Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Project Management - Essay Example The new club will be larger than Benimhannas’ existing clubs. This is due to the additions of a small 100 seat cinema, and an extensive beauty spa. The beauty spa will have a vast range of treatments and services available including: spray tanning, massage, and non surgical â€Å"face lifts†. As project manager appointed by Benimhanna at the feasibility stage, you are required to prepare a report (2,000 words) outlining the activities required to successfully manage this major project of building the new private health and fitness club, and ensuring that it is completed on time, and within budget. The analysis should include the skills and competencies required by the Project Manager, along with the project management process. Use examples of the concerns, stages, processes, leadership, administration and control problems associated with managing the lifecycle of this major project. Benimhanna is a firm operating within the British leisure industry. The firm focuses on the provision of health and fitness services. Since the first establishment of the company in 1994, its development has been rapid reaching today approximately the 24 clubs across Britain. The entire firm’s clubs follow the same standards and are structured in accordance with specific guidelines and plans. The firm is currently planning to establish a new club, bigger from existing ones which will have all features that can be normally met in the firm’s clubs (i.e. a 25 x 12 metre swimming pool, a fitness facility, a health suite (including 5 tanning beds, and a sauna and steam room), 3 aerobic/dance studios, two meeting rooms, and a small cafeteria/bar lounge area, see case study) while in addition it will also include ‘a small 100 seat cinema, and an extensive beauty spa’ (case study). At a next level, the services offered by the beauty spa incorporated in the new clu b will be more than the ones provided through the firm’s current clubs across the country. The above plan is expected

Monday, October 28, 2019

Drinking Age Dialectic Essay Example for Free

Drinking Age Dialectic Essay Everyone should be able to go to social organizations for the community or school. Sometimes not everyone can attend though because of alcohol being served. Teens enjoy going to see their favourite bands play when they come near by. Some are held in bars which limit the people who can go. Lowering the drinking age to 18 would open up safer and monitored drinking locations for those teens. The Sask. Party should recognize that a lot of good can come out of lowering it rather then all the drinking and driving aspects of it. It is moral and ethical to consider lowering the drinking age. This is not an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking?’ This is an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking legally?’ That is the fundamentally difference. One of the highest rates of impaired driving is among younger adults because they don’t think of the consequences. Even the best crafted law can only be applied after it’s been broken. If the drinking age does go through that does not mean there will be any less accidents or anymore accidents, people are going to drink and drive whether they can legally drink or not. It is immoral and unethical to consider lowering the drinking age. Saskatchewan already has one of the highest impaired driving rates in the country. There is understandable concern about a potential increase in impaired driving. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. With the drinking age possibly going down is raises worry with drinking and driving. This is not an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking?’ This is an argument of, ‘Should 18-year-olds be drinking legally?’ That is the fundamentally difference. Nathan Sgrazzutti spoke in favour of lowering the drinking age because it would improve student safety and increase the number of major events students could attend. Generally, first year students are 18 and excluded from attending many student union-organization events because they typically include alcohol. Should students be able to drink in an establishment where there are bounces to protect them and bartenders to cut them off when they’ve had too much or drink at home where they can get blackout drunk with no one around to pass out in their own vomit which is dangerous. It would be better for 18-year-olds to drink at a safe place and be able to attend more school functions that may have not of been able to before. One of the highest rates of impaired driving is among younger adults because they don’t think of the consequences. If the drinking age gets lowered the main purpose would be to ensure that people who are drinking no matter the age find a safe ride home. â€Å"Our focus regardless of the legal drinking age is make sure people aren’t drinking and driving,† said Rebecca Schultz, SGI’s manager of media relations. If today’s youth want to drink, they are going to find a way to get alcohol, check out Facebook and you will see plenty of teenagers posing in groups holding up their Red Solo cups. Teens and young adults are going to drink no matter what making sure they have a safe ride is something that does matter though. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. Eighteen-year-olds who can’t legally drink need to only cross an imaginary line to enter a jurisdiction where it is legal for them to drink. Lowering the drinking age will likely reduce underage drinking rates since the novelty and thrill of drinking when it’s prohibited will wear off. At 18 one is considered an adult, able to vote, purchase tobacco and lottery tickets but not alcohol. If at 18 you are considered an adult you should be able to drink in all provinces not just some when all you have to do is go on a trip to go and drink legally. Saskatchewan already has one of the highest impaired driving rates in the country. Drinking and driving is most common among young people ages 18-25. According to SGI, there were 1 284 alcohol-related collisions in 2011, 59 of those involved where 18 and 66 where 19. SGI says alcohol is the No. 1 contributing factors to fatal collisions in the province. If alcohol is a big deal in fatal collisions we should start thinking about raising it not lowering the drinking age. There is understandable concern about a potential increase in impaired driving. After a record low of 46 deaths in 2005, 2006 and 2007 alcohol related fatalities have since risen. Over last Christmas and New Year, three people died and 64 were injured in alcohol related collisions. Statistics show that impaired driving charged had jumped nearly three-fold on year after the drinking age slipped to 18 years ago. If impaired driving causes so many deaths we should stricken the laws and leave the drinking age. Politicians have wrestled with the appropriate drinking age for decades. Until 1969, when it was lowered to 19, the legal drinking age in Saskatchewan was 21. 36 years ago when a majority of the Saskatchewan MLA’s in a free vote opted a to nudge up the age to which people could legally drink in the province to 19 from 18. Many of the same arguments bubble up again except this time its about lowering it from 19 to 18. Every province should have the same drinking age and stick with it instead of always changing them. What if my child could legally drink at eighteen? Making sure they had a safe ride home even if it meant calling to ask for one would be a main priority. I know they are going to drink anyways whether it is legal for them to do it or not. I would feel better knowing that they are at a bar where there are people to monitor them then at a party where people do not care. If my child is going to drink I would sooner it be legal for them to do so they are not sneaking around where no one knows where they are. What if every was able to legally drink? If everyone was able to drink places would be ciaos and full of alcoholics. You would need to stricken the drinking and driving laws to prevent collisions. It would create more jobs as the demand for alcohol would be higher. If everyone drank life would take a turn for the worse but there is also no harm in lowering it one year. With all these points the Saskatchewan Party will have to take a long hard look towards lowering the drinking age to 18. The Sask. Party government should look into how other provinces try to prevent impaired driving collisions. Drinking and driving is going to occur no matter what the legal drinking age is. Teens are finding ways to drink now and will continue to find ways if the drinking age stays the same. No one really knows the appropriate drinking age or will they ever know if nothing ever changes. Sometimes change can be for the better and people are mature enough to deal with it and other times it turns out bad but you can’t find out what will really happen by looking at statistics and predicting what is going to happen.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Summary of Case Analysis: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Essay

Summary of Case Analysis: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  INTRODUCTION GOODYEAR TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, was founded in 1898 and was the world tire production leader until November 1990 when Groupe Michelin took over after merging with Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company. Goodyear ¡Ã‚ ¦s principal business is the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of tires throughout the world. Its tires and tube sales represent 83 % of 1991 corporate sales of $10.9 billion with corporate wide earnings of $96.9 million. It has its owned Goodyear Auto Service Centers and franchised Goodyear Tire Dealers in supporting its distribution and sale of tires in US. Goodyear controls 20 percent of the world ¡Ã‚ ¦s tire manufacturing capacity and 37 percent of US tire-making capacity and sales outside US represent 42 % of company revenues. Table 1  ¡V Worldwide Market Share, 1990 In early 1992, Sears, Roebuck and Company (Sears), owner of Auto Centers proposed to sell Goodyear ¡Ã‚ ¦s popular brand tire, Eagle. This has raised Goodyear ¡Ã‚ ¦s management consideration due to the following facts: (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goodyear brand tires has declined 3.2 % in market share (4.9 million units) for passenger cars between 1987 to 1991; (ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2 million worn-out Goodyear tires were replaced with other brands at 850 Sears Auto Centers. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  THE ISSUE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The declining of Goodyear market share was believed due to the growth of warehouse membership club and the discount tire retail. See Table 2 and 3 below. In addition to that, about 2 million Goodyear tires were replaced by other brands at Sears Auto Centers in the Replacement Tire Market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Table 2  ¡V US Market Share of Tire Replacement by Retail Outlet Type of Retail Outlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1982 (%)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1992 (%) Traditional multibrand independent dealers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  44  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  44 Discount multibrand independent dealers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 Chain stores, department stores  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  20  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 Tire company stores  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  9 Service stations  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 Warehouse clubs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 Others  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 Total  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  100  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  100   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Table 3  ¡V Pie chart of US Market Share of Tire Replacement by Retail Outlet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Goodyear ¡Ã‚ ¦s management is considering Sears proposal to sell its Goodyear ¡Ã‚ ¦s popular brand i.e. Eagle which basically affect it distribution policy. In summary, the above factors l... ...(b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Price a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To offer high incentive in terms of transfer of price to the franchise dealers and standard incentive to Sears Auto Centers. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertising and Promotion a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategize the advertising to notify and educate customers of the new and additional channels of Goodyear tire products in the TV and newspaper; (d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Distribution and Sales a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To review the existing franchise contracts with the franchise dealers and provide more marketing support to both franchise dealers and Sears. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To restrict distribution of tires, ie. Channels (franchise and Sears) will only be able to obtain distribution from authorized distributors and not directly from manufacturer, as this will ensure price stability. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CONCLUSION The recommendation is to proceed with the review of distribution policy in order to allow Sears to sell Goodyear tires and expand the franchise dealers ¡Ã‚ ¦ business to include the on-stop-service centers. This decision will re-gain market share from the warehouse club and discount independent dealers and increase sales of 2 million tires annually as the distribution channels have increase and able to tap loyalty customers of Sears.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Why did Michael Henchard fail? Essay -- English Literature

Why did Michael Henchard fail? The Mayor of Casterbridge is a novel about the rise and fall of a mercurial man called Michael Henchard. The book takes us through his life when he is twenty-one and outlines his ascent and descent in society. Michael Henchard is a man of many characteristics. Amongst his characteristics he has a kind, honest and determined personality along with a cold, ruthless, and stubborn personality. Henchard's impulsiveness, aggressive attitude, self-centredness made failure inevitable in his life. We first meet Henchard a disconsolate twenty-one year old hay-trusser, he is married with a young daughter. We see Henchard sell his wife and daughter in a drunken rage in furmity tent at a county fair. At first it was a bit of a joke, a friendly banter but then it turned nasty. The two main reasons for Henchard not backing down from his offer of a wife and daughter this was alcohol and his pride. Alcohol played a big part in Henchard's mistakes in life. He often regrets things after he does them, and suffers the consequences like the fact that he sold his wife and daughter to a sailor whom he had not known, a complete stranger for five guineas. It stays on his conscience and haunts him. Henchard was young and naive and felt that his wife and daughter were a burden upon him, and he felt he needed a new start. The sale of his wife and daughter suggests Henchard is childish and stubborn. It is almost as if when Henchard is under the influence of alcohol he turns into a aggressive child saying ''No I said I will sell my wife and daughter, I don't care what happens I said i will and I will!'' The next morning Henchard knows that he has committed a terrible sin, but the fact that Hencha... ...hard is now declared bankrupt and in front of the creditors throws down his gold watch rather childishly. He would do this because he is a very proud man and he wants nothing. ''He had used his one talent of energy to create a position of affluence out of absolutely nothing.'' One thing about Michael Henchard is that you have to admire him for what he has achieved in his life, his energy, aspirations and determination allowed him to do this. But the only problem is that Henchard is too impulsive and acts n emotions, and does not think before he acts. That is why he failed in life. I also believe that fate played a big part in his failure. For example the weather forecast, he acted on impulsion and he did not think about the accuracy of the reading. So overall I think that Michael Henchard's character contributed to his failure along with pure fate.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Chinese Economy, Culture & Society

The social values and history have shaped and formed the economical developments and the current environment of business in the People's Republic of China. They have determined the patterns for negotiation and the Chinese perceptions of business, and their feelings towards westerners. The implicit and explicit rules that the Chinese society has on the development of businesses, and the economy in general, are very important issues for any person going into China to understand and consider. In order to achieve a successful partnership between Chinese and Western cultures it is essential to have a basic understanding of history and cultural developments that have shaped the current environment of business. The three pillars of China are economy, culture, and society. The Chinese economy has been formed as a result of centuries of history and development, which reflect the philosophy of China and its current economical position. China started as a mainly agricultural based society with the subsistence group; the family. For more than 2000 years the Chinese economy operated under a type of feudal system; land was concentrated in the hands of a relatively small group of landowners whose income depended on rents from their peasant tenants. Agricultural taxes levied by the imperial government and crop yields subject to drought and floods kept agriculture relatively underdeveloped and organized in small units with the use of primitive methods for basic subsistence. The conclusion of the Opium War of 1840 formally initiated a period of Western penetration of China from the coastal treaty ports. Railroads and highways were constructed, and some industrial development began. Such activity had little impact, however, on the overall Chinese economy. In effect, China was carved up into a number of competing colonial spheres of influence. Japan, which tried to attach China to its East Asia prosperity Sphere, was able to create only isolated nodes of a modern economy. The Chinese Communist party emerged in the 1920s in the midst of a mounting economic crisis caused by foreign intervention and increased landlord influence in the countryside. For more than two decades, it expanded its control over large rural areas by introducing an agrarian program based on the control of rent and usury, and by giving power to peasant associations. On October 1, 1949, the Communist party successfully established a unified national government and economy on the mainland for the first time since the end of the imperial period in 1912. From 1949 to 1952 the emphasis was on halting inflation and ending food shortages and unemployment. The new government initiated a land reform program that redistributed land to 300 million poor peasants into cooperative farms. In 1958 the rural people's communes were established, and these dominated agriculture in China until the early 1980s. The commune was based on the collective ownership of all land and major tools by its members, who produced mainly to meet state planning targets and who were rewarded according to the work they performed, although basic necessities were guaranteed to all members. In the urban-industrial sector, state ownership of property and of industrial and commercial enterprises was gradually extended. Industry grew steadily from heavy investment under the first five-year plan, and the state-owned sector achieved an overwhelming importance. The second five-year plan was introduced in 1958, trying to get China ahead into industrialization. This program was characterized by large investments in heavy industry and the establishment of small-scale versions of such industries as steel refining. The program, however, caused great disruptions in economic management and in rational economic growth, and in 1960 the program had to be abandoned. The Chinese economy then entered a period of readjustment, but by 1965 production in many fields again approached the level of the late 1950s. The third five-year plan began in 1966, but both agricultural and industrial production were severely curtailed by the effects of the Cultural Revolution; a fourth five-year plan was introduced in 1971 as the economy began its recovery. After eliminating the vestiges of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, China's leaders decided to move at a faster pace on all economic fronts to make up for the loss suffered in the preceding ten years. A fifth five-year program began in 1976 but was interrupted in 1978, when the Four-Modernization program was launched. It included the modernization of agriculture, industry, national defense, and science and technology. A ten-year plan for 1976-85 stressed improvement in economic management and a larger role for private and collectively owned (as opposed to state-owned) enterprises. This program was superseded by a more modest ten-year plan for 1981-90, but efforts to attract Western technology and investment continued, as did a program of incentives to increase agricultural production. Policies introduced in October 1984 called for further decentralization of economic planning and for increased reliance on market forces to determine the prices of consumer goods. China has potential to be the biggest market of the world with 1.3 billion people. Furthermore, it posses billions of unexplored resources and the biggest and cheapest labor force in Asia. The size and underdevelopment make it a potential monster that has created interest in every investing and developing country in the world. The Chinese economy is an increasing economic possibility for anyone. Chinese culture and society can be divided into two major periods, Imperial China and Communist China. The modern Chinese society can be defined as a combination of centuries of values and communist propaganda achievements. The imperial China had a strong class system where 90% of the people were poor and possessed limited resources to develop culturally, socially and personally. This situation led to the strength of the large family and the basis for the distinctive collectivism of China. The well being of the family and the state are the main goals for any action in society. If actions taken do not contribute to the family or the society as a whole, then the actions will not be regarded as proper. Eliminating almost any form of individualistic thinking. The Chinese Family is the main economic unit of society. The development of the Chinese economy is based on the family. The Chinese family is the economic unit in which members produce and consume in common. Also, it is the religious unit responsible for the performing of rites required for the well being of the family. The social security of the Chinese family relies on the effective performance and interaction between religion and family. These concepts strongly clash with western individualism collection of wealth for personal gain. A clear example of this is the overseas Chinese control family-run business empires that already dominate much of Asia. They invest billions in China, helping their ancestral homeland become the world's fastest-growing economy. Together, China and its approximately 56 million offshore Chinese are the most important commercial and political forces for China and reflect, again the family based economic strategy that they follow. In addition to the traditional imperial Chinese society, the Communist values shape and blend into modern Chinese philosophy. One of the early acts of the Chinese Communist party after it gained control in 1949 was to officially eliminate organized religion. Previously the dominant religions in China had been Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Most temples and schools of these four religions were converted to secular purposes. Only with the constitution of 1978 was official support again given for the allowance of formal religion in China. The constitution also stated that the Chinese population had the right to hold religious beliefs. Moreover, China has a long and rich cultural tradition in which education has played a major role. Throughout the imperial period (221 BC-AD 1912), only the educated have held positions of social and political leadership. In 124 BC the first university was established for training prospective bureaucrats in Confucian learning and the Chinese classics. Historically, however, few Chinese have been able to take the time to learn the complex language and it's associated literature. It is estimated that as late as 1949 only 20% of China's population was literate. To the Chinese Communists, this illiteracy was a stumbling block for the promotion of their political programs. Therefore, the Communists combined political propaganda with educational development. Chinese education has been strongly affected by the communism in China. Since education was for the rich and privileged during imperial age of China. One of the most ambitious programs of the Communist party has been the establishment of universal public education for their large population. In the first two years of the new government (1949-51) more than 60 million peasants enrolled in â€Å"winter schools,† or sessions, established to take advantage of the slack season for agricultural workers. Mao declared that a dominant goal of education was to reduce the sense of class distinction. This was to be accomplished by reducing the social gaps between manual and mental labor, between the city and countryside residents and between the worker in the factory and the peasant on the land. After long periods of breaks and changes in policies colleges reopened in 1970-72. Admission was granted to many candidates because of their political leanings, party activities, and peer-group support. This method of selection ceased in 1977, as the Chinese launched their new campaign for the Four Modernizations. The governments stated goals for rapid modernization in agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology required high levels of training. Such educational programs by necessity had to be based on theoretical and formal skills more than on political attitudes and the spirit of revolution. After the revolution every thing changed in China. The stability of social values and structure where the highest achievement for the Chinese philosophy. These values where already deep in the Chinese culture; however, they were strengthened with communism and used into the development of China. The Chinese society had become a combination of strong family and moral values and a country thriving for modernization and industrialization. This concept of stability as the highest achievement obstructed the development of China in the past, and still creates problems today. The sole concept of risks disturbs the grounds of Chinese culture in contrast to western society where risk is the main drive for development and investment. The radical change from imperialism and strong class differences to the equality philosophy implemented by Mao Tse Tung created the modern China. Its development from feudalism to communism created a conservative China, with very few attempts to move towards capitalism. It was through the imperial years that mercantilism and trade took place, yet it never flourished, as the capitalistic model westerners know, until China's re-opening to the western world in the 70's. China has always had the elements for development. In fact, they could very well have had an industrial revolution before England. China possessed many key elements that transformed Europe into a modernized industrial economy (compass, printing, gunpowder, etc). Nevertheless, there is much more to China than just industrial and economical development. Thus, when considering developing a business in China one should always consider the cultural factors that makes the Chinese society so strong and differentiating it from western societies. The fact that China wants to grow, does not mean that it will do it with the western models and philosophy, rather it will be with models developed from their own culture. This is the point that can be attributed to cause most of the problems between Chinese and Western cultures, and the point to be accepted in order to be successful in developing a successful business relationship in China. Negotiating in China can be very frustrating. Differences in decision making styles and negotiating tactics cause misunderstanding and tension. Chinese culture is based on the importance of rituals and ceremonies and so is Chinese business. Business meetings are as important as the dealings during receptions. To exemplify the process of dealing with China in order to develop a productive relationship we will use the case of Kentucky Fried Chicken in China. This case includes the different problems and strategies used in the negotiation and development of business in China, specifically in setting up a foreign joint venture. However, the problems that arise and the current working environment of the Chinese economy cannot be understood without first understanding the history and the cultural revolutions that have shaped it. This brief outline of the history of China leads insight into some of the problems and the resolutions that a manager for KFC experienced during his venture with the Chinese. In 1986, Tony Wang was Vice President of the Southeast Asia division of KFC. He had an opportunity of bringing the world's largest chicken restaurant company into the world's largest populated country. Wang was an experienced entrepreneur and had been working for KFC for seven years. No other fast food companies were currently operating in the People's Republic, so Wang did not have anything to go by and had nothing to help him evaluate the attractiveness of the Chinese market. The main downsides of operating in China were huge demands on managerial resources and the low prospects of significant hard currency repatriation. The first decision that Wang was faced with was where to open the location of the first KFC. Obviously there were differences from city to city but a reliable way to evaluate these differences did not exist. Wang was interested in the enormous potential of the Chinese market, but he knew that many other companies had failed in similar ventures. Ta-Tung, (Tony) Wang was born in the Sichuan province in the People's Republic of China in 1944. He moved to Taiwan when he was young and graduated from the Chong-Yuan University with a degree in engineering. He later moved to the United States, and in 1973 completed a masters degree in management science from the Steven's Institute of Technology in New Jearsey. He then attended New York University where, in 1975, he received his post-master's certificate in international business management. Wang joined KFC in 1975 at the headquarters in Louisville. Wang was convinced of the large potential for American-style fast food in China. He attended a lecture by the mayor of Tianjin (the third largest city in China), who spoke of the many opportunities for investment in his city. Wang was asked by the mayor to sit on a council to advise on improving the fast food industry in Tianjin. KFC was currently owned by R.J. Reynolds, who was very interested in getting into the Chinese market to sell their cigarettes. American smokes were in high demand in China. Wang had the support of top management. He spoke perfect Mandarin and English and was as comfortable working in New York as he was Beijing. He also had experience negotiating with the Chinese. As Tony Wang investigated more and more into the necessary requirements his concerns began to grow. He knew that Chinese workers would have problems working under the KFC guidelines, and time-consuming, expensive training programs would be a necessary requirement. As well large capital outlays would be needed to find and negotiate a partnership, to sign a lease and gain operating permits. Wang began to thoroughly research the Chinese market. The first item that he began to look at was location. The reason that this was so important was because the location would have dramatic impact on the profitability, future expansion to the rest of China, and the managerial resources commitments. Four cities were selected as potential locations for the first store: Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing. Tianjin – One of the major advantages of Tianjin was the established contacts that Wang had there. As well, it was only one of three municipal governments in China that were not controlled by the Central Government in Beijing. The major problem with Tianjin was it lacked a convenient supply of grain-fed chickens. Local chickens were fed using fish meal fed chickens. This presented a problem given that the Chinese place great emphasis on freshness and taste. Tianjin also was not a very popular tourist location. Wang expected most profits to be in Renminbi, but some foreign currency would be needed for profit repatriation and purchasing needed supplies, which could only be purchased outside of China. Shanghai – Shanghai has over 11 million people, and is regarded as China's most prosperous business centre. Shanghai is home to a large variety of Western hotels, business facilities and tourists, however it also is not a very popular tourist spot, because of the pollution and loud noise. The investment could not be justified if it did not supply an adequate amount of foreign currency. Shanghai did, however, contain several feed mills and the largest poultry supplier in China. Gangzhou – Gangzhou is located in Southeast China only a short distance from Hong Kong, and is recognized for it preferential treatment for foreign investment. It has greater autonomy in approving foreign investment projects, reducing tax rates, and encouraging technological development. Many tourists visit Gangzhou because of its close proximity to Hong Kong. As well any operations could be managed directly from the existing Hong Kong operations. As well, Wang did not anticipate difficulty finding a supplier for chicken. Beijing – Beijing is the second largest city in China. It is the political and cultural centre and has relatively high levels of affluence and the education of its inhabitants. It is also the tourist centre of China, with many attractions located in and around Beijing. A Beijing location would also give a higher profile. This could be both good and bad. If they received approval from the central government, they would be able to enter the rest of the Chinese market without hassle. However, because of the higher profile, the government might decide that they would not fit in to the Chinese landscape, which would prevent them from ever succeeding. Outside of Beijing there were also numerous poultry farms. Wang knew that the location was the most important detail, and would decide whether KFC would succeed or not. There were currently no other competitors in the Chinese market, so now was the time to strike to take advantage of the situation. The risks were high, and Wang needed to weigh out these risks to estimate whether the expenses would lead to for a huge gain or a huge loss. In early February 1987, Wang decided to open operations in Beijing. This was decided because of Beijing's high amount of tourists and its autonomous municipal government. However, he was feeling more worried about the venture. KFC signed a joint venture partnership. Wang's worries were stemming from the difficulty he had been experiencing getting things done in a city governed by a bureaucracy that seemed impossible to either understand or work with. He felt that he would never be able to find a location in the city and government approval was required on everything. Wang was also concerned whether Chinese workers would be able to meet KFC's demands for cleanliness, quality and service. The establishment of a joint venture was considered essential because Wang described the chinese, â€Å"completely impossible for us to understand. In fact, trying to do so is a complete waste of time.† Trying to understand investment regulations, winning approval for operating licenses, leases, and employment contracts could certainly prevent them from proceeding. A local partner was not required under Chinese law, however Wang felt it would be beneficial in setting up operations and maintaining continued viability. Through ties R.J. Reynolds had with the Ministry of Light, a partnership was formed between KFC and the Beijing Corporation of Animal Production, a Beijing city government-controlled producer of chickens. After careful inspection KFC found that this would indeed work out, as Animal Production already produced three of the approved breeds of chicken required for operations. Negotiations with the poultry producer commenced with Mr. Jue Xia, a senior manager in the Beijing corporation. Xia felt that it would not be able to meet KFC's large demand because they did not have access to large enough reserves of grain. Xia was also hesitant about KFC's quality standards. However, they thought that a partnership with a Western firm would be beneficial for them as they would gain international experience. Xia felt that Tony Wang was unlike most American managers; he was a man he could deal with. The Beijing Corporation helped Wang find a chicken supplier but they lacked close contact with the government agencies that would be essential to setting up operations. So a third partner was needed. Both partners agreed that the Beijing Tourist Bureau would be able to meet their requirements. The Tourist Bureau was responsible for the supervision of the construction and operation of all hotels and restaurants in Beijing. They also had a lot of experience speeding up the construction of many Western hotels, and had many times participated in a joint venture in these operations. During these negotiations it happened that KFC was sold to Pepsico. During this time KFC was the second largest fast food chain in the world. It was initially thought that Animal Production had only come on board because of pressure from the Ministry of Light Industry, who wanted to win points with Reynolds, so the acquisition came at a bad time. As it turned out, however, Pepsico's connections with the government in Beijing were even stronger then Reynolds, so negotiations continued with a renewed interest. To convince the partners to become part of the venture, Wang offered a guarantee of five percent return on equity, much better than they could receive domestically. This sealed the deal in winning over the partners. KFC retained 60% of ownership, The Tourist Bureau received 27%, and Beijing Animal Production took 13%. This was the actual breakdown of assets that each partner was contributing to the arrangement. This deal was privately pre-approved as acceptable in negotiations with the Foreign Economic Development and City Planning Commissions. The approval of the partnership also required on the sharing of the corporation. With one-half coming from KFC and the other half split between the other two partners. The deal also stated that the chairman would be appointed by Animal Production and the vice-chairman would be appointed by the Tourist Bureau. This concerned Wang because of loss of control over operations. Wang countered by establishing the new store as a franchisee, with the franchiser being KFC's head office in Singapore. This would require 3% royalty payments to be paid to the head office, and require the store to purchase its seasoning mixes from the head office, both using hard currency. Wang also appointed a day-to-day general manager in Beijing, who would be appointed by KFC and have control over operations. Although it seemed like all major challenges were over, they weren't. The approval of the partnership did not give any operating authority for KFC in the city. They needed a â€Å"Licence to Execute a Business Activity.† Approval of this required the signatures of the District government, the Commerce Department, the Taxation Department, the Health Department, and the Food Supply and Logistics Department. None of these agencies had any coordination, so approval from each separately was required and this could take months or years. Tony Wang stated: † We are pioneers in China, but so are the Chinese. However, whether they want to learn or not is another story. Many Westerners make the same big mistake in China: they assume that they can just pay to have the required work done or at least expedited. This just doesn't work in China. The Chinese are not motivated by a desire to do things right simply for the sake of doing things right. They don't want your help in speeding up the process. They just want to avoid problems. And unless we can convince them otherwise, we are their biggest problem.† A license was necessary before a lease could be signed, but Wang was worried that a desirable location might not be found. All buildings and possible space in Beijing is occupied. As well, Chinese regulations stated that new tenants would have to guarantee the employment of any workers left jobless when a new tenant took over. This worried Wang because he would be stuck with a number of unskilled Chinese that he would have to employ. Wang wanted the first store that was to be opened to be big and flashy because it would determine the future success of KFC in China. This was strategically a good idea but it ran counter to the culture in China where there was a history of hostility towards Western culture. In February 1987, a license was issued by the city, allowing KFC to operate in Beijing. The Tourist Bureau played an integral role in speeding up the application. Under the license KFC was given a tax remission for two years; profits in three years, four and five would be taxed at 16.5%, with profits thereafter taxed at 33% Wang now had to select a site to open the first location. But no matter where a location was chosen KFC would still require a building permit, as well as hookups for electricity, water, gas, and heating before the store could open. Wang discovered that many of these services were difficult to obtain, and it was not uncommon for applications to not be processed for months. Another concern was the company's need to secure import licenses needed to bring equipment into the country: pressure frying machines, cash registers, blending and cutting equipment for the kitchen. Each item required a separate permit that could take months to attain. During all these negotiations Tony Wang realized that no one had thought to test market the area. It was known that the Chinese liked chicken. From KFC's success in Hong Kong, it was assumed that it would be accepted, but no one had had time to find out for sure and they were forced to cross their fingers. Another problem was finding a reliable supplier of quality potatoes. If they were unable to do this they would have to use mashed potatoes, and Wang did not know how the Chinese would receive this. The largest concern facing Tony Wang was whether or not the Chinese employees could meet the quality, service, and cleanliness requirements. The Chinese employees would have little appreciation for KFC's international standards of cleanliness or product quality. Most domestic organisations lacked any incentive programs, work was seen as something to be avoided, and service was a foreign term. The KFC organization would not allow the store to open if these levels were not met. The ironic part was that Chinese consumers would accept less then what was required. This would create conflict with the partners. Tony Wang also wondered what KFC would do with the soft currency that the venture would generate, and wondered whether or not there would even be any profits. Wang was faced with three options: 1. Pull out – cut the company losses and avoid negative publicity if the venture failed. This would allow for further research and KFC could try to re-enter in a few years when there was more complete information. 2. Go ahead slowly – taking more time evaluating the situation to make sure the partnerships were secure and the market would accept KFC, however this would invite competitor response. 3. Go ahead full – the market had high potential for success for KFC, and, with 1.1 billion people, large potential for profits. Wang decided to go full ahead. The location was finally found. The central government approved the lease because Wang sold them on the idea that the restaurant would represent a symbol and statement of the People's Republic open policy with the West. The lease was finally approved in April of 1987, however they did not have the building permit, which would allow them to make necessary renovations. They also required hookups for gas, water and heating. Applications were continually lost or just went unanswered.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Geology of the Appalachian Plateau

Geology of the Appalachian Plateau Stretching from Alabama to New York, the Appalachian Plateau physiographic region makes up the northwestern portion of the Appalachian Mountains. It is divided into several sections, including the Allegheny Plateau, Cumberland Plateau, Catskill Mountains and Pocono Mountains. The Allegheny Mountains and Cumberland Mountains serve as a boundary between the Appalachian Plateau and Valley and Ridge physiographic region. Although the region is characterized by areas of high topographic relief (it reaches elevations upwards of 4,000 feet), it is technically not a mountain chain. Instead, it is a deeply dissected sedimentary plateau, carved into its present-day topography by millions of years of erosion. Geologic Background The sedimentary rocks of the Appalachian Plateau share a close geologic story to those of the neighboring Valley and Ridge to the east. Rocks in both regions were deposited in a shallow, marine environment hundreds of million of years ago. Sandstones, limestones and shales formed in horizontal layers, often with distinct boundaries between them. As these sedimentary rocks formed, the African and North American cratons were moving towards each other on a collision course. Volcanic islands and terranes between them sutured onto what is now eastern North America. Africa eventually collided with North America, forming the supercontinent Pangea around 300 million years ago. This massive continent-on-continent collision formed Himalayan-scale mountains while uplifting and pushing the existing sedimentary rock far inland. While the collision uplifted both the Valley and Ridge and Appalachian Plateau, the former took the brunt of the force and therefore experienced the most deformation. The folding and faulting that affected the Valley and Ridge died out underneath the Appalachian Plateau. The Appalachian Plateau has not experienced a major orogenic event in the past 200 million years, so one might assume that the sedimentary rock of the region should have long since eroded down into a flat plain. In actuality, the Appalachian Plateau is home to steep mountains (or rather, dissected plateaus) with relatively high elevations, mass wasting events and deep river gorges, which are all characteristics of an active tectonic area. This is due to a more recent uplift, or rather a rejuvenation, from epeirogenic forces during the Miocene. This means that the Appalachians didnt rise again from a mountain building event, or orogeny, but rather through activity in the mantle or isostatic rebound. As the land rose, streams increased in gradient and velocity and quickly cut through the horizontally-layered sedimentary bedrock, shaping the cliffs, canyons, and gorges that are seen today. Because the rock layers were still horizontally layered on top of each other, and not folded and deformed like in the Valley and Ridge, the streams followed a somewhat random course, resulting in a dendritic stream pattern. Limestones in the Appalachian Plateau often contain different marine fossils, remnants of a time when seas covered the area. Fern fossils may be found in the sandstones and shales. Coal Production During the Carboniferous period, the environment was swampy and hot. The remains of trees and other plants, like ferns and cycads, were preserved as they died and fell into the standing water of the swamp, which lacked the oxygen needed for decomposition. This plant debris accumulated slowly - fifty feet of accumulated plant debris can take thousands of years to form and produce only 5 feet of actual coal - but consistently for millions of years. As with any coal-producing setting, the rates of accumulation were greater than the rates of decomposition. The plant debris continued to stack on top of each other until the bottom layers turned to peat. River deltas carried sediment eroded from the Appalachian Mountains, which had recently uplifted to great heights. This deltaic sediment covered the shallow seas and buried, compacted and heated the peat until it turned into coal. Mountaintop removal, where coal miners literally blow away the top of a mountain to get to the coal underneath, has been practiced in the Appalachian Plateau since the 1970s. First, miles of land are cleared of all vegetation and topsoil. Then, holes are drilled into the mountain and packed with powerful explosives, which when detonated can remove up to 800 feet of the mountains elevation. Heavy machinery digs away the coal and dump the overburden (extra rock and soil) into valleys. Mountaintop removal is catastrophic to the native land and harmful to nearby human populations. A few of its negative consequences include: Complete destruction of wildlife habitats and ecosystemsToxic dust from explosions causing health problems in nearby human populationsAcid mine drainage polluting streams and groundwater, destroying aquatic habitats and ruining drinking waterFailure of tailings dams, flooding large areas of land While federal law requires coal companies to reclaim all land destroyed by mountaintop removal, it is impossible to restore a landscape formed by hundreds of millions of years of unique natural processes. Places to See Cloudland Canyon, Georgia - Located in the extreme northwest corner of Georgia, Cloudland Canyon is an approximately 1,000 foot deep gorge carved out by Sitton Gulch Creek. Hocking Hills, Ohio - This area of high topographic relief, featuring caves, gorges and waterfalls, can be found about an hour southeast of Columbus. The melting of glaciers, which stopped just north of the park, carved away the Blackhand sandstone into the landscape seen today. Kaaterskill Falls, New York - Ignoring a ledge that separates the falls into an upper and lower section, Kaaterskill Falls is the highest waterfall in New York (at 260 feet high). The falls were formed from streams that developed as Pleistocene glaciers retreated from the area. Walls of Jericho, Alabama and Tennessee - This karst formation sits at the Alabama-Tennessee border, one hour northeast of Huntsville and an hour and a half southwest of Chattanooga. The Walls form a large, bowl-shaped amphitheater of limestone rock.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Deism essays

Deism essays Discrimination, bias, prejudice, inequality, bigotry, partiality, favoritism, chauvinism, sexism, the previous list are all infraction of our inalienable rights. A major cause of all these: injustice. Prejudice is everywhere. Although injustice is decreasing, it will never come to an end. In 1775, France and England were on the brink of a revolution. The cause: injustice. The poor people were tired of being trampled on, they were sick of the upper class controlling them and treating them like property and peons. One man that was sick of the treatment, decided to retaliate. He killed a nobleman, and paid a huge price for what he did. They hung him over a lake and let the blood drain into the lake so that no poor people could get to his blood. It was a very cruel and unjust punishment. There was so much bitterness that it was only a matter of time before they had had enough. This time was reaching nearer and nearer. Dr. Alexander Manette was great man and good at heart. He had no problem either way, with the upper or lower classes. He minded his own business and lived only to help people. He was taken from his wife and young daughter unjustly without a trial. He was never told if his family was ok, or even alive. With no connection to the outside world, he became a very bitter man toward the people that had done this to him: The Evremondes. This was the family that all the people were revolting against. After ten years, Dr. Manette had finally come to the conclusion that he was going to die in this place. He went through so much pain and suffering that he went crazy. About eighteen years after Dr. Manette was put in jail, he was released, and taken to his daughter, Lucy, and his friend, Mr. Jarvis Lorry. His daughter took very good care of her father, and eventually he was able to do what he loved again: be a doctor. A man that also helped with her father was a man by the name of Charles Darnay. He ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Silver Facts (Atomic Number 47 and Element Symbol Ag)

Silver Facts (Atomic Number 47 and Element Symbol Ag) Silver is a transition metal with element symbol Ag and atomic number 47. The element is found in jewelry and currency for its beauty and value and in electronics for its high conductivity and malleability. Silver  Basic Facts Atomic Number: 47 Symbol: Ag Atomic Weight: 107.8682 Discovery: Known since prehistoric time. Man learned to separate silver from lead as early as 3000 B.C. Electron Configuration: [Kr]5s14d10 Word Origin: Anglo-Saxon Seolfor or siolfur; meaning silver, and Latin argentum meaning silver Properties: The melting point of silver is 961.93 °C, boiling point is 2212 °C, specific gravity is 10.50 (20 °C), with a valence of 1 or 2. Pure silver has a brilliant white metallic luster. Silver is slightly harder than gold. It is very ductile and malleable, exceeded in these properties by gold and palladium. Pure silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. Silver possesses the lowest contact resistance of all metals. Silver is stable in pure air and water, although it tarnishes upon exposure to ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air containing sulfur. Uses: The alloys of silver have many commercial uses. Sterling silver (92.5% silver, with copper or other metals) is used for silverware and jewelry. Silver is used in photography, dental compounds, solder, brazing, electrical contacts, batteries, mirrors, and printed circuits. Freshly deposited silver is is the best known reflector of visible light, but it rapidly tarnishes and loses its reflectance. Silver fulminate (Ag2C2N2O2) is a powerful explosive. Silver iodide is used in cloud seeding to produce rain. Silver chloride can be made transparent and is also used as a cement for glass. Silver nitrate, or lunar caustic, is used extensively in photography. Although silver itself is not considered toxic, most of its salts are poisonous, due to the anions involved. Exposure to silver (metal and soluble compounds) should not exceed 0.01 mg/M3 (8 hour time-weighted average for a 40 hour week). Silver compounds can be absorbed into the circulatory system, with deposition of reduced silver in body tissues. This may result in argyria, which is characterized by a greyish pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes. Silver is germicidal and may be used to kill many lower organisms without harm to higher organisms. Silver is used as coinage in many countries. Sources: Silver occurs native and in ores incuding argentite (Ag2S) and horn silver (AgCl). Lead, lead-zinc, copper, copper-nickel, and gold ores are other prinicipal sources of silver. Commercial fine silver is at least 99.9% pure. Commercial purities of 99.999% are available. Element Classification: Transition Metal Silver Physical Data Density (g/cc): 10.5 Appearance: silvery, ductile, malleable metal Isotopes: There are 38 known isotopes of silver ranging from Ag-93 to Ag-130. Silver has two stable isotopes: Ag-107 (51.84% abundance) and Ag-109 (48.16% abundance). Atomic Radius (pm): 144 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 10.3 Covalent Radius (pm): 134 Ionic Radius: 89 (2e) 126 (1e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.237 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 11.95 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 254.1 Debye Temperature (K): 215.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.93 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 730.5 Thermal Conductivity: 429 W/m ·K 300 K Oxidation States: 1 (most common), 2 (less common), 3 (less common) Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic Lattice Constant (Ã…): 4.090 CAS Registry Number: 7440-22-4 Silver Trivia: Silvers element symbol Ag, is from the Latin word argentum meaning silver.In many cultures, and some alchemical texts, silver was associated with the Moon while gold was associated with the Sun.Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals.Silver has the highest thermal conductivity of all metals.Silver halide crystals darken when exposed to light. This process was vital to photography.Silver is considered one of the noble metals.Silver is slightly harder (less malleable) than gold.Silver ions and silver compounds are toxic to many types of bacteria, algae and fungi. Silver coins used to be stored in containers of water and wine to prevent spoiling.Silver nitrate has been used to prevent infection in burns and other wounds. More Silver Facts Sources Emsley, John (2011). Natures building blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. Oxford University Press. pp. 492–98. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.Hammond, C. R. (2004). The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (81st ed.). CRC press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Ethical Issues Of Race In Medical Research Essay

Ethical Issues Of Race In Medical Research - Essay Example Many doctors believed that them to have a wild sexual expression, which was a danger to the white society. They were thought to be inferior to the white people on intellectual bases and were also alleged of being attracted towards white women. Furthermore, most doctors held the belief that immorality and family problems amongst the Negro community had made them more prone to diseases such as syphilis, and treating them was next to impossible. Also high rates of syphilis in the Negro community had led to an increase in crime and insanity, making them a threat to the other communities. These set of ideas, all relating to racial discrimination against the Negro community, played a significant role in letting the health authorities to make the rural syphilitic Negroes, a part of this study. Thus, the origin of this study was also driven by the racial discrimination of the health authorities against the African-American community. The Tuskegee Study was certainly packed with ethical issue s. It was a display of racism and injustice on part of the health authorities, who showed a complete lack of concern for the African-American community. It was a study carried under ghastly circumstances resulting in many patients dying from painful deaths. Initially, being planned for six months, the study was extended up to forty years and showed no signs of stopping, regardless the number of deaths. No protest was carried out, and no significant actions were taken against the immoral and perilous nature of the study.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Translational methods from basal instruction to a differentiated Essay

Translational methods from basal instruction to a differentiated pedagogical system - Essay Example There is a movement underway in many school systems to complete the transition away from basal reading programs and more towards systems of instruction that facilitate an organic growth of reading-comprehension based on texts written to be read. Most purely basal texts are written for the purpose of teaching reading, which creates a separation from the reality of what people read, why they read it, and the natural flow of literature. Basal and purely literature-based reading instruction programs assume that acquiring reading fluency depends upon the comprehension and and exercising of individual, component skills that combine mechanistically to create an understanding of written language.This technological perspective can be challenged by more recent, reliable theoretical models of literacy holistic education that denies the validity of skill components. The purpose of reading and the context of the passage must be included in the education process. Dissatisfaction with basal program s has mounted in recent years, in part due to this consideration for the purposes behind reading. Basal stories sections may in some cases contain unrealistic linguistic characters to demonstrate various aspects of the component education process. (CELT, 1998) In response to these concerns from parents and educators, curriculum publishers, state departments of education, and school districts themselves have begun the institution of sweeping reforms in reading/literacy teaching programs. A principle objective is the development of literature-based systems that rely on texts written with the intent of reading; which could easily be found outside a classroom; rather than basals that exist only for reading classroom use. Further investigation is required to determine to what extent this new concept truly alters the face of literacy education, towards a determination of the best way to transition away from basal. Newer theories that question the basis of basal instruction dispense with t he grade-level restrictions that actively prevent some teachers from using texts designated for higher grades. Literature-based programs permit texts as long as they contribute to the interests of readers or are relevant to a particular academic topic. The goal is a new kind of literature program that draws on a the classroom as a community. Teachers and students using literature-based programs choose from a greater selection of actual, unadapted texts as they would appear outside a classroom. A purely basal approach, based on a mechanistic theory may not allow for the leaps of intuition that are necessary for true, fluent comprehension, should the students be subjected to a laundry list of abstractions. Some researchers make the argument that the basal texts themselves should never have been utilized as the entire reading program. In essence, they have always been - since the earliest days of the McGuffey Readers, a workbook/textbook for reading. The dominance of basal-trained read ers has prompted much of the investigation into the efficacy of such programs, and ways to transition beyond them. (Shannon & Goodman, 1994) DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION It is apparent to most all educators that not all students think alike. From this knowledge, differentiated instruction strategies facilitate an approach to teaching and learning that opens multiple options for students in the acquisition of information and a thorough comprehension of ideas. Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical theory resulting from the premise of varied instructional approaches incorporated into the classroom to meet the needs of diverse students; both in terms of communal/cultural origin and neurobiological aptitudes. (Tomlinson, 2001). These ideas become a viable alternative to meta-literary classroom-only texts typified under Basal Instruction. This is the method that seeks to verify that the learning the student receives is an individual match for that students level of achievement, in ter ms of readiness levels, progress,

Business Environment Demand and Supply Assignment

Business Environment Demand and Supply - Assignment Example 2. If the price of Snickers increases, then the substitute for the Mars bar has become more expensive. As a result at each price, people will buy more Mars bars. Therefore, at each price there will be a higher quantity demanded of Mars bars. So the demand for Mars bars will increase. In figure 2 suppose the initial demand curve at the old price of Snicker bars is D0. This curve shows at price ?0.6 per unit of Mars bars, Q1 units are demanded. Now if the price of Snickers bars goes up, at the same price of Mars bars, more units are demanded. So, the demand curve shifts up to D1. In this new situation, at the old price of Mars bars Q2 units are demanded. Figure 2: Effect of increase in the price of substitutes 3. In figure 3, D0 is the initial demand line for Strawberries. If the price of cream fell, then a unit of Strawberries and cream together is less expensive. Since Strawberries and cream is consumed together, the quantity demanded of strawberries and cream together rises. As a re sult, at each price, the quantity demanded of Strawberries is now higher. So, the demand curve for Strawberries shifts out to the right to D1. Figure 3: Effect of fall in price in cream on demand for Strawberries 4. If the interest rate increases, then people have to pay more to repay the same amounts of loans. As a result, the income falls. If income falls, given the same price of cars, people can afford to buy fewer cars. Therefore, at every price, the quantity demanded of cars falls. As a result, there is a decline in the demand of cars. This is shown in figure 4. The demand for cars drops from D0 to D1. Figure 4: Effect of rise in interest rates on demand for cars 5. If the cost of production of Mars bars falls, then every unit of Mars bars can be supplied at lower price. Therefore, at each price the quantity supplied increases. This leads to an outward shift in the supply on the Mars bars. The effect is shown in figure 5 below. The initial demand and supply curves are D0 and S0 respectively. The equilibrium occurs at point A where these two curves intersect one another. Note from the vertical axis that at the initial equilibrium the price is 0.6p. Now, suppose the production cost falls. As a result, the supply curve shifts out to the right to S1. The new equilibrium is point B. Note from the vertical axis, the new equilibrium price of Mars bars is lower than the initial equilibrium price. Figure 5: Effect of reduction in producing costs 6. In figure 6, the effect of a reduction in a tax on the sales of the product is shown. Suppose initially, the tax is ‘t’. The relevant supply curve is S0+t. If the tax is taken off, the cost of the firm goes down, as a consequence the firm can supply more at each price. The supply curve without the tax is S0. Observe, if a tax is charged, then to supply an output of Q1 the firm has to charge a price of P0+t. But if there is no tax, the firm can supply the same output at a lower price of P0. Therefore, the ef fect of a reduction in tax is to shift the supply curve out to the right. Figure 6: Effect of a reduction in tax on the supply 7. If there is an increase in technology, the inputs become more productive. As a result, at the same per unit cost, the firm can now produce more. Therefore, at each price, the firm now is able to offer a higher quantity supplied. Therefore, due to the improvement in technology, the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Review of What Management Is Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of What Management Is - Essay Example Management has been the key to innovation for success in the past as well as the present. It contains such principles which are jargon-free. She studied how different people work together and emphasized all ideas for effective management should be transmitted into action to get better performance. This theory was supported on the basis of case studies considering dell, for hospitals etc. only such people should be hired in the organization who have capabilities to deal with challenging situations. Management is not only used in business, nowadays management is required for every work. For instance, if one has made choice in any decision or it is related to the community, one should first know the definition of management and should also identify both good as well as bad aspects. In an organization, managers have limited resources they should be able to manage those in accordance with the requirement. In order to become a manager, no training is needed i.e. normally many managers do not possess any formal diploma in management, rather a diploma doesn’t prove that a person is a good manager (Magretta Joan 15). Managers work efficiently only because they have work pressure because of which they prefer to work in teams, find the quick solution to the problems and try to make an effective decision in a short time. To be a manager is the most critical job compared to other professions. Managers are the sole person who helps us identify whether social institutions are serving us properly or not. So one should band the tradition of thinking of a managerial work, in spite should adopt it in practice so that difficult problems can be solved and performance can be improved further (Mintzberg Henry  165).  

Senior Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Senior Philosophy - Essay Example Aristotle begins by investigating the fundamental purpose of humanity. In doing this, the renowned scholar determines that happiness is not just a feeling or a sensation. According to him, happiness is the ultimate goal of human existence. In his investigation of happiness, he seeks to determine the nature of happiness and its role in the life of an individual. He discovers that happiness is fundamental in the life of every human. Unlike the most prevalent definition of happiness, that attributes happiness to either a feeling or sensation, Aristotle determines that happiness is a prerogative for a successful and fulfilling life. According to him, happiness is a relative concept that means different things to different people. He says, â€Å"Happiness depends on ourselves† (Aristotle 121). In the phrase, Aristotle claims that everyone is everyone’s prerogative. Everyone understands the things that make them happy and in an ideal society one should therefore pursue only s uch. In his foundations of metaphysics, Immanuel Kant begins by defining morality as the personal decision and ability to distinguish between right and wrong. From his definition, Kant understands the relativity of the concept. This implies that morality means different things to different people. This therefore validates the need for base of argument in which everyone counterchecks his or her definition of morality. Morality is behavioral and arises from the traits that one exhibits. The basic definition of either ethics or morality thus rests on the limitation of harm to either self or a third party (Immanuel 61). The social decisions that people make must therefore not harm others. Taking a loan while consciously aware of ones inability to repay is a deliberate cause of harm, which qualifies as both a crime and a sin. The two define unethical conducts that also cause harm to third parties. Question 3 Pleasure is yet another relative concept that means different things to differen t people. Pleasure is an abstract noun and therefore not measurable. However, however, John Stuart Mill sough to develop a concept that would help one measure the quantity of pleasure in an individual and therefore compare the amount of pleasure people feel at different times. The difference in personalities influences the difference in pleasures that people feel. Most people derive pleasure by holding a dominating position (John 66). Whenever people engages in an activity that earns them gratification, they always seek to control such This way, the essence of pleasure sets in thereby fulfilling a previously existing void. However, Stuart explains that it is equally imperative that one concentrates and participate on the activity fully. According to his hypothesis, the level of involvement in the activity is directly proportional to the amount of pleasure that one derives from such. Additionally, pleasure is portrayed in the on both verbal and nonverbal reactions. Through the observ ation of such features as facial expressions and other types of responses as the little gibberish that people make when engaging in such activities, help one determine the amount of pleasure in another. However, the relativity of the concept implies that the level and amount of pleasure depends on the individual and may not correspond with the feelings in another. Question 4 Morality as defined earlier is a behavior determinant that helps people exhibit desirable behaviors. However, the concept is relative as people exhibit various behaviors. Sigmund Freud investigates the concept and determines that morality is social feature that arises from the nature of the society. Coincidentally, Lewis determines that as well. The two psychological scholars agree that morality moderates human behaviors thus limiting harm in the society. Morality as a social concept is therefore relative to the society. This implies that an action considered moral in one society may not be in another. Howe

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Review of What Management Is Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review of What Management Is - Essay Example Management has been the key to innovation for success in the past as well as the present. It contains such principles which are jargon-free. She studied how different people work together and emphasized all ideas for effective management should be transmitted into action to get better performance. This theory was supported on the basis of case studies considering dell, for hospitals etc. only such people should be hired in the organization who have capabilities to deal with challenging situations. Management is not only used in business, nowadays management is required for every work. For instance, if one has made choice in any decision or it is related to the community, one should first know the definition of management and should also identify both good as well as bad aspects. In an organization, managers have limited resources they should be able to manage those in accordance with the requirement. In order to become a manager, no training is needed i.e. normally many managers do not possess any formal diploma in management, rather a diploma doesn’t prove that a person is a good manager (Magretta Joan 15). Managers work efficiently only because they have work pressure because of which they prefer to work in teams, find the quick solution to the problems and try to make an effective decision in a short time. To be a manager is the most critical job compared to other professions. Managers are the sole person who helps us identify whether social institutions are serving us properly or not. So one should band the tradition of thinking of a managerial work, in spite should adopt it in practice so that difficult problems can be solved and performance can be improved further (Mintzberg Henry  165).  

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

An examination of the ranging and merchandising of a selected product Essay - 1

An examination of the ranging and merchandising of a selected product category in a retail store - Essay Example The effectiveness of the food retail market of Tesco by supermarkets can be assessed by stating the incidence of Hungary wherein, even during the crisis Tesco displayed its dominance in the food supermarkets. Tesco supermarket has a dominant position in the UK and has rendered services to millions of the customers and increased the level of profit. Tesco, one of the principal retailers, reported a fall in the profit for the first time since 1990s due to the wastage of food in the supermarkets. Thus, Tesco is now facing competition from its key competitors such as Sainsbury’s as the grocery supermarket is alleged to face wastage in the food products. The customers of the supermarket of Tesco have been viewed to express their anger against the quality of the food sold. The study intends to examine and evaluate the food product in the supermarket with reference to Tesco and critically evaluate the strategy of merchandise employed by Tesco to gain its dominance in the market (Cori olis Research, 2004; BBC, 2013). The supermarket of Tesco is a well-designed grocery store with various food products to satisfy the requirements of the people. Supermarket of Tesco is one of the largest and has a large floor space with a variety of food products available. The architecture and the layout create greater convenience for the customers to locate the required food products in Tesco. The supermarket of Tesco is of great relevance because of the different availability of the food products at a reasonable price under one roof. The various food products such as grocery, packaged food, bakery and baby food satisfy the desires of every customer due to the availability of different food items. To meet the customer requirements, Tesco offers different products of a single company based on the food product range. The product line offered by Tesco food include the bakery items, Fruits, vegetables, diary , eggs, meat, fish, poultry, frozen

Organizational Culture, Business Strategy and HR Practices affect diverse teams‘ performance Essay Example for Free

Organizational Culture, Business Strategy and HR Practices affect diverse teams‘ performance Essay The Later Findings: Organizational Culture, Business Strategy and HR Practices affect diverse teams‘ performance Effects of Organizational Culture and Business Strategies Effects of Organizational Culture and Business Strategies Diverse groups show a higher level of performance in a people-oriented culture Educationally diverse groups perform better within a growth-oriented business strategy Educationally diverse groups perform worse within a stability-oriented business strategy Growth-oriented cultures need creativity and innovation, this is provided through a diverse group Diverse work teams need an appropriate work environment (innovative, creative, group ID) Effects of HR Practices Members of diverse groups are generally rewarded higher in stock options within a diversity-oriented HR environment Companies, which manage diversity well are well managed overall Good diversity management is provided through a strong support from the CEO The Expanded, Nuanced Leadership Role 2050 non-whites will be the majority in the USA Specific and practical recommendations for leaders of diverse teams: 1. Be attuned to issues of social category diversity and identity groups Reflecting about the own social identity, about the one of others and the associated reactions to it 2. Keep refining and developing your own emotional and social intelligence Becoming more aware of the own strength and weaknesses, be aware of the own mood and how to manage it. A high level of self-awareness and flexibility are vital for social intelligence. Be aware about your own verbal and non-verbal language and try to manage them well. Be able to adapt to different cultures and gain crucial knowledge about them. 3. Focus on the diversity values of the team, early and often A good performance is provided through an early alignment of vision and values. 4. Create a strong team identity or brand Team leaders need to build the team’s identity and connection to the organization. Shorthand identification, which can be repeated and demonstrated until it becomes accepted and well known. 5. Hone your skills at having tough conversations See conflict as creative tension that can build positive results. 6. Focus on building organizational culture and human resource practices that are needed to translate diversity into positive results Ensure that a suitable work environment, business strategy and HR practices are in place for diverse teams.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Case Study: Red Bulls Integrated Marketing Mix

Case Study: Red Bulls Integrated Marketing Mix Teresa Cochran What are Red Bulls greatest strengths and risks as more companies enter the energy drink category and gain market share? Established in 1987, Red Bull is an established beverage company. Red Bull, who specialized in energy drinks, greatest strength is its unique marketing strategy and alignment with distributers. Its dominance can be attributed to the organizations capacity to focus on its strengths while compensating for weaknesses. By having an awareness its strengths as well as shortcomings, Red Bull can keep up its present position of dominance in the energy drink market. A quality Red Bull has over its closest competitors is that they are well established in the caffeinated drink market and hold a 70 percent share of it. Furthermore, their product line which is entirely caffeinated drinks, strengthens their position. By focusing on one segment of the market, caffeinated drinks, Red Bull has created a strong hold on their market that competitors are struggling to imitate. The companies unique marketing strategies have enabled the company establish itself as the best energy drink producer in the wor ld (Donovan Henley, 2010). Following Red Bulls success soft drink giants such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Monster have launched their own energy drinks. This development will surely diminish Red Bulls market share. Per Kotler Keller (2012), this development will affect the companys profitability because in addition to the lost market share, the company must devote more resources in marketing its products. Red Bull has a method of marketing that is unique to its organization, setting them apart from the competition in the business. Kotler and Keller (2012) discussed the various methods utilized noting that rather than maintaining standard advertising strategies, the company has chosen to focus on an informal exchange via non-traditional means. They also feature celebrities and engage potential consumers at sports events by providing free samples in efforts to generate increased interest in their products. Free Red Bull products are provided in areas including sporting events and high profile parties to reinforce the brand image among the target market in addition to their promotions (Kotler Keller, 2012). Other marketing efforts that attributes to Red Bulls strengths are their sponsorships and campaigns. These unconventional advertising methods help to expand the Red Bull trademark, but they also increases brand awareness. Despite its significant strengths, Red Bull also has numerous weaknesses that it must address to remain dominant in the highly-competitive energy drink industry. Red Bulls small product selection, extremely elevated amounts of sugar and caffeine, and cost offer chances for other manufacturers to acquire market share. Should Red Bull do more traditional advertising? Traditional means of advertising, print, television, and radio ads, have not been utilized by Red Bull to market their brand although the company may consider expansion to more traditional advertising strategies to reinforce their image in more mature markets. Kotler Keller (2012) states, Red Bull employs traditional advertising techniques to reinforce the brand to mature markets, but they do not use it to establish the market. The company has been very successful following its unique marketing strategy. Rather than depending entirely on television and print advertisements, Red Bulls unique guerrilla advertising methodology is at the heart of Red Bulls marketing and advertising strategy. If Red Bull adopts a traditional marketing strategy like its competitors, it will lose this uniqueness. The use of sponsored events and buzz-marketing has helped the companys product stand apart. As such, the company should not use traditional advertising strategies particularly to establish markets ; they should stick to their current buzz-marketing and sponsored events strategy (Donovan Henley, 2010). Traditional advertising should be used only to reinforce the companys brands in mature markets. Although sponsoring extreme events is expensive, it brings a special kind of brand awareness particularly to the younger adult demographic, which is the main market of the Red Bulls products. This group of consumers has little time with traditional marketing strategies; they go with the cool trends in the market (Cornwell, 2014). Extreme events attract young people and thus present Red Bull a great opportunity to reach out to them. Therefore, I would suggest Red Bull to maintain their non-traditional marketing strategy. Donovan Henley (2010) point out that the current strategies are unique and consistent with Red Bulls brand image; adopting traditional methods will water down the companys unique proposition. Effectiveness of Red Bulls sponsorships Red Bull excels at sponsoring events. The companys sponsorship programs are spread over a wide range of extreme sports, artists and athletes. The events the company sponsors range from dancing, motorsports to extreme sailing. These sponsorship programs have attracted many of the current and potential consumers of the companys products (Cornwell, 2014). Per Kotler Keller (2012), sponsoring events is a form of advertising for the company where attendees, usually teenagers and young adults get to experience the companys products, sometimes for free or for subsidized prices. From here, these people spread the word about the companys products, thus becoming Red Bulls brand ambassadors. These marketing strategies though unusual have proved to be very effective for the company. Bull Stratos is one example of the success the company achieves with these sponsorship programs. This program for example provided young people with a dream to look forward to. Cornwell (2014) argues that such events tap into the critical part of young people minds showing them that they can achieve what their dreams. As such, when the Bull Stratos made a safe landing, it provided a sign to these young people that anything is possible. Thus, many young people associate Red Bull with those people who do the impossible. Therefore, I think these sponsorship programs are a good use of the Red Bulls marketing budget and they should continue carrying them out. It is however important for Red Bull to regularly evaluate its marketing programs to ensure they are effective and relevant. The company needs to draw the line when the strategies become ineffective. When this happens, the company needs to be ready to change its marketing approach to remain competitive in the market. Thus, the company should monitor the market continuously for emerging trends to help it change quickly when need be (Cornwell, 2014). References Cornwell, T. B. (2014). Sponsorship in marketing: Effective communication through sports, arts, and events. Routledge. Donovan, R., Henley, N. (2010). Principles and practice of social marketing: an international perspective. Cambridge University Press. Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management. New Jersey, US: Pearson Education.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Extended Families Essay -- Television Media TV

Extended Families The evolution of extended families has progressed far from the early black and white episodes of The Addams Family, to the country life of The Waltons, and to the crazy lives of the family in Full House. It is clear that the changes in the portrayals of families provide audience members with a picture of families being more complex if nothing else (Bryant, 2001). Therefore, it is certain that each decade has surpassed the other in its growth and development of extended families. The 1960s series The Addams Family showed a very good example of an extended family. The extended family included Gomez Addams (an eccentric cigar-smoking millionaire lawyer), Morticia (his slender wife), Pugsley (their son), Wednesday (their little girl), Grandmama Addams, Uncle Fester, Cousin It, and Lurch (the family’s zombie butler). Other people residing in the household included Thing (a disembodied hand), Kit Kat (a cowardly lion), and Cleopatra (an African strangling plant). These are all different members of one big family that have come to live together to be a perf... Extended Families Essay -- Television Media TV Extended Families The evolution of extended families has progressed far from the early black and white episodes of The Addams Family, to the country life of The Waltons, and to the crazy lives of the family in Full House. It is clear that the changes in the portrayals of families provide audience members with a picture of families being more complex if nothing else (Bryant, 2001). Therefore, it is certain that each decade has surpassed the other in its growth and development of extended families. The 1960s series The Addams Family showed a very good example of an extended family. The extended family included Gomez Addams (an eccentric cigar-smoking millionaire lawyer), Morticia (his slender wife), Pugsley (their son), Wednesday (their little girl), Grandmama Addams, Uncle Fester, Cousin It, and Lurch (the family’s zombie butler). Other people residing in the household included Thing (a disembodied hand), Kit Kat (a cowardly lion), and Cleopatra (an African strangling plant). These are all different members of one big family that have come to live together to be a perf...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Coming Full Circle in Blue Highways Essay -- Blue Highways

In his traveling diary, Blue Highways, William Least Heat Moon takes a trip to various destinations of unknown worth. His American back roads tour is characterized by the pattern of taking a journey that follows a circle. Least Heat Moon's circular journey is both literal and spiritual. His travels circle the nation, and he gathers history and personality from all corners of America. More importantly, however, Least Heat Moon sets out to fully explore and find himself. He provides the audience with the simple explanation of the circular nature of his journey because "following a circle would give a purpose&emdash;to come around again&emdash;where taking a line would not"(Least Heat Moon 3). Immediately, the reader is faced with William Least Heat Moon's goal to find himself and the wisdom of others. Before his journey began, Least Heat Moon experienced two significant life-changing events. First, the author was abandoned by his wife after being separated for nine months. Then, as a result of declining enrollment, he lost his job teaching English at the Universi...

Hostel Management

Hostel Management Abstract For the past few years the number of educational institutions is increasing rapidly. Thereby the number of hostels is also increasing for the accommodation of the students studying in this institution. And hence there is a lot of strain on the person who are running the hostel and software's are not usually used in this context. This particular project deals with the problems on managing a hostel and avoids the problems which occur when carried manually . Hence to reduce the load on the person handling this.It includes some of the following features. RULES AND REGULATIONS: In this the rules and regulations of the hostels are given in details. HOSTEL FACILITES: In this the details of facilities provided in the hostels are given in details. ACCOMODITY: This deals with the total no. of rooms available with the details of total no. of students accommodating in a room. Here the details of equipment provided are also listed. WARDENS AND TEACHING STAFF DETAILS: It deals with the details of the wardens.Here the details of the teaching staff are also mentioned with details of their mess calculations ,etc. STAFF DETAILS: The staff working in the hostel and their salary calculation,leave,etc can be attained from this section. The existing system of hostel management is done manually which is an ineffective manner. This way of managing the hostels has many limitations. The chances of occurring errors are more. So the records must be accurate, informative and dynamically updated. †¢ TIME CONSUMING †¢ HUMAN ERROR SLOW PROCESS †¢ BACKUP †¢ POOR QUALITY †¢ DATA INCONSISTENCY This is a software created for the purpose of managing all the works of a hostel in a most efficient manner. The project includes all the basic events carried out in a hostel like mess bill calculation, daily voucher etc. The software keeps a close track on the number of inmates, teaching staff, non -teaching staff. Room details and student registration a re also included. The project is a complete software package for hostel management.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Elements used in Raisin in the Sun Essay

Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun is a monumental play in the theatrical world. Produced in 1959, it became the first play written by an African-American woman to hit the stage and was later nominated for several Tony Awards. The play touched many controversial themes of the time including racial discrimination and poverty. The design of Raisin in the Sun, including scenic, costume, lighting, and sound elements, were crucial to developing the plot and emphasizing these themes. All of the elements are vital to the message and audience interpretation of the production, and overall, the Playmakers Repertory Company executed them well. The scenic design of a play is arguably the most important element of a production. It is what sets the stage and puts both the characters and the script into context. In Raisin in the Sun, the set, including scenery and props, helped define the characters, allowing the audience to get a feel for the setting and time period. Most importantly, the scenery developed the line of the play—the space in which the Younger family had to live—which was strategic to developing plot conflict. The Younger family lived in a small, run down apartment that emphasized their social class. To name a few, the wallpaper was discolored, the living room couch was old and musty, and the only visible bedroom to the audience was merely big enough for the bed. Travis, the son, was forced to sleep on the couch, and it was unclear how much space was upstairs where Beneatha, the daughter, and the Grandmother, Lena, slept. The design of the apartment played to the overall conflict within the family; the desperation to escape poverty only intensified within these cramped quarters. Although, the characters managed to deal with their living situation, it caused tension to build within each member of the family, which was a crucial part of plot development. The lower class feel of the house honed in on Walter Lee’s burning desire to get into business and climb the social ladder. The less-than-luxurious surroundings seemed to amplify his unhappiness when he entered the room, allowing the plot to build along with the tension in the house. In addition to scenery, the props strategically placed around the housed illustrated the family’s cares and values. Throughout the room, the audience could see many picture frames. However, the two that were predominately displayed were a picture of Christ hanging over the front door, and a picture of Lena’s deceased husband that stayed on a table in the living room. These props emphasized importance the Younger’s placed on family and religion, which came up many times throughout the production. The entire family lived under one roof, looking after one another and making ends meet, together as a whole. In addition, the plot centered around a life-insurance check from the death of Lena’s husband. This kept the element of religion present since he was deceased and in the eyes of Lena, watching over the family. Both the design of the apartment and the detail of the props within it gave the audience a greater understanding of the deep-rooted values and conflicts of the family. The costume design of Raisin in the Sun went hand-in-hand with the scenery and props. The realistic clothes of the Younger family further described a family of lower class, although not an untidy one. Each day, the members of the family would dress for work or school as well as they could, which illustrated the pride the family carried. This enormous pride stemmed from an important theme within the play: overcoming racial discrimination. Lena dreamed of escaping the busyness of Chicago, and bought a house in a white neighborhood with the hefty check from her husband’s insurance policy. Her pride kept the family afloat and was their only defense against the discrimination they faced from the area. Furthermore, each character’s costumes fit their personalities. While Lena, Ruth, and Walter Lee were usually dressed in working clothes, reflecting their family duty, Beneatha dressed in more modern clothes, illustrating her character as a free-spirited college student. One day she would wear girly skirts and flowery designs, the next she was going back to her roots wearing African garments and sporting natural hair. The costume designers successfully captured each character’s personality as well as keeping the image of pride apparent through the character’s choice of clothes. In addition to scenic and costume design, every play must have specific lighting. This sets the mood of each scene, giving the audience a better feel of what is happening within the plot. For the most part, the lighting within the apartment was warm and dim, giving the setting a homey and somewhat relaxed feel. However, the dimness of the light also played upon the unhappiness that stirred within the family during certain scenes. These moments of lighting kept with the realistic aspect of the play. However, there were times of unrealistic lighting meant to enhance a scene. When Beneatha was dancing to African music and Walter Lee came in and joined her, the lighting became jungle-like. The reds and oranges along with the images of palm frons surrounded the two, carrying them away from the real world. Although this would never happen in real life, it was apparent the lighting was illustrating what was going on in their minds, showing the desire to escape their current troubles. The second and only other time of surreal lighting was when Walter Lee had his breakdown and then moment of clarity near the end of the show. The entire set went dark except for a spotlight on him. This choice in lighting was appropriate for such a somber scene and drew the audience in even more. The times of abstract or unrealistic lighting did not take away from the realness of the play. Instead, it enhanced the scenes to the benefit of the audience. The last element of design that affected the play is the sound design. Obviously the show had typical sound effects—doors slamming for emphasis, Beneatha playing African music, etc. —that decorated each scene as it unfolded. However, there was a significant aspect to the sound design of this particular production. Throughout the play, the characters would turn on the radio and interviews and other recordings from the 1960s would play over the speaker. Some of these included Lorraine Hansberry speaking about the nominations and winning the Tony and discussion of civil rights movements of the time. Some may think this was distracting, but it anchored the play within the time period. This allowed the audience to get a better feel of what was happening during the era and highlighted the major theme of racial discrimination within the plot. All in all, the production of Raisin in the Sun was a success. Yes, this is highly due in part to the excellent skill of the actors. However, without stagecraft, a play cannot be complete. The elements of design produce a world that actors could never create on script alone. In the Playmakers Repertory Company’s production of Raisin in the Sun, the scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design worked cohesively to enhance and develop all aspects of the characters and plot. The provocative themes of escaping poverty, chasing dreams, and overcoming racial discrimination were illustrated brilliantly by tremendous execution of the elements of design and an impressive performance by the acting company.