Helping Chinese Consumers Essay

QuarkMan Technology was founded in 2012 by David Yuan. As the Chinese domestic consumption continues to grow at a rapid speed, consumers need a reliable source for independent and impartial review of products to find the quality and functionality. The mission of the company is one of â€Å"unveiling products’ essence in an independent, professional, and powerful way.† The two core principles are â€Å"Independence† and â€Å"Fairness†. QuarkMan has set up two business units, Information Advisory and Media. The reports and data obtained by the testing of products are handled by the Information Advisory unit and the Media unit takes this information and displays it in a user friendly way so that consumers can make educated decisions. QuarkMan Media is further divided into Jancr which is the consumer goods testing division and China Consumer Report which is the communication division responsible for settling disputes between the consumer and manufacturer. SWOT ANALYSIS for QuarkMan Strengths Manages their own lab and return team Strong relationship with third party labs and research institution labs State of the art testing lab with 400 pieces of equipment and 3000 square meters External expert network from numerous industries In-house lab is a stand-along profitable business unit which finances the media unit Weaknesses Hard for an independent and fair media company to be profitable in China In order to remain independent, advertisements on their website is not an option Majority of the testing resources are owned by the government affiliated consumer associations, industry associations and government research institutes A big chunk of the capacity has a very low utilization rate Takes 2-3 weeks for QuarkMan to deliver one product review and others longer QuarkMan struggling with capacity issues Opportunities No mature player conducting comparative tests and analysis across different industries The third party testing market was controlled by the government but has now become a huge and rapidly growing market QuarkMan currently handling six product categories but have the opportunity to handle more Exhibit 4 – Private only handles 10% of the current market share Threats Private sector is growing at a CAGR of 25% Speed is a key factor for the high growth rate New players in the market have gained decent traffic from more frequent content releases Exhibit 4 – Foreign markets only handle 25% of the current market share Problem/Decision Statement How can QuarkMan influence consumer perception of their brand and business values and thus gain their trust and business? Identification of Alternatives Consider advertisements as a revenue stream with the use of a 3rd party to manage the sale and pay a portion back to QuarkMan so independency and objectivity is upheld. Use these funds to mark the business philosophy of QuarkMan to gain additional market share. Obtain additional financing through other interested parties and use revenues to promote the business model and use additional financing funds to expand testing resources and improve turnaround time and reach more consumers Critical Issues Impact on current and potential consumers and their ability to trust QuarkMan if they attempt to raise revenue revenues through advertising The use of a 3rd party to manage advertisement while increasing revenue and the effects on their ability to stay independent and transparent to the consumer Significant lead time to bring products to market and the limit number of product reviews that can be completed times. The use of a 3rd party to manage advertising would directly go against the company’s core principles of Independence and fairness thus leading to more mistrust. Analysis Consider advertisements as a revenue stream with the use of a 3rd party to manage the sale and pay a portion back to QuarkMan so independency and objectivity is upheld. Use these funds to mark the business philosophy of QuarkMan to gain additional market share. The current market has a distrust of the industry because of the lack of transparency and the blurred lines between the agency reviewing the produce and the product manufactures. The current Chinese consumer agency is not transparent and the government plays such a significant role in the reviews because of this the consumers do not trust any consumer reports. QuarkMan’s guiding principles of independence and fairness will be viewed as conflicting with any advertisement from a manufacturing. This conflict will add to more doubt from their consumers. Obtain additional financing through other interested parties and use revenues to promote the business model and use additional financing funds to expand testing resources and improve turnaround time and reach more consumers This alternative would allow for additional revenues while not compromising their independence and fairness. QuarkMan can continue to market their product and services through current media channels and bring awareness to their strong brand name and transparency while setting them apart from the current competition. This will help to generate long term customer loyalty. Additional revenues can strengthen their 3rd party testing environment and help to reduce the lead times and number of products able to be reviewed at one time. They can further expand the types of products they review and be able to reach more potential customers. Recommendation The recommendation based on the entire analysis would be to obtain additional financing through other interested parties and use revenues to promote the business model and expand testing resources to improve turnaround time and reach more consumers. This alternative would allow for additional revenues while not compromising their independence and fairness. QuarkMan can continue to market their product and services through current media channels and bring awareness to their strong brand name and transparency while setting them apart from the current competition. This will help to generate long term customer loyalty. Additional revenues can strengthen their 3rd party testing environment and help to reduce the lead times and number of products able to be reviewed at one time. They can further expand the types of products they review and be able to reach more potential customers.

M2 Compare the Effectiveness of Different Teams

Amy Waldock Amy Waldock M2 compare the effectiveness of different teams Clarifying objects in my team we clarified objectives by listening to the team leader and the man in charge of the activities at Blacklands farm and asking him questions about the activities to make sure that everyone fully understood everything.Compared to my team in the bridge building challenge we listened to the team leader and asked questions a lot more so therefore the work done at Blacklands farm was a lot more successful. Agreeing tasks at Blacklands farm we agreed on the tasks by communicating with each team member to get everyone’s point of view to make sure that everyone got a say in to what they thought, by doing this it meant that everyone in the team agreed on the approach to the task.Sometimes someone would disagree with an idea which could cause conflict in the group, we dealt with this by taking a vote and going with what was voted the most. When doing the bridge building challenge becaus e my group only consisted of three people there was less conflict in the group because it was easier for us to agree on the task, it was also easier because we had a team leader so we just went along with what he said.Valuing people valuing people was very important at Blacklands farm because the tasks set were very full on and physically hard so it was essential that every team member was valued as an individual and involved because with tasks such as the spider’s web every bit of help was needed. Even though the bridge building challenge wasn’t as physical it was still very important that each team member was valued equally because the task involved a lot of concentration and tactical skills.Being receptive to feedback at Blacklands farm we did a task that we failed on a number of times so our team leader stopped us and gave us feedback on what we was doing right and what we was doing wrong and what we could do to complete the task more quickly and easily. Me and my team listened to our team leader and were receptive to his feedback and did as he said and to our advantage completed the task.When doing the bridge building challenge we were given feedback on ways of how to complete the challenge more quickly and successfully, unfortunately me and my group did not pay attention to the feedback and therefore our bridge was not completed in time. Maintaining focus maintaining focus at Blacklands farm was important for a lot of the tasks because if focus was lost it could affect the whole team and make a certain task fail, at times it was hard to maintain a focus because of cold weather and muddy conditions.To maintain a focus we pulled together as a group and were motivated by our team leader and team members. It was hard to maintain a focus when doing the bridge building challenge for my group because at times each team member would get frustrated when things weren’t going as planned, we maintained a focus by thinking of the prize that coul d be won to whoevers bridge could hold the most amount of glue sticks.Encouraging other team members to recommend improvements this was important at Blacklands farm because if there was something in the task that wasn’t going to plan it could be changed and improved for the better of the group. When doing the bridge building challenge it wasn’t as important to encourage a team member to recommend improvements because there was only three people in our group and we voted on who should be team leader so we was confident that who we had chosen knew what was right so we went with what they said.Dealing with conflict at Blacklands farm because my team worked very well together so there was hardly any conflict, but if there was conflict we dealt with this by discussing the problem together as a group and then discussing what would be the best approach to the problem and if necessarily to take a vote. If there was any conflict whilst doing the bridge building challenge we de alt with this by letting the matter fall into the team leaders hand and letting them decide the best option for the group, by doing this it avoided more conflict.Communication methods at Blacklands farm we communicated by asking questions to make sure that everything was covered and so that everyone had a good understanding of the task, we also listened to each team member when they spoke to maintain a good communication within the whole team. At times we used body language to communicate with team members by using expressions as thumbs up and thumbs down to indicate yes or no.We also had to use body language in one task where we were asked to get in a line according to birth date but without talking so in this task we used our hands to indicate numbers. Unlike at Blacklands farm when doing the bridge building challenge we weren’t asked to do anything without talking so body language wasn’t as necessary, we still had to constantly ask questions and listen to team memb ers to maintain a good relationship in the team and to make sure that communication was maintained. M2 Compare the Effectiveness of Different Teams Amy Waldock Amy Waldock M2 compare the effectiveness of different teams Clarifying objects in my team we clarified objectives by listening to the team leader and the man in charge of the activities at Blacklands farm and asking him questions about the activities to make sure that everyone fully understood everything.Compared to my team in the bridge building challenge we listened to the team leader and asked questions a lot more so therefore the work done at Blacklands farm was a lot more successful. Agreeing tasks at Blacklands farm we agreed on the tasks by communicating with each team member to get everyone’s point of view to make sure that everyone got a say in to what they thought, by doing this it meant that everyone in the team agreed on the approach to the task.Sometimes someone would disagree with an idea which could cause conflict in the group, we dealt with this by taking a vote and going with what was voted the most. When doing the bridge building challenge becaus e my group only consisted of three people there was less conflict in the group because it was easier for us to agree on the task, it was also easier because we had a team leader so we just went along with what he said.Valuing people valuing people was very important at Blacklands farm because the tasks set were very full on and physically hard so it was essential that every team member was valued as an individual and involved because with tasks such as the spider’s web every bit of help was needed. Even though the bridge building challenge wasn’t as physical it was still very important that each team member was valued equally because the task involved a lot of concentration and tactical skills.Being receptive to feedback at Blacklands farm we did a task that we failed on a number of times so our team leader stopped us and gave us feedback on what we was doing right and what we was doing wrong and what we could do to complete the task more quickly and easily. Me and my team listened to our team leader and were receptive to his feedback and did as he said and to our advantage completed the task.When doing the bridge building challenge we were given feedback on ways of how to complete the challenge more quickly and successfully, unfortunately me and my group did not pay attention to the feedback and therefore our bridge was not completed in time. Maintaining focus maintaining focus at Blacklands farm was important for a lot of the tasks because if focus was lost it could affect the whole team and make a certain task fail, at times it was hard to maintain a focus because of cold weather and muddy conditions.To maintain a focus we pulled together as a group and were motivated by our team leader and team members. It was hard to maintain a focus when doing the bridge building challenge for my group because at times each team member would get frustrated when things weren’t going as planned, we maintained a focus by thinking of the prize that coul d be won to whoevers bridge could hold the most amount of glue sticks.Encouraging other team members to recommend improvements this was important at Blacklands farm because if there was something in the task that wasn’t going to plan it could be changed and improved for the better of the group. When doing the bridge building challenge it wasn’t as important to encourage a team member to recommend improvements because there was only three people in our group and we voted on who should be team leader so we was confident that who we had chosen knew what was right so we went with what they said.Dealing with conflict at Blacklands farm because my team worked very well together so there was hardly any conflict, but if there was conflict we dealt with this by discussing the problem together as a group and then discussing what would be the best approach to the problem and if necessarily to take a vote. If there was any conflict whilst doing the bridge building challenge we de alt with this by letting the matter fall into the team leaders hand and letting them decide the best option for the group, by doing this it avoided more conflict.Communication methods at Blacklands farm we communicated by asking questions to make sure that everything was covered and so that everyone had a good understanding of the task, we also listened to each team member when they spoke to maintain a good communication within the whole team. At times we used body language to communicate with team members by using expressions as thumbs up and thumbs down to indicate yes or no.We also had to use body language in one task where we were asked to get in a line according to birth date but without talking so in this task we used our hands to indicate numbers. Unlike at Blacklands farm when doing the bridge building challenge we weren’t asked to do anything without talking so body language wasn’t as necessary, we still had to constantly ask questions and listen to team memb ers to maintain a good relationship in the team and to make sure that communication was maintained.

Business Communication Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Communication - Coursework Example In an email situation, long supporting arguments appear as rambling to the recipient, which leads to loss of interest. The writer uses a casual tone in describing his daughter’s reaction in an official email. Use of a casual tone in official emails undermines the importance of the email to the recipients. Since the writer needs the recipients to make a supportive decision, using the daughter’s reaction is not advisable in this form of writing. At some point in the email, the writer discusses the daughter’s opinion on the main subject of the email, which is inappropriate in email writing. In a persuasive email, the recipients care about the opinion of the sender not what other people think about the opinion. The writer’s arguments should be on his own thoughts and ideas as opposed to those of his daughter. The writer uses poor grammar in communicating to the recipient. In professional arrangements, use of proficient grammar attracts the recipient to pay attention to the rest of the letter. Since the letter is an official document, the language used should be correct and free of simple mistakes such as poor prepositional use. The writer fails to appreciate the recipient despite the fact that the writer is asking for a favor. The latter puts the writer in a negative standing with the recipient. At some point in the letter, the writer states that, â€Å"I heard that you made a good presentation at your local chapter in Los Angeles recently, I think you gave a talk called ‘Avoiding the seven capital sins in food service’ or something like that. Whatever it was I’m sure we would like to hear a similar presentation† (Guffrey, 2010).The quoted statement is unappreciative and rude and such statements are wrong when asking for favors. The writer also fails to acknowledge that the recipient is helping and attempts to attract the recipient by suggesting the

Facebook - Good Idea or Terrible Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Facebook - Good Idea or Terrible Idea - Essay Example What they also do is bully. Cyber-bullying is a serious issue in our world today. It is one that is becoming increasingly difficult to handle. It occurs in hundreds of different formats in the Internet world via – Skype, email, photograph, video, YouTube, MSN, Facebook, chat rooms, MySpace, etc. With all of these different transportation modes for online bullying it is extremely hard to monitor. Facebook is one of the easiest forums for cyberbullies to use and to exploit. It is very simple for example for them to comment on photos and to say nasty things. This can be hurtful and even devastating for some students. There have been several suicides that have been directly linked to cyber bullying via social networking sites such as Facebook. In these social networking sites individuals have the ability to victimize their subjects in dozens of ways. They can set up group bullying sites that target an individual, post rude comments on their walls, and tag them in incriminating photographs. The act can spread from one person to hundreds of people in a matter of seconds. There is often a divide between in-person bullying and cyber bullying. Many subjects that partake in cyber-bullying would never do it in person. They are aware of the etiquette that goes along with interacting in the real world yet fail to recognize the same etiquette in the cyber world. In the Internet world individuals face a disconnect. They do not see their victim nor do they have the opportunity to see their emotions. Individuals often forget that they are dealing with a real live human being and not just text on a computer screen. Facebook has facilitated all of this. It is a bad thing. I think teaching netiquette mildly helps but I do not think education will help to stop the issue at hand. For generations we have been educated and educated those that were unaware of the negative effects of in-person bullying. This has not made it stop. It continues to affect millions of people every year.

Designing for the Dump Video Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Designing for the Dump Video - Movie Review Example Electric equipment being produced have a limited life span with studies showing approximately eighteen months life span for most electronics. Increased e waste levels imply increased risks on the environment in relation to pollution. With these high rates of e waste there is pressing need for solutions to reduce levels of e waste production. Some of the solutions include recycling, donation, and innovation among others. In response to increasing e waste levels, there are suggestions on more concentration on recycling. Recycling entails taking electronics that have no use to the recycling centers for recycle. Most countries around the world have recycling centers where people can take their unused electronics. However, it is important to make sure that these recycling centers have the required mechanisms to effectively carry out their task. This requires recycling in environmentally friendly mechanisms to avoid pollution. For example, burning waste products openly is not advised due to high level of fume production. Effective recycling may involve refurbishing the unwanted electronics for reuse or breaking them down to commodity level where they can be used as raw materials. To ensure appropriate recycling processes stakeholders such as the government can come up with appropriate regulations ensuring that the recycling centers have the effective mechanisms to carry out environmentally friendly recyc ling. With environmental friendly recycling, e waste management is bound to become simpler and more effective hence reducing pollution. Additionally, e waste can be managed by donating unused equipment to people and or facilities with the need for the equipment. For example, electronics can be donated to a local family, school, and or training centers in need of the equipment. In almost every locality there are people without the abilities to regularly upgrade their electrical equipment

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Essay

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) - Essay Example During the last few years, United Kingdom has witnessed four important appeals from British citizens regarding an attack on their individual Christian Faiths. The UK Courts of Law have integrated the four incidents into two cases. They have gained prominence by the name of Eweida and Chaplin Vs the UK and Ladele and McFarlene Vs the UK.Initially, the applicants had approached the UK Courts of Law, who had rejected their appeal due to the non-fulfillment of certain conditions. However, the cases are still in its proceedings in the European Court of Human Rights. However, this time, the EHRC has decided to intervene to ensure a fair trial to the applicants. The Main Issues The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public organization which was established according to UK’s Equality Act of 2006. It started functioning from October 2007 and was Britain’s only organization which supervised issues relating to equality and human rights in the countr y. The Commission works towards reducing inequality, eliminating discrimination and encouraging good relations among the citizens. It also ensures the protection of their rights in a variety of circumstances. On September 15, 2011 the EHRC notified the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) of its plan of intervening in four cases regarding the practice of religious discrimination in the workplace. These were four separate cases involved four British Government employees who were subject to unlawful discrimination regarding their Christian beliefs. The individuals involved were Nadia Eweida, a British Airways employee, Shirley Chaplin, a government hospital nurse, Lillian Ladelle, a marriage registrar in London and Gary McFarlane, a counselor. The European Court combined the cases of these four persons into two cases: Eweida and Chaplin Vs the UK and Ladele and McFarlene Vs the UK. In the first case, both the women were asked to conceal or remove the Christian cross worn on their ne cklaces, by their respective workplace authorities. Eweida worked as a check-in staff in the British Airways counter at London’s Heathrow Airport, while Chaplin was employed as a nurse in a government hospital. Being Christians by faith, both Eweida and Chaplin were used to wearing a cross tied to their necklaces. However, their respective management authorities did not approve of this and asked the women to either hide the cross beneath their clothes or stop wearing it altogether. This was definitely an attack on their religious sentiments. While the authorities accommodated the customs of employees belonging to other religions, they discriminated against these Christian women. In the second case, the two Christians Ladele and McFarlene were dismissed from their jobs as they refused to be involved in actions contradicting their religion. Ladelle was employed as a marriage registrar in London’s Islington Council. When she asked the authorities to exclude her from legal izing homosexual relationships, the management decided to discontinue her services. On the other hand, McFarlene served as a counselor in a government counseling service who used to provide advice to heterosexual as well as homosexual couples. However, in some cases he had declined to offer psycho-sexual therapy to homosexual couples and as a result was terminated from

Commodification Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commodification Paper - Assignment Example Subjugated by European use and the manufacturing of European territories at the centurys beginning, by 1900 the US people served a core function in both utilization as well as production. In an age that Eric Hosbawm has called "the era of Empire," in which territories and global trade were getting bigger in Asian, African, and Oceania continents, nationwide manufacture came to control in the USA. The former colonies in the US were capable to affirm substantial power against building and rebuilding international marketplaces as well as prices (Rivoli, 2009). The very numerous chronicles of coffee that have been inscribed all perceive coffee as an uncomplicated product. They suppose a straight vector of proliferation; once coffee was brought to customers in a new territory it would nearly mechanically conquer the marketplace due to its intrinsic attractiveness. The stories typically emphasize European organization in the formation of the plane marketplace. Certainly, the mainly common account of coffees progress has it Frenchmen bridged it from Yemen to the shores of Boubon, as well as Madagascar. A Yemeni through Java plantlet then passed to UK, from there to France and from there to Martinique. The Martinique plant is said to be the source of all American coffee plants, a direct offspring of coffee from Ethiopian. Suppliers of this smart story are unconscious supporters of worldwide traders as well as group roasters who possessed a vested concern in positing a colossal kind of coffee. Frank Perkin, talking about cotton, mentions that even though there was an "amazing variety" reaped in the plantations, the demands of the market decreased them to a much lesser number of range for customers: "hundreds of names for grassland farmers, a much lesser (yet still significant) number in the home marketplace, and by the moment the un-spun cotton arrived London, Bordeux as well as Amsterdam, a comparatively little number of extremely generalized,

Compare various types of Realistic writing Essay

Compare various types of Realistic writing - Essay Example However, for Bret Harte, the American dream remains a remote reality, even though his writings revel in the West, especially, California. In ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat’, the lines, ‘With him life was at best an uncertain game’ (Perkins and Perkins, 2007, p. 485) shows Harte’s belief that the American dream is unattainable.   For Red Cloud and Hopkins, the West was their home, so when the settlers began to invade, they felt that their settlement and their existence is threatened. Red Cloud’s speech to the Cooper Union in 1870 in New York shows his views: ‘All I want is right and justice’ (Perkins and Perkins, 2007, p.493). This is considered as the precursor of the demands of equality and justice for different American communities. A similar undertone is sensed in the writings of Sarah Hopkins, a prominent female Native American Activist who wrote, Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims’. In her narrative, the viol ent invasion by the Whites around 1840s, is vivid and emotive (Perkins and Perkins, 2007, p.495). For both Red Cloud and Hopkins, the West represents their own identity and this identify represents the American Dream. References Twain, M (1884) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In Perkins, G, and Perkins, B, Eds. (2007).   The American Tradition in Literature, Volume II, 12th edition. (142-143) New York: McGraw-Hill Harte, B (1869). The Outcasts of Poker Flat.

Global Local Debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Local Debates - Essay Example There are many factors that contribute to the choice of design, these should, in critical regionalism, include the regional aspect and identity as well as the standard views of light, space and materials. In Los Angeles, supermodernisation has occurred as both an altercation of the cultural differences that occur in the area from the impact of globalising forces, where design is subdued by political forces, commercialisation, and economisation of the region. To this, some believe that the critical regionalism is a construct of postmodern design that furthers the aspect of cultural growth, while others believe that the supermodernisation has inhibited the process of regional identification. In Latin America, the hybridisation of global forces into the definitive region has altered the architecture to become less dignified as an inherently cultural aspect, but more so as a liquefied representation of the homogeneity that has occurred. The concept of critical regionalism is at once tempting and cautionary, where in supermodernisation there is the removal of special regional identity, but use of regional imagery serves to protect the cultural values, however, as seen in the hybridisation of Latin America, this can also serve to dissolve the identification of a culture. Both arguments are presented from the sociological viewpoint of architectural design in the following presentation. There is a thought in homogenisation as a classic humanity issue to retain identity in the face of globalisation, although it is important to note that globalisation and homogenisation are not the same, globalisation is more an apex of the latter, and homogenisation is the accumulation. The transmission of culture has the concern of maintaining inherent dynamics, especially in small pockets of communities, as global realities reproduce and intermix with

Course work Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Course work - Coursework Example Competition has been the main effect of the changing technological environment. The company has had to compete with a number of companies with Apple Inc. offering the greatest competition among the competing companies for the supply of wireless solutions. The increasing competition has been recognized in form of the introduction of new products. Companies have been able to do research and come up with new products that are able to meet the changing needs of consumers hence rendering RIM’s products irrelevant (Christensen and Raynor, 2003, p. 28). Companies have been able to produce differentiated products unlike RIM hence attracting a good number of customers. For instance, Blackberry phones are no longer differentiated resulting in IM to lose its clients to competing service providers. This is evident from the feedback recorded from the high end market for mobile phones. The major effect of the changing technology has been the introduction of differentiated products that have rendered those of RIM unattractive. One of the major characteristics of human wants is that they are always changing. Companies have invested a lot of capital in research and development in efforts aimed at understanding the needs of the market. Technology has played an important role in the efforts by companies to identify market needs (Schneiderman, 2002, p. 123). There are new technologies of doing research that have resulted in organizations collecting accurate information on market needs hence producing products that match the needs. RIM has been unable to embrace new technologies in the design and supply of its wireless solutions for the mobile market hence resulting in the loss of market share. Some of the new products that have been introduced as a result of changing technologies include iPhone and android. Research studies indicate that 74 percent of the companies using mobile email have shifted and adopted new

National Government Essay Example for Free

National Government Essay National Government  is a concept referring to the coalition of the major political parties which were under Ramsay MacDonald,  Stanley Baldwin  and  Neville Chamberlain  they held office from 1931 until 1940. The  Wall Street Crash  was the start of Great Depression  and Britain was badly hit. The Government tried to achieve several different, contradictory objectives which where ones such as, trying to maintain Britains economic position by maintaining the  pound  on the  gold standard, balancing the  budget, and providing assistance and relief to tackle unemployment. In 1931 the situation worsened and there was fear that the budget was unbalanced, which was allowed by the independent  May Report  which triggered a confidence crisis. The  Labour Government  agreed to make changes in taxation and expenditure in order to balance the budget and restore confidence, but the  Cabinet  could not agree on the two options available which was either introduce  tariffs, or make 20% cuts in  unemployment benefit. A final vote was taken on the issue and the Cabinet was split 11:9 with a minority including many political heavyweights such as George Lansbury threatening to resign rather than agree. Due to this unworkable split, on 24 August 1931 the government resigned. Both the Conservative and Liberal parties met with  King George V  and MacDonald, first to discuss support for the measures taken but again to discuss the shape of the next government. On 24 August MacDonald agreed to form a National Government composed of men from all parties with the specific aim of balancing the Budget and restoring confidence. The Government was then meant to resolve once these aims had been met and a general election was to be held. The National Government had many problems during their time in office. One of the major problems they had was the impact of the depression was strong upon Britain. An economic problem they faced was that unemployment had risen to 3 million. During their time in office the unemployment level did drop but this was not due to the national Government it was due to new technology and industries, Rearmament started up in 1936 and there was a housing boom. The national government came up with many schemes such as closing competing factories i. e. cotton; shipbuilding this only increased the number of unemployed. The came up with the unemployment assistance act and the special areas act these worked to a certain extent as for certain areas it was too little too late for schemes like this. But it could not get rid of the intractable million who were people who came from staple industries such as coal, textiles, shipbuilding, iron and steel. These people where the ones who lived in places such as Jarrow where 1 in 10 men where in work. A social problem they faced was that as the impact of the Depression was hard on Britain, there was a large drop in living standards a cut in the amount of benefits people could collect and there was a means test to see if families where eligible for benefits. Which meant fewer families got the ‘dole’ and if they did get it they got a small amount which created the two nations in Britain. As places like Jarrow were one of the worst hit places while places like London and Bristol benefited from a lot of the changes such as they were the ones able to use the new technology and be hired into the new industries and they were one of the few who could afford to buy a new house in the housing boom. There were many hunger marches due to this; the most famous was the Jarrow crusade. This is where many unemployed marched all the way to London to speak to Baldwin about what he was going to do to help them but they were refused a seating which him all they arrived was tea and sympathy it is said. Another Problem faced by the National Government was the balancing of the budget. This was orthodox economics which means it is situation in financial planning where total revenues are equal to or greater than total expenses. This was successful to a limited extent as with all the cuts such as 20% off unemployment as well as having a means test allowing them to save enough money for them to get foreign loans. But only the south of England benefited from the money saved. Social problem occurred due to cuts in unemployment benefit was that there was a drop in benefits for unemployed which led to them having a lower standard of living. They came off the gold standard which made the exports (manufacturers goods) which where imports into other countries cheaper. They lowered interest rates, which helped small businesses, home owners and those in the south of England. Then public sector pay was cut by 10% but navy was not happy about this which caused trouble when the Invogadon navy mutinied. The National Government were successful to an extent but they were limited due to all the economic greatness helped those who were in the south of England and not those in the north which allowed the social deprivation to continue.

Disney Corporation Through The Eyes Of A Marxist

Disney Corporation Through The Eyes Of A Marxist The Walt Disney Corporation has just about dipped its fingers within everything consumer based. To give you a picture of just how much Disney is involved in our society, here is exactly where Disney has its foot in the door. From Walt Disney studios (who owns Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films); to Walt Disney studios Home Entertainment; to Disney Theatrical Productions (who is one of the largest producers of Broadway musicals, including Disney Live Family Entertainment and Disney on Ice); to the music within their motion pictures (including Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, and Lyric Street Records) (8). That is all only within the Walt Disney Studios department of the Disney Corporation. There is also the Disney theme parks and resorts. Since its first park, Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California opened, the Parks and Resorts department has grown to encompass the world-class Disney Cruise Line, eight Disney Vacation Club resorts (with more than 100,000 members), Adventures by Disney (immersive Disney-guided travel around the world), and five resort locations (encompassing 11 theme parks, including some owned or co-owned by independent entities) on three continents (8). There are also the Disney consumer products, which extend the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home dà ©cor and books and magazines to interactive games, foods and beverages, stationery, electronics and fine art. [Disneys publishing company,] Disney Publishing Worldwide is the worlds largest publisher of childrens books and magazines, reaching more than 100 million readers each month in 75 countries. Disneys imprints include Disney Libri, Hyperion Books for Children, Jump at the Sun, Disney Press, and Disney Editions (8). Disneys official shopping source is disneystore.com. The Disney stores retail chain is owned and operated by an unaffiliated third party in Japan under a license agreement with The Walt Disney Company. [However,] Disney owns and operates the Disney Store chain in North America and Europe. (8) There are also the various media networks that Disney owns or is majorly affiliated with. From broadcast, to cable, to radio, to publishing and internet business, Disney is tuned into everything. Their keys networks are Disney-ABC Television Group, ESPN Inc., Walt Disney Internet Group, and ABC owned television stations. (8) The Disney-ABC Television Group is home to the ABC Television Network, the Disney Channel, ABC Family, SOAPnet, AE Television, and the Radio Disney Network. When it comes to ESPN, however, with its six domestic cable television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, and ESPNU) along with ESPN International; ESPN Radio; ESPN.com; ESPN The Magazine; ESPN Enterprises; ESPN Zones (their restaurants); ESPN360.com; ESPN Mobile Wireless; ESPN On Demand; ESPN Interactive; and ESPN PPV; the Disney-ABC Television Group only owns 80%, whereas a separate company (The Hearst Corporation) owns the other 20%.(8) So, who is at the top of this money making consumer machine? His name is Robert A. Iger, and in 2008 alone he grossed $51,072,580 (3). A merchandise hostess intern makes about $6.50 per hour. A research specialist, PhotoPass photographer, and guest relations hostess makes an average of $10.00 per hour. Managers make about $29.00 per hour, whereas a ride show technician makes about $23.00 per hour. (4) Why is it that there is such a gap in pay between employees and employers? What would Karl Marx think? With all of the profit the Disney accrues annually from its vast consumerism, the distribution of its profit amongst its employees is greatly skewed. Marx would say that Disney is exploiting its employees and the Disney has far too much excess profit. He would argue that Disney pays its customer service employees close to minimum wage when they are more than capable to be paying their workers a lot more. Disney also pays its managers and supervisors a little more than who they oversee so they will still stick up for their bosses and keep the repression of the workers stable. Also, those who earn the minimum paid work may also be keeping themselves down by working these jobs because they think they too may climb the ladder to success (class reading The Origin and Context of Karl Marxs Thought). If we were to classify people into Marxs two social classes, he would describe the top Disney executives as the bourgeoisie, and the laborers (their maintenance team, retail clerks, park ride o perators, restaurant employees, etc.) are the proletariat. Alienation can be observed on both sides of the spectrum, whether were looking at the top executives or the laborers of Disney. In this quote from The Holy Family, Marx says that the bourgeoisie and proletarians are equally alienated, but experience their alienation in different ways. The propertied class and the class of the proletariat present the same human self-estrangement. But the former class feels at ease and strengthened in this self-estrangement, it recognizes estrangement as its own power and has in it the semblance of a human existence. The class of the proletariat feels annihilated in estrangement; it sees in it its own powerlessness and the reality of an inhuman existence (Engels Marx, 1845). This may be seen that as the Disney executives are alienated, they feel strengthened by this with their own power, whereas the Disney laborers feel their alienation as a form of powerlessness. Marx may also believe that Disney laborers are alienated for many other reasons. He would say that they are operating things that they, in turn, would never own themselves. For example, employees who work at the theme parks will never experience what it is like to be at the park for leisure, unless its a free ticket every once in a while from corporate. Even then, the ticket has restrictions for certain days and seasons. Also, he would say that the Disney laborers inevitably lose control of their lives and selves, in not having any control of their work. They would never become autonomous, self-realized human beings except in how the bourgeois want the workers to be realized (class reading The Origin and Context of Karl Marxs Thought). Within the corporations hiring practices, Disney is not very open to negotiations. They just pitch a package to you, which the prospective cast member can either accept or decline. Marx would probably use this modern day analogy, if he could, that Disney is a 750 pound gorilla in the marketplace and that they know it and arent afraid to use it. For its customers Disney is a place of Imagination, magic, fantasy, romance, adventure, inspiration, family, and so much more. These are the feelings we encounter when we experience anything Disney as a society. Disneys goal for its consumers is to be seen as the happiest place (and products) on earth. The Walt Disney Corporation has been a powerful force in creating childhood culture around the world. Disneys massive success is based on images of innocence, magic, and fun. Its animated films in particular are praised as wholesome family entertainment endorsed by teachers and parents, and immensely popular with children (Feng Sun, 2001). Childrens imaginations have been the product of Disney for many generations now. Its become the ultimate form of fantasy, one that never needs to be questioned. Marx would say that we, as a society, are fools. He would argue that Disneys bourgeois philosophy has clouded our minds to see our world as they want us to see it. The messages of innocence are really messages of passivity, domesticity, and frailty for woman; while messages of adventure and fun really have underlying tones of power, violence, and a false notions of hope in the eyes of our little boys. In a sense, the Disney Corporation perpetuates the ideas of achieving the traditional American dream, while these executives know full well that the society they wish to see has been lost to time for quite a while now. Marx would describe the societal image of Disney as a secular opiate for the people (7). He would argue by saying that this state and this society produce[d Disney], which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world (7). This meaning that the aspects to which Disney is fantasy ridden is opposite from what our society is. Disney has become an escape for us. He would go on by explaining that Disney is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality (7). Meaning that Disney is our imagination come to life. Disney is everything we wish could be within our world in regards to fantasy, and its everything they wish our value system would be. So who else could possibly shed some light on this subject but Max Weber? He would argue with Marx, saying that his thoughts of social stratification do not apply to Disney because there are many other jobs that are affiliated with Disney, but not of Disney, like independent contractors that are virtually ambiguous to the Disney executives. Weber would most likely believe that what Disney is doing is efficient and fair because what theyve been doing is the most effective for them. In the social world, Disney is all about family. They have been trying to uphold and instill the values of the past within virtually all of their consumer products. For Weber, this has a hint of value rationality. He would think that Disney executives utilize this bottom line thinking. They have weighed the costs and benefits of their choices and have gone with whatever brings them the most profit (Phillips). However, Weber would explain that the Disney executives would not apply to his traditional rationality approach because aspects of their corporation are continually changing. From the switch to digital animation from analog animation; updating their amusement park rides to fit todays technology; and even answering to the calls of society to finally create an animated film featuring an African American princess. Theyre not sticking with what theyve always known. Disney is constantly innovating to keep up with technology. Socially, however, Weber would agree with Marx by saying that Disney is sticking to its traditional roots by trying to uphold what they view as good moral values (class reading on Weber). Weber would also argue with Marx about how our society works. Marx says that we are all under control by the bourgeoisie: seeing our society in the ways they want us to view it. Disney wants us to see our society through the messages they imbed in their products. Weber would say that our society should be value free and to just let the chips fall where they may (Phillips). Disney is just doing what it wants to do: it is up to us to determine what way we perceive their messages. Weber would also say that Disney is a business bureaucracy: its goal is to maximize its profit. He would describe Disney within his ideas of social stratification: a combination of class, status, and party (class reading on Weber). These three are independent, yet linked (Phillips). Disney has class in the form of having an exorbitant amount of money; status in the way that virtually everyone knows of Disney, and its usually a good notion; and party in the way the Disney has tremendous power within the market and media (class reading on Weber). Within certain aspects of Disney, Marx and Weber share similar ideologies and in others they are on completely separate pages. Both theorists serve valid, rational points. There is no bias within this research: all ideas of Disney are objective and may not be what the theorists may view. All inquiries are based on their prior ideologies.

Important Role In Job Design Management

Important Role In Job Design Management The topic which I choose for my research is the impact of job enrichment and enlargement on employee motivation and performance. I intend to find the factors which play an important role in Job design which is constituted of job enrichment and job enlargement so that they could best motivate employees and in turn enables them give their best performance. Organization is the strength of any business. The more organized and efficient the different components in the business are, the better it functions and produces. Therefore jobs must be enlarged and enriched keeping in mind what is best in the interest of an organization. I would like to mention here what is job enrichment and job enlargement. What are their Pros and Cons, and their effectiveness? Job enrichment basically refers to the concept of improvement in job or an increase with the help of upgrading and development. For example if you are a typist by job enrichment you will have to type and proof read as well. It also stresses upon the concept of employee satisfaction in respect to their position and personal growth potential. Job enrichment involves organizing and planning in orderÂÂ  to gain more control over their duties and work as a manager. The execution of plans and evaluationÂÂ  of results motivates workers and relieves boredom. Job enlargement on the other hand means adding more duties or increasing the workload to the same job. It provides the chance of enhancement and more productivity for employees. For example if you are a typist and you type 20 pages per day by job enlargement you will have to type 30 pages per day. Job enlargement is a vehicle employers use to put additional workload on employees, perhaps in economical downtime. By adding or inc reasing the responsibilities employees are also getting a chance of enhancement and more productivity. In literary terms job enlargement is the expansion of job context to include a wider variety of tasks and to increase the workers freedom of pace, responsibility for checking quality and discretion for method. Therefore to summarize the major differences between the two we can state that job enrichment, when compared to job enlargement, not only includes more duties and responsibilities, but also gives the right of decision making and control. Apart from that job enlargement is horizontal where as job enrichment is vertical expansion of work. But both the forces Job enlargement and job enrichment are useful for motivating workers to perform their tasks enthusiastically. It is through job design organizations try to raise productivity levels by offering non monetary rewards such as greater satisfaction. Job enrichment and job enlargement are such techniques used in job design exerci se. Statement of problem Job design is the intentionally planned structuring of work effort performed by an individual. There is increasing evidence that poorly designed jobs now a days is a persistent social problem affecting the performance of employees. Justification for the topic The reason I choose this topic was because of the fact to identify factors which play important role in job design so that it could best motivate the employees and in return they give best performance. Scope of study The scope of the study is focus on the impact of job enrichment and job enlargement and how employees respond to it in terms of their performance and how motivated they get. Back ground Information Job design with the concept of job enrichment and job enlargement came about with rapid technological advancements at the turn of the 20th century when mass production and assembly line operations emerged. As jobs continue to become more sophisticated and specialized, the need for an educated and motivated workforce has become indispensable. The nature of work and its organization has interested managers, economists and social scientists for as long as people have been employed by others to engage in productive activity. Managers have largely been interested in maximizing output from available resources. Economists and social scientists have raised questions about the organization of work in relation to issues of the individual and society in general. It is also important for the HR departments of organizations to understand the importance of job design. As Well-designed jobs help to accomplish two important goals: getting the necessary work done in a timely and competent manner, and motivating and challenging employees. According to Hackman and Lawler (1971) a job will be motivating and intrinsically only if it high on all five of the core dimensions which are skill, variety, autonomy, task identify and feedback. It is only then that an employee would perform better than expected. Related definitions Job design: It refers to the process of determining exactly what an employee does on the job: the tasks, duties, responsibilities, decision-making and the level of authority. Job enrichment: Job enrichment adds newÂÂ  sourcesÂÂ  ofÂÂ  job satisfactionÂÂ  by increasing the level ofÂÂ  responsibilityÂÂ  of theÂÂ  employee. It is also calledÂÂ  job enhancementÂÂ  orÂÂ  vertical job expansion. Job enlargement: Job designÂÂ  techniqueÂÂ  in which the number ofÂÂ  tasksÂÂ  associatedÂÂ  with aÂÂ  job is increased and appropriateÂÂ  trainingÂÂ  provided to add greater variety toÂÂ  activities, thus reducing monotony. It is a horizontalÂÂ  restructuringÂÂ  methodÂÂ  in that the job is enlarged by adding related tasks. Job enlargement may alsoÂÂ  resultÂÂ  in greaterÂÂ  workforce flexibility. Job involvement: The degree, to which an employee identifies with his job, actively participates in it, and considers his job performance important to his self-worth. Internal motivation: Learners are motivated from within by personal needs or wants that are positive in nature such as a desire to succeed or love of learning. High morale: High morale is a concept that states high emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness and confidence. Job performance: Job performance is a commonly used, yet poorly defined concept in industrial and organizational psychology, the branch of psychology that deals with the workplace. It most commonly refers to whether a person performs their job well. Despite the confusion over how it should be exactly defined, performance is an extremely important criterion that relates to organizational outcomes and success. Problem development The reason why I am conducting this research is to judge the impact of job enrichment and job enlargement on employee performance. As we know that the concepts of job design that include enrichment and enlargement are not widely used in Pakistan, therefore this research will give a proper perspective on how job enrichment and enlargement impacts employee performance. Secondly because of the fact that whether these concepts of job design will be helpful to motivate employees, increase employee performance and productivity. Literature review Job design and its approaches are usually considered to have begun with scientific management in the year 1900. Pioneering scientific managers such as Taylor (1947), Gilbreth (1911), and Gilbreth and Gilbreth (1917) systematically examined jobs with various techniques. They suggested that task design might be the most prominent element in scientific management. Robert A. Karasek (1971) described some implications of job redesign. He explained that job enrichment and job enlargement helps employees to develop new skills and face new challenges. Job enrichment specially is the major driving force for the employees that motivate them to perform much better. It was also observed that well designed jobs have a positive impact on employee satisfaction and quality performance. Another important factor stressed upon by Robert A. Karasek was that some employees do not have the motivation that is repetitive to the enriched job. This results in less satisfaction and lower work output. According to Argyris (1964) and Blauner (1964) simple, routine, non challenging often produce dissatisfaction and demoralization of workers. They suggested that for optimal worker motivation tasks should be enlarged rather than simplified. In a no. of different experiments it has been showed job enlargement has a positive impact on motivation and performance. With respect to the design of individual jobs, the first major theory was that of Herzberg and his colleagues (Herzberg 1959). Their two-factor theory distinguished between two types of factors, namely motivators, which are intrinsic to the work itself (e.g. achievement, recognition, and responsibility), and hygiene factors, which are extrinsic to the work (e.g. work conditions, pay, and supervision). The proposition was that the hygiene factors are absolutely necessary to maintain the human resources of an organization. According to Hertzbergs theory, only a challenging job has the opportunity for achievement, recognition, advancement and growth that will motivate personnel. According to Hackman and Lawler (1971) a job will be motivating and essentially satisfying only if it is high in all 5 core dimensions. The core dimensions are autonomy, task identity, feedback, variety and skill. It is only then a person finds that performing well leads to important intrinsic rewards such as feeling of heightened self-esteem, personal growth and worth wile accomplishments. Finally it was proposed that only people who have strong desire for higher order need satisfaction will respond to jobs that are high on all core dimensions. That is unless workers value feeling of accomplishment and growth; they will be unlikely to respond positively to a job which is structured to provide opportunities for their attainment through hard work. It was found that when jobs were high on all core dimensions employees who were desirous of higher order need satisfaction tended to have high morale, high work motivation, few absences from work and be rated by their supervisors doing high quality work. Thus this theory emphasized a job high on all core dimensions will result in higher motivation and better results in terms of performance. According to Podsakoff (1996) enriched jobs have been found to provide fundamentally satisfying tasks and job enrichment is positively related to a wide variety of employee attitites and performance. As stated by John R. Cook (1997) the objective of good job design is to design jobs which allow people to perform tasks in a safe, efficient and economical manner which facilitate the realization of various organizational goals such as profit and increased production. The goal of job enrichment is to improve employee satisfaction and performance by increasing job scope vertically allowing opportunities for personal achievement, recognition and growth. Job enrichment principles were largely associated with the phenomena that enriching a job is proposed to increase positive work outcomes that is motivation and performance and decrease negative outcomes which included stress and boredom. Problem definition The impact of job enrichment and job enlargement on employee motivation and performance. Statement of study objectives Hypothesis H0: Job enrichment does not have a positive impact on employee performance. H1: Job enrichment has a positive impact on employee performance. H0: Job enlargement does not have a positive impact on employee performance. H1: Job enlargement has a positive impact on employee performance. Theoretical framework Job enrichment Robert A. Karasek, Jr (1979) J.Lee (2004) Boredom Strain Job dissatisfaction Physiological distress Intellectual stimulation Diversified workforce Employee performance Employee motivation Innovation Job enlargement Edward E Lawler (1973), John R cook (1997), J.Lee (2004) More opportunities Develop new skills High morale High work motivation Variable reference list Robert A. Karasek, Jr.(1979) Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Jun., 1979), pp. 285-308. Edward E Lawler , J Richard Hackman (1973) Effects of Job Redesign: A Field Experiment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1973, 3, 1, pp. 49-62. J.Lee Whittington, Viki L Goodwin (2004) Transformational leadership, goal difficulty, and job design: Independent and interactive effects of employee outcome. Leadership quarterly 15 (2004) 593-606 John R. Cook (1997) Job enrichment and mental workload in computer based work: implications for adaptive job design. International journal of industrial Ergonomics 24 (1999) 13-23. Christopher Orpen (2001) Effect of job Enrichment on employee satisfaction, motivation, involvement and performance. A field experiment. Department of Psychology, University of the Witwatersrand, 1, Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa. Michael J. Smith, Pascal C. Sainfort (1989) A balance theory of Job design for stress reduction. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 U.S.A. Received 17 October 1988;ÂÂ  accepted 5 January 1989.ÂÂ   Available online 27 February 2003. Theoretical justification As I have stated earlier that job enrichment and job enlargement are the most important aspects of job design in order to motivate employees so that they give better performance. The variables mentioned in the framework basically represent that why job enrichment and job enlargement is there and what are their implications. All variables are directed towards increasing employee motivation and performance. The framework shows that through job enrichment and job enlargement according to the variables (Boredom, Strain, Job dissatisfaction, Physiological distress, and Intellectual stimulation) a job can be made more interesting with reduced levels of boredom and repetitive movements which will in turn motivate employees to perform exceedingly well than anticipated. Job enrichment also intellectually stimulates employees as think out of the box, thus motivating them towards better performance. Apart from that diversified workforce and innovation are two such variables that are positively related to employee performance. The more diversified and specialized a job the better is the performance as all specialist ar put to work. Lastly through innovation as well employees tend to perform really well. Elements of research design Type of research: Applied Study setting: Natural Nature of data: primary data Unit of analysis: organizations Reference period: (Jan- Aprill 2011) Survey research: working population Statement of analytical approach: qualitative and quantitative questionnaires if required statistical modeling Limitations Respondents bias Time constraints (less sample size) Complete access to different departments of an organization References used www.jstor.com www.sceincedirect.com www.google.scholar.com www.businessdictionary.com http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development/100470-1.html

Julius Caesar :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, is mainly based on the assassination of Julius Caesar. The various men who happened to object to his assassination had different personal desires for their actions. Depending on each of their actions, words or even tone of voice they may misrepresent them and may be misinterpreted. Brutus, Cassius, and Antony had motives for their actions. I will explain what each of them stood to gain from the death of Caesar. Brutus, servant and close friend to Caesar, has a strong relationship with Caesar but a stronger relationship with Rome and it people. Brutus was a very noble man. He tries to justify the death of Caesar but he can not get the thought of cold-blooded murder out of his mind. One of the reasons Brutus would conspire against Caesar is that he loved the Roman people more than Caesar. Brutus was the head of the conspiracy because the Romans respected his judgement and loyalty to the Roman Empire. If he would have loved Caesar more than Rome's people he never would have killed Caesar for the Roman people. Cassius is the most significant character for his ability to perceive the true motives of the characters. Cassius thinks the nobility of Rome is responsible for the government of Rome. Cassius strongly dislikes Caesar personally. He sees Brutus as the person that will unite the nobles in the conspiracy. Cassius tries to use Brutus to achieve his goal. His main goal is to remove Caesar from power by using his persuasive speaking. Antony first appears in the play as a devoted follower of Caesar. He is also one of the great triumvirs. When he gains permission to speak at Caesar's funeral he undermines the public confidence to seize the power of Rome. In his speech at the capitol he concentrates on Brutus and appeals to the emotions of the people of Rome. At the end of the play, he publicly glorifies Brutus in order to heal the public's wounds caused by the loss of Brutus, Cassius, and Caesar.

D-day :: essays research papers fc

D-day One of the most important days during World War II was D-day, it became a â€Å"day† so important it changed a continent. Don't be mistaken by the word D-day it did not all happens in just one day but many days. D-day was just a code name for the day that Operation Overload started. D-day is very well known for the beginning of the end of the war in Europe and Hitler's rule over most of the ruined continent of Europe. Many say that if it were not for D-day Europe would have definitely fell to Hitler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are a few terms used when people talk about D-day. One of them is D-day, which is a military term used telling the unknown date in the future when an attack will be launched. It is most commonly used for the invasion of Normandy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second term not often herd but, still is used is H-hour. H-hour is the hour that D-day is supposed to start. H-hour for the three Normandy invasion sites were varied, because of weather, as much as eighty-five minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third term used is Overload. Which was the code name for the entire Allied plot to invade and free France and Western Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fourth term used when talking about D-day is Neptune. Neptune stood for the first phase of Operation Overload. Which was the planning of the Normandy assault, the movement of the armada across the English Channel, and the battle for the beaches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fifth term sometimes used when talking about D-day is The Atlantic Wall. The Atlantis Wall was the German’s first line of defense in the west, which was along the English Channel coast of France. The wall was only partly completed by June of 1944. It had many guns placed on it, beach obstacles, and mine fields. The part of the wall directly across from England and manned by Field Marshal Rammel's seventeenth and eighteenth armies containing thirty-seven divisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another word people use when they talk about D-day is landing craft. There are six different types of landing craft used on D-day. The first type is LCVP, which stands for Landing Craft Vechile and Personal; it took thirty-two men ashore. The second type is LCA, which stands for Landing Craft Assault; it was and armored wooden craft, which delivered troops. The third type is LCI, which stands for Landing Craft Infantry; it carried one hundred fifty-eight small landing craft, which individually delivered two hundred troops.

Adult Learning In Groups :: Learn Education Adults Essays

Adult Learning In Groups Groups [can] exert powerful influence both to advance and to obstruct learning. A group can be an environment in which people invent and explore symbolic structures for understanding the world, learning from each other and trying out for themselves the discourse of the domain of knowledge they seek to acquire. Alternatively, groups can encourage conformity, squander time and energy on ritual combat, revel in failure, and generally engage in all sorts of fantasy tasks that have little or nothing to do with learning. (Knights 1993, p. 185) The use of groups has deep historical roots in adult education, and, if asked, most adult educators would say that learning in groups is a fundamental principle of the field. Adult educators use groups frequently in structuring learning experiences, and groups also form the basis for much informal adult learning both within and outside institutional boundaries. Although group theory once played a major role in shaping the field, the topic of learning in groups has been relatively unexamined in the recent literature. This Practice Application Brief provides information that can be used in developing adult learning groups in formal educational settings. First, the nature of learning in groups is considered, followed by discussions of the role of the facilitator and forming groups. Guidelines for structuring group learning experiences for adults conclude the Brief. The Nature of Group Learning Little research exists on how learning occurs in groups (Cranton 1996; Dechant, Marsick, and Kasl 1993). Futhermore, when forming groups, adult educators tend to focus on helping learners work effectively together rather than on helping them understand the learning processes that may be occurring in the group (Dechant, Marsick, and Kasl 1993). By drawing on Habermas' domains of knowledge and interests, Cranton (1996) has developed a helpful way of thinking about how groups can accomplish or facilitate different types of learning. Cranton suggests that there are three types of group learning, each affiliated with the following kinds of knowledge proposed by Habermas-- instrumental (scientific, cause-and-effect information) communicative (mutual understanding and social knowledge) emancipatory (increased self-awareness and transformation of experience) As outlined by Cranton, the type of learning that occurs in groups varies according to the learning tasks and goals. Group learning that has as its goal the acquisition of instrumental knowledge is called cooperative. In cooperative learning groups, "the focus is on the subject matter rather than on the inter- personal process .

Best Friend vs Dog

Koski 1 Terry Koski Instructor: Melissa Wilke English Comp. 1 March 26, 2013 Best Friend vs Dogs Believe it or not, Friends and dogs have many similarities. They both make great companions and we here, they both play an important role in our life. The real subject I would like to point out is who's actually a better friend? I believe man's best friends are more true than their human counterpart because you can trust them.Try to question yourself, who's the one who will always be there when your in trouble,sad or sick? I'm not trying to say that all friends aren't as loyal as our pet, but it's arduous to find a friend that's as dedicated to only you no matter what. If you ever do have a friend that's as loyal, appreciate that person and treasure it because it's as rare as getting hit by lightning. Who is your best friend? My opinion, the answer is: a person that reflects yourself while looking in the mirror.Having a best friend is the best feeling in the world, it's like they are a pa rt of you in a way that's truly hard to explain until you find it. A best friend is someone you spend the majority of your time with because they have the most common with you. They will attend all the activities you both share the love for. Your dog won't be able to compete with that the majority of the time, but when you get home they will be waiting for you with the tail wagging acting like he or she hasn't seen you in years.Koski 2 I would like to look at the advantages of Man's best friend, No arguments or drama, there is never a hidden agenda in being your friend. It's pure Loyalty and Love for you as who you are, not what you have or what you can give materially. All the dog want's is a little attention and most of all love. Everything is so pure with them, there is absolutely no stress involved, which in this day and age is a rarity. There is no competition, no acting like your somebody your not to please anyone, they simply don't care.You can be who and what you are all the time. It doesn't matter if your wearing off brand clothes, your hair isn't done or you only have a penny to your name, the love is always there. There is never a awkward moment either, you can play with them for awhile and when your done, they are. It's a simple living with Man's Best Friend, although there is no verbal interaction from their side it's as if they are talking to you by the look on their face and their tail wagging.I guess this is the time to hit on the advantages of having a Best Friend, this is tough for me because all to often a friend has let me down. The great thing about having a best friend is human interaction, watching and going to a sporting events together, going on trips and creating memories that will last a life time. Asking for advice during tough times and giving it as well. Friends are self efficient, you don't have to feed them or care for them, they don't rely on you 100% for their well being

Describe the actions to take if a child or young person alleges harm or abuse in line with policies and procedures of own setting Essay

If a child or young person alleges harm or abuse in our setting we would follow the following guidance, policies and procedures: Listen to the child and take whatever he/she is saying seriously as the child will only disclose such information to somebody they feel they can trust. Offer support without judging or criticizing anything they are saying, try not to display shock or disbelief. Try to clarify information without over questioning or asking direct questions, writing down word for word what the child discloses, asking the child to draw or write (if appropriate) in a quiet, comfortable environment. Do not criticize the perpetrator as the child may still love this person. Be honest about your responsibilities and try to explain what happens next. Explain your responsibilities about confidentiality, and do not promise confidentiality. Wherever possible, consult with your manager or nominated safeguarding person. Make sure that there are no delays in protecting the child. Within the principle of keeping the child safe, do not do anything that may aggravate the situation or cause further harm or distress to the child. Record relevant information including dates and times in out incident record book along with drawings of the child’s injuries that we have witnessed (if relevant). My line manager who is also the safeguarding officer would then report immediately to social services who would then hopefully take the matter further, whether that is contacting the police, health visitor or/and the child’s family. We would give evidence if needed, attend any core meeting and follow up to make sure the child was getting the safety that he/she deserves even if this means continuing to pursue our concerns via the health visitor, social services etc.

Apple Is Expanding Its Distribution Channels

Apple is Expanding its Distribution Channels Cliff Edwards of Business Week harped on conflicts with existing retailers such as CompUSA and Sears, quoting CompUSA’s Lawrence N. Mondry, who declared, â€Å"When you choose to compete with your retailers, clearly that’s not a comfortable situation. † Mondry could have been describing the experience Mac buyers had when they stepped into most CompUSA stores. It was even worse at Sears. Realizing that they were being held over a barrel by big retailers that were used to calling the shots with computer OEMs and frequently provided a horrible purchasing environment for Apple products, the company did what it had to and took control of distribution. Apple retail stores would give the company the opportunity to â€Å"leapfrog† past dependence on other retailers. Daniel T. Niles of Lehman Brothers also saw the possibilities, telling MacWorld, â€Å"Apple has the ability to start attracting new customers with the launch of their higher-end retail store strategy. You can’t mention the surge in Mac sales without touching on the â€Å"Halo Effect† of the iPod. Apple made the iTunes/iPod combination available for Windows users. That move created several new distribution opportunities for Apple. First, it gave Windows users the opportunity to try Apple products without having to take the frightening plunge into the world of Macintosh. Apple finally had ac cess to a vast pool of Windows users it had previously been unable to touch. Second, it opened up a secondary market for iPod accessories and tie-ins. Had the iPod only been available for Macintosh users, a secondary market would have developed, but it would have been much, much smaller. Apple would never have been able to strike deals with auto manufacturers, for example. The connector on the bottom of every iPod (except the shuffle) became the point of entry to an incredible array of third-party products, and as that market grew, the iPod rapidly became the de facto standard portable multimedia device. Third, it gave the iTunes Store a tremendous head start. While a digital music store is handy in itself, none of the previously-existing stores had made much of a dent in consumer behavior. They didn’t operate particularly well with Windows-based MP3 players, and they didn’t offer broad enough music libraries. Apple struck deals with all the major labels and created a store that provided an easy, addictingly-convenient interface and seamless integration with the iPod. As the universe of purchased iPods grew, so did the market for the iTunes Store. The integration of iPod and iTunes also created a gestalt effect as Apple moved beyond music. Just as the Apple retail stores bypassed middlemen, the iTunes/iPod combination created a direct link between Apple and its customers. As Apple adds more capabilities to the iTunes Store, and does the same with the iPod, the two should continue to energize each other, provided Apple rolls out the right kinds of features. In 2001 Apple Computer has been taken a decision to open a series of retail stores that would display their entire line of Apple computer products, software and peripherals. Part of the decision, Apple's declining share of the computer market. Now the company has opened over 130 stores, including in Japan, Canada and the UK. It's latest annual report states that they will continue capital expenditures for retail operations, indicating that they have a long-term strategy for opening more stores. Apple Computer Store Products Hardware: It includes, iMac, Mac Mini, iBook, Mac Book, Mac Book Pro, iPod, Apple Cinema Displays, Airport Cards, iSight, Apple accessories etc. These are purchased from the Apple Store Online or by the phone. Apple Software: It includes iLife, iWork application bundles, Mac OS X, DVD Studio Pro, FinalCut Pro, and other miscellaneous Apple software titles. Third Party Software: It is made for Mac OS X, such as productivity software, design software, utilities, games much everything new that has been released for Mac OS X. Select Third Party Accessories: In this Apple ranges starts from Apple notebooks and iPod sleeves to speakers, printers, scanners, memory upgrades, and digital cameras. In Apple Store there are two types, those are: Retail store Online store The Apple Store, Regent Street, London, UK, is part of a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc. , dealing in computers and consumer electronics. As of April 2008, Apple has opened 209 stores, including 181 in 37 US states, 15 in the UK (14 in England, 1 in Scotland), seven in Japan, and 4 in Canada. Recently, Apple opened its first store in continental Europe, in Rome in Italy. In 2008, Apple will be opening 3 Australian stores, 1 located in Melbourne and 2 in Sydney. This store is the first Apple Store in Europe. It opened in autumn 2004 Will Apple's stainless steel architecture have to take a background to the historic buildings of other countries? In Japan, Apple uses English almost exclusively. But other countries may not embrace English, preferring to see their own language used in store signage. Apple will have to balance the cost of constructing a store, recruiting a suitable staff, and operating the store against the potential revenues, which in turns depends upon the registered Macintosh community, median income, currency trends and general retailing environment–just like at home! Apple’s centralized and extremely consumer oriented approach to mobile software distribution is revolutionary My argument is that it’s revolutionary in the same way the iPod and iTunes were revolutionary. Basically, the formula is similar to why Apple succeeded w/ the iPod and iTunes despite competition from manufacturers like Sony, ancient models for music distribution, and technology inept publishers Apple’s Solution: take the carriers out of the picture and give the developers a low cost or zero cost distribution channel Jobs began Apple's turnaround with the 2001 introduction of the iPod, which defined and then dominated the portable-music-player market—and which became central to the resuscitation of Apple's computer line. The Mac, once derided as a toy, today is the best personal computer on the planet, period. And the iPhone is the best smart phone. Nothing else comes close. As of the third quarter of 2008, Apple's iPhone was outselling the Research in MotionBlackBerry, even though the iPhone had been in the market for only 15 months. When measured by revenues, Apple has become the world's third-largest mobile-phone maker, behind Nokia and Samsung. All this is happening just as mobile devices are poised to become the most important computing platform. same or similar products. Strategic management, horizontal integration is a theory of ownership and control. It is a strategy used by a business or corporation that seeks to sell one type of product in numerous markets. To get this market coverage, several small subsidiary companies are created. Each markets the product to a different market segment or to a different geographical area. This is sometimes referred to as the horizontal integration of marketing. The horizontal integration of production is where a firm has plants in several locations producing similar products. Apple is leader on the MP3 player market. Dynamic approach: history of a firm can explain its leader position. In my example, Apple innovates with its couple iPod+iTunes and keeps the leadership since Some points of its strategy are astonishing because they look similar as Apple strategy for PC. Apple doesn't want to licence its own DRM, so if you want buy a song on internet for your iPod you have to go to the iTunesMuciStore and to listen this song directly on a MP3 player you must have an iPod (some consumers lodge a complaint against Apple). So, Apple does the same thing for its MP3 player than the computers about twenty years ago. Short term Apple wins but the market increases and we can't know how this leadership will progress and if Apple would change its strategy. The theory of games can help us to understand this choice and the risks. Installed firms are Stackelberg leader on the market, the potential entrance adapt its quantity. (Bain, J. (1968) Apple Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries design, manufacture, and market personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices, and sell various related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, it sells various third-party Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content through the iTunes Store. The company sells its products to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government, and creative customers. As of December 27, 2008, it had 251 retail stores. Apple Inc. , formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc. , was founded in 1976. The company is headquartered in Cupertino, California Company Background Apple Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively â€Å"Apple† or the â€Å"Company†) design, manufacture, and market personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices and sell a variety f related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh ® (â€Å"Mac†), iPod ® and iPhoneâ„ ¢ compatible products, including application software, pri nters, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores, and digital content through the iTunes Store ®. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-sized business (â€Å"SMB†), education, enterprise, government, and creative customers. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented in this Form 10-K is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar. Business Strategy The Company is committed to bringing the best personal computing, portable digital music and mobile communication experience to consumers, students, educators, businesses, and government agencies through its innovative hardware, software, peripherals, services, and Internet offerings. The Company’s business strategy leverages its unique ability to design and develop its own operating system, hardware, application software, and services to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior ease-of-use, seamless integration, and innovative industrial design. The Company believes continual investment in research and development is critical to the development and enhancement of innovative products and technologies. In addition to evolving its personal computers and related solutions, the Company continues to capitalize on the convergence of the personal computer, digital consumer electronics and mobile communications by creating and refining innovations, such as the iPod, iPhone, iTunes Store, and Apple TV ®. The Company desires to support a community for the development of third-party products that complement the Company’s offerings through its developer programs. The Company offers various third-party software applications and hardware accessories for Mac ® computers, iPods and iPhones through its retail and online stores, as well as software applications for the iPhone platform through its iTunes ® App Store. The Company’s strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more of its targeted customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience. Consumer and Small and Mid-Sized Business The Company believes a high-quality buying experience with knowledgeable salespersons who can convey the value of the Company’s products and services greatly enhances its ability to attract and retain customers. The Company sells many of its products and resells certain third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers and businesses through its retail and online stores. The Company has also invested in programs to enhance reseller sales, including the Apple Sales Consultant Program, which places Apple employees and contractors at selected third-party reseller locations. The Company believes providing direct contact with its targeted customers is an efficient way to demonstrate the advantages of its Mac computers and other products over those of its competitors. At the end of fiscal 2008, the Company had opened a total of 247 retail stores, including 205 stores in the U. S. and a total of 42 stores internationally. The Company has typically located its stores at high-traffic locations in quality shopping malls and urban shopping districts. A goal of the Company’s retail business is to expand its installed base through sales to customers who currently do not already own the Company’s products. By operating its own stores and locating them in desirable high-traffic locations, the Company is better positioned to control the customer buying experience and attract new customers. The stores are designed to simplify and enhance the presentation and marketing of the Company’s products and related solutions. To that end, retail store configurations have evolved into various sizes in order to accommodate market-specific demands. The stores employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel who provide product advice, service, and training. The stores offer a wide selection of third-party hardware, software, and various other accessory products and peripherals selected to complement the Company’s own products. Business Organization The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable operating segments consist of the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Retail. The Americas, Europe, and Japan reportable segments do not include activities related to the Retail segment. The Americas segment includes both North and South America. The Europe segment includes European countries as well as the Middle East and Africa. The Retail segment operates Apple-owned retail stores in the U. S. and in international markets. Each reportable geographic operating segment and the Retail operating segment provide similar hardware and software products and similar services. Further information regarding the Company’s operating segments may be found in Part II, The Company has signed multi-year agreements with various cellular network carriers authorizing them to distribute and provide cellular network services for iPhone 3G in over 70 countries. These agreements are generally not exclusive with a specific carrier, except in the U. S. , U. K. , France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and certain other countries. The Company expects to ship iPhone 3G in over 70 countries by the end of calendar year 2008. Markets and Distribution The Company’s customers are primarily in the consumer, SMB, education, enterprise, government, and creative markets. The Company distributes its products through wholesalers, resellers, national and regional retailers, and cataloguers. No individual customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2008, 2007, or 2006. The Company also sells many of its products and resells certain third-party products in most of its major markets directly to customers through its own sales force and retail and online stores. Significant portions of the Company’s Mac computers, iPods, iPhones, logic boards, and other assembled products are manufactured by outsourcing partners, primarily in various parts of Asia. A significant concentration of this outsourced manufacturing is currently performed by only a few of the Company’s outsourcing partners, often in single locations. Certain of these outsourcing partners are the sole-sourced suppliers of components and manufacturing outsourcing for many of the Company’s key products, including but not limited to final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s portable Mac computers, iPods, iPhones and most of the Company’s iMacs. Although the Company works closely with its outsourcing partners on manufacturing schedules, the Company’s operating results could be adversely affected if its outsourcing partners were unable to meet their production commitments. The Company’s purchase commitments typically cover its requirements for periods ranging from 30 to 150 days. Foreign and Domestic Operations and Geographic Data The U. S. represents the Company’s largest geographic marketplace. Approximately 57% of the Company’s net sales in 2008 came from sales to customers inside the U. S. Final assembly of the Company’s products is currently performed in the Company’s manufacturing facility in Ireland, and by external vendors in California, the Republic of Korea (â€Å"Korea†), the People’s Republic of China (â€Å"China†) and the Czech Republic. Currently, the supply and manufacture of many critical components is performed by sole-sourced third-party vendors in the U. S. , China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. Sole-sourced third-party vendors in China perform final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s portable products, including MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, iPods, iPhone, and most of the Company’s iMacs. Margins on sales of the Company’s products in foreign countries, and on sales of products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers, can be adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and by international trade regulations, including tariffs and antidumping penalties. The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions Global markets for personal computers, digital music devices, mobile communication devices, and related peripherals and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change. If the Company is unable to compete effectively in these markets, its financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. The Company competes in global markets that are highly competitive and characterized by aggressive price cutting, with its resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price/performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological and product advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers. The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on its ability to ensure a continuing and timely introduction of new innovative products and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its personal computers, consumer electronics, and mobile communication devices, including the hardware, operating system, several software applications, and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in research and development and as such, the Company currently holds a significant number of patents and copyrights and has registered and/or has applied to register numerous patents, trademarks and service marks. By contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures. If the Company is unable to continue to develop and sell innovative new products with attractive margins or if other companies To remain competitive and stimulate customer demand, the Company must successfully manage frequent product introductions and transitions. Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the personal computer, consumer electronics and mobile communication industries, the Company must continually introduce new products and technologies, enhance existing products, and effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products. The success of new product introductions depends on a number of factors, including timely and successful product development, market acceptance, the Company’s ability to manage the risks associated with new products and production ramp issues, the availability of application software for new products, the effective management of purchase commitments and inventory levels in line with anticipated product demand, the availability of products in appropriate quantities and costs to meet anticipated demand, and the risk that new products may have quality or other defects in the early stages of introduction. Accordingly, the Company cannot determine in advance the ultimate effect of new product introductions and transitions on its financial condition and operating results. The Company’s success depends largely on its ability to attract and retain key personnel. Much of the Company’s future success depends on the continued service and availability of skilled personnel, including its CEO, its executive team and key employees in technical, marketing and staff positions. Experienced personnel in the technology industry are in high demand and competition for their talents is intense, especially in the Silicon Valley, where most of the Company’s key employees are located. The Company has relied on equity awards as one means for recruiting and retaining this highly skilled talent. Accounting regulations requiring the expensing of stock options have resulted in increased stock-based compensation expense, which has caused the Company to reduce the number of stock-based awards issued to employees and could negatively impact the Company’s ability to attract and retain key personnel. Additionally, significant adverse volatility in the Company’s stock price could result in a stock option’s exercise price exceeding the underlying stock’s market value or a significant deterioration in the value of restricted stock units (â€Å"RSUs†) granted, thus lessening the The Company’s business is subject to the risks of international operations. The Company derives a large and growing portion of its revenue and earnings from its international operations. As a result, its financial condition and operating results could be significantly affected by risks associated with international activities, including economic and labor conditions, political instability, tax laws (including U. S. taxes on foreign subsidiaries), and changes in the value of the U. S. dollar versus local currencies. Margins on sales of the Company’s products in foreign countries, and on sales of products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers, could be materially adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and by international trade regulations, including tariffs and antidumping penalties. The Company’s primary exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates relate to non-U. S. dollar denominated sales in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and certain parts of Asia, as well as non-U. S. dollar denominated operating expenses incurred throughout the world. Weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U. S. dollar will adversely affect the U. S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency-denominated sales and earnings, and generally will lead the Company to raise international pricing, potentially reducing demand for the Company’s products. In some circumstances, due to competition or other reasons, the Company may decide not to raise local prices to the full extent of the dollar’s strengthening, or at all, which would adversely affect the U. S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency denominated sales and earnings. Conversely, a strengthening of foreign currencies, while generally beneficial to the Company’s foreign currency-denominated sales and earnings, could cause the Company to reduce international pricing, thereby limiting the benefit. As strengthening of foreign currencies may also increase the Company’s cost of product components denominated in those currencies. The Company has used derivative instruments, such as foreign exchange forward and option positions, to hedge certain exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The use of such hedging activities may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place. The Company’s retail business has required and will continue to require a substantial investment and commitment of resources and is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Through September 27, 2008, the Company had opened 247 retail stores. The Company’s retail stores have required substantial fixed investment in equipment and leasehold improvements, information systems, inventory, and personnel. The Company also has entered into substantial operating lease commitments for retail space with terms ranging from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years. Certain stores have been designed and built to serve as high-profile venues to promote brand awareness and serve as vehicles for corporate sales and marketing activities. Because of their unique design elements, locations and size, these stores require substantially more investment than the Company’s more typical retail stores. Due to the high fixed cost structure associated with the Retail segment, a decline in sales or the closure or poor performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs of equipment and leasehold improvements, and severance costs that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. The Company has a manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland. As of September 27, 2008, the Company leased approximately 4. 2 million square feet of space, primarily in the U. S. and to a lesser extent, in Europe, Japan, Canada, and the Asia Pacific region. The major facility leases are generally for terms of 3 to 20 years and generally provide renewal options for terms of 1 to 5 additional years. Leased space includes approximately 1. 8 million square feet of retail space, a majority of which is in the U. S. Lease terms for reta il space range from 5 to 20 years, the majority of which are for 10 years, and often contain multi-year renewal options. As of September 27, 2008, the Company owned a 367,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland that also housed a customer support call center. The Company also owned 805,000 square feet of facilities in Sacramento, California that include warehousing and distribution operations, as well as a customer support call center. In addition, the Company owned approximately 2. 3 million square feet of facilities for research and development and corporate functions in Cupertino, California, including approximately 1. 0 million square feet purchased in 2007 and 2006 for the future development of the Company’s second corporate campus in Cupertino, California, and approximately 107,000 square feet for a data center in Newark, California. Outside the U. S. , the Company owned additional facilities totaling approximately 129,000 square feet as of September 27, 2008. The Company believes its existing facilities and equipment are well maintained and in good operating condition. The Company has invested in internal capacity and strategic relationships with outside manufacturing vendors, and therefore believes it has adequate manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet anticipated demand for its products. Globalization, Technology, and E-business are all major factors influencing today's business world. They influence many of our business related decisions on a daily basis. Some of these decisions could be deciding to use a computer to order a new desk from Singapore or using your cell phone to make a conference call in India. Even Apple's management functions are not immune to these critical factors. Apple began selling personal computers produced in the garage of one of the founders in 1976. They were incorporated in 1977. Apple's first important product, the Apple II, personal computer was released in 1977 and by 1982 sales had increased to over $750 million. (Kimmel, 1998). It was clear that globalization played a big part in this success. Globalization is becoming a must have for large organizations to excel above their competition. With that being said globalization has been influential to Apple's revenue. According to Apple, their â€Å"international sales accounted for 43 percent of the quarter's revenue† (Dowling, 2005), this is continuing to rise. The rise in revenue is a result of excellent management and planning. Because of the need to go international, Apple created a strategic plan to go forward in the direction of globalization. This type of globalization will involve countries with different needs and different markets. For instance, planning a marketing scheme must involve the different variables that apply for each market. When planning globally, company structure must be taken into consideration. With that being said organization and control go hand in hand Steve Jobs came back once again as the CEO of Apple in 1997. This time he had a new game plan, and Apple started to focus on the digital lifestyle of consumers. This proved to be Apple’s most successful business strategy to date because a once ineffective company now had ruled the computer world. In 2005, Apple announced that it would start using Intel-based chips to run Macintosh computers. In April 2006, Apple announced Boot Camp, which allows users of Intel-based Macs to boot either Mac or Windows OS. This functionality allows users who may need both OSs to own just one machine to run both, albeit not simultaneously