Health Promotion and Preventions

Health promotion and disease prevention are processes that enable individuals to improve their health. Health promotion seeks to increase an individual’s control over their health by addressing behavior under the control of the individual. Disease prevention is associated with medical and public health activities to prevent diseases. Health promotion and disease prevention have been utilized in the U. S. health care system for many of years and extensive research has been done on which preventive measures are most likely to protect individual health.Studies have also been done on what degree can preventions contribute to controlling costs of health care. Research supports the effectiveness of the preventative measures such as immunization, some forms of screening, avoidance of a high-fat diet, regular moderate exercise, as well the avoidance or cessation of exposure to tobacco. But research has also shown that preventative measures increase, rather than reduce, health care cos ts. Research has shown that preventative interventions preserve function and extend lives.Studies have shown immunization to be a good example of a prevention that promotes individual health and longevity. The benefits of immunization can been seen in young people and in the elderly. For decades the elderly have been receiving vaccination against influenza and it is also commonplace for young children to receive inoculations for diptheria, tentanus, pertussis, polio, meningitis-causing Haemophilus influenzae, measles, mups, rubells, and hepatitis B. 1 A study from the Netherlands demonstrates the health benefits of the elderly receiving annual influenza vaccination.The findings from the study were that the those who received annual vaccination experienced a reduced mortality risk of 24 percent and it was estimated that the vaccination prevented one death for every 302 people vaccinated. 1 Immunization has also eradicated diseases that once threaten the lives of children in the U. S. , as illustrated by the history of the disease pertussis. Between 1934 and 1943 there were on average 200,000 annual incidence of the disease, including over 4,000 deaths. After the introduction of childhood vaccination for pertussis in the 1940’s, reported cases drastically declined and reached a low of 1,000 in 1976. Research has also shown that some types of screening are good examples of preventative measures that effectively protect individuals. Screening is a strategy used to detect a disease in individuals who are without signs or symptoms of that disease. Between the early 1970s and 2000, use of the Pap test decreased incidence and mortality from invasive cervical cancer by 40 percent in the U. S. 1 The screening is almost an ideal because it is inexpensive, convenient, effective in detection, and cervical cancer is highly curable when detected early.The U. S. Preventive Services Task Force also strongly recommends screenings for colorectal cancer, high blood pressur e, and Chlamydia infection. 1 As significant as disease prevention, health promotions in lifestyle and risk reduction in the areas of tobacco, body weight, diet and exercise have been shown in studies to protect individual health. The most important of these studies that show the benefit of lifestyle preventative practices are the Framingham Heart Study and the Nurses’ Health Study.The Framingham Heart Study has been a main source of information regarding an individual’s attributes that lead to cardiovascular disease. The early findings of the study identified smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose intolerance as risk factors for heart disease. 1 Before the study it was thought that heart disease may be unpredictable. Recently findings show that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is a characteristic predictive of heart disease. The Framingham study had major implications on lifestyle in regards to physical activity and diet as preventative practices.It showed the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was less common in physically active individuals. The study also showed that being overweight is associated with risk factors such as lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study found similar results regarding the effects of diet and lifestyle on heart disease. The study concluded that among women, adherence to preventative practices involving diet, exercise, and abstinence from smoking is associated with a very low risk of coronary heart disease. The health risks of certain diets have also been the subject of many studies. Trials have shown that consumption of trans fatty acids produces factors that are predictive of heart disease. 1 Alternatively, studies have concluded that a preventative practice of a diet rich in non-trans fats, whole-grains, abundant fruits and vegetable, and adequate in omega-3 fatty acids offered significant reduction in heart diease. 1 Health prom otion and disease prevention has also been thought as a means to control health care costs in the US.It is seems logical to assume that health care cost would be reduced by individuals avoiding illness and that illness detected early are less expensive to treat. Research has shown that some preventative measures may reduce health cost, but many actually increase health care cost. The work of the economist Louise B. Russell offers very informative cost effectiveness analysis of the preventative practices of vaccination. 1 Russell studied a campaign during the 1960s to inoculate children against the measles shortly following the introduction of an anti-measles vaccine.She calculated the cost of the immunization intervention to be the sum of the cost of administering the vaccines and the cost of treating people who contracted measles, which included children that may have missed the vaccine or for who the vaccine was ineffective. Russell’s findings were that the intervention sav ed 973 lives and prevented 3,000 children from being mentally retarded. She also found that campaign reduced absenteeism from school and work due to measles by 34 million days.She concluded that the intervention cost $31 million, but saved $200 million in institutional care for children who would have become retarded had they not been vaccinated. This type of preventative measure can be seen as very cost effective. Russell also concluded that other vaccination programs weren’t cost effective. She found that a small pox vaccination administered to 37,901 people because of a threat of bioterrorism attack resulted in 85 hospitalizations, 10 life-threatening diseases, 2 permanently disabilities, and 3 deaths. This intervention proved very costly since there wasn’t a bioterrorism attack.The preventative measure of screening also proves to increase cost of health care in the US. The costs of screening include the diagnosis, medication, doctor visits, and treatment of side ef fects. Additional cost also result from the increased life expectancy of the individuals who are successfully treated. Conversely, if an individual isn’t screened the individual’s death result in the end of incurring health care costs. Screening for colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U. S. , also revel an increase in the cost of health care.The American Cancer Society recommends that colonoscopies be the preferred method of screening. In 2005 colonoscopies amounted to 60% of all colorectal cancer tests. 3 But colonoscopy is expensive and carries a higher risk of serious complications that other screening choices. Cost benefit analysis of cervical cancer screening also illustrate the increase in health care costs. Studies by a research team in Georgetown University indicated that Pap tests reduced deaths by 75% when done every three years and the cost per quality-adjusted life year gained would have been $11,839.The study also found that a more aggressive treatment resulted in deaths reduced by 95%, but the of a cost per quality-adjusted life year gained would increase to $76,183. 1 Health promotion interventions in lifestyle offer uncertain cost-effectiveness and cost impact. A case can also be made that tobacco control increases the costs of health care and that smoking itself is an effective cost control. Smokers due require more medical care when they are alive, but upon the death of smokers, saving can be realized in nursing homes expenses, and the unutilized pension and Social Security benefits.Cost effectiveness analysis is not a complete approach to view health promotion and disease prevention. Though costly, preventative interventions in immunization, screening and lifestyle have been found by research to protect individual health. Cost effectiveness analysis should then rather be concerned with comparing alternative interventions. A good example of this type analysis is of colorectal screening, in which recommendation was for the intervention that would save the most lives at a given expenditure level. Russell said it best that â€Å"even when prevention does not save money, it can be a worthwhile investment in better health, and this- not cost savings- is the criterion on which it should be judged. †1 1. Greenwald HP. 2010. Health Care in the United States: Organization, Management, and Policy 2. Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, Manson et al. 2000. Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women through diet and lifestyle. N Engl J Med 3. Subramanian S, Bobashev G, Morris RJ. 2010. When budgets are tight, there are better options than colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Health Affairs

Theme of the Road Not Taken

In life decisions have to be made. Some are regular every day choices that have little impact on your life. Others however, can change your life forever. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† Robert Frost uses sound, figurative language, diction to illustrate the importance of every day decisions and the regret you get when you think about those decisions later in life. Once the first stanza is read the first example of sound is revealed. The rhyme scheme in this poem is ABAAB. The words that rhyme in the first stanza are â€Å"wood/stood/could† (lines 1, 3, and 4) and â€Å"both/undergrowth† (lines 2 and 5). These rhymes give the poem a sense of connectivity and flow. They also emphasize certain ideas in the poem such as the fact that both paths were equal in every way and none had been traveled before as he states in stanza two. Also alliteration is present in the poem. In line eight, alliteration makes the poem flow more poetically. â€Å"Because it was grassy and wanted wear;† (line 8). The â€Å"wa† sound repeats itself in the last two words of the line. These examples of sound make a poem that should sound uneven flow like a poem should. Figurative language in a poem can intensify any meaning greatly. For example Frost uses personification and imagery to create pictures in our head of what the forest looks like and gives personality to inanimate objects. For example, when Frost says â€Å"Because it was grassy and wanted wear† (line 8) in line eight he uses personification. A road cannot want anything but it does give the road the personality that it has not been traveled ever before. Also he gives imagery when he says the forest is a â€Å"yellow wood† (line 1) which gives the impression that the leaves have fallen off the trees and it is autumn time in the forest. Autumn in literature represents the coming of old age and wisdom but the character still has a feeling of fulfillment. So in the poem the character could be nearing the end of his journey with a feeling of riches and fulfillment but a final decision might determine his destiny. Finally diction in this poem creates the theme and gives the poem the regretful and remorseful feeling we get at the end. In the final stanza he says that â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence. † (lines 16 and17). Now, when someone tells a story with a sigh it means that they might regret the story they are about to tell. The character probably second guesses himself on the decision he made years ago and wonders what he would be like if he had chosen the other path. Even as he makes the choice (as he knows he has to or else he will not get anywhere) he knows that whatever path he chooses he will never know what lies on the other side. This is why he always tells his story with a sigh. Decisions in life are hard to make and sometimes can be overwhelming. Frost uses sound, figurative language, and diction to communicate what decisions can lead to later in life. The poem explains that in life there is not a right or wrong path. There are just many paths that are equal and have different outcomes. This leads to people second guessing themselves later in life and wondering about the unknowable path that they did not take. This means that no matter what path you choose something is going to happen and you have to accept it. Therefore, in life it doesn’t matter if you make the right or wrong decisions just seize the day.

Sexual Boundary Violations At Work Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Sexual Boundary Violations At Work Place - Essay Example Women occupying the relatively higher status in the workplace are also subjected to such misbehavior by men of either same status or higher position. Men always go after power either by conferred status or through acquired status. But women generally do not have an obsession with power. The powerful statuses they occupy in organizations are merely out of their work interest and involvement. Even after occupying a greater powerful position they want to retain it by persisting involvement alone. Women never resort to any other crooked methods for retention of power. But in case of men, once they taste the blood of power, they get ever intoxicated to it and want to maintain it at any cost. Especially when they happen to encounter women with the real power of ingenuity or skill, they get mentally annoyed, the cause of which is never able to be identified by their fickle psyche. As a result, they find sex discrimination as a tool to overpower women. This process of overpowering leads to s exual boundary violation and then subsequently to sexual harassments even. Workplace rudeness is the pinhole opening for Sexual Boundary violations in many organizations. The rudeness includes several aspects of misbehavior such as sending a nasty and demeaning note, not giving credit where a credit is due, giving dirty looks or another negative eye contact. ( Metts et al, 2009: p.252) Before landing on a clear-cut definition of sexual boundary violation, it becomes necessary to understand sexual boundary crossing.

Political science Political culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political science Political culture - Essay Example (Miller 2008) This is the Newsweek cover story for the December 15, 2008 issue. An examination in regard to how Miller has written the piece would demonstrate how the story could be classified not strictly as a news story owing to the biased reportage – one undertaken to advance the liberal view on the subject. Miller wrote and investigated an outline of the reasons why the religious arguments in opposing gay marriage are unfounded and unreasonable. The author’s involvement in the story underscores how this issue has divided American society, rousing the active political participation of stakeholders from both sides of the political spectrum in political debates and other initiatives so as to influence legislations in this area. The conservatives are rallying against gay marriage while the liberals are mustering its force to support it. The intensity of the debate is essentially driven by the fact that gay marriage concern two fundamental American values that are protected by the Co nstitution – family and freedom. Conservatives want to uphold the traditional concept of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. For this sector, allowing gay marriage is tantamount to redefining family and violating its function of procreation. Needless to say, much of the rationale behind their position is rooted on moral arguments and religious beliefs and doctrines, reasoning that the preservation of the traditional family is important in the stability and health of the society. With this, the liberals, such as the case of Miller’s article, are quick to refer to several passages of the Scripture that encourages inclusion, regardless of age, sex, race, etc. Furthermore, the liberals are emboldened by the recent favorable court rulings that put significant weight on freedom, choice, right and equality rather than the strict and conservative doctrines that may have been founded on religion. A specific legal foundation of

Network Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Network Security - Essay Example Project Planning: Parameters of project planning and resources to be utilized are identified. 2. Risk Analysis and Review: The internal and external threats, to which an organization is exposed to, are identified especially risks related to the geographic location. 3. Business Impact Analysis: The critical operations of the business unit are evaluated and resources that are needed to operate them are identified. 4. Recovery Strategy: Temporary recovery guidelines are created for the business units that are exposed to the period between a predictable disaster and ready for normal operations. Alternative recovery strategies are also planned and important data and information of the business units are copied and stored in a safe location. 5. Plan development: Right people to conduct the recovery operation are identified and methods to notify these people are established. Methods to evaluate the operational impact and recovery activation are also determined. Steps to minimize the risks a nd the restoration of the system to normal after attack are also created. A Business Continuity Plan is the milestone of this phase. 6. Training: The employees that were identified to be involved in the recovery process are made to understand the BCP. 7. Testing: A fake situation is created to test the BCP and evaluate it to ensure its working. 8. Maintenance: The plan is updated on a frequent basis with change in business. (Heng, 2004, p. 2). Part 3 A Disaster Recovery Planning is a planning that results in a document called the Disaster Recover Plan which â€Å"explores how a network recovers from a disaster that could either damage its data or hinder and stop its functioning. An organization’s financial auditors need this document as a company’s... A large corporation is supposed to have a large volume of data and information that needs to be protected from any kind of theft and any kind of loss due to natural disasters. This essay follows and discusses the ways such corporation are using to increase their network security. A large corporations should implement device security: physical and logical, that are described in the essay. Physical device security implies the placing of a copy of the original device in a location where it is safe from malicious attackers. However, logical security protects the device from non-physical attacks. This essay also refers to some systems, that are used to establish network security and plan it's proper work. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is discussed, that is a planning that helps to identify the internal and external threats an organization is exposed to. A Disaster Recovery Planning explores how a network recovers from a disaster that could stop its functioning. An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), that is mentioned in the essay is an important policy defined for a network, it defines what the acceptable usage of organizational resources is. The policy defines things, that are described in details, such as: sharing of passwords among users, installation of applications, copying data, levels of privacy on use of organization’s resources and many others. The last topic that the researcher discusses is social engineering, that is a way in which human behavior is manipulated in order to acquire a desired objective, such as hacker attacks.

Father Junipero Serra's view on The Ohlone Way Essay

Father Junipero Serra's view on The Ohlone Way - Essay Example . Therefore, I humbly request Your Excellency to treat my Report with utmost secrecy. The name of the book is The Ohlone Way : Life in the San Francisco- Montrrey Bay Area .The authors are Malcolm Margolin, and Michael Harney The latter has also illustrated the book , which is a slim volume of only 174 pages divided into four parts. The authors start by giving the various Indian tribes such as Sioux, the Novajo and others a single name â€Å"Ohlone† The first part of the volume is dedicated to describing the Bay area as we know it now. Without thanking or mentioning our Savior even once, they describe a land of plenty.. The plentiful animal and aquatic life of the area seems to have vanished. at the time the book is written ,two hundred years hence. They write with regret about the wild geese and ducks which are so abundant now that they rise with a noise of thunder at a gunshot. About the grizzly bears, which our Spanish people catch for use in the reprehensible practice of Bear-and –Bull fight they say, â€Å"Today there is not a single grizzly left in all of California† (p.8) Their writings show a sympathy for wild animals, birds and aquatic animals which have been created by the Almighty God solely to serve man in his quest for salvation. More than the animals, it is the life of the savages whom the authors call â€Å"Ohlones† which shocks one. The Ohlones , as we already know, are a depraved people, who commit the cardinal sin of worshipping spirits of animals. According to the authors, â€Å"But their intimate knowledge of animals did not lead to conquest, nor familiarity breed contempt.† The Ohlones sing and dance at all times, living a life of pleasure, forgetting the next world which awaits them. .Instead of suffering for the sake of the Lord, they enjoy themselves in this world, without a care for the other world. The authors of the book are corrupted by the Devil. Although they have good,

Leonardo da Vinci Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leonardo da Vinci - Research Paper Example dia Britannica. 2011). His unlimited desire for knowledge drove him beyond painting. Powered by his superb intellect, keen sense of observation, and mastery of the art of drawing, he studied nature; a line of inquiry that allowed him to pursue dual art and science (Capra 2007). Life of Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was born of the illegitimate relationship of a Florentine notary and landlord, Ser Piero, and a young peasant woman, Caterina (Bortolon 1967). That notwithstanding, Leonardo da Vinci, enjoyed the privileges of a legitimate son and grew up in his father’s estate and received the usual elementary education of those days: reading, writing, and arithmetic (Bortolon 1967). He did not exhibit any particular aptitude for Latin, the key language of traditional learning, and higher mathematic until later in his life. Due to his artistic inclination, which appeared early in life, he father apprenticed him to the renowned artist Andrea Del Verrocchio (Bortolon 1967). He received a multifaceted training that included painting and sculpture as well as the technical-mechanical arts in Andrea Del Verrocchio’s workshop. ... In 1482, Leonardo abandoned two painting projects, The Adoration of the Magi for the monastery of San Donato and an alter painting for the St Bernard Chapel, in Florence and moved to work for the duke of Milan, Duke Ludovico Sforza (Encyclop?dia Britannica. 2011). The prevailing strict academic atmosphere in Milan as well as the duke’s brilliant court and the meaningful project may have enticed him to Milan. Indeed, the 17 years spent in Milan were fruitful. He was highly esteemed as a painter and a sculptor. He completed six works in Milan among which was the famous painting, The Last Supper. He also had an extensive workshop in Milan where he had several apprentices. In addition, he served as a technical adviser in the fields of architecture, fortifications, and military matters, and he served as a hydraulic and mechanical engineer (Capra 2007). Following the victorious entry of the French into Milan, Leonardo left the city probably December 1499 or January 1500. He visited Mantua and Venice before returning to Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, he was accorded a reception deserving of a renowned son. Leonardo devoted his stay in Florence to intensive scientific study (Capra 2007). That notwithstanding, he was still involved in painting. It was during this period, 1503 – 1506, that he painted Mona Lisa (Vezzosi 1997). Upon the invitation of the French governor in Milan, Charles d’ Amboise, Leonardo returned to Milan in May 1506. During his second stay in Milan, he did little work as a painter; rather, he worked as adviser in architectural matters. His scientific activities reached their zenith during this time. The expulsion of the French from Milan in 1513 led Leonardo

Case Study analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Case Study analysis - Essay Example An organization without a vision, mission, purpose and values is doomed to fail. It is hard for such an organization to be able to set their goals and objectives. The organization has no defined future and does not know what it exists to do. Vision, mission and values help an organization to have common goals and objectives in an organization. The management expects to maximize the level of their profits. They also expect to lower their operating costs. Considering the level of competition in the industry, the management expects to have a viable benefit over their competitors. The management also expects to have the right people for the job. They expect to be treated with respect and dignity. They also expect the company will produce products of high quality that will meet their needs. The customers expect the company will have the recent technology to improve their efficiency. There is a rapid change of technology, and the company does not want to adopt the new changes. The companies’ workforce has also changed with time as well as their needs. The company has to adapt to the changes and learn the needs of its workforce in order to keep them satisfied in the job. The company also needs to learn the changing needs of the customer in order to remain competitive in the market. The manager (Meyerson) moral development is within the stage of the social contract. Meyerson values different opinions and the rights of employees. The manager believes that the organization should adopt policies that lead to the satisfaction of the majority of workers. The manager has come up with new management styles that lead to the satisfaction of the majority of the employees. Meyerson has opened the communication channel in the organization for employees to access him directly. He has also embraced the problems of the workforce as problems of the whole organization. (Robbins, 2005) The model is ideal in evaluation of key

Relativism and Morality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Relativism and Morality - Research Paper Example Though Goodman (2010) does not deny the existence of relativism, he claims that there are certain basic human universals; and he also claims that terrorism, genocide, and polygamy are all beyond the scope of relativism as they are equally wrong in all culture. The first ‘wrong’ identified by Goodman is genocide. Genocide can be defined as the killing of people on the basis of a specific feature ranging from caste, creed color, religion or even lifestyle. One can undoubtedly say that genocide is wrong according to most cultures in the world. Thus it is possible to conclude that there are there are more ethical commonalities than ethical differences among cultures, supporting Goodman’s claim. However, one cannot ignore the Nazi concentration camps and the claims of the Nazi war criminals. Their claim was that they had just followed what was right according to their legal and cultural framework. Thus, it becomes evident that it is not possible to fully agree with wha t Goodman claims. The second issue in the list is terrorism (Goodman, 2010). Goodman makes the claim that no culture in the world finds terrorism morally acceptable. The mere fact is that many cultures in the world, at one time or another, adopted terrorism. For example, the American troops in Vietnam drew a pathetic picture in front of the guerilla tactics of Vietnamese. It is unlikely that Goodman forgot the Taliban and al Qaeda which claim that ‘jihad’ is the way to eternal life. For more examples, one can think about the way the colonies managed to struggle away from the European colonization in the last century. The mere fact is that in broad terms, every fight that does not follow internationally accepted war regulations (if any) comes under terrorism. Thus, Goodman goes seriously wrong in claiming that terrorism is not relative. Very similar is the case of polygamy. According to Goodman (2010), polygamy is universally accepted as ‘wrong’. In fact, po lygamy is an accepted practice among many cultures including the Fundamentalist Mormon religion. Islamism too allows polygamy. The mere fact is that only those cultures which follow monogamy find polygamy as a ‘wrong’ practice and only those cultures spend much time dwelling into the issues of those women in polygamous families. For the polygamous societies, polygamy is just one part of their cultural life and they might be able to enlist a number of problems associated with monogamy. Thus, polygamy fails to become a universal wrong. Though it is possible to prove that the claims of Goodman are way off the mark, one has to admit that it is highly necessary to have some universal moral concepts. First of all, one can argue that giving much attention to cultural relativism will mar the growth of civilization. For example, the whole world condemns genocide at present. There was a time when the Nazi war criminals claimed in the Nuremberg war trials that they were just follo wing what was permissible according to their cultural and legal system. However, the society has considerably changed since then, and at present, most societies consider genocide immoral. Secondly, relativism leads to self-refuting. For example, moral activists are stopped from taking steps as most of the atrocities in the world at present are right according to some societies. For example, there is the clitoridectomy or the circumcision of female genitalia. According to some cultures, this is acceptable and

Organising Learning Essay Example for Free

Organising Learning Essay Furthermore, another area of concern for me is managing behaviour in the classroom. In my opinion, managing behaviour is a partnership between the teacher and the children. The teacher must be the authority figure in the classroom. I feel this is achieved once trust and respect is formed. Once routine is learned and the children know what is expected from them, a lot of pressure is taken off the teacher. In school, the children were constantly encouraged to put their hands up. If they called out the teacher would respond quickly and ask them to put their hand up. Therefore, I have found that unwanted behaviour should either be ignored or dealt with rapidly to reduce further problems. It is they teachers responsibility to decide how to handle a situation. The school has a behaviour policy which the whole school follows. I feel this is a valuable document and offers guidelines to handling challenging behaviour. The teacher uses smiley or sad faces on the board as a management strategy. In my whole school experience only saw three sad faces which was amazing. The Overall behaviour of the children was very good as the teacher used praise, smiley faces, well done points and stickers on a regular basis to encourage good behaviour. The children thought very highly of the teacher and tried hard to please her. I tried to use the teachers classroom management strategies as the children were familiar with them and the children responded to the in a positive wing the very lucky teaching the class as they showed a genuine interest in my lesson and behaved extremely well for me. I feel this was because I tried to make it interesting. I tried to pitch the lesson to their level so they could relate it to their experiences. Meeting the needs of individual children is a constant challenge. Some children may need individual help all the time and there are some children who have special educational needs. Therefore, there needs must be planned for and a lot of praise and encouragement is needed to reward their progress, so they dont feel excluded from the rest of the class. I believe this is extremely important; an effective teacher must be able to meet the individual needs of every child in the classroom. At university I particularly enjoy science and English lectures. The tutors are friendly and approachable which I feel is because they make sure we all understand the lesson. They quickly recognise if any students are struggling with their work and offer different methods of learning. I feel comfortable participating in these lessons as I feel quite confident in the subject. These tutors also give us the opportunity to discuss our thoughts and ideas with each other which I also think is an effective method of learning. I have also found that assessment is a vital part of teaching and this is an area of concern for me. It is especially vital to assess children at the end of each key stage to provide an individual report they can take with them, which highlight their strengths and possible growth points. Although a teacher will know what level their pupils are at, it is now important to have evidence to support their judgmentsDuring my school placement I observed the teacher assessing the children on a regular basis. Questioning the children is an effective method to establish what level the children are at, this is accomplished in an informal manner and the children are not pressured. The teacher built on the results of the assessment during teaching and addressed any misconceptions which the children may have. Another method of testing was seen at the end of each topic, the children answered questions on a worksheet which provided physical evidence to support the teachers judgment. Sometimes check-lists can be used for smaller groups during some activities which have been planned for assessment. I observed year one and year three and upper key stage two. I saw the same behaviour management in all the classes. Year six children were given more responsibility over their time management and behaviour as the expectations were shared with them from the beginning. Year six did not sit on the carpet, all teaching took place at their tables. It helped to see how the children progress and the NNS and NLS is a valuable document which tells teachers how to develop the childrens learning. I am concerned about becoming an effective teacher, and it is vital that all teachers should recognize their strengths and weaknesses. They should reflect on previous lessons and be able to set targets. I feel that teaching is an occupation where the teachers are also learning alongside the children. Sometimes lessons may not go as well as we anticipate or sometimes they may be better than previously thought. All this should be recorded by evaluating our progress after each day and building on our professional development. It is crucial to act upon areas which need improvement. In conclusion, I have highlighted my concerns of becoming an effective teacher. I have included possible ways to improve areas such as classroom management and behaviour. I have also included my school observations for examples of the teacher giving and receiving respect from the children. I have also included forms of assessment and self reflection which are crucial aspects of teaching. In my opinion, teaching is not simply a career, it becomes part of your life. A creative and stimulating teacher would gain great personal satisfaction from this profession and my school placement has confirmed my desires of becoming an effective classroom teacher. It is important for a teacher to be happy, organised and enthusiastic in school, knowing that they are making a difference to a childs future. Bibliography Collis, M. Lacey, P. (1996), Interactive Approaches To Teaching, London, David Fulton.  Dean, J. (2001), Organising Learning in the Primary Classroom, Third Edition, London, RoutledgeFalmer.  Edwards, D. Mercer, N. (1987), Common Knowledge, London, Methuen

Fall of Malacca Empire

Fall of Malacca Empire FALL OF MALACCA EMPIRE The golden age of Malacca ended in 1511. Empire Malacca who called to an end after the Portuguese attack Malacca under the rule of Sultan Mansur Shah. Internal Factors WEAK LEADERSHIP OPPRESSIVE ADMINISTRATION Weak ruling government is the root cause to the fall of the Malacca Sultanate. They were overdependence on Tun Perak until they can’t find a capable leader to replace him. After the death of the Bendahara Tun Perak, Malacca lacked an efficient leader as the replacement of Tun Perak which is Tun Mutahir as a Bendahara was a weak leader because he more concern on his personal welfare and biased during his administration. Many of the ministers expressed their dissatisfaction with this aspect of the way of his management style. As a result, there were often struggles for power. Besides, Sultan Mahmud who paid only a little attention to the administration consider as a weak leader too. He enables the officers to act as they pleased. Bribing and defamation were rife and inevitably result in economic instability and discontent among the people. Corruption in administration to gain personal wealth had caused the imposed of high taxes on citizens and traders forced merchants to shift t heir attention to Acheh, the other trading ports. At the same time, Bendahara Tun Mutahir being accused that he attempted to overthrow the king. He evoked the anger of Sultan Mahmud so without further investigation Sultan Mahmud executed Bendahara Tun Mutahir and his family. Raja Ahmad the inheritor was also weak and inefficient. When Sultan Mahmud realized he was wrong, he handed reign to his son which was unable to help him to rule his empire. Whereas Bendahara Tun Perpatih, the successor which is also weak, ill and old. Son of Sultan Mahmud DISUNITY Malacca’s weak position caused the disunited of people and spilt into factions. Bendahara Tun Mutahir is and Indian-Muslims. His weak administration and practiced favoritism had caused the Malays to become hostile towards them and develop into racial tension. Bendahara Tun Mutahir been appointed had caused the jealousy among Malays and the evident was when Sultan Mahmud commanded Bendahara Tun Mutahir and Tun Ali to be sentence to death at the betrayal by Raja Mandaliar and Laksamana Khoja Hassan, an Indian native. Bendahara Tun Perak’s son, Tepok been appointed as Bendahara but he was too old. All of these factors had causes the disunity among the residents of Malacca. THE WEAKNESS OF MALACCA MILITARY AND DEFENCE Continued misunderstanding caused segregation and disunity among the people. The situation became worse and critical when the Portuguese, led by Alfonso d’Albuquerque attacked Malacca. For Malacca soldiers, they are losing of skills because they not involved in war for a long time. They had been using traditional weapons such as creese, arrow and spear during the war with Portuguese. Whereas, Portuguese used modern weapons such as cannon that clearly different from Malacca in term of range and mobility. Portuguese armed forces have well-equipped weapons and good strategic planning with the guidance of Alfonso d’Albuquerque. Before Portuguese attack Malacca, they had conquered Goa India so they have support of army from Goa India. But for Malacca, the mercenary soldiers from Jawa abandoned state during the war. DISLOYALTY OF FEREIGNERS AND MERCHANTS Due to the political instability, merchants who came and stay at Malacca did not believe to the government of Malacca. They even backed and supported Portuguese during their attack. For Chinese merchant, they provided huge barges on loan to Portuguese. Tamil merchant provided information regarding Malacca defense system. External Factors THE DISCOVERY OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE (TAAJUNG HARAPAN) It is a naval passage in Southern Africa that discovered by Bartholomew Diaz in 1488. The successful of crossing of the Cape of Good Hope allowed the sailor to sail from the west which is Portugal to the East. While Prince Henry eager to locate their trading in the East that lead to the encouragement of his people to sail to East with the slogan of ‘ Gospel, Gold, Glory ‘. The expansion of Portuguese sea exploration was pioneered by Vasco da Gama. He was the first to discover the east coasts of India that help in the establishment of Portuguese. EMERGENCE OF OTHERS TRADE CENTERS Due to the oppressive administration and the high taxes, traders started to looked for other port such as Acheh and Brunei. They had finally switched to the other ports where they can be treated fairly. PREACHING Lopez de Sequeira was assigned by Prince Henry to analyze the trade potentials in Malacca. He arrived at Malacca carrying with him a letter offer from the King. His job was to establish trade with Malacca. Bendahara Tun Mutahir and the officer who were powerful in the court were hostile towards the Christian. The merchants from Gujarat, who got the news the Portuguese planned to preached a holy war against those Muslims infidels. Unfortunately, because of the argument between Bendahara Tun Mutahir and Sultan Mahmud Shah, de Sequeira managed to get known a plot was planned to kill him and his is managed to escape from Malacca with his fleet, leaving behind several of his assistants as captives. Conclusion From the research we had make, we conclude that Malacca Sultanate Empire had gone through three eras which are the beginning and the rise, the middle and the fall of the empire at the same time it contributes a special slots in Malaysian history, because it is said to be the origin of the present sultanate of Malaysia. From the process that Malacca gone through we summarize that effective and systematic administration had lead Malacca to the best outcome. The leader himself must be a role model to make the empire grow and unite the citizen. Citizens’ power can’t be neglected because it influenced the development of any empire in the world including merchandise and traders. We are reminded that in whatever time and place unwise leadership, corruption, disunity and weak defense must be avoided or otherwise turmoil history happens again. Referencing History of Melaka Lonely Planet Travel Information. 2015. History of Melaka Lonely Planet Travel Information. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malaysia/peninsular-malaysia-west-coast/melaka/history. [Accessed 22 January 2015]. The fall of Malacca. 2015. The fall of Malacca. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.malaysiahistory.net/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=26:the-fall-of-malaccacatid=46:early-history. [Accessed 22 January 2015]. Fall of Civilizations Malacca Sultanate (Revised Version). 2015. Fall of Civilizations Malacca Sultanate (Revised Version). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/105111287/Fall-of-Civilizations-Malacca-Sultanate-Revised-Version#scribd. [Accessed 22 January 2015]. The Fall of Melaka. 2015. The Fall of Melaka. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/port1.htm. [Accessed 22 January 2015].

M.C. Escher :: essays research papers

The Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972) was a draftsman, book illustrator, tapestry designer, and muralist, but his primary work was as a printmaker. Born in Leeuwarden, Holland, the son of a civil engineer, Escher spent most of his childhood in Arnhem. Aspiring to be an architect, Escher enrolled in the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Harlem. While studying there from 1919 to 1922, his emphasis shifted from architecture to drawing and printmaking upon the encouragement of his teacher Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita. In 1924 Escher married Jetta Umiker, and the couple settled in Rome to raise a family. They resided in Italy until 1935, when growing political turmoil forced them to move first to Switzerland, then to Belgium. In 1941, with World War II under way and German troops occupying Brussels, Escher returned to Holland and settled in Baarn, where he lived and worked until shortly before his death. The main subjects of Escher's early art are Rome and the Italian countryside. While living in Italy from 1922 to 1935, he spent the spring and summer months traveling throughout the country to make drawings. Later, in his studio in Rome, Escher developed these into prints. Whether depicting the winding roads of the Italian countryside, the dense architecture of small hillside towns, or details of massive buildings in Rome, Escher often created enigmatic spatial effects by combining various -- often conflicting -- vantage points, for instance, looking up and down at the same time. He frequently made such effects more dramatic through his treatment of light, using vivid contrasts of black and white. After Escher left Italy in 1935, his interest shifted from landscape to something he described as "mental imagery," often based on theoretical premises. The lavish tile work adorning the Moorish architecture suggested new directions in the use of color and the flattened patterning of interlocking forms. Replacing the abstract patterns of Moorish tiles with recognizable figures, in the late 1930s Escher developed "the regular division of the plane." The artist also used this concept in creating his Metamorphosis prints. Starting in the 1920s, the idea of "metamorphosis" -- one shape or object turning into something completely different -- became one of Escher's favorite themes. After 1935, Escher also increasingly explored complex architectural mazes involving perspective games and the representation of impossible spaces.

Genetic Engineering Essay -- Science Genes Papers

Genetic Engineering There are many risks involved in genetic engineering. The release of genetically altered organisms in the environment can increase human suffering, decrease animal welfare, and lead to ecological disasters. The containment of biotechnological material in laboratories and industrial plants contributes to the risk of accidental release, especially if the handling and storage are inadequate. The purely political dangers include intensified economic inequality, the possibility of large-scale eugenic programs, and totalitarian control over human lives. How should the acceptability of these risks be determined? We argue that the assessment should be left to those who can be harmed by the decisions in question. Economic risks are acceptable, if they are condoned by the corporations and governments who take them. The risks imposed on laboratory personnel by the containment of dangerous materials ought to be evaluated by the laboratory personnel themselves. All other risks are more or less un iversal, and should therefore be assessed as democratically as possible. If risk-taking is based on the choices of those who can be harmed by the consequences, then, even if the undesired outcome is realized, the risk is acceptable, because it is embedded in their own system of ethical and epistemic values. The concept of risk is one of the most important elements in consequentialist analyses of genetic engineering and biotechnology. The term, or its linguistic equivalents, can be found in teleological and deontological arguments as well, but the role of the concrete risk of harm is less central within these models. (1) The paragon of teleological risk-taking is Pascal's famous wager-argument regarding our belief in the e... ... to biotechnology', in: R. Chadwick, M. Levitt, H. HÃ ¤yry, M. HÃ ¤yry and M. Whitelegg (eds), Cultural and Social Objections to Biotechnology: Analysis of the Arguments, with Special Reference to the Views of Young People (Preston: Centre for Professional Ethics, 1996). (5) On such views, see J. Bennett, 'Whatever the consequences', in: James Rachels (ed.), Moral Problems: A Collection of Philosophical Essays (New York: Harper & Row, 1971). (6) H. HÃ ¤yry, 'How to assess the consequences of genetic engineering?', in: A. Dyson and J. Harris (eds), Ethics and Biotechnology (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), pp. 144-146. (7) H. HÃ ¤yry 1994, 146-148. (8) J. Thomson, 'Imposing risks', in her: Rights, Restitution, and Risk, ed. by W. Parent (Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1986), pp. 181. (9) Thomson 1986, pp. 177 ff.

Machiavelli: Personal and Political Implications Essay -- Michiavelli

Machiavelli: Personal and Political Implications "And since it is Fortune that does everything, it is she who wishes us to leave her alone, to be quiet and not give her trouble, and wait until she allows us to act again; then you will do well to strive harder, to observe things more closely...." (67)* Letter to Francesco Vettori in Rome December 10, 1513. Machiavelli is praised for the political implications of his writing in The Prince. However, many do not see the personal implications of Machiavelli's work, because the motivations for action are spoken in terms of political domination and the acquisition of power. There are underlying principles that speak of domination not only of cities and nations, but the domination of the opportunities placed before each individual. The Prince can be read in a different manner; as a manual for daily life and the maximization of opportunity. The mere notion that Machiavelli, a former servant to a Republican government who praises the role of principality, exemplifies his belief that adversity can be a blessing that has not been considered or planned. In The Prince, Machiavelli devotes special attention to the lives of Cesare Borgia and Pope Julius II; men who turned even the most trying circumstances into an opportunity to advance. With careful analysis of The Prince, from the perspective of pe rsonal actions, certain fundamental principles for living are revealed by Machiavelli. The most prominent theme which Machiavelli introduces, and it is the basis upon which he praises Pope Julius II and Cesare Borgia, is to create opportunity where none seems apparent. The first step to achieving the greatness of Borgia and Pope Julius II is to utilize foresight. Princes, according to Mac... ... the political and into the world of the common man, whose virtuous lives make the path of the prince a much smoother one. Moreover, men who appear common can reach the inner sanctum of glory by utilizing the rare instinctive natures given to them. This idea is supported by the author's own self-perception as a commoner who transforms himself nightly by putting on "curtail robes" and entering his study (10). While Machiavelli restricts himself to the praise of princes through his writing, he opens the door to making each person's life meaningful through a healthy perspective of trials and the encouragement to be brave against anything that Fortune may bring. For not all men can prepare to conquer the world, but no one need be deprived of the ability to conquer opportunity. Works Cited: Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Arlington Heights: Harlan Davidson, 1947

Case Study-Cooper Tire and Rubber Company Essay

Introduction â€Å"Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, founded in 1914, specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of rubber products for consumers. Products include automobile, truck and motorcycle tires, inner tubes, NVH control systems, automotive sealing, and fluid delivery systems.†(http://www.coopertire.com/about/). The case study on Cooper mainly concentrates on the tire industry, and  Therefore the following analysis will be based on this. Cooper Tire & Rubber co. has enjoyed much growth and strong returns. However, with intense competition and developments in new technology, Cooper must follow suite to maintain competitive advantage by balancing efficiency with cost specifically in the Replacement Tire Industry. To set the right strategies it is important for Cooper to first analyse the external environment, both on a macro and micro basis, and then assess the resources and capabilities/competences in order to get a detailed overview of the company. The External Environment The Macro environment; PEST framework Political/Legal Analysis The introduction of NAFTA and GATT has created new opportunities for tire manufacturers for the supply of cheap labour. Companies can reduce their costs by producing their tires in low-cost labour countries such as Mexico. The foreign trade sub zone status, which reduces the company’s duty payments on imported raw materials, benefit smaller companies like Cooper greatly as it allows them to compete on an international level with relatively smaller budgets. The tire market is a heavily unionised industry, by URW the industry’s union. Over the last years the union has won, after long strikes, increased wages and benefits for workers. Economical The industry as a whole is influenced by the economic demand for vehicles, this is characterised by the strength of the economy and the disposable incomes of the consumers. The early 90’s recession had a major effect on the industry. The decline in the car industry meant that the competition for replacement tires increased, whilst the original equipment demand fell. This resulted in many companies diversifying into the replacement market in a bid to compete. The gasoline prices have an effect on the tire industry, due to the number of miles driven by drivers. After many years with fluctuating gasoline price, the price is now reasonable and stable. Social In the tire industry, the standard of living has a direct effect on the demand for tires. An example of this is found in the sub urbanisation of the US community, which resulted in more wear and tear on tires, thus a need to change tires. In addition to this the transport industry, buses, taxis, and trucks were proving more popular than the rail system, thus increasing the demand for tires. Vehicle owners are often reluctant to spend money on replacement tires, as they do not want to spend money on an old car with the ambition to purchase a new vehicle in the short term. This social attitude has lead to low-cost tire producers being more attractive in the replacement tire market. Technology Customers in the OE market often set special requirements for tires. Due to improved technology, the companies can easier produce products tailored to customers’ needs. The introduction of new technology has also lead to companies being able to produce new, better quality products at low costs. This has lead to the importance in having the latest technologic equipment in order to compete in the market. The Microenvironment; Porter’s Five Forces Model Threat of Entry by Potential Competitors New entrants in this industry may be deterred to enter the industry, due to the high fixed cost investments needed in plants and equipment. The incumbent companies have also achieved economies of scale through mass production and production know-how as they have moved down the â€Å"learning-curve†. The brand loyalty is quite moderate, but consumers do not face any cost in the eventuality they decide to switch from an incumbent manufacturer to a new entrant. When considering all these factors as barriers to entry, the barriers to entry for new competitors would be moderate/high. Rivalry among established companies The OE market is highly consolidated with Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone dominating the slightly growing market. The competition is fierce, and the players in the market compete mainly on price and product technology differentiation. The replacement market is more fragmented, and cost reduction is used as the  key competitive strategy. In both markets, competitive structure results in more rivalry as tire manufacturing companies have to fight to maintain revenues and market shares. The exit barriers present in the industry lock incumbent companies from leaving the industry when profits are low. Main barriers are the investment in plants and equipments, pensions and insurance for workers. The competitive structure and the high exit barriers show clearly that the rivalry among established companies is fairly high. Power Of Buyers In the OE market, the buyers are the automobile and truck manufacturers that buy tires in large quantity and are relatively few compared to the tire companies. They have the possibility to switch orders from one supplier to another in order to get the most convenient deal (quality products at low prices). As for tire manufacturers loosing one single buyer would mean loosing a large market share, and therefore the power of buyers is high. In the tire replacement market, the buyers consist of independent tire dealers, service stations, major department stores and automobile dealerships. Independent dealers are the most powerful retail channels as they satisfy almost 66 percent of the replacement market and have been proved to have the ability to influence customers’ choice, they will have the power to agree convenient deals with tire manufacturers. However, the power of retail channels is fairly low, as they buy in relatively small quantity secondly and the tire firms can easily switch to other solutions such as manufactured-owned retail stores or simply other dealers. Power of Suppliers The power of suppliers of raw material is low. The main reason is that â€Å"all of the raw materials are commodities, available in bulk from a variety of  sources on world markets.† Therefore, tire manufacturers can easily switch from one source to another. Furthermore, tire firms can eventually vertically (backward) integrate the processes to obtain the raw materials they need. On the other hand, it would be less likely for suppliers to threat tire manufacturers forward integrating into tire manufacturing as they would have to face the high barriers to entry the industry. Complements The demand and profitability of the tire industry depends critically on the oil and auto/truck manufacturing industry. Lower gasoline prices increase the number of miles driven by vehicles, which lead to more wear and tear on tires and an increasing demand for replacement tires. If the number of new cars sold declines, it means that drivers are holding on to their cars longer, and the demand for replacement tires increases. The demand for OE tires is directly related to the number of new vehicles produced and sold. The number of new vehicles produced worldwide has been stable the last years. Substitutes The retread tire market segment is a substitute of the replacement tire manufacturing industry, because it serves a similar consumer need. However, the retread market is not a threat to the tire industry anymore. In 1996 the sales of retread tires started declining, due to the fact that buyers could purchase new, more reliable tires for a slightly increase in the price. Cooper’s resources, competences and competitive/business strategy As Hill & Hones argue, â€Å"a distinctive competency is unique strength that allows a company to achieve superior efficiency, quality, innovation or customer responsiveness and thereby to create superior value and attain a competitive advantage†. Cooper with its distinctive competencies is achieving substantial low costs compared to that of its rivals through its key resources and capabilities. Key resources and competences Intangible Resources and Competences A key intangible resource has been identified through Coopers distribution. This involves Coopers relationship with its wholesalers as it sells half of its production as a private label to store-chains, mass merchants and discounters, while the other half is sold under the Cooper brand through independent tire dealers. Cooper has achieved superior customer responsiveness by developing a good relationship with their distributors through valuing them instead of competing against them. Cooper’s inventory system is a key resource that has helped them in cut costs even further, when using the capability of buying ahead to get cheaper deals. Cooper has the competence of bringing their products quickly to the market by outstanding service to the distribution channel with an efficient automated material handling system. Cooper knows that it is pointless to compete against the largest players in the market like Michelin and Bridgestone when it comes to R&D. Instead they copy and imitate the largest companies. â€Å"Instead of pioneering its own design, the company often waits to see what sells well†. In addition, Cooper use their efficient technologic manufacturing equipment so they can produce products at higher standards tailored to meet customers requirements. Cooper also concentrates on implementing new ideas, and innovation is developed through the manufacturing of new production lines. This no frills approach of manufacturing its products, aided by product innovation leads to reduced costs. Cooper has a low marketing expenditure, compared to their competitors. They focus their marketing and promotional strategy towards their most important customers, which are dealers and distributors. The TQM (Total Quality Management) Concept Gorr, chief executive of Cooper supports the TQM concept, and argues that the company’s corporate philosophy is to â€Å"produce value and quality, as defined by the customer†. Top quality management is an intangible resource, which gives them the capability to produce products that are superior to their competitors. It also creates efficient production methods while delivering excellent service to its distribution channel. This is represented in their strategic â€Å"Cooper 21† plan. Cross-functional teams have also been developed within the organisation, where employee skills and know how can be easily switched from department to department. The decision making although undertaken by management were made in consultation with all members of the company, as employees implement ideas in the most effective way. Cooper is therefore capable of developing and producing tires at a lower cost relative to those of its competitors. In addition Coopers innovative compensation system where by wages rise or fall due to the individual’s performance further contributes to motivation and overall productivity. An effective measure of efficiency is employee productivity, and Cooper is much more efficient than their competitors (see Appendix 1). Coopers, recruitment process in aid with its screening test is also designed to â€Å"team players†, which is designed to identify people with the â€Å"right attitude† to fit the job. This improved quality maintained by Cooper means that costs decrease because of less rework, fewer mistakes, fewer delays, and batter use of time and materials. Consequently productivity improves as â€Å"better quality leads to higher market share† (Hill and Jones, Strategic Management, 2001). Tangible Resources Cooper’s plants located in small towns and Mexico are one of its key tangible resources. Its plants have provided the company with cheaper resources including plants and labour. When Cooper want to expand its capacity, buying old plants and refurbishing them are very cheap. This tangible resource has helped cooper to create superior efficiency of resources as it permit to  reap savings over the company. Cooper’s own designed equipment is a valuable tangible resource for the company. Its own production equipment meet better the company’s own needs and specifications than commercial equipment. Cooper’s custom machines have helped to create superior efficiency and productivity in the production process by increasing production capacity at a reduced time. Its computer technology has not only enabled Cooper to keep up with its competitors but also reduced its costs. Contribution of Key Resources and Competences to the Value Chain To gain competitive advantage on its competitors, Cooper Tire focuses its strategy on what are its key resources and capabilities. It is really about maximising and concentrating all the key strengths of the different organisation’s primary and support activities, as represented in the value chain diagram. One of the strongest advantage for Cooper Tire is its ability to produce good quality tires at low cost, and this is the result of a winning combination of key resources such us technological machinery and key capabilities such as low-cost production know how and an efficient product distribution. In terms of value chain Cooper Tire creates its value with an efficient and consistent production, marketing and sales activities and at the same time with a well-organized company infrastructure. For these reasons Cooper Tire pursues a cost-leadership competitive/business strategy that will enable the company to maximise profit and expand. As Hill & Jones stated: † A strategy is an action a company takes to attain one or more of its goals/(superior performance).† Therefore, once established that Cooper’s goals are to produce good quality products at the lowest costs possible, maximise profit and expand the company, therefore the strategy will consist of the actions taken to achieve these goals. One of the main resources that contributes to Cooper’s low-cost strategy is  the company’s cheap plants and labour. In particular, as Cooper operates mainly in the replacement tire market where it is not vital to pioneer in product innovation and design, its competitive/business strategy is mainly based on a low level of product differentiation. Very little is invested in product R&D and tires designs and characteristics are adapted in relations to other companies’ already successful products. On the other hand much more attention and investments are dedicated to implement the distinctive competency of effective manufacturing and materials management. More in details, the effective manufacturing and materials management consist in adopting high computer technology for â€Å"product design and development, machine design and mold design†. Technology enables Cooper to produce high quality products quicker than most of its competitors and therefore adds much value to its products. Cooper are characterised by its shared norms and values attained from employee quality and innovation (TQM) with employee recruitment tests for â€Å"team players and communicators† undertaken by Cooper. This has been reflected in its organisational culture. As a result value is added as competitive advantage is attained because it is difficult to imitate staff operations and efficiencies in decision-making, which is reflected in its Source Award for its quality. Company No. of Employees Estimated Capacity (units per day) Output per employee Goodyear 22830 366900 16.07 Michelin 17505 216000 12.34 Bridgestone 9145 129900 14.20 Cooper 4300 126000 29.30 Continental/General 4509 87600 19.42

Succesful Business Man

Different businessmen have different ways to build their own careers. When faced with the decision of what some of qualities of a successful businessman are, each person has his/her own opinion. From my point of view, I consider that common sense, specialized knowledge, and good communication skills are the qualities of a prosperous businessman. The primary characteristic which every entrepreneur needs to have in order to do well is common sense. It is defined as an ability to make judgments on the issues, which he/she encounter in every day situations.A good common sense often called as practical intelligence empowers he/she act more quickly and wisely, especially in many complex issues. Successful businessmen are always able to be aware of the dangers surrounding him, anticipate and make sensible decisions. The second most significant quality is specialized knowledge about his/her fields. The entrepreneur who is incompetent at his job will never become profitable. Worked out ambiti on and money invested are not enough to make the business an effective and flourishing one; he must always accumulate his needed knowledge before jumping into business world.What is more, it is indispensable to accomplish success without communication skills. Being able to gain customers’ confidence is an absolute art and entrepreneur who can do it is bound to be successful. Furthermore, good communication methods can lay an intellectual foundation for strong relationships with colleagues partly lead to succeed in business. A prosperous businessman is must not only an affluent person, but also a prestigious person whose advice is always regarded by the others.In a word, to be a successful businessman is not an easy thing, but with a lot of effort, each entrepreneur can reach up to the success from day-to-day. From what I have stated above, I truly believe that common sense, specialized knowledge and good communication skills are the qualities of a successful businessman. A bu siness man is someone taking risk in a certain company for the purpose of producing revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business man. Sometimes it can mean someone who is involved in the management of a company, especially as an owner or an executive.A successful business man must apply certain strategies in order to achieve different goals. So, what are the strategies that must be accomplished? First of all, to become a successful business man an entrepreneur should possess the basic business skills in order to adopt a winning business strategy. For example a business man in Fattal company is very organized always plan his business in every step and analyze it by writing a business plan to achieve the goals of the company properly this what make fattal one of the succeed company.So, a business man should always evaluate himself before taking any decision in business. Secondly, a business man must be an intelligent communicator who can gain confidence of others and a good listener to run the business easily. However, when I was doing my training in Pharma Group a medical company I really did appreciate the boss because he had the art of a good communication by being clear about what he was trying to explain whether he was informing or negotiating with us.In this case, the business person should be fluent in languages to be an expert in communication. Thirdly, Entrepreneurs need to deal with customers and suppliers with honesty to build a better reputation and must deliver the product or the service that add value to the business by focusing on the customers’ needs. Actually, Apple Company does have a good reputation because of the sincerity of the entrepreneur dealing with customers and buying them an efficient product that may satisfy their needs.

Conflict Resoluton in the Classroom

Running Head: INCORPORATING CONFLICT RESOLUTION 1 Incorporating Conflict Resolution Melinda McCray Concordia University INCORPORATING CONFLICT RESOLUTION 2 As an educator, it is important that I not only know how to effectively deliver the curriculum to my students, but to also be able to effectively manage my classroom. Managing the classroom is not just writing disciplinary referrals or assigning detentions, but also includes making the proactive decision to prevent and mitigate conflicts as they arise in the classroom. While all conflicts obviously cannot be prevented, teachers must be instrumental in guiding students to resolving their conflicts. Thomas Lickona (1991) touches on guiding students through conflicts. He writes, â€Å"even if students have the benefit of a conflict curriculum, social skill training†¦ many will still have trouble applying these learnings†¦ In these situations the teacher usually has three tasks: (1) Helping students understand†¦ (2) Helping students work out a fair solution†¦ and (3) Helping children practice the behavioral skills†¦. (294-295). While some of these suggestions may not be applicable to high school students in some instances, I think that Lickona’s suggestions have merit. In my classroom, I could certainly incorporate helping my students practice good behavioral skills. I would definitely focus on the moral aspects of discipline and behavior, because students can relate to how they would like to be treated, using the â€Å"what if† scenario. Morality of mind is always an incentive to encourage a child to behave in the proper way. Community involvement is not always that easy at my school, but using our parent liaison could be a step in that direction. Maybe the liaison could reach out to the parents when teachers cannot. Lickona(1991) suggests that observant teachers know the situations that trigger situations, (295) as one such teacher, using effective conflict resolution strategies such, one-on-one counsel, seating arrangements, and modeling good moral conduct is the way I plan to continue to resolve conflicts as they arise in my classroom and keep the classroom environment safe. References Lickona, T. (1991) â€Å"Educating for Character† How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. New York: NE Bantam Books

7.3 Time Management †Work File

Name: ____ Date: ____ School: ____ Facilitator: ____ 7. 3 Time Management – Work File Read the course resources in order to complete the following tasks. Read the following quotations. In your own words, explain what each quotation means. (10 points each) 1. â€Å"The amount of time available to you never changes. † ____ 2. â€Å"Learning to manage time is an investment in the future. † ____ 3. â€Å"Before you plan how you will use your time, you need to set your priorities. † ____ Using Course Resources answer the following questions. (10 points each) 4. Discuss the three ways time is wasted and how this can be avoided. a. ____ b. ____ c. ____ 5. What are the 4 keys to time management? a. ____ b. ____ c. ____ d. ____ 6. Choose one of the keys to time management and discuss how you can apply it to your daily schedule. ____ 7. Discuss whether or not writing a list and keeping a calendar would make you more efficient and productive. Why or why not? ____ Also read: Food Safety Work File Setting priorities: Fill in the chart below with at least three tasks in each column. First, set the priority of the task by assigning the highest priority task in each column with the number 1 and work down to the least important of the tasks being number 3. Write a time schedule along with the priority of the task. (10 points each) MUST DO|IMPORTANT TO DO|LIKE TO DO| Ex. 1. Finish health assignments-3:30 PM ____ |1. Turn in additional health assignments-4:30 PM ____? |1. Read additional information on health assignments! 5:00 PM____

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethics - Essay Example Moreover, the organizations can preserve a sustainable working environment by taking into concern the aspect of ethics in the current business context. Introduction Ethics is principally described as a philosophy of study which is particularly concerned with the assessment of human behavior. The aspect of ethics involves the learning about determining the correct as well as the incorrect activities which occur in the workplace (Singer, 1993). In this context, it can be stated that it is quite important particularly for the business organizations to manage ethics in a specific workplace in order to gain broad variety of benefits. The benefits include cultivating strong output as well as teamwork, supporting the growth of the employees and effectively organizing as well as managing the values linked with quality, diversity and strategic planning management (Guha, 2008). In this paper, a current ethical issue which is faced by Apple Inc. associated with one of its suppliers i.e. Foxconn will be taken into concern. Moreover, a detailed analysis about the emergence of the ethical issue along with formulating an effective plan in order to deal with the issue will also be depicted in the discussion. A Brief Overview of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American based multinational business organization which designs as well as sells broad assortment of consumer electronics, personal computers and computer software. The various standardized products of the company include iPod, iTunes, iPad and iPhone among others (Apple Inc., 2012). The company pays much attention and significantly focuses upon designing its products in such a way so that there lays a minimum affect upon the environment (Apple Inc., 2012). Moreover, the company remains much committed to preserve the highest benchmark of social responsibility by delivering safe working atmosphere and treating the working personnel with equal dignity as well as respect (Apple Inc., 2012). Analysis of Current Ethical Issue It has been viewed that Apple faced an ethical issue associated with one of its key suppliers named Foxconn while producing the valuable products of the company. According to the investigation made by Fair Labor Association (FLA), Foxconn has been involved with few ethical issues which include the working hours of the employees, health as well as safety, compensation and worker integration along with industrial relations. The report of the investigation which is conducted by FLA has revealed that Foxconn has failed to comply with the ‘Workplace Code of Conduct’ as well as labor law which prevails in China. From the perspective of the ethical issue relating with the working hours of the employees, FLA has identified that the standard amount of working hours of the employees per week at the factories of Foxconn surpassed the standard guidelines of FLA. This particular issue was observed in every factory of Foxconn (Scribd Inc., 2012). The principal causes behind the increase d rate of the working hours which surpassed the legal guidelines

Marketing strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing strategies - Essay Example Australia’s strong employment growth and rising wealth coupled together with car manufacturers’ strong discounting and cheap finance schemes have cultivated growth in new car sales. With a strong economy, low interest rates on car financing and tariff reduction on vehicle imports will increase consumer confidence and encourage consumers to spend. Therefore, projected growth remains strong and stable over the next five-year period. In this paper, the author focuses on the product launch of new product line for Mercin Daviro. Mercin Daviro is a New Australian car manufacturer that specializes in the small, compact and economic range. The company is derived from Europe where it matches the features of the small European cars. Trends in the demographic environment, economic environment, natural environment, technological environment, political environment and cultural environment have been analyzed and Mercin Daviro had used this information to structure their car. The automotive market can be segmented by product type such as four-wheel drives, people-movers, Sports utility vehicles, and light commercial vehicles. Strong sales growth has continued in most segments in 2004, particularly for four-wheel drives, people-movers and light commercial vehicles, pointing to another record year for total vehicle sales, even though new passenger car registrations are likely to have fallen slightly. Local demand have been rising strongly between 1999 and 2001, the value of total automotive exports fell by 2.2% in both 2002 and 2003. Total earnings from automotive exports were A$4.72bn (US$3.1bn) in 2003, of which A$2.99bn came from vehicle exports and A$1.74bn from component exports. The Middle East is by far the largest market for Australian vehicle exports, accounting for 40.1% of export earnings in 2003, followed by New Zealand (17.5%) and North America (16.6%). The current key players in the Australian automotive market are Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Mitsubishi,

Bans on Texting While Driving Dont Work Assignment

Bans on Texting While Driving Dont Work - Assignment Example Since only four states out of the many states that have already imposed texting-while-driving banning laws have been subjected to the survey, the statement that such laws are ineffective is not really conclusive. However, it is not too far-fetched to presume that texting-while-driving banning laws are really hard to implement. The offensive act takes place inside a vehicle in these cases and chances are law enforcement authorities would actually have a difficult time spying who is and who is not using his or her cell phone while driving. Nonetheless, it has been established that texting while driving is a road hazard that can jeopardize the health and safety of people on the road. Thus, despite the difficulty of implementing such a law, the government should continue with zealously enforcing it. At the same time, a more effective and relentless campaign against the dangerous habit must be conducted in all media. AdelaVoice, a venture-funded company located in Massachusetts, is announcing the launching of StartTalking, a software solution that promises to solve the hazard of texting while driving. Once installed on an Android mobile phone, StartTalking can be made useful when a person needs to use his phones but has to keep his hands and eyes on other things – like when he or she is driving. StartTalking runs quietly in the background ready to execute the voice commands of the user which can be initiated by uttering certain â€Å"prompts† like the words ‘computer’ and ‘operator.’

MGT3190 Assigment for August 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MGT3190 Assigment for August 2008 - Essay Example Cultural values, status issues, general living conditions, climate, healthcare facilities, everyday customs, food, transport, living costs, religious or spiritual opportunities, openness to change, conservation and self-transcendence were the variables taken into consideration in the study. (Van Vianen, De Pater and Kristof-Brown) A survey questionnaire was given to the test subject expatriates over an interval of three months. Surface-level differences only affect the attitude towards living conditions and changes like living, eating, and climate etc. deep-level differences are the ones that actually affect interaction with locals and adjusting to the new working environment over time. Deep-level differences affect an expatriate's adjustment to work, more. The study gave a detailed account of previous findings. If people are trained and prepared better for cross regional assignments, it will be easier for them to adjust and perform well. The research should have also concentrated on the new outsourcing trend and how the adjustment process takes place in a web based business world. The research question basically asked if the practical school of thought was justified. ... The study gave a detailed account of previous findings. If people are trained and prepared better for cross regional assignments, it will be easier for them to adjust and perform well. The research should have also concentrated on the new outsourcing trend and how the adjustment process takes place in a web based business world. Article-2: Managerial behaviors and job performance: a successful manager in Los Angeles may not succeed in Hong Kong Introduction The article studies whether the behavior that affects work performance of American managers, also affects the performance of American managers in Hong Kong. This study further compared the two schools of thought and did an in depth analysis of the practical school of thought and how it's not the ideal one, even if it is most widely used. The research question basically asked if the practical school of thought was justified. And if American managers' behavior in the US would have a positive affect on performance in Hong Kong The hypotheses were: 1. "American expatriate managers will have a similar behavior overseas, to American managers in the US." (Black) 2. "Managerial behaviors which are related to performance in the US will be related to performance overseas." (Black) Method LBDQ subscale variables were representation, demand reconciliation, tolerance of uncertainty, persuasiveness, and initiation of structure, tolerance of freedom, role assumption, consideration, production emphasis, predictive accuracy, integration and superior orientation. Also, friendliness, openness to communication and defining roles etc. were included. (Black) Questionnaire surveys were given to American managers in the US and Hong Kong, as well has Hong Kong based local managers. Results The findings mainly showed that

Rehabilitation of the Injured Athlete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Rehabilitation of the Injured Athlete - Essay Example The program will encompass total recovery, involving pre-habilitation and the actual rehabilitation process – including targeted treatment and exercises, aimed at returning Simon to his rugby team and game as soon as possible. The shoulder consists of three bones the clavicle, scapula, and humerus, and two joints, the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints (Quinn, 2006). The bones are connected to each other by ligaments, while they are connected to muscles by tendons (Quinn, 2006). These structures, along with the rotator cuff muscles, cooperate to provide motion, mobility, and strength to the very movable shoulder joint which is quite unstable and prone to injury from impact (Quinn, 2006). Nevertheless, the 13 muscles in the shoulder joint, offer biomechanical protection which provides a measure of stability to this vulnerable and unstable joint (Funk, 2011). Simon’s collision caused his dislocated shoulder joint, where an extreme rotation occurred violently twisti ng his shoulder upward and backward, causing the humerus to jump out of the glenoid, and delivering intense pain and weakness in the arm, presumably because the rotator cuff was damaged during the impact (Cunha, 2011). The four tendons in the rotator cuff are connected to four muscles which turn the arm inward, upward, and outward (Cunha, 2011), and are responsible for stabilizing the humerus in the socket (Erstad, 2010). Simon’s collision caused the joint capsule, cartilage, and rotator cuff ligaments, which keep the shoulder intact, to tear (Wedro, 2011). The resultant pain signalled the need for medical attention. The injured shoulder would first have been tied in a makeshift sling, before Simon was rushed to a doctor (Cunha, 2011) (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2009). Most likely he was given pain killers and then quickly examined by the doctor, who probably touched the shoulder from the side to see whether the humeral head was in position (Cunha, 2011). Simon probably grimaced at t he pain in the front of the shoulder, caused when the doctor bent his elbow or turned his wrist, indicating a SLAP lesion (Pesic, 2011). The doctor would then x-ray the injury to confirm the diagnosis and ascertain whether there were broken bones (Cunha, 2011). Having found no broken bones, the doctor would first determine whether the SLAP lesion could be treated non-surgically through shoulder rest and medication to lessen inflammation (Pesic, 2011). Simon would naturally be removed from active play (Pesic, 2011). SLAP lesion physical therapy would be done by stretching and strengthening the muscles surrounding the rotator cuff and scapula, through special exercises (Pesic, 2011). Cold therapy, which can be a three-hour application of ice packs or a massage, could also be done to reduce swelling and pain (Pesic, 2011). The RICE technique of rest, ice, compression, and elevation of the shoulder would also be applied (â€Å"Cold Therapy,† 2011). If those measures are not succe ssful, surgery would be scheduled. Maunder (2011) feels that Simon should be prepared mentally and physically for surgery to increase his chances of success. Prehabilitation would give him an opportunity to ask questions and learn

Fantasy Genre Pieces in the Scary Movies 2 Research Paper

Fantasy Genre Pieces in the Scary Movies 2 - Research Paper Example Suture explains how the film world stitches together the imaginary reality that increases semblance to wholesomeness and coherence. Suture theory illustrates how a film works in the psyches of the audience, â€Å"to ensure they enter the imaginary world and narrative fictional films† (Green 2003, p. 78). This enables the audience to look and also listen to the techniques, conventions, means and codes that are part of the film world. The audience loses themselves to the film and allows it to surround and absorb the thoughts and actions of the audience. Suture theory analyzes these film aspects, to ensure invisibility and inaudibility of the individual components. Imaginary suture occurs when the audience or spectators identify with the characters; while symbolic suture takes place when the audiences identify with the world views illustrated by the film. Scary Movie 2 utilizes suture concept in various aspects. Imagery suture is illustrated through understanding the exorcism pro cess as illustrated in the film environment. In The Exorcist, the teenager called Megan Voorhees is possessed through the spirit of the previous house owner, Hugh Kane. The audience understands that the exorcism is only performed by priests; for instance Father McFeely and Father Harris. The priests attempt to take out Hugh’s ghost, but the process unexpectedly leads to continuous vomiting and incidences of paedophilia. This process also leads the audiences to empathize with the possessed teenager, due to the painful experiences resulting from ghost possession and exorcism. Hugh is then shot by McFeely after he insulted his mother.

U.S. Army - Educational opportunities Research Paper

U.S. Army - Educational opportunities - Research Paper Example The background of the report is the situation in US army where the soldiers are missing out on valuable opportunities provided by the US army which is mainly educational opportunities provided by the US army.This report deals with the present problem in the US army where the retention rate of US soldiers has been constantly decreasing. Recruitments and retention rates in the US army has suffered a setback and one of the attributed reason could be the inflexible lifestyle in the US army especially with respect to educational opportunities. The reason for such low retention rates is because of the unawareness regarding the educational opportunities provided by the US army. Earning a degree while working in the military service is very important because the degree earned serves as a promotional tool which can be used by soldiers to get promotions to higher grades. Education is a necessity in today’s armed forces and the military offers a number of educational opportunities for im proving the education among the soldiers. Army offers several benefits like full time tuition, merit based scholarships, allowances in books and fees, and stipend for living expenses for the qualified students. There are many other programs like tuition assistance, eArmyU, CLEP exams which soldiers can take advantage of in order to build the future ahead of them, which they are currently ignoring. This report is based on audience analysis and the research proposal. The report provides a total overview of the current educational system available in the US army and how the retention and recruitment rates in the US army could be improved. Education is the only asset for the future, whether you are a civilian or an army man. So it is important that all the people should have the basic education, which he can continue further or take advantage of it for his future. US departments for defense provides many benefits for the soldier, of which mainly includes the policy for education. They h ave introduced many programs to increase the educational level of people. The soldiers can take benefits out of various policies to secure their future. Currently there are many programs existing within the system to help the soldiers in getting the education they deserve, the only thing that is being lacking is the awareness among people about that. Willingness to know things can create many chances for the future. There are immense education opportunities in the US army and there are various types of educational programs in the army. The report has a methodology section where methods have been used to collect data and a section of data analysis along with conclusion finding and recommendations. Purpose statement: The purpose of this report is providing a report on the recruitment and retention of soldiers in the US army. Background: The background of the report is the situation in US army where the soldiers are

Harley Davidson Company Essay Example for Free

Harley Davidson Company Essay Harley Davidson Inc is a company that has been in existence for over 100 years. The company is made up of several other subsidiary companies such as the Harley Davidson Motor Company, Harley Davidson Financial Services and Buell Motorcycle Company. These companies work together in the motorcycle industry with the motor cycle companies dealing with the production and marketing of the motorcycles while the financial services deals with providing financial services to the customers and dealers of the company. Harley Davidson Company has undergone various challenges in its internal and external environment such as the World War I and II, the Great Depression and other internal challenges such as the labor strikes and change in ownership. An analysis of the company portrays several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that the company faces. The company can use the findings of this analysis to develop a grand strategy that can help the company survive the future. The various stakeholders of the company are mostly the customers, the suppliers, dealers, employees, the shareholders and the management of the company. These are the people that are affected by the activities of the company and that also have expectations from the company. The company’s financial performance has been improving during the current financial year due to the restructuring changes that are ongoing. It has reported profits in its operations and also an increase in sales. The strategic issues that the company is facing have also challenged its performance. The shifts in the customers’ tastes and preferences for example have affected the sales of the company’s motorcycles. A grand strategy that focuses on growth through an increase in marketing and an improvement of the company’s product and manufacturing processes can help the company survive the current environment. 1.0 Introduction Companies strive to excel in all manner of situations and overcome the challenges that they face in order to succeed and become competitive. Harley Davidson Inc is once such company. It has been surviving for about 107 years since it was founded in 1903 (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has its headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was founded by three brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson together with a partner, William Harley. The company consists of several subsidiary companies which operate in three continents. The companies include Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) which deals with the production of motor vehicles together with Buell Motorcycle Company (Buell) (Harley-Davidson, 2010). Harley-Davidson Inc also includes Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) which provides financial services to the dealers and customers of HDMC’s products. It also provides insurance policies and programs to the companies and its customers. HDMC sells motorcycles, together with the accessories and spare parts which it also produces. Harley-Davidson is also involved in other activities such as racing and in the production of bicycles and motor vehicles. The company which has been in existence for years now has survived several political and economical challenges such as the World War 1, the Great Depression, the World War 2 and other company trials such as labor strikes and change in ownership. Despite the many challenges it has undergone over its existence the company has been able to survive. The company’s sales have gone off severally, its quality has also been affected but it has been able to regain both the sales and the quality of its products. It has remained tough in the manufacturing of motorcycles and this has made its brands the most sought after all over the world (Davidson, Thompson, Barger, 2006). The company has also faced competition from other companies based in the U.S and in other countries such as Japan but it has been able to retain and maintain its market share. Further more; the founders of the company were named American heroes through their innovation with the company receiving several awards for its involvement in the two World Wars and other racing events (United States Department of Labor, n.d). This paper discusses Harley Davidson Company providing a SWOT analysis of the company, a description of its internal and external environment, a financial assessment of the organization as well as summarizing the major strategic issues that have faced the company. It also discusses the next grand strategy that the company can undertake in the future to improve its performance. 2.0 Harley Davidson 2.1 History William Harley, Arthur Davidson and Walter Davidson pooled their resources in 1903 to produce their first practical motorcycle (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The three men were assisted by William A. Davidson on a part time basis and by 1905 they had produced eight machines and they hired their first employee then. William Davidson quit his job in 1907 at the Milwaukee Road railroad and joined the Motor Company (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The Harley Davidson Company was later incorporated in September 1907 with the stock of the firm being split into 4 among the four founders.   At that time the staff of the company had more than doubled from 18 employees in 1906. The size of the company had also doubled by then and dealer recruitment had begun targeting the New England Region. In 1908, the company was able to sell its first motorcycle for police duty in Detroit Police Department and a year later they started motorcycles spare parts. In 1912, the company started building its six storey headquarters at Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The building would also become its main factory with a separate parts and accessories department. During the same year the company made its first sales outside the U.S when it started exporting motorcycles to Japan. Its dealership network also grew to become over 200 dealers. A few years later, the company formed a racing department with Engineer William S. Harley who was assisted by William Ottaway. It also started publishing its first magazine, The Enthusiast which became the first motorcycle magazine all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In 1917, when the World War I started, the company was asked by the military to produce motorcycles to be used during the war. The company produced over 20,000 motorcycles to be used specifically by the military for the war (Speed Ace, n.d). The involvement of the company in producing motorcycles for the military enabled it to survive the war. By 1920 the company had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world due to the number of motorcycles it produced and the size of its facilities. It was operating in over 67 countries and had over 2000 dealers all over the world (Harley-Davidson, n.d). In the year 1941 when the World War II started, the company suspended the production of civilian motorcycles and started producing more military motorcycles (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also developed specific models for the army and in 1943; the company received the first of its 4 Army –Navy Awards for its excellent performance while producing motorcycles for the army. The company had produced over 60,000 models for military use (Harley-Davidson, n.d). When the war ended, the company wasting no time it resumed the production of civilian motorcycles. In the year 1952, the company was charged with restrictive practices after they applied to the US Tariff Commission for a 40% tax to be imposed on the imported motorcycles (Speed Ace, n.d). In 1953, as the company was celebrating its 50th anniversary, an attractive logo was developed that would depict the engine that had brought the company that far (Harley-Davidson , n.d). During the same year, Hendee Manufacturing Company, the Indian Motorcycle Company in the U.S, went out of business leaving Harley Davidson as the sole U.S motorcycle manufacturer over the next 46 years. The year 1969 was not a great year for the company as the American Machine and Foundry (AMF) acquired the Motor Company and made some changes that affected the company for years to come (Masker, 2007). AMF worked to streamline the production activities of the company and reduced the workforce in a bid to reduce the costs of the company. These changes were beneficial to the company in the short term but they became very damaging to the future of the business and in its long term. The reduction in the workforce led to a labor strike that affected the performance of the company. Furthermore the changes that had been done led to a reduction in the quality of the motorcycles that were produced over the years. The sales of the company were affected and the company almost went bankrupt. It was during this time that the Japanese manufacturers caught up with the company with their better quality, technology and increased stock. The regime by AMF lasted until 1981 when the company was bought back by 13 senior executives who were led by Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson. The group bought the company for about $80 million and they were they able to set up the company to its load of recovery (Masker, 2007). Soon after in 1986 the company was listed in the American Stock Exchange and started to trade publicly in the year 1969. A year later the company was listed in the New York Stock Exchange and it petitioned the International Trade Commission to terminate a five year tariff on heavy weight motor cycles. This was seen as a major step for the company as it boldly stated it was in a position to compete fairly in the market. In 1993 the company celebrated its 90th anniversary with over 100,000 people parading their motorcycles in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company also purchased a minority interest in Buell Motorcycle Company which was manufacturing American sport motorcycles. In 1998 the company opened a new assembly facility that was to be the first of its kind outside the United States. The facility was opened in Manaus Brazil when the company was celebrating its 95th Anniversary and at the same time it bought the remaining interests in Buell Motorcycle Company of 49% (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The company has continued to expand its production facilities in Milwaukee, Tomahawk, Wisconsin, and New York and in Pennsylvania (Davidson, Thompson, Barger, 2006). The company has also been developing more products and improving its products with the latest technology. The company has also developed a Harley Davidson Museum which showcases the motorcycles that the company has developed over the years and other historical items that the company has maintained in its archives. The museum building cost the company over $75 million and is situated in Milwaukee (Rovito, 2006). 2.2 SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis is a framework that is used to audit an organization and its external environment. The results of the analysis help in the planning of any strategic decisions towards the future of the company. The analysis involves identifying the internal and external factors that favor the organization and that also form an unfavorable environment (Stahl Grigsby, 1997). The strengths of the company include those attributes that help the company to achieve its objectives while the weaknesses are the internal attributes that derail the achievement of the company’s objective and that also harm the company. The opportunities that are in the external environment include conditions that help the company to achieve the objectives. The threats on the other hand, include the conditions that are in the external environment and that challenge the company and affect it in a way that it may not be in a position to achieve its objectives. (a)  Ã‚   Strengths The Harley Davidson Company has several strengths that make it very competitive and profitable. The company has been in existence for over 100 years, and during this time it has established brand loyalty with its customers for its products. This is the major strength of the company as the products of the company are viewed as a culture and not just products. Most of the customers of the company are male and are in the middle-aged age bracket. They normally use the motorcycles for recreational purposes rather than for transport. The main qualities that the customers look for in the company’s product are the brand quality and the style. The company is able to provide these qualities and hence maintain its customers. The computer switching costs are high and once a customer buys a product from the company, they get trapped in buying more of the company’s products. The complementary products that come with the motorcycles also encourage the consumer loyalty. Once a customer purchases a Harley motorcycle, they proceed to buy accessories such as jackets and bandanas from the company. The company has also expanded its operations in different regions within the United States and also in other countries outside the United States. Some of the production plants are located in areas such as York, Kansas City, Tomahawk, and Milwaukee among others (Harley-Davidson, Inc., 2009). The different manufacturing plants have helped in reducing the costs especially in transport. The company has also diversified its activities and acquired several companies in different industries. The company acquired Buell Motorcycle Company which was also in the production of Motorcycles in East Troy, Wisconsin (Wheelen Hunger, 2002 ). It also acquired the company Eagle Mark in 1995 which was providing financial services to manufacturers of leisure products as well as their dealers and customers. The company acquired Eagle Mark so that it would provide retail financing to its customers, insurance and contracts for servicing. Eagle Mark Company has also been offering planning services on behalf of the North American Dealers in motorcycle floor planning. The two companies have been working together complementing each others activities. The diversification of the company in the motorcycles, related products and the financial services has helped the company to diverse its risks in the industry and in business. Over the years the company has maintained strong relationships with its suppliers. The strong relationship with the suppliers has given the company access to resources that it needs in its production processes as well as the design and development of its products. It has then been able to increase the quality of its goods and improve the features of the brands in a bid to remain competitive. The production process is also reduced in terms of time as the suppliers are able to deliver the suppliers on time reducing the lead time. This leads to a reduction in costs and saves time for the company. The company operates its business in three continents and in various countries all over the world. However it has not been able to increase its foreign sales which are mostly carried out outside the U.S. (b)  Ã‚   Weaknesses The major weaknesses that the company has experienced within its internal operations include the weak marketing strategies that it has applied especially in its foreign markets. The company has experienced low foreign sales over the years as compared to its competitors. In 2009, the international sales only made up 33% of the total unit sales of the company (Pravda.Ru, 2009). The number of dealers in international markets are also very few and this has contributed partly to the low market sales of the company’s products as most of the customers in the market can not access the company’s products through this dealers. The labor conflicts that the company has experienced in some of its plants over the years have been affecting the performance of the company. Dissatisfied workers of the company have held strikes that have contributed to losses for the company as it has had to shut down the production plants during these times. The company has also had to lay off workers during the strikes in a bid to cut down its operation costs as a result of the strikes in other production plants. The labor conflicts have also reduced the investor confidence in the company as the prices of the company’s shares have been affected. (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opportunities The external environment of the company has several opportunities that can benefit the company and improve its performance and market share. The shifts in the trends in the customers’ preferences and tastes in the market are producing an opportunity that the company can exploit to its advantage. The customers’ preferences and tastes have changed especially among the young and hip crowd of customers who the company was once targeting as its sole customers. These customers have shifted their preferences to sporty motorcycles for their recreational purposes. Harley-Davidson Company does not engage in the production of sporty motorcycles; however the increased demand for these kinds of motorcycles is providing an opportunity for the company to develop them and target this new market. The company can grab this opportunity and develop these sporty motorcycles and hence gain from the high demand. The need to restructure the company’s business structure after the company’s subsidiaries have experienced a decrease in performance is providing an opportunity for the company to concentrate in its brands and grow. The new structure of the company will ensure that all the resources of the product are put into good use to help develop the company and expand its operations into other markets. The company will also be able to focus on the development of the products and also develop new products that can help increases the market share in different parts of the world. (d)  Ã‚   Threats The company has faced several threats in the market that have undermined its performance. One of the major threats that the company has faced include the competition in the market. The company has faced a lot of competition from other international companies and manufacturers especially in the heavy weight motorcycles market. Some of the major competitors include Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda among others. The increased competition has led to decreased sales of the company’s products especially in the foreign markets. The competition between these companies is based on the price, quality, and features of the products, the preferences of customers and the reliability of the products among other factors. The switching costs for the manufacturers in the industry are also quite low. With the increased growth in demand and the potential of the market, new competitors are entering the market and increasing the competition. The existence of substitute goods such as cars for transport and other recreational activities has also threatened the existence of the company and the sales. Consumers have a wide variety of products to substitute the motorcycles with and the increase of competitors is also leading to an increase in more brands in the market. This poses a big threat to the future of the company in the market of its products. The changes in customers’ demographics are also threatening the business in terms of sales. The percentage of males who have been purchasing the company’s products especially the motorcycles is declining. The percentages of women who are purchasing the products are however increasing. During the years 2003 and 2004 the percentage of sales that were purchased by men made up 89% with the rest being female. While in the years 2005 and 2007, the percentages had reduced to 88% among the male customers and 12% among the female customers (Harley-Davidson, n.d). The ages of the customers who have been purchasing the products of the company have also been increasing. By 2008 the median age of the customers had risen to 47 from 45 in the year 2004.