Conceptual Blending Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conceptual Blending - Assignment Example This paper will base its focus on identifying the first concept that will be appropriate for the process from a selected reference point. Secondly, it will give the other concept whose fusion with the first will bring out the third and final concept. The second concept will also be from a selected source on a reference manual. The last part of this paper will highlight the concept blending process bringing out the new applicable concept. It will include illustrations to try to bring out the aspects required in a more clear and visual way. In essence, all institutions or organizations are organized systems. This means that the departments within it are interrelated and rely on each other for the overall well functioning of the institution. In addition, there are two systems popularly visible in an organizational structure. First, there is the open system whose main influence is the outside surroundings and is the most reckoned system. People within this form of system tend to be accepting to outside forces therefore not limiting their level of interaction with the outside surrounding. Secondly, there is the closed system whose focus is on those within the organizations borders. These systems have reserved nature with limited outside communication to its environs there fore making it less privileged to what its surroundings have to offer. In this regard, the ideal first concept for this paper would be the open system that is easier to work with. An illustration at this point would be useful to paint the picture that th is point puts across. In identifying the second concept, immediacy would be the ideal choice for this. Immediacy is the level of percept of physical attachment between individuals working in an organization. This would involve the office sitting arrangement, eye contact ability of the employees while at their workstations and also the general

Political system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political system - Essay Example The process boosts the degree of loyalty. The Iranian Shia authorities question the Saudi’s regime legitimacy. The Saudi rule prioritizes its position as superior to Iran with the maintenance of its economic, security sectors and protection of the GCC monarchies. The situation is evident in the recent riots in Bahrain (Gilley 64). Political marginalization by Islam may become impossible due to the pressure on the Islamic community by their regimes. The political regimes intend to consolidate Islam legitimacy triggering a direct response to the regime. The unifying force of Islam was demonstrated in Middle East by the rising state opposition that poses a serious threat to state security. The situation made Islam a major opposing force and significant political challenge. Oil is the key contributor to the economy of Saudi Arabia whose revenue majorly contributes to state building. Construction of Saudi Aramco, an excellent national oil champion is evidence of the contribution of oil in state building. Oil has led to the establishment of a modern capital market, reforms in labor policy and the surge of foreign investors into the country. The liberalizing economic reforms changed political and social structures of the oil-rich state (Herttog 53). The Saudi Arabian kingdom has a robust public infrastructure that has created an attractive investment climate for investors. Furthermore, the kingdom has invested in architecture. Secondly, it has invested a lot of money in key industries around the world. As a result, it has emerged as a key regional and economic player (Herttog 53). The Saudi Arabian regime has leveraged its oil resources to attract powerful international allies. In addition, it plays a major role in the Middle East region. However, the need for oil has prevented its key allies such as the United States from criticizing its poor human rights record and ill treatment of

The Importance Of Being Ethical In The Business Marketing Essay

The Importance Of Being Ethical In The Business Marketing Essay This report mainly emphasize on the importance of being ethical in the business field and the consequences of failing to be ethical. It shows that Toyota has incurred many losses and faces negative impact in its reputation due to recall scandal. Failing to be ethical gain no benefits but only draw the company itself into unpredictable disaster. Toyota has destroy its reputation which is the excellent quality of its brand and trust of its customers towards the brand. Now the company has to spend huge amount of money to recall all the vehicles in order to build and gain back its companys reputation. Now, whenever it comes to the discussion about Toyota, people will immediately remember the ethical dilemmas of the company and it will affect the companys reputation in the long term. Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation, simply known as Toyota, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of automobiles and light trucks, based in Toyota, Japan. The company also makes buses, forklifts, and other industrial vehicles. Toyota was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda, who in 1933 established an automobile department in his fathers loom factory, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., following a trip to tour United States automobile plants. The department concentrated on building fuel-efficient vehicles and completed its first experimental vehicles in 1935. In 1937 Toyoda established Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. Besides manufacturing automobiles, Toyota also involves in financial services via its Toyota Financial Services division and build robots as well. Toyota Motor Corporation and Toyota Industries have form the bulk of the Toyota Group as one of the largest multinational company in the world. 2.0 Toyota Ethical Dilemmas 2.1 Neglecting safety concerns and delaying recall investigations Toyota admitted to engaging in unethical behaviour when the safety of its vehicles are seriously being questioned and investigation comes into as well. The Associated Press released an article has proven that Toyota not only neglected its cars safety defects, but also continuously on doing so. Wins for Toyota Safety Group, presentation called in 2009 shows that in 2007, Toyota repeatedly delayed safety regulations and intentionally avoiding defect investigations and hold up government inquiries into safety concerns. It was also stated by The Associated Press that the financial benefit of delay is shown in the new documents. Toyota stated in the presentation that a phase in to new safety regulations for side airbags saved the company $124 million and 50,000 man hours. Besides, delayed a rule for tougher door locks saved $11 million. Toyota is a company that practice the philosophy of kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, but they somehow negotiated and justified with the government to flee away from their problem. In its headlong rush to become the worlds No. 1 carmaker, Toyota lost control of the very thing its reputation has been built on which is quality. Now the company is facing consequences due to poor ethical in the business industry are loss of confidence and trust in businesses. A loss of trust greatly reduce customers loyalty and motivate them to turn to competitors. 2.2 Sweatshops and Union Busting Back in Japan, Toyotas manufacturing plants resembles some of the worst sweatshops in the world. The companys operations have been illustrated as slavery and human trafficking. According to a 65-pages report entitled The Toyota You Dont Know released by Human rights group The National Labour Committee, it alleges that Toyota is linked to human trafficking. The report highlighted the trafficking of foreign workers mainly from Vietnam and China. These workers are stripped of their passports and were frequently forced to work overtime every day, seven days a week and received wages below the legal minimum wages (Rosen, 2002). There are thousands of karoshi claims each year in Toyota. This karoshi claims means over worked to death. There was a case of Kenichi Uchino who died of being overworked on an assembly line at Toyotas Prius plant. Uchino, who was just 30, routinely worked 13 to 14 hours a day, putting in between 106 and 155 hours of overtime in the 30 days leading up to his death. Toyota claimed he had only worked 45 hours of overtime and that the extra time was voluntary and unpaid. Uchinos wife had to go to court to fight for a pension for their children. She succeeded and the court ruling that Mr Uchino was worked to death. Besides, When an injury has occurred to employees, on the job they are layer off, and receive no compensation. Many small countries all around the world has been dominated and destroyed with Toyota well-known union busting. Reducing the standards of living amongst the countries citizens. There are already 1800 cases in the US where Kentucky plants employees have been injured, fired, and they were not included in the compensation pay roll. Approximate of 400 Americans working at Toyota are facing this problem every year. Toyota have their plants assembled in the poorest states to gain advantage of the lowest wages in the country. Many are kept as temporary workers for over 4 years. Their target is to control and lower the average wages and economic in America, and Honda seems to be supportive on Toyotas action. Toyotas strategy is to hire the poorest workers in the state to manufacture the cheapest materials and maximize its profits. The more profits they make, the more they lower worker wages. 2.3 Toyota Diluted Quality and Recall Scandals Toyotas production line expanded from 5.2 million to 10 million since year 2000. This include 17 more productions sites. Due to such unsustainable production, Toyota has to reach to other subcontractors from overseas to procure auto-parts, this resulting difficulty for the company to inspect every process involved in the quality control process. Vast growing competition from other rivals has caused Toyota to force its subcontractors to cut production costs at least 30%, which resulted in diluted quality. According to a analysis of complaints by auto safety control firm Quality Control System, National High Way Traffic safety Administration received tripled complaints since introduction of electronic throttles in Toyota vehicles. Many people have died in road accidents due to break problems as well. However Toyota just kept its business operating without taking this matter seriously and put all the blames on the drivers instead. Toyota started recalling vehicles for rectification afte r these complaints has drawn high media coverage and pressure by customers. These decisions are said to be unethical because Toyota gave priority to its profitability plans over security procedures and risks of precious live. An estimated amount of more than 8 million vehicles were recalled back due to break paddle and floor mat problems (Schonberger, 2010). This recall amount exceeded Toyota total global sales of 6.98 million vehicles in 2009 (Schonberger, 2010). This recall scandal has degraded Toyotas reputation in regards to social media. Social media analyst Webtrends research proposes that 60% of all online comments about Toyota were negatively made. Brand valuation consultancy, Brand Finance, has stated that Toyota may possibly face a loss of 25% of the overall  £17 billion brand value due to the recall crisis. The crisis is not just affecting Toyotas reputation but affecting the entire business too in the long run. 3.0 Toyota Actions Solving Dilemmas 3.1 Toyota: How to Win Back Your Customers The due care theory is in place because Toyota always have advantage in knowledge over their products including how it was manufactured. In the case, Toyota failed to exercise due care in their vehicles. The company manufactured dangerous vehicles with faulty gas pedals and breaking system. Then Toyota did not concern much about how risky and dangerous of its vehicles and directly sold them to their customer. This case has shown how Toyota has completely failed to exercise due care. Toyota recently announced recalls on seven U.S. and European models. Not only this will bring bad reputation for the worlds largest automakers image, but it could also have a serious impact on its sales. Toyota is now focusing on winning back its customers and reassuring them of the quality and the safety of its vehicles (Rother, 2009). Yoshimi Inaba, President and COO of Toyota Motor North American during his testimony on February 24, stated that Toyotas dealers across North American and 172,000 team members are giving out their best efforts to complete the current recalls. Solutions have been tested rigorously and they are confident with these repairs, and Toyota vehicles will remain among the safest on the road today. Besides, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc, James Lentz stated during his testimony on February 23 that the company dealers are making extraordinary efforts to complete their recalls as quickly and conveniently as possible. Some of the dealers are staying open 24-7 and they are repairing vehicles at a rate of 50,000 a day. To date, Toyota have repaired close to a million vehicles. In this case, rule utilitarianism is also applied in Toyotas situation. Toyota failed to be ethical because rule utilitarianism includes the after-act benefits and cost (Fullerton, 2004). After the act of be ing unethical in delaying the safety issues of its vehicles, Toyota had loss millions of dollars for the recall and to rebuild their reputation. This meaning the cost is higher than the benefits and therefore it was unethical. 3.2 Is Toyota Willing to Solve Slavery Operations? Unfortunately, most multinational companies like Toyota that is benefiting from sweatshops labour around the world are doing nothing about this problem. The question arise here is, does Toyota follow the rights and duties? Toyota has the duty to provide a better and comfortable environment for its workers. However, to maximise its profits and minimise the cost of production, Toyota choose to forsake the rights of its workers (Campbell Miller, 2004). Given that sweatshops conditions exist around the world, what can be done to counter these assaults upon human dignity and human rights that affect most vulnerable people in economic food chain? Currently, three major groups oversee factory inspections to monitor sweatshops condition. These groups including Social Accountability International (SAI), Fair Labour Association (FLA), Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). Due to considerable variation in the methodologies used by SAI, FLA, and ETI, many companies have engaged in some form of self-monitoring. Now, SAI, FLA, and ETI appears to be on the verge of changing as a consequence of an ambitious 30-month experiment, called the Initiative on Corporate Accountability Workers Right (Campbell Miller, 2004). There are six anti-sweatshop activist groups and eight global apparel makers are sponsoring this experiment. The purpose is to devise a single set of labour standards with a common factory-inspection system that will replace todays overlapping hodgepodge of approaches with something that is easier and cheaper to use, and that might gain traction with companies. If it works, the 30 months experiment would be a great step in bringing order to the piecemeal manner in which even the biggest companies set and monitor workplace conditions across the developing world. It is all about the human rights, Toyota has the duty to take care of its workers wh o are working under the company. 3.3 Utilise Social Media Effectively Business is responsible to provide reasonable product to customers. In a sense, Toyota had made consumer to trust that their products are safe. Therefore Toyota should not manufacture unsafe product to their customers. Now Toyota started to practice business duty by using social media to update their customers especially the recall and repair of the vehicles to gain back their customers trust towards their products. Toyota Recall Micro Site This Micro site is created by Toyota to provide recall information for its customers. Many web 2.0 aspects was included in the micro site such as a customer comments section. Existing customers can leave comments on what is the current situation with their Toyota. Toyota has also included a live update counter in the micro site to highlight the speed at which it fixing the accelerator pedals (Refer to Appendix 1). Toyota Recall Timeline Toyota have utilised a timeline to highlight how the company is dealing to the recall effectively. A facts and figures section is set up to calm down and reassure their customers that the company had the recall under control ( Refer to Appendix 2). Toyota Conversation Toyota Conversations was created by Toyota and powered by Tweetmeme that collects and updates the news, images and video about Toyota and to be published on Toyotas own Twitter feed. Toyota can analyse this information and act accordingly (Refer to Appendix 3). Toyota have utilised Digg as well to update and keep its customers in contact regarding the recall. US Toyota president Jim Lentz was involved in a consumer question and answer session. Toyota has used this approach that allow the company to engage its customer base and express remorse to their customers for the recall. Toyota also make use of YouTube to combat the threat of the recall. The company has been uploading videos describing the faults with the foot pedals and offering an explanation to its customers (Rother, 2009). 4.0 Toyotas Ethical Best Practices and Values Virtue ethics emphasis on doing things with character, and this character can be simplified as a good one. Toyota does practice virtue ethics. Virtue ethics do not follow any rules or consequences, but purely on doing good things (Devettere, 2002). 4.1 Recycling as One Approach Making People-Friendly and Environmentally-Friendly Cars In order to ensure that automobiles will continue to be a sustainable mode of transport in the 21st century, Toyota considers it is important to proactively take action to reduce their environmental impacts all along their life cycle. Toyota is now focusing on the important aspects which is the recycling stage. The company is thinking about recycling opportunities at every stage of life cycle of vehicles. For example, Toyota is involved in activities to reduce waste as much as possible and recycle whatever can be reused at the development, production, use, and disposal stages. Toyota is strongly committed to developing technologies for effectively utilising resin and rubber, which are difficult to reuse or recycle due to difficulties in separation of composite materials and to high quality standards requested. The recycling technologies that have been developed are first applied to the remnant materials generated in production processes; commonly remnants from the manufacturing of pl astic parts are recycled internally, for example in the case of bumpers. Toyota has extended the application of these recycling technologies to the parts collected at dealers and from end-of-life vehicles. 4.2 Initiative Designed to Educate People in Traffic Safety The company has been involving actively in various activities to educate people in traffic safety since 1960s. Toyota Driver Communication In 1987, this programme was designed to improve safe driving by allowing drivers to experience the performance of cars at their limits and to study the effects and proper usage of ABS (electronically controlled braking system) and other safety technologies. In April 2005, Toyota opened the Toyota Safety Education Centre where safe driving courses are offered on a regular basis. Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign Toyota has conducted the Toyota Traffic Safety Campaign every spring and autumn since 1969. This campaign was participated by car dealers, parts distributors, logistics systems forklift dealers and rental/lease dealers in conjunction with the Japans Nationwide Traffic Safety Campaign. In FY2004, Toyota focused on traffic safety education for children and their parents and promotion of proper seatbelts and child restraint systems. 4.3 Community Care Toyota de Venezuela, C.A (TDV) The main purpose in ethics of care is to care for each other as every parties relationship always interlinked with one another. For example, Pinta Tu Escuela (Paint Your School) program was launched by TDV in 2005. The purpose was to paint the school to improve the study atmosphere. But, after TGV had leant the actual needs of the schools, it realized that they have to go beyond on what they were doing. TDV then promised to build a school in Laguna Chica. However, there was a lot of doubting among the local community if the school will ever be materialized since this promise was made before by other organization. Nevertheless, TDV was serious with their promise and a synergy and trust between TDV and the townspeople was built that allowed the schools construction to run smoothly. The opening ceremony of the school in Laguna Chica was on December 9, 2008 (Refer to Appendix 4 5). In this case, Toyota is practicing ethics of care which can lead to building a goodwill and reputation in the view of public or the community, and it is a significant ethic that a large organization should practice. 5.0 Recommendations Unethical decisions can be catastrophic for any organization. Organization profitability can be affected, same goes to employees morale when unable to answer customers complaints and queries when the companys customers suffered from defective products. Thus, reputation of a company faces negative impact. Every time before the top management of a company decide any big decision, it is suggested that they should consider and outline all the possibly negative outcomes particularly the ethical issues. It is always beneficial to a companys long term planning if ethical considerations are taken account into every decision making. It is evident that running from a moral obligation or not obeying appropriate moral practice in business would lead to many failure and disputes. Toyota is one of the best example for the statement as the company ignoring the warning alarm that their action will put consumer in dangerous, and eventually, Toyota itself is liable to correct their mistakes by spendin g million and billion dollars. Avoiding a ethical obligation brings only benefits in the short term, but the company would be led into trouble in the long term since the business reputation and goodwill are placed in a high risks. Toyota should have faced the problem instead of avoiding or minimizing it. If a company is facing a serious problem due to serious ethical issue, the company should turn back to its philosophy. For example, Toyotas philosophy is kaizen or continuous improvement. The company can gain back its customers trust by proving that Toyota still possess the desire to manufacture its vehicles as one of the safest vehicles on the road for its customers (Weiss, 2009).

Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a Polish-born author who wrote in English. He became famous for the novels and short stories that he wrote about the sea. Conrad left Poland at the age of 16 and arrived in England at the age of 20, unable to speak English. During the next 16 years he worked his way up from deckhand to captain in the British Merchant Navy and so mastered his adopted language and was able to write some of its greatest novels. Conrad used experiences of his life in many of his works. From his voyages in the Indian Ocean and Malay Archipelago came some of his best-known novels. He began with his novel Almayer’s Folly (1895) set in Borneo. Heart of Darkness is based on his voyage up the Congo River, and he uses memories of his early voyages in the Caribbean. The people of Conrad’s day infuriated him by thinking of him as merely a writer of sea stories. But Conrad knew his work really dealt with universal problems. He used the concentrated little world of a ship to treat the general problems that obsessed him: How can society endure against all the destructive forces of the individual ego and the modern world and mostly, the clash between capitalism and revolution in colonized areas of the world. Conrad also wrote two absorbing novels about revolutionaries in Europe. Conrad was not particularly interested in character for its own sake. He was most interested in men who were actively pursuing their aims in life like the captain of the Narcissus novel, who triumphs over weakness and evil. More often, Conrad’s heroes yield to the powers of weakness and evil in them than in others. But Conrad was not exactly a pessimist. He affirmed the value of the old-fashioned virtues such as courage, fidelity, and discipline. Conrad was modern in realizing how enormously difficult it is for people to practice such virtues. Born and raised in an era of world revolution, Conrad certainly knew the effects any change could leave on a society or nation. He was influenced socially simply because he lived during this time. His influences were probably the strongest as a child when he moved to another country and suffered much from the lack of language, knowledge of societal and cultural norms, and class differences. Nevertheless, Conrad’s live in general played a tremendous role on influencing him in the writing of this novel.

Plastic Pollution and Measures to Control

Pollution caused by plastic CONTENTS 1. Aim 2. Introduction 3. What is plastic? 4. Environmental hazards caused by plastic 5. Measures to control pollution 6. Industries that produce plastic in India 7. Importance Of Plastic Industry Toward Economic Growth 8. Ban On Plastics In India 9. Cost Benefit Analysis 10. Conclusion 11. References Page 3 Pollution caused by plastic AIM To make a comparative study of plastics and its effect on the environment. To analyze and understand the importance of introducing effective measures to control pollution.INTRODUCTION Plastics have become a necessary commodity in today’s world. Everyone knowingly or unknowingly uses plastic substances. Karki (2008) discusses that plastic is used not only for making plastic bags but also for producing products that cover parts of vehicles that need to be protected. Karki (2008) reveals that plastics are synthetic substances that are the outcome of chemical reactions. It is a non-biodegradable substance tha t takes more than 100 years to decompose. It poses a threat to humans and animals.Once plastic materials are disposed off into the environment they end up in our waters ways, beaches and larger water bodies, thus harming our aquatic life. If plastic materials is burnt it releases toxic fumes into the atmosphere causing air pollution. Over the years plastic has become a substitute for packaging materials such as paper bags or cloth bags primarily due to its low cost as well as the ease involved in the manufacturing process, weight and availability (Karki, 2008). PLASTIC Plastic are synthetic substance made from chemical reaction. Plastics are made from petroleum.Plastic are polymers that consist of monomers linked by chemical bonds. These monomers are petrochemical substances that are not biodegradable. Page 4 Pollution caused by plastic ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS CAUSED BY PLASTIC Although there are various sources that lead to different types of pollution we are concentrating mainly on plastic materials as a pollutant. Based on the above information we know that plastic is a hazardous commodity that leads to land, water and air pollution. Although briefly explained above lets now go in-depth and understand how plastic affects land, water as well as air pollution. LAND POLLUTIONPlastic substances are used by many around the world and in a developing country with a huge population like India, the use of such materials is bound to be more. Since a lot of people use plastics for their day to day activities, the disposal of plastic products will also be high and to be honest a lot of us throw plastic bags or containers on the road. This leads to land pollution. So what is land pollution? Encyclopedia Britanica (Land Pollution, 2010) describes land pollution as the addition of unwanted materials that pose a threat to the organisms, decrease the soils fertility and have an adverse effect on the health of human being.Animals die due to plastic substances by simply consumi ng them, the plastic gets clogged in their bodies and ultimately results in the death of these few animals. Further on, the collection of these materials gives an â€Å"untidy and dirty look† to the area. These materials find their way to our water systems and larger water bodies leading to water pollution. WATER POLLUTION Encyclopedia Britannica (Water Pollution, 2010). Most of the water pollution resulting from plastic is generated from land. 60% to 80% of water pollution is from plastic litter . Once in the water these materials pose a serious threat to our aquatic life.Fish, sea turtles and other aquatic inhabitants can get entangled in plastic materials and can inflict serious pain, injury and even death. Marine organisms that have been killed by plastic substances decompose fast, but the plastic that kills them takes a long time to decompose, thus increasing the risk of other marine life consuming the same material, resulting in its death Encyclopedia Britanica (Water P ollution, Page 5 Pollution caused by plastic 2010). In a real case scenario a whale in Europe was found dead and its autopsy results show that its stomach was filled with plastic materials. AIR POLLUTIONAccording to the World Health Organisation about two million people die every year due to air pollution, many suffer from heart diseases, lung deceases and some even cancer. There are various sources of air pollution like carbon dioxide, combustion of fuels in vehicles, fuels from jets, toxic elements from factories etc. Plastics also contribute to air pollution. Plastics that are found on the road or even dumping sites are burnt therefore releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere, polluting the air. When individuals are exposed to the polluted atmosphere they contact various diseases that could ultimately lead to their death.MEASURES TO CONTROL POLLUTION Hanh (1992) Plastic is a bane to our existence on this earth. It pollutes the atmosphere with its harmful fumes, poses a serious t hreat to our marine life and apart from this it also creates litter, making the place look dirty. With the above evidence we can boldly say that Hanh’s literature is true. There are various measures that can be undertaken to reduce plastic pollution but we would be focusing only on three criteria namely: 1. Recycling of Plastic 2. Government policies 3. Personal measures. RECYCLING OF PLASTICSNair (2010) reveals that around 10,000 types of plastics are used in the manufacture of various products such as pet bottles, toys and even clothes. This in turn result in these materials being dumped around at public places and become waste which as we all know has a negative impact on the environment and all its contents because of its non-degradable substances . Hence, recycling of plastic materials was introduced. So what is plastic recycling? The act of producing new products from waste plastic materials is plastic recycling. (Nair, 2010). Let’s now look into Page 6 Pollution caused by plastic the benefits of recycling plastic.Petroleum is used in the manufacturing of plastic. Hence, if plastic is recycled, consumption of petroleum – a resource which is slowly depleting, will also be decreased (Nair, 2010). Since petroleum is a key ingredient in the manufacture of plastic, when burnt greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere. Hence, if plastic is recycled it will lead to a decrease in the level of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. Nair (2010) gives us another beneficial factor in the recycling of plastic is there will be a decrease in animals, birds and aquatic life dying due to plastic not being digested.Further on if plastic is recycled landfill space can be saved. Recycling one ton of plastic saves energy that is used by two humans in twelve months and also water that a single individual consumes in two months and saves two hundred pounds of petroleum (Nair, 2010). Having now understood the importance of recycling plastic let’s try to make this world a better place by implementing this concept at home. GOVERNMENT POLICIES Many countries have banned the use of plastic. In India many states have done the same depending on their height and thickness namely Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and some others.For example Goa has increased the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags to 40 microns. Public awareness programs have been conducted to educate individuals on effective ways of disposing of plastic materials. On 29th January 2010, the supreme court denied a plea to lift the ban on the use of plastic bags by the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association. This shows the seriousness of the government in making the environment a â€Å"greener† place not only for us but also for the generations to come. But do these bans really work?For example three years ago West Bengal banned the use of plastic bags which were less than 40 microns thick, but this rule was clearly violated in m arkets, streets and other public places as plastic bags were being used. To tackle this nuisance they reconstructed their plastic management committee last month. Assam faced similar problems as not much was done to ensure that plastic bags were not used. Now the Government is going to take various steps to ensure that plastic bags are not used at all. These steps include monitoring shop keepers and business men who have not been abidingPage 7 Pollution caused by plastic by the law. They would also impose a penalty which could be a fine not only on the retailer but also on the customer. In Delhi a huge amount of plastic bags were seized from shop keepers and have initiated a â€Å"say no to Plastic Bags† campaign. To prove their seriousness towards the ban they penalized Bata footwear with a fine of one lakh rupees. Rajasthan is the newest state to join the clan after banning the use of plastic bags on August 1st, 2010. They also revealed that offender would be fined one lakh and/ or five years in jail.PERSONAL MEASURES Individuals should also contribute towards the elimination of plastic as it us and other living organisms around us who ultimately suffer. Hanh (1992) We can start by refusing to take plastic bags from grocers, because if this is done then plastic manufacturers would reduce the amount of plastic bags they produce. In today’s world many people do not have time to cook meals so they resort to ordering their meals from restaurants, who pack their food in plastic containers, these restaurants should start using sustainable containers, similarly with beverages.People who use items like Tupper ware products should substitute it with a degradable substance. Public can also educate retailers about the dangers about plastic and encourage them to change their practices (Hanh, 1992). And finally we can start by eliminating the use of plastic in our own house, work place, school/college etc. INDUSTRIES THAT PRODUCE PLASTICS IN INDIA India is one of the countries that consume more plastics in the world. India ranks third in consumption of plastic. Growth of plastic industry is more than 14%. Petrochemical department in India is in process to setup development council for plastic manufacturing industries. 00% foreign direct investment is allowed in plastic processing and manufacturing industry. Industries like Finolex industries ltd, Plastiblends India ltd, AGA group international, Corporate resource group, ACRY plus (Matias, 2010) etc†¦ are some of the industries that produce plastics products in India. There are many international companies that manufacture plastics in India they are GE plastic, LG polymers, Bayer ABS, Compounding, Clariant etc†¦ These industries produce polymers, PVC pipes, plastic sheets, polycarbonate sheets. Page 8 Pollution caused by plastic IMPORTANCE GROWTHAs India is a developing country it’s difficult for government to ban plastic usage with immediate effect. Plastic industry c ontributes more towards the growth of the economy so it’s important for the government to take effective decision that doesn’t affect the economy. Plastic industry has strong correlation with growth of the economy. Plastics have multiple advantages in its usage. It can be used in various range of applications. It has more favorable cost-benefit ratio. Continuous improvement in the technology of producing plastics has made the users addict to it. OF PLASTIC INDUSTRY TOWARD ECONOMIC BAN ON PLASTICS IN INDIAEven though the plastic manufacturing industry grow at more than 14 percentage state government have banned plastic that has below 20 microns. The Supreme Court has ordered ban on plastic in New Delhi, West Bengal pollution control board has banned manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags, Jammu Kashmir has also banned polythene carry bags, Himachal Pradesh government have banned plastic bags. COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS In cost-benefit analysis, money is used to measure pr ivate, external and social cost. Private costs are the cost that the firm earns as profit, many large scale and small scale industries are involved in manufacturing of plastics.Plastics industry have growth rate of more than 14 percentage. This shows how much growth potential plastic industry has in India. External costs here are costs that are lost by the firms, farmers because of plastic pollution. The social cost that is equal to the private and external costs. The total cost to clean the river Ganga basin only contributes to 15000 crores. There are different types of costs-benefit analysis like Economic cost benefit analysis, expenditure cost analysis, cost-efficient analysis. Cost-benefit analysis can provide information about to use or not to use the resources.Page 9 Pollution caused by plastic CONCLUSION The study reveals about the growth that plastic industries have and pollution caused by the industries. Government must take effective measure that to recycle plastics and ma ke sure it doesn’t affect the environment. Plastic industries in India are providing many job opportunities, but it also affect the environment, recycling plastic has to be done. Industries or organization must take effective measure to recycle plastics and make sure that it doesn’t affect the environment.New technologies must be invented as an alternative use for plastic as petroleum is used in manufacturing plastic. Page 10 Pollution caused by plasticREFERENCES Karki, K. (2008). Plastic as a Source of Environmental Pollution What is The Sollution? http://www. articlesbase. com/plastic-surgeries-articles/plastic-as-a-source-of-environmental-pollution-whatis-the-solution-610752. html Plastic Pollution. (2010). Encyclopedia Britannica. Hanh, T. Peace Is Every Step (1992, p. 108) Nair, S. (2010). Benefits of Recycling Plastic.

Patriotism and National Pride Essay

Pride (without complacency and with an awareness of imperfections) is important in spurring individuals and a society on to greater achievement. The loss of faith in the achievements of the past, history and traditions can be an important factor in the decline of a culture or a civilization. a sense of national pride and purpose that enables residents in a particular area to rise above the divisions of race, politics, ideology, class and the like. It is patriotism that unites the people and enables them to rise above narrow sectarian and other interests. A sense of unashamed pride which does not degenerate into jingoism or imperialism is essential for the growth of individuals and the development of a nation. A sense of national pride has spurred achievements in science and technology (the space race), sport and in economic development. Pride in the past and patriotism (within bounds and without complacency) are essential to real human progress. Is Patriotism Dead? Many of our people will offer no salutes, feel no sense of pride, and pledge no allegiance to the flag. Some will not respond because of indifference or calloused hearts. Others will be working to tear the fabric of our national life to shreds; to worsen, not heal, our sickness; to destroy, not to build; to bring disunity, not unity, to the nation. For them, patriotism is dead; love of country is archaic. Has the time come for us to abolish what our forefathers created? Has their vision of liberty, justice, and happiness proved unattainable?Are we ready to say that the mythos, the heroes, and the folk tales that have bound us together as a people for almost two hundred years no longer enthrall us? Are we willing to forget our common heritage, dilute our sense of fraternity and destiny, and dissolve the cohesiveness that made us one? We are faced with grave and challenging problems in our national life. We see  many things we dislike, and can point to many injustices that have not yet yielded to truth and righteousness. But even as we acknowledge the defects we cannot forget the victories. The slaves have been freed; universal suffrage has become a reality; startling advances have been made to assure all our people of life and liberty as well as the right to pursue happiness. Indians need not gloss over the nation’s defects or sweep its failures under the rug. They need not claim that their country is always right. When it is right, they will support it; and when it is wrong, they will love it and work to correct it.The day that patriotism ceases, that day we will have ceased to be a people Patriotism is not dead; our nation is not finished. Let us rally behind our flag; let us love our country with all its faults; let us work to improve it with all our strength; let usdefend it with all our resources; let us hand it on to generations unborn better than it was when we received it; let us instill in our children the hope of our forefathers for the ultimate fulfillment of their dreams. But above all, let us tell them that the greatness of America lies not simply in the achievement of the ideal but in the unrelenting pursuit of it The feel of patriotism The nation celebrated its 60th year Independence recently. one can see the visual medium rolling out exclusive shorts as a mark of tribute to the heroes who fought for our Independence. It was a summit of sort, when one could see most of the big names summon together to play or sing the National Anthem. The minute one sees that visual, it is definite he/she could feel something happening within themselves. A look at the majestic flag gives a feeling that we are the citizens of the Independent India. For a second one could feel all the struggles, trials and tribulations our leaders in the past have undergone to obtain it. I was one among those who felt very proud that I am a citizen of Independent India and I was able to feel a sense of pride when I just took a look at the flag. But, my mind paused for a second to think how many of us are really patriotic? only a handful was the answer. Are the schools imparting enough amount of patriotism into the minds of the young ones during their school days. For the little ones, Independene day means nothing but a public holiday and a few choclates given at their  schools once the flag is hoisted. Beyond that, do the teachers feed the kids with the required information on freedom stuggle and the pioneers who fought for it? Nope. I felt sorry when a kid, pointing out to the portrait of a poet, whose writings worked wonders for the freedom struggle, asked who that man was? This is not a joke to laugh at but a matter to think about. Neither the teachers nor the elders at home make an effort to teach the young ones about those great leaders who were responsible for our Independence. Another incident in the bus in which I was travelling made me feel why on the first place we got Independence. The military rule suits us best. A man was smoking inside the bus, and a few women including myself, showed our objection for that. His immediate reply was, what is this? This is Independent India and I am not allowed to smoke here? This is strange! This is just a small dose of such incidents happening on a daily basis. everyone is sure to come across such incidents or characters. It is saddening to note that the world is heading towards destruction with such characters roaming about in the public. when will we get the sense of patriotism and realise the struggles underwent to obtain freedom is a million-dollar question. If this situation persists, it will not be shocking if the younger ones ask who is the father of the nation and who is Jawaharlal Nehru? what a plight that would descend on the Nation then? The structure of patriotism Every social group has its own notions of loyalty. The institution of family embeds loyalty to the family as a social group. When a son and his wife and children separate from the rest of the family or when brothers divide their property, the neighborhood reacts with sorrow and not glee. Caste associations emphasize the benefits which come from an active participation and cooperation between different members of the same caste. Tribal groups, too, emphasize similar benefits from collaboration. The notion of patriotism is different from such forms of group loyalty. The difference lies in its close affinity with the state. Patriotism is not based upon kinship or of shared descent like in families, castes and tribes. Patriotism is based upon the idea of a nation and its central institution, the state.Patriotism in modern India is thus qualitatively different from  the love of one’s community that was to be seen in ancient and medieval India. Its relation to one’s country has changed with the change in the social structure of the state and the nation. To a great extent the pre-modern states and countries were based upon the rule of one or a few social groups. The Gupta period was dominated by the Guptas and their kindred and allies. The Mughals saw the domination of the Mughal biradari, and their supporters who included the Turks, the Iranians and several other groups like the Rajputs. Modern India is based upon the ideology of equality of all. While there continue to be several hangovers of the past to be seen today, the basic character of the state and the nation have changed. Modern India is based upon the idea that all its citizens are equal and that its rulers represent the will of not just a few, but all of the different communities that make up this country. This nation is based upon different foundations than most of those which went before it. Its legitimacy lies in its being able to satisfy its various component communities that their interests will be safeguarded by the Indian state. Irrespective of the religion, caste, community, sex of the individual, the state is supposed to represent each and every of them. The modern nation has its appeal because of its being able to mediate between and reconcile often conflicting interests. The state is considered legitimate when it speaks with the same voice to all. It is the coming together of so many diverse groups which lends strength to the country. The strength of India lies in its being able to weld together a large and heterogeneous populace into a common force. Any country in modern times which seeks to progress and develop must find ways of attracting and retaining the loyalty of its constituent groups. In modern nations this is done by everybody voting to select their rulers and the creation of a bureaucracy based on selection through merit. A modern state, with its universal appeal to its people, has many advantages over the older kinds of nationhood and statehood, with their sectional support bases. The universalistic modern state is what the most powerful countries of the world have. It is through this social form that resources are used most efficiently and the diverse forces of a country focussed for the benefit of everybody. Patriotism in a modern country cannot be created on the basis of ideas that appeal to only partisan groups or some sections of society. The naked use of force to coerce acceptance of the nation is not a characteristic of a society based on reason and democracy. The content of patriotism in a modern country The transformed structure of patriotism leads to a change in the content of what patriotism would mean in everyday practice. Modern patriotism and nationhood is based upon symbols that all can share. By definition this excludes symbols that pit religion against religion. Patriotism in a modern country must be expressed through universal symbols. These are all around us and yet are ignored. The streets of a neighborhood are a truer symbol of nationhood than a place of worship. They are used by all and paid for by the contributions of all. Yet, they remain filthy while people pool money to build distant places of worship. When universal symbols are not altogether ignored here, they are attacked by all kinds of distortions. The symbols of the rich are enthroned as the symbols of the entire nation. The tragedy of the many poor who have been thrown out of their homes by big dams does not arouse us. The tragedy of the middle-class Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave their homes does. The latter are called refugees in their own homeland. The dispossessed adivasis and rural poor who did not have relatives that they could flee to in Delhi do not attract national sympathy. Nor do the Kashmiri Muslims who had to flee Kashmir, in spite of their outnumbering the Kashmiri Pandits. Clearly we are still in the process of moving towards modern nationhood. The model of modernity which Indians must aspire towards cannot be the same as that in the West. We are far too heterogeneous to ever become the kind of nation which fascist Germany once aspired to be. And our forms of production are still not capitalistic enough to become the kind of melting pot of identities which the USA was. We must define our own modernity. That universal framework of Indian reason must be the framework through which our  nationhood and patriotism must be defined. It must be a patriotism which seeks with Gandhiji the happiness of the poorest of the poor as the index of our national development. It must be a patriotism which sees the freedom of the smallest of the minorities as the index of our social development. It must be a patriotism which comes into action every day, through a conscience that sees lying to customers, exploiting labourers, cheating on tax, paying bribes, adding sand to cement, oppressing the poor, paying obeisance to the powerful, all these daily acts of betrayal of the people as treason. Every secular space in a modern country teaches a lesson of patriotism. But school education is a special area for our concern. It is here where most young people come together crossing the old boundaries of religion and caste. It is here where the new nation is being constructed. That makes it even more necessary to be cautious about the introduction of religious values in schools. The kind of values which we seek must be in tune with the universal appeal of our country. Where the values being taught emphasize freedom of thought and truths that are shared by all and not just a few. The modern idea of India is about equality and the transcendence of social barriers, not about narrow dividing walls. It is high time that we rethought our school experience to try and create a land where the patriot is she who risks her life to protect an unknown stranger, and where the traitor is he who kills his friend in the name of his god. Pride (without complacency and with an awareness of imperfections) is important in spurring individuals and a society on to greater achievement. The loss of faith in the achievements of the past, history and traditions can be an important factor in the decline of a culture or a civilization. a sense of national pride and purpose that enables residents in a particular area to rise above the divisions of race, politics, ideology, class and the like. It is patriotism that unites the people and enables them to rise above narrow sectarian and other interests. A sense of unashamed pride which does not degenerate into jingoism or imperialism is essential for the growth of individuals and the development of a nation. A sense of national pride has spurred achievements in science and technology (the space race), sport and in economic development. Pride in the past and patriotism (within bounds and  without complacency) are essential to real human progress. Is Patriotism Dead? Many of our people will offer no salutes, feel no sense of pride, and pledge no allegiance to the flag. Some will not respond because of indifference or calloused hearts. Others will be working to tear the fabric of our national life to shreds; to worsen, not heal, our sickness; to destroy, not to build; to bring disunity, not unity, to the nation. For them, patriotism is dead; love of country is archaic. Has the time come for us to abolish what our forefathers created? Has their vision of liberty, justice, and happiness proved unattainable? Are we ready to say that the mythos, the heroes, and the folk tales that have bound us together as a people for almost two hundred years no longer enthrall us? Are we willing to forget our common heritage, dilute our sense of fraternity and destiny, and dissolve the cohesiveness that made us one? We are faced with grave and challenging problems in our national life. We see many things we dislike, and can point to many injustices that have not yet yielded to truth and righteousness. But even as we acknowledge the defects we cannot forget the victories. The slaves have been freed; universal suffrage has become a reality; startling advances have been made to assure all our people of life and liberty as well as the right to pursue happiness.Indians need not gloss over the nation’s defects or sweep its failures under the rug. They need not claim that their country is always right. When it is right, they will support it; and when it is wrong, they will love it and work to correct it. The day that patriotism ceases, that day we will have ceased to be a people Patriotism is not dead; our nation is not finished. Let us rally behind our flag; let us love our country with all its faults; let us work to improve it with all our strength; let us defend it with all our resources; let us hand it on to generations unborn better than it was when we received it; let us instill in our children the hope of our forefathers for the ultimate fulfillment of their dreams. But above all, let us tell them that the  greatness of America lies not simply in the achievement of the ideal but in the unrelenting pursuit of it.

Sustainable marketing strategies of Target Corporation Essay Example

Sustainable marketing strategies of Target Corporation Essay Example Sustainable marketing strategies of Target Corporation Essay Sustainable marketing strategies of Target Corporation Essay Essay Topic: The Birth Mark Name Course Instructor Date Sustainable marketing strategies of Target Corporation Target Corporation is a retail company in the USA that offers high quality, trendy merchandise at discounted prices. Target is ranked after Wal-Mart as the second largest retailing company in the United States. The company is also ranked in the Fortune 500 at number 30. The company is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has an estimated 1,300 stores across all the 47 states. The corporation was established in 1902 in the town of Minneapolis. Initially it was called the Dayton Dairy Goods Company. However, the first target store was opened in 1962 in Roseville Minnesota. With time, target grew to become one of the largest divisions of Dayton Hudson Corporation. This culminated in to the company being renamed Target Corporation with the ticker symbol TGT on August 2000 (Rowley, 56). The corporation is ranked among the top twenty corporate company’s contribution givers in America. The company recorded an increase in revenue in 2011 to a total of $69,865. Target Corporation operates Super Target and Target.com. Target.com is an online retail store while Supper Target is a store that provides full line grocery sales as an addition to the Target retail stores. Other key business ventures of Target are Target Financial Services that has Target Visa Card and Target Red businesses. The company employs over 300,000 members of staff. The company is known by close to 96 percent of the American population. Target is also engaged in an extensive expansion plan into the region. Through the purchase of leaseholds from Zellers in Canada, it plans to operate between 100 and 150 Canadian stores by 2013. The company is also popular for its effective marketing and advertising strategies (Dayton, 54). It also plays a considerable role in corporate social responsibility. This includes social events and charitable contributions. In addition, the company employs environment friendly approaches in its operation. SWOT Analysis Strengths Brand The target brand is a strong and popular brand across 97% of the American population. Their brand promise states â€Å"Expect More Pay Less.† This brand approach in marketing has helped the company mark considerable growth rates. The brand has also become an icon in the retail sector for cool, hip and stylish. Other private brands by Target include Kool Toyz, Merona, Room Essentials, Truetech, Prospirit, Choxie, Embark and Archer farms. This is essential for a sustainable marking strategy. Market presence Target has over 1,400 stores inclusive of super target stores. These stores are often located close to a mile radius of the competitors. The presence of the stores across the country and into neighboring Canada allows easier outreach to the consumers. The expansion plan is also set to reach more consumers. Design The primary focus for target has been its design approach and strategy. This has made it relatively superior to its competitors. Proper design strategies provide the company with a unique and stylish identity that appeal to consumers. Target has initiated partnerships with leading designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, Sonia Kashuk, Michael Graves and Victoria Hages. Their design and style is based on the latest trends and styles with products that range from home furnishings and fashion. Other unique designs include prescription bottles for â€Å"Clear RX.† Innovation in marketing techniques Target has established effective marketing tactics. Their advertising campaigns also help attract new customers. They conduct continuous television, internet and print advertisements. The company also provides weekly circular ads, seasonal brochures and catalogues. The organization also makes changes and improves on its marketing program. This includes an in-store networked named â€Å"Channel Red† and refining the Target Mail program in order to increase productivity. Weaknesses Litigations The organization has been the victim of various lawsuits. The law suits filed are based on labor, trademark, copyright and personal injuries. Lawsuits generally tarnish the image of an organization to consumers. In 2003, the company was forced to implement training and pay a total of $95000 after the court established that they did not accommodate a disabled employee. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also accused Target of racial hiring practices. Opportunities Reaching new markets Target is undertaking an effective domestic and regional expansion plan. However, it may benefit from un-entered markets in the US. Extensive penetration in Hawaii and Vermont will increase the overall output. Increase in private label brands Target has numerous private products in the market. Studies reveal that of every five products one is a private label (Brassington, 89). These products account for up to $50 billion of all retail businesses. This offers an opportunity for Target to increase the overall sales. Global expansion Target Corporation already enjoys global popularity because of brand, marketing and advertising. Therefore, expansion of stores in the foreign arena would make it less vulnerable to a decline in the US economy. This will also increase competition with Wal-Mart. Threats Declining US economy The US economy has been on a downturn in recent years. There has been a recession and a credit crisis in 2009. The revenue growth for Target will also be affected. The housing crisis and inflation in utility prices and food leaves the consumers with little disposable income. In addition, the main market is based in the US. Ultimately, the organization cannot fall back on foreign markets. Ultimately, the company will experience lower profits. Competition Target competes at the local, national and international level with other key retail players. In addition, there are internet businesses that sell similar products. Consolidating their marketing presence under this system becomes difficult. Mergers also threaten the stability of Target. For instance, Sears and K-Mart have merged to reach a larger consumer base. Foreign retailers also create a threat towards Target’s Market share. The four Ps of marketing Organization should ensure their service or product appropriately reach the target market. This can be done with the 4Ps of marketing Product This refers to how the service or product looks and functions in order to meet the requirements of the target market. This takes into consideration branding, product information and packaging. Price This refers to the cost of the commodity or service to the consumer. The price should therefore fit and suit the capabilities of the target market (Hiam, 79). Placement This refers to the availability of the product. This should consider accessibility, type of outlet such as stores and pharmacies and operating hours of the outlets. Promotion This is the method used in communications and advertising in order to encourage consumers to use the service or merchandise. Channels used must reach the target audience. Some of the major channels used are television, internet, newspapers and brochures. Marketing mix Products Target has numerous labels such as Target.com, Target and Super target. They offer various products in Home accessories Furniture Baby equipment Electronics Outdoor sports equipment Men, women, children and baby fashion items and accessories Gifts and gift cards Automotive accessories Office and school supplies Consumables and food items Some of the major services offered include Pharmaceutical services Health clinics Food avenue outlets or restaurants Target Baby Registry Portrait studios Target lists on-line and store The target product mix is inclusive of their private label brands such as Embark, Kool Toyz, Market pantry and many more. Target also sells merchandise under brands that are licensed such as Chefmate, Fieldcrest, and C9 by champion and others. The company has a distribution network but also uses third parties like selected food items. The orders for Target.com are also filled by the corporate distribution network, shipped from vendors or third parties. Target provides services for merchandise from online and stores. The company also entered the generic drug market to provide pharmacy patrons to purchase particular generic drugs at $4 dollars. Target has gift registries for potential purchasers. Target gift cards are among the most popular gift ideas for the organization and are advertised frequently. In the year 2006, target gained over $1.5 billion form gift transactions. The company should effectively use its private labels for major product marketing. Price The company offers discounted prices for quality goods and services. Pricing is done after analyzing the price of their competitors. Weekly sales and clearance items are some of the attractions for Target consumers. The annual offers are also essential towards maintaining and attracting new consumers. Prices should reduce considerably in order to reach to the overall American population. Distribution Target has 5 import warehouses, over 26 regional distribution centers and a single Target.com distribution center. Target.com merchandise is shipped directly to customers through the distribution center or via USPS and Fed Ex. It has standard shipping options, 1-day and 2-day shipment options. Consumers acquire products directly from Target stores. This system ensures that the product that reaches the consumer is of high quality and suits their specification. Promotion Target spends over $1.8 million towards advertising. This is inclusive of newspaper circulars, TV commercials, brochures and internet advertisements. They post weekly ads on the internet and distribute weekly circulars to 50 million households. Target invests heavily in newspaper advertisement. However, newspaper usage is declining and the company should extensively use the internet as an avenue (Blythe, 56). More customers will be reached via the internet particularly the young population. Parameters for Sustainable Marketing Metrics Marketers use metrics as a medium of understanding their target market. These metrics include Return on investment Targets Leads Return on investment The primary goal of marketing matrices is to achieve an accurate measure of Return on Marketing Investment (ROI) or program effectiveness. This can be useful for Target Corporation in order to ensure the organization is spending more on profitable revenues (Kerin, 97). This can be applied on the concept of newspaper advertising where the company invests heavily despite the decline in newspaper usage. Targets This takes into account any person across the globe that receives the marking methodologies. When this is applied to the Target brand, it is resourceful towards tracking the number of individuals receiving the advertisement. This can also be applied towards the people receiving internet advertisements from target in order to formulate an effective internet marketing strategy. Leads This refers to the prospects of having a particular likelihood that a qualified market is suitable for a particular product and is likely to use the solution through a specific timeframe. Target marketing can use this to reach out to the male market. This is because majority of its customers are female. Some companies use the BANT criteria. The source for the leads and those that produce the highest profitability in revenues for Target should also be analyzed. Social Media Marketing for Sustainability Social media use has been on the increase in recent years. Companies have also realized the importance of marketing in this new frontier. Businesses are also marking great results from social media marketing. Some of the main marketing strategies include Using various means to attract customers and compress the sales cycles (Chaffey, 56). This is done through homage to compelling reportage where organizations hire experienced writers, filmmakers and reporters to tell a complex story about the organization. Creating brand awareness, priority and preference using decision makers and key social figures. This is done through building bold alliances and collaborating with NGOs and charities in support of similar goals and raising awareness. Monitoring and analyzing the level of competition with other corporate organizations. This is also done to ensure the organization is ahead. This is done through creation of a social media sustainability vehicle. Sustainability Audit Sustainability audits refer to a review of company programs and emphasizes on market based solutions for environmental problems. Target Corporation has been among the organizations that employ green solutions towards their business activities. It agreed to reduce the sale of harmful materials that contain PVCs. These chemicals have adverse effects on the environment. The marketing and other strategies have also integrated environment friendly approaches. In the year 20007, Target initiated a 13-page report for current and future plans towards being more earth friendly. Though the organization has undertaken major efforts towards sustainability, more efforts should be undertaken to protect the environment. Recommendations for the Target brand The organization should undertake a more effective marketing strategy through the internet. The internet is labeled as one of the major marketing frontiers (Hanson, 98). Therefore using social media sites and blogs will create a bigger market reach for Target. This advertisement process should be on a regular basis. The company should also diversify to the global market. Emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil offer a key investment destination for the organization. This will also cushion the company from the effects of the economic crisis that may occur in America. The organization should also have a direct mailing strategy. This should have coupon, incentives and other attractive offers in order for more people to shop at Target and Target.com. This will help attract and sustain more customers. Report findings Target Corporation has established an extensive marketing strategy for all its brands. The organization also allocates a considerable level of finances on marketing and marketing strategies. It has also made use of the conventional methods of advertising such as newspapers, mail and television. However, it has not yet established itself in internet marketing. The organization also needs to reach out to the male population in order to strengthen the market share. Carryout advertisements that appeal more to men will be beneficial for increasing the total male consumers. Work cited Blythe, Jim. Key Concepts in Marketing: Marketing. Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE, 2009. Print. Brassington, Frances, and Stephen Pettit. Principles of Marketing. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. Chaffey, Dave. Internet Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Harlow: Prentice Hall Financial Times, 2011. Print. Dayton, Bruce B, and Ellen B. Green. â€Å"The Birth of Target.† Hennepin History. 71.2 (2012). Print. Hanson, Ward A, and Kirthi Kalyanam. Principles of Internet Marketing. Mason, Ohio: South-Western, 2004. Print. Hiam, Alexander, and Linda G. Rastelli. Marketing. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley, 2007. Print. Kerin, Roger A. Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006. Print. Rowley, Laura. On Target: How the World’s Hottest Retailer Hit a Bullseye. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley, 2003. Print.

The Improvements of Health Through Technology Professor Ramos Blog

The Improvements of Health Through Technology https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dN_u2aHoZKcujZBEF-DZclH_qnuztW9f-X2oFuCwCyk/edit#slide=id.p

55 American English Words Derived from Algonquian Languages

55 American English Words Derived from Algonquian Languages 55 American English Words Derived from Algonquian Languages 55 American English Words Derived from Algonquian Languages By Mark Nichol American English has been enriched by the widespread adoption of words based on vocabulary of Native American tribes, including the many tribes that spoke (and, in some cases, still speak) one of the Algonquian languages of what is now eastern North America. The following is a list of such terms, more or less commonly used, most of which refer to animals or plants or products derived from them. apishamore (Algonquian): a buffalo-hide saddle blanket babiche (Mà ­kmaq): a leather or sinew thong or thread caribou (Mà ­kmaq): a species of large antlered mammal caucus (Algonquian): a group of people who meet to discuss an issue or work together toward a goal; also a verb chipmunk (Odawa): any of various small rodent species that are part of the squirrel family chinquapin (Powhatan): a dwarf chestnut tree or its nut cisco (Ojibwe): a whitefish hackmatack (Algonquian): a type of larch tree, or its wood hickory (Powhatan): a type of tree or its wood, or a cane or switch made of the wood hominy (Powhatan): soaked and hulled corn kernels husky (based on shortening of the Cree word from which Eskimo is derived): a type of dog; the adjective husky is unrelated kinkajou (Algonquian): a Central and South American mammal kinnikinnick (or killikinnick or killickinnick) (Unami Delaware): a mixture of dried leaves and bark smoked like tobacco, or the plant (also called bearberry) from which the materials are taken mackinaw (Menomini): a heavy type of cloth used for coats and blankets, or a coat or blanket made of the cloth, or a type of trout moccasin (Algonquian): a soft leather shoe or a regular shoe resembling a traditional moccasin, or, as water moccasin, a species of snake or a similar snake moose (Eastern Abenaki): a species of large antlered mammal mugwump (Eastern Abenaki): originally, a war leader, but in American slang, a kingpin, later a political independent, or someone neutral or undecided muskellunge (Ojibwe): a pike (a type of fish) muskeg (Cree): a bog or swamp muskrat (Western Abenaki): an aquatic rodent opossum (Powhatan): a marsupial (sometimes possum) papoose (Narragansett): an infant pecan (Illinois): a type of tree, or the wood or the nut harvested from it pemmican (Cree): a food made of pounded meat and melted fat, and sometimes flour and molasses as well persimmon (Powhatan): a type of tree, or the fruit harvested from it pipsissewa (Abenaki): a type of herb with leaves used for tonic and diuretic purposes pokeweed (Powhatan): a type of herb pone (Powhatan): flat cornbread; also called cornpone, which is also slang meaning â€Å"countrified† or â€Å"down-home†) powwow (Narragansett): a Native American medicine man, or, more commonly, a Native American ceremony, fair, or other gathering; also, slang for â€Å"meeting† or, less often, party puccoon (Powhatan): a type of plant, or the pigment derived from it pung (Algonquian): a box-shaped sleigh drawn by one horse punkie (Munsee): an alternate name for a biting midge, a type of fly quahog (Narragansett): a type of edible clam Quonset hut (Algonquian): a trademark for a type of prefabricated structure with an arched corrugated-metal roof raccoon (Powhatan): a type of mammal noted for its masklike facial markings, or the fur of the animal sachem (Algonquian): a chief of a Native American tribe or confederation of tribes; also, a leader in the Tammany Hall political machine sagamore (Eastern Abenaki): an Algonquian tribal chief shoepac (Unami Delaware): a cold-weather laced boot skunk (Massachusett): a type of mammal known for spraying a noxious odor in defense, or the fur of the animal; also, slang for â€Å"obnoxious person† squash (Narragansett): any of various plants that produces fruit, also called squash, that is cultivated as a vegetable; the verb squash, and the name of the ball-and-racquet game, are unrelated squaw (Massachusetts): a Native American woman or, by extension, a woman or a wife; the word is widely considered offensive succotash (Narragansett): a dish of green corn and lima or shell beans terrapin (Powhatan): one of various types of turtles toboggan (Mà ­kmaq): a wooden sled with the front end curved up and, by extension, a downward course or a sharp decline (the activity of using such a sled is called tobogganing); also, a slang term for a winter stocking cap with a pom-pom or a tassel tomahawk (Powhatan): a light ax used as a throwing or hacking weapon; as verb, it means â€Å"use a tomahawk† totem (Ojibwe): an object, usually an animal or plant, serving as a family or clan emblem, or, more often, a carved or painted representation, often in the form of a pole fashioned from a tree trunk and carved with figures representing one’s ancestors (also, a family or clan so represented); by extension, any emblem or symbol tuckahoe (Powhatan): a type of plant with an edible root, or the edible part of a type of fungus tullibee (Ojibwe): any one of several types of whitefish wampum (Massachusett): beads of polished shells used as ceremonial gifts, money, or ornaments; also, slang for â€Å"money† wanigan (Ojibwa): a tracked or wheeled shelter towed by a tractor or mounted on a boat or raft wapiti Shawnee): another word for elk wickiup (Fox): a hut or shelter made of a rough frame of vegetation wigwam (Eastern Abenaki): a hut or shelter made of a rough frame of vegetation or hides woodchuck (Algonquian): a type of marmot (a small mammal); also called a groundhog Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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Computer Game Improves the Motivation of Learning Mathematics Research Paper

Computer Game Improves the Motivation of Learning Mathematics - Research Paper Example According to Azevedo, mathematics or math games are fun activities. They usually encourage motivation, call for deep thinking, require both chance and skills, and provide multiple approaches to problem-solving. These games implement certain mathematical strategies and skills by leveraging the natural inclination of the student to play. The games can either be played by an individual, a small or large group; it can be cooperative and/or competitive. Mathematical games have been proved to have some rewarding impacts to students. Azevedo argues that games are usually part of after-school activities. Math games can provide the students with suitable contexts for developing both socially and mathematically. In addition, Shin, Sutherland, Norris & Soloway affirm that students can explore and discuss new strategies with their peers and use these strategies to solve and calculate mathematical problems. Furthermore, math games allow the students to participate at a level of their choice and b uild on their knowledge and understanding. There exists limited empirical literature that supports the hypothesis with most of those advocating for the technique being the game developers and investors, which makes the supporting results relatively biased.There have been many studies showing how computer games find their place at the elementary school class and students. In order to support the hypothesis that computer games improve motivation in learning mathematics in elementary school, four studies from different sources are considered.

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

COMPANY STRATEGIC ANALYSIS- Starbuck - Essay Example An enterprise needs, at the very least, to define its role in the value chains based on its unique mix of strengths and weaknesses and design its processes, supporting assets and organizational structure and decision making. Firms create value for their customers by establishing a value chain within the organization. When customers recognize these values as being superior to the firm's competitors, the firm has established competitive advantage within its marketplace. Porter describes two broad ways in which firms can deliver this value: lower cost and differentiation. A lower cost emphasis is one where the firm can provide a good or service more efficiently than either the client or other competing firms; a differentiation emphasis is one where firms create superior value in the form of product or service quality. Starbucks Coffee is the leading coffee shop globally. It manages over thousands of branches across United Kingdom, Ireland, Central Europe and Asia. This study explored the competition inside the coffee shop industry. Starbucks Coffee is the most competitive company in the coffee shop industry. ... The study arrived to the conclusion that Starbucks Coffee is continuing to be the most competitive coffee company, however, since there are some competitors in the industry, Starbucks still needs the aid of Michael Porter's five forces, generic studies and cost leadership in order to stay on the top in the retail industry Company Background Starbucks, the coffee company, is the perfect example of a product that could have gone the route of a shallow brand. After all, what is so special about serving coffee As the Starbucks brand proves, this is a question that other retailers would have benefited from asking. Starbucks is full of warm, rich colors and shapes and is set up so customers have a lot to look at while waiting for their order. It is visually stimulating in a way that is pleasant to most people. Compare this to a typical coffee shop, where the customer is often subjected to bright, harsh lighting and is often in the way of traffic flow, making him or her feel vaguely uncomfortable. Accommodating fast growth also meant putting in systems to recruit, hire, and train baristas and store managers. (Student Resources:2005) Starbucks' is simply looking for passionate people who love coffee, diverse workforce which reflects their community and who enjoys what they're doing and for whom work is an extension of themselves. 16 Some 80 percent of Starbucks employees were white, 85 percent had some education beyond high school, and the average age was 26. All positions are filled internally about 60-70%. Automated staffing services between hiring managers and staffing teams and Starbucks has a user friendly field sourcing and selection tools in place. Internal movement processes and systems in place and broadly understood. (Student Resources:2005)

Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Ethnography - Essay Example Thus, through this method, ethnography was created and later developed to become one of the most important contributions of human society to the science of knowledge in the 20th century. As ethnography became the predominant form of data collection in this period, one of its proponents, Clifford Geertz, considered this new, emerging form of social science as a "thick description." Ethnography as a social science that possesses "thick description" is reflective of its ability to bring out a multitude of perspectives from a single observation of a society or culture. However, this very character of ethnography as a social science is also 'interpreted' in various ways, and this will be the focus of the discussions that follow from this text. Discussing and analyzing the works of Clifford Geertz, Peter Winch, and Charles Taylor concerning the issue of ethnography as an alternative form of knowledge and perspective in the field of social science, the concept of "thick description" is best illustrated. This paper posits that Geertz, Winch, and Taylor's interpretations of ethnography as a "thick description" contained variations of how each proponent viewed research in social science must be conducted. Each proponent offered different views on the epistemological roots of ethnography both as a methodological and conceptual discipline or field of study in social science. II. Clifford Geertz: Balance between quantitative and ethnographic data Clifford Geertz is one of the leading ethnologists that began the 'ethnographic revolution,' an American social scientist who developed the field of symbolic anthropology, wherein symbols and rituals are interpreted based not on their ecological and economic meanings, but on the meanings of these symbols and rituals within the context of the culture wherein they are found and practiced. He was also the one who introduced the term "thick description" to describe the science of ethnography. In order to make sense of this concept of 'thick description,' it is best to understand how Geertz utilized his knowledge and ability to interpret cultures using a different, non-Western perspective in his classic work, "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." In this particular ethnographic study, Geertz looked into Balinese society and culture in terms of its most dominant and prevalent ritual: cockfighting. In "Deep Play," the anthropologist interpreted Balinese cockfighting as a ritual that is symbolic in nature, wherein his interpretations included the findings that cockfighting is symbolic of Balinese men's masculinity, and the collective nature of Balinese society in general. Cockfighting as a ritual that reflected Balinese men's masculinity is specifically represented by the cock itself, wherein the Balinese man "is identifying not just with his ideal self, or even his penis, but also, at the same time, with what he most fears, hates" Moreover, as a collective ritual participated by the many, Balinese cockfights are also symbolic of what Geertz termed as the "migration of the Balinese status hierarchy into the body of the cockfight" (Geertz, 1973). Both in individualistic and

Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Poetry - Essay Example Comparatively, the changes may be drastic but the impact of his poems remain the same and it is for this reason that he remained an influential poet throughout his lifetime and beyond. â€Å"A Map of the City† is that characteristic early work of Gunn which encapsulates why he had become a prominent name in The Movement in the 1950s. The style, incorporating the obvious rhythm and rhyme in each line, makes it in that great British tradition of classic poetry. The first stanza, in all its four lines ends with the same syllable with much stress on the ‘e’ sound. This recurs throughout the poem together with other syllabic sounds that are used regularly throughout. Also, the poem was traditionally constructed as a quatrain with four lines in each of its five stanzas. Then, with â€Å"On The Move ‘Man, You Gotta Go.’† there has been a slight deviation from the traditional meter with the use of varying rhymes but certain sounds recur such as the ‘o’ and ‘e’ sounds. There is also still that inclination to adhere to traditional form as each of the five stanzas is composed of an octave. However, though the ‘e’ and ‘th’ sounds are also repeated in â€Å"In Time of Plague,† they do not appear to be placed consciously as Gunn moves toward the free verse approach. The stanzas do not have uniformity in terms of rhyme and meter as the first stanza has 13 lines, the second has 15, the third has four, and the last has six. This shows an unrestricted adoption of poetic verse where Gunn has transformed his poetry away from the identity of The Movement toward a nonconformist standpoint. It would be amiss to talk about or even understand how the poetry of Gunn has progressed without taking into consideration the major changes he had effected in his life. In his earlier years, Gunn had already established himself as a major poet alongside Larkin

Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Term Paper - Essay Example This aspect of Edna’s awakening is important for the status of Chopin as a writer, for she portrays her heroine above but not of culture which Edna desperately tried to grasp. Whatever feminist beliefs Kate Chopin held, she makes it clear that Edna is largely unaware of- and certainly unconcerned with- the reasons for her actions and that her awakening is a realization of her sensual nature, not of her equality or freedom as an individual. Some critics tend to associate Chopin’s novel to the feminist tract; however, Chopin’s motives tend to be of a Naturalist rather than Feminist, for much of Chopin’s portrait of Edna depends upon the Lousiana Creole setting she chose and the naturalistic literary convention of her day. Chopin concentrated to a greater degree on the life of sensation and careless enjoyment that the Creoles lived. Creole society occupied the southern half of Lousiana. The descendants of French and Spanish colonists of the eighteenth century , the Creoles were bound by Catholicism, strong family ties, and a common language. The cultural patterns of the Creole society have been romanticized by local colorists like Chopin in their works. Through her characterization of Edna, she wanted to scrutinize the Creole society and its reputation for an easygoing attitude. For this purpose, Chopin has not placed her heroine in a rigidly moralistic environment. She eloquently translates Edna’s feelings, her emotions and experiences when she enters the ‘sensuous’ Creole environment. Chopin reproduced this little world through her naturalistic techniques with no intention to shock or make a point, rather for her these were the conditions of civility. This attitude of the novelist clarify Edna’s position as an outsider, whose behavior is not shocking or inexplicable, for her position allows Chopin to deal with the clash of two cultures. Edna’s awakening is a product of the clash of cultures that she ex periences. It is important to note that Edna initially finds it difficult to participate in the easy intimacy of the Creoles. She describes herself as â€Å"self-contained†, and remains largely so until the end of the novel, in the sense that she incorporates no doctrine or set of principles outside herself. However, she does become a fully sexual being. Therefore, her awakening is more or less a sexual one rather than an approach towards an independent self. Her approach is rather physical in terms of her leaving her husband’s house and entering her own independent house named as â€Å"pigeon house†. Here, it is important to note that Chopin carefully translates Edna’s new-found independence in the imagery of â€Å"pigeon house†. As the name suggests the house gives an impression of a trapped existence, which can never free itself from the bounds of sensual nature of the Creole society. That is to say, though Edna tries to form a new identity she is still entrapped in the male dominated society guided by her own unconscious longing for Robert Leburn. Edna’s actions are partly the result of her will, in allowing herself expose to Robert’s charms, and mainly the result of her position in the Creole society. Her sexual awakening begins with the flirtations of Robert, but it is apparent

Food Fantastic Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Food Fantastic Company - Essay Example Foods Fantastic Company is a publicly traded grocery chain with a chain of 50 stores in the US.The company has embraced technology to a great extent and uses state-of-the-art applications to monitor inventory and maintain its accounting books An ITGC review is necessary because of the degree to which the company is dependent on the data produced by its information systems for accounting and decision-making. Purpose: The purpose of an ITGC review is to ensure the reliability, consistency and security of an information system that is being used as a source of information and legal standing for accounting purposes. The idea behind an ITGC review is to check the data input streams for dependability as it will constitute a legal standing of the company. In addition, the review will cover aspects of fraud, security, back-dated entries and other loopholes that can be used for frauds or unauthorized access to confidential data. Scope: The scope of this audit and review is limited to the surf ace risk assessment of the controls used by FFC. In addition, it covers only the mainstream information system which is used for reporting and decision-making. Any other third-party systems are not covered in this review as long as they do not have any impact on financial reporting. Also, the review has been conducted in accordance with the guidelines defined and accepted as international best practices for ITGC. Findings: The information system control procedures at Foods Fantastic Company do not meet the standards of what can be termed as the best practices in the industry.

Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Term Paper - Essay Example This aspect of Edna’s awakening is important for the status of Chopin as a writer, for she portrays her heroine above but not of culture which Edna desperately tried to grasp. Whatever feminist beliefs Kate Chopin held, she makes it clear that Edna is largely unaware of- and certainly unconcerned with- the reasons for her actions and that her awakening is a realization of her sensual nature, not of her equality or freedom as an individual. Some critics tend to associate Chopin’s novel to the feminist tract; however, Chopin’s motives tend to be of a Naturalist rather than Feminist, for much of Chopin’s portrait of Edna depends upon the Lousiana Creole setting she chose and the naturalistic literary convention of her day. Chopin concentrated to a greater degree on the life of sensation and careless enjoyment that the Creoles lived. Creole society occupied the southern half of Lousiana. The descendants of French and Spanish colonists of the eighteenth century , the Creoles were bound by Catholicism, strong family ties, and a common language. The cultural patterns of the Creole society have been romanticized by local colorists like Chopin in their works. Through her characterization of Edna, she wanted to scrutinize the Creole society and its reputation for an easygoing attitude. For this purpose, Chopin has not placed her heroine in a rigidly moralistic environment. She eloquently translates Edna’s feelings, her emotions and experiences when she enters the ‘sensuous’ Creole environment. Chopin reproduced this little world through her naturalistic techniques with no intention to shock or make a point, rather for her these were the conditions of civility. This attitude of the novelist clarify Edna’s position as an outsider, whose behavior is not shocking or inexplicable, for her position allows Chopin to deal with the clash of two cultures. Edna’s awakening is a product of the clash of cultures that she ex periences. It is important to note that Edna initially finds it difficult to participate in the easy intimacy of the Creoles. She describes herself as â€Å"self-contained†, and remains largely so until the end of the novel, in the sense that she incorporates no doctrine or set of principles outside herself. However, she does become a fully sexual being. Therefore, her awakening is more or less a sexual one rather than an approach towards an independent self. Her approach is rather physical in terms of her leaving her husband’s house and entering her own independent house named as â€Å"pigeon house†. Here, it is important to note that Chopin carefully translates Edna’s new-found independence in the imagery of â€Å"pigeon house†. As the name suggests the house gives an impression of a trapped existence, which can never free itself from the bounds of sensual nature of the Creole society. That is to say, though Edna tries to form a new identity she is still entrapped in the male dominated society guided by her own unconscious longing for Robert Leburn. Edna’s actions are partly the result of her will, in allowing herself expose to Robert’s charms, and mainly the result of her position in the Creole society. Her sexual awakening begins with the flirtations of Robert, but it is apparent

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Example for Free

Project Implementation, Control, and Termination Essay Using knowledge gained from this course Team A has demonstrated their capacity for conceptualizing the concepts and practical application of project management and life cycle phases. This paper is the compilation of three successive papers submitted and revised by Team A that includes the project proposal paper, the project planning technical paper, and the project human capital paper. In the final phase of the project lifecycle the implementation process of terminating the project will be presented in such a way that the input will be based on observations in relation to how well the triple constraints and tradeoffs were handled. The balance between timing, budget and project specifications is used as a performance measurement to guide Team As future success by determining lessons learned, what might be performed differently that must be corrected with the next project, and help determine what went right with the project that must be repeated on the next project. In addition, the steps needing to be taken to return the human resources to the organization will be provided. Background and Statement of NeedThe increasing population of Lo Ki, California has resulted in an influx of new apartments, condominiums and small homes being built with little or inadequate storage and deed restrictions limiting what can be placed in driveways and side yards of the homes. Lo Ki is a mid-sized community lacking storage facilities within proximity. This has created a need that Store -N- Lock, a California-based self-storage facility, plans to address by building a new storage facility. This facility will meet the needs and demands of the citizens of Lo Ki for storage space, in addition increasing profits for Store -N-Lock. Building a new storage facility will require a project management team that has a clear understanding of whom is responsible for what. This management team needs a clear vision of what the facility would look like, what the costs would be, what the processes and procedures would be, what the time frame is from conception to completion, what revenue would be expected from the final project and what the payback period would be. With that being said financing would be needed with a loan that allows some breathing room during lease up. In addition, in any new type of construction the management team will need to have a good relationship with the contractors, engineers, the  architects, and any stakeholders. Clearly communicating the plan and approach will be beneficial because this will provide a way for stakeholders and anyone involved in the project to have a clearly defined goal, vision and mission of what the expectations of this project are in addition to any profit and loss shari ng, equity positions, decision making and exit strategies. Once this project is up and running a permanent loan can be locked in. Project StakeholdersThe project customers include the investors and owners of the facility. These individuals have added their resources and information in order to get the project off the ground, and stand to lose the most if the project fails. The customers will hold Team A accountable for any unforeseen circumstances that might occur. These project customers have also given time and assistance to ensure that the project will succeed. Other project stakeholders include the city of Lo Ki since permits and licensing from the local municipality is required. This project will provide revenue to the city in the form of taxes. In addition, the bank providing the financing will be a stakeholder and benefit from the interest and association with the project. The project leader and team members of the project, such as upper management, the architect, the construction team, the management team (Team A) the classmates and instructor of this Project Management course including resource managers, and line managers involved in the project that stand to gain financially from this project. Each of these additional stakeholders will stand to gain either from recognition of a successful project completed or from the benefit of having a storage facility that they can use to store their belongings. Project Goals in Terms of Triple Constraint The triple constraints of timing, budget and scope are being monitored daily by the project managers and the team. This is done to make sure that everything is completed in the correct order in which the network results have suggested. At the beginning of the project Team A made sure to ask the sponsors to prioritize the triple constraints. The team wanted to ensure that what they  were doing was consistent with the sponsors expectations. Initially, the sponsors stated that all the constraints were important. However, after contemplation the sponsors were able to assign weights to the constraints when they came to the realization that they are all important but not equal. After the feasibility study, and the project was deemed suitable the sponsors decided that the project in no way could go over budget. The second most important criterion was time with scope ranking last. Timing The timing of each project phase will keep a continuous flow of work since the network was set up to flow horizontally downward following the critical path so the project will finished in the allotted timeframe. Many areas will not take as much time as others but every task has an established and set time frame of one to 17 days. This set schedule and time frame should effectively minimize and limit problems that may occur if handled efficiently and things go as planned. Resources The resource was the highest ranked constraint indicated by the sponsors. They do not want to go over the calculated project. Team A will ensure that no problems will occur with the actual budget that has been set forth in the beginning phase of the project. The budget should remain the same as long as the timing is kept on track for each task and preceding event. This will be accomplished by monitoring progress and the network in the Gannt chart. If by chance something occurs that will change the time frame of the task affecting the budget, then the budget will then need to be revisited and revised. The entire amount the project estimated to cost is approximately $2,000,000. At any time this amount could change because of changes in the project risk and risk management, project constraints with specific emphasis on the project timeline, deadlines, milestones or price increases in either labor or materials. Scope The scope that has been set forth is going to be effective if certain tasks are kept in the time frame in which they are set up to take place in. Within the scope enough space has been set aside for change control processes if warranted. At this point the network result has an outlook of completion of the project in four months and not to exceed $2,000,000. Team Selection Team A has chosen the Pure Project organizational structure. Team A gained written approval from the customer in the form of a signed charter, which became the contractual agreement and project proposal. This document will provide the directives to be established and implemented by the PM. The Pure Project Structure was chosen because this is a project driven structure and is best for construction companies (if the cost is not too vast), or a one-time, highly specific, unique tasks that requires careful control and are not appropriate for a single functional area such as the development of a new product. (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p199). Other reasons why Team A chose this organizational structure are as follows:Communications ManagementA solid communication plan is the most vital element of achieving a successful project. A communication plan is used to keep the PM and all stakeholders involved in the ongoing progress of the project. Communication management is a tool the PM of Store-N-Lock will use to convey performance evaluations to stakeholders. Evaluations are performed regularly and consistently to ensure various project objectives are completed on time and within the project scope for successful results. The following considerations will be taken into account when meetings are scheduled:1.Project meetings communicating performance evaluations to management are somewhat flexible. 2.Management can request meetings at their discretion; however, the PM has the authority to change the requested date if needed to one that is more suitable. 3.Meetings with customers are less flexible requiring the PM to plan carefully to ensure all of the materials needed such as handouts and other literature are ready for the meeting. Poor communication can cause bottlenecks, therefore, BETCO has taken into consideration the many elements of effective communication and potential barriers and prepared accordingly. To keep information effectively clear and  concise the BETCOs project manager has used earned value management to convey project progress throughout the duration of the project. Earned value management combines measurements of scope, cost and schedule to measure project progress and can indicate to the PM impending problems. The PM can then act quickly taking the appropriate proactive and reactive measures to reduce the impact of these risks. Gantt charts will also be provided to all stakeholders for easier visualization and tracking of actual progress made. The advantages of effective communication using software are as follows:1.Prevents bottlenecks2.Prevents barriers to success3.Gantt charts provide clear views on constraints, timing, and milestones. 4.Gantt charts provide an easy way to revise plans and update progress. 5.Communication and the use of Gantt charts allow visualization and effective tracking. Scheduling face-to-face meetings can be difficult: therefore, BETCO uses conference calling, emails and text messaging to stay in contact. This will allow rapid and up to the minute changes to be communicated; since visual aids will be transmitted to the needed stakeholders for review during the conference calls. Those involved, can then walk through the progress of the project together identifying any action items needing attention. The BETCO representative, the Team A PM and staff and Store-N-Lock have decided to conduct twice weekly face to face meetings for the project team and weekly conference calls for all other stakeholders. Risk Management In planning for this project understanding the combination of uncertainty and constraints based on estimation will require selecting areas of the project with the most severe constraints and the highest uncertainty. Once that is complete the PM will do a Risk Assessment exploring each task for uncertainty. The construction industry is subject to more risk and uncertainty than many other industries. (Flanagan, Norman, 1993). This construction job will require a multitude of people requiring coordinative efforts between several interrelated activities compounded by many uncontrollable external forces. Some of the key areas that Team A will focus on in their risk management are as follows:The key will be coordination of different construction phases and adjustments or tradeoffs that will need to be made the triple constraints. This is especially important since they may impact the quality design and construction times. The following are a list of constraints:Project management, according to (Mantel, Meredith 2006, p. 179), is prone to the following problems: ·Inadequate resources ·Meeting unrealistic deadlines ·Unclear goals/direction ·Uncommitted team members ·Insufficient planning ·Breakdown of communications ·Changes in goals and resources ·Conflicts between departments or functionsProject success has four dimensions as quoted by (Mantel, Meredith, 2006 p.3) from empirical studies conducted by Shenhar, Levy, and Dvir (1997). These include: ·Project efficiency ·Impact on the customer ·The business impact on the organization ·Opening new opportunities for the futureTeam A can focus on to the following areas to decrease the impact of the above issues:Almost everything that can go wrong with project performance, cost, or schedule is theresult of uncertainty. (Meredith, Mantel, 2006, p 541). According to (Ibbs, Kwak, 2000, Project Risk Management.) The Risk managements project management maturity level was the lowest among all eight knowledge areas.The following are six areas that are impacted by risk management. (Project Management Institute, 2000, p.128). Other areas that can cause a project to require the control of performance, costs, or time were identified (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, p. 542). Timing is crucial to project success and since most all projects do not go as planned, nearly every time related category with the exception of governmental regulation would be considered lessons learned for Team A. In the previous section on performance, each of these areas would be considered areas for improvement and would most likely have affected the overall completion of the project. Most likely all cost related issues pertain to Team As project and would be considered lessons learned. Contingency PlansManaging project risk and potential problems like bottlenecks requires a contingency plan. This will help mitigate the impact of the problem. In each phase of the construction will have milestones, which indicate that the project can move forward as planned. If problems occur with the timing of tasks and phases of the construction the plans will need to be altered to reflect either the backup resources such as time, or materials and money required for successful completion. At this point the Gantt chart will need updating and each person affected by the changes will need updated schedules. (Heerkens, 2002). BudgetControl of cost is a concern that this team has for this project. The team believes this should be of concern to all involved. As stated in Project Management, a Managerial Approach, Budget plays an important role in the entire process of management (Mantel. Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). Project budgets are estimated above what is calculated to ensure that the project is covered against any unforeseen problems, mistakes and miscalculations. In order to develop a budget the team must forecast what resources the project will require, the required quantity of each, when they will be needed and how much they will cost including the effects of potential price inflation (Mantel, Meredith, 2006, pp. 327). The budget is going to cover everything that is needed including materials, equipment and salaries to be paid to the contractor, subcontractors, and the management team including the BETCO representative and the Team A PM and associates. Below in figure 1.1 are estimates of items that will be needed for the construction of the storage facility. These are estimates that will be used toward the facility construction. The figure below indicates estimates of materials; construction and other items needed items to construct the storage facility. Figure 1Item descriptionDelivery schedule(Business days)Cost(estimate)Contractors and Subcontractor FeesMonday -Friday 7am-5pm approximately 10% of all costsCost of the management teamMonday-Friday8am-5pm$65,000Building and roofing  materials$400,000Material for the walls and doors$375,000Sprinkler system$225,000Temperature Control System$150,000Security surveillance and monitoring systems $185,000Asphalt for parking and driveways$150,000Concrete Pad for Office$80,000Office Roof$185,000Office Windows$5,000Office doors $1,200Office heating and air conditioning$2,700Kitchen counters and cupboards$4,500Kitchen bathroom including sinks (2)$225Bathroom counters (2)$1,600Office computers (2)$4,000Printer and fax equipment$575Phone and answering system$1,400Office desks (2)$2,000Tile flooring for office and bathrooms$4,500Gutters$8,000As stated above these numbers are estimates. Due to unforeseen events these numbers may change but the project and upper management believe that these numbe rs are the best estimates for the beginning of the project. Desired OutputsThe desired performance criteria for building a high-quality self-storage facility allowed Team A to measure the successes and failures of the project in order to recognize areas where the project team was strong and areas where the project team could improve. This ensured that the team provided the client with a product that meets their full expectations. The project performance measures include time, budget, and quality. These measures aided in ensuring that the work completed during each phase of construction is of a quality that protects the client and their customers with safe storage of belongings without compromising quality in craftsmanship or increased costs. Quality assurance is another way to provide a low-cost facility with limited maintenance in terms of repairs, upkeep, and operation. Team A also used the initial cost estimating budget and the systems development cycle to ensure that, from conception, to initiation and feasibility, the project was clearly defined and a detailed planning analysis provided an accurate schedule. Updated Statement of Work/SMART ObjectivesDuring phase one of the construction of Store-N-Lock BETCO has made some adjustment to the statement of work. This was done with approval from the customer and added on as an addendum that can be located in Appendix A. The completion date has been delayed by eight days from the original start date set. This was because of inclement weather, resulting in equipment delivery delays and thus, causing  further delays with installation. BETCO has created a SOW that mirrors the SMART requirements to ensure full understanding of what deliverables will include, what costs will be incurred and deadlines of work activities and tasks. SMART objectives illustrate that every requirement of the project should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. The Following are SMART objectives for project Construction Store-N-Lock. BETCO has been hired by Store-N-Lock to build a public storage facility with a specified start date of August 15, 2009 and a completion date of November 23, 2009. The project completion will reflect the construction of a high quality storage facility at a negotiated agreed upon cost that meets the demands of Store-N-Lock and Store-N-Locks target market. BETCO has created a WBS accompanied by a logical hierarchy of sequenced events and related tasks of the project scope to define and group the discreet tasks of the project and create the project map for clearer navigation and understanding by all stakeholders. MetricsMetrics BETCO will use are project timelines, earned value management and Gantt charts. These metrics will be reviewed in the beginning of each task, during each task and at the end of each task and phase. The will be beneficial for the PM since problems and bottlenecks and foreseeable threats can be evaluated, brainstormed and mitigated to allow for flexibility whereby better decisions could have been made. These metrics will also be used to communicate performance progress to stakeholders. Project AchievabilityProject Construction Store-N-Lock is a very achievable project for BETCO as they are experienced in this field with solid relationships established with numerous contractors and subcontractors. BETCO knows standard timelines of completion for individual processes and based upon these the complete timeline outlined in the timetables and deliverables statements is an achievable and manageable task for BETCO with this project type. The project is realistic since BETCO has substantial experience in many types of construction projects. With their expertise and relationships with subcontractors BETCO has a vast array of resources for many types of projects. To stay within the agreed upon completion date BETCO  is using a project timeline to specify completion dates for each objective to be achieved throughout the three month and one week timeframe for completion of the entire project. The SOW indicates the completion date to be August 23, 2009. Task and Performance Schedules, Responsibility and Resource Availability MatricesTime is money and time is of the essence in project management. Because of this, time is used to sequence events, ensure that each event occurs within the specified timeframe and is used to compare the completion of events with the time allocated for each task. If each phase of a project is not completed within the scheduled time frame bottlenecks can occur and the project runs the risk of going over budget. The effect on the scope of the project would compromise quality as corners are cut to get back on schedule. Constructing a storage facility required that a detailed cost estimation and budget follows the WBS. (Everett, 2007). The schedule of resource allocation required detailed cost schedules and forecasts so that the project manager was able to analyze the pattern of expenditures and permitted enough time to make adjustments to the schedule for each phase of construction. All work packages were scheduled with enough time to complete the preceding phase and to cover for any uncertainty and lack of accurate information (Everett, 2007). These unforeseen occurrences may be because of inclement weather, delivery delays, or labor issues. The PM and Team A staff have set up a task schedule to assign each task with enough time to be completed, and organized in such a way as to identify the predecessors of the tasks, when applicable. AGantt chart is attached with this paper identifying the critical path through the network. Table 1 on the next page includes the task schedule for the project. E: Execution responsibility. Stakeholder is responsible for getting the work done. Not necessarily a decision maker, but drives the group to make decisions in a timely manner. A: Approval authority. Has final approval on accepting the outcome of this activity and makes decisions. C: Must be consulted. As work is performed this stakeholder contributes information. Does not make decisions but is asked for input prior to decisions. Performance Monitoring A good communication plan is essential for appraising the project progress to various project sponsors and executives. With this communication, the project managers ensure all staff is meeting acceptable progress goals toward the final product. This is basically meant to communicate and cover important variables of the project time, cost, scope, and parameters of deliverables. Other objectives are to provide clarity of the progress with the continuation of the project, so that the management and team can engage in early corrective action when the performance of the project alters considerably from initial plans. As with the project of Store-N-Lock, set schedules of work will need to be executed by the builders. Whenever things go awry, a corrective action plan should be set in place to get the project back on schedule. To avoid this type of confusion or mishap the project manager is to set out standards that are to be followed. Project Performance Overall, the project went well. The team went one week over the projected completion date, as enough time was not allocated for every step of the project. Though the project stayed within budget, many resources that were necessary for the completion of the project were not included in the budget. However, the project budget manager allowed for enough funds at each phase of the building to cover the additional materials and resources needed. Conflict amongst the team was the most challenging aspect of the project. Learning Team A did not clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member until the final week of the project. As a result, communication breakdowns and personality conflicts abounded throughout, and decisions were not made quickly and effectively. Learning Team A also lost a member of the team early in the project, which nearly created bottlenecks  and tasks had to be reassigned to cover the workload. Despite these issues, Learning Team A was able to overcome these obstacles and persevere. Team members were willing to compromise as each task came due and were willing to help his or her fellow teammates with any problems or concerns. Network Results and Triple Constraint Towards the middle of the project the sponsors made a few demands as to the budget and the scope but the project manager called a meeting. This meeting was set in order for the project manager to inform the sponsors of the triple constraints and how they are supposed to be managed and how to manage them efficiently and effectively. Timing At the end of the project and after reviewing network results the team realized they had gone one week over the time that was scheduled per the Gantt chart. Not enough time was given for each portion of the project the needed to be completed within the four month timeline. Each task was done efficiently but the timelines that the team had set forth were not thought in enough detail. The problems and breakdowns that occurred within the group may have been a contributing factor to the problems in the timeline. Resources Although there was a significant amount of time that the project went over the intended time frame, the team was able to stay within the budget that was stated at the beginning of the project. At the beginning of the project the sponsors made it known that the budget was the most important of the triple constraints. In no means was the project to go over the $2,000,000 mark. The project manager and the team made certain that no matter what occurred with the time constraints they would ensure that the budget would remain the same. Scope The project manager did not want to change anything within the scope of the project. At one point towards the middle of the project the sponsors decided they wanted to change the most important constraint to the scope. This did not go over well with the project manager. The sponsors and the project manager had to sit down and have a meeting concerning what was going to occur. The sponsors believed that there could be changes made within the budget in order to make changes in the scope, and the project manager let  them know that was not going to occur. Some instances like this made it difficult to remain in the allocated time frame. Steps Taken to Return the HR to the OrganizationAn element of project termination is the return or reassignment of project team members within the organization. Construction projects are able to handle this issue with more ease than other types of projects. In this current age of increased development and BETCOs good reputation in the business, contracts for construction projects are acquired on a regular basis. This allows the company easily to reassign their project team members to other projects in their areas of expertise. Upon completion date BETCO and the Team A project manager have conducted a meeting with the project team and customer. They have discussed any future follow up needs and provided the appropriate contacts for the customer. A private internal meeting for project team members has also been conducted to discuss the strengths and weaknesses that occurred during Construction Store-N-Lock. The construction of Store-N-Lock was a success with only a slight delay in the completion date. The building met the customers expectations and because the delay in completion was minimal Store-N-Lock was satisfied with the results. After all the end details were addressed the project team members received an appreciation and recognition lunch and received much kudos. Input for Future Projects For future projects, Learning Team A will learn from the experience that this project provided. From the onset, the team will need to select project roles for each member and have clearly defined conflict resolution and change control processes in place. There will also need to be a communication plan to ensure that every member of the team understands what is expected from them and are able to communicate effectively with other members. This will aid in faster decisions to be made. Team members must understand that the team should be open to innovative ideas and use critical thinking skills. Each member of the team will also need to be committed to the project as well. Meredith and Mantel (2006, p.595 4) have outlined key factors that need to be considered when  starting the next project. These factors include: ·Identify problems earlier ·Clarify cost, performance, and time relationships ·Improve the process of risk identification and management ·Identify mistakes, correct them, and avoid them in the future ·Reconfirm the project teams interest and commitment to the project ·Improve processes for organizing and managing projects ·Provide an amiable environment where project team members can work creatively togetherLessons LearnedThe most important factor affecting this project was a need to clearly establish roles and responsibilities in the beginning charter. By firmly establishing these early, the team could have saved a many of the initial stages of storming which preceded the norming. In addition, this would have helped to identify the hierarchy of leadership and helped to prevent duplication of work, eliminate conflicts and expedite decision making. Other areas that were difficult included a few of the essential elements of construction materials that were left out in the initial estimation phase, like the insulation, and gutters. Although, this impacted the budget the additional cost did not cause the project to go too far over a normal distribution or standard deviation of price increase to be problematic. In the next project the SOW and WBS would need to be finalized before the budget and schedule were completed and finalized. The project went as planned with only minor problems and trade offs of the triple constraints, between time, budget and performance. Although, potentially there were areas where bottlenecks could have occurred if things did not run on schedule and as planned. The monitoring of the milestones and critical path in the network helped to keep the project on track. Team A will continue use performance measures, networks and Gantt charts since these contributed to the project success. Overall, the things that Team A would do differently next time is to clearly define roles and responsibilities, and to make sure that they use the same list of construction phases and supplies and add to this for the next project if need be. In addition, in the future the WBS and SOW need to be completely correct before the budget and schedule are completed, which could  help prevent having to make some tradeoffs between the triple constraints. Contingency plans or change control processes always need to be set in writing to ensure that a definite path would be taken when tradeoffs between the triple constraints are visible. Conclusion Overall, the project team (Team A) and PM accomplished the goal of opening Store-N-Lock, a self-storage facility in Lo Ki, California with the use of exceptional planning and team communication. The initial planning was systematically and carefully thought through and allowed for the project to run very efficiently. Communication is the main obstacle in a team project and without it a project may not come to fruition as initially intended. Ensuring that the proper resources are on hand and a designation of team members play an enormous part in the success of a project. With that being said, Team A has overcome all obstacles and have met each goal to make Store-N-Lock a success. With this success and experience, Team A is sure to tackle any project with confidence and extreme efficiency. References Flanagan, R., Norman, G., (1993). Risk management and construction. Wiley and Sons. Retrieved August 12, 2009 fromhttp://books.google.com/books?hl=enlr=id=CPMaX2dikTACoi=fndpg=PR11dq=inherent+risks+in+consturction+job+estimationots=oiC3hNxXB3sig=STHby74x4f-utDVhu2k3-68LUUw#v=onepageq=f=falseHeerkens, G. (2002). Project management. McGraw-Hill. New York, N.Y. Ibbs, C.W., Kwak, Y.H. (2000). The Berkeley project management process maturity model:Measuring the value of project management. Assessing project maturity model. Project management journal. 31(1), 35-42. Retrieved August 23, 2009 from home.gwu.edu/~kwak/Berkeley_Model.pdfKerzner, H. (2006). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling,and controlling. 9e. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved August 13, 2009 from [University of Phoenix custom Edition e-text]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Website. McKinn, R.D., Stevens.N (2000) The Project Lifecycle: The Termination phase. Retrieved onAugust 19, 2009 from AllBusiness website. http://www.allbusiness.com/management/444125-1.htmlMeredith, J. R. Mantel, S. J. (2006). Project management: A managerial approach. 6e. Hoboken,NJ: Wiley. Retrieved July 31, 2009 from [University of Phoenix custom Edition e-text]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix Website. Office of Enterprise Technology, Project Management Office. (2006). Resource plan template. State of Minnesota. 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