Saturday, December 28, 2019

Scientific Management in Mcdonalds Operation - 1820 Words

This is an essay about scientific management in McDonald’s operation, I believe the largest fast food McDonald’s is the most successful model on scientific management. Scientific management is a branch of classical approach; Taylor said scientific management is standardisation which means people in organization should be uniformed by company rules or policy which are some written documents. Scientific management is a very important part in management area, since look at the history of management. People are living in different groups such as school, factory, hospital and company etc. If there is no group to organize people’s life, then our society won’t be developed so far. But only organize people is not enough, we also need to manage†¦show more content†¦The big saving is also the profits for the organization. In other way, this improves the efficiency of the achievement. Every organization has its own policy and procedures; they are standardising and consisting the company by these policies and procedures. Policy and procedure are some written documents. Organize a small group may use people management, since there is a certain size to limit; however, if only use people management to manage large company like McDonald’s won’t be that easy. Scientific management will be perfectly suit large organization; McDonald’s is the most successful case in the management world. McDonald’s regulate each product in certain cooking time, for example, 3 minutes for fries, chicken patty for 100 seconds, 9 pieces 10:1 patties each grill, and 6 for 4:1 patty. So every crew in McDonald’s learning all these procedures by doing their job. Each of them follows the procedure and supervisor’s instruction to make sure keeping the same standard of McDonald’s all around the world. The result of the costing price dropped with a h uge number since people clearly follows the procedure; so today custom can enjoy the same quality of service at any McDonald’s in the world. People like making decision by their feelings, however, intuitions are notShow MoreRelatedManagement Theories of Mcdonalds Essay1212 Words   |  5 PagesManagement Theories Implemented by McDonald’s McDonald’s demonstrates many different aspects of classical management, including aspects of Frederick Taylor’s scientific management and Henri Fayol’s management principles. McDonald’s also displays how their management styles compares to their competition and how it has led to an effective organization. Taylor’s management style is evident through McDonald’s training, specific systems, and education; while Fayol’s management style manifests throughRead MoreMcdonald s A Mechanistic Organization1676 Words   |  7 PagesMcDonald’s is one of the biggest companies in the world with restaurants in 119 countries and it has accomplished this extraordinary global presence through its effective management practices. McDonald’s uses a combination of Fredrik Taylor’s scientific management, Max Weber’s hierarchical structure, and Henri Fayol’s administrative principles to run its restaurants. McDonald’ s has become a mechanistic organization by making its restaurant environment predictable. McDonald’s has developed set managementRead MoreWhat Is Scientific Management? How Might Todays Organization Use It?698 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is scientific management? How might today’s organization use it?Kristine Martin MGT 105.94; Principles of Management Unit 1 Homework Assignment Management leading amp; collaborating in a competitive world (Bateman amp; Snell) Text p. 43 Discussion Questions 2, 4, and 6 2) What is scientific management? How might today’s organization use it? According to (Bateman amp; Snell) scientific management approach advocated the application of scientific methods to analyze work and to determineRead MoreThe Principles Of Scientific Management1337 Words   |  6 Pagescentury ago, Frederick Winslow Taylor’s renowned work The Principles of Scientific Management set forth a theory that to this day is subjected to a similar degree of critique and debate to that in the early 20th century. While Taylor’s ideas were evidently influenced by the works of earlier researchers, it is he who is credited as the â€Å"father† of the scientific management movement (Jeacle, 2004, p. 1164). As such, scientific management itself is synonymous with Taylor to the extent that it is commonlyRead MoreMcdonald s : A Successful Organization1266 Words   |  6 PagesMcDonald’s is a prime example of a successful organization which has stood the test of time. The company was founded in 1955 by Ray Kroc and Richard McDonald ( "Our History McDonald’s†) As a child I was drawn to McDonald’s due to the popular toys that came with a Happy Meal. Fast-forward to present day I now understand how the company has not only survived but remained successful and loved by millions. Visiting McDonald’s I was able to witness their day to day operations, structure and the processRead MoreOperations Management : Mcdonald s Marketing Management1435 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction 3 About McDonald’s 4 Process of McDonalds 4 Operations management 5 Operations managers 5 Operation strategy of McDonald’s 5 Pricing strategies of McDonald s 6 Innovation at McDonald s to improve operations and services 7 Inventory management 8 The Just-in-Time (JIT) Approach 9 Just- in-Time (JIT) Approach in McDonald’s 9 Advantages and benefits of JIT approach 10 Capacity management 11 Capacity strategies 11 McDonald s capacity strategy 11 Quality management 12 Quality management strategiesRead MoreMcdonald s A Fast Food Restaurants Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pages‘Drive-Thru’. In today’s modern society, one thing people seem to be short of is time. We go in restaurants and literally expect ‘fast’ food. Restaurants like McDonald’s have developed ways to decrease the amount of time for which people have to wait for food; thus catching the attention of many Americans going about their day with limited time. McDonald’s developed innovative ways to configure the methods for which its food should be made. Their developments are what have placed them in the top spot, whereRead MoreThe Application of Scientific Management in Today’s Organisations1749 Words   |  7 PagesThe Application of Scientific Management in Today’s Organisations INTRODUCTION â€Å"The principle object of management should be to secure maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for the employee†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Taylor, 1911, p.9) With those evocative words, Frederick W. Taylor had begun his highly influential book; â€Å"The Principles of Scientific Management† indicating his view regarding management practices. As one of the most influential management theorists, Taylor isRead MoreThe Importance Of Management At Mcdonald s And Google Essay1600 Words   |  7 PagesIn what ways are management of companies different or how are they similar to one another? And what is the importance of management in how a company runs nowadays? Many of us question about why knowing the history of management is important to Managers? According to (Samson et al, 2012, Page 53) â€Å"A historical perspective provides a broader way of thinking; a way of searching for patterns and determining whether they recur across time periods.† In the history of management, many trends have appearedRead MoreManaging Flows Of Mcdonald s Essay1541 Words   |  7 PagesManaging flows of McDonald’s The process in the back office can be seen as using ‘just-in-time’ system (JIT), which means all the foods are produced at exactly when they are needed with perfect quality and no waste (Slack at el., 2011). When orders are displayed on an electronic board, staffs begin to reprocess the processed foods like bread and beef to finished foods using specialized equipment and standard procedures immediately. This means maintaining quality while controlling the time in production

Friday, December 20, 2019

Nietzsche versus Gandhi Essay - 1378 Words

Friedrich Nietzsche and Mahatma Gandhi, two mammoth political figures of their time, attack the current trend of society. Their individual philosophies and concepts suggest a fundamental problem: if civilization is so diseased, can we overcome this state of society and the sickness that plagues the minds of the masses in order to advance? Gandhi and Nietzsche attain to answer the same proposition of sickness within civilization, and although the topic of unrest among both may be dissimilar, they have parallel means of finding a cure to such an illness as the one that plagues society. Nietzsche’s vision of spiritual health correlates directly with Gandhi’s image of industrialism and the self-sufficiency. This correlation prevails by†¦show more content†¦Gandhi claims that â€Å"passive resistance, that is soul force, is matchless†¦ How then can it be considered a weapon of the weak?† (Gandhi 49) By Gandhi’s standards, it cannot be conside red weak if standing up against laws that are disliked; those that are truly weak attempt to find the answer behind brute force. Gandhi claims that â€Å"passive resistance cannot proceed a step without fearlessness† and strength of mind. By this standard, brute force, not passive resistance contributes to the sickness of civilization by being void of mental strength. The professional occupations of man contribute to the spiritual sickness of civilization. Nietzsche isolates the priests as the â€Å"most evil enemies† stating that their hatred is both â€Å"spiritual and poisonous† (Nietzsche 33). The reason for such a lustrous claim is that Nietzsche believes that priests are responsible for influencing the decisions of the general public, brainwashing the masses to blindly believe church doctrine. Nietzsche accuses the priests and Jewish population of creating a â€Å"radical revaluation of their enemies’ values, that is to say, an act of the most spiritual revenge† (Nietzsche 33-34). By reshaping and convincing the masses to believe as the church believes; the priests are contributing to the sickness of civilization. According to Nietzsche, priests do not allow people to think on their own and therefore lull them into a mindless state of blind acceptance. The sickness of civilization, asShow MoreRelatedNietzsch e and Gandhi, Society1414 Words   |  6 PagesFriedrich Nietzsche and Mahatma Gandhi, two mammoth political figures of their time, attack the current trend of society. Their individual philosophies and concepts suggest a fundamental problem: if civilization is so diseased, can we overcome this state of society and the sickness that plagues the minds of the masses in order to advance? Gandhi and Nietzsche attain to answer the same proposition of sickness within civilization, and although the topic of unrest among both may be dissimilar, theyRead MoreGodards Breathless Essay Questions1553 Words   |  7 PagesVanishree Gandhi Godard’s Breathless 4. In a world where there are no ultimate reasons for action, how does Michel find freedom to act and to live creatively? Why does Patricia, who shares Michel’s nihilistic world-view, draw the opposite conclusion from it? Why is she only capable of negative freedom expressed as independence in the course of the film? In the movie Breathless, written and produced by Jean-Luc Godard, is a French film about a thief named Michel Poiccard, who spends his time in Paris

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Targeting Newspapers and Efficiency †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Targeting Newspapers and Efficiency. Answer: Introduction: A market entry is a strategy which has been planned by organization regarding delivering services or goods in target market. It is an element to enter in a new market or manage contracts. Segmentation, targeting and positioning is considered as strategic approach in modern marketing. The model of STP is useful when building marketing communications plans since it facilitates to market developers to get engaged with audience and deliver products and services to them. The DV8 Leather Company is the Australia Company. It deals with supplying and manufacturing leather. It is the company which has been provided its services outline. It is the company that launching its products to the market of Australia and along with that it tries to penetrate the worlds international market. It is the new technology for selling of leather vests, therefore it is necessary for DV8 Company to make plan before entering into new market. There are number of ways in which company can enter in foreign market to do business. There are number of market entry options such as licensing, joint venturing, franchising, outsourcing, acquisition, direct exporting, global partnering, piggybacking, turnkey projects or buying a company. These options are regarding market entry options. It is important for the leather company to analyze the market options in a perfect manner before applying any marketing strategy option (Mooij, 2013). It has been evaluated that among market entry options, direct exporting will be effective for DV8 Leather Company. It is not possible for company to enter in new market applying same theory or strategy. Direct exporting may be the most appropriate option or strategy for in single market while in another DV8 leather company need to focus on joint venture and in another company may choose different options of marketing entry options. There will be various factors which may affect the options of marketin g strategy such as tariff rates, cost of marketing and transportation and the level of adaption of product required. These factors can enhance the cost to be expected the increase in sales will balance these costs effectively (Winchester Lees, 2016). Directing exporting is the approach to sell directly products and services in to the market without getting help from any person. It is the approach which would be implemented after planning sales program of the company. Company established sales program and turns to distributor for the purpose to represent them ahead in the market. Agents and distributors are selected by organization to promote the business ahead and that is why they became familiar with the organization and represented interests of the company. DV8 Leather Company can prefer this market entry options to enter in the international country. To follow this approach, DV8 Leather Company needs to accept certain procedures. Sue to direct exporting DV8 would be able to recognize that who is the customers of it. Joint ventures are an individual term of partnership that includes the creation of a third managed company which is independently. It is the process which is known by 1+1=3. It enhances the interest of the company to involve in it, two companies concur to work together in a market, it can be geographic or product, and build a third company to undertake this. In this market entry strategy, partner are equal liable towards profit or loss (French, 2017). DV8 Leather Company can choose this option by involving company as a partner. Sony/Ericsson Cell Phone is the worth example of joint venture market strategy. Partnering is important while entering in to foreign markets and it has been analyzed that in some part of the country it is considered as mandatory. Partnering is not limited; it can be form from easy co-operating marketing arrangements to a sophisticated strategic alliance. It is very useful strategy in those markets where partners of company are belonging to different culture; it will be helpful to bring the knowledge of local market (Moroko Uncles, 2010). Directing exports for DV8 Leather Company Directing exports will be suitable marketing entry options for DV8 Leather Company. It is the option which allows company to know that the customers of this company are. It has so many advantageous forms such as the belief of customers will enhance when they get to know the direct dealer of tier products. Customers will be able to direct approach without getting any barrier and provide the feedback about the services of the DV8 Company. Company gets slightly effective preventions of trademark, copyrights and patents. DV8 Leather Company will be able to get engaged in the process of export. All transactions can be controlled easily and the possible chances of disloyalty will be decreased (Foedermayr Diamantopoulos, 2010). As the business of DV8 Leather Company will reach at international level through directing exports, it will bring great flexibility to enhance or redirect the efforts of marketing. DV8 leather company can easily expands it business by hire an export sales manager, e stablish a separate department of export, setup a sales subsidiary of exports and form a foreign sales branch. Hiring of Export sales manager is a simplest form to expand its business through directing exports, export sales manager leads all activities regarding all export activities. If company establishes a separate department of export, is widely self contained and operates without any restriction of the operations of domestic. Export sales subsidiary will separate DV8 Company from the rest of the organization. A foreign sales branch is not a legal organization. It is a branch which is able to handle the sales, promotional efforts and distribution with the help of geographic area and sells to a target customer of an organization (Tansel, 2015). Every coin has two aspects; one is positive and another is negative. The disadvantages of DV8 Leather Company are that company need to be financially more strong. It is the approach which takes a lot of time to implement. It is important in this approach to build a cultivate customer base. At every level company needs to take all responsibility at its behalf. It can be implemented by hiring export sales manager, but it is required for DV8 Company to get updated of all activities which is not possible every time. In the term of expanding business or bringing flexibility in the business, this approach will not be suitable. The most disadvantage form of direct exporting is that company need to more logistic in the term of handling all the transactions. Apart from that the disadvantages of direct exporting larger material from DV8 Leather Company can be greater initial outlay, larger risks, difficultly in maintenance of stocks, higher cost of distributions, dependency on distributors and greater managerial ability (Surdu, Mellahi Glaister, 2015). Potential market segments Market segmentation is the process in which broader range of groups is classified as per their interest and demand. In this element existing and potential customers are involved in to subgroups of customers which are based on some type of characteristics. The potential market segments for DV8 Leather Company can be psychographic segment, demographic segment, use based segment, benefit segment and behavioral segments. DV8 Leather Company will be chosen direct exporting option of marketing entry option. The products can be bought by youth because it provides the leather product which is able to become a great attraction in the view of youth. Geographic: potential customers of DV8 Leather Company are in a local state or a national marketplace segment. Geographic segment is crucial for Leather Company as it tries to enter in international market by direct exporting. Business need to recognize the specific boundaries within which it will do business (Laufs Schwens, 2014). Demographic: potential customers of DV8 Leather Company are recognized by criteria such as religion, gender, race, marital status, occupation, income level and educational level. A target market of DV8 Leather Company would include certain factors such as number of employees, varieties in products, customer size and annual review. Psychographic: it has been analyzed that number of business offers products on the basis of attitudes and beliefs of target customers. It can be distinguished as per consumer market and business market. In the term of consumer market, life style, trendy, status, hobby, fun seeking and social responsible covers consumer market. Business market involves innovative, employee relation, conservatives and industry leader. Behaviorist: products and services are consumer for a variety of reasons. It is important for DV8 Leather Company to determine what those reasons are. It can be loyalty, cost and brand. It is the approach which involves number of questions in it such as reason for purpose, amount of service or products purchased, taken time to make a decision to purchase and number of times of purchasing (Wang, Bronevetsky, Beaumont, Stadler, Bao, Smith Chapman, 2017). Strategic approach The strategic approach is a process of planning to achieve a goal of an organization by elaborating its strategy, directions and making decisions. DV8 Leather Company should be specific about the strategic approach. Strategic approaches are being used by DV8 Leather Company are internally driven organization, customer driven organization and market driven organization (Baker, 2014). DV8 Leather Company are internally driven, which shows that their strategy is driven by what they have done in the past. It has the weak point as well that the in-house employees are not anticipating amendments that are happening in the market place (Schlegelmilch, 2016). Customer driven organization is the organization which main focus has on issues of customers and they try to close the issues by listening them carefully. The weakness of this approach is that this approach finishes up trying to be all rules and things to all people. It is last approach of strategic approaches which demonstrates the targeted market in which they will serve their services and how they will add value. It will help to understand the growth of an organization (Fund, Shahsavari, Panwar, Erkip Rangan, 2016). DV8 Leather Company deals with aviators bags, caps, belts, customer leather, leather belts and wrist braids. It has been analyzed that the population of youth in Australia is good enough. The target market of DV8 Leather Company should be focused on custom leather because it specializes in custom leather. Buffalo leather waist, cow hide bikers waist coat, oil keep bikers vest, kangaroo whip laced biker vest and custom made bike seats are some products of DV8 Leather Company. Company should focus on youth of the Australia. This is the generation which is most interested in sports adventure and trendy things. Psychographic segmentation is mainly observed in this report in the term of DV8 Leather Company. It is the target segment of DV8 Leather Company because it distinguishes the market according to the lifestyle of customers. Customer gets high quality of leather material with reasonable rate in the variety. It considers the variance of potential effects of buying behavior such as att itude, interest, activities and expectation of customers. Recommended positioning strategies Positioning refers the communication of essential benefits to the potential customers. DV8 Leather Company needs to make specific group for every products because it is not possible to available everything for everyone. For instance, athletic equipment makers make equipments for beginners and advanced player. DV8 Leather Company should manufacture leather products from child to old one by specifying groups. It should follow low price strategy along with high price strategy (Wirtz Lovelock, 2017). It should position itself as affordable options through selling low priced goods. It will be benefited to the company to make a high sales volume (Bernstein, 2014). High price strategy should be followed by company only in the condition of creating a perceived value. The distribution of its products should be done in high quality places. It will be encouraged positioning of the brand in the market because people will start to believe that these products are the top of the lines models and d esire them more. As it discussed that DV8 leather company will choose direct exporting marketing entry option so it is required to maintain its positioning for being loyal for target market. References Baker, M. J. (2014).Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Bernstein, J. S. (2014). Identifying Market Segments, Selecting Target Markets, and Positioning the Offer. InStanding Room Only(pp. 125-143). Palgrave Macmillan US. Bickhoff, N., Hollensen, S., Opresnik, M. (2014). Step 2: Strategic and Operative Marketing PlanningSegmenting, Targeting, Positioning. InThe Quintessence of Marketing(pp. 47-110). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. De Mooij, M. (2013).Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Sage Publications. Foedermayr, E. K., Diamantopoulos, A. (2010). Market segmentation in practice: Review of empirical studies, methodological assessment, and agenda for future research.Journal of Strategic Marketing,16(3), 223-265. French, J. (2017). The importance of segmentation in social marketing strategy. InSegmentation in Social Marketing(pp. 25-40). Springer Singapore. Fund, F., Shahsavari, S., Panwar, S. S., Erkip, E., Rangan, S. (2016). Do open resources encourage entry into the millimeter wave cellular service market?. InProceedings of the Eighth Wireless of the Students, by the Students, and for the Students Workshop(pp. 12-14). ACM. Laufs, K., Schwens, C. (2014). Foreign market entry mode choice of small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic review and future research agenda.International Business Review,23(6), 1109-1126. Moroko, L., Uncles, M. D. (2010). Employer branding and market segmentation.Journal of Brand Management,17(3), 181-196. Schlegelmilch, B. B. (2016). Entering Global Markets. InGlobal Marketing Strategy(pp. 43-61). Springer International Publishing. Surdu, I. M., Mellahi, K., Glaister, K. (2015, January). Learning and institutional change: Implications for foreign market re-entry commitment. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2015, No. 1, p. 16808). Academy of Management. Tansel, A. K. (2015). Possible and appropriate foreign market entry modes for Pharma UK to launch NovaRelief in India. An analysis. Tominaga, H., Araki, F., Shimohigashi, Y., Ishihara, T., Kawasaki, K., Kanetake, N, Iwashita, Y. (2014). Accuracy of positioning and irradiation targeting for multiple targets in intracranial image-guided radiation therapy: a phantom study.Physics in medicine and biology,59(24), 7753. Wang, X., Bronevetsky, Y., Beaumont, K., Stadler, G., Bao, X. R., Smith, D., ... Chapman, K. (2017). Analysis and recovery of functionally defined single immune cell clones through opto-electro-positioning technology. Winchester, M., Lees, G. (2016). An Investigation of the Success of Targeting Newspapers and Efficiency of Advertising in Ireland.Journal of Promotion Management,22(5), 620-636. Wirtz, J., Lovelock, C. (2017).Positioning Services in Competitive Markets. World Scientific.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Whats In A Name free essay sample

Whats in a name? For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to answer this question. It has taken me about fifteen and a half years, but I have finally discovered the answer: identity and self-confidence. The pondering began in Kindergarten, where I was the only Lida in the class, surrounded by a sea of Emilys, Katies and Sarahs. Almost everyone, teachers and students alike, stumbled over my name. I was called Lie-uh, Lid-uh, and Ida. Its Leeee-da Id find myself saying several times a day, growing frustrated. At home, where my family and I spoke Ukrainian, my name flowed like silk, entwining perfectly into our language. You have a weird name, fellow kindergartenres would comment, why did you parents name you that? I brought these questions home with me. Mama, why dont I have a normal name? You have a beautiful Ukrainian that I have always loved. We will write a custom essay sample on Whats In A Name? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I brushed off my mothers words. As I grew up. my self-consciousness about my name multiplied. I became accustomed to loathing my name. I dreaded roll calls, and resented all of the misspelllings, mispronounciations, and stupid jokes (I used to drink Lidas of soda back in the day, hahaha). When middle school began, the typical preteen issues of fitting in and being popular brought my hyper awareness to an all-time high. I came up with a perfect solution, something that I had always longed for: a new name, Lydia. That way, when anyone struggled with my name, I would simply say, its Lydia, a perfectly normal, some what common, and easy-to-say-and-spell name. My new name made me feel secure and confident. But deep down, I felt guilty, because I knew I had insulted my parents when I demand that everyone at my new school call me Lydia. For three years, I was Lydia, who struggled with peer pressure,bullying, and finding herself. The moral Lydia vs. Lida war amplified as I grew older. I was surprised to learn that not everyone hated my name as much as I did. Lida-what a beautiful name, a teacher once exclaimed, why would you want to change that? I met others with ethnic names, who were constantly being misspelled and mispronounced like mine. These experienced caused little seeds of doubt and reconsideration to germinate deep inside me. Three years later, at the beginning of high school, I sought the opportunity to change my name again. But this time, I was going back to my real name, Lida. I am Lida-a young woman who is passionate about horses, literature,kindness, organization, and the Canadian Wilderness.Accepting my name has opened the gate to over-all self-acceptance. I have learned to cherish my name and all that it symbolizes: my language, my heritage, and the love of my parents. Fighting-and winning the battle over insecurity over my name has given me the courage to overcome other insecurities. I know that I have the confidence for the next chapter of my story: going to college. Sometimes I look back at what I know fondly call the Lydia Days and smile-because that girl seems completely different from the person that I am today. However, Lydia remains an intrinsic part of me because she taught me many valuable lessons-the beauty of ethnic and unique names, and most importantly, how NOT to let people have a negative influence over you, or make you feel bad about yourself. For that, I am ever grateful to her.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Muhammad Ali Essays (670 words) - Muhammad Ali, Fight Of The Century

Muhammad Ali He grew up in a poor family. Ali had problems in school at an early stage and felt he had to do something different. His future career was fulfilled at 12. When Joe Martin police officer and boxing coach, tried to get Ali started with boxing. At the age of 16, Ali had won two Golden Glove Titles, two National AAU Titles, he was by now nationally recognized. When the 1960 Rome Olympic Game was about to take off, Ali was provided with an opportunity to represent his country. At this point he had fought 103 amateur matches, and had only lost five. Ali went with Olympic team to Rome, and ended winning the gold medal. When he got back to his hometown, Louisville, he thought that he was going to be treated as a champion, but he still was discriminated by the white society. Ali decided to throw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River because of his anger about the racism in his hometown. By the age of 22 Ali had a professional boxing record of 19-0. On February 25, 1964, Ali got the heavyweight title shot. Through all the media he was considered to be the "underdog". Before the fight Ali used the media to psyche Sonny Liston. He predicted that " Sonny will fall in four". Ali entered the ring as a 7-1 underdog to the Champ Sonny Liston. Ali used his speed and movement to thoroughly outbox the champion. Ali became the second youngest champion in history. After the fight Ali told the world that his name was now Muhammad Ali and that he had joined the Nation of Islam. It put a great effect on his boxing career. As the champ he realized his popularity in society, and he used it to his power to speak for the Civil Rights. He became a political symbol of the black society, and maybe most influential beside Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. During the next three years, he defended his title nine times with Ernie Terrell and then became the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. On April 28, 1967, the army for the induction of the military service to fight in the Vietnam War drafted Muhammad Ali. He refused to step forward when they called his name because of the religious beliefs. He was immediately stripped of the heavyweight title, and got a five year sentence to serve in prison, which was he appealed right away. He had no more fight in 1967, 1968, and 1969. Ali said he could not fight in the war because of his religious beliefs. He already taken the army test and score 35 percentile, and to qualify you needed at least a 55 or higher. Then most people were drafted through the ages of 18-22, and he was 25. What he did made him even more popular in his society, then they overturned his conviction. In 1970 he made his first fight back and he didn't lose a step on his skills. His rep gave him a title shot against Joe Frazier, the fight was known as the fight of the century. That was when he suffered his first pro lose. In October 30, 1974, it was Ali vs. Forman a match that everyone had waited for. It was held in Zaire and it was nicknamed "the rumble in the jungle", and once again he was the underdog. People where actually feared for his safety because it was know that Forman was the hardest puncher in boxing history. Ali ended up winning the fight by KO, and once again the heavyweight champ. It was the third match between Joe Frazier and Ali, and it was going to be known as "The Thrilla In Manilla". That was his hardest fight of his career. Then he lost the title in 1978 against Leon Spinks, but got it back 8 months later. He announced his retirement on June 27, 1979. He left boxing with a professional record of; 56 wins and 5 loses. Now he suffers from Parkinson's disease, and still does a lot of charity work. He just might have had the greatest success in sports history. Ali wanted to everyone to know that he was the greatest, I think he did just that.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

buy custom America essay

buy custom America essay An ideology is set of ideas that define a persons ideas, thoughts, and explains actions. Ideologies constitute a vision a person or a group of people has for the society. Ideologies offer a society change or adhere to certain ideals that already exist. Ideology is the body constituting of myths, beliefs , doctrines, that guides individuals, institutions, or even large groups of people together with the complete plan of how to implement a particular vision. Ideology defines how people ought to live. Ideologies define politics and guide every political idea that politicians put forward for their people. In the U.S today different politicians are using different ideologies to convince the voters to elect them into the presidential position. The ideologies are the ideas that the various hopefuls have to steer the country to both economic stability and to ensure the quality private lives of its citizen (Willard 30). The ideologies the citizens of the U.S are witnessing from each of the presidential candidates are different. Barack Obama, for example, populist ideology describes him, both in the economic and private area. The ideology urges the change that favors the public people contrary to a few private elites. Obamas ideology suggests that consideration of the common people is more important than that of the few wealthy ones. In the policies Obama suggest, for example the health care policy, the favor tends to side with the common people over the elite group. The ideology affects both the economic area and the private life of all the citizens (Willard 30). Conservative ideology best describes Ron Pauls ideas. Ron describes himself as the voice for the limited. Ron advocates for a constitutional government and for low taxes, free markets. Rons emphasis on the constitutional government is in itself a conservative idea. The ideology on a constitutional government is conservative on the private area while others like the low taxes and the free markets affect the economic area (Willard 30). Mitt Romney says that he is not concerned with the very poor or the very rich, but his concern is on the middle class. The middle class constitutes the majority of the Americans and therefore his concern is on the majority. Romneys idea is to elevate the middle class which then elevates the country. This ideology is liberal in both the economic area and the private area. Romney says that the country is on a safety net with the poor and that the rich is doing fine. The ideas affect both the economic and the private areas (Huff post 1). Buy custom America essay

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

1 - Assignment Example Financial managers aid in efficient allocation of available resources, thus boosting the procurement function. The involvement allows the various departments to participate, leading to optimal decisions that benefit the organization. This method poses a threat of death on a supplier who fails to deliver the required consignment. Given that no one would want to die, a supplier had to ensure that the goods were delivered on time. Consequently, the method led to the constant and prompt delivery of goods, thus enhancing operations in Sweden. On the other hand, the crude method caused suppliers to fear for their lives, which does not promote good relations in business. Non-performance in modern day can be handled in ways that are more sophisticated. Examples include the cancellation of supplier contracts, and awarding them to other suppliers who can manage to deliver. The skill of negotiation serves a critical role in the field of purchasing. It allows the buyer to bargain for a favorable and lower price, compared to the price being offered by the seller. Therefore, negotiation enables organizations to acquire quality products at considerable prices, which help in reducing costs. Communication also plays a critical role in procurement. It ensures that orders are placed in the right way, and in the right quantities. The skill, further, allows the company to trace the goods, thus ensuring their timely delivery. This leads to customer satisfaction as they acquire goods when and where there need them, without inconveniences. Computer proficiency promotes the ability of an organization to compete successfully in the market, through adoption of technologies that promote the efficiency of an organization. Technological advancements allow a public organization to improve the efficiency of procurement by reducing the costs associated with the process. E-procurement, for example, leads to the employment of a few employees, thus saving on expenses. More to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Debt sustainability and Fiscal Councils Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Debt sustainability and Fiscal Councils - Essay Example The most obvious reasons of rising government debt are the failure to collect enough taxes or revenues in order to meet the expenditure of the government. Economists argue that if the level of government deficit is very high then it implies that the government will be unable to spend a similar amount in the future (Euro Economics, 2015). The following equation captures the debt to GDP ratio in a comprehensive manner.Growth rate of debt to GDP ratio= primary deficit/ B + i –growth rate of nominal GDPB= nominal quantity of government bondsi= nominal rate of interestPrimary deficit= This measures the total budget deficit of the government minus the amount that has to be paid as interest on the debt.The equation above shows that there are three main factors which can cause very high level of government deficit (Abel and Bernanke, 2005). The first one is a very high deficit spending on the part of the government. The second one is an increase in the rate of nominal interest on the debt that has been collected on the part of the government and third is a sluggish economic growth. Falling rates of interest has contributed to a high level of debt as it became easier to finance the operations of the government through debt instruments. A rise in the propensity of savings in the emerging markets has been found to be a major factor which has contributed to the fall in the interest rates. Finally, preferential treatment of payment of interest on debt has been found to be a contributing factor.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Safety Supervisors in the work place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Safety Supervisors in the work place - Essay Example Most of the accidents caused are directly related to unsafe practices and actions taken by people at workplace. In addition, ancestral causes, social environment, unsafe acts and mistakes lead to accidents or injuries at work place. Just by eliminating unsafe worker behaviors, often referred to as risk behaviors and ignorant behaviors, about 90% of the accidents at work place can be effectively prevented (Taylor, Easter & Hegney, 2004). To increase the safety at work place and to encourage behavior based safety, every organization has its own methodology which it follows. Some organizations lay very rigid safety measures to be followed without fail while some offer spot incentives for fun and get the behavior based safety measures maintained to the best. In few organizations, spot warnings are given to employees that commit defects of faulty and unsafe actions; extreme measures such as dismissal letters are also issued to the defaulters. To positively reinforce behavior based safety actions, supervisors incentivize their staff with goodies, applauds, appreciations etc. At an organizational level, such staff members can be rewarded with monetary incentives. As a safety supervisor, it is important to communicate safety methods and practices to all employees and ensure they understand the significance of safety and reasons for implementing such safety measures.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944

Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944 The Home Guard in Britain 1940-1944: Simply Dads Army or Valuable Fighting Force On the night of 14th May, 1940, Anthony Eden, then in his role as Foreign Secretary, made his first speech as Secretary of State for War, in part broadcasting a message asking for volunteers for the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers): We want large numbers of such men in Great Britain who are British subjects, between the ages of seventeen and sixty-five, to come forward now and offer their services in order to make assurance [that an invasion would be repelled] doubly sure. The name of the new force which is now to be raised will be the Local Defence Volunteers. This name describes its duties in three words. You will not be paid, but you will receive uniforms and will be armed. In order to volunteer, what you have to do is give your name at your local police station, and then, when we want you, we will let you know (Arthur, 2004) The Home Guard was formed when there was a clear and present threat of invasion by the German forces. Britain had watched from the relatively safety of its island position as many European countries succumbed to the Blitzkrieg, culminating in the devastating occupation of France. Most British men who could fight were already in the forces, those that were left were either too young, too old, or in reserved occupations vital to the war effort, however, many possessed the desire to in some way play an active role in Britain’s defences. Neither Churchill nor his government had previously shown any enthusiasm for policy which involved a civilian militia, fearing imminent invasion, being allowed to actively arm themselves and possess the right to confront, detain, arrest and even attack the enemy on British soil, instead of relying on the orthodox forces of security and public order from the police and the regular army. When reports began reaching the War Office regarding the disturbing appearance up and down the country of bands of civiliansarming themselves with shotguns (Steele,2003), it had been clear that the government needed to address this very real public concern. It is still unclear whether the aim was to support and nourish this burgeoning grass-roots activism, or to restrain and curb the unofficial, unsanctioned and technically illegal actions which may result from unregulated, armed civilians under the grip of fear from invaders. Nonetheless, Eden and his advisors proceeded to improvise the initial plans to endorse a civilian defence force and, as one observer put it, thus evoked a new army out of nothingness (Carroll, 1999). The publicly released rationale for the formation of the Home Guard, though vague, made references to delaying an enemy invasion force for as long as possible, thereby giving the Government and the regular army the crucial time to form a front line from which the enemy invasion could be repelled. When they were first formed, under the epithet of the Local Defence Volunteers, the Home Guard were allegedly expected to fight highly trained, well-armed German troops using nothing but shotguns, old hunting rifles, museum pieces, and a collection of unorthodox, makeshift weaponry involving pikes, sawn-off shotguns and Molotov cocktails (MacKenzie, 1995). Subsequently, these unconventional arms were officially sanctioned unintentionally, following an instruction from Winston Churchill to the War Office, in 1941, that â€Å"every man must have a weapon of some kind, be it only a mace or pike. â€Å"Initially intended to focus efforts towards the appropriate equipping of the Home Guard, this instruction was unfortunately interpreted literally, and resulted in the War Office ordering the production of250,000 long metal tubes, including gas pipe, with surplus sword bayonets welded in one end (Carroll, 1999). The issue of the pikes generated an almost universal feeling of anger and disgust from the ranks of the Home Guard, demoralised the men and led to questions being asked in both Houses of Parliament. In many instances the pikes never left Home Guard stores as area and unit commanders were aware of how the men would react (Steele, 2003). However, this incident illustrates the conflicting appreciation of the capabilities and value of the Home Guard from Churchill and his wartime Cabinet. While Churchill appeared, both officially and unofficially, to acknowledge the driving need of some civilians to actively participate in practical defence strategies, the War Office continually conveyed its view that the Home Guard was nothing more than a hobbyist faction of retired soldiers, to be tolerated, humoured and indulged without expending valuable resources, time or effort better served towards the regular army. Winston Churchill, in contrast, saw the Home Guard as an example of the British resolve, seen, in part, by his changing their title, in the summer of1940, from Local Defence Volunteers to the more proactive, aggressive-sounding name of Home Guard. The Home Guard exemplified the â€Å"nation at arms ideal, and it was hoped that the presence of the Home Guard would send a signal to both the United States and Germany that the British would indeed fight German invaders on the beaches, fields, and streets. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, the reputation of the Home Guard as an amateurish, unprofessional and crude mismatched collection of elderly soldiers ineffectually attempting to defend the country was only exacerbated by the War Office’s apparent deficiency of any comprehensive planning with regards to the logistics of such a defence force. The Local Defence Volunteers was launched without any staff, or designated funds and premises of its own. Listeners to Eden’s broadcasting the spring of 1940 had only the scantest of instructions to follow, to hand in their names at a local police station and wait to be called upon. In agreement with the popular post-war public and media opinion, the wartime reality was shambolic. Eden’s message was considerably more welcome by the British populace than the government may have realised, and, before the broadcast had ended, police stations in all regions of the nation were deluged with eager volunteers. By May 15th, twenty-four hours after the initial broadcast, 250,000 men had registered their names, a number which equalled the peacetime Regular Army (Calder,1969). Officially, it was the intention of the government that this new defence force would only accept citizens within the age range of 17 to65, however, this was not strictly enforced in the early stages of the development of the Home Guard, and several pensioners, such as Alexander Taylor, a sprightly octogenarian who had first seen action in the Sudan during 1884-5, contrived to serve (MacKenzie, 1995). Membership continued to grow at a remarkably rapid rate, and by the end of May, 1940, the total number of volunteers had risen to between300,000 and 400,000. By the end of the following month registered volunteers exceeded 1,400,000, a number approximating 1,200,000 more than any of the Whitehall bureaucrats had anticipated (Donnelly, 1999).The majority of new recruits were forced to wait several weeks before official uniforms were sent out, and even when they arrived many were missing essential elements. In many instances, the denims came without the caps, or vice versa, and the volunteers were resigned to donning armbands in an attempt to differentiate between Home Guard and other civilians. While the uniforms were necessary to impart a sense of coherency and organisation, however, the most frustrating aspect of the initial Home Guard involved the severe lack of equipment’s and weapons. The men, who had been called upon at a time when both the government and the public were in experiencing the fear of imminent and overwhelming invasion by the German army, were now facing the possibility of having to defend king and country armed only with homemade or debilitated weaponry. While the War Office searched for suitable arms from abroad, the eager volunteers proceeded to improvise, with rolled umbrellas, broom handles and golf clubs adapted for military service, and all kinds of antique fowling-pieces, blunderbusses, carbines and cutlasses dusted down for action (Smith,2000). The Home Guard was eventually issued with more conventional weapons, but these also had their problems, with many having first been issued to the British Army in World War One. The British infantry rifle of World War One, the .303 SMLE, was issued to the Home Guard, and in addition, a number of World War One era P14 and P17 rifles were also supplied from the US and Canada later that first summer. The P14 andP17 looked almost identical, the only real difference being that theP14 took the SMLE .303 ammunition whilst the P17 took the American.30 (30-06) ammunition. To prevent accidents, the P17 had a red band painted on it to identify the 30-06 calibre. Eventually, the War Office supplied Home Guard units with such cheaply-made devices as the Stengel and the North over projector. The Stem gun experienced a pitiable reputation among the Home Guard volunteers, and was summarised by one resigned volunteer as a spout, a handle and a tin box (Carroll,1999). Similarly, the North over projector, which fired grenades with the aid of a toy pistol cap and a black powder charge, in addition to being considered unsafe for the user, was likened to a large drainpipe mounted on twin legs (Steele, 2003). With such a chaotic start, it is scarcely surprising that the first enthusiasm of the volunteers quickly waned. The lack of uniforms, weapons and training syllabus resulted in the majority of the public, Home Guard volunteers and civilians alike, questioning the Government’s commitment to the defence force. These problems were exacerbated by the nature of the Home Guard membership as a high proportion of the volunteers had previously seen service in war, World War One and the Spanish Civil War among others. Former officers enlisted as Home Guard soldiers, for example, the Kensington-Belgravia unit had some eight retired generals in its ranks (Long mate, 1974), and these decorated, experienced officers were not hesitant in indicating the shortcomings of higher authority. It rapidly became apparent that the Government, in responding to one political difficulty, the need to respond to invasion fear, had created a new, more articulate and influential pressure group. In its formative months, the LDV may have had virtually no comprehensive military utility, but it carried great political weight and was not restricted by the normal restraints of military hierarchy. Matters became so difficult, potentially damaging to British morale at home and reputation abroad, that Churchill focused on the new force. His personal interest, in turn, became problematic for those charged with bringing it into being, and documentary evidence indicates prolonged arguments between Churchill and Eden. Although Churchill forced through, against considerable opposition, a change in name from Local Defence Volunteers to the Home Guard, he also gave priority to uniforms and weapons and assisted the Home Guard in becoming a more cohesive, structured fighting force. The feelings of frustration, however, never faded: too many men, for too long a time, found themselves continually mismanaged and poorly equipped, many using unfamiliar, makeshift and unorthodox firearms forth duration of the war. The enduring image of Britains home guard defences during World War Two remains that of Dads Army; an amateurish and uncoordinated operation staffed largely by old men and incompetents (Donnelly, 1999). To some extent the image from the classic 1970s comedy television series reasonably reflects Britain ‘slack of preparedness for hostilities in June 1940. But by the middle of1941 the British mainland was virtually a fortress, with a public mentality of confronting the enemy in any guise he chooses. However, The Dads Army image is a false one: had German forces managed to cross the channel in 1941, they would have found considerable resistance on British soil, their passage effectively blocked in many locations, and would have faced unorthodox and unfam iliar weaponry in the hands of determined, experienced and highly indomitable civilians. Chapter 2 Historiography The study of World War Two is extensive, and has been comprehensively researched and analysed for many decades. Less well-documented, however, is the Home Guard, with only a select number of influential texts available for scrutiny. The Home Guard is, primarily, discussed as part of a greater abstraction of the Second World War; a review of the military, or a generic analysis of the Home Front. Less common is the committed and detailed account of the Home Guard and its effect during the war. Similarly, those literature pieces that do exist appear to focus, predominantly, on the related shortfalls of the contemporary government, the lack of equipment and the disorganised structure of the volunteer units. An example of this can be seen in Graham McCann’s Dads Army: The Story of a Classic Television Show. McCann approaches the comparison of the real and fictional Home Guards in a relatively derogatory fashion, implying throughout that the volunteers stood very little chance against any official invading army. The implication throughout this text is that the fictional Dad’s Army bore more than a passing resemblance to the real Home Guard; a collection of ill-equipped, elderly men who fortunately never faced combat on home soil. The Home Guard is presented here as comical and ineffectual, and McCann insists that ‘if Hitler had invaded in strength, it is unlikely that the Home Guard, casting around for lengths of tram line to incapacitate tanks, or hurling lethal glassware at motor-cyclists, would have lasted long’(McCann, 2002). As the initial fear of invasion receded, the Home Guard was left with fewer bridges and reservoirs to guard and fewer checkpoints to control, and McCann focuses on the mistakes of the Home Guard, regaling the fatal challenges at Home Guard checkpoints during the ‘early nervous days’ (McCann, 2002)). As such, McCann’s presentation of the value of the Home Guard relies predominantly on the Civil Defence projects in blitzed cities, and the manning faint-aircraft guns by ‘some of the more able-bodied’ of the volunteers, allowing them to finally engage the enemy ‘if only at five miles up’(McCann, 2002). Though McCann concedes that the Home Guard volunteers numbered 1,793,000 at its peak, that a total of 1206 volunteers were either killed on duty or died from wounds, and that the unit had nationally been awarded two George Crosses and thirteen George Medals, the overall presentation of this section of British history is remarkably disparaging. Relatively few references are made towards thematic-tier purposes of the Home Guard, the bravery of the volunteers or the successes during a substantially stressful and tumultuous period for British citizens. Comparatively, Simon Mackenzie’s analysis of the Home Guard during World War Two contrasts markedly with the Dad’s Army view of the volunteers. In his publication The Home Guard: A Military and Political History (2005), MacKenzie recognises that the Home Guard during the Second World War entered the memory of that nation more through a BBC television comedy than reality, however, his intention to reintroduce the reality of the World War II Home Guard to the national conscience is admirable. MacKenzie traces the Home Guard from its origins as locally organized militia groups preparing to meet the invader, through its evolution into a component of His Majestys forces, and its final disbandment at the end of the war, and also includes the re-creation of the Home Guard for domestic service in response to the growing threat from the Soviet Union during the 1950s. The result is a mostly political history of support and opposition of the Home Guard in British society and government. By the time that the Home Guard is unreasonable military order and has a better allocation of weapons, Mackenzie asserts, the threat of invasion has totally passed. The problem then existed in how the government was to keep the members motivated. Documenting arguments in Cabinet about the diversion of 1.8million men to playing soldiers when the country desperately needs to increase industrial production, MacKenzie is generous in his conclusions, believing that the advantages to national morale and there leasing of regular soldiers from guarding duties outweighed the costs. He accepts that there is no evidence to show the existence of the Home Guard had any effect on German invasion plans, and to many it will seem that Mackenzie’s catalogue of muddled professional advice, political posturing and misallocation of scarce resources during a war of survival is a lesson for the future. His concluding section on the short-lived successor Home Guard of the early 50s suggests that few of the lessons had been learned. While MacKenzie concedes that the men of the Home Guard were never given an opportunity to prove themselves in battle, and that there are many more distinguished units that had actual disasters in war, the television comedy series Dads Army virtually destroyed the post-war reputation of a dedicated home defence organisation. Events commemorating the Home Guard war effort are scarce, and Mackenzie claims that it seems Churchill was mistaken in forecasting that: â€Å"History will say that your share in the greatest of all our struggles for freedom was a vitally important one. Professor MacKenzie has written a serious analysis of the policy history of the Home Guard. Inman ways this well-researched, cross-referenced, academic study shows that the saga of this volunteer force was funnier and more confused than any scriptwriter could invent. Yet the topic is an important one, not just for the historian but also for todays military planner, particularly with regard to the allocation of priorities made between the front line combat forces and this last ditch defending army of civilians, the sensibility of the operational concept, and the existence of such a force having a deterrent effect on the enemy. MacKenzie, as an American professor, compares and contrasts the British Home Guard with their American counterparts, and a primary similarity involved the general lack of opportunities to confront the German invaders. The British Home Guard did, however, become heavily involved in the less glamorous but nevertheless necessary work of civil defense and manning anti-aircraft weapons. Despite Mackenzie’s contention that the Home Guard existed more out of political than military necessity, the Home Guard became increasingly valuable to the British Army as regular soldiers became scarce on the home islands. For this reason, Churchill, as well as many Members of Parliament who also belonged to Home Guard battalions, supported the Home Guard in its quest for a combat role, though this part of the Home Guard’s history is only briefly mentioned by MacKenzie. Primary sources indicate that Home Guards relished the idea of fighting the Germans and did not quietly accept War Office plans for using the Home Guard for guarding bridges or simply reporting the presence of Germans. The question over guerrilla warfare or static defence was never completely settled. The War Office always pushed for static defence, with units fighting to their last bullet, while many Guards, as well as their political supporters, clearly favoured partisan warfare behind the lines after a German invasion. MacKenzie does, however, illustrate that the Home Guard formed as a result of local initiative, but survived and sometimes thrived because of government support. However, when local enthusiasm waned, such as the removal of the threat of German invasion after the Allied invasion of Normandy, government support could not keep it alive. From a non-academic perspective, A. G. Street’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Sedgebury Wallop Home Guard Platoon Prepare for War (1989) records the history to the Home Guard from personal experience. In this text, Street has recorded the story of the Home Guard from its birth in 1940,through its teething troubles and adolescence, to the mature and efficient force that it quickly became. As a farmer and an enthusiastic country Home Guard, Street recounts the story of the Sudbury Wallop Platoon in the Wessex district. According to Street, the force itself was an example of British improvisation, and every one of the early volunteers, officers and men alike, improvised in various ways to give his unit the highest possible efficiency in the shortest possible time, in expectation of the universally predicted invasion by German military forces. As a non-academic, first person account, Streets text is unashamedly biased in favour of the Home Guard’s role in World War Two, however, compared to many academic research pieces, which tend to focus on the problems, assumed in competencies, and believed ineffectuality in the event of an invasion, this text redresses the balance and avoids focussing overwhelmingly on the inabilities of the Home Guard. Addressing the history of the Home Guard from the perspective of photographic evidence, David Carroll’s research in The Home Guard recalls the activities of the auxiliary force otherwise known to the British public as Dads Army. The book draws on the early days of the Local Defence Volunteers from the moment when Anthony Eden broadcast an appeal, to the official stand-down of the Home Guard in 1944. This title evokes memories of World War Two in a domestic setting and asserts life on the Home Front from the perspective of those left behind to defend it. Carroll approaches the historiography of the Home Guard by the analysis of more than 200 photographs of Home Guard duties. After a brief introduction to the Home Guard, this 125 page paperback book displays page after page of photographs and detailed annotations showing the Home Guard in its different forms and fulfilling many different functions. While not the dissecting analysis expected of academic research, this methodology allows the historian to review the history of the Home Guard from a form of primary evidence otherwise unobtainable. One of the most influential historiographies of the Home Guard, with regard to its efficiency in the event of a significant invasion, is Norman Long mate’s If Britain Had Fallen (2004). The question of what would have occurred if Germany had invaded the British Isles has long preoccupied writers, but few have dealt with the subject as comprehensively and effectively as Long mate. If Britain Had Fallen attempted to cover every phase of the subject, from the Germane-invasion manoeuvring and preparations, and the landing of troops, to the German seizure of power. Long mate has endeavoured to present contemplation of what may have occurred following an attempted invasion by the German army, and how Britain may have been able to repel such an attack. Under the supposition of the Luftwaffe defeating the Royal Air Force and winning the Battle of Britain in the summer and early fall of1940, Long mate provides an in-depth recount of what might have happened if this â€Å"counterfactual† event had occurred: that the Germans would have successfully launched Operation Sea lion in September 1940 and occupied Britain. As a result, the British Isles would not have become the â€Å"unsinkable aircraft carrier† from which the Allies could launch their own invasion of Fasting Europa, and the history of both World War Two and the world would have been drastically different. Although other authors have written about a successful invasion and occupation of Britain, these works cover a single phase, the preparations, landing, or subsequent campaign. Long mate, however, has attempted to address all aspects of a successful invasion and the defence strategies in place to counterattack them. Only three of the seventeen chapters are fictional, and although it is uncertain what actual effect the Home Guard volunteers would have had on repelling an invasion, Long mate has addressed their value in a counterstroke campaign, and during the initial invasion stages. Although Long mate has drawn on documents collected by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), which produced television film of the same name, the key to this alternate history is Goring and Hitler’s decision during the Battle of Britain to continue attacking Fighter Command and British radar stations until German forces defeated the RAF, rendering it unable to stop a cross-channel invasion. The Nazi leaders realized they needed air superiority over the English Channel for a successful invasion. However, they in fact ordered the Luftwaffe to bomb cities, especially London, in early September 1940, a critical decision that gave the RAF breathing room to recoup its losses and prevent the Luftwaffe from establishing air superiority. As a result, the Germans postponed Sea lion several times, finally cancelling the operation (Cox, 1977). There are only two blatant criticisms of such an approach to historiography. While valuable in the sense of a hypothetical, this form of historiography reneges on crucial factual accounts of the capabilities of the Home Guard. Additionally, although the author discusses his references in bibliographical essay for each chapter, Long mate provides no notes to identify the sources of specific passages. However, his acknowledgement that, despite the presence of the defensive and committed Home Guard, Britain would probably have been successfully invaded should the English Channel have been secured illustrates the continued awareness that the Home Guard provided no adequate defence in a full-scale invasion scenario. Regimental records, while not complete, do assist in the analysis of the Home Guard during the Second World War. In addition to records commemorating decorations awarded to Home Guard volunteers, there are also primary sources in the form of newspaper accounts, particularly with regard to civil defence during blitzkrieg incidents, andante-invasion records to the defence strategies of the British Isles. Acknowledging that Britain was existing during a time of extreme propaganda, where civilians were frequently and routinely warned that ‘walls have ears’, newspaper accounts of civil defence can only be relied upon to a limited degree. Morale in Britain would have severely suffered had the media regularly reported, correctly or incorrectly, that the civil defence measures, including the Home Guard, were in some way failing. However, the anti-invasion records provide something of asocial history of the pillboxes and other roofed defence structures which are so widespread over great tracts of the landscape. Many lie in remote locations, overgrown, and with easy access through unblocked entrances and other openings, and can be readily seen as providing ideal sites where misdeeds and accidents might happen. The database records one wartime tragedy: a pillbox at Kenmore in Perth and Kinross was the scene of a fatal Home Guard shooting of a tramp who did not respond to a sentrys challenge. First comes the understanding of the intensity of the militarisation of Britain, in particular during the Second World War. In particular, an appreciation of the structure of the anti-invasion defences of 1940-41 shows not a few badly sited pillboxes manned by gallant, octogenarian Home Guards with pikestaffs, which is still the popular mythology, but an intensely planned and implemented defence strategy, involving a totality of defence over the entire landscape that can only be appreciated when the original documentation is analysed. It is true to say that there was not one square foot of the United Kingdom that was not included in some military or civil defence scheme. By the summer of 1941, when the defences had reached their most complete state, most of Britain had been planned, measured, and armed for defence roads were blocked, fields were strewn with obstacles, bridges were mined, factories, railways, airfields, and ports were protected, the coastline, towns and villages, the length and breadth of the country bristled with fortifications and with troops and weapons to man them. If the Germans had invaded in June 1940, then there would have been few defences, and even fewer weapons, to stop them. By the end of the year, however, and into 1941, the situation had changed dramatically. Even if the Germans had managed to cross the Channel, they would have had a very hard battle to fight themselves ashore. Records relating to the Home Guard volunteers frequently include detailed lists of defence works with the Home Guard units who were responsible for manning them, often with maps. However, contrary to the popular view that the majority of Home Guard regimental records were destroyed, it is imperative to understand that certain aspects of World War Two were only semi-documented. It has also been ascertained that the Home Guard deliberately set out to be a â€Å"paperless army†, and thus its records are relatively sparse. (Lord,1999). It is, therefore, necessary to analyse as many reliable sources as possible, and hence literatures, such as Carroll’s The Home Guard, which rely on non-orthodox historiographies have value within this period of research. When analysing events from an era where spies abounded and there was the continual fear of the enemy gaining access to valuable material evidence, it is important to not disregard unusual or unofficial evidence without extensive consideration. Records suggest that the relationship between the Home Guard and active army differed from the American practice. While the U.S. War Department insisted on the distinctness of State Guard uniforms, British Home Guards were soon required to wear the standard British khaki uniform. With the heavy threat of invasion in the early years of the war, the training schedule of the Home Guard was far more intense than that of their American counterparts. Home Guards were expected to train 48hours each month, exhaustive when compared to the infrequent and limited training required of American State Guardsmen. The American State Guardsmen complained when the federal government replaced rifles with shotguns, however, the British Home Guards found themselves issued an odd assortment of cheap weapons, including homemade Molotov Cocktails, sticky bombs and self-igniting phosphorous grenades, designed more to give each man a role rather than a real weapon. The lack of effective weapons caused Home Guard supporters to question whether the War Office truly expected the Home Guard to provide creditable opposition to a German landing (Calder, 1969). Although most Britons realized that British industry and finances were hard pressed to arm all active forces, some suspected that the Home Guards role had more to do with channelling enthusiasm and creating propaganda, than in providing real security. Official and unofficial primary sources indicate that the inclusion and official acceptance of the Home Guard was neither immediately nor warmly embraced by all in the Home Guard or in the government. Many of the initial enthusiasts of the Home Guard had served in the Spanish Militia during the Spanish Civil War and hoped to see the Home Guard become a similar leftist militia of British workers. The War Office, by gaining control over the Home Guard, effected the exclusion of radicals on the left as well as the right. The inclusion of the Home Guard into His Majestys forces never placed the Home Guard on equal status with the army. Originally, Home Guard units functioned without commissioned officer or NCO ranks. Instead, leaders held authority only by their position. As a result, discipline remained almost wholly voluntary. Many in the Home Guard preferred the situation as it was, but records indicate that the movement for greater control and efficiency led tithe introduction of ranks. However, whereas American State Guard officers held comm

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Essay -- Post Colonial Hong Kong Cultur

The Construction of the ‘Western Other’ in Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a vibrant international metropolis that acts as a bridge between East and West. Yet after it was returned to China in 1997, this former British colony has been constantly reassessing its British past, struggling to find its new position and redefining its identity. The quest for identity quickly finds its place in the construction of the notion of ‘Hong Kong-ness’ in films. The local cinema has remained as a powerful cultural institution, both reflecting and intervening in the discourses of alterities and selfhood. It is therefore not surprising that in local films, the cinematic representations of Hong Kong have been seen as inextricably interwoven with the triangular relationship between the British coloniser, the Chinese motherland, and Hong Kong itself. Since its inception in the 1910s, the Hong Kong film industry has enjoyed much independence from colonial control, yet simultaneously much association with Western culture. Many films openly deal with the theme of ‘East meets West’ in which ‘Hong Kongese’ identity is often expressed in "transnational settings" against the existence of a Western Other, in particular through the portrayal of Westerners visiting Asia, and vice versa. After the handover, "H ong Kong" as a geopolitical en... ...a journey of discovery/rediscovery of what the Western world comes to mean, while at the same time, negotiating the redefinition of selfhood and national identity of Hong Kong. The will to search for a reconciliation with the West in these films is certainly deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s search for its own identity in the post-colonial era. After its return to its Chinese motherland, Hong Kong consequently takes up the important position as the bridge between China and the West. Many recognize that its success to find its identity as part of China in the future depends on its ability to come to terms with its colonial past. Indeed, as we have seen, both films positively insist on the possibility of fulfilling such an aspiration. The process is not a comfortable one, and it is often one of pain and risks. Yet the films assure that it is also one of promise and hope. Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Essay -- Post Colonial Hong Kong Cultur The Construction of the ‘Western Other’ in Hong Kong Post-colonial Cinema Hong Kong has always remained a very unique city, one which is said to have ‘a Western past, an Eastern future’. Since its colonisation by the British in the 1860s, it has maintained to a very large extent its Chinese identity and its connection to its Motherland, while at the same time, has frequent contact with the Western world, politically, economically, and culturally. Hong Kong’s unique position has made the city a vibrant international metropolis that acts as a bridge between East and West. Yet after it was returned to China in 1997, this former British colony has been constantly reassessing its British past, struggling to find its new position and redefining its identity. The quest for identity quickly finds its place in the construction of the notion of ‘Hong Kong-ness’ in films. The local cinema has remained as a powerful cultural institution, both reflecting and intervening in the discourses of alterities and selfhood. It is therefore not surprising that in local films, the cinematic representations of Hong Kong have been seen as inextricably interwoven with the triangular relationship between the British coloniser, the Chinese motherland, and Hong Kong itself. Since its inception in the 1910s, the Hong Kong film industry has enjoyed much independence from colonial control, yet simultaneously much association with Western culture. Many films openly deal with the theme of ‘East meets West’ in which ‘Hong Kongese’ identity is often expressed in "transnational settings" against the existence of a Western Other, in particular through the portrayal of Westerners visiting Asia, and vice versa. After the handover, "H ong Kong" as a geopolitical en... ...a journey of discovery/rediscovery of what the Western world comes to mean, while at the same time, negotiating the redefinition of selfhood and national identity of Hong Kong. The will to search for a reconciliation with the West in these films is certainly deeply embedded in Hong Kong’s search for its own identity in the post-colonial era. After its return to its Chinese motherland, Hong Kong consequently takes up the important position as the bridge between China and the West. Many recognize that its success to find its identity as part of China in the future depends on its ability to come to terms with its colonial past. Indeed, as we have seen, both films positively insist on the possibility of fulfilling such an aspiration. The process is not a comfortable one, and it is often one of pain and risks. Yet the films assure that it is also one of promise and hope.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Child obesity Essay

Child obesity is a serious epidemic in America. One in every three kids in America is obese. Michelle Obama speaks at the launch of the â€Å"Lets Move† campaign. In front of cabinet member, senators, representatives and mayors, she discusses the campaign’s plans to fight obesity in America. Our best effort should be deployed to stop this epidemic that degrades the lives and future of our children by arming parents with the tools they need, equipping our school systems with healthier foods, making healthier foods available for our communities, and getting our kids to exercise more. Ms. Obama understands that not all parents have the necessary tools to make the right choices for their children. Even if the parents read a label on a food item, they may not understand what it means. The â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity † movement will help to make food labels â€Å"consumer friendly† so parents can make better choices when buying food. The â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity † will also help parents understand that they are responsible for building healthy habits in their kids, such as exercise . However, when the kids are at school the parents cannot control everything their children eat. Our schools do not serve healthy foods to our kids. Twice a day out kids eat unhealthy meals served at the schools. Ms. Obama said â€Å"If our kids are not getting adequate nutrition, even the best teachers will not be able to teach them effectively†(Obama 331). The kids need more fruits and vegetables in their diet. The â€Å"Child Nutrition Act† would give our school healthier standards. It would replace empty calorie meals with more fruits and vegetables, the fruits and vegetables they need for effective learning and brain functions. If the school are feeding our children unhealthy foods twice a day, it would undo the healthy eating habits learned at home. Once our schools begin to serve the healthy foods our kids need, the next step would be to ensure the parents have access to healthy food choices and not just fast food restaurants. Not all neighborhoods have grocery stores nearby to supply the community with healthy foods. If we invest 400 million dollars to build grocery stores around the country, we could eliminate â€Å"food deserts† in our communities. Not only will it give the parents a healthier choice over fast food restaurants, but it will also create jobs. Once the children are getting the nutrition they require, at home and at school, the last step is to get them to exercise more. Motivating our kids to exercise  can be done in various ways. Giving more â€Å"Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards† to kids who complete a specific exercise program is a great start. Hiring NFL, WMBA and other professional athletes is another way we will motivate our children to get more exercise. Child obesity is destroying the future of our children, but Ms. Obama outlines how we can stop it. By initiating the â€Å"Task Force on Child Obesity †, upgrading cafeteria food in schools, eliminating â€Å"food deserts†, and motivating out kids to exercise we can stop this growing epidemic . Ms. Obama effectively communicates her concerns and solutions in her speech. She also gives great examples as to why the parents are not always aware to the problem or may not have the options to help the situation. Although her intentions are well placed, I’m not convinced that her approach to solving child obesity is the most effective. Something should be done and if nothing else is being done about the obesity problem at least this will raise awareness.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Voyages Soleil

Voyages Soleil The key decision and the risks facing the company Voyages Soleil, Inc. (VS) The key decision faced by the company (Voyages Soleil, Inc.) is how to embrace international foreign exchange rates against the Canadian dollar despite the looming financial challenges. The value of US$ against the Canadian dollar has been fluctuating considerably. The company might operate at a loss when it books hotels in other countries using US$ as the standard currency for payments. Evidently, international hotels prefer payments in US$ but not Cdn$.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Voyages Soleil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the case provided, the company (VS) had been hit adversely by the economic downturns and insecurity factors following the incident of September 11, 2001, in US. Issues of insecurity and travel cancellation played credible roles in the company’s decision making provisions. Precisely, the key decision is how to approach the foreign exchange risks following the then economic hitches. The risks facing the company incorporate fluctuating exchange rates between US$ and Canadian dollar. Additionally, economic plunge and decline in the travelling trends following the U.S.’s terrorist attack on 11/9/2001 are other risks faced by VS. Concurrently, hiked competition among the remaining Quebec tour operators and other players in the industry forms a considerable risk. Stakeholders in this situation Stakeholders in this situation incorporate VS Inc. (as a tour operator), suppliers to the company, clients, airline corporations, foreign exchange markets, other tour operators, international hotels, and other significant parties. Precisely, the stakeholders of this situation are numerous. They range from the travel industry players to the government agencies handling security concerns. The future of the Canadian travel industry and the Canadian currency at this stage (case d ate) The future of the Canadian travel industry is stunning. It is evident that the industry has been growing tremendously in the recent past despite the mentioned challenges. From the case study provided, it has restored its stability after the incidence of 9/11/2001, which created instability in the industry due to insecurity concerns. This is a crucial provision when considered critically in regard to the fates of the Canadian travel industry. Internationalisation of various organisational activities and stabilization of foreign exchange provisions have contributed to the recent growth of the industry. Additionally, the Canadian dollar has been stabilising against the US$. This will curb the risks faced when dealing with international exchange rates. Additionally, the Canadian travel operators can easily transact or pay their clients in US$ minus making considerable losses.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fi rst paper with 15% OFF Learn More Options available to the company and the consequences VS Inc. is considering various options so as to handle the current situation critically. Firstly, it considers waiting until October to exchange the Canadian dollar at the then prevailing rates. This option is risky in case the exchange rates between US$ and Canadian dollar destabilises to the negative. Additionally, it is not possible to predict the situation as evident in the case study provided. The second option is to employ forward contracts for the entire payables. The consequence of this option is unpredictability in the US$ values. The third option is to buy (using borrowed Canadian dollars) US$ as at April 1, 2002 and trade them 6 months later. Consequences of this option incorporate the unpredictability of the situation. The company might gain or lose money in the coming 6 months.. Recommendable actions It is recommendable for the company to borrow Canadian dollars. It c an then buy US dollars and trade them later at the prevailing rates. The borrowing rates will allow the company to regain its capital and remain with some money to cater for the foreign exchange risks experienced in the industry.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Vergerius essays

Vergerius essays Petrus Paulus Vergerius and Todays Society Many of the disciplines that were discussed in the Vergerius packet are similar to the disciplines in todays society. He discusses how education is the most important duty that a parent owes to his child. Although he explains three duties that a parent should owe to their child, he explains that education is the most important one. This is because you need to start at an early age. There are many different lessons to learn along with education. The first one that Vergerius discusses is that every man must choose for himself. Explaining a situation, he writes, Our name, our birthplace, are not of our own choice. Progress in learning, on the other hand, as in character, depends largely on ourselves, and brings with it its own abiding reward (96). He explains that in order to do well in school and get a good education, one must have the motivation or desire to choose to do so. That is something that can only come from the individual rather than its surroundings. He continues to explain that you can help a person find their motivation by giving them an incentive. Describing this he states: Let the promise of the future be consistent with your performance in the past (96). This means whatever you choose now will affect your future in a positive or negative way. This applies to today because if you do well in school you are better off living a good life and if you dont do well in school you are more prone to not live such a gre at life. Further Vergerius explains the more specific disciplines for a boys educational experience. He talks about how a child is not only taught by the school but by the government as well. Explaining this Vergerius writes, For the education of children is a matter of more than private interest; it concerns the state, which indeed regards the right training of the young as, in certain aspects, within its prope...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Assignment 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

4 - Assignment Example This is why each society must have a set of rules to govern the code of conduct. Law in a society is an indication that everything should follow a specific order and the opposite of this is chaos. G- The Station, February 20, 2003, West Warwick, Rhode Island is regarded as one of deadliest nightclub fires that killed about 100 people . The fire was caused by pyrotechnics that ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the ceilings and walls. C- The first 72 hours following the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is regarded as the most deadliest and destructive Atlantic hurricane. At least 1,833 people died and property worth $ 81 million was destroyed. D -New Year’s Eve, Times Square, New York City, New York . This is a date where people all over the world to admire the dazzling lights from the Times Square. It is a symbolic centre of this city and regarded as a global tradition. H- Kiss, January 27, 2013, Santa Maria, Brazil this was a fire that started between 2:00 and 2:30 that killed at least 239 and injured 169. It is regarded as the most devastating fire disaster in the history of Brazil. A- The execution of Timothy Mc Veigh – Timothy Mc Veigh was a domestic terrorist who detonated a truck bomb in Oklahoma city that killed 168 people and injured over 800. It is one of the deadliest act of terrorism within the United

Friday, November 1, 2019

Interview an agency administrator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview an agency administrator - Essay Example The case record in an agency has several purposes. One of the purposes is to provide information for quality improvement and evaluation of activities. It is also used for purposes of research as it provides a baseline for the research. The case record ensures transparency and accountability of the financial bodies of the agency. The content elements in the case record structure include the problem or diagnose including its cause. Another content element is the interventions which provide the way in which the problem is treated or solved. The outcome is the last content element in the case recording structure. It presents the progress of the case that is, whether it is fairing well or it is worse. Thus the structure is designed in that, the problem appears first followed by the intervention and lastly is the outcomes of the case. There are different purposes of content and structure in case recording. One of the purposes is to provide clear information about the client situation which is the problem. According to Kiser (2007), content and structure provide a clear flow of the assessment that was done on the client. They show the information about the services that are offered to the client hence accountability. They also provide details of case was implemented and also information about the end of the case.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Analysis of rights and obligations of a citizen and a State towards Essay

Analysis of rights and obligations of a citizen and a State towards each other - Essay Example Put it in simpler terms, how can the State be subject to the legal order whereas the State is the authority from which the legal order originates? In the real sense, there are no obligations and rights of the State in the same sense as of obligations and rights of citizens. That a citizen has obligations and rights means that certain legal effects are attached to his behaviour. Therefore, the legal order cannot impose obligations and confer rights upon the State. The difficulty of conceiving obligations and rights of the state should not be misconstrued to mean that the law-creating power cannot be subjected to law (Isin et al, 86). This paper analyzes the duties of the State to its citizens as well as the obligations and rights of the citizens. While analyzing the obligations and rights of the State, it attributes to the State or those human actions which constitute the contents of these obligations and rights. Generally, the obligations and rights of the State are a definition of the obligations and rights of State organs. These are obligations and rights of individuals who by law are considered as state organs, and they are required to carry out specific functions as stipulated by the legal order. It is this function that forms the content of an obligation by the State organ. If the function is not executed, the individuals who are themselves the State organs are liable to a sanction (Xenos, 218). Furthermore, the obligation of the State to its citizens does not refer to actions or omissions which have the character of an offense against the law. An offence which is a violation of the national legal order cannot be construed as an offence of the State. However, an offense which is in contravention of international law, c ane be imputed to the State, in the same manner which an offense of national law can be attributed to any other juristic person within the national legal order. Nevertheless, the State has a duty to repair the wrong which involves the

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Toyota Prius Essay Example for Free

The Toyota Prius Essay The microenvironment consists of actors close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers- the company, suppliers, marketing, intermediaries, customer markets, competitors, and publics. During the introduction and sale of the Toyota Prius, four major sectors of the microenvironment attributed to its success: The company, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, and publics. Toyota’s customer driven marketing strategy is largely responsible for its success in the hybrid car market. Forward thinking and focus on the societal and marketing concepts allowed for the company to deliver superior customer value to its customers. Management’s focus on the world’s dependence on gasoline and perceived customer value proved to be useful tools in understanding the more environmentally conscious and non-affluent mindsets of consumers. Sleek Asian- inspired design, a roomy interior, and expensive interior options and features usually only found in luxury vehicles, provided customers with the superior value of luxury at a desirable price. Toyota’s value delivery network is also crucial to daily operations. The timely delivery of cars to manufactures helped to avoid bottlenecks and supply shortages which are often seen with products gaining rapid market share. Delays, labor strikes, and loss of suppliers can seriously disrupt the supply chain, cost sales in the short run and damage customer satisfaction in the long run. Working closely with its suppliers, Toyota is able to strengthen relationships to insure it receives the lowest costs; thus, providing more customer value for its customers. Marketing intermediaries such as media publics, government publics, and the general public play a pivotal role in Toyota’s Prius sales. Due to the economic and environmental forces facing the world today, media publics depict the company as doing a good service for the world, gaining governmental support and enticing the general public to purchase the Prius with the sense that they are doing their part to reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and preserving the environment. In 2007 Toyota sold 181,000 Priuses in the US alone, a 70 percent increase over 2006 sales with little promotional effort. This implies that media, government and the general public played a large role in creating customer awareness, and Toyota’s dedication to its customer driven marketing strategy and value supply chain provided its customers with the best value. Which technical and economic forces affect the marketing of the Toyota Prius? The economic environment consists of factors that affect the consumer’s purchasing power and spending patterns. Marketers must pay close attention to major trends and consumer patterns in domestic and global markets. One economic force facing the entire world is our dependence on gasoline and the price that it costs. For Toyota, the release of the Prius was designed to gain market share by doing exactly that: saving the consumer money on gasoline purchases. While the national average per car in 2001 was 25 miles per US gallon (9.4 l/100 km) in the United States, the Prius boasted as staggering 42 miles per gallon. With the current strain on North American consumers, high unemployment, companies downsizing due to technological advances, recessions, and price inflation, it is not hard to see why consumers would favor a car that saves you money at the pump. Not to mention, the price of gasoline was a record $4.12 in 2008 and during that time the financial meltdown had left many consumers out of work and looking for ways to make ends meet. Gasoline is a finite commodity, and it is prone to drastic swings dependent on the global macroeconomic picture and supply chain distributions. Toyota understands that customers don’t like to be held sway to these forces and it will continue to imply this strategy in its marking to insure future sales. Technical advances also played a very important role in Toyota’s success. The Prius’ combination of power sources, a rechargeable battery, and low gas consumption made it instantly appealing to consumers. Without the technological advances in hybrid systems and lithium batteries, the Prius would be much less effective and would not have gained market share so quickly. Advancements in LED screens, GPS, touch screen displays and other high tech gadgets made them more affordable, giving the Prius the interior of a luxury car at an appealing price. Though as technology advances and once luxury items become more common place and affordable, new advancements in technology might pose a threat to the company in the future. Toyota must reinvest in research and development in hybrid technology to maintain its current market share. A value network is defined as the network made up of the company, suppliers, distributors, and ultimately customers who â€Å"partner† with each other to improve the performance of the entire system. A value network for a company as big as Toyota plays a critical role in delivering customer satisfaction. The Toyota Prius value delivery network begins with the company Toyota itself. Strong management, design, and marketing must all coalesce to ensure that the Prius is designed and marketed properly. Internal research, development and innovation are crucial in maintaining market share and increasing share of the customer in such a competitive industry. Day to day operations must run smoothly at Toyota in order for it to focus on new product ideas and promotional efforts. However, many companies must look beyond their own value chain and focus on external factors facing the company. Once Toyota is ready to proceed with the construction of the Prius, it must work closely with supp liers. Relationship management is crucial in receiving external parts such as LCD screens, dashboard displays, sound systems, and other features of the luxurious interior of the Prius at lost cost. This is crucial in maintaining an attractive cost to consumers. Timely delivery of these parts is also of extreme importance as faulty products could cause costly recalls and delays of product deliveries could set Toyota’s production behind schedule, delaying distribution, and ultimately damaging the reputation of the company and hurting sales. The companies that Toyota chooses to affiliate itself with, is also of extreme importance. New technological advances in RD design could help give Toyota an advantage over its competition and faulty equipment could cause costly recalls. Toyota must continually strive to improve its product and actively manage its business portfolio to achieve its goals and increase its long term share of the marketplace. With a total of 2.8 million Priuses having been sold worldwide as of October 2012, Toyota knows that distribution is a huge part of its success. Customers flock to showrooms and car dealership to get their hands on Priuses. Toyota knows that its customers must be able to purchase their products easily and that waiting lists and other delays could hurt the relationship with its customers. With strong competition from other electric car manufactures such as the Chevy Volt and the Tesla Roadster, proper manufacturing, timely and cost effective deliveries of products to Toyota, and global distribution of its products is the key to generating customer satisfaction and ultimately increasing market share. What is the market orientation of the Prius? The Prius shares characteristics of three of the five major market orientations: the product concept, the marketing concept, and the societal concept. Toyota shows that it is deeply dedicated to improving product quality, performance, and innovation. In the competitive world of the electric car, innovation is extremely important. Toyota has displayed this with the improved gas conservation and better battery power of the newer models of the Prius. The company also knows the needs and wants of its customers more so than its competitors. This dedication to the marketing orientation is a big reason why the Prius is one of the best selling cars in the world. The marketing orientation that stands out for the Prius is its dedication the societal concept. Toyota knows that gasoline is a finite commodity and that the days of the gas guzzling SUV’s are coming to an end. Toyota’s dedication to long term societal and environmental effects is one of the key points of the marketing strategy for the Prius. Its saves the consumer money, but it is also better for the environment. Forward thinking, such as environmentally stable, eco-friendly green cars is clearly the wave of the future for the automobile industry. Toyota’s dedication to the societal orientation will insure that the company stays focused on the long term effects of its products and will be better prepared for future challenges. A company’s â€Å"value proposition† is the set of benefits of values it promises to deliver to customers to satisfy their needs. Toyota’s Prius has differentiated itself by offering a solution to consumers who are uncomfortable with the current price of gasoline. By focusing on cleaner, greener energy, the Toyota Prius has captured market share from many of its competitors in the automotive industry, and left many companies wondering how they can reduce their carbon footprint and improve their image. The value to owning a Prius doesn’t stop at the pump. The Prius is stylish, roomy, and packed with luxury options in the interior creating a strong sense of satisfaction for customers. Toyota is selling a vehicle, but it is also selling an experience. It ultimately lies in the satisfaction customers get from driving the product and the feeling that is created knowing that you are doing your part to save the environment. Why buy a Prius? It’s simple. In a world as congested and polluted as the world we live in today, why not do your part to save our environment and reduce global warming? The answer to many consumers questions is: the Prius. Works Cited Kotler,Armstrong,Cunningham,Thrifts: Principles of Marketing 8th Canadian Edition, Pearson Canada, 2010. Print. Fuel economy, January 29th,2013 Patrick Dehaan, Jason Toews, Feburary 2013 http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx Toyota Prius sales, February 7th, 2013