Health, Safety and Customer First Tasks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health, Safety and Customer First Tasks - Essay Example The last statement is italicized because it will be the crucial point of debate. According to the Act, this duty extends without prejudice to the generality of an employer's duty and includes the following: the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health; arrangements for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, safety and absence of risks to health in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances; the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees; so far as is reasonably practicable as regards any place of work under the employer's control, the maintenance of it in a condition that is safe and without risks to health and the provision and maintenance of means of access to and egress from it that are safe and without such risks; The provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health, and adequate as re... f his general policy with respect to the health and safety at work of his employees and the organization and arrangements for the time being in force for carrying out that policy, and to bring the statement and any revision of it to the notice of all of his employees. The company had the initiative to institute ways to ensure that the employees are protected from the hazardous materials that the company is using for its manufacturing process by providing the necessary mechanism to punish those who will fail to comply. However, due to the complaints received from the employees, they relaxed the mechanism in the belief that the safety measures were a hindrance to productivity. Under the law, employers must ensure that the working environment is safe in so far as is reasonably practicable. We therefore ask what constitutes practicability. Was it impracticable because it lowered productivity and generated complaints The point is that the measures were practicable primarily because it was relatively easy to employ and make use of and such complaints as rashes and blurring of vision are temporary and psychological at the least. It is quite illogical to say that the use of goggles was impracticable when in fact most employees of companies who handle corr osive chemicals are wearing one. Under this circumstance, we find that the company has fallen short of its duties because they failed to enforce the measures which were practicable by not employing the dismissal of any defaulters. Also, the company is at fault because it did not provide enough information on where the equipment was to be located. B. The Law and the Employees In the observance of health and safety measure, it is not the employer alone who is given the responsibility but also the employee. Under the 1974 Act,

Capital asset pricing model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Capital asset pricing model - Essay Example Capital Asset Pricing Model is a tool extensively used to value assets in the financial sector. It has been extensively used in calculating the required return of investment products. The capital asset pricing model was introduced in the 1960s by William Sharpe; Required Return: Risk free rate + ? (Average Market Return –Risk free rate) Where ? is the beta value of the financial asset The basic assumptions of this model pose as disadvantageous for this model to be considered as a perfect representative of required return calculation. One of its basic assumptions is that investors are holding diversified portfolios that are emulating the average market return; implying that the unsystematic risk is eliminated from the risk versus return calculation of the investor. On the whole, investors do try and make diversified portfolios in such a way that it portfolio return complements or exceeds the market return. Therefore, this assumption is not a big concern and is fairly reasonable (Eugene, 2010). Another assumption is that it can only account for single period transition horizon and usually a single year is used for comparison between two securities. This is another reasonable assumption as investors usually quote returns on an annual basis even if they hold a security for a longer period (Eugene, 2010). The assumption that the average investor can borrow at risk free rate is misleading.

Marriott International: An Analysis

Marriott International: An Analysis Marriott International has culture and tradition of innovation, service and leading performance. Marriott International has achieved competitive advantage over the other competitors through three conceptual frameworks: Porters Five Forces approaches, the resources based approaches and the rational approach. Through this approaches Marriott International has identified the source of competitive advantage. This report is primarily based on explaining how the Marriot International Inc. has successfully managed the strategic moves and competing with the strong rivals in the hospitality sector. This report also critically evaluates the strategic moves, competitive strength, internal and external environment of the company. Introduction Marriott International is a leading operator, franchisor, and licensor of hotels, corporate housing properties, and timeshare properties under numerous brand names at different price and service points. It has more than 3700 properties worldwide. It is expanded to 73 countries and have 18 brands. Innovation, service and leading performance is always the key priority of Marriott International. Fortune ® magazine has included Marriott International in the most admired company in lodging industry and also as one of the best places to work. This report critically evaluates the Marriott Internationals strategic profile. (Marriott International Inc., 2012) History Marriott International has categorized its glowing history in 4 groups; period between 1927 to 1956 is known as early years, growth years are between 1957 to 1985, modern years are between 1986 to 2011 and the years ahead is 2012 and onwards. Marriott was founded in 1927 by J. Willard Marriott and his wife in Washington D.C. as a root beer stand. Due to the humid summer of Washington D.C. the Hot Shoppe gradually became the popular place to get cool drinks to quench the thirst. For winter season hot Mexican dishes like tamales, chili, and tacos were the profitable items. In 1929 Hot Shoppes was incorporated in Delaware as Hot Shoppes Inc. Hot Shoppes went public in 1953 by opening its first hotel, the Twin Bridges Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Marriot did its first international expansion in 1966 by acquiring an airline catering kitchen in Caracas, Venezuela. Marriott became Marriott Corporation in 1967. Cruise lines were added to Marriott Corporation in 1971 and in 1972 J. W. Marriott, Jr. the son of JW Marriot Became the CEO. Farrells ice cream parlors became the part of Marriott Corporation in 1972 and also two theme parks near Chicago and San Francisco came to operation in 1976. In 1977 Marriot Corporation became a billion dollar company. In 1982 the company acquired Host International and opened first Courtyard hotel in 1983. In next year company entered in the vacation timeshare and senior-living market. In 1987 Marriott entered in the lower-moderate lodging segment by acquiring Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn. Again in 1993 the company once again broke down into Marriott International and Host International. In the year of 1995 Marriott International acquired Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Marriott International introduced Marriott Executive Residence, Towneplace Suites and Fairfield Suites in 1997 by acquiring Renaissance Hotel Group. In 2006 Marriott International announced that all Marriott establishments in US and Canada are non-smoking zone. Marriott has very colorful past and it grew old with innovation and on the other hand it focused more on mergers and acquisitions. In the modern years Marriott International opened the first Bulgari Hotels Resort property in Milan, Italy. In the year of 2008 The Edition brand was introduced. Marriott International continued its growth in 2009 as well. In this year company launched Autograph Collection, which is a luxury and upscale independen t brand hotels. In the year of 2012 Marriott International got its third CEO, Arne Sorenson in the companys history. Strategy Management According to the Bill Marriott, Sustainability means being good corporate citizen and environmentally steward and promoting economic growth, diversity and inclusion in our communities worldwide. Marriott International is growing bigger every day. Marriott International is focusing more on Asia, Africa and Middle East in these days. Marriott International has well planned strategies like New Generation Travelers, Brand Distinction, Portfolio Power, Technology Leadership, Owner Preference and Global Growth. These strategies are formulated to compete with the rival chains. Beside these strategies Marriott International has CSR strategy known as Spirit to serve our communities, which is social approach to stay ahead from the competition. Company has strategic management program to catch up with latest trend and development in the marketplace. Marriott International developed great room lobby experience for the Next Generation Travelers in 2007 and is expanded to 190 countries of the more than 500 Marriott hotels and resorts. Company has planned to expand this program to more than 80% of Marriott properties worldwide with in 2015. Marriott International is also trying to minimize its labor costs in its corporate offices despite the greater expansion of the company itself. There will be altogether 100 hotel in India alone within 2016. In china Marriott planning to open new hotels in faster pace than the rival hotel chains. The economies of China and India are somewhat slowing down but the travel and tourism industry is still growing in the positive speed and Marriott International wants to capture the growing market travel and tourism by adding new rooms. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT Marriott International does not have a mission statement; rather, it has a vision statement which is To be the #1 hospitality company in the world. (Marriott International Inc., 2012) INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT: SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Large Expansion of Brands Peoples business Geographic Presence Global leader More franchise Website and Social Network Focused divestiture Efforts Attract and retain employees Culture retention against the identities of the brands Brand Equity Strong Internet presence Adequate IT solutions Over-reliance on US market Over dependence on luxury brands Lack of low-cost lifestyle brands targeted by fundamentalists or extremists Opportunities Threats Emerging Asian Travel and Tourism Markets Trend of low-cost market Distinction amongst hotel service offered Environmentally and Family Oriented Decrease of cost of real estate in the USA Eco-tourism Timeshare not popular anymore Economic Recession = lower consumer spending Boom of Economy Hotel Brand Political instability Terrorism PEST Analysis External environment needs to be analyzed in timely manner in order to be competitive on todays market place. The environment is changing all the time and company must be responsive to the changing environment. To take effective actions. PEST is the effective tool to analyze external environment of the organization. Marriott International is the leading hospitality management company. Its political, economic, social and technological environment analysis are as follows: Political Environment Marriott International has recognized the value of laws and regulations of the individual nation and acted accordingly in the past and present. The political scenario in each country is different and must be addressed properly. Marriott has followed protocol designed by the individual nation like; no smoking policy, non-fat food, low calorie diet etc. Economic Environment The growing economy of the Asia and other developing region is motivating Marriott International to invest more in these areas. On the other hand, the increasing price of gasoline is encouraging Marriott International to focus on clean energy and to be more environment friendly by decreasing the use of synthetic fuels, which also helps in controlling the cost of the operations Social Environment People today like to travel and explore new places. Marriott is extending travel network in America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Visiting friends and family abroad today is very easy due to the advancement in transportation system. Marriot International must recognize this market and develop plan to attract these markets. Technological Environment The world today is like global village. Technology is connecting the world and gathering the people in one place. People travel today more frequently than in the past. Reservation, payment, check in and check out can be done seamlessly. Marriott International has adopted technological innovation in faster pace than the competitors. Technological and innovation is the key priority of Marriott International. 3) FORCES OF FRAME WORK Buyer Power The buyer power in the Hospitality industry is moderate. As the Marriott International has strong brand recognition, it can attract new guest easily with little effort of marketing and promotions. The company can also keep its repeat business because the switching cost or risk for the guest is uncertain. Marriott International is providing quality service consistently and giving the best experience to its guest at all level. Supplier Power The supplier power is moderate for Marriott International as the supplier power in Hospitality Industry is fragmented. Property owners, developers, architects, real estate companies, marketing firms, law firms and information technology service and equipment suppliers are some example of supplier in the industry. Suppliers are in different shapes and sizes. Food and beverage supplier, utility supplier and labor supplier are also key player, as they are major stakeholder in minimizing operational cost of operation. Threat of New Entrants Threat of new Entrants for Marriot International is considerably high due to the substantial growth in hospitality industry in past few years. The unfavorable economic condition of some European countries also have lowered the value of land and real estate and it is very likely to attract new entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. The economic growth in South Asia and Asia Pacific is also maximizing the threat of new entrants. Threat of Substitution Threat of substitution for Marriott International is low in the developed nations and premium market place. In developing nations, the threat of substitution is high due to the innovative concepts in travel and tourism industry like; homestay campaign, camping, informal visit to friends and family. There is a threat of substitution but we cannot compare the service level provided in the informal sector with the Marriott level of service. Degree of Rivalry The threat of rivalry in the hospitality industry is moderate for Marriott International. In hospitality industry, key players are large branded chains. Marriott is facing strong competition from the other same sized chain brands but it is gaining its competitive advantage through the diversification of business in specialized segments. Marriott is expanded in 73 countries and has 18 brands which is the main reason that Marriott is ahead from its competitor. Beside this, Marriotts strong brand equity, strong commitment for guest satisfaction, consistent and quality service is helping Marriott to stay ahead from its rivals. RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES Marriott International has a strong presence in the hospitality market due to its efficient operation, effective marketing, specific market segmentation by diversification of revenue and economies of scale on operations. Marriott is capable of managing all of its operations on its own. Strong commitment to service and guest satisfaction is Marriotts priority. Satisfied investor and shareholders, motivated employees in all level, strong corporate culture is driving Marriott International in the right track of its journey to more satisfied guest, motivated employees and prosperous owners and shareholders. DECISION MAKING CRITICAL THEMES CONCLUSION Are you Thirsty? Analysis of Pepsi Advert Are you Thirsty? Analysis of Pepsi Advert Briauna McGrew You wake up in the middle of the night and youre standing in front of your refrigerator with your eyes squinted because of the bright light trying to decide what you want to drink. Then you finally see it, even with your squinted eyes, the exact thing you had been craving since you went to sleep and then dreamed about until the moment you woke up, a Pepsi. So, you grab that glorious Pepsi excited to take a drink and feel the bubbly delicious drink run down your dry throat. Once you take a drink you start to think back to what first got you started drinking this yummy, bubbly, delicious pop. Then you remember the ad that you saw in a magazine that made you laugh out loud so you just had to try the pop. In this ad they used one of Americas famous holidays to get peoples attention and they also made it funny which is something that everyone loves, if someone sees something funny and they are a fun person, more than likely they are going to look into whatever it is that made them laugh, I know I do. When I first looked at this ad the very first thing that I notice is the Pepsi can wearing a Coca-Cola cape. So it is obviously a Pepsi ad trying to get people to drink Pepsi. They are trying to send out a message that Coke is scary and Pepsi is just a normal pop. The only saying on this ad is We wish you a scary Halloween!. This is a big part of them saying that Coke is scary because when you dress up for Halloween you try to be scary, so the Pepsi can is trying to be scary by dressing up as a Coke can. I also got the feeling that when they say We wish you a scary Halloween they are saying that it would be scary if Pepsi turned into Coke When you think of scary things you want to stay away from them, such as shark infested water, if you had to choose between swimming in water that had no living things in it and swimming in water that was infested with sharks I am almost certain you would choose the one with no living things. I think thats what Pepsi is getting at with this ad. Pepsi is a very hip company because they try to appeal to the younger people so they talk their parents into buying it so they can drink it. The colors are key in this ad because if they didnt get the colors just right this could very easily become helpful to Coke and not Pepsi, but because they are professionals at advertisements they used the exact colors needed. In the back ground of the picture are rocks on a hill or a mountain but when you look at it you can see kind of a blue undertone in these rocks, almost like they put a very faint blue tint to the entire picture. If you look at the Coke cape the colors are very dull and aggressive and the shadows on the cape have hints of blue in them which is the main color of a Pepsi can. They made sure that the red on the Pepsi can was a different and more bright red than the red on the Coke cape. They kind of have light coming from the top of the picture and the bottom of the picture so the can just looks so bold. The Pepsi can itself is more bright even though it is under a Coke cape it still pops out. The white on the Pepsi can is a brighter white and the white on the cape is a little more dull. The Pepsi can has some reflecting light on it to make it pop out even more. The top of the Pepsi can has a very bright sun reflection so it makes the can catches the readers eye and makes them look. The whole picture is more of a dark picture but they made sure to make the Pepsi logo very very bright so that it would stand out so that people would know for sure what the ad was for. They made sure to place the sunlight in the perfect place to make the Pepsi can stick out the most. They made the can in general very bold so that your eye is just drawn straight to the can. The colors are very important but the position the can in is important as well. When you look at it it looks like the can is standing tall and is a dominate thing. They make it look like there is a gentle breeze because the Coke cape is open and just looks like it is blowing in the wind, kind of like at the end of a super hero movie when the hero stands on a high mountain top and overlooks the city that he takes care of and they make sure there is a gentle breeze blowing through making their cape blow around and they just look so dominate, thats the feel that I get from this, because they are making this cape blow in the wind it is kind of making the Coca-Cola in this picture a lot less dominate because the word is all wrinkled up and you cant see it as well, you cant see the whole Pepsi word but they have the most important letters of the name in there, the whole name is Pepsi and they have the eps in there so pretty much all of the letters that make up the word Pepi are included, s o people just know what they are looking at. The can is standing right between 2 boulders that kind of make a V or an arrow that kind of points right to the can that also helps with drawing your eyes straight to the can. Also the moss that is throughout the entire picture is isnt a strong point but I can feel the moss kind of guiding your eyes right to the can. To sum everything up, it doesnt seem like this Pepsi ad used a lot of things to try to sell their product but they did. They didnt use a lot of wording but they didnt need to, they kind of came off as a the can speaks for itself kind of thing. They made the colors all hit in the perfect spot and they made all the high lights and low lights perfect. They made the can seem dominate without even saying anything. They made everything in the picture just point straight at the can but they didnt make the pointing too harsh they just kind of slowly guided your eye straight to the can. In my opinion they did an amazing job in this ad just because they didnt use many words but they still got what they wanted to get into everyone that sees this ad head.   So what do you think? Are you going to begin drinking Pepsi? http://www.emlii.com/images/article/2014/02/5300bef02e394.jpeg

billy mitchell Essay -- essays papers

billy mitchell PART I The end of the era of Reconstruction in America brought forth the greatest rise in American Power. This era was known as the "Guilded Age." Big business grew all over the country producing a few tycoons such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J. Pierpont Morgan. These men had extreme wealth through huge monopolistic enterprises. This was unfortunately at the expense of many immigrants who worked for these men. Women and children worked long hours in sweatshops for horrible wages. Men worked however they could sometimes as miners, construction workers, railroad builders, and factory workers. These immigrants came from southeastern Europe mainly. The country's population skyrocketed with the flow of immigration after the civil war. These immigrants built America, as you know it today. Due to Germany's unrestricted Submarine warfare America had no choice but to enter into World War I. on April 6, 1917 America declared war on Germany. This was to be one of the bloodiest, dirtiest wars ever. They fought in what we call trench warfare. Long trenches went all the way down the enemy and friendly lines. America's soldiers and technology had a big role in the allies' defeat of Germany. The war was ended with the Treaty of Versailles. The United States never joined in the League of Nations, which the allies had formed thus continuing isolationism. The 1920s brought about a time of prosperity for America. 50% of Americans were living in urban areas by this time. The country was going through prohibition, making alcohol illegal. Cultural change brought about many problems in the U.S. Swing dancing and loose skirts were all the rage. Women were becoming more independent. Like all great things in life this age of prosperity sharply came to an end with the Great Depression. The Great Depression started in the fall of 1929 with the New York Stock Exchange crash. With the economy resting in the hands of the tycoons like Rockefeller the depression was inevitable. By 1931, 5 million Americans were unemployed. The great nation, which was just coming to power, seemed like it was going to die out. It might have if a man named Franklin D. Roosevelt hadn't been elected president. Roosevelt began to put in effect a plan he called the New Deal. He took the U.S. off the gold standard to help the crisis. He also passed a serie... ...y time of day. This is a huge plus for the military that Billy Mitchell did not foresee. William "Billy" Mitchell was undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in American military history. He is the father of the U. S. Air Force, the one man who fought for what he knew was needed. He was a true American, unafraid of persecution and ridicule. Billy Mitchell fought his points to the point of his demise. Without this man there might not of been an Airforce. Without this man there might not be an America today. Bibliography: "American Air Superiority," Billy Mitchell's Role in the Air Force. Woodbridge, CT: Primary Source Media, 1999. Rpt. In Student Recourses Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, Dec. 2000. http://264.312.569.115/servlet/SRC 29 Sept. 2001. Bellows, John. "Billy Mitchell." Journal of American Military. 1953. 356-359. Burlingame, Roger. General Billy Mitchell: Champion of Air Defense. New York: McGraw- Hill, 1952. Hurley, Alfred F. Billy Mitchell: Crusader for Air Power. Bloomington, IN.: University Press, 1975. Jordan, Winthrop, Miriam Greenblatt, and John Bowes. The Americas: A History. Evanston, IL: McDougal, Littell and Company, 1991.

In present time Essay

In present time, women have obtained more freedom to express their thoughts  and more privileges to achieve their goals. Their social status had a qualitative leap in the United States compare with the last couple of centuries; this subversion will continue lead women to enter a world which their talent and ability can be completely recognized. Different from today’s value, women who lived in previous centuries do not have the rights to do things the way they prefer. Social morality and family obligation force them to obey others and renounce independent. This inveterate principle stifled generations of women and their freedom. Both works include The Revolt of â€Å"Mother† and A New England Nun by Mary Wilkins Freeman showcased that in order for a woman to regain the pleasures in her life, she has to be intrepid and determined under certain social pressure. By descripting both characters Louisa and Sarah’s detailed inner world such as their characteristics and other social aspects such as other’s judgments, Mary Freeman provided the reader with vivid sense of equality that led the society into deep consideration and introspection of why feminism is necessary. Bothworksservedasimilarpurpose,tospreadtheconceptoffeminism,but with different approaches due to different social status of both characters in The Revolt of â€Å"Mother† and A New England Nun. Mary Freeman’s Puritan way of living had a huge impact on how she considers the world differently. In The Revolt of â€Å"Mother†, Mary Freeman portrayed a married woman, Sarah Peen, who has been serving for the 1 Sun family for forty years without any complain, had an emotional outburst about the new farm that her husband was building. Her husband, Adoniram, promised Sarah that he would build her a house when they are financially improved. Instead of building her the dream house, he planed to build another farm without informing her. She then decided to move into the new barn to live when her husband had gone out. (Freeman) In Freeman’s other work, A New England Nun, she depicted Louisa Ellis, a woman who waited for her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s returning from Australia for fifteen years, had decided to end the relationship with him after she hears that he has no love to her. (Freeman) This may be an excuse for her to escape from the relationship that will eventually force her to ingratiate others and put her own needs second. However, Louisa made up her own mind and went the way she preferred. By observing the behaviors of these two characters, it is certain that both of them have their own belief and rule of life that is beyond reach. Sarah Peen wants changes in her life, changes that can overturn her current life. As the story begins, Sarah provides service for her family everyday hoping to move into a new house like her husband promised her to. (Freeman 666) Moreover, She is a woman with ideas and goals. Freeman writes, â€Å" ‘There ain’t no use talkin’, Mr. Hersey,’ says she. ‘ I’ve thought it all over an’ over, an’ I believe I’m doin’ what’s right. I’ve made it the subject of prayer, an’ it’s betwixt me an’ the Lord an’ Adoniram. There ain’t no call for nobody else to worry about it.’† (670) This is what Sarah replied to the minister when he came to convince Sarah not to disobey her husband. After 2 Sun forty years of waiting, Sarah decides that she is strong enough to take a stand for the change. She is surprisingly independent and rebellious. Her rebellion does not only exist for against her husband, but also for against the social role that she is suppose to play as a submissive wife. Even though she accepts her responsibilities as a wife and a mother, her determination and resistance to the power of tradition was never stifled. As a wife whose husband often ignores, she opposes her husband’s male dominance over hers and remains integrity, courage, and privation overall. However, Louisa Ellis from A New England Nun had an opposite lifestyle with Sarah has but the same perception of individualism. LouisaEllis,unlikeSarah,isafraidofchangesandunknowns,butshestill forwards her life regarding what others would think. Her engagement with Joe Dagget is full of uncertain. Freeman did not deliver Louisa’s remorse of engagement directly. Instead, she implied some details to inform her readers that Louisa is satisfied with her own life by enlarging her trivial acts such as using china. Freeman writes, â€Å"Louisa used china everyday – something which none of her neighbors did. They whispered about it among themselves.† (654) This indicates that Louisa lives her own quiet life and enjoys her own pleasure. All of sudden, Joe Dagget shattered Louisa’s peace, the peace that only belongs to her. Freeman writes, â€Å"He remained about an hour longer, then rose to take leave. Going out, he stumbled over a rug, and trying to recover himself, hit Louisa’s work-basket on the table, and knocked it on the floor.† (654) All his acts reminded Louisa that she has to put herself at second after their marriage and 3 Sun renounce her independent. She then realized that she wants to be who she is, not to be a wife of a man who she has less love with. She is mainly descripted as a dainty and methodical woman; she pays most of her attention to details and perfections. Therefore, after she overheard that Joe has no love to her either, she quickly made her decision that she is not going to marry Joe because she desires for remaining alone. (Freeman 661) Even though both Sarah and Louisa have similar lives, they have different characteristics. Both women have comparable lives. Louisa and Sarah both reside at rural area where men do most of the working, and women do most of the housework. (Freeman 654, 662) This is one of the reasons why both characters chose to make astonishing decisions of their own. Initially, they must identify themselves, and then make decisions regarding tradition that has been persisted for centuries. Both women are also conflicted with men in a relationship that lasted a long period of time. Louisa waited her fiancà © for fifteen years while Sarah waited forty years to move forward of her life. Eventually, they both have achieved their goals and won the victories. However, in A New England Nun, the social influence is less conscious. There is less portrayal of judgments made by other members in the society. Instead, Freeman inserted implicit approach such as Louisa’s pet, Caesar, to display how the community would tie her up in a promise of engagement. (Freeman658) Different from Louisa, the community that Sarah lived in for forty years does not allow her to determine her own life. Her husband and son ignore her by not answering her questions; the minister 4 Sun came to her house to criticize her â€Å"inappropriate† conduct; people in her community also talks about her rebellion against her husband. Freeman displayed how they treat Sarah like a woman who should not have equal rights and dignity with a straightforward picture. Consequently, the two characters Sarah Peen and Louisa Ellis in both Freeman’s work The Revolt of â€Å"Mother and A New England Nun overcame dilemmas effectively. Both stories are relevant to the concept of feminism, which is equal justice between both sexes. The endings are similar: Sarah moved to the new barn while Louisa lived her own stilled life. Their encounters influenced and united generations of women to go forward together and break rules and instructions in order to live in freedom. Works Cited Freeman, Mary. A New England Nun. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2013. 653-661. Print Freeman, Mary. The Revolt of â€Å"Mother†. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2013. 662- 672. Print 5

Classroom Observation Analysis

Many instructional approaches exist that have been developed to reach more students. Teachers have to select the instructional approaches that work best for students. These approaches have been tested and researched from various theoretical perspectives. An education theory is the speculative thought of education and just like any other theory; it explains, guides, and describes the practices of education. The earliest speculation on educational processes began during the times of classical sophists and Greek philosophers. Current education speculations use terms like andragogy, curriculum, learning pedagogy, education organization, leadership, and policy. Education thought is derived from various disciplines like, philosophy, sociology, critical theory, psychology, and history among others. This paper will discuss five topics based on the best education theory to be applied in the classroom setting with focus on two education theories postulated by Lev Vygotsky and John Dewey. This paper will also address information processing by students, behaviors of teachers to promote thinking, implications of language development on learning and teaching, and on the relationship between the emotional and social development on student behavior and learning. Classroom Observation Analysis Education theory can either be descriptive like in the sciences or normative like in philosophy. Education theory postulates what education processes are supposed to consist of; it sets the standards, norms, and goals in carrying out an education process. The scientific education theory gives a set of hypotheses, which have to be experimented and verified. The two approaches have produced two broad categories of education theories, which are the functionalist’s theory of education arising from the sociological perspective of education and the behaviorist theory of education from the psychology of education. The term theory in education refers to three broad categories known as the explanatory or generalizing model, practice observance, and a body of knowledge. Various educational resources exist that a teacher should employ in a classroom setting to enhance learning among students. Also, human resources affect the learning process of students, which is the behavior of both the students and teachers. Teachers play a major role in improving the thinking ability of students. Other factors exist that affect the learning process of students in the individual, social, emotional development, and language development. Educational theory application in a classroom setting †¢ Educational theories employed Lev Vygotsky and John Dewey postulated educational theories that explain how the human thought affect the outcome in education. On human thought, Dewey’s ideas were instrumentalism based in educational ideas. Vygotsky ideas on education, on the other hand, were based upon the Marxist social ideas. The instrumentalism ideas of Dewey deal with the focus of thoughts and ideas as action instruments; this caused the theorist to believe that the education system needs to incorporate vocational studies. Therefore, schools according to Dewey should incorporate both academic and vocational studies. Students have to involve themselves in activities that promote cooperation and creativity. Dewey believed that teaching individual’s new knowledge through memorization and repetition was ineffective. Through his writings and research, he advocates for thought and does not support strict topics as ways of teaching individuals. Teaching students on one content only is a waste of time, according to the theorist. Dewey encouraged teachers to be practical and creative in their educational approaches to provide students with a wide range of opportunities and to promote individual thought. Marxists social ideas on education were first applied by Vygotsky. He believed that by learning the social situation, a person is capable of learning more. The Zone of Proximal development is the theory postulated by Vygotsky, which explains that a difference exist between a student is taught by an advanced peer, a teacher, and when a student studies alone. With this theory Vygotsky believed that social processes should be incorporated into the education system. Such social processes include peer review, group work activities, and individual contact between student and teacher. Unlike Dewey and his ideas, Vygotsky does not support teacher‘s elitism, he favors the teaching of thinking kills to students and not just teaching a lesson based on a particular topic (Indiana University, 2004). The most effective educational theory to enhance instruction and learning From the two educational theorists, individuals can examine that they had two different thoughts on what education should be, which are not in agreement to each other. However, both Vygotsky and Dewey ideas should be applied in the classroom setting in unison because both their ideas are focused on a classroom environment that emphasizes ways of thinking and student achievement to learn facts. The use of both ideas in a classroom stetting enables a learning situation guided by a teacher who guides students through direction with positive reinforcement and is not a strict figure of authority. Both the ideas of Vygotsky and Dewey require teachers to be dedicated and committed to individual student needs and abilities and not to the ideals and expectations regarding â€Å"normal† or â€Å"advanced† student knowledge of society. Also, using the ideas and theories presented in the classroom setting is beneficial because they encourage students to interact socially and work in teams to promote effective learning in the classroom. According to both theorists interaction is seen as a learning tool, which has been emphasized by Vygotsky, but still applicable in Dewey ideas. A classroom environment that is more conducive to learning has been perceived as a classroom that employs both Vygotsky and Dewey’s ideas. Their contributions were significant to learning, but a combination of their differing ideas has proven to successfully impact the education system. Incorporating social learning ideas and theories with creative lessons plans is vital to the current world of education. Vygostsky ideas and application in the classroom setting Just like Jean Piaget, Vygotsky agrees that education takes place through constructivism, which is the belief of cognitive development (Davison, 2006, p. 1), but they differ on the ideas regarding how the cognitive development process occurs. Cognitive development is the process through the building up or addition of information to newly learned information on already learned information. Piaget is seen as a trivial constructivist who believed that human beings are social learners who learn through interaction with the environment. Individuals can generate new knowledge and understanding about the environment they have been exposed to. Vygotsky, on the other hand, is considered a social constructivist that believes people learn through interaction with other people (Dougiamas, 1998, p. 4). Vygotsky’s ideas are applicable in a classroom setting because through group work and peer reviews students are exposed to what they are taught by others. He disagrees with Piaget’s theory and stated that learning comes before development and not the vise versa according to Piaget’s claim. Vygotsky believes students learn from symbolism, socialization, and history (Davison, 2006, p. 1). The information and actions that children are exposed to by other individuals greatly affects their learning process, and through the interaction with people of adequate intelligence and education will enable students to comprehend and retain information taught more productively (Slavin, 2009, p. 43). The influence of other individuals is vital before a student reaches the point of self-regulation. Self-regulation occurs when an individual can solve problems and think critically without helps from others. By applying this theory in the classroom, a teacher can identify ways to run a classroom with increased efficiency and production. Through the ideas of Vygotsky, the teacher will achieve integration through a diverse student base at different intellectual levels; this will enable students who have learning disabilities or slow learners to be encouraged and tutored by the more advanced students. The teacher will also encourage students to work in group projects so students can come up with answers after solving problems as a team. Such approaches have been praised and beneficial when teaching English and Social Studies. Dewey’s ideas in the classroom setting According to Dewey, learning institutions should be democratic, meaning students can freely share their differing ideas. The classroom setting should focus on subjects that contain practical knowledge in relation to real-life of students. The incorporation of field activities into the classroom learning process enables students to expand their knowledge, boost their critical thinking, and understand their world. Cooperative learning, according to Sharan and Sharan (1992), include Dewey’s learning process as equal aspects of intellectual, emotional, and social events. Dewey argues that a classroom setting should give learners the experience to deal with situations that will arise in their lives to create a democratic society. The cooperative learning will act as a motivator for students and provides them with a sense of personal responsibility toward their academics. Information processing to student learning Students learn in different ways based on their life experiences, stages of development, and culture. These factors determine how students process information. Based on the different characteristics of students, teachers have a responsibility to develop lessons plans that fit the needs of each student. To provide a positive teaching and learning environment, teachers should know learning is affected by aspects such as culture, emotions, and individual thought. Some student’s process information based on their metal states or moods and teachers have a responsibility to create supportive and positive tactics to enhance the learning process of every individual student. A teacher also has to develop a teaching plan to fit those children suffering from various Learning Disabilities who experience challenges in reading and information processing. Students with learning disabilities have been known to interpret information differently and decode social information in a different manner. Some learning disabilities negatively affect the ability of students to interpret social cues and have limited solutions to the social dilemmas they face. They also face the challenge of generating solutions to simple mathematical problems. Theory of information processing, The human mind functions through the creation of mental representations and creating cognitive processes them. Cognition is the ability to have mental representation and memory of objects, people, and learned knowledge through life experiences and academics. In learning, information received through listening and hearing involves various processes that take place in the brain. The incoming information leads to the formation of a series of mental representations. The important ideas are selected and stored in the brain for referencing in the future. According to Miller’s theory of information processing, reinforcement is a crucial activity in enhancing the remembrance of short-term memory. The repetition of a recently read idea will force the brain to process the information through encoding strategies and to later be stored as long-term memory. Reinforcement can be done in the classroom setting through elaboration of and repetition of previous and newly learned information. A teacher can also tell students to do maintenance rehearsals through practices and drilling to help the reinforcement of new information. Such practical strategies can be through songs and repetition poems. Also, to encourage student’s rehearsal, a student can use a variety of interactive computer activities. By repeating the newly learned skills the students will be able to encode the information into long-term memory. The environment and learning Psychologists have studies how human beings are affected by the environments that they have been brought up in. The environment consists of individuals within the family unit and external influences in society. The classroom environment also affects how adolescent students learn and process information. Classroom environments should have no distractions. Factors such as the attitudes of teachers, lack of administrative support, lack of parental support, and a classroom environment that does not support learning leads to poor academic performance among adolescents. The teachers and parents should therefore work hard to provide adolescents with a natural and positive environment for learning. York-Barr, Schultz, Doyle, Kronberg, and Crossett (1996) suggest the use of inclusion strategies in a classroom to enhance a desirable environment for learning to students, especially those from diverse backgrounds. Educators according to inclusion practices should focus on quality education and are to be guided by unique dispositions. Educators are responsible for evaluating teaching practices and initiating positive changes. A teacher’s attitude should be positive and they should have the skills and ability to provide emotional, social, and academic support to students. Students with disabilities should be provided with supporting facilities and proper equipment they need in the classroom to ensure proper education. Consultation is also one of the classroom strategies that educators can use to intervene to the process of students within the class, and it is applicable to solving problems facing the whole school. A proper classroom environment that would boost students’ attention and memory includes teaching materials, equipment, and technological tools for teaching. Students can remember the things they have learned when various learning strategies are employed. Other strategies to help students memory and attention is enabling them to self-assess their performance, targeting particular solution, implementing technologies for education, and record keeping of student performance. Providing the right educational environment is therefore the best way of enhancing student’s memory and attention than the social setting. Teacher behaviors that promote students’ thinking abilities Teachers should practices skills that provide for the individual needs of students. These needs range from emotional, social, and educational needs (Wehby, Symons, Canale, & Go 1998). A teacher practicing collaborative model such as the Educational Review Team will lead to positive outcome to students. To facilitate students comprehension and reasoning, the teachers use strategies that enable them to design good lesson plans, which first starts with the introduction of the topic, presentation of the content in a clear way, checking whether students have understood the information, periodic review, independent practices, and guided practices among others. The teacher should also employ strategies that would improve the motivation of students to learn, the teacher should keep in mind the inertest of students and use a variety of teaching strategies to avoid students being bored. To enhance comprehension and reasoning the teacher has to communicate high expectations, give prompt and constructive feedback, and treat each student as an individual. To promote the thinking skills of student’s teachers should certain framework, which would enable students to think critically and to develop skills, which will make them regulate personal learning and acquire problem-solving skills. Certain activities that a teacher can practice either intentionally or unintentionally can impede students from reasoning or comprehensions. Such aspects include teaching at a fast pace and not bothering to check whether the students have understood the concepts or not. Another aspect is using a teaching strategy that is not inclusive to all the needs of students. A teacher who does not consider strategies that deal with inhibition, planning, fluency, set shifting, working memory, and self-regulations leads to poor attention span among students. In order to enable students attain academic goals, the educator has to consider the action and thoughts of students. Teachers should acknowledge that certain students could be faced by challenges of working on their own and cannot complete certain tasks. The teacher has to implement behavior modification plans (Harris et al, 2005) to help students with attention problems. Another strategy is to limit distraction in the classroom environment, which is a strategy that should be carried out before the beginning of each lesson. Comprehension and reasoning can be enhanced by the teacher by telling students to scan through the headlines of the topic under discussion. Language development Language learning is a vital aspect in the learning process. Language learning enables students to read and write. Reading is as result of comprehension and decoding of information. For students to internalize various academies subjects, the elementary activity is to first teach on language comprehension. Delayed speech development affects the learning process of a student. This delay occurs in two ways; it can either be receptive or expressive. The expressive form gives a child difficulty in the use of vocabulary, poor grammar, poor writing skills, and poor conversational skills. Expressive delay can be seen in students who are shy or hesitates to speak. Receptive delay, on the other hand, affects a student’s ability to comprehend what the student has read, following directions, and understanding speech. The student may also find it difficult to understand visual and sequencing relations. The relationship of social and emotional development to student learning and behavior A student suffering from emotional and behavioral problems leads to interference of the learning process. Such changes lead to poor communication, poor social relationships, and difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings. This affects student’s social intelligence and competence development. Competence development is related to emotional intelligence, which hinders the person from making accurate and logical decisions and in the developments of problem-solving skills. Classroom Analysis During my classroom observation I was able to view theories that were employed by both Vygotsky and Dewey as described above. The teacher was able to interact with student as a friend but also as a figure of authority. The teacher was able to instruct using repetition of previous instructed material while introducing new thought and feelings. I felt the instructor lacked behaviorism because there were no clear cut rules and regulations and the instructor mainly focused on the educational aspects of learning. The teacher was creative when giving lesson plans, and it was obvious the teacher put a large amount of time preparing for lessons. I observed the teacher calling upon students to answer questions regarding the topic presented to ensure the student was paying attention and learning the material. I did notice several students not paying attention and the teacher did not seem to notice but this was understandable considering the high student to teacher ratio. The teacher was also able to use differing vocal tones to emphasize important material content that I assume would be on an upcoming exam. Reference http://dougiamas.com/writing/constructivism.html#faces

Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta

Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta The Bottega Veneta is a new design company compared to the Balenciga designs. Established in 1966, Bottega Veneta opened its doors to the production of leather goods. The company has been recognized since then for its unique leather-weaving technique referred to as the ‘interecciato’ which has remained the brand signature of the design company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Balenciaga boutique operations date back to 1918 in Spain with its first branches in San Sebastian, Madrid and Barcelona. While Bottega Veneta grew and expanded to other countries courtesy of its discreet design and quality craftsmanship, The Balenciaga boutique moved to Paris to find new market after it was forced to close its operations in Spain due to the Spanish Civil War (Sievewright 90) Bottega Veneta has a unique way of advertising its products contrary to Balenci aga. This has enabled the designer shop to enjoy a discreet appeal to its clients with no logo design. In the early 1970’s, the design company adopted a new advertisement strategy making use of the tag line â€Å"When your own initials are enough†. The impact of this new innovation was evident in the few years that followed as by early 1980’s; the company had emerged as the favorite of the jet set internationally Balenciaga on the other hand advertises its products mainly through Hollywood stars, influential fashion editors and top models. The brand expansion of the two companies has not been that smooth. Both of them have experienced tough times on their way to the top at some points almost closing down completely. The falling out of top management in Bottega Veneta in the 1990’s led to the fortunes of the company to decline greatly. It was at this time that the company decided to abandon its old understated ethos and get into a new fashion territory tha t was trend driven. Some of the major changes that the management adopted at this transition period include doing away with logos that were visible from the brand’s products, highlighting the intecciato weave signature prominently, and having the company’s operations focus on artisanal production. After the closure in Spain due to War, Balenciaga opened its doors again in Paris with its first runway show featuring designs mostly influenced by renaissance from Spain. Its success come soon in the new market compared to Bottega Veneta. In a span of two years, the company received a revolutionary from the French press leading to its designs being highly sought-after (Sievewright 59)Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since then, both companies have ventured into new products and designs so as to compete with the market demands. Over the years, Bottega Veneta has added to its collections as it has included eyewear, jewelry, furniture and home fragrance. However, the shop has not given up on its traditional products such as shoes, handbags, small leather goods, home items, luggage and gifts. In the past, Bottega Veneta used to present its products especially those for women on run way shows but this has since changed as such presentations including those of furniture are now done in corporate offices located in Milan. In order to keep the company running and maintain high quality craftsmanship, Bottega Veneta resolved to open a training and support school in Italy. In the 1960’s, Balenciaga become an innovator of its own use of fabrics. This involved the change of style of production to intricate embroidery, heavy fabrics and bold materials. The trade mark of the design become collars which faced away from the collarbone so as to offer a swanlike appearance and bracelet sleeves that were had been shortened. Today, Balenciaga’s i s mostly famous for its handbags that are motorcycle-inspired. Balenciaga enjoys most of its sales in the United States where it has four boutiques that are exclusive. Balenciaga is also famous for its creation of structural pieces that are avant-grade which has enabled it to straddling the fashion edge and be in a position to forecast women fashions (Sievewright 78) Sievewright, Simon. Basics Fashion Design: Research and Design. New York: Ava Publishing, 2007. Print

More Security Against the Rising Risk of Bioterrorism essays

More Security Against the Rising Risk of Bioterrorism essays One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter (Egendorf 12-13). These people, be them terrorist or freedom fighters, have, for many years, killed innocent men, women, and children for no reason. In recent years, biological weapons have taken terrorism to a whole new level. Not only can terrorists accomplish their deeds with even more stealth, but they can also kill thousands and even millions cheaply and painfully. Bioterrorism has been called a disease of modern society, a condition of life, an art, an unsurpassed weapon of psychological warfare, and an antithesis of democracy and the democratic spirit (Hyde Terrorists have relatively easy access to a range of sophisticated, off the shelf weapons technology that can be readily adapted to their operational needs (Hoffman). In September 1984, a non-state sponsored terrorist cult called the Rajneeshee from Oregon intentionally contaminated many salad bars in restaurants with salmonella bacteria. The incident resulted in 751 cases of enteritis, inflammation of the intestine (especially the small intestine), usually characterized by diarrhea, and 45 hospitalizations. This occurred just from a weak bacteria like salmonella. The threat of bioterrorism then died down for over a decade. Then in 1995, the radical Aum Shinrikyo cult of Japan attacked the subways of Japan by releasing a sarin gas that killed twelve and left thousands debilitated. This cult not only tried this, they had allegedly launched three unsuccessful biological attacks in Japan using Anthrax and botulin toxin, sendi...

Analytical Hierarchy Process Technology Process

Because people choose these three elements: importance, preference and likelihood to evaluate all the possible alternatives to a decision which sometimes is not consistent with every decision situation, the concept of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was developed by Dr. Thomas Saaty. Dr. Saaty described the AHP as a decision making approach based on the "innate human ability to make sound judgments about small problems" AHP transforms complex decision problems into simple decisions for both individuals and groups that employees the use of it to make decision. It is accommodative of intuition, compromise, and consensus structure without narrow-mindedness. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss what the AHP is and some other aspects of it. What is AHP? Saaty suggested AHP as a process that requires structuring the decision problem to demonstrate key elements and relationships that elicits judgments reflecting feelings or emotions, and whose judgments can be represented by meaningful numbers having ratio properties. In the AHP approach, complex decisions are organized and assessed against all possible alternatives using a hierarchy of multifaceted objectives allowing for a better, easier, and more efficient identification of selection criteria. How AHP works AHP is used to first decompose the decision problem into a hierarchy of easily comprehended sub-problems, each of which can be analyzed independently. The elements of the hierarchy can relate to any aspect of the decision problem tangible or intangible, estimated or carefully measured, well or poorly understood. Once that hierarchy is established, the decision maker systematically examines the various elements, comparing them to each other in pairs. In making the comparisons, the decision maker can use his/her judgments about the elements’ relative meaning and importance, or they can use well refined data about the elements. AHP converts the judgments to numerical values that are processed, evaluated and compared over the entire range of the decision problem. A numerical weight or priority vector is derived for each element of the hierarchy, allowing diverse and often incommensurable elements to be compared to one another in a rational and consistent way. This capability distinguishes AHP from other decision making techniques. At the end of the process, numerical priorities are derived for each of the decision alternatives. It is then a simple matter to pick the best alternative, or to rank them in order of relative preference.

The spatial differences betwee men and women - this is for a gender Essay

The spatial differences betwee men and women - this is for a gender psychology class - Essay Example an others but certain abilities like spatial understanding, mathematical abilities and verbal skills have been shown as having a certain gender component. Kimura (2002) reports the generally accepted observations for human and non human males which show that males of the species tend to have more aggressive behaviors than the females. She goes on to say that, â€Å"We also know that in general males are better at a variety of spatial or navigational tasks (Kimura, 2002, p. 1).† Kimura (2002) is in agreement with Putrevu (2001) who suggests that the differences originate from the biology and the evolutionary path which has been taken by the genders in humans. This focus on evolutionary psychology goes a long way in helping us understand why it is important for men to be more aggressive than the female of the species. For instance, for biological reasons, including pregnancy, childbirth, and nurturing the child, women have made more significant investments in their children. Therefore, women who are more agreeable and nurturing may have caused better chances for the survival of their offspring and created an evolutionary advantage for their genetic code. In this regard, where women have greater sensitivity to nonverbal cues it could be useful to them in evolutionary terms for rearing children. Biological differences certainly extend to the functioning of the brain since one hemisphere of the brain comes across as being dominant for various kinds of processing. Research on the topic shows that the male brain is more functionally lateralized and the female brain is more integrated. This is the basic reason for why men exhibit superior spatial abilities and women excel in verbal and linguistic skills (Putrevu, 2001). Researchers also suggest that sexual hormones and early formation environmental factors are also connected with differences in perceptual-motor skills observed between men and women (Kimura, 2002). Despite the acceptance of fact and research which is the

Marketing in The Third World Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing in The Third World - Article Example When the discussion centers its focus on the marketing tangents within the third world nations, one finds that the booming economies of the developing countries brings to light the core issues of marketing, public relations, direct access to customers and other marketing outlets on a consistent level. This is because marketing has attained quite a significant role within the domains of the local businesses which are existent within these nations. With the changing global scenario and the technological thresholds coming to the fore, marketing has attained quite an important place within the whole area without any shadow of a doubt. Also new products which were just a norm within the developed nations have come to the front within the third world countries and thus marketing has had a pertinent role to play within the developing economies. Marketing within the third world has come out as a challenge for the different multinational companies because these organizations have seen pretty different perspectives both from the state as well as from the people, who are the direct beneficiaries of these multinational organizations. The marketing so done is indeed to benefit these people alone but at times consumer rights movements for one reason or the other have marred the whole infrastructure and indeed the business operations within the local domains for the multinationals. Thus the third world has posed quite a few headaches for the top companies when it comes to making the decision towards the third world countries or stick within the realms of the already developed nations. The consumer reaction could change any moment but then again this is pretty different to what these multinationals could expect in the developed countries where there are proper protests and demonstrations, all of which are lodged in a civilized mann er. The riots that usually take place within the third world countries due to branded products and the like are unheard of within the developed countries and thus this aspect has gained quite a lot of weight in the related discussions. Another significant consideration for marketing within the third world is of the ethical norms and the lack thereof. The ethical procedures that are implemented and made use of within the developed nations at times become a laughing stock within the third world nations due to the fact that their people are not properly educated and they have had less exposure at the hands of the multinational organizations. This is a serious pointer within the subject of marketing within the third world countries because seriously unethical and immoral marketing and advertising messages would become a usual norm within such locales and this would hamper their growth in a proper and adequate way. The society has a direct bearing on the way the marketing aspects are treated within any third world nation and thus the role of the marketing regimes becomes all the more pertinent in such situations. They have to play a parent role in devising strategies that could spark trouble and unrest within the third world nations as well as create controversies for the mere pleasure attached with their existence. Since labor is cheap within the third

Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media - Essay Example ‘Hot’ media was descriptive of elements of the mass media such as radio, newspapers and magazines. These media types give a lot of information to the reader or listener but do not give room for a lot of sensory involvement or completion on the part of the listener or reader. What McLuhan described as "cool" media included media sources like television as well as the telephone or television. Due to the fact that these devices do not give as much information as the radio or newspaper, they have to exact a stronger sensory â€Å"hold† on the attention of their users so as to remain relevant. McLuhan was especially engrossed with the effect of the television, which was just then gaining popularity, on its regular viewers. He was even more enthralled when later research established that television actually affects viewers by supporting them in developing passive brain wave patterns. Each mediums form is connected with a different understanding where the senses are conc erned and so expose the consumer to different experiences. These experiences or alterations of perceptions form the basis of the general message’s meaning. McLuhan had a broad definition for the word ‘media’. He perceived it as â€Å"any technology that ... forms extensions of the human senses as well as body†.2 McLuhan correlated parts of the body with technological parts so as to give a better characterisation of how he perceived technology. For instance, he felt that clothing was simply an extension of the skin, while the book could be said to be an extension of the eye. McLuhan felt that these industrial extensions could in fact intensify a specific human sense while the remaining other four were disregarded. Therefore, technology, according to McLuhan, interfered with people’s sensory balance, which then affected the emotional responses of the larger human society. This process, according to McLuhan, could be viewed as being the unintended caus e of all the principal cultural shifts that have typified eras of human history like the industrial age or the renaissance. McLuhan believed that human beings adapt to their environment by way of given balances, and that the main medium used in each age unearths a distinct sense ratio. McLuhan perceived every medium as being an exaggeration of one of the human faculties. He even believed that the human central nervous system is represented in the electric circuitry. It was McLuhan’s believe that in the prehistoric era, humankind existed in the perfect condition in which all of man’s senses functioned together in perfect synchronisation. In his words, â€Å"prior to the discovery of the phonetic alphabet, humankind existed in a world where all the five senses were simultaneous and balanced; this was a world of filled with resonance as well as tribal depth†.3 Humankind, according to McLuhan, lived in a space that was devoid of margins or even a centre. The only wa y through which preliterate people could exchange ideas was through speech. In essence, all information

Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literacy - Essay Example Functional literacy's popularity, that since formulations by UNESCO in the 1940s is based upon the assumption that it is of great practical importance as it enables access to work and economic security. Functional literacy occupies a place at the low extreme of a literacy continuum on which cultural and critical forms of literacy occupy the high extreme. High forms of literacy are associated with high order cognition (abstraction, logical reasoning, simultaneous consideration of several ideas and wisdom beyond knowledge) but significant ideological differences separate cultural literacy and critical literacy (McLaren, 2001). Cultural literacy is a contemporary version of the classical paradigm in that it focusses upon the transmission of mainstream linguistic and cultural knowledge. Critical literacy is a refinement and extension of the progressive paradigm and is concerned with 'decoding the ideological dimensions of texts, institutions, social practices and cultural forms such as television and film, in order to reveal their selective interests' (McLaren, 2001: p. 213). Within the critical paradigm, attention is given to reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, speaking, listening, viewing, etc. only in so far as they enable one to use language critically and intentionally to serve one's own purposes. The term of 'literacy' has been chosen for a number

Stressful Conditions at the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Stressful Conditions at the Workplace - Essay Example The other measure to relieve stress in the workplace is accessing training needs and conduct of training to augment effectiveness in job performance including time management and assertiveness training. This can be done through attending short workshops for training purposes and participating in training aimed at improving understanding of stress management practices. Other measures to relieve job-related stress include talking to other employees at the workplace on a stressing situation to gain their support especially human resource managers, colleagues, managers, and trade union representatives (Murray, 5). Talking can also be with people outside of work, for example, family and friends to gain their insight and get their views on the stressful situation. When the issue is excessive workload, the employee should ensure this gets the attention of the manager to allow (Murray, 5)for a better and convenient work allocation fitting the needs of the employees and solve the stress from the job. Maintaining a balance between play and work allows for the use of leisure time to prepare the employee for work and relieve job-related stress. This includes regular exercising, taking holidays, maintenance of a healthy diet, and maintaining support networks. Learning to think positively about a job-related stress, counseling, and seeking medical intervention are the other measures of relieving job-related stress.   Ã‚  

Paintings are a reflection of religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paintings are a reflection of religion - Essay Example The essay "Paintings are a reflection of religion" discusses the ways several arts works, particularly paintings, have reflected religion or religious situations.Artistic creations, particularly through paintings, are therefore significant for scholars of diverse endeavors. In the study of expressive symbolism the humanist and the social scientist find common ground. According to Trotter â€Å"the themes of religion have provided the content of painting in the West. In gallery after gallery, the great themes of religion are the subject matter of the paintings. The Louvre in Paris, the Prado in Madrid, and even the Hermitage in Leningrad, display countless paintings of the Annunciation or the Crucifixion or the Resurrection.† In this regard, this essay aims to proffer the ways several arts works, particularly paintings, have reflected religion or religious situations. The discourse would present a comparison of how the works selected were different or similar in some elements t hrough concrete examples. The first inquiry is the rationale for painting religious themes. According to Trotter (1987), â€Å"in great periods of painting, such as the Renaissance in Europe, the wealthy who could afford to hire artists often subsidized major religious works as appropriate to the scale of their own palaces and as gifts to religious institutions† (par. 2). This is the reason why Leonardo da Vinci painted â€Å"The Last Supper† in 1498. Esaak (2010) averred that â€Å"his employer requested him to do so. Leonardo worked for Ludovico Sforza.

Stressful Conditions at the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Stressful Conditions at the Workplace - Essay Example The other measure to relieve stress in the workplace is accessing training needs and conduct of training to augment effectiveness in job performance including time management and assertiveness training. This can be done through attending short workshops for training purposes and participating in training aimed at improving understanding of stress management practices. Other measures to relieve job-related stress include talking to other employees at the workplace on a stressing situation to gain their support especially human resource managers, colleagues, managers, and trade union representatives (Murray, 5). Talking can also be with people outside of work, for example, family and friends to gain their insight and get their views on the stressful situation. When the issue is excessive workload, the employee should ensure this gets the attention of the manager to allow (Murray, 5)for a better and convenient work allocation fitting the needs of the employees and solve the stress from the job. Maintaining a balance between play and work allows for the use of leisure time to prepare the employee for work and relieve job-related stress. This includes regular exercising, taking holidays, maintenance of a healthy diet, and maintaining support networks. Learning to think positively about a job-related stress, counseling, and seeking medical intervention are the other measures of relieving job-related stress.   Ã‚  

Essays on Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard Essay Example for Free

Essays on Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard Essay At first filled with shame, his officious father soon realizes just how profitable his son’s supposed spirituality can be. His mother, meanwhile, finds in the orchard relief from traditional Indian family life and middle-class respectability by devoting herself to creating increasingly exotic curries. All goes well until the local monkeys start to drink. Plans to rid the orchard of their unwanted hullabaloo multiply and eventually go completely awry, but not before Sampath is released from the endless cycle of demands. Transformed into a guava, he is last seen being carried towards the sacred Himalayas by the hungry monkeys. This story, by the daughter of novelist Anita Desai, works best when the pacing is as fast as the author’s touch is light, as it surely is in the final thirty or so pages. When it drags, stylistic tics become annoyingly apparent, the narrative too slender to support even a novel this short, and this talented author’s indebtedness to other writers, from Narayan and Salman Rushdie to Italo Calvino, Jerzy Kosinski and Gabriel Garcia Marquez the sign not of postmodern play but of youthful derivativeness.

Mobile Grocery Store Business Plan

Mobile Grocery Store Business Plan Business Plan Table of Contents (Jump to) Executive Summary Section 2 – Business Summary 2.1. Business Description 2.2. Business Objectives 2.3. Current Situation and Background 2.4. Financial Situation and Legal Requirements Section 3 – Industry Analysis 3.1. Industry Description 3.2. Industry Growth 3.3. Future Industry Developments Section 4 Market Summary 4.1 Market Analysis 4.2 Market Segmentation 4.3 Market Research 4.4 Competition Analysis 4.5 Competition Strengths 4.6 Competition Weaknesses Section  5 Sales and Marketing 5.1. Marketing Strategies 5.2. Unique selling point 5.3. Media, promotion strategy and advertising campaign 5.5. Budget Section  6 – Financial considerations 6.1. Pricing strategy 6.2. Projected sales 6.2. Other financial considerations Cost Appendices Appendix 1 – Cash Flow Forecasts Section 2 – Business Summary Due to the impact of supermarkets growth and rising costs the numbers of local and convenience stores are declining[i], particularly in rural areas. This means consumers in many of the rural areas of Wales are finding themselves having to travel further afield for their basic grocery shopping requirements, which can present difficulties, particular for the older age segment and those in single families or with busy lifestyle. It is therefore seen that there is an opportunity for the introduction of a mobile grocery business to service these consumers needs on a regular basis, bringing convenience store benefits and prices to their locale. This business plan presents the case for a business that will fill this niche market sector. Provisionally named North Wales Mobile Grocery (NWMG) the business, whilst not a new concept, is innovative in that it brings all of the benefits of convenience shopping close to the door of the consumer whilst at the same time eliminating many of the shopping difficulties experienced by consumers in rural areas, particular those in the older age segment, single families and with busy lifestyles. The business plan is being presented with the intention of seeking a partnership with a branded grocery organisation that will provide the capital investment to assist with its development and future growth programme. 2.1 Business Description NWMG will operate two mobile shops offering convenience store shopping close to the homes of those who live in the rural areas of North Wales that are not adequately serviced by local stores. The two stores will be of different sizes, with the larger on being based upon a refurbished coach, with the smaller vehicle being either a reasonable sized van or smaller coach version. The advantage of the former is that, with its low level access, it will allow elderly shoppers to board and browse. The smaller vehicle will be operated on the basis of the consumer having their requirements served personally by the vehicle operators, and will be better able to service the more remote locations where accessibility would be difficult for the larger vehicle. It is anticipated that the vehicles will be able to carry a range of between 100 and 200 products, with the larger vehicle having the ability of offering a small range of frozen items. This will include all of the staple and basic grocery and food items that are always in demand by consumers. The mobile shops will operate on a time slot basis at convenient locations that will serve between one and three streets. Dependent upon demand, each area will be allocated between one or two slots a week. It is anticipated that each slot will cover a time period of one and a half hours. With hours from 7.30 am to 9.00 pm, and allowing for thirty minutes travel between slots and six day opening, this provides the business with seven retailing slots per day, equalling 42 retail slots per vehicle per week. To enable the business to operate on the basis of offering competitive prices, it is the intention of the proprietor to develop a partnership relationship with an existing grocery distribution or retailing brand so that the business will gain low cost competitive advantage[ii] from the economies of scale that partner can offer. The will enhance the ability of the business to deliver consumer satisfaction and at the same time assist in the development of a loyal customer relationship. 2.2 Business Objectives The objective for the business is to create a quality alternative convenience shopping experience for the consumer, one that will bring quality service at competitive prices. In addition, this experience will address the true meaning of convenience, being located a few steps away from their door at a time when they need to avail themselves of the products being offered for sale. Following the successful establishment of this pilot business, for the longer term the proprietor is considering commencing a franchise operation that will expand into other rural locations throughout the UK and Ireland. 2.3 Current Situation and Background The growth of supermarket chains within the past few decades, with their share of the grocery market rising to 75% in 2006[iii] together with the increased costs of running a local business, has led to the demise of many local stores during the course of the past few decades, a position that experts expect to continue[iv]. In many rural areas this has created a situation where consumers have been left with no local stores, forcing them in some instances to travel reasonable distances to do their daily and weekly shopping in out of area stores. Of itself, this presents difficulties for the elderly, single parent families and those with business rural lifestyles. Valuable time and money is having to be spent by these consumers in having to arrange for transportation or to take time off work in order to do their shopping at distant supermarkets. Furthermore, there is a need to purchase additional supplies during these visits as they have no convenient store from which to satisfy sudden extra need or impulse buying requirements. The disadvantage of this situation is that any price benefit gained from their shopping is eroded by the extra cost and inconveniences they experience. It is these problems that our mobile service is intended to address. Between once and twice a week our mobile stores will bring convenience back to the local area. It will reduce the trauma of having to make time consuming and difficult trips for the elderly and those who have time limitations. Furthermore, the small price differential between our products and those offered by distant stores will be more than offset by the cost saving of the travel involved. 2.4 Financial Situation and Legal Requirements As this is a new business, there is no financial background to rely upon. However, a detailed financial plan has been constructed and is attached within the appendices at the end of this plan. This shows that the business requires funding of  £X,XXX,XXX to complete its programme. To facilitate the attractiveness of the investment, it is intended to set the business up as a limited company, which will provide the investor with formal shares, which will pay out dividends as well as having the potential for capital gain return. In terms of legal requirements, the owners are aware that the business will need to comply with all the health and safety regulations relating to food retailing. In addition, if the product range is to include alcoholic, tobacco and other legally controlled products, the relevant licences will need to be applied for. Section 3 – Industry Analysis 3.1 Industry Description Latest statistics show that the numbers of local and convenience stores, particular those that are independent, are continuing to decline[v], and there is little sign of this situation being reversed within the foreseeable future. The statistics also show that the position in respect of independent stores is being exacerbated by the increase in the share that supermarkets and multiples are taking of the convenience retailing market. For example, Tesco now has a 6% share of the convenience store market[vi]. However, the supermarkets and multiples, despite the inroads they are making into this market segment, still have catchment area criteria that need to be met before they will consider opening a convenience store in a specific location. This means that consumers in the less densely populated and more rural areas of the country, as is the case in North Wales, are the losers, as these larger organisations do not consider the replacement of closed down stores in these areas as being ec onomically viable, which thus leaves consumers in these areas bereft of the convenience retailing services available to their suburban neighbours. Indeed, a recent report showed that between 2002 and 2006, 7,337 or 4 independent retailers a week were forced to close this businesses, which shows the significant scale of the problem that has been created[vii]. However, demographic statistics show that the consumer segmentation is changing. The UK consumer population is aging, particularly in rural areas[viii] as are the general lifestyle and social habits of the population as a whole. Similarly, there is increasing pressures being seen to affect long distance shopping experiences, which includes the rise in traffic congestion problems, environmental concerns, both in terms of climate and the degeneration of local community life. As a result of these issues, consumers are increasingly turning towards convenience shopping as being a more appropriate alternative. By bringing a mobile service to rural areas, our business offers the consumer in those areas the ability to have that choice. 3.2 Industry Growth Despite the decline in the number of independent retail outlets, and a slow down in the growth of supermarket growth over the past few years[ix], one area of industry grown that has maintained a fairly consistent level of increase is the convenience store sector. The IGD[x] report in 2007 shows that there was a growth of 4.9% in this sector in 2006, which took its revenues to over  £26 billion, with expectations that this figure will exceed  £35 billion by 2012. 3.3 Future Industry Developments A Datamonitor report in 2007[xi] shows that the grocery market is perhaps the most competitive in UK retailing. This report confirms the research conducted by IGD in terms of the consumer’s control over the development of this sector, forecasting that in the next five year it is the changes in consumer perception and demand that will drive the market segmentation and, as has been seen, this is moving more towards convenience and local shopping as is predicted by IGD. However, neither of these reports, or other market observations, see the independent store sector recovering. With the decline of independents expected to continue, this provides additional opportunities for a business such as the one NWMG is proposing to develop in an area that is expected to suffer significantly from this decline. Section 4 Market Summary 4.1 Market Analysis The grocery retailing market can be divided into three main segments. These are the supermarkets and multiples, who between them now how a share approaching 90% of the total market, leaving the co-operatives and independents with the balance[xii]. However, as a recent economic report produced by Defra[1] in (2003, p.18)[xiii]reveals, the situation is different in Wales, which has the highest number of non-superstores per 100,000 of population in the UK. It can thus be deduced that the continual closure pattern of independent stores is likely to affect North Wales, a more rural area of the country, to a greater degree than other areas of Wales and the UK, increasing the gap in the marketplace for the consumer orientated local store provision to be filled. However, with the problems of cost, competitive pricing and market share penetration affecting local stores the most, the meeting of consumer demands can be seen to be more appropriately filled through the introduction of the more fl exible mobile store business model that is being proposed by NWMG. 4.2 Market Segmentation In terms of segmentation of the North Wales market, the Defra report mentioned in section 4.1 also reveals that, in comparison with the rest of the UK, a high proportion of the Welsh population employment is concentrated in rural areas. Another report conducted by Swansea University also show that the age demographics in Wales is changing, with an above average growth of population in North Wales between 1981 and 2001 and an 88% increase in the numbers of people aged 75 and over in the three decades to 2001[xiv] These statistics show the potential for the increased need for convenience grocery retailing in the area, and a need that is set to continue to rise during the coming decades. 4.3 Market Research Undertaking the market research, the results of which have been presented within this business plan, has helped the Proprietor of NWMG to identify the potential for the mobile grocery concept envisaged. For example, it has determined that there is a gap in the market that provides opportunity for business growth and also that the segmentation of population and the market performance are conducive to enabling the business to achieves its goals and objectives, both in terms of market share and financial projections. Furthermore, this research has confirmed that the consumer perception and demand is continuing to focus upon convenience â€Å"time limited† shopping rather than the â€Å"marathon† shops that were prevalent in the early days of supermarket expansion, which also fits in with the structure of the mobile store concept. 4.4 Competition Analysis There is no doubt that the UK retail grocery sector is dominated by supermarkets and multiples and these represent a formidable force of competition. However, the Defra (2003, p.12) report referred to previously shows that in Wales, these retailers control under a third of the retailing stores per 100,000 people, when compared with independent stores. The geographical and widespread demographics of North Wales also make supermarket growth and penetration more difficult than it would be in a more suburban area. Another area of competition may also occur from smaller independent stores within close proximity to the areas that the NWMG business will be servicing, although it is considered that the price differentiation will limit the response from this sector of the market. Therefore, it is considered that, although competition from these sectors would be strong, some of that strength would be dissipated by these demographic obstructions. 4.5 Competition Strengths Irrespective of the last comment made within the last section, the competition to NWMG does have some considerable areas of strength. Some of their main strengths emanate from their position of size and market dominance. For example, the economies of size[xv]and brand awareness give these businesses the financial and loyalty ability to be able to react positively and aggressively to any new market entrant. It is partly for these reasons that NWMG is seeking a partnership with an established brand to assist with the development of its business model. 4.6 Competition Weaknesses However, as has briefly referred to earlier, there are some weaknesses that attach to the competition as well. Foe example, the low area concentration of the North Wales population and the geographical structure of the region make it more difficult for theses larger stores to be able to find suitable stores to fulfil the standard criterion that is needed before development is commenced. Similarly, the governments current determination to regenerate rural communities is also having a restrictive impact on the major chain development programmes. Finally, the supermarket growth is particularly constrained by the regulatory conditions laid down by the monopolies commission in terms of limits to market share positions. These issues will assist NWMG by muting any negative response form these competitors to its entry into the convenience market sector. The proprietor of NWMG has used the market research conducted, in conjunction with other efforts, to endeavour to closely define the target market for the business. The result of this research conclusion is that the target market will be concentrated upon three main types of consumers. The first, and perhaps primary market segment will be the older age segmentation. The inherent difficulties in terms of cost and transportation that these people experience as a result of the loss of their local stores. This is in addition to the desire these people have to reviving local facilities. Secondly, there is the large segment of the population that is employed in rural areas. Because of the constraints of their employment, these people do not have the ability to be able to access distant stores with the same ease as those who are employed within a more suburban or town location. Whether they are employed or self-employed, this sector of the population do not afforded the luxury of being able to pop to the local store at lunchtime or during a break. The final segment of the population being targeted is the singles market. This includes single parents who cannot afford to spend the time travelling to distant stores due to their child commitments, such as school runs etc., an d those people who live on their own and do not wish to spend the time or expense travelling long distances to purchase a ready meal of few items of grocery needs. The local position of the North West Mobile Grocery mobile stores together with their ease of accessibility, predetermined time slots that will be maintained on a regular basis and the price competitiveness of the products is seen to be addressing the concerns and demands of all of these target segments. As seen from the attached cash flows, the owner intends to spend the first month organising the refurbishment and conversion of the vehicles used for the service, the estimated costs for which have already been provided. In addition, this time will also be spent in putting into place all of the other capital expenditure items and implementing the supply, administrative and management systems that are required for a business of this nature. From a retailing aspect, research will be conducted to enable the development of the initial time slot calendar and location rota, which will need to be established to ensure an efficient deployment of staff and vehicles. From the human resource aspect, the employees selected will need to have HGV licences but, as customer service is also an integral part of their duties, it is intended to that the necessary training is undertaken by these employees to ensure they can interact with the customers in an effective and appropriate manner, thus building a relationship that will enhance the business product and create a loyalty factor that will continue to improve customer retention. Another step in the initial development process for the business will be to address the issue of location parking. In addition to public parking availability it is also intended to enter into discussions with owners of Public Houses, elderly care homes, local farmers and local village community centres to assess the viability of these sites being used where appropriate. These have the added advantage of potentially attracting custom from those who frequent those establishments. As the business grows, the product range is likely to increase. Additionally, as customer relationships develop it is intended to introduce a limited request service that ensures the product range continues to reflect the products that customers require. Section  5 Sales and Marketing 5.1 Marketing Strategies As the intention is for the business to position itself as a time determined local convenience store, a major part of the marketing strategy is to deliver the vehicle to specific locations at time slots that equate to local needs. For example, in areas of higher employment, these would be prior to office hours, lunchtimes and after office hours. Similarly, for areas with a high concentration of elderly and family residents, the mid-morning and mid-afternoon time slots are perceived to be more appropriate. 5.2 Unique selling point The unique selling points of this particular business model, apart from the intention for the retailing opportunity to be where the consumer needs it at the time it is needed, is to maintain a competitive price, service and product range advantage. The partnership connection is particularly important in regards to the first and last of these advantages in that it will enable NWMG to keep prices at a level where the differential between these and distant store prices will be offset by the cost and time saving of making such a trip. 5.3 Media, promotion strategy and advertising campaign Because of the nature and geographic area of the business, the media and promotional strategy will be localised, using newspaper, local radio and TV stations to promote the business. The approach will be further enhanced with the delivery of direct flyers, which will introduce the service and market research conducted through local questionnaires and interviews. This type of direct consumer feedback is considered to be essential for both the establishment of and future growth of the business. It also allows for the employees to begin to develop a customer relationship, whilst at the same time assisting the business in determining that it’s strategy is delivering to customer needs and satisfaction. 5.5 Budget The budget details for the sales and marketing programme are addressed in more details within the cash flow projections. However, because of the localised nature of the business and the direct interaction with customers that will be achieved during retailing activities and the market research programme, it is not considered that a substantial budget will be required for this area of the business overheads. In this area also, in addition to comparing actual with budget coats, a system for monitoring the return on marketing expense will be maintained The predominant owner of this business will the author this report, who intends to invest  £30,000 of his own capital into the project. With the objective of forming a partnership with large grocery brand distributor or retailer, it is anticipated that this partner will be offered a position on the board of the limited company. The responsibility will be shared by these board members in the following manner. With regard to the day-to-day business activities and development, the author will be responsible for this areas. The new board members will have responsibility for product development and assisting in the development of the business retailing strategy for the future. In addition to senior management, the business will employ four full time personnel. All of these employees will be required to have HGV licences and, as previously indicated, undergo customer relationship training. The employees will work in pairs on the two vehicles, dividing the responsibility of driving and retailing appropriately, with required rest periods being taken during the times when the vehicles are at a static location. To ensure that the required hours of employment are maintained the proprietor, who has an HGV licence, will act as a relief driver for part of the week on each vehicle. It is anticipated that the above management and employee structure will serve the business during the course of the first year years of operation. Where required, other expertise will be engaged on an â€Å"as and when† required basis to deal with legal, accounting and taxation issues that affect the business. Section  6 – Financial considerations 6.1 Pricing strategy Although, due to the additional costs of transportation, staff, economies of scale and other overhead cost that attach to the type of business being operated by NWMG it will not be possible to maintain prices as low as those offered by supermarkets, as mentioned earlier, through the facilities offered by the intended partnership connection, including the economies of scale this provides, the pricing of products will be maintained at a competitive level for the local consumption and will largely by offset by savings that consumers achieve from lessening distant shopping trips. 6.2 Projected sales In terms of the projection for sales, it is anticipated that the business will experience a reasonably significant rise in sales revenue within the first six to nine months of operations. From the position at the end of the first year the objective is to achieve an annual sales increase of around two and a quarter times in year two and approximately a third in year three. Although part of these sales progressions will come from product range and price increases, most of the increase will result from the business attracting an increased customer bases and encouraging additional purchases. The progression from year four onwards is likely to demand an increase in the number of routes covered, which will require additional vehicles and staff levels. All of these intentions have been incorporated within the projected cash flow forecasts and account statements that are attached in appendices one to three at the conclusion of this plan. 6.2 Other financial considerations As can be seen from the cash flows, the majority of the capital investment for the business will be required within the initial months of trading. In total, these capital costs can be identified as follows: Retail equipment includes chip and pin and remote stock control programmes. Of this capital  £27,000 of the vehicle is intended to be met through the provision of a six year hire purchase agreement, with the balance of the funding being achieved through the initial capital investments. As a point of interest, it is also intended to replace the business vehicles on a four year cycle, using the asset replacement fund, as this will maintain the professional image of the business and reduce the amount of maintenance costs expended during their usage. The total financial requirement of the business is  £75,000, which is anticipated to be met by a  £25,000 investment from the proprietor and the remainder from the partnering organisation. In exchange for the partner’s investment, they will receive 45% of the business shares and the remainder of their investment will form the basis of the share premium account noted on the balance sheets. Appendices Appendix 1 – Cash Flow Forecasts Notes to the cash flow Number of weeks is counted by reference to the number of Saturdays in the month No account has been taken for VAT and Corporation tax at this stage Product price increases have not been taken into account as it is considered that these will be offset by increased costs A contingency amount of 1% has been allowed to account for any unexpected expenses North Wales Mobile Grocery Service Cash Flow Forecast Year to April 2009