H Cae

Assignment # 1 Roll# 10126006 Name: Awais Nawaz TSCM APT-304 Tasks 1. Identify Products range they deal in H&M brand deals in: †¢ Assecories †¢ Suitning for women& men †¢ High volume fashion basics for men&women †¢ Swimwear †¢ Nightwear †¢ Underwear †¢ Ladies Footwear †¢ Cosmetics †¢ Childrenwear †¢ Children apparel 2. Identify Customers (Consumers) H&M brand’s customers are: †¢ Men †¢ Women †¢ Teenagers †¢ Children 3. Identify Means of Competition (Why will consumer buy the products ) H&M retail stores have products that are High Fashionable & Quality at low prices.H&M has advanced technology integration such as EDI, GPS and RFID. ? EDI: H&M stores used EDI system to check the availability of the product in other stores. ? GPS Technology: H&M has GPS technology, customers snap a picture of virtual articles of clothing and pinpoint a shopper’s location store where they did window shopping. ? RFID: H&M used RFID system to track its product inventory and real-time location acsess for products in warehouse. There are differnet competitors of H&M like: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Express Zara NY&C Forever 21 1 †¢ GAP 4.Which are the infrastructure related aspects the company excels in H&M brand has its own distribution centre are quite good. H&M does not own any factories. Instead, clothes and other products are commissioned from around 700 independent suppliers, primiraly in Asia and Euorpe. H&M has 2200 retail stores operate in 40 countries around world. 5. Product sources Soureces of H&M brand are Asia and Euorpe. About two third of thier supplier have production in Asia. Asia product suppliers are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ China Compodia India Pakistan Indonesia South Korea and Sri Lanka.The remaining suppliers are in Europe for the most part. They are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 6. Turkey Italy Portugal Greece Bulgaria Romania Lithuania Poland and England. Supplier processes Suppliers for H&M Brands are; Full production, private brand and branded manufacture. Full production: †¢ †¢ Supplier buys all the material and is responsible for them. H&M gives design and product specifications to its suppliers. Private brand: †¢ H&M supplier is responsible for quality and H&M retailer may return all faulty goods returned to them by the consumer. Branded manufacturing: †¢ All Design is done by the H&M. †¢ Marketing and Retailing are controlled by H&M. 7. Retail processes H&M has its own retail Outlets. A key ingredient in retailing success is the strength of a company's distribution channels. In some markets H is collaborating with franchise partners, but franchising is not part of the general expansion strategy. 8. Brand retailer H is a brand retailer, becuase of the following factors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 9. It has its own product designs. Marke ting Sourcing And Retailing. Product conceptsProduct concept of H is that to offer high fashion and quality products at the best price, quality also means that the products must be manufactured in away that is environmentally and socially sustainable. 10. Marketing strategy H brand’s marketing strategy is Generating ‘Word of Mouth’ through ‘fashion and quality at the best price' and other mediums such as: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Outdoor advertising Direct market H Magazine Fashion blog: http://www. popbee. com/ Video advertisements Print advertisements E-marketing H own website (www. m. com). 3 11. Draw a Supply Chain Model Supply Chain Model Retailer’s Locations Africa(Egypt, Morocco) Asia(China,Japan, Saudi Arab, UAE,South Korea, Singapor, ThaiLand, Oman) North America( Canada, US) South America: Chile Europe( Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Poland) Dis tribution Network Own Distribution Network ‘Swedish’ Sourcing Locations Asia(China, India, Pakistan, Sout Korea, Sri Lanka) Euorpe(Turkey, Italy, Greece, Poland, England) 4 H Cae Assignment # 1 Roll# 10126006 Name: Awais Nawaz TSCM APT-304 Tasks 1. Identify Products range they deal in H&M brand deals in: †¢ Assecories †¢ Suitning for women& men †¢ High volume fashion basics for men&women †¢ Swimwear †¢ Nightwear †¢ Underwear †¢ Ladies Footwear †¢ Cosmetics †¢ Childrenwear †¢ Children apparel 2. Identify Customers (Consumers) H&M brand’s customers are: †¢ Men †¢ Women †¢ Teenagers †¢ Children 3. Identify Means of Competition (Why will consumer buy the products ) H&M retail stores have products that are High Fashionable & Quality at low prices.H&M has advanced technology integration such as EDI, GPS and RFID. ? EDI: H&M stores used EDI system to check the availability of the product in other stores. ? GPS Technology: H&M has GPS technology, customers snap a picture of virtual articles of clothing and pinpoint a shopper’s location store where they did window shopping. ? RFID: H&M used RFID system to track its product inventory and real-time location acsess for products in warehouse. There are differnet competitors of H&M like: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Express Zara NY&C Forever 21 1 †¢ GAP 4.Which are the infrastructure related aspects the company excels in H&M brand has its own distribution centre are quite good. H&M does not own any factories. Instead, clothes and other products are commissioned from around 700 independent suppliers, primiraly in Asia and Euorpe. H&M has 2200 retail stores operate in 40 countries around world. 5. Product sources Soureces of H&M brand are Asia and Euorpe. About two third of thier supplier have production in Asia. Asia product suppliers are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ China Compodia India Pakistan Indonesia South Korea and Sri Lanka.The remaining suppliers are in Europe for the most part. They are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 6. Turkey Italy Portugal Greece Bulgaria Romania Lithuania Poland and England. Supplier processes Suppliers for H&M Brands are; Full production, private brand and branded manufacture. Full production: †¢ †¢ Supplier buys all the material and is responsible for them. H&M gives design and product specifications to its suppliers. Private brand: †¢ H&M supplier is responsible for quality and H&M retailer may return all faulty goods returned to them by the consumer. Branded manufacturing: †¢ All Design is done by the H&M. †¢ Marketing and Retailing are controlled by H&M. 7. Retail processes H&M has its own retail Outlets. A key ingredient in retailing success is the strength of a company's distribution channels. In some markets H is collaborating with franchise partners, but franchising is not part of the general expansion strategy. 8. Brand retailer H is a brand retailer, becuase of the following factors: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 9. It has its own product designs. Marke ting Sourcing And Retailing. Product conceptsProduct concept of H is that to offer high fashion and quality products at the best price, quality also means that the products must be manufactured in away that is environmentally and socially sustainable. 10. Marketing strategy H brand’s marketing strategy is Generating ‘Word of Mouth’ through ‘fashion and quality at the best price' and other mediums such as: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Outdoor advertising Direct market H Magazine Fashion blog: http://www. popbee. com/ Video advertisements Print advertisements E-marketing H own website (www. m. com). 3 11. Draw a Supply Chain Model Supply Chain Model Retailer’s Locations Africa(Egypt, Morocco) Asia(China,Japan, Saudi Arab, UAE,South Korea, Singapor, ThaiLand, Oman) North America( Canada, US) South America: Chile Europe( Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Poland) Dis tribution Network Own Distribution Network ‘Swedish’ Sourcing Locations Asia(China, India, Pakistan, Sout Korea, Sri Lanka) Euorpe(Turkey, Italy, Greece, Poland, England) 4

George Washington’s Farewell Address

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were the first and the third presidents of the United States, respectively and both were established presidents in their own ways. In George Washington's Farewell Address he advised Americans to not get entangled within foreign countries' problems and conflicts and to not have everlasting alliances and treaties. Washington also did not like the idea of having diverse political parties, and he also stressed the magnitude of religion and morality.Thomas Jefferson, in his first Inaugural Address states that a superior government ill be able to permit its citizens to be well mannered, but at the same time let them organize themselves in what they desire to do. Jefferson also says that all principles will never change. Although they were both highly respected and regarded to as some of the greatest presidents in American history they didn't always have the same opinions on what would be best for the growing nation.In his Farewell Address, George Wash ington mentions that Americans should mind American business and not be concerned with foreign conflicts because the United States had Just won a ery expensive war for their independence and already owed money to their new ally the French. This was a warning to all Americans because during that time America was still young, and it had many of its own problems to solve. Jefferson was also not in favor of getting involved with foreign entanglements.As Napoleon advanced into Europe, Jefferson decided to remain neutral in the conflict by banning all European trade from American Ports because of the British forces firing upon the Chesapeake. As harassment from Barbary pirates began to become an issue Washington was ersuaded to build up an American Navvy in order to protect those in harm and to retrieve the captured sailors. Thomas Jefferson's approach to the pirates was a little different from Washington's in that he chooses to implement a blockade of Tripoli and other Barbary ports in 1 801; these actions forced him to reconsider his advocacy of budget cuts for the American navy.These actions then allowed the American naw to become respected by the rest of the world, because it proved that they wouldn't be pushed around by anyone. Jefferson and Washington were both in favor of not etting involved in foreign entanglements as they showed through these actions and in their Addresses. George Washington specifically addressed the issue of diverse political parties. Washington thought political parties and political party dominance were very bad ideas.He wanted it to be about the best candidate being elected, not about two parties taking over and preventing all other parties from having an opportunity of being nominated. He said this because he believed it was dangerous to have power blocs arise from these different opinions. These different parties, the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists were beginning to surface had different thought which in turn caused many h eated debates and a lot of aggression towards the opposite parties. However Jefferson knew that political parties were necessary, he voiced the thought in this famous quote.Jefferson said that there is basically no way to escape the differing opinions and political parties in a successful and free nation, due to the nature of man to disagree and to form their own opinions on how they think the nation should be run. Jetterson and his close triend James Madison organized the Democratic-Republican Party. Jefferson and Washington both had different opinions on the subject of political parties, with Washington strongly disapproving of it and Jefferson being a founder of one of the political parties it is safe to say they didn't share the same mindset on this topic.George Washington was instrumental in stressing the importance of morality and religion. In his Farewell Address Washington that through experience religious values in a government are important. This is referring to the succes sful European nations that have an established religion integrated into their government. Jefferson agreed hat religion was important for people to be able to express and to believe in freely, however Jefferson was very vocal in trying to solidify a position between the church and the state.He was himself a Christian man and placed several god-like statements in the Declaration of Independence. Washington disagreed with Jefferson on the separation of church and state however, they both agreed religion was important in the new nation. In both of their addresses they discussed the issues involving the new government such as the issue of making alliances with other nations or becoming involved in foreign entanglements.Both Washington and Jefferson agreed that for the nation to become successful they must keep away from any foreign affairs regarding the fact that the nation was still developing and if war was to occur it would leave them more susceptible to being taken over. Each of the highly regarded presidents discussed the formation of political parties. Washington thought that political parties would destroy the new system of government. Jefferson on the contrary knew that political parties were inevitable; he then went on, with another respected colleague James Madison, to create the Democratic-RepublicanParty. The subject of religion and morality was discussed greatly in this period of time. Washington believed that for the government to be successful religion must be involved in all of the important branches such as the court systems. Jefferson on the other hand wanted to create a â€Å"wall of separation between church and state. † Although both of the presidents were extremely instrumental in founding and establishing this great nation, they didn't always agree with each other, which isn't bad because to create a good story you must have all points of view.

The Financial Planning Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Financial Planning Process - Essay Example The main aim of the analysis is to understand the difference between our needs and wants. Particular financial objectives are essential to financial planning. Others can propose financial objectives for us; on the other hand, we need to choose the objectives for which we are planning our financial situations for future needs. Financial objectives can go from using the greater part of the current income to creating far-reaching reserve funds and investment program for the financial security of our future. Developing other options is most important part of making effective decisions. Although there are many factors which will influence the available options we need to consider the possible course of action under the following categories- We need to assess conceivable approaches, contemplating the life circumstance, current economic condition and personal goals and values. We have to assess the Outcomes of Decisions. Each choice shuts off options. For instance, a choice to put resources into stock may mean that we cant take an excursion. Opportunity cost is the important thing that we need to give up while settling on a decision. This cost generally alluded to as the exchange off of a choice, cant generally is measured in dollars. Choice making will be a progressing a piece of your individual and financial circumstance. Hence, investors will need to consider the lost opportunities which will be needed to face by the investors as a result of their decisions. In this step of financial planning activities, investors need to develop a plan of action. It requires choosing correct ways to achieve our targets. After achieving the short-term goals investors need to focus on the long-term financial goals of our life. For planning our financials investors can take help of any professional person who will help them to achieve their target. Financial planning is a dynamic process which does not end after taking a particular cause of action.  

List of countries for Obscure Country Project Research Paper - 1

List of countries for Obscure Country Project - Research Paper Example It has some great geographical sites spread all over the region which might prove to be of interest to the tourists. The Northern areas of Pakistan consist of mountains with snow which range over from 1000 to more than 8000 metres. There are a total 14 over 8000 metre peaks in the world and 4 of these peaks are located within Pakistan. These peaks are K-2, Broad Peak, Gasherbum and Nanga Parbat. Moreover the northern regions also have the widespread glaciers which are usually found in the Polar regions of the world (PTDC 2011; CIA 2011). The state of Pakistan is divided into five provinces namely Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and North West Frontier Province. The climate of Pakistan is not of concern to people as it is mostly hot in the regions of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab. Because of the desert conditions in Sindh and Balochistan the temperature is dry and arid. On the other hand the northern region of north West Frontier Province is cold on the peaks. But here also it can be said that the climate is suitable for people visiting the country. Catastrophes which have to be feared in the region of Pakistan are related to the seismic plates. Earthquakes and floods are common in certain regions. A major flood hit Pakistan in the months of July and August in 2010. Other than that the country does not face from any other problem of catastrophes with the weather (CIA 2011; PTDC 2011). Points of Tourism Pakistan has different spots for tourism and these relate to different adventures. The mountainous areas pertain to these different spots. The Karakoram, Silk Route, and other glaciers are sights which are worth seeing because of their natural significance. The beauty of these regions can be witnessed in the natural resources found in these regions. Moreover the country has different parks, rivers, forests and plains which are worth seeing. All these sites have their own significance as they relate to something important in Pakistan. Birds of different species can be f ound in the forests and blind dolphins can be found in the Arabian Sea which are famous all over the world for their beauty. Ayubia National Park is one of the most famous parks in Pakistan and is worth a visit. The religions practiced in the region of Pakistan are also worth a visit by the ones who are interested in religious tourism. Forts can also be found in different cities of Pakistan which clearly shows the importance of historical tourism in Pakistan. Similarly the remains of old civilizations of Gandhara can also be found in this region (PTDC 2011). Goods, Services and Native Plants and Animals The goods and services in country relate to different methods. People belonging to lower class are seen to be working in industries and agriculture. Textile industries are the most useful for the country as they help the country to increase their exports. Moreover the agricultural industry is booming within the country as many of the people feed their family on it in Pakistan (CIA 20 11). Alpine, coniferous and subalpine trees are found in the northern regions of Pakistan. Shisham is a type of tree found in the Salt Ranges of Pakistan and scrub plants along with dwarf palm are found in the province of Balochistan. Thorn trees are found in the hotter regions of Pakistan as they can survive a higher temperature. Mangrove forests are also

Critically evaluate the usefulness of cognitive theories of learning Essay - 2

Critically evaluate the usefulness of cognitive theories of learning for the HR practitioner - Essay Example processes and the way in which these thoughts may have an influence on people’s understandings, interactions with their surroundings and their behaviour. Cognitive dissonance may cause disagreements and problems at workplace such as reduction in productivity and increase in the absenteeism or turnover rate of the employees (Schermerhorn et al., 2011). Like all other theories, the cognitive theories also have their strengths and weaknesses. This paper aims at evaluating the usefulness of cognitive theories in helping the HR practitioners. For instance, one of the strengths of cognitive theories is that they provide better understanding and knowledge on how people think. Moreover, based on the many studies done in the past, it has been observed that there are numerous positive influences of cognitive theories. This in turn has helped the cognitive theories to gain popularity since they can be used to understand the thoughts of people in relation to their reactions to their surroundings and to different situations (Bandura, 1989). However, on the other hand, cognitive theories have also faced criticism for having some weaknesses. For instance, there exists no common definition of the different cognitive theories. Nevertheless, the information provided by studying various cognitive theories has been taken into account in understanding an individual’s thoughts and reactions to their environment. This essay aims to e xplore the definition of cognitive theories and critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of cognitive theories in learning for the HR practitioner. Human resource management practices are influenced by cognitive theories which are based on the assumptions that internal mechanisms like motivation, creativity, intelligence etc determine human behaviour (Shermon, 2004). Bandura (1989) presented the social learning theory according to which people acquire new information and behaviour by observing others. Bandura described learning as a social

Linguistics- Language Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Linguistics- Language Acquisition - Essay Example In the sense, they will imitate every aspect and word more like how they observe than what is the exact. While imitating, almost all the children reflect a tendency to make errors, these errors could be explained as general among all children, who may belong to any origin. Some of the common errors or overgeneralizations that could be identified among children are applying the meaning of a universal statement to all exceptions. This is a behavioural mistake realised among all children. For example if â€Å"dog is explained in terms of an animal having four legs, and birds in terms of all that flies†, the child will associate all animals with four legs as dogs, and all that flies as birds, including an insect. The simplest example would be that, children suggesting the past tense of verbs in a generalized way, the past tense of â€Å"come† might be guessed as â€Å"comed†. As they would have registered their mind according to what they have been taught as rules, â€Å"all verbs end with an â€Å"ed† while changing to past tense. This might be referred to as one of the simple examples of overgeneralization. From this we could understand that As far language acquisition is concerned, overgeneralizations occur in those who are in the beginning stage of learning, for example children who learns their first language at home, and adults who learn their second or non native language on condition. It is the stages involved in the process of learning a language by understanding the linguistic and grammatical rules of the particular language. A child learns by distributing the various things that exists and analyse them on the basis of communicative ideas taught by the elders. For example if an elephant is described and explained as huge in size, the child might associate this explanation with any other animal [which it might see in a book]. This is called overgeneralization. As already said language acquisition is the course of learning a language by

Limited Liability Partnership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Limited Liability Partnership - Essay Example The members of a limited liability partnership have such liability to contribute to its assets in the event of its being wound up as is provided for by virtue of this Act. Accordingly, except as far as otherwise provided by this Act or any other enactment, the law relating to partnerships does not apply to a limited liability partnership. The Schedule (which makes provision about the names and registered offices of limited liability partnerships) has effect (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000). purpose of this is to introduce a new form of legal entity known as Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). This will help resolve the difficulties arising in the traditional partnerships for larger professional practices. The LLP is not limited to large companies. The professionals who are usually involved in this partnership are the law firms or accountancy that can have partners' world wide. LLP is an alternative business vehicle that gives the benefits of limited liability but the members can have the flexibility in forming the internal structure as a traditional partnership. It composes of both the corporate and partnership characteristics. The LLP has its own benefits that make the partnership more interesting. The limited liability is one of the enticing attribute of LLP that includes protecting the partners or members personal assets such as cars, homes, stocks and etc., This limited liability varies depending on the location of the partnership. It protects the partner in errors and negligence. Another advantage of LLP is the flexibility afforded to the entity through its management structure. Corporate formalities need no further observation as normally imposed by corporations. Pass-through tax treatment in LLP is passed through to its partners or members and taxed at the individual partner or member level. Flexible capital structure - owners are asked to provide flexibility in setting up a capital and compensation structure. Members or partners can distribute profit in any manner agreed by the corporation. (Suzuki, J., 1999). Limited Liability Partnership is not sometimes taken into consideration because of the following reasons ( Derrick G. 2003-2004 ): 1) Once become bind with LLP, the money and property contributed becomes owned by the partnership unless otherwise indicated in the agreement. The contributor is not entitled for a return unless otherwise agreed by the members. 2) LLP varies in legalities and liabilities by state. Some state does not recognized the LLP, do not have the easy of transfer and investment that a corporation structure provides and therefore are regarded as less preferable to other business forms. 3) All income allocated to the owners is subject to self-employment tax. Only a portion of salary allocated for dividends is exempted for SE tax. 4) Since the LLP owners are not employee they are not entitled for a deductions for Medical expenses such as health insurance and other medical expenses. 5) The LLP are needed to provide $500,000 of security against claims, either through insurance, escrowed deposits, letter of credit or security bonds. Potential loss of limited liability Aside from the above reasons why it is not yet taken up by other companies is because of its infancy. Since it is a new structure the topic about tax and legality are not yet polished.

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Strategic Management - Essay Example Basing the argument of first mover and late mover’s theories, this paper issues the careful presentation on the move to be implemented by the company to achieve progress, according to the designated task. Introduction The prevalence of the ideology of product management and company establishment is influenced by the decision of management to implement a marketing strategy. The strategy implemented should be developed after careful study of the economy and market structure to discern positive ventures. The task has been assigned as a member of the company that seeks to expand ideologies and strategies within the market, to base decisions on effective study of the market economy. The option issued has been in the entrance to the market as a new product or advancing on the available strategies in the product behaviour within the market. The two theories in first movers and late movers are the determining factors of the market behaviour as each hold varied arguments on the need to implement a desirable strategy (Frawley & Fahy, 2006). However, with the lack of intense knowledge on company business and reaction of management to the alternatives presented, both theories should be expounded on and critical analysis discussed. Both the first mover and late mover theory hold adverse benefits and setbacks, and with the careful analysis of both presentations, better choice is accorded to the company to advance in its marketing strategies. Comparison of the two theories Timing has been considered a vital entity in the quest to establish policies and products within a market. Companies need to acknowledge the need to enter at an early stage within the market or late periods to maximize on the aspect of profit articulation. Market entry has been proved as a measure that determines the rate of prevalence of the policies implemented by a selected company. The behavioural pattern of market entry has been presented to advance in the two formulated theories that are constr ucted from the action taken by a firm to establish structures within a region. Bresser (1998) suggest that the first movers and late movers’ theories have been developed to indicate the behavioural pattern of companies within a market (Frawley & Fahy, 2006). First movers gain the upper hand within the market with the early timing of entrance within the market when the product has not been launched before in the region. The period offers minimal competition, and maximization of profit realized with positive reaction from consumers. Late movers, on the other hand, may gain advantage through implementing strategies that the first mover had applied to advance on the presentations and gain the lead within the market. These aspects have been the variations of the two theories and a careful analysis of both theories may witness the paramount effects. First movers Advantages Firstly, the measure offers leadership and progress through advanced technology in the market, preemption of t he available products, dictatorship of prices with an uninformed buyers trend. After inventing a technological progress, the advantage presented is included in attaining patents and legal ownership of products and services to retain confidentiality of their operational activities. The theory also offers access to product and services before any other company. The location of establishment may offer opportunities in

Cold environments Case Study- Alaska Essay Example for Free

Cold environments Case Study- Alaska Essay Location * State in the United States-international boundary with Canada to the east, arctic ocean to the north * Largest state in United States by area, however least densely populated Economy * GDP in 2007: $64,333 * Per capita personal income : $40,042, rank :15th in nation * Oil and gas industry dominates the Alaskan economy * More than 80% of states revenues derived from petroleum extraction * Main export : seafood , agriculture represent only fraction of economy * Largest employers: * Providence health and services : 4000+ av. Monthly employment in 2010 * Walmart: 3000-3259 av .monthly employment 2010 History * First oil claims in Alaska made in the 1890, noted oil sea pages on iniskin bay and cold bay- not pursued by Russians * 1898- first Alaskan wells drilled in Iniskin Peninsula * Alaskas first productive oil drilling operation was at Katalla, on the Gulf of Alaska, south of the Copper River delta * In 1911 several new wells in the district began to produce significant oil, costs not big enough to justify extraction * In 1960, following the statehood of Alaska and the creation of the state natural resources agencies, oil companies bought exploration leases for work in Cook Inlet * The boom in economic development and population growth after the discovery of oil was immediate and still continues Types of Development in Alaska * Oil and Gas industry- major oil fields developed along central north slope * Oil production accounts for 93% of Alaska’s unrestricted general fund revenues. * Since statehood, Alaska has received $164 billion in revenues from oil * Development in the fishing industry- sea provides endless harvest worth billions of pounds. Over 3 million lakes, 3000 rivers and 34 000 miles coastline- bountiful fishing regions in the world * Salmon fishing industry- worth $11 billion a year * Provide thousands of jobs, long term economic engine * Pollock fishery- 1,252,000 million metric tons- 2.7 billion ponds annum * Seafood- top export commodity. 2009- 1.6 b dollars. Accounted for 50% states total exports. * Seafood processing accounts 71% of manufacturing jobs in ALK. * Fishing industry- generated 54 000 jobs- short seasonal * Mining- historically a cornerstone of alaska’s economy. Today, mining industry brings broad range of benefits- offering highest paid jobs in the state. * Produces zinc, lead, copper , gold, silver, coal * Alaska’s 7 largest mines Provided more than 2,250 full time jobs of 9500 total mining ind jobs in state * Mining creates public revenue by paying state and local taxes * Help support local economies in both urban and rural Alaska. * Issues: spent $300 million on exploration last year * drilling costs and fuel expenses have risen sharply * Facts and economic impact-cumulative value of mining industry: $4.4 bil. 2011 * Minerals are the states second largest export commodity. Accounted for 31% of states export total- zinc and lead from Red Dog mine * Approximately 200 placer mines produced 70,000 ounces of gold, as well as platinum, in Alaska in 2011. In addition to Alaska’s active precious-metals mining industry, there were more than 120 active rock quarries, and sand and gravel operations throughout the state. Pressures on Cold Environment * Alaska is unique state- economic development in it’s remote, petroleum based economy- resembles oil rich developing nations than other US states * Realtively small size of the Alaskan economy can discourage production for local use. * Geography wise- their location is at a disadvantage. Difficult to transport oil to other countries * Trans Alaska pipeline * Pipeline flows through natural biomes, upsets animal trails, carries potential of a devastating leak * Woodland destroyed- also people’s homes affected

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors Essay Example for Free

Best Practices Manual for Supervisors Essay There are no magic bullets to solve daily problems and the road to reform will be rough, however the solution could be easy when any organization (or even an individual) decide to take advantage of some best practices. â€Å"Supervisors form the backbone of a strong organization because supervisors are the front-line leaders who ensure that the strategy is being achieved on a daily basis. (United Services, Inc. , p. 7)†. Also, according to Hays, S. W. (2004), â€Å"a significant investment in front-line supervisory development is a key aspect of a successful program† (p. 271). Because, â€Å"time and research has shown that poor supervision is a primary source of worker dissatisfaction, attrition, and failure of merit pay plans. † (Hays, S. W, 2004, p. 272) Also, â€Å"a reform’s success depends on leadership† (Hays, S. W, 2004, p. 274). After realizing the importance of the supervisors’ role and how crucial could knowledge and training be for them, the aim of this manual is to provide our supervisors with the necessary knowledge that enables them to succeed in their job. In another word, this manual is considered to be a guide for supervisors to ease their responsibilities. II. Best Practices This section of the manual presents some of the best practices that could help our supervisors in their different responsibilities such as: demonstrating communication skills, determining effective orientation and training methods, improving productivity for teams, conducting performance appraisals, resolving conflict, and improving employee relations. 1. Demonstrating Communication Skills Communication with employees will guarantee alignment with the organization’s overall strategy (mission- vision- goals). Supervisors could use internal communication to provide a supportive working environment with a clear set of expectations for all staff. As a result employees will have a better understanding of the decisions made by the organizations, so supervisors could avoid miss expectations by developing and maintaining communication channels with employees. Figure (1) shows some channels to communicate strategic information 1. 1 Efficient Intranet â€Å"The intranet is one of the best and most valuable tools available for employee communication. A company intranet can help employees and HR save time by giving employees instant access to contact lists, company policies, announcements, training opportunities, and benefits information. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a1, p. 1). However, â€Å"the company should take some steps to achieve this communication channel such as: update frequently, make it simple and easy, provide a search feature, track the usage, organize locally according to departments ad teams, provide a starting page for each department, include files, documents, policies, and procedures, list phone extensions and contact lists, allow for feedback forms, use a content management. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a1, p. 1-2) 1. 2 Open Book Management Style or Dissemination of strategic information Rubin, L. and Merripen, C. (2003) presented this practice which includes sharing information with employees for better understanding of management decisions. Employees became better informed about the business and feel more inclusive and entrepreneurial about their contribution and impact. Then employees moved their focus from just their job to looking at the company as a whole. † (p. 4) Collins, R. and Druten, K. V. (2003) â€Å"found a strong link between organizational performance over the past three years and the emphasis placed on communicating information to all members about the organization’s purpose, aspirations, strategy and performance. † Figure (1) shows some communication channels that managers and supervisors could use to communicate strategic information with employees. Figure (1): Channels to communicate strategic information Source: Collins, R. and Druten, K. V. (2003). Human Resources Management Practices 2. Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods 2. 1 Best practices for effective orientation New employees orientation is important to facilitate the integration of new employees in the organization with understanding the organization’s culture, mission, vision and values. Orsini, B. (2000) presented some best practices for new employees orientation such as: â€Å"sessions for new employees to introduce them to the organization and provide them with an overview of the organizational mandate and structure, mentoring new employees by a staff member, profile of employee new to group by within a local newsletter or e-mail, and office tours as an opportunity to meet staff face-to-face and get a sense of what they do†. 2. 2 Best practices for effective training methods Training nowadays is not a luxury anymore. Due to the competitive marketplace and the complexity of jobs, training became a necessity for surviving and competing for both organizations and employees. Recently. There is â€Å"much greater emphasis on training as a means to cultivate, motivate, and retain quality workers†. (Hays, S. W. , 2004, p. 261) â€Å"Operationally, supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring their employees get the training they need and/or the opportunity to attend the training classes. † (Bjomberg, L. , 2002) 2. 2. 1 Learning for life Program To show how could such practice help the organization, it’s useful to mention a real case study. For example, â€Å"Honeywell Limited’s Scarborough factory developed a learning for life program to improve productivity and quality and reduce costs in an effort to remain competitive in the global economy. Eighty percent of the factory participated in this program and Honeywell has increased its factory throughput by 180% and improved the quality of its products by 92%†. (The Conference Board of Canada, 1998, p. 5) This innovative program â€Å"developed more productive employees, increased productivity, improved quality, effective collaborative decision-making, improved communication skills. † (The Conference Board of Canada, 1998, p. 5) 2. 2. 2 Other best practices The Conference Board of Canada (1998) presented many other best practices in training or workplace literacy such as: ? Empowering adult learners ? Excellence in workplace literacy ? Skills for a stable workplace ? Literacy through e-learning ? Establishing a baseline for training ? Peer tutoring: employee helping employees Such practices has resulted in increased productivity, reduced staff turnover, enhanced performance, improved quality, effective collaborative decision-making, improved communication skills, in another word, it helped in creating a positive environment for both the employer and employees because benefits was achieved for both of them. 3. Improving Productivity for Teams Improving productivity for teams and for employees in general is the ultimate goal for all organizations to maximize the overall performance. And because we are talking about humans or employees, improving productivity should include creating a convenient environment that could help them to work productively. 3. 1 Work life balance (developing a family-friendly work environment) â€Å"Don’t be fired by your family† Best practice has shown that â€Å"both employees and employers can benefit when staff are able to adapt flexible work practices thereby enabling them to better manage their work and family responsibilities† (UQ, 2007, p. 1). In the end result this could increase employees productivity. â€Å"Supervisors have an important role in developing and maintaining a family-friendly work environment† (UQ, 2007, p. 1). â€Å"A supervisor could help creating this environment by flexibly organizing work arrangements and workloads taking into consideration certain factors such as night lecturing, summer schools, acting as a role model demonstrating understanding and acceptance of work family balance, and take a positive approach to negotiating flexible arrangements† (UQ, 2007, p. 1-2). 3. 2 Teleworking is good for business and employees Teleworking is another practice resulted in improving productivity. According to Business Legal Reports (2006), †teleworking has some benefits such as: relocation cost savings, increased productivity by reducing employees absentee, reduced costs for office space, and employee satisfaction† (p. 7). So, when supervisors consider benefiting from telework, they won’t only provide an improved work-life balance for the employee, but also they will get improved business performance for the employer. 3. 3 Other best practices 3. 3. 1 Concern for employee community (Employee Care Program and Employee Relations Program) This practice proved that it could reduce employees’ turnover. This kind of program â€Å"monitors how people are doing in their jobs and in their lives, offers rewards, gifts, annual picnic and holiday, flexible scheduling and telecommuting, and medical coverage. † 3. 3. 2 Encourage employees to take their vacations This practice is important to enable employees to relax enough to avoid stress, anxiety, emotional problems, job burnout in order to let employees perform at their optimum level. 3. 3. 3 Consumer-driven health care Textron, Inc is an example company that adopted this practice. The company â€Å"consolidated employee healthcare options and shifted to consumer-driven healthcare. This resulted in increased productivity, a significant decline in healthcare costs, and decrease in the casual absentee rates and the incidence of disability leave. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007b, p. 3) 4. Conducting Performance appraisals â€Å"Monitoring staff performance is a key for any supervisor. It should be part of on-going discussions with staff and volunteers about their work and the results obtained. † (Mathew, M. , 2007) According to Hays, S. W. (2004), â€Å"an immense amount of energy has recently been devoted to upgrading the quality of performance appraisals by tying them to organizational missions and goals. † (p. 262) 4. 1 Best practices for evaluation? According to Hays, S. W. (2004), best practices concerning evaluation showed that â€Å"HR experts agree that evaluations ought to (a) be based on objective and observable criteria, (b) involve mutual goal setting, (c) avoid the tendency to assess irrelevant worker traits, and (d) be tailored to each individual job and worker (rather than using one form for every employee). † 4. 2 360-Degree performance management feedback system According to Business Legal Reports (2006), â€Å"this system, which solicits feedback from boss, peers and direct reports if there are any, has been increasingly embraced as the best of all available methods for collecting performance feedback. † (p. 4) â€Å"The 360 process allows for multiple points of view to be given on any given individual. It neutralizes what might otherwise be one rater’s bias (either positive or negative) and helps to paint a more comprehensive picture of that individual’s performance. † (p. 4) 4. 3 Other best practices Hays, S. W. (2004) also mentioned other best practices in conducting performance appraisals such as: â€Å"Employee Performance Management System (EPMS), 360-degree evaluation, Team-based evaluations, and Gainsharing. † (p. 262) 5 Resolving Conflict According to Vogel, A. (2007), â€Å"unproductive workplace conflict arises when appropriate communication breaks down. The result is wasted work time; a drop in motivation, productivity and quality of service; employee attrition; loss of authority; a stressful work environment; and even direct damage to the company. † 5. 1 The best approach to avoid â€Å"The best approach to workplace conflict is to avoid unproductive quarreling altogether. And suggested four strategies –mentioned by Daniel Dana- for eliminating strife: (1) address conflict early, (2) avoid a one-sided solution, (3) take risks such as apologizing, (4) respect others’ peace-making gestures. † (Vogel, A. , 2007) 5. 2 Guidelines for managing the situation Vogel, A, (2007) mentioned some guidelines to help managing scuffles before they escalate into real crisis such as: mediating conflict between two employees, decide to mediate, hold preliminary meetings, conduct a three-way meeting, work out a deal, self-mediation, step outside your office, listen first, and finally manage diverging viewpoints. † 6 Improving Employee Relations 6. 1 Create a newsletter One practice to improve employee relations is to create a newsletter that works for employee communications either a printed one or an electronic one (by e-mail or on the website). 6. 2 Build a forum on your website or intranet This forum will provide an informal communication channel for employees to share their ideas, events or even their problems 6. 3 Create shared events Being a supervisor you could make some events shared even if you turn the routine group tasks into fun shared events. For example CMP Technology made the spring-cleaning records become an event. â€Å"Employees worked together in teams and competed to win a dinner for the team and discarded 12 tons of unnecessary paper in the process. † (Business Legal Reports, 2007a2) III. Conclusion The main conclusion is that best practices can -for sure- help supervisors and enhance the way they deal with their responsibilities with employees by adopting approaches, techniques, and policies to create a positive, creative, and supportive work environment. Another conclusion is that information technology has an important role in providing effective HR practices. Finally, supervisors should be a model themselves for their employees in order to make a real change. References Bjomberg, L. (2002). Training and development: Best practices. Public Personnel Management. Winter 2002. International Public Management Association for Human Resources Survey. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. entrepreneur. com/tradejournals/article/160542388_1. html Business Legal Reports, Inc. (2006). Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management for 2008. United States of America: Business Legal Reports, Inc. Business Legal Reports (2007a1). 10 Tips for HR to Boost Intranet Efficiency. Best Practices in HR. (838), pp. 1-2 Business Legal Reports (2007a2). ‘Bin There, Dump That’-Spring Cleaning Recors Becomes Event at CMP Technology. Best Practices in HR. (838), pp. 3 Business Legal Reports (2007b). Case study: Move to consumer-driven healthcare decreases costs, improves employee health. Best Practices in Compensation Benefits. (734), pp. 3 Collins, R. Druten, K. V. (2003). Survey of Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Practices, CCH and AGSM. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www2. agsm. edu. au/agsm/web. nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/CCHREPORT2003/$FILE/CCH+Final+2003. pdf Hays, S. W. (2004). Trends and Best Practices in State and Local Human Resource Management: Lessons to be learned? Review of Public Administration, 24(3), pp. 256-275, SAGE Publications. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://rop. sagepub. com/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/256 Mathew, M. (2007). Best Practices Module: Human resources management. British Columbia Museum Association. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. museumsassn. bc. ca/Images/Best%20Practices%20Modules%202/Human%20Resource%20Management%20FINAL. pdf Orsini, B. (2000). Improving Internal Communications. Internal Auditor. December 2000. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_6_57/ai_69759744/pg_1 Rubin, L. Merripen, C. (2003). IGDA Business Committee: Best practices in Human Resources. IGDA. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. igda. org/hr/IGDA_Best_Practices_HR. pdf The Conference Board of Canada (1998). Workplace Literacy Best Practices Reader. The Conference Board of Canada . Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. conferenceboard. ca/education/pdf/Awards/litread. pdf United Services, Inc.. Best Practices for Supervisor Training. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. mhrrg. com/images/UnitedServices02. PDF UQ: University of Queensland (2007). Balancing Work and Family/Life Responsibilities: Guidelines for supervisors. April 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. uq. edu. au/equity/docs/bwfl_super_guide. pdf Vogel, A, (2007). Resolving Workplace Conflict. Body-Mind-Spirit Review. June 2007 Retrieved April 16, 2008 from http://www. inneridea. com/library/balanced-business-resolving-workplace-conflict

Causes of the Fall of the Roman Republic

Causes of the Fall of the Roman Republic This paper discusses the statement, â€Å"The Roman Republic was brought down not by luxury or corruption but by fundamental flaws in the structure of its political system†. As will be argued, a statement such as this can only be discussed in relative, not absolute, terms, as no one cause for the demise of the Roman Republic can ever, realistically, be said to have been the factor that caused it’s fall. Under this framework, then, the first section of the paper discusses the various theories that have been posited to explain the fall of the Roman Republic, with the second section looking, in detail, at the political structure of the Roman Republic and how this could potentially have contributed to its ultimate demise. Gibbon’s great tome The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire essentially concludes that the Roman Empire was brought down through moral decadence. Other authors have argued for different reasons behind the fall of the Roman Republic, with recent scholars (for example Hunt et al., 2001) arguing that the Republic did not fall, rather that it was subject to a highly complex transformation, with additional confusion amongst scholars as to when the Republic actually fell: some argue that the Republic fell in 476 with the deposition of Romulus Augustus; others argue that the Republic continued until as late as 1453, and that it fell only when Constantinople was lost. This next section will present some of the most prevalent theories about the fall of the Roman Republic. Ferrill (1998) has argued that the Roman Republic fell due to it’s barbarization, that the influx of German mercenaries in to the Roman military led to lack of loyalty and complacency amongst the Roman ranks, leading to a surge in decadence amongst the Roman soldiers and citizenry. This somewhat supports Gibbon’s (1983) assertion that decadence was responsible for the fall of the Roman Republic. Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire essentially concludes that the Roman Empire was brought down through moral decadence, as he argues, through the loss of what he terms ‘the loss of civic virtue’. The influx of barbarian mercenaries, coupled with the rising popularity of Christianity, Gibbon argues, led the Roman populace to come to believe more in the afterlife, leading to the loss of social structures, and, ultimately, leading to the fall of the Roman Republic. Other historians contradict this theory of Gibbons (1983) and Ferrill (1998), arguing that the Roman Republic continued to be strong right up until the Muslim conquests in the seventh century, at which point these conquests, amongst other things, disrupted trade routes, leading to a general economic downturn in Western Europe. It is argued that this economic downturn led, ultimately, to the disbandment of the Roman way of life, leading to the ultimate fall of the Roman Republic. This theory has, however, been recently rebutted by a number of historians who have argued that trade routes would not have been so badly affected, that trade must have entered Western Europe by some other route as the discovery, and therefore existence, of Islamic currency in Roman areas is suggestive of a two-way trade. Economic explanation for the fall of the Roman Republic are popular, however, and will be looked at in further detail later in the paper. Bury’s 1923 History of the Later Roman Empire presents in-depth research in to the issue of the fall of the Roman Republic and concludes with a complex theory to explain it’s fall. Essentially, Bury (1923) argues that the Roman Republic fell due to many simultaneously occurring factors, such as a general economic decline in the region, the influence of German (Barbarian) troops on Roman soldiers, and the dependence of Roman military leaders on Barbarian manpower, the depopulation of Italy[1], various murders and treasons that occurred within the top ranks of Roman politics, and the absence of any convincing leader following the murder of Aetius. As Bury clearly states in his concluding sections, Roman power gradually collapsed, and â€Å"†¦.was the consequence of a series of contingent events.†. As he argues, no general causes can be assigned, and nothing suggested to him, through his research, that the fall of the Roman republic was by any means inevitable. Bark (1958) argues that it was the massive effort that was involved in keeping the Roman Republic together that, ultimately, led to its fall. Around this time, feudalism was developing, yet the Roman ruling classes were not well organized in terms of having a system in place to collect taxes from their people, such that it became the responsibility of the middle classes to undertake the massive task of collecting grain taxes. As such, only a small proportion of these taxes actually arrived back to the Imperial government, leading to massive losses in revenues for the Roman rulers, having massive side-effects, such as decreased investment in the Roman military, for example. In addition, currency inflation, through a reduced supply of gold in to the Republic (see Jones, 1974) led to the government leaking money, with their stock of cash being reduced, leading, ultimately, to massive cash flow problems for the Republic, with obvious implications, in terms of funding the military and fun ding public building projects, for example. These two factors, occurring in conjunction, argues Bark (1958) led to the ultimate demise of the Roman Republic. Toynbee (1939) preceded Bark’s (1958) logic that the Roman Republic was an economically poor force, with his detailed research showing that Roman leaders had no budgeting system in place, leading to obvious problems with controlling cash flow, leading, ultimately, to a dwindling of whatever cash resources were available and to a lack of cash availability for providing for military expenditure, or public works, for example. This method of budgeting had proved successful as long as the Romans continued to expand into other areas, from which they could loot existing resources, but as soon as the Roman Republic stopped expanding, this source of revenue also stopped. At this point, the Romans, without an adequate budgeting system, coupled with loss of tax money through an inadequate collection system, coupled with currency inflation (see, also, Jones, 1974), faced massive economic problems, causing, it is argued, the ultimate demise of the Roman Republic (Toynbee, 1939). Building on this theory, Tainter (1990) argues that the fall of the Republic was due to marginal returns on investments, again contributing to cash flow problems for the Republic as a whole, ultimately contributing to its decline; unlike many authors who study the collapse of the Roman Republic, Tainter (1990) argues strongly that the fall of the Roman Republic may have been a good thing for many Roman subjects, in terms of benefits arising from not having to invest in maintaining such a complex society (i.e., no taxes to pay etc.) and indeed, archeological evidence, through studies of human bones pre- and immediately post- the fall of the Roman Republic, post-fall, humans were better nourished. Rostovtzeff (1957) also subscribes to this economic theory of the fall of the Roman Republic, arguing that the free trade market economy developed by the Roman Republic worked up until the debasement of the currency in the third century, at which point inflation began to hurt citizens, who then began to move away from urban areas, to move to the country in order to undertake subsistence farming as a way of surviving i.e., they could grow their own crops for food, and in this way not have to rely on failing monetary sources to keep them alive. Bartlett (1994) continues the work of Toynbee (1939) arguing that by the third century monetary taxation had been replaced with direct requisitioning, where food and cattle, instead of money, were collected directly from farmers. This pathway, argues Bartlett (1994) led directly to the development of feudalism, with estates formed around the cultivation of crops and cattle, and not, as such, dependent on any form of trade whatsoever. This, on a grand scale, Republic-wide, is then argued to have led to a massive downturn in the economic fortune of the Republic, and to a decrease in its military capability, for example, with, again, obvious consequences for maintaining control over the entire Roman territory. The research of Heather (2005) leads to conclusions about the fall of the Roman Republic which differ from previous theories: he argues that the emergence of the Persian Empire led to the Roman Republic stripping tax collection from its Eastern edge, leading to a decline in economic revenues, a decline in governance in these areas, and a mass influx of peoples to the empire, for example, by the Barbarians, leading to massive levels of immigration to the Roman Republic, leading to obvious social problems. Through his exhaustive research, Heather explicitly rejects Gibbon’s ‘moral decadence’ theory for the decline of the Roman Republic. Neither does he see any validity in the arguments of those who support political infighting as the major reason for the fall of the Roman Republic. Heather supports the arguments of Bury (1923) who argues that the fall of the Roman Republic was not inevitable but that it occurred as a result of a series of events which, unfortunately , came together at the same time, and which, ultimately, led to the fall of the Republic. Heather’s viewpoint is argued against by Ward-Perkins in his 2005 book The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation which argues, in a similar manner to previous historians assessments of the situation, that the fall of the Republic occurred as a result of political instability, foreign invasions and economic instability due to reduced tax revenues. The massive, and sustained, immigrations of foreigners, such as the barbarians, Ward-Perkins (2005) argues, led to a weakening of the tax base, leading to an inability to equip the Roman army, with obvious deleterious consequences. Ward-Perkins, ultimately, however, argues, as do Bury (1923) and Heather (2005) that the fall of the Roman Republic was due to a complex mixture of processes and events which came together at the same time to lead to a definite fall in the Roman Republic. Levick (1982) looks at the morals and political system of the Roman Republic, and their relation to its fall. She argues that ‘ambitio’ – ambition – led to major political difficulties during the last century of the Roman Republic, with a thirst for ultimate power leading to in-fighting and political problems. As Levick (1982) argues, however, it is difficult to infer the Roman political structure from contemporary documentation, as much is contradictory, but it can be inferred that the Roman constitution and community was a self-regulating device, kept in perpetuity and in check by a series of checks and balances that prevented disintegration from within and also made the community better able to cope with threats from outside. To Romans, however, as Levick (1982) argues, this political system was seen explicitly as a moral obligation, with anything that upset the political balances being seen as something undesirable and immoral. Levick argues that, ultim ately, the political system had a built-in tension between the group and the individual, and that, ultimately it was this in-built tension that led to the death of the Roman Republic, through squabbles for individual power which led to the breakdown of Roman society. As we have seen in this paper, therefore, there are many different explanations for the fall of the Roman Republic, with the main theories being economic demise, immigration and overtaking by Barbarians and other groups, and political infighting which, it is argued, led to the ultimate demise of the Roman Republic through a disintergration of the moral fibre of Roman society. As to which theory of the fall of the Roman Republic one subscribes to, this depends on the literature that has been studied, and the quality of the sources used within that literature. Heather (2005) and Gibbons (1983), for example, both use quality primary sources, and yet arrive at different conclusions for the reasons behind the fall of the Roman Republic. It is perhaps most prudent, at this stage, therefore, to argue that a statement such as â€Å"The Roman Republic was brought down not by luxury or corruption but by fundamental flaws in the structure of its political system† can only be discussed in relative, not absolute, terms, as no one cause for the demise of the Roman Republic can ever, realistically, be said to have been the factor that caused it’s fall. The present paper has thus presented the various theories for the fall of the Roman Republic in this framework, in terms of offering a holistic view of the situation on the ground around the time of the fall; fundamental flaws in the Roman political system were, as we have seen, just one part of a complex situation which, together, led to the fall of the Roman Republic. References Bark, W.C., 1958. Origins of the Medieval World. Bartlett, B., 1994. How Excessive Government Killed Ancient Rome. The Cato Journal 14(2), pp. Available online from http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cjv14n2-7.html. Accessed on 23rd April 2007. Bury, J.B., 1923. History of the Later Roman Empire from the Death of Theodesius I to the Death of Justinian. Ferrill, A., 1998. The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation. Gibbon, E., 1983 (Reprint edition). The decline and fall of the Roman Empire. London: Penguin Classics. Gunderson, G., 1976. Economic Change and the demise of the Roman Empire. Explorations in Economic History 13(1), pp.43-68. Heather, P.J., 2005. The Fall of the Roman Empire. Hunt, L. et al., 2001. The Making of the West, Peoples and Cultures, Volume A: To 1500. Bedford: St. Martins Press. Jones, A.H.M., 1974. Inflation under the Roman Empire. Economic History Review 5(3), pp.293-318. Kagan, D., 1992. The End of the Roman Empire: Decline or Transformation? (Problems in European Civilisation). Houghton Mifflin. Levick, B., 1982. Morals, politics and the fall of the Roman Republic. Greece Rome 29(1), pp.53-62. Rostovtzeff, M., 1957. The social and economic history of the Roman empire. London: Oxford University Press. McNeill, W.H., 1976. Plagues and Peoples. Millar, F., 1984. The political character of the Classical Roman Republic. The Journal of Roman Studies 74, pp.1-19. Tainter, J.A., 1990. The collapse of complex societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Toynbee, A.J., 1939. A study of history: Volume IV. The breakdown of civilisations. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ward-Perkins, B., 2005. The Fall of Rome: and the End of Civilisation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Footnotes [1] McNeill (1976) argued in his book Plagues and Peoples that a plague swept through the Roman Republic, leading to a massive population decline in Western Europe.

Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay -- Business Manage

Differences Between Management and Leadership Management and leadership are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the same thing. Managers think incrementally, while leaders think radically. The difference in the perspectives is that leaders tend to lead with emotion and concern for their subordinates. Managers tend to follow guidelines and company policies. Managers also use management functions to achieve their desired goals. Loyalty is important amongst leaders. Team members tend to be more loyal to their leaders than their managers. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due. Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do. A manager is someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and views. Although a team is knowledgeable on who the manager is, a subordinate may often appear to be an informal leader. At this point a manager may feel that his or her authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from their subordinates. Although, they (managers) may have the formal education for their position, it is experience and common knowledge that sets leaders apart from managers. Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom The role of a leader is to ensure that the desired tasks and guidelines are implemented throughout the team. Managers can not be everywhere at once, which is why leaders are often put into place to echo management’s requirements. Leaders are the link between the team and management. Therefore leaders should show more compassion and understanding of the team. Since they interact with the team more frequently, they can speak on the team’s behalf for the positive and negative. L... ... be able to do. I feel comfortable as a leader, and strong within my convictions. In conclusion, managing and leading are two different ways to organize people. Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision. References Pascale, Richard (1990), ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65. Fenton, John ( 1990), ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm Retrieved 28 August 2005 Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay -- Business Manage Differences Between Management and Leadership Management and leadership are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the same thing. Managers think incrementally, while leaders think radically. The difference in the perspectives is that leaders tend to lead with emotion and concern for their subordinates. Managers tend to follow guidelines and company policies. Managers also use management functions to achieve their desired goals. Loyalty is important amongst leaders. Team members tend to be more loyal to their leaders than their managers. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due. Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do. A manager is someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and views. Although a team is knowledgeable on who the manager is, a subordinate may often appear to be an informal leader. At this point a manager may feel that his or her authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from their subordinates. Although, they (managers) may have the formal education for their position, it is experience and common knowledge that sets leaders apart from managers. Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom The role of a leader is to ensure that the desired tasks and guidelines are implemented throughout the team. Managers can not be everywhere at once, which is why leaders are often put into place to echo management’s requirements. Leaders are the link between the team and management. Therefore leaders should show more compassion and understanding of the team. Since they interact with the team more frequently, they can speak on the team’s behalf for the positive and negative. L... ... be able to do. I feel comfortable as a leader, and strong within my convictions. In conclusion, managing and leading are two different ways to organize people. Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision. References Pascale, Richard (1990), ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65. Fenton, John ( 1990), ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm Retrieved 28 August 2005

Henry II :: European Europe History

Henry II Defend or disagree this statement: "Henry was little more than a child himself, therefore he was a weak and ineffectual king." I disagree with this statement. Henry II defeated Stephen of Blois's armies in 1153 and compelled the king to choose him as his successor. Upon Stephen's death in 1154, Henry II became king at the age of twenty-one. His energy was equaled only by his ambition and intelligence. Henry II survived wars, rebellion, and controversy to successfully rule one of the Middle Ages' most powerful kingdoms. During his reign Henry II instituted important judicial reforms, establishing a centralized system of justice. He began the process of replacing the old trial by ordeal with modern court procedures. Henry II is considered the father of the English law system and many of his practices are still followed today. Henry II ruled a kingdom that stretched from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees. He refined Norman government and created a capable, self-standing bureaucracy. These are not the acts of a weak child , but of a powerful and most effective kings. 2. Who was the smarter of the two, Henry or Thomas? How do you know? Offer evidence to back up your answer. I believe that Henry II and Thomas were both intelligent men, and both played a large part in shaping history. I do believe that Thomas became a man of integrity and kept his priorities straight in his allegiance to both his country and his Church. When the two came in conflict, he correctly chose to obey the Church. He stood up for what he believed and more than that he stood up for God. He is an example for all, he did not compromise his allegiance to his beliefs and morals. His

Race-Based Jury Nullification Essay

Jury nullification is a situation where the jury gives a non guilty judgment to a defendant whom he has evidence that he is guilty of the offence based on various reasons. It occurs when there is enough evidence to convict the defendant but the jury is persuaded that conviction is being injustice to the accused. Jury nullification is mainly based on the race of the defendant or the unjustness of the ruling against the defendant among other factors (Rivera, 2006). Some people view that the jurors should consider this option when they are faced with situation where the defendant is from a minority and he is persuaded that the law is unjust to the defendant. Some people believe that this is the only way to bring equality in our courts of law. They believe that jury nullification based on race is the only way to bring change and reduce racial discrimination in the American law courts. The judgment issued by the judge is not supposed to be wholly based on facts but should consider factors such as the racial injustices and inequalities based on their wisdom and experience. Otherwise a machine can effectively replace the judges (Rivera, 2006). A good number of Americans are not happy about a criminal being let free not because the law is unjust, but because he belong to a certain race. They view jury nullification as releasing wrong does back to the society to commit more crimes. The juror should therefore avoid jury nullification and consider the vulgarity of the criminal act committed, the background of the defendant and whether the law is just or not before deciding on this option. Race based jury nullification is subject to misuse by both the white and the black jurors. In many occasions jury nullification has been used to favor a certain race at the expense of the other race. Whites who have committed crimes against the blacks have been set free by juries at the expense of the blacks. Black juries have also misused jury nullification to free those who harm their enemies thus using race based nullification as a revenge tool against their enemies. (J emal, 1997).

Thirteen Reasons Why: Personal Response

Reading this book was a moving and very emotional experience for me, being able to connect and heavily relate to the feelings and emotions of the two main characters helped me to understand every word I was reading. First of all, I really liked the Idea of book: a girl explaining why she committed seclude to the people responsible for it. I think the chain of tapes, forcing being sent from one person on the list to the next was a concept I found Intriguing and allowed me to stay Involved and crave more with each chapter.Just Like Clay, find myself wanting to now who was on the next tape and why-I loved Clay as a character and I really enjoyed the way he was written into the story. I felt like I was in his shoes a lot of the time, hearing the tapes through his ears and experiencing this journey alongside him. The suspense of each following tape was entertaining, I wanted to know which tape Clay would be featured and when his story was coming up, this gave me a sense of impatience.Each time a new character was introduced was a sigh of relief as it wasn't Clays turn to be humiliated, I found myself wanting what was best for him but also wanted to know how and why he was Involved In the death of Hannah Baker. There's something addictive about this book. I couldn't stop reading It because I desperately needed to know what was next. I felt kind of ashamed and sick to be this obsessed over a girls seclude story, even though the story Isn't true, thought of Hannah as someone I knew because throughout reading this book I had grown so attached to her and just wanted to gain closure over her death.Having spoken to other people who have read the book, I found our difference in opinions to be quite interesting. The majority of people who I spoke with thought that Henna's reasons to decide to end her life were petty and stupid. I think that to have that opinion about the book means you have strongly misinterpreted the point of the story. Having understood it extremely well a nd often related parts back to my own experiences, believe that Hannah had many reasons and although some very minor, we were not able to fully comprehend the Impacts and effects of these events much Like the 13 people on the tapes.I realized that the purpose of these tapes being sent eave consequences and can highly affect a persons life, much like they did Henna's. The tapes and their secrets were all connected and they were not sent out as blame or blackmail but as proof that you never know how much a person is hurting and one tiny movement has the ability to send them over the edge. I became extremely enraged in one particular part of the book. Tape number 13 features the school counselor and Henna's English teacher, Mr.. Porter.At a time in Henna's life where she felt alone,defeated and extremely depressed, she managed to build up the courage to approach a counselor about her suicidal feelings, she cited that she would attempt one more time, after being mistreated numerous time s already, to find some way to carry on. Mr.. Porter was her last chance and only hope of surviving and he failed to deliver appropriate advice or methods of dealing with these feelings therefore caused Hannah to make the final decision to take her life.This part really broke me and I was encountering so many different emotions from sadness, to anger, disappointment, I felt let down and unpeel like Hannah. I would describe Mr.. Porter as the cherry on top of the cake, a cake of really crappy experiences and retreat for Hannah. I found myself identifying him as my own past counselor's, not as useless but still very disagreeable and enunciating of my feelings.Similarly I was often told what I was feeling instead of being able to freely express my own thoughts, counselors often shove a symptom list idea of suicide down your throat and expect you to throw it back up in your own words. For teenagers it's a struggle dealing with suicidal feelings, there are few ways that you can reach out for help, and to find somewhere the strength in you to admit it is hard enough let alone admitting t to someone else, therefore when you try and get help and the results are useless, you end up feeling even more alone than before.This makes me wonder if Hannah was a real person would I be able to tell what she was going through? I wonder how many Hannah Bakers there are in this world, feeling exactly Just like her; like there's not a single soul here on earth who understands and cares for them; feeling alone, with no friends to share their secrets and problems with; thinking that there's nothing left to hold on to, so the only option left is to end their lives instead.She could have passed me by in the halls, or she could be there locking herself in the bathroom, muffling her cries, or she could be there in her bedroom right now, secretly wishing death would Just come and swallow her whole. I learnt from this story that you can never truly understand what goes on in a persons life and that even though they're smiling on the outside doesn't mean that the pain inside isn't unbearable The meaning behind the story is that one small action has the power to change a you're contribution has the ability to ruin someone life, possibly even end it.

Part Five Chapter VII

XII Halfway down his packet of Rolos, Robbie became extremely thirsty. Krystal had not bought him a drink. He climbed off the bench and crouched down in the warm grass, where he could still see her outline in the bushes with the stranger. After a while, he scrambled down the bank towards them. †M thirsty,' he whined. ‘Robbie, get out of it!' screamed Krystal. ‘Go an' sit on the bench!' ‘Wanna drink!' ‘Fuckin' – go an' wai' by the bench, an' I'll gerra drink in a minute! Go ‘way, Robbie!' Crying, he climbed back up the slippery bank to the bench. He was accustomed to not being given what he wanted, and disobedient by habit, because grown-ups were arbitrary in their wrath and their rules, so he had learned to seize his tiny pleasures wherever and whenever he could. Angry at Krystal, he wandered a little way from the bench along the road. A man in sunglasses was walking along the pavement towards him. (Gavin had forgotten where he had parked the car. He had marched out of Mary's and walked straight down Church Row, only realizing that he was heading in the wrong direction when he drew level with Miles and Samantha's house. Not wanting to pass the Fairbrothers' again, he had taken a circuitous route back to the bridge. He saw the boy, chocolate-stained, ill-kempt and unappealing, and walked past, with his happiness in tatters, half wishing that he could have gone to Kay's house and been silently cradled †¦ she had always been nicest to him when he was miserable, it was what had attracted him to her in the first place.) The rushing of the river increased Robbie's thirst. He cried a bit more as he changed direction and headed away from the bridge, back past the place where Krystal was hidden. The bushes had started shaking. He walked on, wanting a drink, then noticed a hole in a long hedge on the left of the road. When he drew level, he spotted a playing field beyond. Robbie wriggled through the hole and contemplated the wide green space with its spreading chestnut tree and goal posts. Robbie knew what they were, because his cousin Dane had showed him how to kick a football at the play park. He had never seen so much greenness. A woman came striding across the field, with her arms folded and her head bowed. (Samantha had been walking at random, walking and walking, anywhere as long as it was nowhere near Church Row. She had been asking herself many questions and coming up with few answers; and one of the questions she asked herself was whether she might not have gone too far in telling Miles about that stupid, drunken letter, which she had sent out of spite, and which seemed much less clever now †¦ She glanced up and her eyes met Robbie's. Children often wriggled through the hole in the hedge to play in the field at weekends. Her own girls had done it when they were younger. She climbed over the gate and turned away from the river towards the Square. Self-disgust clung to her, no matter how hard she tried to outrun it.) Robbie went back through the hole in the hedge and walked a little way along the road after the striding lady, but she was soon out of sight. The half-packet of remaining Rolos were melting in his hand, and he did not want to put them down, but he was so thirsty. Maybe Krystal had finished. He wandered back in the opposite direction. When he reached the first patch of bushes on the bank, he saw that they were not moving, so he thought it was all right to approach. ‘Krystal,' he said. But the bushes were empty. Krystal was gone. Robbie started to wail and shout for Krystal. He clambered back up the bank and looked wildly up and down the road, but there was no sign of her. ‘Krystal!' he yelled. A woman with short silver hair glanced at him, frowning, as she trotted briskly along the opposite pavement. Shirley had left Lexie at the Copper Kettle, where she seemed happy, but a short way across the Square she had caught a glimpse of Samantha, who was the very last person she wanted to meet, so she had taken off in the opposite direction. The boy's wails and squawks echoed behind her as she hurried along. Shirley's fist was clutched tightly around the EpiPen in her pocket. She would not be a dirty joke. She wanted to be pure and pitied, like Mary Fairbrother. Her rage was so enormous, so dangerous, that she could not think coherently: she wanted to act, to punish, to finish. Just before the old stone bridge, a patch of bushes shivered to Shirley's left. She glanced down and caught a disgusting glimpse of something sordid and vile, and it drove her on. Part Five Chapter VII VII ‘Fuckin' shurrup, Robbie! Shurrup!' Krystal had dragged Robbie to a bus stop several streets away, so that neither Obbo nor Terri could find them. She was not sure she had enough money for the fare, but she was determined to get to Pagford. Nana Cath was gone, Mr Fairbrother was gone, but Fats Wall was there, and she needed to make a baby. ‘Why wuz ‘e in the room with yeh?' Krystal shouted at Robbie, who grizzled and did not answer. There was only a tiny amount of battery power left on Terri's mobile phone. Krystal called Fats' number, but it went to voicemail. In Church Row, Fats was busy eating toast and listening to his parents having one of their familiar, bizarre conversations in the study across the hall. It was a welcome distraction from his own thoughts. The mobile in his pocket vibrated but he did not answer it. There was nobody he wanted to talk to. It would not be Andrew. Not after last night. ‘Colin, you know what you're supposed to do,' his mother was saying. She sounded exhausted. ‘Please, Colin – ‘ ‘We had dinner with them on Saturday night. The night before he died. I cooked. What if – ‘ ‘Colin, you didn't put anything in the food – for God's sake, now I'm doing it – I'm not supposed to do this, Colin, you know I'm not supposed to get into it. This is your OCD talking.' ‘But I might've, Tess, I suddenly thought, what if I put something – ‘ ‘Then why are we alive, you, me and Mary? They did a post-mortem, Colin!' ‘Nobody told us the details. Mary never told us. I think that's why she doesn't want to talk to me any more. She suspects.' ‘Colin, for Christ's sake – ‘ Tessa's voice became an urgent whisper, too quiet to hear. Fats' mobile vibrated again. He pulled it out of his pocket. Krystal's number. He answered. ‘Hiya,' said Krystal, over what sounded like a kid shouting. ‘D'you wanna meet up?' ‘Dunno,' yawned Fats. He had been intending to go to bed. ‘I'm comin' into Pagford on the bus. We could hook up.' Last night he had pressed Gaia Bawden into the railings outside the town hall, until she had pulled away from him and thrown up. Then she had started to berate him again, so he had left her there and walked home. ‘I dunno,' he said. He felt so tired, so miserable. ‘Go on,' she said. From the study, he heard Colin. ‘You say that, but would it show up? What if I – ‘ ‘Colin, we shouldn't be going into this – you're not supposed to take these ideas seriously.' ‘How can you say that to me? How can I not take it seriously? If I'm responsible – ‘ ‘Yeah, all right,' said Fats to Krystal. ‘I'll meet you in twenty, front of the pub in the Square.'

Bubonic Plague

I. Thesis Statement:The symptoms of the bubonic plague spread rapidly causing outbreaks and identifying the need for modern science to deal with epidemics. II. Topic Sentence: The bubonic plague or otherwise known as the black plague spread extremely fast and there were many symptoms of the disease. A. There are many initial symptoms and symptoms before death of the black plague. â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres 1. Many initial symptoms were swollen lymph nodes, delirium, high fever, sore throat, cough, constipation, and shortness of breath. The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres 2. The symptoms before death are seizures, vomiting, chills, malaise, abdominal pain, weakness, and red spots that turn black. â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/top ic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres B. The plague was spread by both humans and animals. â€Å"The Black Plague† The Middle Ages. 1998, Oxford New York. Oxford University Press (Hanawalt 128) 1. The plague was spread in a pneumonic form that was passed from person to person by sneezing, coughing, or talking. The Black Plague† The Middle Ages. 1998, Oxford New York. Oxford University Press (Hanawalt 128). 2. An infected rat would be bitten be a household tick that would later bite a human who would then pass it on in the pneumonic form. III. Topic Sentence: In the fourteenth century there were very few ways to control the outbreaks. A. When the plague began the ships that went to the black sea to trade with Chinese merchants were the first Europeans to get the black sea. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 http://www. themiddleages. net/life/blackdeath. html. Culatta, Richard 1. China was one of the world’s busiest nations and it was a matter of years before Europe and the rest of Asia caught it. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 http://www. themiddleages. net/life/blackdeath. html. Culatta, Richard 2. When the European merchants docked in Italy the crew was already dying of the plague within a few days the plague spread throughout the countryside. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 http://www. themiddleages. net/life/blackdeath. html. Culatta, Richard B. In the fourteen century people did not know how to deal with outbreaks. . When a person became infected with the Bubonic Plague the doctors tried aromatic woods, special diets, courses of bleeding, new postures for sleeping, and the rich had medicines made from gold and pearls, they fled, or prayed. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 http://www. themiddleages. net/life/blackdeath. html. Culatta, Richar d 2. Families of the sick rejected them or took them to the nuns and friars who tried to care for the sick but soon they too got sick. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 http://www. themiddleages. net/life/blackdeath. html. Culatta, Richard IV. Topic Sentence: Today scientists have new treatments and tests to deal with outbreaks of the plague. A. There are several new ways to deal with infected people. 1. When a person is diagnosed with being infected the hospital puts them in an isolation chamber and they burn all their clothes and belongings. â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres 2. Then they consult an infectious disease specialist who decides what to do with the infected individual. The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres B. The tests that they perform are extensive and grueling on the patient in isolation. â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres 1. They perform a chest radiograph, antibody titer, and an F1 antigen diagnostic test. à ¢â‚¬Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres 2. The doctors also perform an empiric antibiotic coverage, crystalloid administration, and nemodynamic monitoring. â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. http://www. emedicine. com/emerg/topic428. htm , Velendzas, Demetres V. The Bubonic Plague is a still ongoing problem that has many symptoms and on going outbreaks and the need for science is still needed. Works Cited â€Å"The Bubonic Plague† E medicine. 24 December 2004. , Velendzas, Demetres Culatta, Richard. â€Å"The Black Death: Bubonic Plague† The Middle Ages. 2006 . â€Å"The Black Plague† The Middle Ages. 1998, Oxford New York. Oxford University Press (Hanawalt 128).

Termite

This is about termites and details my findings about them, and also is meant to provide some helpful info on how to deal with termite infestation. You’ll find lots of termite pictures here too. But this site is also meant to highlight a whole lot more interesting aspects on these insects, and feature many species which are NOT pests, and which are rare or will never be found in urban environments or human habitation. Second only to ants, termites are one of the most numerous insects on earth (number-wise), but due to habitat destruction, and environmental degradation, some species appear to be declining. A few other species though, are thriving and proving to be troublesome pests, in increasingly man-influenced environments! Very little is known about termites, and hopefully this site can be an online repository of information on them. As a whole, very little is known about termites, save for some species which are important from an economical point of view. Liquid termiticides are commonly applied as a form of barrier treatment, in order to control infestations of subterranean termites in and around homes. These types of barriers work by keeping termites away from a structure as well as killing those that penetrate the treated area. There are a few types of liquid termiticides available on the market today, which are commonly used by extermination professionals. Chemicals such as â€Å"Prevail† and â€Å"Demon† are repellents that keep termites a distance away from the treated area. While these options are relatively effective, it is possible for breaks to form in the treatment perimeter, or for soil to be moved. This can allow termites to penetrate the barrier and enter the home. Other forms of liquid termiticides such as â€Å"Phantom†, â€Å"Premise†, and â€Å"Termidor†, allow termites to enter the treated area and come into direct contact with the liquid. These chemicals do not repel and they do not kill on contact. Instead, the termites that come into contact with the chemical bring it back to their colony, which in turn eliminates the entire population.

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory Essay

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory - Essay Example In 1996, Jobs arrived on Apple's campus for the first time in nearly 11 years, becoming interim and then permanent CEO† (Kanter, 2010). Many commentators therefore separate Apple’s history under Jobs as â€Å"Jobs I† and â€Å"Jobs II,† with the latter being his re-introduction to the company. Apple, during its early years, was quick to establish a core competence. As one group of authors states, â€Å"A company’s core competence can relate to any of several aspects of its business: expertise in building networks and systems that enable e-commerce; speeding new or next generation products to market; good after-sale service; skills in manufacturing a high-quality product; (and) innovativeness in developing popular product features;† these authors also stress the importance of â€Å"speed and agility in responding to new market trends and changing competitive conditions; know-how in creating and operating a system for filling customer orders ac curately and swiftly; and expertise in integrating multiple technologies to create families of new products.†(Thompson and Strickland, 1997). ... â€Å"We are living through extraordinary times for the music business. One of the great success stories of the 20th century is turning unpleasantly sour in the 21st† (Cook, 2003). From this perspective, it is fairly impressive that Apple has been able to capitalize in a market where it is essentially competing with a free product by putting its own 99 cent downloads up against it, successfully. â€Å"Apple has sold more than 500 million songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the United States over two years ago. While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a big money maker for Apple, it has helped drive sales of its wildly popular iPod portable music player† (Apple, 2005). From this perspective, the service is selling the hardware. Another major issue facing Apple is that if consumers do not see what they want aligned with their needs in a retailer, they are likely going to go someplace else to hire the product they are seeking. â€Å"The record companies hav e never had it so bad. The world is still saturated with popular music, but somehow its very omnipotence has taken the shine off its profitability: as popular as pop stars are, many of us have had enough of them† (Cook, 2003). Porter’s framework applied Porter’s Five Force analysis has achieved wide credibility as a form of industry analysis. Also, some of Porter’s key concepts can be applied to Apple. â€Å"The intensity of industry competition and an industry’s profit potential are a function of five forces of competition: the threats posed by new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, product substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors† (Schmalnese, 1985). Porter’s Five Forces model of industry analysis is, stemming rationally from the