfully developed and utilized to the solution. Donation of tons of electronic devices to developing nations is not efficient, as in its most part gadgets arrive in condition improper for reuse. Consequently, export of electronics to third world countries for reuse only result in exposure of more land to contamination with hazardous components in the absence of any proper recycling programs there. Therefore, it may be concluded that legislation method, or establishing takeback programs, would be the most efficient out of all proposed solutions. Extended producer responsibility will not only systemize the recycling process but also it will give a great motivation to manufacturers to come up with new design of technologies that will be less poisonous and easier to undergo recycling management.

Should Juvenile Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases

Should Juvenile Be Charged as Adults in Criminal Cases? Robert Horn Post University The purpose of the Adult Criminal Justice system is to punish offenders according to the severity of the crime committed. The juvenile justice system’s aim is to rehabilitate or mentor the juvenile offenders, in the hope that they can prevent further crimes, and to change their behavior. The motivating principle of the juvenile system is rehab. The reason for this is because juveniles are not fully developed, mentally or physically.Many Juvenile offenders come from broken homes, been abused, or come from bad neighborhoods. Juvenile offenders need a second chance, because they have not even received a first chance. Rehabilitation is the best option for them because of the way they would be exploited and turned into criminals if they were sent directly to prison. If given the chance, the Juvenile Justice System can aid in successfully rehabilitating youthful offenders so they are not inclined to commit future crimes. With this reasoning, juveniles cannot be blamed or accountable for their actions the same way adults are.The Justice System fulfills and important function by establishing standards of conduct. It defines what is right and wrong for people and removes them from the responsibility of taking vengeance out on those who wronged them, which deters the escalation of feuds in the community. The Justice System also protects the rights of citizens by establishing and honoring the principle that freedom shouldn’t be denied without a good reason. Rehabilitation does have its objective: to return offenders to their communities as cured members of the society. Efforts in the 1980’s and 1990’s were unsuccessful.There was no one program that was more effective in the effort to rehabilitate youthful offenders than any other program. Because of this, a large portion of released offenders continued to return (Murphy 49). This led many people to believe that the best alternative was to simply remove offenders from the community, preventing vexation and exploitation. Because criminals are more often considered to be inclined to commit crimes than those never convicted of a crime, it follows that some benefits will be derived from incarcerating convicted criminals.The potential of incarceration is great as a method of crime control if it is only a few hardened criminals who commit the most crimes. If those criminals can be identified, sentenced, and incarcerated for long periods of time, there would be a significant reduction in crime. Most supports of correctional reform have this view on the population of criminals. Blame for most of the crimes committed is most often place on a relatively few predatory, compulsive individuals thought to commit a large number of crimes each year (Newburn 54).The last and final goal of this reform movement is reestablishing retribution. Retribution is the most moral of all penal goals. There is an elemen t of rage included because the victim deserves the right to be repaid with pain for the harm suffered. Justice is achieved when the punished given to the offender is equal to the level of harm coming from the criminal act. Consequently, social balance is reestablished and maintained within the society. When it comes to juvenile offenders, the rules are thrown out the window.There is a separate legal system for them and they are also categorized differently. By federal standards, any juvenile who is under the age of 18 who has committed a crime is a juvenile delinquent. This is a decision that society has made. Society believes that there are important and serious differences between adults and juveniles. A one-size-fits-all approach is not wanted and will make the situation worse. Juvenile offenders are easiest to influence and are also the easiest to bend.It is believed that the actions a juvenile criminal might be influenced by outside sources such as neglect from parents, bad liv ing conditions, or poor relationships with the family. Because of these factors, rehabilitation is a popular and attractive option in dealing with juveniles. Many of the rehabilitation programs ask that juvenile offenders with behavior problems meet with adult tutors to produce a stable, trustworthy friendship, which is expected to influence juveniles and to reduce their anti-social behavior (Maruna and Ward 33). Such a change in behavior is ade possible due to the trust and friendship between juvenile and adult – who can listen and care about the problems the juveniles may have, a role model, good advice giver, etc. In such a way, these mentoring programs may play a part on juvenile crime reduction. The goal of rehabilitation is to create law-abiding behavior and to encourage juveniles to know the consequences of what they do and to become law-abiding citizens. It can be a challenging process because it requires the use of the proverbial carrot and stick. The use of coercion and socialization is seen in child rising.With young children, coercion is the only effective control. If a small child goes into the street, the child is disciplined and is told if he or she does it again, they will be punished again. These threats tend to be only effective when they are accepted; otherwise, people seek ways to bend the rules, or may blatantly disobey prohibitions. By sending such juveniles to prison my not prove to be an effective deterrent. Rather, it may be more effective to understand the socialization process of a juvenile, and try to re-wire it while the young person is still malleable.Vedder explains this: To use sociological lingo: the juvenile acquires the delinquent behavior as he does any other cultural trait of the cultural heritage passed on to him by his group conformist delinquency, stressing the fact the child becomes delinquent through conforming with the behavior pattern in his group† (9) Positive adult guidance, understanding, and support can divert young offenders and also criminals from involvement in crimes and acts of disobedience and also to help them join in on the rules of and behaviors of local communities (Murphy 53).To put it another way: what young offenders need are good adult role models. This can be found in quality rehabilitation programs. Most young offenders have started off on the wrong path, and they imitate the most irresponsible or abusive members of their social set or family. With proper guidance and role models, juveniles can begin to adjust their behavior. It is important to know that instead of looking at rehabilitation programs as a form of punishment, young offenders taking part of such programs should now that they are voluntary and consider them a positive opportunity to change their lives for the best. Such understanding does not come at once. The rehabilitation process can be a long, with juveniles provided with meetings, instructions, training and conferences. By providing juveniles w ith a positive adult role model, supervision, and continual training, mentoring programs aim to reduce the risk of a drift into numerous crimes. These of course, are not the exclusive means of rehabilitation.It may be suitable to mix a softer approach with detention in a Juvenile Center or to take similar action. The carrot and stick is again a key analogy. Detention applied to juvenile offenders has been debated for years. Its advocates argue that it would prevent crime by detaining those offenders that are likely to re-offend (Russel 85). Its adversaries claim that it is unfair because it allows a judge to make a choice about a person’s future behavior. Because no one can accurately predict behavior, particularly criminality, the chances of mistakes are large (Maruna and Ward 83).During the rehabilitation period, the type of sentencing most used is the indeterminate sentence. Legislatures have set wide ranges for sentencing, and judges measure out minimums and maximums that have a wide range. This allows personnel in corrections the discretion of releasing offenders once they are reformed. No one other than correctional authorities cared for this system. Inmates did not like it because their release depended on the whims of the parole board, and the inmates never knew for sure when they would be released (Russel 61).Judges and the public did not like it because the prison term served was never the same as the actual sentence and was almost always shorter. Juvenile laws stipulate that if a young criminal committed a serious crime, they could be â€Å"waived† to the adult court system. The number of â€Å"waived† juveniles each year comes out to be around 8,000 (Deitch). This â€Å"waiver† system is used in all states except for Nebraska, New York, and New Mexico. The only time in these states when the â€Å"waiver† is applied is crimes that include murders or intentional killing of several people.After examining the case, ju dges decided whether the juvenile should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. There are new laws specifying set lengths of sentences for juvenile offenses that allow for modification of the time served based on circumstances associated with a given incident (Russel 66). In some cases, a youth offender gets sentenced to five years, but he or she is only 15 at the time, he or she will not be transferred to the adult prison. Law states that a young offender should be detained in a special jail with other offenders until the age of 18 (Murphy).While most young offenders are worthy of rehabilitation, society states that some are not. There are criminals of all ages who should be imprisoned due to the nature of their crimes. To say that the best way to deal with juveniles is to rehabilitate them is not to say that this method is perfect or will it work in every case. It is the best choice, due to the consideration of issues at hand. Depending on the severity of the crime, and the history o f the offender, there are some instances where the age of the offender does not matter.In 2006, in Omaha Nebraska, Cameron Williams is facing up to 110 years in prison for second-degree murder attempts and also using a weapon to commit a felony. Cameron Williams is 16 years old, and is being charged in the adult courts due to his troublesome past and the â€Å"serious nature of his crime. † (Khan, 2010) In 1999, Lionel Tate, at the time 12, was the youngest juvenile offender in American history to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Tate was charged for the death of a 6 year old while practicing wrestling moves on her.Such instances of these arrests show that depending on the severity of the crime, being a youth doesn’t matter in sentencing. (Reaves, 2001) Rehabilitation is part of a policy for young offenders who have entered the criminal justice system. The policies and programs, which help juveniles to escape imprisonment, are parole an d probation. Restriction of the opportunity for parole and probation are often accompanied by new sentencing legislation. Many states have made it difficult to be placed on probation for certain offenses and impossible for serious ones.Parole, which is defined as the conditional early release from prison under supervision in the community, has been restricted in many states. A return to determinacy and the abandonment of rehabilitation eliminates the need for parole, which, in theory, was designed to help the young offender prepare to reenter the community (Murphy 71). However, parole serves as another important function in controlling inmates in prison, and is one of the few rewards that can be manipulated. Because of this reason, many states have retained it.The Administration of parole has been changed so that the sentence rather than the paroling authority determines the date of the parole hearing. Good Behavior Credit for time served-receiving extra credit for time served while maintaining good behavior-is another form of reward used in prison to control the inmates. Because of the way it reduces the amount of time an individual will serve, and modifies the original sentence; many states have considered eliminating it. However, heavy protesting against the legislation by correctional personnel has prevented its elimination.Young people are less responsible and more malleable than adults. Many juvenile offenders who break the law have come from broken homes and abusive families. Some have never received the support that they deserve. Because they are young, and have many years ahead of them, our society has chosen to separate them from adult criminals, and to make an effort to rehabilitate them. This makes senses, because the cost of retribution is simply too much in many of their cases, and the burden on the criminal justice system and our moral compass would be insupportable. ReferencesCrow, J. The Treatment and Rehabilitation of Offenders. Sage Publicat ions Ltd, 2001 Deitch, Michele, et. al. From Time Out to Hard Time: Young Children in the Adult Criminal Justice System, Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs, 2009. Khan, K. (2010, July 12). Juvenile justice: Too young for life in prison?. Retrieved from http://abcnews. go. com/Politics/life-prison-juvenile-offenders-adult-courts/story? id=11129594 Maruna, S. , Ward, T. Rehabilitation (Key Ideas in Criminology). Routledge; New edition, 2007.Murphy, J. G. Punishment and Rehabilitation. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999. Newburn, T. Criminology. Willan Publishing, 2007. Reaves, J. (2001, May 17). Should the law treat kids and adults differently?. Retrieved from http://www. time. com/time/nation/article/0,8599,110232,00. html Russel, C. Alternatives to Prison: Rehabilitation and Other Programs (Incarceration Issues: Punishment, Reform, and Rehabilitation). Mason Crest Publishers; Library Binding edition, 2006. Vedder, C. B. The Juvenile Offender: Perspective and Readings. Random House, 2002.

Netflix Reaction Paper

Netflix: Responding to Blockbuster Again The concept covered in the discussion on Netflix responding to blockbuster is an interesting topic. Netflix is a great example of disruptive innovation. Its DVD-by-mail turned the video rental business on its head and helped push Blockbuster into bankruptcy. As a start-up and outsider, Netflix was able to see that Blockbuster underserved many users. In response, Netflix created a business that offered more affordability, accessibility and availability to these under-served customers.Netflix saw this as a great opportunity and with customers busier lifestyles, demand and the advancement in the technology, Netflix made a move and serve the underserved customers of Blockbuster. Netflix is definitely the most successful of these Blockbuster-replacement services and has been steadily gaining power over the years. They started out as a DVD rentals-by-mail service and business has been booming ever since they introduced a streaming subscription servi ce as well. The rise of internet media also raised the success of Netflix.Blockbuster’s demise was linked to the success of Netflix. The business model of Netflix focuses on addressing unmet needs on the part of consumers. The business model for video rental industry back then in early 2000 was to pay-per-rental. Customers were frustrated by late fees and not being able to find their movie of choice when they wanted it. Netflix used a design principle that any company aspiring to succeed at disruptive innovation must adopt – Think Big. Start Small. Fail Quickly. Scale Fast. Think Big.Netflix pursued the big idea of streaming video, even though it would render obsolete its mail-based system for distributing DVDs. By contrast, most companies think small—they try to protect their existing business even if they can see a long-term threat from the Internet or other technological disrupter. These companies tell themselves they’re making incremental improvements , only to wake up one day and find the world has changed. When that day comes, they switch to panic mode, as Blockbuster did once it realized Netflix had transformed DVD distribution. Start Small. Netflix started with lots of small projects.This way, the company would know the market reaction and work out the kinks before going national. Fail Quickly. When early efforts at streaming video looked iffy, Netflix adopted the poker player’s mantra that most money is lost early in a hand, when the tendency is to hope that something good will materialize even though reason suggests otherwise. Netflix folded, saving its money for the day when it finally got a good hand. By contrast, most companies keep playing bad hands far too long, partly because those involved know they’ll get tarnished by association with a failure.Scale Fast. Netflix is now scaling streaming video fast, maintaining the lead it worked so hard to build over competitors. Numerous companies have, however, won early battles and lost the war at this stage of innovation. Innovations are successfully developed but never find a home because, unlike Netflix, the company isn’t willing to attack its core business. It’s worth noting that Netflix is still very much a work in progress and should continue its quest to bold innovations in order to maintain its current competitive advantage.

Music falls Essay

This third activity was chosen because it provides the children with this means of communication, giving them the opportunity to express themselves freely. Doing this helps them progress emotionally and cognitively in all other areas of their learning. Music falls under Donaldson’s construct mode, under value-sensing. She argues that emotion and thought are frequently related closely to one another (Palmer, 2001).  Neill (1927) also favoured music within the curriculum, as he alleged that it had a therapeutic function, particularly with children with psychological problems. He also acknowledged that it gave the less academically challenged pupils something they may excel at. This activity, therefore, assists in increasing the child’s self esteem, giving them more confidence in other areas of the curriculum too. Differentiation  The possibilities for differentiation within this lesson are extensive. As it is a relatively free activity, the children can move as much, or as little as they like. Interaction from the practitioner could be by means of praising those who demonstrate effort and capability, or by encouraging the children to express themselves and by giving them the confidence to move as they wish. Those who do not attempt to join in could be partnered with others, to provide further encouragement and enjoyment. Evaluation  This activity provides the children with the freedom to move their bodies in ways which are normally considered inappropriate within the classroom. There is no specific way in which the children are required to move and so they have the opportunity to truly express themselves without the usual confines and barricades. Skinner (1971) believes that behaviour is not something a child is born with, it is shaped by consequences. The conditioning adopted by the setting determines the catalogue of behaviour the child has at his disposal (cited in Palmer 2001). Skinner recognised that children respond to positive re-inforcement. The practitioner in this activity praises the children, encouraging them to express themselves further. Bandura suggests that adults can gain children’s attention and highlight the behaviour patterns they want to encourage (David T et al, 2003). He suggests that the children will mimic the behaviour they see in others. In this activity, if the children see the practitioner praising one child as suggested by Skinner, their behaviour will be reinforced and this should encourage more of this behaviour. As the rest of the children bear witness to this development, Bandura suggests that they will reproduce this behaviour to gain recognition for themselves. This was apparent when watching the behaviour of the whole class. When one child became slightly over-excited and silly, others began to imitate him. The practitioner quickly took control of the situation by praising one of the children who was making slower, more gentle movements and the children responded swiftly by slowing their movements down too. Conclusion Each one of these activities proved to be successful. The children enjoyed them and were keen to stay on task throughout. The relevant areas and aspects of learning were adequately covered and the children gained a great deal from participating. From carrying out this research, it is apparent that it is necessary for practitioners to plan their scheme of work effectively in order to guarantee that the foundation stage curriculum is covered throughout the year. This work has examined the long, medium and short term plans and has explained why they are used. It has researched the emergence of the foundation stage curriculum and the ways it can be adapted and moulded to fit into many different types of early years settings. Using the three activities this work has established the theoretical underpinning of the curriculum and demonstrates the strategies which can be applied to differentiate the experiences effectively. Bibliography Books Bee, H. & Boyd, D. (2004) The Developing Child, Tenth Edition USA: Pearson Education, Inc.  Boushel, M., Fawcett, M. & Selwyn, J. (2000) Focus on Early Childhood: Principles and Realities Malden, Mass: Blackwell Science  Carnie, F (2003) Alternative Approaches to Education: A Guide for Parents and Teachers New York: Taylor and Francis