Frankenstein Annotated Bibliography - 1985 Words

Realist Literary Techniques Hill-Miller, Katherine C. My Hideous Progeny. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1995. Millers book, My Hideous Progeny, talks mostly of Shelleys relationship with her family, especially her father. Miller took a chapter to specifically discuss the parallels between Shelleys familial relationships and her novel, Frankenstein. Miller argues that Shelley combined her father, William Godwin, and her husband, Percy Shelley, into the character of Victor. She talks of how Shelley explores the concept of incest by this combination of her father and husband into one character. She also shows incest through Victors dream of kissing Elizabeth and having her turn into his dead mother. Frankensteins†¦show more content†¦Mellor basically sums up her thoughts by saying, Her novel purposely identifies moral virtue, based on self-sacrifice, moderation, and domestic affection, with aesthetic beauty (286). Mellors essay would be wonderful to use if I was writing a critical essay beca use she goes deeper than what normal people see when they read the novel, especially in exploring the homosexual part of the novel, which I never would have seen when reading. She goes in depth in her discussions of feminism and it is clearly evident that she feels very strongly of how poorly women were, and sometimes still are, treated in society. The only part that I did not fully agree on was the part of moderation. I, personally, did not see much of the use of moderation in the novel, whereas I saw splurging; such as Dr. Frankenstein taking all that he needed to make his monster. Other than that, her points on feminism and Nature all were supported very well and were able to convey her opinions. Millhauser, Milton. The Noble Savage in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. Notes and Queries, Vol. 190, No. 12, June 15, 1946: 248-50. . Millhausers critical essay discusses the monsters stages of life in order to prove that he is a noble savage. He starts of criticizing how the monster starts off completely innocent andShow MoreRelatedAnnotated Bibliography On The Novel Frankenstein 764 Words   |  4 PagesAnnotated Works Cited Bentley, Colene. Family, Humanity, Polity: Theorizing the Basis and Boundaries of Political Community in Frankenstein. Bloom s Literary Reference Online [Facts On File News Services]. N.p., 2005. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. This source went over multiple themes in the novel Frankenstein, one of them being the pursuit of knowledge. I found this as a great example of the pursuit of knowledge, and was compelled to use it for one of my notecards. Birkhead, Edith. Later DevelopmentsRead MoreFrankenstein as a Gothic Novel Essay1332 Words   |  6 PagesTragic wanderers, ominous atmosphere, symbolism, and themes: these are elements of a Gothic novel. Though Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, written in the early 19th century, certainly contains many components of a Gothic novel, can it be correctly grouped under that genre? A definition of a Gothic novel; according to Tracy, is a description of a fallen world. We experience this fallen world though the aspects of a novel: plot, setting, characterization, and theme (De Vore, Domenic, Kwan and Reidy)Read MoreFrankenstein: Theme of Abortion1559 Words   |  7 PagesFrankenstein: The Theme of Abortion Most of us have read the novel Frankenstein. There are many themes that come along with one of the first gothic, romantic science fiction novels of the 17th century. Mary Shelly used her background life to create this horror book. She influenced future horror films for decades to come, Halloween costume ideas and quote upon quotes. Although this book carried the obvious Halloween-feel themes Shelly had a greater meaning for the book. Shelly believed in the needRead MoreFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1727 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most well known gothic horror novels ever written. It was written during the Industrial Revolution, which explains why it explores the dangers of too much knowledge. This book serves as an ominous warning that warns us that the power of science, if not properly limited, will cause misfortune and unhappiness. Frankenstein s monster, although an incredible feat of science, quickly leads to one tragedy after t he next, before ultimately leading to Frankenstein’sRead MoreEvolution of Horror Essays1497 Words   |  6 Pages much of what we are used can be attributed to influences by horror authors in the nineteenth century. It was during this century when Gothic Horror transformed into the genre of Horror. Horror exploded with popularity with the publication of â€Å"Frankenstein† (1818) by Mary Shelley. It was during this time that Horror authors began to incorporate the five human senses to help their audience to imagine the physical manifestation of fear itself. â€Å"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde† (1886) byRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein3500 Words   |  14 Pagesnovel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley utilizes mystery and horror to chronicle the story of a creator and his responsibility to his creation. Shelley develops questions of responsibility by examining just how much responsibility the creator has to its creation and how much respo nsibility the creation has to its creator. The lack of understanding and agreement over the answers to these questions causes conflict in the novel and continues to cause conflict to this day as the figure of Frankenstein emerges

The Toyota Company Free Essays

The Toyota Company has many ongoing effects to external environments which include general and task environments. There are many challenges that an industry like Toyota faces when dealing with general environment and task environment. Over the next three years Toyota is faced with many difficulties that must be faced from top management all the way to lower management. We will write a custom essay sample on The Toyota Company or any similar topic only for you Order Now Toyota is caught up with many general environmental issues which include economic, social-cultural, political and legal, technological, and demographic conditions.Many of these conditions are due to the many consumer complaints that were brought on by the defects that many of the automobiles that were manufactured by Toyota. The task environment forces that will affect Toyota include dealerships, customers, and mechanics. Due to the vehicle defects within the past year, top management will be forced to plan with three task factors in order to successfully control the situations and outcomes. Toyota management is working closely together to ensure they are taking the extra precautions to help rebuild a damaged reputation.After the recall last, Toyota management took the time to meet with their forces in the task environment. Dealerships, along with the top management were fixing the problems for free in order to meet the demands of their customers by remaining loyal and proving they would fix the problem at hand. The Toyota manufacturing industry has a global structure that allows for the manufacture of Toyota vehicles from over 170 countries throughout the globe. Toyota has set many plants throughout the U. S. China, France, Mexico, and the Czech Republic while they have set themselves as a major global supplier of vehicles. Due to the massive Toyota recall there have been numerous customer complaints due to the faulty equipment in the brakes. Due to the economic recession more people are buying less Toyota vehicles which are not good for the business. The Toyota recall was not good for the company due to the loss of millions in repairs of the Toyota vehicles. With the U. S. in a recession it is even more difficult to find more American’s buying automobiles.Until the U. S. gets back on course from the recession Toyota will have a harder time with profitability. The social cultural forces of the U. S. has grown to have a vital with Japan in order to open Toyota plants in the U. S. there is a lot of pressure from the U. S. to meet demands of Toyota. In the past Toyota had seen a steady increase in production sales. Toyota was steadily gaining reputation as the forefront in the general society of America for the purchase of automobiles. The Toyota Company is widely accepted in the U.S. as one of the top automobile suppliers throughout the U. S. The technological forces of Toyota have allowed the company to stay on top with its low prices and use their technology to stay ahead of their competition. Toyota has faced many political and legal forces in a short period of time due to the massive recall from over a year ago. It will take a few years to pull back from this down fall that Toyota has seen. Toyota must work with their management if they are to get past this difficult part of their life.As stated before Toyota has put forth millions of dollars to ensure that repairs are long lasting, and that there are no more defects. It will be important for management to provide an innovative blueprint to figure out how they will get past this. Since the recalls Toyota has seen more political and legal burdens within the company. The author’s, Jones and George, state the following about general environment: â€Å"Managers must constantly analyze forces in the general environment because these forces affect ongoing decision making and planning† (George, Jones, 2007, pg. 46). The task environment begins to take place within Toyota when we begin to deal with the suppliers, customers, distributors, and competitors. Toyota task forcers play a key role in the company by the actions taken by the main forcers within the company. The dealerships are dealt as the suppliers. The four taskers all have to help deal with the realization of the recall disaster. With over nine million cars recalled last Toyota is under high scrutiny. Toyota is facing both criminal and Congressional questioning under the safety problems of the vehicles.It’s up to Toyota’s management to use their managerial functions by utilizing their task forcers. The dealerships will have to work with management to ensure that they are working with their mechanics in the service department to properly fix any of the defects with the vehicles. In order for Toyota stay ahead of the competition they must ensure to meet their customers needs by having their customers demands met. It is important with the proper planning that Toyota establishes a proper plan that will begin to organize, plan and control the process of the various Toyota recalls.This type of plan is an effective management tool to alert their customers through the dealers to let them know if they are part of the recall. By meeting the demands of the customer’s Toyota is helping to rebuild their reputation as being the top manufacturer in automobiles. This helps them stay in the run against their competitors with having the best vehicle in the market by proving they are willing to fix the problems they are responsible for. In conclusion, Toyota has learned to build their rep utation by having the best made vehicles on the market. Due to the recalls they are using their general and task environment forces to ensure management is doing what it takes to rebuild their reputation. Toyota general and task environment relates to the major forces within the organization of Toyota with potential to influence significantly their products and services.Work Cited Jones, G. R. , and George, J. M. (2007). Essentials of contemporary management (2nd ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill The Huffington Post. (2010, March 10). Worst product recalls. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2010/02/23/the-worst-product-recalls_n_472340. html How to cite The Toyota Company, Papers

Hypnosis (1316 words) Essay Example For Students

Hypnosis (1316 words) Essay HypnosisAlbert Einstein reckoned that humans use only about 10% of their brains. According to some reports, while hypnotised, we could gain access to the other90%. Every human being who is mentally sound can be hypnotised to some degree. You can use hypnosis for a lot of things, for instance to control weight, pain,sleep, and to raise confidence. You can also use it to quit smoking, developconcentration and memory. In fact, you can use it for anything that depends onyour own efforts. I) ORIGINS OF HYPNOSIS: The art and science of hypnosis isboth old and new. *Old because it was used in ancient time and has a pedigreethat stretches back to the beginning of mankinds conscious development *Newbecause only over the past 100 years has it been subject to the full force ofscientific scrutiny, after discovery that the unconscious mind, emotions andpersonal history directly affect a persons state of mental, emotional andphysical health. A) Old origins _ Hypnosis has existed very early in religiousrituals. However, the earliest known description of hypnosis date back 6000years to rites performed in Egyptian sleep temples. _The Indus Vedas ,aknowledge sacred book written around 1500 BC, mentions the use of hypnotictechniques an d procedures. _According to some specialists, accounts of what wewould now call hypnosis can be found in the Bible and in the Talmud. _In thepast, hypnosis is always associated with the occult: witchdoctors and shamans(medicine man)practised hypnosis :ritual hypnosis and dance were integralelements of shamans communication with spirits. B) New origins- modern useof hypnosis There are two leading men in the scientific study of hypnosis: _1734-1815: Franz Anton Mesmer, born in Vienna. Mesmer is considered the fatherof hypnosis. He is remembered for the term Mesmerism which means a personwho is raptly attentive, or who is temporally deprived of his normal consciousqualities. He described a process of inducing trance through a series of passeshe made with his hands . He succeed in treating a considerable variety ofailments. _ 1932-1974: Milton Erickson, a psychologist and psychiatristpioneered the art of indirect suggestions in hypnosis. He is considered thefather of modern hypnosis. Hi s methods bypassed the conscious mind through theuse of both verbal and non-verbal pacing techniques including metaphor ,confusion, and many others. He has immensely influenced the practice ofcontemporary hypnotherapy. II) HYPNOSIS: A) Curent examples As long as there asbeen human beings, there has been hypnosis, we use this commonly occurring stateof mind, unknowingly, all the time. It is just natural for us. _ For examples ifyou have ever watched a television program or movie and become really absorbedinto the program, you were probably in trance. This trance is what caused younot to hear your mother calling you to dinner. _ Advertisers understand this,they use television programs to induce a hypnotic trance and then provide youhypnotic suggestions, called commercials! _ Another common instance of thisnaturally occurring state of mind is when you are driving down the road, withyour mind focused on some other task, and last thing you know: you haveforgotten to turn. That is called Highway hypnosis. B) Definition _Definition: Hypnosis is a mental state of heightened suggestibility,characterised by trance like sleep. The basis of hypnosis is the fixation of thesubject attention upon a gradually narrowing source of stimulation, until he isattendant upon only the direction of the hypnotist. _Techniques: This isvariously achieved by repetition of instructions in a low, level voice, orhaving the subject fix his gaze upon a light in an otherwise dark room. Thesubject remembers nothing of what he did during the hypnotic period. But certaineffects may be suggested to continue after the subject returns to consciousness,these are called post hypnotic suggestions. _major purpose: During hypnosis, theconscious mind is distracted, so that new, positive suggestions are more readilyaccepted. According to the specialists of hypnosis ,these new constructive ideassubstitute negative old ones, therefore creating permanent beneficial changes inyour life. C) Hypnotherapy: _ What i s hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy is basicallythe use of hypnosis as a medium for psychotherapy. People will either behypnotised by a therapist (hetero-hypnosis) or taught to hypnotise yourself(self hypnosis) as a way of achieving personal insight. _ How does hypnotherapywork? Essentially, there are two main aspects of hypnotic trance which are usedin psychotherapy: 1) The subconscious mind is more open to positive suggestions,made by yourself or the hypnotherapist. 2) The mind may express itself moredirectly and more spontaneously Through thoughts or images. _ What benefits canbe achieved through hypnotherapy? Some of main benefits of hypnotherapy can beclassed as follows: Personal development, cessation of habits, management ofanxiety and stress, and psychological and emotional well-being. _ You couldconquer your phobia: Phobia is an anxiety about a person, place or thing whichcon not be voluntary controlled. A simple phobia, one which is focused on asingle feared object such as spider s is rarely called for treatment, but it canhave little impact on the patients quality of life. You could quit thisphobia with 3 sessions of hypnotherapy: -first session: uncover the cause ofpatients phobia. -second session: the hypnotherapist uses behaviouraltechniques to enable patient to approach spiders in his imagination. -thirdsession devotes to supportive therapy with positive imaging and post hypnoticsuggestions. The hypnotherapist encourage people to touch spiders in real life. .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .postImageUrl , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:hover , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:visited , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:active { border:0!important; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:active , .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3 .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u42c214b7c4f96cc8ebafb42256a5bff3:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Ambiguity of Blackberries Essay _ Hypnosis to stop smoking: It is the subconscious motivation to smoke that mustbe changed in order to quit smoking. Hypnosis made it easy and you have nowithdrawal symptoms. It does not work the same for everyone: many people havefound quitting smoking with self hypnosis to be easy and painless, but forothers, it is difficult no matter which method is used. _ Hypnosis for paincontrol: The experience of pain is a combination of the type of pain, tension,fear and anxiety. Often tension and anxiety can intensify the pain. Byrelaxation of the body, there is a natural reduction of pain. By propersuggestion in the hypnotic state, the experience of pain can be reduced oreliminated for periods of time. It is good to teach clients self hypnosis andimagery so that the client can use it when needed. _ Hypnoanesthesia ReubenPercarve achieved the first major surgical operation of this kind to be doneanywhere without conventional anaesthetic. He is responsible for theHypnoanesthesia in the surgic al operation performed in Quebec. The patient wasoperated successfully for the appendix. His recover was excellent without anyside effects normally associated with this type of surgery. III) WRONG DANGERSOF HYPNOSIS: _ What if I can not wake up? It never happens. Getting out ofhypnosis is never a problem. You will put all of your efforts into getting intoa hypnotic state, not getting out of it.. The worst that can happen is that youdrift off into normal sleep, in which case you will wake up just as you wouldany other time. _ Will I lose consciousness? No, you will no more loseconsciousness in the hypnotic state than you did when you were paying completeattention to your reading. To someone else you will appear to be asleep becauseyour eyes are closed and you are relaxed, but you will know that you are notasleep like at night. _ Can I be hypnotised against my will? No, no matter, howwill you have learned to go into the hypnotic state, you can always refuse to doso if you desire. _ If I am in the hypnotic state and someone suggests me to doan immoral act, will I comply? No, it is unlikely that a person could violate aconcept of morality to which he is strongly attached. CONCLUSION: Today, thereare many legitimate university based on studies of the various phenomena ofhypnosis and it is not uncommon for dentists and physicians to use it in theirpractices. There is no magic by any of us, hypnosis will not make you stronger,good looking, irresistible to girls or boys, a world class athlete and a genius. The fact is that hypnosis eventually becomes everything anyone could reasonablyexpect. It is a great way to do anything that depends on your own efforts.

Teaching and Learning free essay sample

Cognitive Jean Piaget was a biologist when he started but by the time he was 21 moved to the development of children’s understanding, through observing them whilst he set them tasks. He has given us a better idea of how a child’s mind works and how they grow up. Cognitive theory is concerned with the development of a persons thought processes. It also looks at how these thought processes influence how we understand and interact with the world. When a child is born it goes through various stages of this development by understanding their environment from birth they can also process all the information around them using their developing thinking skills this then grows with age. People have always believed that there are 4 stages of cognitive development: * Sensorimotor stage. In infancy knowledge of the outside world is very limited but children learn through interacting with family and experiences when visiting other environments like the outdoors. We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching and Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Pre-operational stage In early childhood your child will develop these skills and start to use more language and as the brain grows so will their memory, holding more information, they can then start to use their imagination through play. Although will still confuse fact with fiction. * Concrete operational stage In this stage, cognitive development uses intelligence to think through logical problems in relation concrete objects. Their basic math skills will be developing and they can now sort items into categories and think about two things simultaneously. * Formal operational stage This is late teens into adulthood and this is when they start thinking logically and abstractly including thinking of what might happen in the future. They can now transfer information from one situation to another and can solve complex problems in their head. * Psychoanalytical This is where according to scientists the mind can be split into two parts. The conscious mind and the unconscious mind. The conscious mind is when we are aware of things that are happening and are able to control them through our senses and emotions but the unconscious however is described as when you have unresolved issues that you think are resolved the mind can pick them out at any moment when you least expect them which can cause confusion. The basic tenet’s of psychoanalysis include the following: 1. Human behaviour, experience and cognition are largely determined by innate and irrational drives. 2. Those drives are usually unconscious. 3. Attempts to bring those drives into awareness meets psychological resistance in the form of defence mechanisms. 4. Beside the inherited constitution of personality a persons development is determined by events in childhood 5. Conflicts between conscious view of reality and unconscious( repressed)material can result in mental disturbances such as neurosis neurotic traits anxiety depression etc.. 6. The liberation from the effects of the unconscious material is achieved through bringing this material into the consciousness (via for example skilled guidance). Sigmund Freud was the founder of this type of psychology and his approach was to get an understanding of a person’s behaviour and emotions rather than locking people away that had mental health problems or treating them with drugs. Since Sigmund Freud’s day it has changed a lot and ideas have been revolutionised coming up with new theories which help us with all types of treatment for psychology. * Humanist Abraham Maslow believed in 5 needs of a person. The physiological needs, the needs for being safe, the need for belonging, the needs for esteem and the need actualize the self in that order. * Physiological These include the needs we have for oxygen, water, salt, sugar, calcium and other vitamins. The need to maintain a PH balance and keep at a good temperature. We also need to rest, sleep, get rid of body waste and avoid pain. * Safety This includes feeling safe and secure in our environment and feeling the need for protection. * Belonging and Love This is when you feel the need for friends, lovingness towards family and having a sweetheart even feeling fondly at being part of a community. * Esteem This includes respect for others, needs for status, fame, glory, recognition, attention, reputation, appreciation and dignity. Self actualization This involves the desire to fulfil potential and to be all that you can be. Abraham Maslow was one of the pioneers in the movement to bring the human being back into psychology and the personality back to the human. Social Learning Albert Bandura believed that aggression in adolescents was made from the environment they came from including the beha viours of the person/s they live with. After 100’s of case study’s he came up with general principles. The principles of social learning are: 1. People can learn by observing behavior. 2. Learning can occur without change in there behavior. 3. Social learning has become cognitive in human learning over the past 30 years. 4. Social Learning theory can be a transition between behaviorist learning and cognitive learning theories. Learning this way can be done through watching television, reading books listening to the radio and watching all around us. An example of this is when you have an idol or someone that you really look up to that behaves in a certain way you will start to watch and copy how they move and behave. * Operant conditioning Burrhus Frederic Skinner describes the effects of consequences of a particular behaviour on the future occurrence of that behaviour. We use or see examples of this in everyday life. At school a teacher may say whoever completes their homework can get a sticker this is giving a reward for good behavior. Or at home when you ask a child to pick up the toys off the floor and the child refuses and you sit them on the step for time out this is punishment for bad behavior. If the boundaries are set before hand then they have a choice in how they behave. Concepts of operant conditioning include: 1. Positive reinforce- using praise. 2. Negative reinforce-The removal of something they like. 3. Positive punishment-to reduce the behavior. 4. Negative punishment-to remove something until their behavior gets better. A distinctive part of B. F. Skinners theory is that it attempted to provide explanations for a large range if cognitive examples. He accounted for verbal and language learning within the operant condition paradigm but was strongly dismissed by other physiologists. * Behaviorists This came from the works of John B. Watson who claimed that psychology was not concerned with the mind or with human consciousness but with behaviour itself this way we could be studied objectively. This is the idea that behavior is learned through conditioning. There are 2 types of conditioning: Classical conditioning- this is a technique used in behaviour training. A natural stimulus is paired with a response. Operant conditioning-A process of behaviour modification in which the likelihood of a specific behaviour is increased or decreased through positive or negative reinforcement each time the behaviour is shown, so that the person comes to associate the positives or negatives of the reinforcement with the behaviour.

American and British Literature Comparative Essay

American and British Literature Comparative Essay Difference between American and British Literature Essay Difference between American and British Literature Essay The research paper investigates and analyzes differences between American and British literature. This work is based on the analysis of feminine fairy tales Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (or Alice in Wonderland), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and masculine novels The Jungle Book (stories about Mowgli’s adventures: â€Å"Mowglis Brothers,† â€Å"Tiger! Tiger!† and â€Å"Mowglis Song†), and Tarzan of the Apes. It includes the analysis of these fairy tales and novels in works of different researchers described in the literature review. The main method used in this research paper was the method of comparison of similar situations, events and characters of heroes from the above mentioned literary works. It is notable that American literature describes individualistic society and makes more stress on democracy, revolution and geographical extension of the country, whereas British literature describes collectivistic society and pays attention to historic e vents and autocracy of the ruling class. The language used in British literature is much more complicated, diverse and bright compared to American literature. This research paper describes numerous differences between American and English literature, like plot, characters of main heroes, literary language, etc. It is based on the examination of fairy tales written in the USA and the UK because fairy tales thoroughly reflect different historical, social, and political events and show them in a simple and understandable (for children) manner, without strong influence of personal author’s attitudes. These differences are shown in the analysis of four fairy tales and novels for children: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (or Alice in Wonderland), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book (â€Å"Mowglis Brothers,† â€Å"Tiger! Tiger!† and â€Å"Mowglis Song†), and Tarzan of the Apes. These fairy tales have some similarities, which produce more valuable outcomes of research of differences. American and English writers provide different descriptions of heroes and their destiny, environment, and events which too k place in fairy tales. They use different language to describe similar events. There will be provided a more thorough description and analysis of differences between British and American literature further. This research paper uses works of different researchers for providing a more detailed and relevant analysis of differences between American and British literature. Each researcher analyzed different distinguishing features of the above mentioned fairy tales and novels. This research paper unites their outcomes and provides a joint understanding of differences in the literatures of the USA and the UK. In her work From The Wizard of Oz to Wicked: Trajectory of American myth, Burger pointed out that The Wizard of Oz portrays racial diversification of people in the USA. There is a great variety of nationalities that live in different places of this geographically extensive country. Her ideas are supported by Okihiro (2001). In the article â€Å"Difference between English literature and American literature,† much attention is paid to differences in the literary language of American and British literature. The author stated that the language of British literature is more complicated and bright. It contains more descriptions of landscapes, events and creatures. In her work â€Å"Language -games in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, or: How language operates in Carrolls text to produce nonsensical meanings in common-sense references,† Lemos provides numerous examples of language games from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She also analyses these language games and describes the actual meanings of expressions used by Lewis Carroll. Pokrivcak in his work â€Å"Multiculturalism, transcendentalism, and the fate of American literature† stated his vision of the reasons for linguistic differences between American and British literature, which is based on social and ethnic homogeneity of the UK and diversification of the USA. This research paper is also based on the ideas from the work of Zanger â€Å"Some differences between American and British fantasy literature.† The author describes distinguishing features of feminine and masculine literature and provides an analysis of fairy tales and novels used in this work. This research paper will provide an analysis of American and British fairy tales in terms of differences between the literatures of the two countries. Fairy tales form social behavior of children and the society in general. They describe what is good and what is bad; different social, political as well as economic events; the way the society treats people’s actions. They develop an understanding that any action can lead to certain positive and negative consequences. The second reason why fairy tales were chosen for the investigation of differences between American and British literature is that they provide a more impartial reflection of history, social structure, vision, needs and wishes of people living in a particular period of time compared to other literary works, like novels, poems, etc. The main part of this research is based on the examination and comparison of four different fairy tales and novels. The first one is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, written in 1865. It reflects the social and political behavior of Victorian England. Alice in Wonderland is compared to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This American fairy tale was written by Frank Baum thirty five years later than Alice in Wonderland. It reflects social and political vision of people living in the 19th century in the USA. Some people consider that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is some kind of American transformation of Alice in Wonderland. This understanding is grounded on several reasons, including a similar subject. Alice and Dorothy are travelling in unusual places and are surrounded by unusual creatures. Both girls left their families due to different circumstances and are searching for the way to come back home. Both fairy tales are female writings, i.e. they are oriented on young female readers. This is reflected in the use of a young girl as the main hero; in more complicated and unusual language; a great number of descriptions (much more than dialogues); attempts to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way. Also, both fairy tales incorporate miracles, thaumaturgy, mystics, etc. All above mentioned similarities promote the understanding that the analysis of differences between American and British literature should be performed particularly on these fairy tales for elimination of any considerable improper outcomes based on differences in plot, main hero, etc. In addition, two male’s fairy tales were chosen for analysis and assessment. The first source is the collection of stories about Mowgli The Jungle Book written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894. It will be compared with the American fairy tale Tarzan of the Apes, written by Edgar Rice Burroughs eighteen years later. These fairy tales are also united by a similar plot, description of jungles, and the male main hero. Masculine character of these adventure fairy tales is reflected in numerous dialogues; short sentences and simple word constructions; martial character; more warlike ways of resolving the conflict (through a fight). Both The Jungle Book and Tarzan of the Apes include stories that describe adventures of the main heroes, which are closer to reality. The four fairy tales were chosen because all of them have considerable similarities, such as the plot, struggle against different enemies, and search for a way out from difficult situations. All actions and adventures have some particular goal that is finally reached, which can be united by the understanding that virtue conquered evil. They describe adventures of the main hero and his or her surrounding (like-minded creatures). The second similarity is reflected in the description of numerous unusual animals and creatures. The third one lies in uncommon environment where adventures take place. The last similarity is that the fairy tales were written in almost the same time period and reflect the same historical and social events. This research paper will provide an investigation of differences between British and American literature by using the method of content analysis (analysis of social and historical background); analysis of characters and behavior of the main heroes of British and American fairy tales; locations where adventures took place; literature language used in these writings; representation of virtue and villainy; background of good and bad actions; characteristics of the societies shown in these fairy tales; representation of the ruling class and its behavior; the way how the hero overcomes obstacles in the path of his or her goals. The content, main heroes and their characters, social and political background of these writings will be thoroughly analyzed and compared. Several citations from these fairy tales will support ideas formed during the research of the differences between American and British literature. This research paper will not describe the plot of fairy tales or pay much attention to the historical period when these fairy tales were written as it seems to be unnecessary for this research. Discussion and dissection of different parts of four tales will be enough for reflect the differences between the literature of the USA and the UK. The results of analysis of Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book and Tarzan of the Apes are provided below. The majority of outcomes are supported by explanations, researchers’ thoughts and citations. The first difference between British and American literature is reflected in the behavior of the main hero. Dorothy and Tarzan are self-confident, self-sufficient and a little bit egoistic personalities. They are aimed primarily at gaining personal benefit, such as coming back home, and only then at providing benefit to the society. These heroes in many situations can rely only on themselves. American literature reflects the individualistic nature and history of Americans. Several centuries ago these people came to the continent of North America and could rely only on themselves for survival. Additionally, it should be mentioned that American literature contains descriptions of close groups of people (or creatures) who put their interests above the rest. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, such group of creatures consists of the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. The story begins with the description of the main goal of their adventure: Dorothy wants to find the way back home, and each of the creatures has its own personal goal in this adventure. Providing help to the other is represented as by-effect of the adventure. This reflects the behavior of Americans, who distinctly separate interests of their nation from the interests of the other nations. The characters of the main heroes in the British fairy tales are quite different. Alice often receives help from the Hatter, the dog, etc. The story Alice in Wonderland reflects the behavior of the collectivistic society, where a group of people (or creatures) have one joint goal. Special attention should be paid to the social structure described in the female fairy tales. Alice comes from an aristocratic family, whereas Dorothy’s family (grandparents) lives in more stringent conditions (like the majority of Americans of the 19th century) (Dobrinescu, n.d.). Close attention should be directed at the time and place described in American and British fairy tales. Usually in American literature â€Å"the fantastic is continually mingled with the ordinary, with the ‘real’ world† (Zanger, n.d.). Zanger (n.d.) states that â€Å"magic countries† in Africa and in Oz â€Å"employ the familiar American device of incongruity.† However, both fairy tales, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Tarzan of the Apes, describe adventures that happened in a present time. At the same time, the majority of British fairy tales describe adventure of heroes in prehistoric or even mythic past (Hevesiova, 2010). Familiar lands, sights and histories (for example Stonehenge) are usually shown in these fairy tales. British writers can reflect a great history of their country in their stories, whereas American writers rely more on their imagination and great unstudied scopes of their country. Frank Baum described a great variety of different races that lived in different locations of America (Okihiro, 2001). He portrays different racial groups living in separate locations in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, â€Å"Gillikins in the North, Munchk in the East, Quadlings in the South, and Winkies in the West† (Burger, 2009). In addition, special attention should be paid to the attitude to the ways of administrating authority that are reflected in American and British literature. Thus, British society paid much attention to the king or lord and his power. The society has strongly differentiated the political structure (or fixed system of ranks), which is usually turned on the basis of birth. By contrast, in American literature the power is obtained by force and remains in the hands of the main hero as long as he or she is strong and skillful. Thus, Dorothy and Tarzan at the end of the stories â€Å"move from private obscurity to greatness, then back to relative obscurity again† (Tarzan went back to his Jungle, and Dorothy returned to her family in Kansas) (Zanger, n.d.). Different heroes of British fairy tales pass through different social stages and integrate into the community and social or political order, reflected in the aristocracy and kingship. Alice realized her role and responsibility of saving Wonderland only through overcoming numerous difficulties. Mowgli also burned and later killed Shere Khan only after becoming wiser, older, and stronger. Numerous animals supported him in his struggle against monkeys, the tiger and people. Moreover, considerable attention should be paid to the fact that British literature describes the absolutism of power, i.e. the presence of one king or ruler in the society (like Akela and Mowgli). American literature shows political power and rulers in a different way. At the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, three main creatures (the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and Tin Man) â€Å"move to take their respective kingdoms† where they act as â€Å"politician, the worker in agriculture and the mechanic† (Zanger, n.d.). The election process of ruler is performed by acclamation. Frank Baum describes democratization and separation of power in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Differences in American and British literature are also manifested in the description of evil in the above mentioned and other popular fairy tales. In British literature â€Å"evil is often depicted as emerging from below - Goblins, Weasels, Orcs, Morlocks, Shere Khan, cobras Nag and Nagaina (from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi) - possessing a kind of intrinsic wickedness quite apart from any inspired organizing principle that leads them† (Zanger, n.d.). Evil forces are usually represented as proletarian creatures. At the same time, American evil is more autocratic. In Tarzan of the Apes, evil comes from outside â€Å"from above in the farm of British bankers slaughtering game, or Arab slavers, or German diamond hunters, or a variety of European types motivated uniformly by greed† (Zanger, n.d.). As a rule, American bad heroes did evil things (like Munchkins) under constraint of stronger features and forces which they cannot withstand (like in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Tarzan of the Apes). Also, much attention should be paid to finals of such male fairy tales as The Jungle Book and Tarzan of the Apes. The main heroes of both writings were brought up by animals: Tarzan was brought up by monkeys, whereas Mowgli was brought up by different animals that lived in jungles (a bear, snake, panther and wolfs). However, in the final Mowgli found his bellowed and started to live with other people, whereas Tarzan felt uncomfortable with other people and returned to jungles. The finals of two fairy tales reflected differences in British and American society. The former is more collectivistic, whereas the latter is more individualistic. Much attention should be paid to literary language of fairy tales of the UK and the USA. The language of British fairy tales contains more bright descriptions and sophisticated literary expressions than the language of the American ones (â€Å"Difference between,† 2014). For example, in Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll used numerous language games, where words have indirect meanings. Examples of such language games are thoroughly analyzed by Lemos. The evaluation of a dialogue between Alice and the Hatter will be provided below: Alice had been looking over his shoulder with some curiosity, ‘What a funny watch!’ she remarked. ‘It tells the day of the month and doesn’t tell what o’clock it is!’ ‘Why should it?’ muttered the Hatter. ‘Does your watch tell you what year it is?’ ‘Of course not,’ Alice replied very readily: ‘but that’s because it stays in the same year for such a long time together.’ ‘Which is just the case with mine,’ said the Hatter (Lemos, 2009). The author combined meaningful language of Alice and on the first view nonsensical language of the Hatter in this dialogue. However, Hatter’s language has more sense than Alice’s, because at the March Hare’s house the time remains the same (six o’clock). Therefore, common clock are useless, and Hatter’s clock is useful because it shows the time (Lemos, 2009). Numerous linguistic challenges make the whole British literature and works of Lewis Carroll in particular unusual and memorable. The background of linguistic differences between American and British literatures are analyzed by Pokrivcak are reflected in the following words: â€Å"the difference lies especially in the fact that while European literatures have grown out of linguistically and ethnically homogeneous sources, the literatures of the United States have always been a product of several cultures speaking various languages† (Pokrivcak, 2010). American main heroes (Dorothy and Tarzan) are a little bit egoistic personalities that have such features as self-reliance, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency. They usually rely only on themselves. These heroes reflect the individualistic character of the American society. On the contrary, British society and characters of main heroes (Alice and Mowgli) are more collectivistic. Mowgli and Alice rely on the help and support of the group of like-minded creatures. Places where the adventures happen differ greatly in the writings of American and British authors. Events in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Tarzan of the Apes took place in real time, but in places which are far from readers. On the other hand, events of British fairy tales usually happen in pre-historic and mythic time periods. Attitudes to political order and administration authority are also quite different in the literatures of the USA and the UK. British fairy tales contain numerous descriptions of immortal soul of kingship and strict political order. Kingship is usually based on birth. In American fairy tales the authority is gained by power and skills. American literature describes a more democratic political order and availability of several rulers. The nature of evil is different in American and British fairy tales. In American fairy tales evil comes from outside, whereas in British fairy tales evil usually has an inherent character. Literary language of British fairy tales is more bright and colorful. It contains numerous complex language constructions and even language games (in Alice in Wonderland). By contrast, American literary language is simpler, with larger number of dialogues and shorter descriptions. This research paper provides an analysis of extinguish characteristics of four fairy tales and novels written by American and British writers. These fairy tales and novels are Alice in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book (novels about Mowgli’s adventures) and Tarzan of the Apes. They are connected by similar plot and time of creation. This provides more thorough and reliable outcomes of analysis of the literature of two countries. American and British literature have numerous differences reflected in the characteristics of the main heroes and description of their adventures, plots of the stories and literature language. All of these differences are based on distinctive histories, social orders, and views of life. Both American and English literatures depict different aspects of life of people who live on the territories of these countries. No one can definitely state that one literature is much better than the others. Every reader chooses the literature that is more suitable and attractive for him or her. This research paper not only describes differences between literatures of the USA and the UK but also recommends familiarizing oneself with both of them. Apart from that, it states that analysis should be made on similar types of writings which were created in the same (or almost the same) time periods for elimination of irrelevant outcomes. It is recommended to analyze works that have similar plots and characters in order to find out particularly literature differences. This will allow supporting the statements described in this work. Also, readers can find other differences between the literatures of the two great countries.

As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay)

I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future. As I See Myself (Descriptive Essay) I have had dark straight hair which is already dyed with golden blonde, brown eyes which I genetically inherited from my mother, a short nose, small gleaming teeth, full lips, tiny dimples and a round face which I am teased a lot by many people as well as my big fat arms. Nevertheless, I am proud of having a fair skin; long thick hair just like of a commercial model as what my sister would say; and long solid legs. So, I usually wear not-so-short shorts and skirts paired with t-shirts and flats. Like many girls, I like to dress up but then I don’t really have many clothes to dress up with so I end up with the basics. I also like my hair loose and undone because I like better messy hair, in a structured way and in a way to conceal my huge face. I used to be very shy and introvert when I was little. I don’t talk unless someone starts a conversation and sometimes I don’t ask questions to keep the discussion going. But now, I develop some confidence and courage to express my thoughts and feelings; I feel more comfortable when I’m alone with someone I’m not used to be with; and I can already look straight to their eyes. I am an ineffective liar. When I start to lie, I tend to laugh. The more I try to get serious, the more I easily burst out into laughter and normally, I can’t keep eye contacts with them. I am also an ineffective joker because frequently I end up laughing first before I could tell my joke. That’s me, making most of my time happy and laughing because I love what it brings me and I love hearing the sound of glee. But sometimes, a different me comes out particularly when I am treated impolitely and when I am force to wake up. Then again, I come back to my usual self once I’ve realized I’m being mean. I am also a person who likes to try new things or should I say adventurous and risk-taker which are the traits I get from my father. When it comes to this, I behave surprisingly energetic and enthusiastic. I can also be lazy at times especially when I don’t like what I’m supposed to do otherwise, I voluntarily do things in the best way I can. I was born a very grumpy girl indeed. What’s more, I am a very ambitious person. Ten years from now, I could see myself as a successful and refined CPA having established my own business, a house that I designed myself since I also dream to be an interior designer and cars that I never thought I would have. I intend to continue my profession, enhance my skills and to be a good public servant too. Given that I am an adventurous person, I could also see myself as a wanderer who travels to the most wonderful and romantic places in the world just as I would picture in my mind every single day. As well as a loving wife and mother nurturing her wonderful family. I know gaining these things are hard to achieve that is why I plan on working harder in the present for a better future.

Strategic management of global company Research Paper

Strategic management of global company - Research Paper Example 22). The success of the company in both the Japanese as well as international market is the result of its aspiration to manufacture high quality products. Toyota enhanced its operations considerably in quality to go well with the domestic environment, and as a result has made a triumphal turnaround within US market. In addition, the increase in oil price surprisingly improved the demand for Toyota’s vehicles due to their light and fuel-efficient features. Form that time, global exporting business of Toyota had seen a stable development. With the intention of avoiding import challenges, for instance, directives and import allowances, Toyota launched a 50/50 joint venture with General Motor during 1983 in US, and a completely owned production units in UK during 1989 and another in France during 1997, and a â€Å"50/50 joint venture with French automaker Peugeot in Czech Republic in 2002† (Christensen, 2013, p. 52). Aggressive steps have as well been taken in China, now th e world’s rapidly developing car market. Toyota started its operations during the year 1954, with its head office situated in Tokyo, Japan. It was the hub of designing activities, scheduling, manufacturing of prototypes and assessment of automobiles. It was in charge for each and every function, together with development, designing and assessing cars. Besides, the center is as well responsible of safety technologies, energy management and environmental fortification. During the year 1973, Toyota started the design center at Newport Beach, California. The businesses formed the European center for design to have improved knowledge of local pressures and inclinations of existing and prospective customers. At this point, the group has made successful models such as â€Å"Yaris, Corolla, Corolla Verso, Avensis and Land Cruiser† (Rivenburgh, 2013, p. 92). Global Strategy of Toyota Any business that tryst to enter the foreign market primarily plans to get advantages of Ã¢â‚¬Ë œeconomies of scale’ as well as location and knowledge-gaining result which could be realized by and increase product and service consistency. On the other hand, at this point challenges of localization arise inevitably because of demand for response by the company to local setting such as taste and inclination of buyer, local government policies and cultural features. In the global business strategy matrix, â€Å"along two aspects of stress for cost cutback and stress for local reaction, transnational strategy has the maximum level along both dimensions† (Rivenburgh, 2013, p. 113). Among the four classic global business strategies, Toyota selects transnational Strategy. The best way to execute a transnational strategy is among the most difficult issues that big organizations are coping with these days. The necessity to compete with global rivals such as General Motors and Ford compelled Toyota to try to find better cost economies. Nonetheless, deviations in customers taste preference and government directives across countries indicate that Toyota as well has to be receptive to local demands. As a result, Toyota deals with considerable stress for cost decline as well as for local awareness. To decrease cost by standardizing, Toyota has been speeding up the process of going toward smaller number of automobile platforms, with objective of developing a broad range of models on a restricted range of platforms that have

The Impact of Structural Changes in Rents on Different People Research Paper

The Impact of Structural Changes in Rents on Different People - Research Paper Example The previous Conservative government up to 1997 had a policy of allowing social rents to increase with the intention of reducing public expenditure on subsidies with little regard to the impact on affordability or work incentives for tenants. They argued that rent increases allowed help to be diverted to those in greatest need. Better-off tenants met rent increases out of their own pockets while Housing Benefit 'took the strain' for the poorer tenants. This, however, created serious problems of benefit dependency and work disincentives throughout the country. The present Labour Government has already introduced the national minimum wage and Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) in order to tackle poverty, promote work incentives and reduce benefit dependency. Realignment of rents in line with this thinking has been taken up on priority. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) now changed to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) [since May 2006] has issued seve ral guidelines on the calculation and setting of rent for different social housing properties. Since April 2002 rents are calculated according to a formula based on relative property values, local earnings and property size. Restructured rents are calculated using the formula and data set out in the DCLG guide to Social Rent Reforms. Circular R2-27/01: ‘Rent Influencing Regime – Implementing the Rent Restructuring Framework’ also sets out the calculation of target rents. The complex mosaic of rental patterns in the social rented sector begins to make sense once the nature of individual rent schemes is explored.

Progress Report Essay Example for Free

Progress Report Essay In this Assignment you will proofread the Progress Report listed below. Next, you will identify the 10 mistakes that are listed in the report. The mistakes could be misspellings, incorrect abbreviations, or misuse of a medical term. Please list them in the chart below under the heading â€Å"Medical Terminology Error.† After you have listed the errors, you will need to identify the correct term or abbreviation. Please list them in the chart below under the heading â€Å"Correct Term.† At the end of the project be sure to list all applicable references and cite them in APA format. Main Street Hospital and Medical Center 6000 North Tree Street Branch, Pennsylvania 12345 – (555) 123-4567 PATIENT NAME: Susan SunshineMEDICAL RECORD:5555555 DATE OF DEATH:04/04/1954DATE OF ADMISSION:07/31/2013 PROGRESS NOTE CHIEF COMPLAINT: Severe lower abdominal pain and the inability to void for the past 12 hours. PRESENT ILLNESS: Sam Samuel is a 75-year-old Asian-American man who came into the emergency department at 3 am stating that he was in great pain and could not urinate. He had not been seen by a physician for several years but claimed to be in good health except for â€Å"a little high blood pressure.† The patient reports urinary frequency, noicturia x2, hesitancy, intermittency, disuria, and diminished force and caliber of the bladder system. In addition, he complained of intermittent pain in the right posterior lumbar area, radiating to the right flank. He also has post-void dribbling and the sensation of not having completely emptied the bladder. Earlier today, he had hematuria at the end of urination and several bouts of ND. MEDICATION ALLERGIES: None CURRENT MEDICATIONS: Benadryl 25 mg. dailys, at bedtime. PHYSICAL EXAM: Temperature 98.6 ® F. Blood pressure 140/90. Pulse 98. Respirations 24. Palpation of the abdomen shows a suprapubic mass approximately three fingerbreadths below the umbilicus, dull to percussion, and slightly tender. IMPRESSION: Renal Pelvis distention caused by urinary outlet obstruction, probably from benign prostatic hyperplasia. PLAN: Indwelling Foley catheter for relief of urinary obstruction. Imaging to include a CAT scan, kidney ultrasound and IVR. Urinary consult. Labs to include white blood count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen (BUA) and urinalnysis.

Affirmative Action v. Reverse Discrimination :: essays research papers fc

Affirmative action in the U.S. started to come about in the early nineteen sixties. It was enacted along with many other anti-segregation laws, as part of the "Civil Rights act of 1964 and an executive order in 1965 (Affirmative, Encyclopedia Britannica par. 2)." Today affirmative action is still going strong. It has many positive aspects, but it also has several negative affects, one of which is "reverse discrimination. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines affirmative action as "an active effort to improve the employment or education opportunities of members of minority groups and women." Some of the other areas of emphasis are age, religion, and ethnic origin. I feel the same as the authors of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution, when they said these laws were brought about because, In the judgment of a good many Americans, equality qua equality, even when conscientiously enforced with an even hand, would neither suffice to enable those previously deprived on racial grounds to realize the promises of equality of opportunity, nor would it atone, and provide redress, for the ravages wrought by two centuries of past discrimination. Consequently†¦ programs were established†¦ to go well beyond "mere" equality of opportunity and provide not only remedial but preferential compensatory action, especially in the worlds of EDUCATION and employment (Affirmative, Encyclopedia American 34). However, even as early as 1978 the Supreme Court has made it a point to not support laws that provide for "reverse discrimination," which Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines as "discrimination against whites or males as in employment or education." The Supreme Court stated that this isn’t acceptable when it decided "reverse discrimination" is not acceptable legally or constitutionally (Affirmative, Encyclopedia American 35). I think what they mean by this is that, even though affirmative action is necessary, it should not be so harsh as to make it so the "majority" is then discriminated against in return, because then it is just reversing the discrimination, hence the term "reverse discrimination." There have been many court cases that support each side of this issue. There were some major Supreme Court cases that led up to affirmative action. One of which was Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 in which it was deemed that the constitution meant politically equal not socially equal, which was held up until Brown v. Board of Education Topeka Kansas 1954. Brown v. The Board was a huge stepping stone towards affirmative action, because it started the processes of desegregation.

Bamya- Egyptian Food

Food and Nutrition ISP World cuisine Egypt Alex Easton The news of the Egyptian or lotus revolution has headed the media world-wide a few months ago. An uprising of the middle class Egyptians has led to overthrow the notorious Hosny Mubarak who had reigned Egypt for 30 long years. The Egyptians have overcome their fear of authority and had reached the point of no return. Unemployment, poverty, hungry and poor Egyptians now seek a better future for their country and for themselves. The Arab Republic of Egypt is a link between Africa, Europe and Asia.Egypt is located in the northeastern region of the African continent. Egypt has three major water resources, the river Nile, the longest river in the world, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red sea, however, only the river Nile provides palatable drinking water. Despite this, Egypt's climate is arid and dry and most of the country receives less than one inch of rainfall each year. The Mediterranean Sea may offer Egypt's northern coastline up to eight inches of rainfall each year, and keeps year –round temperatures cooler than the inland deserts.The widespread lack of rainfall makes it extremely difficult to grow crops. Egypt has no forests and only 2 percent of the land can be farmed. The river Nile runs from the south to the north of eastern Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea at the delta, the most fertile land in Egypt. Around 95 percent of the countries population lives alongside the Nile River, including about 3 percent of Egypt's population in its capital, Cairo. This overcrowding is threatening Egypt's wildlife, recourses and water supply.The Egyptians still have a love of food inherited from their ancestors. Living on a fertile land that yields different fruits and vegetables all year round has enriched the Egyptian kitchen with a variety of food. Animals also show a variety, with different types of meat present; beef, veal, lamb, poultry and even camel meat is popular. The unique Egyptian cuisin e has been influenced by other neighbouring cuisines, Middle Eastern Turkish, Greek and Roman cuisines have influenced some of the Egyptian dishes available now. The Egyptian cuisine is also affected by the season's products.Bread and rice are present all year round as the wheat is made into flour and together with rice is a strategic grain in the kitchen. The varieties are in the selection of fruit and vegetables. Oranges, tangerines and citrus fruits are abundant in the winter starting from November, while watermelons, melons, mangoes and apples are available in the summer. The main vegetables available in summer are okra and molekheyia-a leafy green vegetable that is shredded and made as a soup. Potatoes, eggplants and other vegetables are available all year round.Despite the fertile land and the variety of crops, the Egyptians mostly are in poverty and in hunger . Food prices are at record levels partly due to population growth and increased demand from a recovering global econo my, tight supplies, high oil prices, and weak agricultural planning and production attributable to climate change-induced natural disasters and crop loss in key producing nations. The Egyptians are now trying hard to change the policies that were available in Mubarak's regime. The Egyptian revolution was ignited by a poor mans own will to burn himself in front of parliament as he could not feed his family anymore.Thirty years of government corruption, bribery and suspicious alliance with outside nations caused the Egyptians to rebel as they repeated â€Å"enough, enough†. The previous policies of Mubarak's government had impovered the Egyptian farmer and peasant, abolishing wheat farming, and accepting wheat from the USA, caused this uprising as bread prices had raised. In 1999, agriculture made up approximately 16 percent of Egypt's economy, employing about one-third of all Egyptians. However, Egypt's agriculture is also contributing to the slowing of economic growth. A shor tage of arable land (land that can be farmed) has become a serious problem.The lack of farmable land has caused Egyptian farmers to move to other countries. Egypt, struggling to consolidate a revolution that deposed President  Hosni Mubarak  in February, now faces what could be even worse turmoil because the country is running out of food as well as the money to buy it. Food prices went up 10. 7 percent in April compared to the same month in 2010, government statistics indicate. According to Al-Ahram, Egypt's leading daily, hoarding of rice by wholesalers has pushed prices up by 35 percent this year. Egypt is reported to have only four months' supply of wheat on hand and only one month's supply of rice.Egypt faces daunting challenges as it prepares for broad presidential and parliamentary elections within a year. Ongoing volatility in global food prices will strain resources during this critical transitional period. Still quite vague what the new government will do, the present change to democracy and the upcoming parlimental and presidential election is giving the Egyptians hope to a better future. Egypt is entering a new era, an era of real democracy and the will of its people, especially the youth to transform their country and create a new environment for prosperity.

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” Appearance vs. Reality Essay

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the theme of appearance versus reality is recurrent. Austen seeks to prove that often one’s appearance hides one’s true character. This thematic concept is clearly evident in the case of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham and how they appear to Elizabeth Bennett. From her first impressions of both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth comes to misguided conclusions about their true character. Elizabeth spends most of the novel reevaluating her stance regarding both of these characters. She later comes to realize that her respective judgements of Mr.Darcy and Mr. Wickham are profoundly inaccurate and incorrect. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Austen demonstrates that reality of an individual’s true character can often be hidden by appearances. Elizabeth’s first impressions of Mr. Darcy are based on an appearance of his character rather that a realistic assessment of his decorum, background, and history. The very first time Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy she becomes prejudiced toward him. Elizabeth is introduced to Darcy at the Meryton Assembly and although the general impression is that he is quite handsome, her opinion suddenly changes to an unfavorable disposition towards him. She perceives his behavior as cold and uninterested in her friends and family. Along with the rest of the people in Hertfordshire, she decides that he is † the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world† (41). His air of superiority does not impress Elizabeth and she observes that he does not converse with anyone who is outside his party. She grows particularity hostile towards Darcy when she overhears him say,† She [Elizabeth] is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me† (42). Elizabeth comes into contact yet agai n with Mr. Darcy when Jane Bennett becomes ill while visiting Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth goes to stay with her at Netherfield. Elizabeth’s dislike of Darcy’s stoic and unfriendly manner increases; while spending time with the Bingley party. Elizabeth believes every single move of Darcy to have ill intentions. She notices Darcy frequently gazing at her and concludes â€Å"she drew his notice because there was something about her more wrong and reprehensible, according to his ideas of right† (86). Elizabeth is blinded of Darcy’s true character, which is hidden by his appearance. She is unable to sense Darcy’s real feelings because his introverted demeanor does not allow him to express them. Elizabeth’s  blindness is blatantly obvious when Darcy asks Elizabeth to dance and she denies by saying: â€Å"You wanted me, I know, to say ‘yes,’ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing the kind of scheme, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all- now despise me if you dare (86). At this point in the novel, any contact Darcy attempts to make with Elizabeth is brutally rebuffed because of her strong prejudice towards him. Contrary of Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth’s first impressions of Mr.Wickham are favorable. Mr.Wickham differs from Mr.Darcy in many ways. When Elizabeth first takes notice of Wickham at her Aunt Phillips’ house, she believes him to be â€Å"far beyond† the other officers in the militia † in person, countenance, air, and walk† (115). Wickham is outgoing, lively, and eager to fall into conversation. Wickham’s outgoing and polite mannerisms are quite the opposite of Darcy’s, and Elizabeth takes an immediate interest to him. Compared to Darcy, Wickham appears to Elizabeth as one of England’s finest gentlemen. A further example of how Elizabeth is blind to reality is her firm belief in Mr. Wickham’s claims against Mr. Darcy. Wickham’s appearance as a stately gentleman and Elizabeth’s prejudice towards Darcy cause her to believe Mr. Wickham’s slander against Darcy even though she knows nothing of Darcy’s past. She regards Mr. Darcy as a proud, pompous brute, so she is willing and eager to find fault in him. Wickham provides this fault and justifies her already hostile feeling towards Darcy. This aggressively hostile behavior of Elizabeth toward Darcy is intensified at the Netherfield Ball. Elizabeth feels anger towards Darcy because she believes him to be the cause of Wickham’s absence. Elizabeth’s predisposition to favor Wickham is noted by Mrs. Gardiner who warns Elizabeth that she has heard rumors of Wickham’s greedy character and to be careful of placing too much trust in him. At this point in the novel Elizabeth regards Wickham as a friendly and resourceful man who confirms her bitter feelings towards Darcy. Darcy’s proposal to Elizabeth is perhaps the grandest example of how  Elizabeth is blinded by appearances. When Darcy proclaims his love for Elizabeth, he opens up his heart the only way he knows how, only to see Elizabeth take offense to his offers and turns him down. Elizabeth is unaware of Darcy’s history and doesn’t understand his particular social status. She thinks his reasons for debating over marrying her are inconsequential. She also does not understand what sort of shame he is risking in seeking her as his wife and takes offense to Darcy’s words about her family. Elizabeth is unaware of the outside forces, such as Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Miss Bingley, acting upon Darcy. His statement â€Å"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed† (236) appears rude to Elizabeth, when in actuality it is admirable and valiant. Elizabeth sees the proposal as an insult when in actuality it is Darcy sacrificing his pri de and proclaiming his utmost devotion to her. The turning point in the novel in which reality begins to override appearance occurs when Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter. In this letter Darcy tells his side of the story regarding his relationship with Wickham and provides verifiable information to substantiate his character. Not only does he prove that he did not act maliciously towards Mr. Wickham, but he also explains that he never had any intent to hurt Elizabeth’s sister Jane. He explained that he was not confident that Jane truly loved Mr. Bingley and was only looking out for a good friend. After reading and rereading this letter, Elizabeth reevaluates her previous feelings of both Darcy and Wickham and her opinion of both men gradually changes. With the crucial knowledge she gained from the letter, she pieces the puzzle together. Elizabeth now begins to admire Darcy when she visits his exquisite home and takes notice of Darcy’s affection when she meets him at Pemberly. Wickham is proven to be fraudulent and Elizabeth sees now that his intentions were dishonorable and his actions not proper when telling her lies about Mr. Darcy. She sees now that Wickham is a greedy and ungrateful man who has repeatedly taken advantage of Darcy financially. His deceitful character is only confirmed by his scandalous affair with Lydia Bennett. By the end of the novel, the true character of these gentlemen is evident to all. Elizabeth Bennett regrets ever having admired Wickham, and embraces Darcy as her true love. It is clear to Elizabeth that Wickham’s smooth manners and outward style conceals a shallow, superficial, and greedy soul, while Darcy’s awkward behavior hides a generous, caring heart. Elizabeth learns many lessons from her interaction with these two men. She learns the possible dangers of jumping to a conclusion based on an individual’s character and looks that may be deceiving. Through Elizabeth’s realizations, Jane Austen offers a universal theme that can be related to any society in that premature judgements are more often than not a misconception of someone’s true personality. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen effectively exhibits that reality can often be hidden by appearance.

George Best Death Media Portrayal Essay Example

George Best Death Media Portrayal Essay Example George Best Death Media Portrayal Essay George Best Death Media Portrayal Essay As you can see the broadsheet Sunday newspaper a large image of different types of flowers laid onto the floor by beloved fans Bests and a boy putting his own bunch of flowers down expressing his sorrows and love for the famous footballer. The newspaper is attempting to show readers the love fans had for him and that he would be deeply missed. The title itself is connected to the image well. The title for the newspaper is United in grief for the legend thus the image shows fans came together and lay flowers on the floor to mark his death.The broadsheet goes straight into depth regarding the death with columns of data speaking about his medical history. The newspaper also tells us that due to the fact Best being bankrupt and was unable to pay the was given free medical treatment by the private hospital. He endured several operations, went back and forth to the hospital and after all this he passed away. The other paper has no introduction, no information like the broadsheet. It has a large image of him a laying in bed with his ex girlfriend Alex.The images used are totally different, the broadsheet has an image of one of Georges fans putting flowers, however on the tabloid paper there is a woman round the famous footballer and at the top saying Exclusive and then you have several mini subheadings at the bottom saying Smuggled In For Final Goodbye and so forth this is a hook and entices people to read all about Georges secret life. : It is like the tabloid is rousing something up.Both papers are connoting different things, for instance, the broadsheet attempts to make readers feel sorry for him by talking about what he went through within the hospitals etc, whereas the tabloid paper does not do this. They have focused more on publicizing his secret life. The layout chosen for the broadsheet is tedious. You have got a large image of hundred flowers, special notes, goodbye messages and a boy putting his own bunch of flowers down. There are small columns of information talking about the treatments he had, when and how he died, the minute silence to mark his death and so on.There are medium size headings, also the camera shot has blurred the back of the picture and zoomed into one of Bests fans and flowers; on top of this you got a label which connotes united in grief for a legend. The layout is I feel is boring and cramped, closed, squashed and so forth but on the other paper you have open spaces. This has an effect on the reader, really the broadsheet has the news value but tabloid contains too much gossip. Both sheets has a certain style of layout, language etc. For the tabloid, you have a zoomed image of the footballer and his ex who is holding his neck and the background is blurred in the picture.On the bottom of the paper are mini subheadings revealing other aspects of the footballers life as it wishes to encourage people to purchase and read all about his secret life. Both of the layouts and image angle shots are different, this connotes that both papers are aiming at ideal readers, in terms of their age. The title is of a large font enabling people to read it from a certain distance. Both newspapers have its own style of language just like the layout, images and the differences in how the famous footballer is represented.The language used in the tabloid connotes it is informal because you have words like, pals secret and so on, but on the broadsheet their words like est imate expert and so forth. This proves both newspapers are aiming at different people, again in terms of their ages. George Best is being presented in two types, one is like good news and the other is filled with gossip. He has been portrayed in two ways good and bad. They both emphasize on the fact that e was a football legend. In the tabloid newspaper there is not much news value, it is full of gossip and his secret life.The paper wishes readers to read about his secret life rather than focusing on the fact that he has gone from this world. The reasons as to why he is being represented in this particular way is due to the target audience. Tabloid newspapers are mostly read by working class people. Also the newspaper aims to inform its readers everything abut his life be it shocking news, like the mini subheading in the front paper Agony over his secret daughter. The broadsheet gives the facts. It as news values and concentrates on his medial experiences rather than his secret life .It wishes to inform fans what he had to endure with hospitals and how he was still being treated free of charge. It explains about what his fans did for him and how much he will be missed and the image is there to show just how much fans appreciated him. The reason as to why it is different to the tabloid paper is that broadsheets are mostly targeted for middle class people and it does not want to contain information which isnt entirely accurate. In the tabloid paper you can find all the gossip of his life but when you look it has less news value than the broadsheet.

Analysis of all constitutes of successful service delivery Essay

Analysis of all constitutes of successful service delivery - Essay Example Thus, prior to direct interaction with the service, consumers form own expectations about experiences related to the service consumption. In such way, customers establish own standards against which in the future the quality of the service received will be compared in accordance with the disconfirmation model. In case if the expectations about the service consumption were greater then the actual quality of product received, the outcome is negative disconfirmation or, in the other words, dissatisfaction with the service received. Whereas, if the expectations were smaller then the quality of the services received, the outcome is positive disconfirmation or product satisfaction. (Lovelock, C., & Wirtz, J. 2004). The higher customer satisfaction is, the greater is the possibility of customer loyalty in the post consumption stage. Thus, customer satisfaction and loyalty are directly related. The concept of customer loyalty is of vital importance as repurchase of services gives significant advantages to the service producer: a continuous stream of profit, reduction of marketing costs, growth of per-customer revenue, decrease in operating costs, increase in referral, increase in price premium (Youjae, Y., Suna, L. 2004). In relation to the customer loyalty, the service recovery concept should be emphasized, as customer loyalty is often seen as a consequence of successful service recovery. ... Thus, service recovery significantly influences customer's attitudes alongside with behavioral intentions and results in a possibility of customer loyalty when successfully executed (Lovelock, C., Patterson, P.G., & Walker, R.H. 2001). Customer Expectations of Services: Formation As previously stated, customer expectations are formed during the first two stages of customer purchase decision and are closely related to knowledge about a service a customer already has. The expectations formation process is not only influenced by marketer's communications, but also is shaped by word of mouth communication, past experience, and personal need. While marketer's communication is a relatively simple concept, word of mouth communication and past experience should be further categorized. Scholars distinguish two sources of customer knowledge about a service: external research and internal research. While internal search is directly linked to previous experiences and influences both the level of desired and expected services, external search category unites implicit and explicit promises (marketer's communication) and word of mouth secondary information received from second sources. Consequently, the two major types of knowledge are distinguished: experience and familiar ity, knowledge received through direct involvement and second hand knowledge, respectively (Palmer, A. 2001). Customer service expectations can be categorized into 5 overall dimensions: reliability, tangibles, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The formation process is affected by numerous factors; in general, price is considered to be the dominant one. In the article "Understanding Customer Expectations of Service" by Parasuraman, A., Berry, Leonard L., Zeithaml, Valarie (1991), authors

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Mix Analysis of Valentino - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the current condition of the global economy is highly unstable and is being driven by uncertainty. Studies suggest that a large number of firms in every sector are struggling hard for survival and holding market positions. In such a time, it is gathered that demand and interest in luxury products and services among consumers have increased exponentially. The trend is not limited to a particular sector but can be witnessed across various sectors including the fashion industry. Valentino Garavani, also known as Valentino, launched his first product line in 1959 and since then, the company has made relentless efforts to become a prominent name in the fashion industry. Presently, Valentino is considered as one of Italy’s finest exporters of luxury fashion, and it has created an elegant range of fashion wear for various personalities over the past four decades. Besides apparel, the company offerings consist of shoes, bags, and access ories. Valentino opened the first store of the company in 1960 in Paris and introduced the signature ‘Red Valentino’ along with the ‘V’ label. Though the company started in Italy, presently it has stores all over the world. In 2013, the company earned revenue as high as 110 billion Swedish Kroner and its operating margin was around 16%. The assessment suggests that the company is enjoying steady growth even in an uncertain economic condition.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 72

Case Study Example Surveys were disseminated among the stakeholders with multiple questions and a Likert Scale to help in rating the operations within the institution. In order to obtain in-depth information, the stakeholders were interviewed and clarifications made on any aspect pertinent to the current situation. During the interview, the questions asked aimed at accessing the possibility of management problem as the main influence on the quality thereof. Further, the process also involved use of focus groups whereby a lot of information was gathered from a group of 9 workers. The data gathering tools were able to give proper answers which aided in completion of the case. The workers agreed that the management problem triggered related problems within the operation such as absence of purchasing, inspections design and testing process. Further, the respondents also agreed unanimously that the top management may have caused lack of tractability and quality management records required for improvement of the process. This led to poor quality and stagnation witnessed in improvement. The root cause determined from the case study was poor management. The top management is responsible for the harmonization and control of duties within any institution; hence it goes without saying that it had been involved in creating a network of problems: The inability of the management to adapt quality maintenance and product tractability is also witnessed within the case study. There was no established preventive or timed maintenance to the point of the management assigning wrong tasks to machines. This led to frequent wear and tear as evident by the twelve work orders aimed at fixing the machines. The case also states that the plastic was a rush order, leading increased pressure application to ensure fitness (Robert and Richard, 2011). This shows that the

Social Construction of gender Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Construction of gender - Research Paper Example These include the mesosystem, exosystem, chronosytem, microsystem, and the macrosystem (White, Livesey, & Hayes, 2012, p.16). This paper will give a limelight on the theory, including the five layers and also develop a marriage related genogram to detail more on family development. The ecological systems theory is important and was proposed by Bronfenbrenner in an attempt to move away from the conventional focus that perceived the immediate environment of an individual to be more important than the relationships. He also wanted to focus on the development process and not necessarily concentrate on the isolated variables at a particular period of time. Most of the models place more emphasis on nurture versus nature in the development of people. Nevertheless, the ecological systems theory looks closely at the person’s environment in terms of context and quality. In his theory, Bronfenbrenner theorized five major environmental related factors that tend to impact development and growth in a person. They include the exosystem, mesosystem, microsystem, and the chronosystem (White, Livesey, & Hayes, 2012, p.16) The microsystem is the layer that is in close and direct contact with a child. It encompasses close ties within the family and the interactions that a child has with their family, school, neighbors, or hospital among others. Therefore, the theory claims that people are not merely recipients of the main occurrences or experiences that they get when socializing with people in the micro-system level or environment. However, they play a major role in contributing to the development and the construction of such an environment. This means that parents tend to influence the beliefs of their children and vice versa. Under this level, an individual is an active participant and is influenced by his or her immediate environment. Various scholars have been applying the microenvironment concept to comprehend the development of a

Laura Ashley | Analysis

Laura Ashley | Analysis Laura Ashley, one of todays most recognizable fashion and home furnishings brands was founded by Laura and her husband Bernard Ashley. Their initiative enjoyed huge success on and by 1970 when sales had reached  £300,000 and a large number of shops were opening. Licensing operations brought about the opening of department store concessions in Australia, Canada and Japan in 1971, while further shops opened in Paris and San Francisco in 1974, and UK shop openings continued with a vengeance. The Company was listed to the Alternative Investment Market of London Stock Exchange on 5 December 1985. (Laura Ashley Official Website, 2009) 1.2 Business Summary Laura Ashley Holdings plc is engaged in the design, manufacture, sourcing, distribution and sale of clothing, accessories and home furnishings. The Company has four divisions: Home Accessories (30%), Furniture (28%), Decorating (23%) and Fashion (19%). (Laura Ashley Osiris Financials, 2009) It operates through retail and non-retail operations. Retail operations include Laura Ashleys managed stores, mail order and E-commerce, while non -retail operations include licensing, franchising and manufacturing. As of January 26, 2008, the Companys property portfolio in the United Kingdom included 208 stores, with three principal store types: mixed product stores (selling all product categories); home stores (selling the full range of home products), and 31 home concession stores. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 2 PESTEL ANALYSIS 2.1 Political Factors The Political situation of a country emphasizes on: Role of government Its impact in a company or firm The UK government makes sure that the market is open to fair and healthy competition thus appointing regulating bodies such as ASA, Competitions Appeal Tribunal, Competition Commission, Department for Business, Enterprise Regulatory Reform and many others to monitor the actions and policies of companies. At the same time, they are willing for people to invest in the current economy to climb out of the economic depression and hence provide incentives such as VAT relaxation, transport subsidies and high investment returns to make businesses more profitable1. The rapid development of the UK markets and the tightening of trade barriers in many European countries have created an opportunity for local companies. The maturity and the slow growth in the UK clothes retail sectors for female population and furniture and home decor have made Laura Ashley look for new investment ventures. Recent reports suggest that many household brands are planning to shift their focus on Mens Fashion markets where consumers, with growing disposable incomes, are keen to spend. Even though the political conditions are favourable, there still might be some legal barriers left for expansion to be profitable. Even though countries like UK and France have tightened trade barriers they are still cautious that foreign players will provide tough competition to become a market leader. Furthermore, it is expected that UK will tighten foreign investment laws, thus creating problems for international brands who seek expansion here. (Fuller Arnold, 2007) 2.2 Economical Factors The economys current state of recession is placing a heavy toll on all businesses. According to recent reports Laura Ashley store sales fell 6.2 per cent in the 53-week period despite total UK store sales jumping 10.8 per cent and internet sales rocketing 65.4 per cent. Laura Ashley said that since December, gross margins had come under pressure due to the continued deterioration of the UK economy, its impact on the retail sector and consumer confidence, the weakness of sterling and increased promotional activity (Harrison, 2009). Despite the volatile economy, Laura Ashley is in a strong position because their products have very high perceived value from their customers. Their highly differentiated merchandise and the loyalty of their customers can sustain them even in the economic recession. When the economy falters, consumers simply buy less and may move a greater share of their wallet to less-stylish and lower-cost offerings from deep discounters like ASDA or Tesco. Laura Ashley i s particularly susceptible to these conditions because their products are mainly in the upper price range. Expansion in the targeted market will provide the firm with more sustainability if they may endure down turns in any other product. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 2.3 Socio Cultural The UK market for clothes is changing. The focus on design is growing, and as a consequence there is a trend for customers to express themselves with the look of what they are wearing. In addition, figures point that this particular demographic is growing (Datamonitor, 2008c). Laura Ashleys textile products are specifically tailored to cater for this demographic and their understanding of the buying patterns of UK customers, both for clothes retail products and furniture products bringing sustained benefits to the company. Trend exist in the UK market that young people between 20-40 patronize UK a lot and prefer to buy products which carry a local label rather than opting for a foreign brand. In addition, to their good grasp of the demographics of the UK market, Laura Ashley try to follow the success of franchises such as Topshop, Esprit and Zara by switching their focus from traditional wear and introducing more fashionable clothing. To what extent they succeed is debatable, as Laura Ashleys products are moderately priced, unlike the low price offered by the likes of Topshop, Espirt and Zara. (Beatty, 2003) 2.4 Technological Technological changes over the last few years have made a significant impact on the way firms do business and on the products and services as well. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) As with other retail business operators, the Internet, and more precisely, online shopping creates opportunity for Laura Ashley to expand their market share. According to recent financial reports, Laura Ashleys good online shopping service has brought them significant financial benefits even in the period of global recession. Customers have become more and more accustomed to shopping from home, and this is especially true for the companys fashion products Keeping in mind that the targeted market is mostly students and working professionals who dont get time from their activities so very often, it provides an efficient and profitable way to market their portfolio to these people. Sales at Laura Ashley jumped 8.4 per cent since the beginning of 2009, mainly due to an 11% increase in online and mail orders. (Retail W eek, 2009) 2.5 Environmental UK is seen as a leading player in combating the issue of adverse climate changes all over the globe. And to maintain reputation and address the issues there are numerous measures it has taken over the years to make operations in the country eco-friendly. Companies such as Laura Ashley are no exception. The carbon emissions from their manufacturing plants as well as the transportation system are closely monitored, as is the case with every other company. The same mindset is found in the people specially the generation which is coming up as they are witnessing the drastic changes and getting affected by it. Laura Ashley is respected as one of the most responsible Fashion manufacturer. Laura Ashley is one of the pioneers in going green. In fall 2007, the firms CEO unveiled an environmental strategy that includes the use of renewable energy systems at logistics centres including the introduction of biodiesel for the firms trucking fleet. It gives a lot of attention to sustainable managem ent of all its operations. This factor serves as an added value factor for the company to attract more consumers as well as maintain the loyalty of the customers. 2.6 Legal The legal system of UK is very consumer friendly. It provides little or no assistance when we talk about retailers. As per the legal system, a customer can return the purchased goods within a specific time period which is offered by every retailer as a mandatory requirement (Office of Fair Trading, 2009). So many retailers see a lot of returns coming back, hence reducing the sale margins. The staff that is employed has to be paid a National minimum wage as per the legal system and there are complex contractual legislations in place which give an upper hand to the employees. As an employer and as a business, there should be proper health and safety rules in place to protect the workers as well as the customers, failure of which can lead to legal lawsuits which is becoming a common trend nowadays. But since the origins of the company are Welsh, it doesnt find it difficult to cope with these legal issues in place and have showed extreme employee satisfaction, both, in terms of job as well as working conditions. The large base of loyal customers speaks for itself about the treatment they have given to their customers over decades. 3 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT 3.1 Criteria for Selecting New Suppliers Quality: Quality is one of the major issues that would be kept in mind while selecting potential suppliers. To generate more profits, Laura Ashley need to provide more value for money and this could be done by improving the quality of their products. It is so often said that people and organizations alike are measured by what they create and what they do and this is no different in this case. This also enables to compete with high value brands and men might opt for Laura Ashley if the difference in quality is not that significant. It is not only limited to the quality of the product but also includes the services which they provide to Laura Ashley and making sure that standards are met in accordingly. Speed: This is important to meet customers demands on time. In busy periods like Christmas and Easter, there might be a surge in volumes expected and the supplier should possess the ability to meet those demands Dependability: Dependability is taken to be a more important attribute than performance. And arguably the most important criteria when selecting a potential supplier. Suppliers should be have Availability: The ability of the system to deliver as and when services requested e.g. surge in volumes Reliability: The ability of the system to deliver services as specified e.g. in a particular region Safety: The ability of the system to operate without catastrophic failure e.g. through bad economic conditions Security: The ability of the system to protect against accidental or deliberate intrusions e.g. factory fire Flexibility: As said in old times, flexibility comes with time. In this business, it is meaningless because your first impression is the last impression. The potential supplier should be flexible enough to provide Product service: Ensuring that they cater all the service requests put forth by Laura Ashley Product Mix: Ensuring that they have enough variance and diversity in the materials that they supply e.g. to cater different age groups Volume: Can cope with times when demand is high and can hold thought he periods when the demand is low e.g. economic recession Delivery: Ensuring that delivery is done when and wherever required. There might be outlets in cities where they dont have a distribution centre. So the supplier should have enough resources to deliver to those areas. Cost: As said before, the supplier should be cost effective. There should be if not favourable then perfect balance between the cost and the quality of the supplies. If the supplier has high costs, then automatically the profits margins go down. Having said that, it is also not expected that there should be a big compromise on quality to bring down the cost. Location: Since Laura Ashley is a global brand, it has its processing outlets in various locations. Suppliers should be able to cater all locations and if not, then should have other contractors who meet the same standards to serve those locations. Transportation: The supplier should make sure that it has sizable fleet to transport the supplies. Reliance on private services is not secure as there might be events which could lead to disruption in supply e.g. recent air strikes by BA, volcanic eruption causing air traffic to a halt. The potential supplier is expected to see through these and other kinds of threats that might lead to cut supplies to Laura Ashley. JIT: This is another vital factor in choosing a supplier. JIT refers to Just in time which means that processing centres are supplied whenever there is a need. The main aim of this selection criterion is to reduce the amount of money that is being spent to buy raw materials. This allows Laura Ashley to invest whenever there is a change in trend or if they want to invest in some other business venture. Expenses are cut further down by having less storage space, less staff wages and more importantly less losses that occur to stored raw materials. Diversity: The supplier should be able to realize the fact that UK is a very diverse country and people from many countries from all over the world come here to work, study and visit. Every country has their own fashion trend which in many cases is related to what they wear e.g. in Russia people prefer to wear warm clothes as they experience a very harsh and long winter whereas people from Pakistan may like lighter and more relaxed clothing as the temperature is very pleasant. So there is a diverse mix of fabrics that can be required and the supplier should be able to provide this. 3.2 Supply Chain Diagram Internet Fashion tips. Display ideas, Young Enthusiastic Staff, Refunds and Exchanges Orders delivered on time. Central Distribution centre designed around product delivery Control, Coordination, Accessories Outsourced, Pre cut Fabric Packs, Quick Response, Low Cost, Quality Control Low Level Stock Holding. Forecasting can be done easily Replenishment Fabric Acquired in different colours and types Customer Services Management Value Delivery: Distribution Manufacturing Order Assembly and inventory management Procurement Product Specialisation Design 3.3 Suggestions for type of supply chain management A 5% reduction in costs can have the same effect on the bottom line as a 25% increase in turnover (Chris Hicks, 2009) External Supply chain management (ESCM) which involves relationship with other companies: relationship with customers through market sales and relationship with suppliers through procurement. Internal supply chain management (ISCM) which involves different businesses, manufacturing units and departments within one company. For a company like Laura Ashley, it is beneficial to adopt an external supply chain management system. The advantages of adopting this outweigh the disadvantages significantly. The first and foremost advantage is that of cost. Operating in ESCM, Laura Ashley doesnt have to employ permanent or contracted staff in the same capacity as it would do in ISCM. There would be less tax payable and operating cost would be reduced considerably. Secondly, selecting potential suppliers according to the factors previously discussed, the business would benefit from flexibility, dependability and would be more diversified. Lastly, the company can go on to have healthy relationships with other industry partners and future alliances are a viable option. On the other hand, ISCM has its own advantages. It would provide Laura Ashley with more independence. Dependability on suppliers would be reduced. Everything done in-house would also reduce the cost but not to the levels ESCM would do. Also, reliance on external sources would decrease. But keeping in mind the fact the current economic conditions, there are few companies who can afford to take the burden of operating in ICSM. Employee wages, benefits, operating costs, taxes and increasing competition in market has made it difficult to sustain as one big unit. (Douglas Lambertz, 2005) 4 PORTERS FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS 4.1 Threat of Entry The clothing and furniture market in the UK is very competitive, with low entry and exist costs. Even though growth is on a decline, the clothing and furniture market in the UK is very lucrative for new entrants due to the low entry costs and the lack of significant investment required. (Datamonitor, 2008c) Even though the threat of entry is generally high, Laura Ashleys differentiated products create a barrier of entry for new consumers. The product differentiation of Laura Ashleys merchandise, especially with regard to their furniture, is valued very highly by their customers. This type of product differentiation is often quite hard to imitate by new entrants and thus the threat of entry for Laura Ashley is substantially lower than for other players who sell less differentiated product. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) In addition, Laura Ashley was founded in 1953, and for most of their existence they have been among top market performers. In those 6 decades they were able to gain the approval of multitude of repeat customers this creating excellent brand reputation and customer loyalty. This represents an additional barrier of entry for new players in the market. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) 4.2 Threat of Rivalry The UK market is highly fragmented with a generally slow industry growth. That leads to extremely fierce competition, as many companies are battling over market share. The industry is characterized by frequent price cutting by firms, intense advertising campaigns and rapid competitive actions and reactions in the industry. (Laura Ashley Annual Report, 2009) Laura Ashleys ability to differentiate their products enables them to demand a higher price of their products and not be caught in the price war. As long as they can maintain the high value perception of their products and continue to be lead differentiators in the furniture market the threat of rivalry will be relatively low, considering the turbulent market. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) In the clothing market Laura Ashley attempts to diversify its products by including more fashionable clothes, suited for the younger demographic. However, this strategy may be construed as risky because it endangers the customer perception of the brand. (Beatty, 2003) 4.3 Threat of Substitutes Laura Ashley is relatively safe from substitute products because their products are already different in the perception of their customers. It is hard to substitute a highly differentiated product. (Barney Hesterly, 2008) 4.4 Threat of Suppliers Laura Ashley is a very big customer for its suppliers therefore they can enjoy a very safe position with regard to the threat of suppliers. Whereas, for suppliers Laura Ashley is a big an important customer, for the company itself it is quite easy to switch their supplier. That enables them to demand better prices and quality from their supplier. (Datamonitor, 2008c) 4.5 Threat of Buyers The threat of buyers in the market is very high, and even though Laura Ashley is in a better position than less differentiated competitors, there is still a lot of rivalry even in the high value high price market niche. In addition there is no added cost in the industry for the customers to change their supplier. (Datamonitor, 2008c) 5 BUSINESS RISK ANALYSIS The technique to identify risk and assess factors jeopardizing the success of the project or obstacles in achieving goals is known as Business Risk Analysis. This also helps in the identification of measures to diminish the probability of the occurrence of these factors and recognize countermeasures to deal with these constraints effectively. In case of Laura Ashley, the following risks have been identified that the market will face with the desired strategies to overcome them. Competition: Competition from rival brands is the biggest threat that Laura Ashley has. Brands such as Primark and Madhouse have outsourced their production to cheaper countries like China and Bangladesh. This has enabled men to buy cheap clothes and be fashionable at the same time. This can only be eliminated by competing with them on cost effectiveness and providing more value for money. Some part of the production line can be outsourced by Laura Ashley to compete in this regard but the question remains if that would stand up to the quality standards of Laura Ashley and would it continue to have the same brand value. Lack of skills: The UK market currently has a shortage of technical expertise. The times ahead see UK as dependable on foreign expertise influentially from Asia. This poses a risk as Laura Ashley might have to pay high salaries and benefits to attract engineers, designers and workers from abroad. Training people and nurturing talent is a sensible way to cater the future demand of experts in this field Loss of assets: Assets might be lost to any unseen circumstances. Companies such as BP have suffered huge losses in past five years due to fire and inadequate measures to control them. This is the reason that the red tape industry in UK emphasizes so much on Health and Safety and hence precautions have to been taken which are costly and reduce the efficiency. With proper SHE analysis, this can be reduced and there should be enough packaged finished product in stores to meet the demands. Suppliers: Suppliers can be a benefit to Laura Ashley as well as a threat. With better quotes from rival firms they can bring about changes into the supply chain leading to a fall in retailing. Examples of this includes Next and Marks and Spencer who experienced this in 2007 (Datamonitor, 2007) and saw a steep fall in sales. The risk can be reduced by having more than one supplier at a time, making them compete for orders and ensuring supply as well. Production delivery failure: Failure to produce the volumes in time would see customer dissatisfaction which could end up in lower turnover. Contractors can be arranged to ensure that whatever is produced is delivered on time and there are no delays from the production line to the outlet shelves. High maintenance cost: Maintenance of retail outlets, production facility, and delivery fleet and storage houses is very important. If not properly maintained, this can incur heavy losses. Yearly or half yearly checks should be carried out to ensure the assets are running in good condition. Financial instability: The economic downturn has seen many retail outlets close e.g. Woolworths. In this period of financial depression, people might stop spending and hence affect the revenues generated. By keeping varied fashion items targeting different sections of age groups, sales can be increased e.g. providing fashionable clothing for 25-30 year olds, Formal suiting and shirts for 30-40 year old and a more sober and decent wardrobe for 35-45 can attract more customers. Also introducing accessories to complement clothes such as scarves, ties, cufflinks and under garments can increase sales. Outsourcing: Many rivals have outsourced their entire production line. This has led to very competitive market conditions. Retailers such as BHS and Primark rely heavily on this. They make use of cheap labour in foreign countries and so can sell at better rates than Laura Ashley. To overcome this problem, It is suggested that Laura Ashley may outsource some of its production line in order to compete on level terms with other retailers. Changing Fashion Trends: Fast changing trends has made people spend considerably less at any given time. Considering the fact that it is 25-45 age group that Laura Ashley is targeting, fashion changes very quickly in this particular and people falling in this category are more conscious about this fact. It is not deemed a good practice to stock up shelves with a monotonous style of clothing. Introducing fashionable clothing at regular intervals would serve as an attractive factor for customers. Environmental: Weather plays an indirect role as a threat. Extreme wintry conditions see less people buy less fashionable clothes and inclination increases towards over coats and jackets. As mentioned before, keeping a variation of retail products in outlets can nullify this risk. Introduction of seasonal collection earlier than other retailers can lead to a strong selling trend and at the same time build a strong customer base. There are several other risks involved which dont affect the market directly but they do have an effect. Sliding value of the Sterling Pound, rising inflation, higher bank interest rates and non-availability of finance in the market also disturb the economic balance and lessening the buying power of the customers. These risks are arguably common to the market rather than to a particular retailer and hence have a lesser effect than the rest. 6 STAKEHOLDERS The primary secondary and tertiary stakeholders of Laura Ashley are identified as: 6.1. Primary Stakeholders Owners and shareholders Managers Employees and staff 6.2. Secondary Stakeholders Customers Suppliers Distributors 6.3. Tertiary Stakeholders Government (national and local) Local community Suppliers of suppliers Stock market Competitors 6.4. Expectations of Primary Stakeholders: Owners and shareholders of Laura Ashley have a distinctive financial interest in the companys performance and growth. They have their money invested in the company and foresee its growth and expect good returns on their investments. Shareholders expect returns in terms of the higher resale value of the shares and expect substantial dividends. Whereas, the owners expect their company to grow and perform well against the competition and increase its market shares. Managers, as internal stakeholders, want higher incomes, more powers and freedom in terms of decision making, planning and control of operations. In other words they demand higher degrees of responsibilities as they have and additional duty of sustaining the health of the organization by meeting the demands of shareholders and employees. Employees and staff are one of the prime stakeholders of any organization. They look up to the organization for better incomes, job security, promotions and growth prospects, good working environment, fringe benefits, opportunities personal growth and training. 6.5. Expectations of Secondary Stakeholders: Customers of Laura Ashley expect quality products and services. They demand value for their money, certain supply of goods, variety of products and designs, truthful and comprehensible information about the products, services and customer policies. Also, they expect Laura Ashley to be an innovator in the market. They look for brand prestige and brand value. They expect Laura Ashley to be a brand with high brand image. Suppliers of Laura Ashley demand regular and consistent business at good profit margins. In other words they look for a long term business relationship which such a prestigious brand. They look for increase in the volumes of the order they receive. They expect quick payments for their productions. Being the suppliers of a leading brand they expect Laura Ashley to offer them fair prices. They want the brand to prosper as it will lead to more orders. Distributors look forward to the growth of business and expansion in the geographical areas they operate. 6.6. Expectations of Tertiary Stakeholders: The government wants all kinds of taxes (both central and local) flowing in to its reserves from the businesses; which include VAT (Value Added Tax), Corporate Tax, Import duties, Business Rates etc. The government demands Laura Ashley to adhere to the corporate laws and abide by the legislations aimed at consumer protection, welfare of employees and the local community. The government also expect the company to comply with the laws aimed at environment protection and efficient use of resources. The government wants Laura Ashley to prosper as it will help in creating more employment opportunities. Also, the growth of Laura Ashley would contribute to the national economy. The local community look forward to the company for significant number of jobs for the local residents. They look forward to Laura Ashley to be an ethically sound company. They expect the company to safeguard the environment and avoid creating pollution (noise and land). They expect the company to work for the development of the society and show a social responsible behaviour. The community also wants a thriving business from Laura Ashley, as it would give a push to the local businesses. The suppliers of suppliers can be pointed out as the stakeholders as they want consistent business. The rise and fall of stock market depends on the performance of the companies. Therefore people in the stock market want big companies to perform well as it will have a positive impact on the whole market. Competitors are corporate stakeholders with a claim to fair treatment (Green, 1994). In markets with saturated customer base, business expansion may seem to be possible only at the expense of competitors success (Spence et al., 2002). Thus, competitors impact the way a business is run. 6.7. Vision Statement Our goal is to add value to the lives of: Our employees by providing equal opportunities of growth, Our shareholders and business partners through lucrative growth and innovation, Our customers, by providing them value for their money, quality products and excellent service, Our suppliers and sub-suppliers through fair and ethical trade, The people around the world by striving for a cleaner, healthier and greener environment and a better world to live in with equal opportunities for all, 6.8. Mission Statement Our aim is to deliver a sensational shopping experience offering the finest range of menswear, highest standard of service and top quality products. 6.9. Social Compliance Policy There should be a clear and distinctive Social Compliance policy of any company as it helps to reinforce the trust of stakeholders in the company. For the suppliers to be qualified as the business partners with the company, they should make sure that they implement ethical practices within their manufacturing facilities. They should not employ child labour. They should provide their workforce fair wages, hygienic, clean and safe working conditions. Also, they should ensure that they are not damaging the environment in any way. The suppliers should ensure that their sub-suppliers are following the same ethical and environmental practices. 6.10. Conclusion Laura Ashley Holdings has faced the difficulties of the current economic conditions, resulting from the all-so-famous credit crunch. The company was particularly hit by the decreased consumer spending and the fluctuations of the Pound sterling. Still, it managed to stay flexible and competitive thanks to its healthy financials, mainly in terms of the fact that no assets are financed by debt, and the successful strategy of differentiation, store utilizati