Environmental Problems in Prenatal Development Essay

Abstract For my research topic, I chose environmental problems in prenatal development. I chose this topic because I have a great interest in prenatal development and the care the mother provides that will negatively affect the fetus while it is still developing. Learning about the problems that occur will be an enormous advantage with my future career in nursing. Throughout my research, I hope to discover what the symptoms, of environmental influences, a fetus can contract during development. During prenatal development there are so many problems that you cannot even count them. There are two types of problems in development, genetic and environmental. The environmental problems are caused by the care the mother provides for her unborn child. Whatever the mother puts her body through, she puts her child through. Teratogens are drugs or other substances that are capable of restricting the development of a fetus, causing birth defects. Although the embryo is sensitive during all stages, there are more critical time periods when the fetus is more susceptible to the defects. During these critical periods, there are three major environmental problems that affect the fetus, which can cause birth defects, by the mother’s use of drugs, diseases, and mental and physical health. There are three major teratogens that affect the fetus in development; one is by the mother’s use of drugs. There are many mothers throughout the world use and abuse prescription, legal and il legal drugs. The use of prescription drugs can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs. Some mothers need to take prescribed drugs for their own health problems. Women who have seizures must take anticonvulsants to stop the seizures from occurring. The seizures the pregnant mother has can cause just as much damage than the drugs they are taking (Boyd and Bee, 2009, p. 72). Pregnant women taking Trimethadione for their seizures can cause the fetus to obtain many progressive defects such as eyebrows shaped like a V, cleft lip, cleft palate, and having delays in their development (Slater and Lewis, 2006, p. 9). Another drug pregnant mothers might be prescribed for would be blood thinners, because of possible blood clots, to prevent heart attacks or strokes (DirectGov, 2010). An expecting mother who has been taking Warfarin to slow down blood clots should assume that her child can be born with mental retardation and an unusually small head, known as microcephaly (Slater and Lewis, 2006, p. 9). Certain infants with microcephaly develop normally and have the intellect as an ordinary child. Typically, infants with microcephaly possibly can have facial distortions, mental retardation, deferred motor skills, hyperactivity, dwarfism, seizures, difficulty with balancing and coordination, and other neurological irregularities (DirectGov, 2010). Every mother experiences fatigue and nausea. Decades ago, doctors would prescribe Thalidomide, a sedative, to treat the fatigue and nausea. After these mothers gave birth, doctors have detected that the Thalidomide has many defects on the fetus. Infants were born with only half developed or absent arms or legs (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010 p. 1). Antibiotics are normally safe to take when consulted with a doctor. Pregnant women take antibiotics for certain types of infections. One often prescribed antibiotic to pregnant women is Tetracycline which can cause damage to the infant such as yellowing or graying of the teeth. It also can be passed through breast milk and if the child infant drinks the milk, there will be a chance they might affect the growth of bones and teeth (Cerner Multum, 2009). Despite the abuse of prescription drugs, there is also the use of legal drugs. There are many women who are pregnant and smoking. The use of nicotine during pregnancy will cause a few deficiencies in the infant’s development. Nicotine users may have the chance to have an ectopic pregnancy, where the baby connects to the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus. This could result in a miscarriage. Mothers who smoke, throughout the entire pregnancy, can give birth to a stillborn or child with low birth weight (Bucher, 2010). The long term effects on children, whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, could develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 74). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that causes absent- mindedness and spontaneity (ADAM, 2011). Another illegal drug that is very highly abused in pregnancy is alcohol. Mothers who are heavy drinkers or alcoholics are highly likely to give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Fetal alcohol syndrome is a problem with mental and physical growth that occurs when the mother abuses alcohol during pregnancy. Infants with fetal alcohol syndrome have many symptoms. They include stunted growth before and after birth, reduced muscle usage and dexterity, deferred mental and physical development, possible mental retardation and heart weaknesses including ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect (Adam, 2011). These children will also have very distinctive facials features that stand out. Infants will typically have smaller heads, a flattened nose with a big space between the nose and mouth, narrow eyes and small upper jaw Depending on the period in pregnancy, alcohol might cause a miscarriage and premature birth (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p.74). Along with prescription and legal drugs, illegal drugs are especially dangerous during the course of pregnancy. So many people become addicted to drugs and have a hard time getting clean. Expecting mothers who are hooked on any type of illegal drug can be incredibly damaging to the infant. Marijuana is the most common manipulated illegal drug. Infants born to mothers that are marijuana users have more trouble concentrating, problems sleeping, and a short term memory (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 73). Additional drugs that are mistreated are heroin and methadone. Mothers addicted to these two drugs will have babies addicted to them as well and are at possible risk of miscarriage, premature birth and preterm death (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 73). The symptoms of the heroin addicted infants are underprivileged growth, premature birth and stillbirth (March of Dimes Foundation, 2011). After birth, these addicted babies go into withdrawal and suffer from bad temper, intense shuddering, vomiting, seizures and sleep complications (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p.73). Babies who are addicted to methadone have almost similar symptoms to those addicted to heroin. The difference is that methadone addicted infants have a higher birth weight compared to infants addicted to heroin. Methadone babies are comforted more easily then heroin babies (March of Dime Foundation, 2011). A drug also abused by expectant mothers is cocaine. Cocaine can be in two formations, both powder form or crack; they equally have the same effects on babies. Many problems of cocaine use during pregnancy are exceedingly threatening. These problems include placenta problems, such as, placental abruption which is when the placenta pulls away from the uterus prior labor starts. When this happens, there could be an exceeding amount of bleeding; the baby may be deprived of oxygen and a proper blood flow. The symptoms after birth can be harsh for the infants, for instance, they experience jumpiness, irritability, and are very easily frightened. These infants cry often because they have trouble finding comfort with their mothers or caregivers. Luckily for these babies, they usually do not experience these symptoms through their entire life, normally just first month of life (March of Dimes, 2011). Besides the issues that are caused by pregnant mothers drug use, there are many complications with the mother’s diseases. There are three different types of infections that could be passed down from mother to child, congenital infections, perinatal infections, and postnatal infections. Congenital infections are passed through the placenta and infect embryo. These infections include toxoplasmosis, syphilis, hepatitis B, Coxsackie virus, Epstein virus, chickenpox virus, human parvovirus, Rubella, Herpes virus, and Cytomegalovirus (Koo, 2009). Rubella is also known as the German measles and expecting mothers can pass this down to her infant in utero. Symptoms the fetus may develop are cataracts, hearing loss, and heart defects. CMV, also known as Cytomegalovirus, is a sexually transmitted disease and is a type of herpes virus. Having this disease while pregnant can be severe to the fetus’ life and cause eye, ear and brain defects in the early stages of prenatal development (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 74). Infants who developed CMV after birth are less likely to have harsh symptoms then those developed in utero. Those symptoms are vision and hearing loss and possible cognitive learning disabilities (Koo, 2009). Herpes is another congenital infection that can be extremely harmful in the development of the fetus. Mothers infected with herpes can pass down to her child many unpleasant symptoms. The significant symptoms include eye diseases, callous brain damage and skin lacerations (Koo, 2009). Substantial symptoms of herpes include seizures, neurological complications, microcephaly and microophthalmia. Microophthalmia is an eye abnormality that occurs before birth. This condition makes both eyes smaller than an average child and in some individuals their eyes may be nonexistent connected with blindness (Slater & Lewis, 2006, p. 9). The perinatal infections, also known as the infection that happens in labor and delivery, take place in the birth canal while the baby is in the process of being born. Many of these infections are sexually transmitted diseases such as CMV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV (genital warts), and group B streptococci. Mothers with gonorrhea giving birth to their child will distribute the infection to her child. The main symptom the infant could experience is difficulties with the eyes and possibly goes blind. The mother can encounter complications including miscarriage, early labor and likelihood of obtaining HIV (Baby Center Advisory Board, 2007, p. 1). Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. Mothers with this disease are capable of passing the disease to her child through delivery. When delivering the child vaginally, the infant could contract serious eye infections. Infants exposed to chlamydia also have the possibility of acquiring pneumonia. Fortunately, if treated properly children will usually do well and have a suitable recovery. If mothers receive treatment before delivery there would be a greater chance of the infant not obtaining the infection altogether (Baby Center Advisory Board, 2012). Expecting mothers with HPV do not really transfer the infection to their infants but if it is transferred, the baby’s system will normally disperse it from their bodies. However, women with genital warts may transfer this virus to their child and can be extremely life- threatening. These infants infected with genital warts form warts in their throat causing respiratory papillomatosis. The children with respiratory papillomatosis must receive laser treatment to stop the warts from multiplying and obstructing the child’s airway. Doctors say that the women with HPV can deliver their children safely with little or no complications (WebMD, 2012, p. 1-2). Along with congenital and perinatal infections, postnatal infections are also particularly hazardous. Postnatal infections are caused after birth and are usually spread through breastfeeding. These infections include CMV, HIV, and group B streptococci. HIV can also be transmitted congenital and perinatal but HIV can be transferred postnatal via breastfeeding (Stewart, 2012). Babies who obtain this virus normally become sick within the first two years of their life. This illness will decline the infant’s immune system which makes them easily susceptible to getting other virus than the average baby (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 74-75). Another illness that infants attain after birth is group B streptococci (GBS). Group B strep is bacteria found in a woman’s vagina. GBS is transferred to infants after birth with symptoms of issues with the respiratory system, and erratic cardio problems. These babies may also have severe digestive tract problems. Along with these issues, the most familiar complications involve sepsis, an increasing amount of bacteria in the bloodstream, pneumonia, and meningitis, a bacterial infection of membranes concealing the brain and spinal cord. Group B streptococci usually will occur earlier than later after the delivery and have fewer problems if it appears later (American Pregnancy Association, 2011). There are many problems affecting the fetus that arise from the mother’s mental and physical health throughout her pregnancy. The age of the mother can make an immense difference in child birth. Mothers over the age of thirty five can have many complications to her health and child’s health. Women who push back pregnancy to later in life have the risks of developing gestational diabetes, infertility, possible miscarriage, early labor and extensive bleeding during labor. High blood pressure and chronic illnesses are also potential threats in older mothers (Baby Center Medical Advisory Board, 2012). These infants have a chance of developing chromosomal defects, cardiac abnormalities and growth retardation (Boyd & Bee, 2009). On the other hand, teenage pregnancy has just as many risks as women over thirty five. Teenage girls who are pregnant sometimes do not receive proper prenatal care, which can lead to issues in the fetus’ development. Pregnant teens can also experience high blood pressure which could result in preterm labor. Preterm labor may cause infants to have cognitive, respiratory and other physical complications. Teens that go into preterm have a chance of low birth weight infants that might not be fully developed. Teenagers are highly likely to obtain STD’s and pass them to their infants during delivery which can be vital in their growth and development. Young mothers are potential victims for postpartum depression, making them feel alone, isolated and feeling like no one is there for them (Nihira, 2010, p.1-2). Along with age, other maternal influences affect the fetus such as emotions and ill mothers who go through radiation for medical purposes. Pregnancy can mess with women’s emotions tremendously. Mothers who are really stressed or have anxiety might have troubles eating properly and may be prone to viruses which can cause the infant to be born with low birth weight. Children born to really distraught mothers will usually develop slower than the average child (Boyd & Bee, 2009, p. 77). Pregnant women with an inconsistent metabolism could have heavier infants and are more likely to have problems early in development (Slater & Lewis, 2006, p. 9). Women with certain medical problems may need to go for radiation although they are pregnant. Radiation while pregnant can affect the fetus by killing the cells in its body, injuring the chromosomes, and retarding the mental and physical growth (Brent, 2011). Despite all of these developmental problems each infant goes through, the illness and defects can be somewhat prevented if treated early in the pregnancy. Each woman should think twice about what they put through their bodies when expecting a baby. Environmental problems are life threatening and women need to consult with their doctors immediately to lessen the risk of their child developing any symptoms. There are critical periods when the fetus is the most vulnerable to these environmental influences. Even though there are critical periods, the mother’s use of drugs, diseases, and mental and physical health are very serious through the entire pregnancy. Bibliography Adam Medical Encyclopedia. 2011. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001909/ Adam Medical Encyclopedia. 2011. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002518/ American Pregnancy Association. 2011. Group B Strep Infection: GBS. Retrieved from: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/groupbstrepinfection.html Baby Center Advisory Board. 2010. Chlamydia during Pregnancy. Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com/0_chlamydia-during-pregnancy_1427376.bc Baby Center Advisory Board. 2007. Gonorrhea during Pregnancy. Retrieved from: http://www.babycenter.com/0_gonorrhea-during-pregnancy_1427382.bc?page=1 Bee, H & Boyd, D. 2009. Fifth Edition Lifespan Development. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Brent, Robert MD. 2011. Pregnancy and Radiation Exposure. Retrieved from: http://hps.org/hpspublications/articles/pregnancyandradiationexposureinfosheet.html Bucher, Jordan. 2010. The Effects of Drug Use During Pregnancy & Developmental Stages. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/254142-the-effects-of-drug-use-during-pregnancy-developmental-stages/ Cerner Multum. 2009. Tetracycline. Retrieved from: http://www.drugs.com/tetracycline.html Direct Gov. 2010. Anticoagulants, Warfarin. Retrieved from: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anticoagulants-warfarin-/Pages/Introduction.aspx Government. 2012. Microcephaly. Retrieved from: http://www.medicinenet.com/microcephaly/article.htm Koo, Ingrid, Ph.D. 2009. Infectious Diseases During Pregnancy-Risks to Babies. Retrieved from: http://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/kidsinfections/a/Congenital.htm March of Dimes Foundation. 2011. Illicit Drug use during Pregnancy. Retrieved from: http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/alcohol_illicitdrug.html Mayo Clinic Staff. 2010. Thalidomide: Research advances in cancer and other conditions. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/thalidomide/HQ01507 Net Industries. 2012. Prenatal Development- Prenatal Environmental Influences. Retrieved from: Prenatal Development – Prenatal Environmental Influences Nihira, Mikio A. 2010. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/baby/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities?page=2 Pierce, Martha. 2010. Pregnancy Risks After 35. Retrieved form: http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/getting-pregnant/age-factor/pregnancy-risks-after-age-35/ Slater, A. and Lewis, M. 2006. Prenatal Development. Retrieved from: http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199283057/slater_chap03.pdf Stewart, Grace John. 2012. Prevention of HIV transmission through breastfeeding in resource-limited settings. Retrieved from: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/prevention-of-hiv-transmission-through-breastfeeding-in-resource-limited-settings WebMD. 2012. HPV and Pregnancy. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-pregnancy

Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying in Foreign Universities

During this era, students who have completed their secondary studies may want to further their studies in local universities or foreign universities. The students may either find a job after leaving their school or further their studies in university. Some of the well to do students may opt for foreign universities. But there are advantages and disadvantages while students pursuing their studies in foreign universities.The advantage of pursuing studies in foreign universities is, they have better exposure and wider knowledge. Foreign universities are prestigious and reputable. They hired experienced lectures to teach the students, resulting the students improved tremendously, as the students will understand the topic easily. The university has a big and cozy school compound for students to release their stress. They are also providing with complete facilities for students such as well equip library, research center, free wi-fi spot and many more for students to access. Students will be able to do their project or assignment while using these facilities.The other advantage of pursuing studies in universities is they can acquaint new friends from other parts of the world. Students will have to leave their beloved parents and friends when they head to overseas. However, universities will organize some social activities to allow the new intakes to meet their new friends before they start their semester. The new intakes will be able to find their new friends here during orientation through hobbies and common interest. If the students have depended on their family members at home to do their daily chores, he or she will have to seek their friends when they are abroad.Last but not least, the crucial advantage of pursuing studies in foreign universities is to be self- independent that is once students leave their cozy home, there will be no one to wash up their clothes, tidy up their messy room, prepare and cook delicious meal and no one to greet them good morning nor good night. Therefore, students have to manage things, make decision and do all their housework by themselves.Besides the advantages, there are also disadvantages. The disadvantage is that their parents have to pay an expensive fee in order for them to complete their education abroad. Some the students may come from a medium family and has the opportunity to pursue their studies in foreign universities but they faced financial constraint to pay for their school fees. This forced them to get part time jobs in order pay their own fees. It will be tough for them as they have to rush to the working place after their studies. Some of them just gave up and they packed their bags and headed back to their own country due to financial problem. However, they are still some of them who studied hard while struggling with the fees problem, as they trusted there is always a rainbow waiting for them after the rainstorm.The next disadvantage is students may be homesick. They may feel lost when they are new in the unfamiliar city. They will feel anxiety if they cannot adapt to it. This may cause students to lost their initial aims, their fighting spirit and they start fleeing to places to escape from the reality such as pubs. This is will ruin their education if they cannot extract themselves from that negative emotion. In conclusion, everything has its pros and cons in it where there is always advantages and disadvantages of pursuing studies in a foreign universities and one may excel if one work hard despite far away from home.

Chemical Safety In Schools Environmental Sciences Essay

Chemical Safety In Schools Environmental Sciences Essay Chemistry plays an important role in human civilization. It enables us to formulate substances important for disease treatment, fertilize plants and provide fuel for transportation ( ). For many years, chemistry has been considered the central science due to its significant connections and overlap with other sciences. If a scientific discipline involves matter, chances are that chemistry plays an important role. Therefore, we will always need people who have a good knowledge of chemistry. As expressed by Beach and Stone (1988) â€Å"chemistry education without laboratory is like painting without colors and canvas or learning how to ride a bike by reading its operating manual† (Tezcan and Bilgin, 2004). The study of chemistry in schools equips students with knowledge in the classroom and skills of conducting experiments in laboratories during practical sessions that are scheduled once a week for a period of two to three hours (MOH, 2001). 2.1.2 Hazards Chemical in the School E xperiments The teaching of chemistry at secondary school includes the use of hazardous chemical, which is essential for the understanding of chemistry fundamentals. Example of hazardous chemicals that are available at school chemistry laboratory are hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, natrium hydroxide, hydrogen sulfate, ammonium sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, propanol and acetone (MOH, 2000). These chemicals are classified as hazardous chemicals to health under the Malaysia Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemical Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000. In view of their hazardous characteristics, the government through the Department of Occupational Safety and Health regulates labelling and packaging of these chemicals. A specific law pertaining to these hazardous chemicals, the Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Packaging John Kiesswetter et al., 1994; Medinsky et al., 1995). Malaysian Occupational Safety & Health (Ac t 514) and Occupational Safety & Health Regulation 2000 (Use and Standard of Exposure to Chemicals Hazardous to Health) specify the permissible exposure level (PEL). The PEL is the maximum time-weighted average concentration of hazardous chemicals in the air of working area that workers can be exposed without the need to wear personal protective equipment and the PEL for acetone, ethanol and formaldehyde are 1187.0, 1880.0 and 0.4 mg/m3, respectively (MDC, 2005). 2.1.3 Safety Precautions In view of the physical and health hazards of the chemicals, there is requires the implementation of safety precaution and hazard control to reduce the risk of exposure to the chemical hazards. Safety precaution differs based on the type of the chemical hazards. Safety precautions differ based on the type chemical hazards. General safety precaution is personal hygiene whereby the user as advice:

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on the disease Cryptosporidiosis Essay

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on the disease Cryptosporidiosis - Essay Example Cryptosporidium hominis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium meleagridis, Cryptosporidium felis and Cryptosporidium canis have been identified as the major types of Cryptosporidium that cause infection in humans. While presence of C. canis, C. felis and C. meleagridis has been confirmed in AIDS patients. They have the capability to infect both immuno-competent and immuno-compromised individuals (Tzipori, p. 884-886). It considered an important source of morbidity and mortality in young children. Every year about 400-500 people in New York alone are infected by the parasite. It has been known to cause short term diarrhea in young children but if severe may even cause long term problems in immuno-compromised persons (Guerrant, p. 707-13). This parasite is usually found in the soil food and water, or surfaces that are known to come in contact with feces. It is how ever not known to spread via contact with blood (CDC). Most Infections tend to spread by the oral-fecal route. That entails the droppings of an infected animal and the transmission of the parasite via the mouth. This parasite can also spread by person to person, by eating contaminated food and by drinking contaminated water. It is in fact because the parasite is transmitted via the oral fecal route that it is often found in people with poor hygiene, diapered children and people with diarrhea. The infection can also spread by eating contaminated, uncooked food and also by touching hands which may be infected with the parasite to the mouth. Exposure to feces via sexual contact may also be one more source of infection (CDC). Never the less it is important to note that a short term infection may have long term consequences (Guerrant, p. 707-13). The degree of in fection is usually directly related to the severity and onset of disease. Some adults with incompetent immune systems such as seen widely

Children with Asthma Who Take Budesonide and Who Take Nedocromil Research Paper

Children with Asthma Who Take Budesonide and Who Take Nedocromil - Research Paper Example The treatment of asthma in children by physicians should be so effective that its end result is a child growing with near-perfect life devoid of constant chest and breathing complications. This means that physicians have to employ top-notch medical practices and procedures to ensure that this objective is achieved. Due to the fact that there has never been comparative analysis between the efficacy of nedocromil sodium and inhaled corticosteroids in treating childhood asthma, it is not possible to discern their comparative usefulness.5 Thus, the need for broadened research in this area cannot be neglected. Importantly, it is necessary to discuss the relevant terms used in this study. Key words that have been used in this study include; sodium cromoglicate and budesonide. To begin with, sodium cromoglicate is a type of asthma inhalant that is used regularly by asthma patients to prevent potential attacks. However, it does not help in cases where an asthma attack that has already starte d.2,4 On the other hand, budesonide is an inhalant used to prevent asthmatic attacks. Studies have shown that if used regularly budesonide decreases the symptoms and severity of asthma attacks. It does not however, relieve asthma attacks that have already started.In line with the topic, the paper utilized various databases like Google Scholar, Bing, Yahoo and many more to find relevant articles. Similarly, websites containing medical journals were accessed and important articles used in this study retrieved.

Scopes trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scopes trial - Essay Example One might even be as bold as to say that the only contribution that scopes made to the whole trial, as presented in the essay, is offer his name for posterity’s sake whenever someone wants to refer to the trial. Scopes was not acting on his own volition rather as a legally necessitating factor for the trial to proceed. The main issue in the trial is the positions of the ACLU and the positions of the Christian fundamentalist and what they felt is right for the average American school curriculum. The trial is not about a prosecutor trying to prove that the defendant is guilty neither is it about the defendant proving his innocence and this is clearly shown by the defense allowing unchallenged testimony against Scopes albeit its obvious falsity owing to the fact that Scopes was not even a biology teacher. The trial is an ideological confrontation between two diametrically opposed interest parties and them resenting their agenda before a national audience. The very nature of the trial gives a feeling of transcendence over a teacher simply defending himself against the state; the media access and coverage allowed the national attention and high profile counsel on either side of the matter is testimony to this. The essay gives the perspective of the broad goals that are the aim of this trial: the statute opposing the teaching of evolution in schools but more importantly the ideological basis for agreeing to or opposing the statute. The perspective of the essay is much wider than the perspective of the trial, Larson uses the trial to address the issue of scientific and academic freedom and the curtailment of this freedom by special interest groups based on subjective beliefs held by different groups. Intellectual freedom is Larson’s main agenda and he seeks redress for the situation whereby the majority imposes its religious beliefs and epistemological leanings

Information Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Information Management - Case Study Example USS's major problems were evident in its order taking process. The orders were manual, imprecise and filled with errors; there was no coherence among the different processors as they had their own tracking and order system. There fore USS was unable to follow each order as it was processed and delivered. The communication system employed between the different processors was a dialup system meaning that data processing wasted a lot of time, invariably forcing the company to hold large inventory, increasing its production cost. All such problems made USS uncompetitive in face of other producers such as POSCO, which was recently setup with the latest technologies. To fix these problems USS took rapid steps to improve their production system. First of all, they provided their customers to place theirs order online specifying the product, quantity, price, composition, size, thickness, and even delivery date for their orders. The software was developed so as to allow the customer to be able to see the cost as well as the delivery dates of their order, to allow them to plan accordingly for their business. It also allowed for messages from different processors to be translated much more quickly and more efficiently. USS also connected DecisionExpress software from LiveCapital for customers which reduced its uncollectible debts. To further improve the accuracy of the order USS incorporated several other soft wares such as order fulfillment and later i2 Technologies. They also introduced soft wares such as iTrac to keep track of their shipments and Mechanical Item Generation System to regenerate orders for repeat customers. USS also setup a subsidia ry USS Engineers and Consultants, to sell these soft wares to assist other companies. To maintain its competitive advantage they only provide soft wares which are a version older than their current software (Bratislava, 2003). Results and Business benefits In 1996, when USS faced a disastrous situation of losing Ford Motor, USS identified that, in face of future competition computerization of the production system was a necessity. This direction allowed USS to be more efficient and more profitable. After the implementation of the software system USS required 3 work hours to produce a ton of steel, as compared to 4 hours in Germany and 4.8 hours in POSCO. Hence, USS was able to greatly benefit from strong economic conditions by supplying steel to United States, China and other countries (Michael Erman - 2007). Conclusion The progress of U.S. Steel depends on the world demand for their products i.e. steel. As witness from the world wide economic shock, demand for steel and other essential construction material has plummet. Widespread closer of factories has significantly halted further investments, resulting in drastic drops of steel prices. USS has invested great sum of financial capital in refining their production cycle but in current times it will be very difficult to gain

Scene Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Scene Analysis - Essay Example However, Laizi’s quest for freedom leads the two into a frantic search for freedom in a world where it can be compromised by anyone. The film begins in a setting a town where a crowd is distracted from the frantic attempts by Laizi to leave the dojo. The director does not reveal the initial intention of Laizi and his desires if he gets the freedom. One of the key features about this film that make it outstanding is the wide use of Chinese tunes to create an atmosphere. The use of sounds and music makes the movie emotional, which is one of the features about the movie that helped it win the Cannes Palme dOr, making it to be the first and only Chinese movie to win the award. Douzi’s introductory scene is also very intriguing. Initially, Douzi’s mother takes her young boy to the master who refuses to accept him due to his disability, which is a polydactyly finger. His mother chops off the finger making a contract with the master on leaves that the master accepts her son. This scene is characterized by a close up of the camera shifting closer towards the finger being chopped off to create suspense and to achieve a more dramatic scene. Douzi and Laizi’s relationship grows and they become good friends for years. However, as was the initial case, Laizi influences Douzi to run away from the troupe, but they choose to return after attending a performance in the Perkin Opera. After Laizi’s death, Douzi is faced with countless challenges. For instance, the Eunuch Zhang sodomizes Douzi. However, the director avoids this scene only showing the initial attraction that the Eunuch Zhang had for Douzi and later revealing that the latter had been molested and was a little shaken by the situation. The director opts to eliminate the scene in which the Eunuch Zhang traumatizes Douzi to ensure that the film does not become too obscene. This form of censorship is common in most Chinese movies covering themes such as sex. The

Uniform commercial code Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Uniform commercial code - Assignment Example It would be advisable to communicate directly with them. If they refuse to cooperate and clear the front porch, it would then be acceptable to contact the lawyer. You need to inspect the compound and confirm that the cleaning and laundry supplies are indeed piled there. It would be easier if this matter could be resolved amicably out of court. 3. Inform the worker to leave the dishwasher as it is. Call the dishwasher service line to ask for assistance. Ask them to inspect the dishwasher and ascertain the damage done. If they agree to fix the dishwater and also reimburse plates, then that would be a fair settlement. It would be vital if you could keep the melted plates as evidence in case they are required. 4. Call the son and ask him to explain to you exactly what happened. Inform the lawyer of everything that has happened, and have the boy to talk to the lawyer and narrate the whole story to him. The medicine that the guest used should be stored in a safe place and left untouched. It would be important to contact the police and inform them of the entire situation. 5. Communicate with the food supplier and request a meeting with him to discuss the issue. Ask him to calculate how much this would cost. Inform the lawyer of this new development and then carefully go ahead with these plans. It is important to keep all the typed documentation of all the necessary requirements, as well as signed agreements, receipts, and bills. 7. Inform him that it is possible to pay by cheque. Ask for photocopies of his identification documents. Keep a photocopy of the cheque, as well as one of the bank slip. Keep these documents in safe storage and ensure you have all of his contacts. 9. Confirm attendance with the B&B restaurant owner. Make sure that you have accompaniment as you go meet him. Do not reveal too much company information and keep the meeting brief and formal as possible. 10. Inspect the scene of the accident and make sure you

Tottenham Hotspur PLC Essay Example for Free

Tottenham Hotspur PLC Essay Introduction The given case study is mainly concerned with the management decisions that are considered by the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, Mr. Daniel Levy, in order to generate a steeper rise in revenues for the club. The major investments in question are the construction of a new stadium that is almost twice the present capacity, an improved practice facility and further improvement of the team through desired player acquisitions. But, Tottenham being a publicly owned club need to justify the time and resources that would be at stake in order to undertake this project. The four major sources of revenue for the team include the number of fans attending the match, the sponsorship rights it receives from other companies, the sale of club merchandise and its broadcast rights sold to television channels. By building a new stadium, which has an estimated cost of 250 million spread over the next two years, Tottenham hopes to increase the current capacity of 36500 people to 60000 fans per match. This is estimated to increase the revenues through attendance by 40 percent and considerable merchandise sale as well. The club also plans on investing in better practise facility and better players, thus increasing the odds of winning matches. This would not only increase the revenues from the matches but also increase the sponsorship amounts by 20 percent at the same time hiking the demandable price for broadcast rights. The collective rise in revenue is estimated to be around 9 percent. Body Decision Criteria 1. Joseph Lewis is a majority stake holder in the firm; the only one with greater that 3 percent stakeholding. He can be expected to work solely in favour of appreciation of his share value. His company ENIC has 82 percent  overall beneficial interest in the club. One needs to determine whether this would negatively affect the decisions made by him. 2. Daniel Levy and Joseph Lewis were former partners at ENIC from 2001 to 2007 and once ENIC had a large majority in Tottenham Hotspur, in early 2008 Daniel Levy decides to make this radical change in the club. He further went on to claim that it is not just about the money but a long term prosperity of the club. We must however, consider the fact  that he had to his advantage a prior experience managing a Scottish Football Club called Rangers 3. The magnitude of risk posed by the assumptions made by Levy must also be considered to judge whether the investment is profitable. 4. A quantitative analysis of the investment including the computation of various factors such as the Cost of Capital, NPV, IRR, DCF analysis, etc can point towards the right direction 5. By calculating the percentage of games won over a period of 2004 to 2007 and comparing it to the market reaction towards the shares of Tottenham Hotspur we can make decision about what factors negatively affected the market; whether it was an external matter or something related to Tottenham hotspur itself. Assumptions 1. The predictions made about the future growth of revenue with respect to the predicted inflation of the country. 2. Operating expenses are based on historical data of other clubs. So, we need to analyse reasons why that might not project the right image of the future for Tottenham 3. Changing the players may not automatically improve performance of the team and hence may not lead to as many wins as expected and hence the growth in revenues through sponsorships and merchandise may be stunted.

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey

Analyzing Enterprises Service Quality Survey Enterprises Service Quality Survey is attempting to gather very precise information on the value and quality of its service throughout the whole process. The first few questions are very generic and are aiming to source information on the overall experience of dealing with the Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This includes information on customer satisfaction. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is trying to attain valuable information on how customers feel the service could improve and how customers would rate the telephone reservation process. These sorts of questions are unspecific and are the beginning to service quality surveys for any enterprise. As the survey progresses, customers are urged to articulate how long the process of picking up and returning the rental car took. Surely, by doing this, Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to attain approximate times so they can average the results out and seek to improve on the results in the coming months and years. Customers are asked to rate sundry questions based on five options: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor and Non Applicable (N/A). Utilising this rating method the firm can obtain a definite level of customer fulfilment and find out where their strengths and weaknesses lie concerning each aspect of the service they provide. One interesting aspect to note about the information Enterprise Rent-A-Car are trying to source is that only one question requires the customer to write out an answer whereas every other option simply requires a ticking of the box in an option such as Good, Fair, Poor etc.. In my opinion, this means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car as a firm simply want polarised answers so to speak. By having to tick options such as Good, Fair and Poor, it becomes apparent straight away if the customer was satisfied with the service or not. If several questions required answers with full sentences, this could lead to numerous problems for Enterprise Rent-A-Car employees who are analysing the su rveys after. One problem is that customers could write out a half-hearted misleading answer with little or no meaning making it extremely difficult for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to attain valuable customer opinions and outlooks on the service. The Service Quality Surveys research objectives are quite simple. The objective of the research is to assess how well they are providing their service to customers. The most important aspect of the survey is that it is being answered by those who have used the service and whose opinion on the service is of huge strategic importance to the company. Question 3: In addition to or instead of the mail survey, what other means could Enterprise use to gather customer satisfaction information? There are numerous other means that Enterprise Rent-A-Car could utilise to gather customer satisfaction information. Observational research involves gathering primary data by observing appropriate people, actions, and situations to gather how satisfied the customer is. Ethnographic research involves sending trained observers to monitor and interact with consumers in their natural environment. Experimental research is best for gathering causal information, through the use of cause-and-effect relationships. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could change the contact method from the currently used mail survey to the other available contact methods: Telephone, Personal (Face to Face) or online (through the use of the Internet). Each one of these contact methods has both benefits and disadvantages with regard to gathering customer satisfaction. Concerning response rate which is of utmost importance, Online and Personal can be classified as good while telephone lags behind and is poor for response rate. If one was to look at cost as a means of differentiating the other contact methods, telephone is obviously the most expensive with also personal contact cost being very poor indeed. Online methods of gathering information seems to be a brilliant way of gathering customer satisfaction information. Firstly it is very cheap once the consumer has an Internet connection. The simplicity of this process is the best alternative to the means being used by Enterprise Rent-A-Car to gather customer satisfaction info rmation. Question 4: What Specific recommendations would you make to Enterprise to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process? The specific recommendations I would make to Enterprise Rent-A-Car to improve the response rate and timeliness of feedback from the process is to conduct the survey online on their website http://www.enterprise.ie/car_rental/home.do The response rate would be increased ten fold in comparison with the use of the mail survey. Once the survey is completed, the information will be available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car in their database instantaneously. This means busniess decisions can be made quicker, faster and more efficiently. In comparison, while the mail survey has a free postage stamp so it costs the customer nothing to complete, the Internet is such an easier process. There is no need to head down to the post office and send back the survey, once users click the submit button their part of the customer satisfaction process is complete and their feedback is available to Enterprise Rent-A-Car straight away. Enterprise Rent-A-Car could offer customers a discount on their next transaction if they complete the survey in a specific period of time online. They would then have up to date valuable information on the levels of customer satisfaction the users have had with their service. Thus they can use this information and feedback to adapt their business to suit customers. Therefore the timeliness of feedback is improved which improves Enterprise Rent-A-Cars performance and will keep their customers loyal to their service. Marketing Principles Assignment 2 Choose a recent purchase that involved not only yourself but other people in making the decision. What role(s) did you play in the process? What roles did other people play and how did they influence your choice? Recently, the home computer in the family house broke and so a new desktop computer was needed for everyone in the family to use. My father asked the whole family to do a bit of research into the best available computers and that we would agree between us on the best available option to suit everyone. We were given that we had a budget of 800 to spend replacing a home computer that had finally worn down after five years of constant use. Each one of the family scoured various magazines, catalogues as well as visiting stores such as Currys and PC World to check the computer market for the best suitable fit for us. I played a key role in the choosing of a computer for the family as I was viewed among the family as the most technically aware person with regards to the latest products being unveiled in the business market. My two sisters were quite proficient users of computers but my parents were looking more at the cost and simplicity side of purchasing and utilising the computer. I researched reviews online for each type of computer and noted the opinions of others in my college class who were adept computer users and had a broad knowledge of the market. My sisters played the role of reading over the reviews I had picked out to give a second opinion to me on what they thought of products I had earmarked as being a potential purchase for the family. This role influenced me as it gave me the confidence to follow on from the primary research I had carried out. My father played the role of making sure I was keeping within the budget allotted for the computer. His role influenced me as it was a constant reminder to keep within the money designated to purchase the computer. My mother kept an eye on me to make sure that I was looking out for the best needs of the family and not just my personal needs. Her role influenced me as it re-emphasised to me that the computer was for the whole family and not just my preferences. What type of buying decision behaviour process did you go through? At each stage (need recognition, information search, etc.), outline what activities took place Need Recognition: Directly after the breaking down of the home computer, a close family friend purchased a new desktop computer with all the state of the art specifications. I was aware of the quality of the product but my parents who were oblivious to the latest technologies were thoroughly impressed by the newest technologies such as Bluetooth, Built in Microphone and Webcam, huge Hard Drive space and the simplicity of the User Interface. My father decided that instead of paying to fix the worn down computer, a new computer with all these latest cutting edge technologies would be more suitable. Thus a need for the new computer was triggered in my father by external stimuli, in this case the family friends positive feedback. Information Search: Thus my father urged the family and primarily myself to scout the market for a computer with all the latest technologies. Other than the personal source (family friend) who had been the external stimuli in the first place, I consulted an extremely knowledgeable I.T whizzkid in my course to offer his opinions. As mentioned previously the mass media was used to provide us with information on the products i.e. technology websites, blogs etc. I paid a trip to the local Galway computer superstore PC World and I was given a test run on a few of the latest computers released by the leaders in the personal computer market such as Sony, Toshiba and Samsung. Evaluation of Alternatives: In the computer market there are so many alternatives so each alternative was scrutinised thoroughly. The first choice was to choose between either an Apple Mac or a Personal Computer (PC). I would regard myself as a huge fan of the Apple and very susceptible to their compelling marketing of their products. If I was to choose PC there are so many leading companies with high quality computers to choose from. I decided to categorise the PCs in terms of warranty, look, price and performance. I weighed up which company offered the best post sale support to consumers if problems were to arise. Look was based on the easiness on the eye of the product as well as weight, size etc. Performance was based on user reviews from reputable sources. Purchase Decision: The family had a brief meeting and we decided to all divulge what each of us wanted from the computer (software, applications etc.) My father asked me to inform him of my opinion bearing everything in mind. I informed him that I believed the Apple products were the market leaders in terms of computer performance but that their products would not be suitable for the family and the price budget wasnt enough to purchase one. We decide on a PC with a Microsoft Windows OS platform as it would contain all the MS Office tools which would be of utmost importance to the family. My sister and I concurred that Dell Desktop PCs were receiving outstanding feedback and each computer could be tailored to suit the needs of the family. A Dell Inspiron One 23 with the specifications my father liked was agreed on by the family and purchased over the Internet that day. Post Purchase Decision: The family was incredibly satisfied with the product and has lived up to our expectations. Dell delivered within 3 days and a warranty of a year was given to us to cover us in case of unintentional damage to the computer. What choice criteria did you use? Did they change between drawing up a shortlist and making the final choice? The choice criteria as outlined up above were that we divide the computer into three categories: Warranty: We wanted to review which companies were renowned for having an excellent post-sale service given the problematic nature of technology and in specific computers. Look: My mother wanted the computer to have a pleasant appearance so it would blend into the corner of the living rooms environment. We also wanted it to be very lightweight so it could be transported if it had to be moved. Price: The computer had to stick within the budget allotted of 800 euro; there was no flexibility on this rule. Performance: We wanted the computer to run quickly and efficiently and have plenty of storage for the familys photo albums and software applications. The choice criteria did not alter between originally drawing up a shortlist and when we made our final choice. Marketing Principles Assignment 3 Discuss three alternative price-increase strategies that address these concerns. Increasing prices can be a very sensitive issue and can easily upsets loyal customers so companies must carefully approach how they increase prices. When increasing prices, the company must avoid being alleged as being a price gouger( Kotler Armstrong ,2010). Customers have long and clear memories and they will desert companies that they believe are excessively pricing their products. Competitors will prey on the companys necessity to increase their prices and so can advertise a cheaper price in their persuasive marketing campaigns, simply informing the market that they charge lower. There are three price-increase strategies that can address the concerns of customers fleeing from the company due to excess pricing: Honest Approach: The first method of increasing prices that can address the concerns of customer loss is the honest approach. By maintaining a sense of fairness surrounding the price increases, customers will realise that there are legitimate reasons for the rise in prices and that these increases are because of a necessity not a profit hungry exercise from the upper echelons of the organisation. Company communications should tell the customers exactly why the prices are being raised and thus the customers are not left in the dark as to the reason behind the price increase. Honest is always the best policy is an overused phrase but this may just apply in a competitive business market if the firm wants to keep faithful to their loyal consumers. Low Visibility Price Moves: A good technique of increasing prices is by making low-visibility price moves first. Examples include reducing discounts, ever-increasing minimum order sizes and slowing down the production of low margin products. The company sales force should help business customers find ways to economize. By getting rid of offers such as 33% off etc. the firm will steadily increase the amount of revenue they are earning for each product without displeasing their loyal customers. If the removal of discounts is done subtly, then customers will not notice that the price has increased officially and firms can benefit from this method. Unbundling of Market Offering: By removing features, packaging, or services and separately pricing elements that were formerly part of the offer, firms can increase profits. By unbundling their product offering, they can gain more revenue for each sale of a product. By doing this firms are making consumers pay extra for the excess parts of a product such as packaging. This will not easily upset customers as much as say just increasing their product. Airlines such as Ryanair are using this method of increasing prices. For example, to keep flight fares down, Ryanair are charging separately for services that were once part of the price paid in the flight. Examples include a restriction on the weight of handheld luggage and food served on flights. Thus when you are paying for a flight, it is simply the transport you are paying for with no built in perks. Principles of Marketing Assignment 4 Q.1 ZARA SUPPLY CHAIN Q.3 Zara employs a corporate vertical marketing system. A corporate vertical marketing system can be defined as when a single owner runs organizations at each stage of the marketing channel(Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010) Zara has such an efficient and effective supply chain that it has almost total control of every aspect from raw materials to the consumer purchasing the product at the end. This is directly mentioned in the case study his experience led him to design a system in which he could control every aspect of the supply chain (Kotler Armstrong, 2010). Zara benefits greatly from adopting this system. Firstly, the 300 creative staff that carry out the design, benefit from information sent to them by the shop assistants who can report on the latest fads that are trending as they are directly dealing with the customers on the frontline. With regards to sourcing, as mentioned in the case study by using this type of a VMS that while Zaras rivals outsource nearly all their product to che ap production facilities in Asia, Zara makes 40 percent of its own fabrics and produces more than half its own clothes. Therefore Zara which is located in Northern Spain needs not to rely on slow moving suppliers. This is of huge benefit and speeds up the process from raw materials to retailing meaning Zara can produce two or three times as many items as its competitors. Zara carries such business clout that it uses local co-operatives to complete some tasks such as sewing meaning that these materials are sent back quickly to the factory where they are moved onto the next stage in the supply chain. It has huge control of its packaging and distribution service by adopting this system. The huge warehouse which uses high quality machinery is so efficient that the packaging process which can be of concern to other firms in this sector of the market is completed seamlessly by Zara. Therefore Zara, by using a corporate vertical marketing system enjoys many benefits and is the dominant fig ure in its market. Q.4 In my opinion, Zara experiences very few disadvantages from employing its fast-fashion distribution system and the advantages of this distribution system easily outweigh and offset by its advantages. The advantages of fast fashion distribution system seem to be endless and this system generally pleases the end user as the variety of products available changes regularly while maintaining high quality. Firstly, personally I would imagine that through my study of microeconomics if because of the short production runs due to the amount of products being made from different raw materials each time with the change in the fashion trends is their cost of production very high. They certainly arent benefitting from economies of scale at the rate they change the type of products they are producing. While it is a huge advantage that they seem to have a change in product every few weeks in comparison with competitors who have shipments arriving at stores only 4-5 times a year, surely the distribu tion costs are exceedingly high. The cost of transporting new finished goods to the retailers every fortnight or so must put huge pressure on the sale of the stock because of the products short life cycle. However all that said, undoubtedly the advantage of this distribution offsets the disadvantages. For example, the figures mentioned in the case study paint a true portrayal of the massive success of this system. In some cases, Zara are launching as many as four times as many products as their competitors. Because, of the rapid nature of their products life cycle, obsolescence of inventory is never a problem. Thus the cost of storing inventories are never a problem nor is the loss of revenue due to having to cut down prices in end of season sales. Therefore, the advantages of fast fashion easily offset the disadvantages. Q.5 Zara adds value for the customer through major logistics functions in many ways. Major logistic functions include warehousing, inventory management, transportation and logistics information management. By barely having the need for warehousing due to the high turnover of stock quickly, customers are receiving the freshest new products without any chance of obsolescence. Also as a result of the efficient transportation system of Zara, it means that the overall price of the product should invariably cheaper for the customer to purchase. Zaras high quality packaging system done by efficient automate machinery means that the chances of products being damaged on arrival is very slim in comparison with some of the logistic functions of its rivals like Gap. Logistics Information Management which keeps tabs on the flow of information with regards to customer data adds value for the customer as there is documentation with the product and a manner of tracing back the product if there is ever a problem. Reference: Kurtz, McKenzie Snow, 2010 http://books.google.ie/books?id=lf7VKtZcJlgCpg=PA403dq=corporate+vertical+marketing+systemhl=enei=HWnlTOKxIsGwhQfYqoX0DAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=corporate%20vertical%20marketing%20systemf=false Principles of Marketing Assignment 5 There are three types of appeals used by marketing professionals when promoting a product or service: Rational Appeals, Emotional Appeals Moral Appeals. I intend to critically evaluate an advertisement that fits into each of these types of appeals using the A.I.D.A model. Rational Appeal: This type of appeal is concerned directly with the self interests of the audiences that are targeted by advertisers. This type of appeal tries to utilise a persons common sense to draw in their viewers. Rational Appeals use logic/reason to convince audiences (Chaudhari Gokhale, 2009). This type of appeal can also be used to try and elevate itself above its competitors by using its quality, performance or dominance over its main rivals. Through these appeals, the audience are made to think and believe that the advertisers product is the best in the market (Trehan Trehan, 2009). I believe an advertisement that expertly uses rational appeal to capture the audiences interest is that of Rolexs Commercial for Wimbledon 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1ECS3k9od0NR=1 Evaluation using A.I.D.A Model: Get Attention: From the offset my attention was fixated on the screen with the opening images presented in the advertisement. The nobility of the opening pictures showing the hallowed lawns of the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the image of the arrival of a sporting titan like Roger Federer instantly command the attention of the audience. Rolex cleverly have inserted their product within the first three seconds of the ad along with an up close illustration of Federer who is easily one of the sporting worlds most recognisable figures. Hold Interest: The audiences interest is held because of the slow build up of the advertisement with slow eerie music and the slow paced moving shots of Federer and their product. Suddenly, the advertisement burst into life and a plethora of fast paced action occurs which corresponds with a crescendo in powerful music. Arouse Desire: After a certain point in the advertisement, I became aware of the relationship between the number on the watch and how it directly communicates with the number of Wimbledon titles Federer is seen winning. I think they are trying to associate Federers unbelievable success with their product. I also noticed the Rolex advertisement on the scoreboard as Federer leaps in ecstasy having secured another victory. This almost subliminal style of interest showed me the power of the organisation and its lofty high class status in its market having such a strong connection with such a prestigious tournament. Obtain Action: The ending to the advertisement would certainly would certainly give me the impetus to purchase a Rolex watch. The closing image of Federer standing as a messiah like figure in front of the jubilant masses and the Rolex punch line A crown for every achievement made me assume that this successful relationship is going to continue and made me want to be part of this esteemed partnership. There is certain majesty to the connection between Rolex and Federer as both are viewed in the public eye to have an air of superiority to them. This is a great example of an advertisement that uses Rational Appeal. Emotional Appeal The Emotional Appeal theme of advertising is an advertising approach where the message seeks to evoke a positive or negative reaction in the consumer (Clemente, 2002). Thus this appeal has a direct connection with the heart and how the person is feeling or will feel after seeing the advertisement. An advertisement that uses Emotional Appeal to gain the audiences approval and loyalty to their product is used by Nokia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Ek8i0ddSQ) Get Attention: The start of this advertisement shows a man and a woman in seemingly distant contrasting environments which captures the audiences concentration straight away. The woman seems to be entrapped within a desolate apartment alone with seemingly no way out due to the dark and persistent nature of the weather. In startling contrast, the man seems to be enjoying the freedom of life exploring a town with his trusty Nokia phone. Hold Interest: The music playing throughout the advertisement seems to have a quite emotional downtrodden tone to it and this is illustrated perfectly as the woman stares out the window of her apartment with sorrowfulness. The advertisement holds our interest as we are wondering what is the connection or relationship between the downtrodden woman and the joyful man. The man is getting his photos taken beside random billboards/signs and suspicion is aroused as to the meaning of this. Of course each of the photos is being taken by a clearly vivid Nokia phone and the random words being taken hold our interest as to whether the sundry words will have an outcome or a destination. Arouse desire: Desire is aroused to purchase the product when it is revealed the outcome of the various photos. The woman receives a multimedia message which maps out to reveal Will you mary me? tugs at the heart strings as the womans previous apparent depression like nature is suddenly cured as she views each of the pictures of the man and the sequence of words. The Nokia phone is of course used as the medium of communication between these distant lovers. Obtain Action: The final scene of this fifty four second commercial sees the man sitting on a park bench impatiently awaiting the outcome of his proposal. As we see him receiving the answer to his proposal and his sudden explosion of unadulterated joy, a bus in the background trundles off screen to reveal the monstrous Nokia logo. This is a brilliant advertisement as Nokia manages to involve itself within the heart warming relationship that has consumed the audience. This advertisement will particularly appeal to amorous women and might just sway them as they purchase their next mobile phone. Moral Appeal This type of appeal as one would imagine is based on morality. These appeals draw attention on what is right (Trehan Trehan, 2009(2). I think a perfect definition on what moral appeal is and what it aims to do is contained in the following quote Use of moral appeal includes attempts to gain compliance by convincing the target audience that it is morally wrong if it doesnt comply (Heath, 1994). Thus the organisations who use this type of appeal are aiming at a large target market considering that if the message is presented correctly in the advertisement itll have a profound effect on the audience. Environmental Defense uses moral appeal in its advertisement quite ably in its attempt to warn of the looming threat of Global Warming. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_LBXWMCAM Get Attention: This advertisement automatically draws the attention of its audience as we see a dark, bleak looking environment beside a set of train tracks with the eerie sound on the environment to be heard in the background. Suddenly, the audience sees a close up shot of a worried looking man who simply utters the phrase Global Warming. Hold Interest: Directly after the utterance of the words Global Warming impending doom and tragedy in the form of a moving train hurtling towards the man who is now seen to be standing in the middle of the train tracks. This instantly worries and alerts the audience and is a perfect example of an advertisement using moral appeal as the audience is suddenly fraught with anxiety as to the mans imminent death. Arouse Desire: As the train trundles along at what seems like increasingly greater speed, the man informs us that the irreversible consequences of this global disaster are 30 years away. The fact that the middle aged man of the age bracket [40-50] enlightens us that he wont be affected as he will be on the cusp of death by the time the real effects are felt throughout the planet is an example of the ignorant view expressed by many throughout the world. This blatantly ignorant statement questions the audiences morals. Obtain Action: After his immoral statement, the man walks of the train tracks and a small child is seen to be split seconds away from taking the brunt force of the train. This a hard hitting advertisement as it calls on our morals in relation to what is going to be done to stop this imminent global disaster. I certainly was forced to think twice about the disastrous outcomes of this global problem being caused by the citizens of humanity.

Analysis of Death of Ivan Ilych Essay -- essays research papers

Letting Pain Be   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To many individuals the word â€Å"progress† has a positive meaning behind it. It suggests improvement, something humans have been obsessed with since the dawn of society. However, if closely examined, progress can also have a negative connotation as well. While bringing improvement, progress can simultaneously spark conformity, dependency, and the obsession of perfection within the individuals caught in its midst. It is this aspect of progress within modern society that negatively affects Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy’s main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan’s attempt to conform to modern society’s view of perfection takes away his life long before he dies. Furthermore, his fear of death and reactions towards it reflects modern society’s inability to cope with the ever present reminder that humans still suffer and die, despite all attempts to make life painless, perfect, and immortal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although we as a society have advanced and made people’s lives easier, our mental suffering is as present as ever, due to our incessant need to have everything perfect. We seem to forget that the fascination of living comes from the imperfect and the unexpected. In her essay â€Å"On the Fear of Death† Elisabeth Kubler-Ross suggests that the modern age, while increasing life span and ease of life, has at the same time given way to a â€Å"rising number of emotional problems,† amongst the living (Ross 407). She also suggests that because of modern society’s progress, there has been an increased anxiety towards death. While Ross is writing for twentieth century society her ideas apply to the nineteenth century as well, when Tolstoy wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ivan Ilych is living during the industrial revolution, a time of technological advancement, that mainly advances the upper class, which he is apart of. Ivan’s number one priority in life is to be comfortable and to do the correct thing at all times. Every decision he makes, including who he chooses to marry, is with the intent that it does not damage his â€Å"easy, agreeable, and always decorous character of his life,† (Tolstoy 213). Ivan is convinced that the best way to have an easy and agreeable life is to be wealthy, marry a woman from his own class, and live in a house full of modern conveniences and luxury. Ironically, it... ...roduction of Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 44 it is stated that â€Å"Ivan Ilych’s passage from life to death also entails a passage from falseness to truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (326). One could also look at this in a different light. From a physical perspective Ivan does go from life to death, from perfection to imperfection, but from a spiritual perspective it is actually the opposite. It takes the death of Ivan’s physical self to finally see what is important, his spirituality, his ‘divine spark.’ This, he finally realizes, is what true perfection is. Hence, Ivan is able to see past the falseness of conformity in the end and no longer fear death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his last moments of life, Ivan sees light instead of death. His final audible words are â€Å"What joy!† despite the pain he feels. This epiphany that he has happens in a single moment and in a sense makes him finally come alive. Thus, right before his final breath Ivan is able to say to himself â€Å"Death is finished, it is no more!† Death no longer has a hold on him because the quest of perfection no longer does. Ivan has finally decided, after a lifetime of denying it, to â€Å"let the pain be.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Analysis of Death of Ivan Ilych Essay -- essays research papers Letting Pain Be   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To many individuals the word â€Å"progress† has a positive meaning behind it. It suggests improvement, something humans have been obsessed with since the dawn of society. However, if closely examined, progress can also have a negative connotation as well. While bringing improvement, progress can simultaneously spark conformity, dependency, and the obsession of perfection within the individuals caught in its midst. It is this aspect of progress within modern society that negatively affects Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy’s main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan’s attempt to conform to modern society’s view of perfection takes away his life long before he dies. Furthermore, his fear of death and reactions towards it reflects modern society’s inability to cope with the ever present reminder that humans still suffer and die, despite all attempts to make life painless, perfect, and immortal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although we as a society have advanced and made people’s lives easier, our mental suffering is as present as ever, due to our incessant need to have everything perfect. We seem to forget that the fascination of living comes from the imperfect and the unexpected. In her essay â€Å"On the Fear of Death† Elisabeth Kubler-Ross suggests that the modern age, while increasing life span and ease of life, has at the same time given way to a â€Å"rising number of emotional problems,† amongst the living (Ross 407). She also suggests that because of modern society’s progress, there has been an increased anxiety towards death. While Ross is writing for twentieth century society her ideas apply to the nineteenth century as well, when Tolstoy wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ivan Ilych is living during the industrial revolution, a time of technological advancement, that mainly advances the upper class, which he is apart of. Ivan’s number one priority in life is to be comfortable and to do the correct thing at all times. Every decision he makes, including who he chooses to marry, is with the intent that it does not damage his â€Å"easy, agreeable, and always decorous character of his life,† (Tolstoy 213). Ivan is convinced that the best way to have an easy and agreeable life is to be wealthy, marry a woman from his own class, and live in a house full of modern conveniences and luxury. Ironically, it... ...roduction of Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 44 it is stated that â€Å"Ivan Ilych’s passage from life to death also entails a passage from falseness to truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (326). One could also look at this in a different light. From a physical perspective Ivan does go from life to death, from perfection to imperfection, but from a spiritual perspective it is actually the opposite. It takes the death of Ivan’s physical self to finally see what is important, his spirituality, his ‘divine spark.’ This, he finally realizes, is what true perfection is. Hence, Ivan is able to see past the falseness of conformity in the end and no longer fear death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his last moments of life, Ivan sees light instead of death. His final audible words are â€Å"What joy!† despite the pain he feels. This epiphany that he has happens in a single moment and in a sense makes him finally come alive. Thus, right before his final breath Ivan is able to say to himself â€Å"Death is finished, it is no more!† Death no longer has a hold on him because the quest of perfection no longer does. Ivan has finally decided, after a lifetime of denying it, to â€Å"let the pain be.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Essay --

Define the field of study: ââ€"  Environmental science is the study of the biotic and abiotic factors in the environment ââ€"  It specifically focuses on the interaction that humans have with their environment as well as the impact that they have on their environment ââ€"  It also looks at the cultural, sociological, and behavioral interactions between humans and their environment What do practitioners in this field do in their jobs? ââ€"  Environmental scientists do lots of work in the field e.g. testing water quality, looking at air pollution, and testing to see how chemicals could disperse in the event of a toxic spill ââ€"  They also study various fields e.g. physics, climatology, geology, biology, and meteorology and look into other areas such as natural resources management, statistics, and mathematical modeling ââ€"  Environmental scientists analyze environmental data ââ€"  They are also required to make lots of graphs and charts based off of what they find ââ€"  They also analyze data to determine the importance of human actions and activities on the environment ââ€"  Also they find and fix pollution and other environmental problems ââ€"  They also offer advice to businesses on how to keep the environment clean or on how to have a cleaner and more eco-friendly way of disposing waste ââ€"  Environmental scientists, instead of studying isolated organisms, look at different interconnected ecosystems so that they can learn more about the environment or the ecosystem in any given region ââ€"  They also study the earths properties, predict hazards, provide assessments on environmental issues as well as locating and preserving resources ââ€"  Also environmental scientists deal with invasive species What Skills and tools do the practitioners use? Some tools that environment... ...ystem is a water treatment system that relies very little if at all on mechanical elements e.g. wetlands. Relate this field to another science: I think that environmental science can be related to medicine. I think that the main similarities are the urge to help and save people as well as keep things healthy. In medicine you try to help people get back to full health by looking at various medications and do whatever is necessary to have them get better and stay healthy. In some branches of environmental science you try to predict when and where some natural disasters may strike. By doing so you can alert people in nearby areas to be aware of the disaster and you could ultimately save lots of lives. In other part of environmental science you are focus on keeping different ecosystems as well as the environment clean and healthy to give us all a better place to live.

John Grisham :: essays research papers

Dear Yearbook committee, I received your invitation to the class reunion of the UM graduating class of 1981. I am overjoyed to see you all again, and I also accept your invitation to speak at the opening ceremony. As per your request of an autobiography, I wrote a short synopsis of what I feel has affected my writing the most. Hopefully, this will fit in well enough with your scheme for the reunion book. I hope you enjoy. Each one of us has a different road to take, and what we do before and after we make our decisions determine whom we are. So, I hope that I can assist you in assessing me and my writings through this paper, and, thus, I can help you see not only me, John Grisham the writer, but also me, John Grisham the man. I was borne in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 8th, 1955 (www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/). My family was relatively large, and, unfortunately for us, we were rather poor, but we were never really knowledgeable about it. We were always happy, bouncing, and hyper children. We wouldn’t stay in one town for a large amount of time. We would go to multiple towns for my father, who was in search of a stable carpentry job. At each stop, we would set our valuables down wherever we may be staying and then my mother would take us to the local library. We’d each get our own library card and 3 or 4 books (Pringle 1). Our education came before everything else in my parents’ eyes. Ultimately, we settled in a little town in Mississippi. I didn’t really care for writing very much, but my real passion was baseball. Education didn’t really rank high on my list, despite my parents best efforts. One of my language arts teachers later said that she saw promise in me but I didn’t want to develop it. I would occasionally read classic authors. My personal favorite was John Steinbeck. After high school, I then went to Mississippi State and attempted to become a professional baseball player. After I realized that I didn’t have what it took to make it in professional baseball got a degree in accounting (Jebb 1). I then married my sweetheart Renee Jones from my hometown in Southaven, Mississippi. We had two children who are now 20(Ty) and 18(Shea) and bought a wonderful house on the outskirts of Southaven. John Grisham :: essays research papers Dear Yearbook committee, I received your invitation to the class reunion of the UM graduating class of 1981. I am overjoyed to see you all again, and I also accept your invitation to speak at the opening ceremony. As per your request of an autobiography, I wrote a short synopsis of what I feel has affected my writing the most. Hopefully, this will fit in well enough with your scheme for the reunion book. I hope you enjoy. Each one of us has a different road to take, and what we do before and after we make our decisions determine whom we are. So, I hope that I can assist you in assessing me and my writings through this paper, and, thus, I can help you see not only me, John Grisham the writer, but also me, John Grisham the man. I was borne in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 8th, 1955 (www.randomhouse.com/features/grisham/). My family was relatively large, and, unfortunately for us, we were rather poor, but we were never really knowledgeable about it. We were always happy, bouncing, and hyper children. We wouldn’t stay in one town for a large amount of time. We would go to multiple towns for my father, who was in search of a stable carpentry job. At each stop, we would set our valuables down wherever we may be staying and then my mother would take us to the local library. We’d each get our own library card and 3 or 4 books (Pringle 1). Our education came before everything else in my parents’ eyes. Ultimately, we settled in a little town in Mississippi. I didn’t really care for writing very much, but my real passion was baseball. Education didn’t really rank high on my list, despite my parents best efforts. One of my language arts teachers later said that she saw promise in me but I didn’t want to develop it. I would occasionally read classic authors. My personal favorite was John Steinbeck. After high school, I then went to Mississippi State and attempted to become a professional baseball player. After I realized that I didn’t have what it took to make it in professional baseball got a degree in accounting (Jebb 1). I then married my sweetheart Renee Jones from my hometown in Southaven, Mississippi. We had two children who are now 20(Ty) and 18(Shea) and bought a wonderful house on the outskirts of Southaven.

The controversy and the future of Common Agricultural Policy of European Union

Agriculture is a problematic area in every developed country. Free market economy that allows direct competition of agricultural products can often cause a surplus or shortage of certain products, and quality changes. In order to ensure reliable supply of food member states of the European Union decided to cooperate and transferred the authority over agriculture policy to European level. Common Agricultural Policy was set in 1961 and its aims were to improve production and solve existing problems in agriculture all over EU member states. The previous successes of cooperation with coal and steel, and the fact that most states had difficulties to produce certain goods logically led to deeper cooperation in agriculture, and to CAP. Today, â€Å"CAP is regarded as the most developed of the European Union's policies and covers almost 90% of all agricultural products† (reader). But, also it is regarded as the most controversial and has been responsible for some negative consequences on the industry, and it had to go under many reforms. This essay will explain why CAP has been both celebrated and criticized. Also, it will include the challenges that will be put in front of it by the future enlargement of European Union. At the time CAP was made, national agricultures had all common problems. Although the different level of development, and different level on dependence on this industry between member states of EC, there were some immense troubles to be solved by Cap: deficits of certain goods, inefficient production practices, poorness of people employed in agriculture, rapidly dynamic prices, substantial variations in quality of products etc. The goals of policy defined in Maastricht Treaty, article 39: â€Å"(a) to increase agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress and by ensuring the rational development of agricultural production and the optimum utilization of the factors of production, in particular labor; (b) thus to ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, in particular by increasing the individual earnings of persons engaged in agriculture; (c) to stabilize markets; (d) to assure the availability of supplies; (e) to ensure that supplies reach the consumers at reasonable prices.† (TEU) Since its foundation CAP has improved the agriculture of Europe in a great sense, but critics would say that costs of the successes are considerably high for all. Some of the goals were fulfilled with little negative consequences, while others were solved with controversial methods that became a huge burden for the budget and had many counter-effects. The changes in Europe's agricultural structure and productivity since 1961 caused by CAP were enormous. Thanks to the investment in technology, there was a growth in productivity of farms, decrease in people employed in agriculture, rapid urbanization and therefore prosperity in other sectors of economy. Statistics show that â€Å"the workforce employed in agriculture declined from 11.3% in 1973 to 9.4% in 1980 and only 5.7% in the whole of the EU in 1992.† (Hitiris, 190) Productivity growth was rapid, and we can say that the aim of CAP to restructure the farming to make it more efficient is being fulfilled. The growth of the efficiency of the labor can be noticed on the fact that: † In 1960 over 15 million people in the original six had worked on the land. In the mid-1970s the agricultural population of the enlarged EC was only 14 million, falling to 10 million by the mid-1980s† (Urwin, 187) Second goal of CAP is a social mission: to help the quality of life of the people in agriculture. This went little against the economic productivity and caused many negative consequences on it, especially by huge costs. The interventions that were made were not only subsidizing the farmers, that is a huge burden for EU budget but artificial manipulations with prices and setting of standards. These two were criticized by many liberal economists as standardization brought prices up, and artificial price setting caused surpluses and deficits.

Imprint of Italian and Irish Americans on the American Culture Essay

On July 4th 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Carefully written on this scribe and on the foundation of this nation are the unalienable rights to â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† (Declaration of Independence, n.d.) While some of the values and ideas of this document come from America’s motherland, England, the promised rights to the free world are shared by no other nation. For this reason, The American Dream is dreamt not only by natural born citizens of this nation, but by many people all around the world. Over twelve million immigrants during the late 1800s and early 1900s passed through Ellis Island, the first federal immigrant inspection station of the free world. Of the newcomers, a portion of them consisted of Italian Americans and Irish Americans. Throughout history, these groups have contributed to what is termed multiculturalism. Being the minority, these two groups have also experienced power-conflicts through their quests of assimilation. The two ethnic groups faced many challenges that helped create what is believed to be the melting pot to many ethnicities and racial groups. For The Journey While the American Dream is a common value, the aspirations of the idea come from different motives. In Italy, a strong, and unfair class structure created such severe conditions that led to 1/3 of the nation’s population to immigrate to the new world. While the majority of this fraction came permanently for a new life, some came temporarily to make enough money to return to Italy and buy land. Simply owning land in Italy automatically escalated Italians within the class structure. Many Italian Americans settled in Chicago Illinois, one of the largest growing cities in America at the time. Chicago offered much opportunity for work, as it was the ideal producer of steel and aider to America’s industrial growth. Back in Ireland,  the Irish had much more to deal with than just a harsh class structure. Under English rule, Irish religious practices were repressed along with many other basic freedoms the Irish came to experience in America. A poor economic situation due to chaos of rebellious battles led to much of Ireland’s population living an unsanitary lifestyle in mud huts well into the late 1800s. These living conditions led to diseases of more than half the population. When the Irish Americans first settled in Boston, they lived crammed into small, single-home houses with at least a couple more families. Many shared cellar, attic, and crawl spaces for living quarters (Youtube, 2011). Overall Assimilation Assimilation in reference to the Italians and the Irish is much more complex and has become an identity reference in itself. Being the weak minority has demanded the Italians and Irish to accept and disregard many of their own practices to satisfy the dominate. Unlike the Irish, many Italians did not stick together, but lived spread-out and separated from others. In fact, some tensions developed between some Italians groups based on what streets and neighborhood they lived on and in. Inside conflicts like this led to outside conflicts as Americans began to depict Italian Americans as a dark and devious group within press. Italian Americans worked hard to reverse this depiction and to adhere to the dominate rule of society. When Mussolini began to restore Italy to what many people believed that to the equivalent of the Roman Empire eras, Italian Americans felt sense of pride. Mussolini knowing that he needed the approval of Italians worked hard to earn their respect. The world viewed Mussolini as a strong leader, and this view reflected off of the proud Italian Americans. However, when Mussolini declared war on the U.S. by joining forces with other fascist leaders, Italian Americans began to receive much ridicule from the dominate social class again. Meanwhile, Irish Americans needed little effort to complete the process of assimilation. Having many of the same physical characteristics as the dominate groups of America, made it easier to focus on progression up the social ladder. The first generation, while working factory jobs like the Italian Americans, led a more togetherness of a lifestyle with one another in their group, which created a better support system. The support system created a stronger group and led to management positions. The second  generation focused heavily on education as much as the dominate class did. Higher education led to political offices within just the third generation of Irish Americans, which led to the Irish becoming part of the dominate group in America. A great example of this would be the Kennedy Family. Power-Conflicts Predicted to be the minority by the middle of the 21st century, the dominate white has been accused of trying to oppress the minority through tactics summarized by power-conflict theories. (Feagin & Feagin, 2011). When the Italians and Irish first immigrated to America, the first jobs they assumed were factory and railroad jobs. Running these factories were members of the dominate class. It is commonly believed that money is the result of success in America, just as the sum of money and success are equal to power. The contrast between the dominate and the minority was very much defined as there was not much of a middle class. It was without effort for the dominate factory runners and railroad heads to pay the minority the minimum for the dangerous work they provided, after all, the only thing factory workers had to provide was their labor while factory runners had the product of the factories. For a long time this was a recurring issue in terms of power-conflicts. This issue created so much unrest until the two groups gained support from within their own groups to develop labor unions. Multiculturalism Multiculturalism is a term that to this day produces many unsettled feelings of both unrest and excitement. America, regarded as the Melting Pot of many cultures is not even a fully multicultural nation, as this country has taken almost three hundred years to see the first African American president. While the Italians and the Irish have worked hard to assimilate to the ways of this nation, they have also brought their culture onto this nation as well. Christopher Columbus day is proudly recognized by Italians as he was always considered the son of Italy. His finding of the new world has been an amazing accomplishment for the Italians. When the Italians finally had a voice in congress, they pushed to make the day a federal holiday (Youtube, 2011). Meanwhile, the strong religion practice as Catholics has also prompted holidays in favor of the Irish, such as St. Patrick’s Day. Without  the push by these groups to recognize these days, America may have not done so otherwise. It is important that days that attribute much to other cultures be recognized by America to promote multiculturalism. For example another federal holiday that reminds America of equal rights among equal groups is Martin Luther King Day. Conclusion In the late 1800s and early 1900s Italian and Irish Americans came to American to take advantage of the opportunities. The Italians settled primarily in Chicago, while the Irish settled in Boston. The two groups worked hard to assimilate through the trials and tribulations of power-conflicts and the everlasting multiculturalism. While the groups assimilated well by becoming an American version of their ethnicity, they also left an imprint on the overall culture of America. When both groups achieved political offices, days that were influential to their groups became federal holidays. References Declatation of Independence. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charter/declatation_transcript.html Feagin, J. R., & Feagin, C. B. (2011). Racial and Ethnic Relations (9th ed.). New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Library of Congress. (2014, May). Immigration†¦Irish. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationssandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish6.html Youtube. (2011, December). And they Came to Chicago: The Italian American Legacy. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqeikaWQCyo Youtube. (2011, July). The Irish in America Part 1. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0sZ_jWcyl

Corwin Corporation Analysis Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this of document is to analyze the factors that led to the Corwin’s project failure. Corwin Corporation’s relationship with a good customer, Peters Company was strained because of Corwin’s failure to follow their management policies. A fixed-price contract was signed without proper risk analysis, the was no evidence of a project plan and the situation was made worse by the lack of support from management. This report discusses the failures in project selection, lack of executive support and communication breakdown, all of which lead to the project being terminated by the client. INTRODUCTION Corwin Corporation accepted a project which was outside their scope of work from Peters Company to develop a specialty product. They accepted the assignment based on a rough draft and without analyzing the risks and thus  leading to the project being later terminated by Peters Company and jeopardizing their long-standing good relationship with the client. The project started before the contract was signed. Corwin’s failure could be attributed to a number of errors that were made on accepting this assignment. A number of important factors like the management policy, were completely ignored. Corwin agreed on a fixed-price 5-year contract based on a rough draft, no proper analysis was done and the scope was unclear. This meant that Corwin would be responsible for any cost overruns incurred. It is never advisable to accept a fixed-price contract without determining the client’s needs and whether or not they are achievable. Corwin failed to assign the right person to manag e the project. An inexperienced Project Manager was tasked to lead the project and although one of the senior managers had doubts about the project manager’s capabilities to lead such a project, his concerns were ignored. Effort Corwin allowed an in-house representative direct access to the lab which ultimately left the employees unhappy and disgruntled. The lack of management support also played a major role in the project’s failure. Management was dealing with the issues raised by the project manager passively and hoped the â€Å"situation would correct itself†. The requirements were poor and the schedule was unrealistic. Poor project selection, lack of support from top management, non-existent change management control and communication issues were identified as areas of concern within the Corwin Corporation. For the purpose of the case study, the researcher will be discussing how these project management principles/concepts, if followed properly could have prevented Corwin from accepting this project. CASE ANALYSIS 1. Project Selection Project Selection should not be perceived to be a tedious and unnecessary exercise but as an important exercise that would be beneficial for the customer and the contractor. A number of factors such as production consideration, marketing consideration, financial consideration, personnel consideration and administration consideration, need to be taken into  consideration to ensure that the project is in line with the organisation’s strategic objectives. 1.1 Poor Project Selection Corwin established a management policy that governed the project selection process for the evaluation of specialty product requests. (Burke: 67) states that â€Å"The selection of the right project for future investment is a crucial decision for the long-term survival of a company†. Frimel’s failure to follow the management put the company’s reputation at risk. Following the project selection process assists companies in deciding which projects to pursue and which to let go. Most of the executives were away on vacation which means that the project was not evaluated using the company’s selection method and without the executives’ consultation. It is important to note that during the evaluation process, individuals with different with backgrounds and subject-matter expects should been involved to make an informed decision whether or not to take on Peters Company offer. In this case, the major decision-makers were away on holiday. Peters Company came across as bullying and threatening in their requests thus this might have led to Corwin accepting the project to save their business relationship. This project was outside Corwin’s scope and should have never been accepted. It answered â€Å"NO† on the first criteria of the management policy therefore it wasn’t viable. 1.2 Proposal Preparation A proposal is a response document to the RFP (Request for Proposal), it includes a plan of action, states why the action is necessary and persuades the customer to approve the implementation of the recommended action. The proposal should also include a plausible management plan and technical approach. To create winning proposals, it is important to have resources with relevant skills and expertise e.g. subject matter expects, to help prepare a quality proposal. Royce used inappropriate and unskilled resources to prepare the proposal. He had reservations about selecting West; despite his lack of experience in dealing with external projects, as the Project  Manager without Dr. Reddy’s (R&D Manager) input but he ignored his instincts. The proposal preparation was conducted by contracts man who was not familiar with fixed-price contracts. Royce was overly optimistic in estimating the cost and didn’t include contingency to cover unexpected situations that may arise during the project. (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 69) states that â€Å"if the estimated costs are overly optimistic and some unexpected expenditures arise, the contractor is likely to either lose money (on a fixed-price contract) or hate to suffer the embarrassment of going back to the customer to request additional funds to cover cost overruns†. Corwin’s final proposal to Peters was a technical document as it contained engineering intent and cost summaries which were also not properly done. This later in the project resulted in scope creeps which saw Corwin’s profit on the project diminish. 1.3 Contract Negotiation Fixed-price contracts are beneficial to the customer but not the contractor. Before signing this type of contract, the customer should have a detailed scope work from the customer. There are risks associated with this type of contract for contractors, i.e. the customer is liable for any cost overruns should the project run beyond schedule, budget and time. Agreeing to a fixed-price contract was also one of the contributing factors that led to the project’s failure. Although the profit margins sounded appealing on the phone during Delia and Frimel’s conversation, they looked different on paper. The disadvantages of such a contract for Corwin far outweighed the advantages for Peters Company. (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 76) states that â€Å"Fixed-price contracts are most appropriate for projects that are well defined and entail little risk†. It is good practice to start working on a project after the contract has been signed. Corwin worked first and signed later . 1.4 Risk Management Ignored Royce made a commitment to assess the risks once he got hold of the specification sheets. Looking at the Cost Summary in the proposal, one can  conclude that he never kept to his commitment since it didn’t even include the contingency amount. â€Å"Some level of risk planning should be done during the initiation phase of the project life cycle to make sure, for example, that the contractor understands the risks involved with bidding on a proposed project† (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 270). Risk assessment therefore is an important aspect of project initiation because it helps the contractors make better decisions, negotiate fair contracts and create risk mitigation methods. A good risk assessment takes into consideration anything that could go wrong with the project and determines what it would cost. Accepting a project outside Corwin’s scope area of expertise was a risk, appointing an inexperienced scientist from the R&D department was a risk, agreeing to a fixed-price contract was a risk and procurement of all materials was a risk. Corwin resorted to risk aversion. 1.5 Project Kickoff Meeting West solicited support from other groups after sending the proposal to the customer. This left his colleagues unhappy because of the lack of communication about the project objective. It is the project manager’s duty to involve the project team at the early stages of the project to clearly define the project objective, gather support from the departments affected by and involved in the project and define each member’s role and responsibility. †The project manager spearheads development of a plan to achieve the project objective. By involving the project team (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 303) in developing this plan, the project manager ensures a more comprehensive plan than he or she could develop alone†. Project kickoff meetings provide a good platform for the project manager to deliver a presentation about the meeting and its importance to the organization. Clear roles and responsibilities of each project team member must be discussed. An understanding of each member’s role in a team reduces communication issues and late deliverables. This will not only help him gain commitment from the team but it will also assist in accomplishing the project objective on time, within budget and of the right quality. 1.6 Change Management At the start of the project, a change control system needs to be established to define how changes will be documented, approved and communicated† (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 320). The project manager did not have proper change control procedure in place. The in-house representative made changes to the scope, which resulted in scope creep. His changes were not documented and communicated and were not within the budget. When he requested an additional five tests beyond the agreed scope, the project manager should have evaluated the request and provided Peters Company with a proposal outlining the costs to add the tests to the scope. Uncontrolled change exposed Corwin to unnecessary risk. A change control process is significant to the successful delivery of a project and ensures that each change introduced to the project environment is appropriately defined, evaluated and approved. The project manager in this case struggled to control changes in the project because he didn†™t have proper process in place and that he lacked project management experience. 1 Lack of Management Support Top management support is the most important critical success factor for project success. Many projects fail because they have only passive senior management support. In mature organisations, executives act as project sponsors. In this case, Royce (VP of Engineering) should have been the project sponsor. The role of a sponsor is to â€Å"ensure that the correct information from the contractor’s organisation is reaching executives in the customer’s organisation, that there is no filtering of information from the contractor to the customer, and that someone at the executive level is making sure that the customer’s money is being spent wisely† (Kerzner, 7th Edition: 475). The project failed to achieve an enthusiastic approval from the president, there was little hope of it being successful. Projects need some involvement by executive management to allocate needed resources appropriately to the projects. The executives set strategic goal for organization and uses projects to meet those goals. They need to provide guidance to project managers that is in line with the organisation’s strategic objectives and track the alignment of those objectives to the  project objectives. Frimel, after initiating the project, distanced himself when he handed full responsibility over to Royce and went on vacation. Frimel had experience in these types of projects because his department was the decision maker for the specialty products. He should have acted as project sponsor and supported Royce but instead, left him to fail. During the first meeting in which the project was discussed, Dr. Reddy (R&D Manager) expressed his dissatisfaction about the choice of project manager Royce had made. 2.7 Organisational Structure and Culture â€Å"The organizational culture, style, and structure influence how projects are performed† (PMBOK, 4th Edition: 27). Corwin has maintained a functional organisational structure for more than 15 years. In functional structures, project managers do not full control over the project teams. One of the disadvantages with this type of structure is the competition among functional departments. Corwin’s Marketing department made almost all the decisions, project managers for specialty products came out of marketing. The Engineering department as stated in the case study, â€Å"was considered merely as a support group†. The Vice President for engineering mentioned at some point that his vote never appeared to carry any wait. The morale was very low in some departments as they felt that they were not as valued as the other departments. Reddy did not give much support to the project manager and later contradicted himself that the project manager â€Å"kept him in the dar k†. His unbecoming behaviour can be attributed to the fact that the Vice President failed to heed his call about his reservations towards the choice of the PM thus, he became so reluctant to assist the PM. A healthy organizational culture encourages accountability and personal responsibility. Denial, blame and excuses harden relationships and intensify conflicts. 2 Poor Communication The president’s reluctant authorization was interpreted as â€Å"the boss gave his blessing†. â€Å"†¦ phone conversations allow the listener to hear the tone,  inflection, speed, volume and emotion of the voice† (Clements & Gido, 5th Edition: 371). A reluctant voice sounds differently from an enthusiastic voice on the phone. The project manager failed to communicate timely to the executives about the representative’s interfering behaviour, he thought he could handle it. The situation spiraled out of control when the representatives started giving orders to the project manager about removing functional employees on the team. Providing the customer with progress reports frequently, keeps the customer in the loop and informed about the status of the project. Communication skills are one of the most important skills every project manager should possess, it very important that the project manager communicates with the stakeholders and project team. The project manager should have escalated problems as they occurred and scheduled meetings to resolve them. He should know what needs to be communicated to who and when. CONCLUSIONS Corwin Corporation failed to follow its own management policy, took on a project, and neglected to apply the proper management principles. The executives were not part of the contract acquisition and failed to develop and nurture the project manager. The organizational culture was such that all departments were equal but some were equal more than the others were. This resulted in people wanting to prove themselves worthy by taking on big projects even though they lacked experience. The project manager was set deliberately set to fail, the manager knew his strength and weaknesses but was unavailable to assist until the last minute. Corwin did not have a house rules in place with regards to in-house representatives. Corwin didn’t work the plan and therefore couldn’t plan the work. RECOMMENDATIONS * Top management need to educate employees on the management policy regarding new projects. Functional managers need to lead this drive. * The Engineering department plays as much a role in decision making as the Marketing and Manufacturing department. The R&D bring innovation of the products in the organization and thus should not be seen as a support group. * The project manager’s mistakes were attributed to his lack of  experience. The PM should continue to lead small projects and the organization must provide Project Management training for aspiring project managers within the company. * The staff’s morale is low at this point, management needs to organize team-building to boost confidence and foster and repair relationships * Create cross functional teams to function as self-directed respond to specific directives REFERENCES James P. Clements & Jack Gido. 2007. Effective Project Management. 5th Edition. South-Western: Cengage Learning. Harold Kerzner, PHD. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Seventh Edition. USA: John Wiley & Sons Inc. PMBOK ® Guide . 2008. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Fourth Edition. USA: Project Management Institute.