Movie Critic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie Critic - Essay Example There are not unexpected traditions or extensive use of computer generated effects. The flow of the movie is very natural as if a person watches it behind the backs of the main characters. In other words, the directors did not want to experiment with new elements of editing and adhered to the traditional ways so that the attention of the audience would not be distracted by it. Speaking of the sound, one should not that the movie features a lot of natural sounds and hardly any music. Of course, there are certain scenes that have background music in them. Overall, one might note that the use of sound is rather effective since it does not distract the viewers from the development of the plot. Since the majority of the scenes are rather dramatic, the feelings that the score elicits are not positive. The directors used it to create the atmosphere of loneliness and despair when it was appropriate. Furthermore, the sound of nature, often incorporated into the songs, shows that the action takes place outside. The cinematography of the movie is quite notable. On the one hand, there is the perspective of one of the characters from which the story is told. On the other hand, there many scenes when the action is shown and there are no commentaries articulated. At certain points the movie features transitions, suggesting that some time has passed. Since the film does not tell a particular episode from one’s life, but rather a large part of it, the inclusion of such transition is appropriate. In addition to that, the narration, often told from the point of view of the main character allows the audience to see this new post apocalyptic world with their own eyes. I think that 2010 is a landmark in the world industry since it marks the end of good movies with a profound meaning in the world. In the years after the majority of them primarily relied on special effects or featured the old

Cross Media Assignment Essay Example for Free

Cross Media Assignment Essay In the first part of My Cross Media Assignment, I analysed, ‘L’Oreal Casting Crà ¨me Gloss.’ This advert cast Cheryl Cole, the nation’s sweetheart, in an advertisement for hair dye. This advert inspired me, to develop a beauty product, because it is such a big market here in the U.K. I took a close look at what Cheryl’s make-up was, and it was neutral and fresh, this was, apart from her eye shadow. As a result of this, I decided to design an eye shadow. I conducted research into Barry M’s Dazzle Dust, because their print ad’s are always flamboyant, and are interesting to look at. They use bright eye shadow, and usually darker coloured backgrounds to make the image ‘pop’, and stand out to the audience. The unique selling point of Dazzle Dust, is all the colours that it comes in, this makes the product unique. I decided to take a different route, and develop a product that women can use for the day and then for the night. I matched my product, Day n Night, to my target audience, because I think that women would want to own a product that they can use in the morning, when they go to work, and then they can use it straight after work, as a top up, using different colours, to go out for a drink with her friends. I think that my product appeals to women, because it is compact, useful, and there is a gap in the market for a product like mine. I planned my advert, by going to high street make-up retailer, House of Frasier, and I researched the eye shadow industry, and found that the adverts for the Day are very different from the ones that show a ‘night look’. The ‘Daytime’ look for most eye shadows is, a corporate woman looking clean. She normally has a very light Smokey eye, with a pink tint to blend. Whereas in the night look’ the woman has darker eyes, with black as a liner, and dark greys to blend. I decided for my advert that I would use the same woman, in two different situations, wearing two different styles of eye shadow, so that you can see a visible difference. I constructed my brand identity by using two colours, purple and lilac, the purple represents the night look, whereas the lilac shows the day look. I decided not to give my product a slogan, because I realised that women’s make up doesn’t generally have slogans, because if a woman sees a good advert, she will buy the product, and if she likes it, she will buy it again. I made the product represent all women, because in the U.K it is a frequently occurring thing, to see women go out with their friends after a day at work. I did not use a model for my print advert because I wanted my advert to be relatable to women, and give them a real product, rather than some product the celebrity endorsing it doesn’t use. The workplace I decided to use was a secretary’s desk, trying to show that you do not need to hold down a high paying job, to be able to buy the product. The only regulations that I might possibly face in my advert, is when the women goes out for a drink with her friends. There are restrictions in using alcohol in television or in print adverts, because Alcohol advertisements often portray alcohol as enhancing economic success, fun, attractiveness to the opposite sex, athletic skill, and social popularity, and this is the wrong message to send and is therefore not allowed. To prevent my advertisement to be subject to this, I have made sure that the alcohol is never directly seen, it is always mixed in a glass with something else, and the women are not sexualised, in anyway, and when you see men, looking at the woman with the eye shadow on, it is clear to the audience that they are not drunk, and that they haven’t been drinking. Looking back at my advert, I think that I could improve my television advert, because I do not think that in my storyboard, I showed off the product enough, and it was a little vague. Although I think I did meet the audience’s needs, and I did produce a product that I am pleased with, and I thought, there was a gap in the market for. I think on reflection, that my eye shadow box, was the best thing that I did concerning my whole assignment, and I am entirely pleased with my body of work, although there could have been some improvements made.

Michael Jordan is Not God Essay -- essays research papers

Michael Jordan is one of the most well known people in the world. Whether it’s on the basketball court or on television, Michael Jordan is seen everywhere. Children see him and â€Å"wanna be like Mike.† Parents see him and believe he’s the ideal role model. This is the person everyone sees and adores. However, nobody sees his character off the court and off of television. I believe that his off the court behavior shows his true self. I’m not accusing Michael Jordan of being Satan; I just don’t believe he is the god that everyone makes him out to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everybody knows the story. Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team so he worked twice as hard and finally made it. People look at this and believe that hard work ethic will earn you success in whatever you do. He then went on to attend the University of North Carolina where he helped the Tar Heels become national champions. At this point people thought Michael Jordan was the real deal, but some were still skeptical. Finally he was drafted into the NBA where he won six championship rings. No one was skeptical anymore. Everyone looks at his on the court success and believes he is the greatest player to ever play the game. For those who don’t watch sports, they see him on commercials and see him drink his Gatorade, wear his Hanes underwear, show off his new shoes, and spray his cologne. The fact of the matter is that Michael Jordan has become a household name in America. Many feel he rep... Michael Jordan is Not God Essay -- essays research papers Michael Jordan is one of the most well known people in the world. Whether it’s on the basketball court or on television, Michael Jordan is seen everywhere. Children see him and â€Å"wanna be like Mike.† Parents see him and believe he’s the ideal role model. This is the person everyone sees and adores. However, nobody sees his character off the court and off of television. I believe that his off the court behavior shows his true self. I’m not accusing Michael Jordan of being Satan; I just don’t believe he is the god that everyone makes him out to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everybody knows the story. Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team so he worked twice as hard and finally made it. People look at this and believe that hard work ethic will earn you success in whatever you do. He then went on to attend the University of North Carolina where he helped the Tar Heels become national champions. At this point people thought Michael Jordan was the real deal, but some were still skeptical. Finally he was drafted into the NBA where he won six championship rings. No one was skeptical anymore. Everyone looks at his on the court success and believes he is the greatest player to ever play the game. For those who don’t watch sports, they see him on commercials and see him drink his Gatorade, wear his Hanes underwear, show off his new shoes, and spray his cologne. The fact of the matter is that Michael Jordan has become a household name in America. Many feel he rep...

Psle in Singapore Debate Essay

In this commentary, I chose my artefact as a newspaper article on PSLE stress because of many reasons. 1) I had always harbored a strong interest on what everyone is saying about this hot topic and it seemed very interesting, stating just one problem that Singapore currently face. 2) Other than that, it is a topic that is easy to research, unlike some historic things which are little-mentioned (e.g. the banana note, the merdeka talks,etc) 3) Last but not least,it is a topic that is widely discussed on and more sources can be found My view on the issue of PSLE Singaporeans have long since been debating whether to remove PSLE. I personally do not think that PSLE should be removed. On the issue of abolishing PSLE, my concern is if we do not have the PSLE, when it comes to the entrance to secondary schools, how do you decide who goes to which school? I sometimes wish we were a bit like Hogwarts in Harry Potter, where you have the sorting hat that decides which house you go to. But in reality, we do not have a sorting hat and how do we decide who goes to which school? If you did not do it according to grades and scores, how would you do it? Another way would be to do it geographically, where you go into the secondary school nearest to your home, but if you did that, everybody will be fighting to be in the primary school near the secondary school you want to be in. PSLE assess how much you have learnt over the six years in primary school and then allocates you to a secondary school according to your abilities and/or choice. If you remove it, you might as well say to remove all exams. On abolishing PSLE, let’s presume we do away with it, then how do we decide who goes to which school? If which school you are going is decided on ‘does the Principal know your father or your mother?’ then it’s not a very meritocratic system nor is it acceptable. It is totally, I think, against Singapore’s system. If it is to be decided by the distance and you live very near a very good school, can you imagine the pressure to enter a primary school that is near the secondary school you want to go to. If a sudent had done very badly, but he or she stays very near a good secondary school, he would get in, but a person who did better and stays lets say 10km away would not be able to enter if according to that policy. Imagine how disapp ointed he or she will feel. One question, is that fair? No doubt many people would say it is not.There is a whole range of scenarios that will come up if Singapore removes PSLE as the sorting exam. The question is how will Singapore deal with it? The real angst about PSLE is the pressure, and the real reason why you have the pressure is that parents perceive that certain schools will give the advantage of getting into university. So, the answer would maybe be to try to make sure that across the board, every school is a good school and that society should change their mindset that a child needs to get into a good school in order to get into university ( which acoording to a survey, is a goalfor many paents. One of the goals of the Singapore government would be ( I think)to make sure that no matter which school students go to, you have a chance to get into a university and even if you do not get into a university, the other options are also pathways to success. I hope that under this system, each person can be the best he or she can be, whether or not that person has a university degree. Why is PSLE bad? 1)Poor education system However, just because I do not think PSLE should be removed doesn’t mean that I totally think it should remain the same. I think, PSLE should not have such a big effect on what type of school a secondary student goes to. In PSLE, the focus tends to be on the aggregate score, which reports each student’s overall performance in comparison with the entire cohort. It’s called a T-score, or transformed score. It’s derived through a certain computation and basically provides a ranking of the entire cohort.* The T-score itself doesn’t actually tell the student how well he has performed in each subject or across all the subjects. In affect, it is a queue number. Thus, I think, to put the stress off the students’ shoulder a little. PSLE should form only about 35% of the final grades. This system also has its benefits as the students will not be so focused on the final examination. They might slack for five years and only start to really work when they are in primary 6. I have the same opinion on all the other major exams too. Also, more weight should be placed on continual assessments, conducted on every semester. Everything is more manageable when it is broken into small parts. This will reduce stress amongst students, and allow individual topics to get the attention deserved. Right now, PSLE encourages parents and students to â€Å"spot† possible exam questions, and prepare for those to the exclusion of all else. If every year’s mark have a large part in the final grade, the students will be more encouraged to work hard and it will be more competitive, resulting in better and smarter young Singaporeans, allowing the country to prosper more. This can happen if we followed the education system that I mentioned other than using other means like, tuition, etc†¦ 2)Encourages poor methods of studying Also, PSLE studying and actual learning have had a bad divorce. The methods common to passing PSLE are: †¢ Ask how, not why. †¢ Don’t experiment or try to be original. Follow what’s worked before, and just copy. †¢ Learn only exam topics. Treat everything else as unimportant. †¢ Memorize model answers, as if they’re cheat codes for a video game. Teachers who try to stray from the path are hammered down. There’s no room for exploration, discourse, or general knowledge. It’s not that students are unaware of this. They know these are bad teaching methods. But the importance of PSLE results overshadows their awareness. When an exam threatens to determine most of a child’s future, fear drives the curriculum (this has happened to me before) On the topic of tuition Ideally, the aim of the education system is that you should be able to pass your exams without tuition. That said, many parents still think that it is necessary for children to have tuition in order for them to do better; not in all the schools but certainly in a percentage of them. My view is that it should not be the case that because you cannot afford tuition you should not be able to pass your exam, which is why MOE has introduced the Learning Support Programmes in schools, mentioned by Minister of education minister Heng at the last Committee Of Supply Debate. The schools are putting a lot more resources to help students who have difficulty with subjects to help them level up. People generally think that Singapore has a good education system and that we are not deprived of a good education. But I do get the sense that many people think that the learning field is not level. The running track (describing the field in which where Singaporeans learn) is the same for everybody. It is just that those from the less affluent backgrounds are coming on with the plain sneakers and the one from the better affluent ones are coming with the branded sneakers which give you more comfort and support. The idea is that, if the playing field is not equal because there are some students who come from families with better resources, then for those students who do not come from families with better resources, at least you help them to level up so that they get a chance to do well. How can Singaporeans adopt a less stressful approach to the PSLE? I like to make a distinction between status and stature. Status is about our relative importance or merit in comparison to other people, who might or might not be better than yourself; assessment sometimes will tell us about academic status. In contrast, stature is inherent, not comparative. It’s about doing the best that you can, and recognising your intrinsic potential. Assessment should also help us develop our stature, and not our status. I know from my own experience how a drop of status badly affects my confidence. I hope this for every teacher and parent: To think and work hard about raising the stature of your children, and not just try to raise their status. Conclusion My conclusion for this is that the PSLE should not be scrapped but should be changed to a better and less stressful exam. So, the format should be changed to one more like the O levels. In the O levels, how well you do within a grade does not matter, just as long you get that particular grade. Once you score an A1, you will not be disadvantaged when compared to a student who has scored A1 with a higher score. I think this should be the model system for the PSLE. Thus , I end my commentary and hope (emphasis) you have enjoyed reading it.

Marketing Plan of Toyota

1. Executive Summary Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (Toyota, Australia) which deals with a wide range of car segments has manufactured the Prius Car in the automotive industry which is one of the best hybrid synergy drive in today business environment. And provide a competitive advantage to other business by achieving and environmental friendly car and providing the best efficient fuel system. The report begins with the introduction of the company where brief background information on the company and discussion of the market in which the Toyota Company operates is explained. A current Situation Analysis is conducted which gives a better understanding of Toyota, its different products, competitors and different environments in which it operates. After considering the internal and external environment a SWOT Analysis is conducted which tells us the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the business environment. On the basis of these factors the critical issues are identified and marketing objectives and strategies have been defined. Towards the end a recommendation of change and implementation plan has been developed to improve the product. The report contains different graphs which show the current position of the company and the performance of the product in the current market. 2. Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary2 2. Table of Contents3 3. Introduction4 4. Mission Statement5 5. Situation Analysis6 a. Internal Environment6 i. Products6 ii. Financial and non-financial situation6 iii. Channels8 b. External Environment9 i. Markets9 ii. Competitive environment9 iii. Economic environment9 iv. Demographic environment10 v. Social and Cultural environment11 vi. Political and legal environment11 vii. Technological environment12 c. SWOT analysis13 d. Critical issues14 6. Marketing Objectives15 7. Marketing Strategies16 a. Target Markets16 b. Product strategies16 c. Pricing strategies17 d. Promotion Strategies17 e. Distribution Strategies17 8. Recommendation for Change18 9. Implementation Plan19 10. References20 I. Bibliography20 A. Appendices23 3. Introduction Toyota Motor Corporation Australia (Toyota Australia) is one of the Toyota Japan’s global manufacturing centres which deal with manufacturing vehicles. It is the largest automotive companies of the world. It provides long term commitment to the different domestic and export markets. Toyota Australia head office and manufacturing activities are based in Melbourne. While the sales and marketing operations are based in Sydney. Toyota, Australia employees over 4500 people and more than thousands are employed for its suppliers and retailing networks. Toyota Australia locally built cars like Camry and Aurion. And it imports a wide range of passenger, 4WD and commercial vehicles including Corolla, LandCruiser, Yaris, Tarago, Kluger, HiAce, RAV4, HiLux, Prado and the revolutionary hybrid model Prius. In addition to this it also distributes and sells the luxury Lexus brand of vehicles. ‘Toyota is Australia's largest vehicle exporter and in 2008 exported 101,668 cars to over 20 countries worldwide. This strong export drive contributed over $1. 9 billion dollars (including parts and accessories) in revenue for Toyota Australia in 2008. Cited on Toyota Website at ; http://www. toyota. com. au/about/company; Toyota’s Australia parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is Japans largest automotive companies in the world. It was established in 1937, Toyota Group manufactures different kinds of automotives across 27 countries and regions throughout the world. And its vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and region under different brand names like Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. Toyota Australia leads the automotive industry with respect to the environmental technologies with the success of the hybrid technology used in Prius. This report is going to achieve a situation analysis for Toyota Australia. It will consider different elements like internal environment, external environment, SWOT analysis and critical issues. With the help of different marketing capabilities and development process marketing plan evaluation for Toyota Australia will achieved. We will consider secondary research for Toyota, Australia for analysis. Different sources for the secondary research data which are used for this marketing plan are as follows: Textbook, Internet data (company website and different web resources) and Journal articles. 4. Mission Statement Toyota Mission Statement reads as follows: ‘We deliver outstanding automotive products and services to our customers, and enrich our community, partners and environment’. The vision is to be the most respected and admired company. The four core values of Toyota, Australia are: * Customer first * Respect for people * International focus * Continuous improvement and innovation Cited on Toyota Website at Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive Philosophy: ‘For Toyota, quality is not just a promise; it’s a way of life. ’ Toyota believes in ‘kaizen’ (continuous improvement). It has made a commitment to manufacturing, innovative technologies and social contribution that will enhance the quality of life. A better way of motoring has been developed using the Hybrid Synergy drive technology. It gives confidence to over 2 million drivers worldwide. The car which one drives is designed and engineered with the highest standards of quality and reliability. Toyota is the world’s leading hybrid system in the automotive industry. (Toyota 2009) 5. Situation Analysis a. Internal Environment i. Products Toyota Prius is a vehicle which is changing the world. It combines luxury, technology and environment. It’s a 1. 8 Petrol / Electric Hybrid Synergy Drive. This car is the world’s most advanced hybrid system. Cited on Toyota Website at It provides uncompromised performance. Its key features are Smart Entry & Smart, 60:40 split retractable rear seats, Ecological plastic, LED headlamps, Three alternative driving modes, Superior hybrid synergy drive system, first beltless Toyota engine, shift by wire, Solar Ventilation System, Touch Tracer display, Head up display, Remote Air Conditioning System, Pre-collision safety system, Dynamic radar cruise control, emergency brake signal, Intelligent park assist, brake by wire, Vehicle stability control and traction control. Cited on Toyota Website at ii. Financial and non-financial situation The global economic crisis in July 2008 had a major impact on automotive markets. Toyota, Australia experienced a rapid deterioration in vehicle sales because of the downturn in the economy. This in turn resulted in lower profitability. Vehicle manufacturing and Sales: During the year to 31st March 2009, Toyota Australia manufacturing operations produced 130,228 Camry and Aurion vehicles for domestic and export markets. Due to a strong sales performance for the first six months, the company was recognized in the Australian industry to achieve highest sales record during the year 2008. In this period the domestic retail sales reached 238,983-2,336 units ahead on the previous year, and the sales volume represented a market share of 23. 6 per cent. There was 19. 2 per cent decrease in Australian industry new car sales from January to March 2009 as compared to the same quarter in 2008. Toyota Australia (including Lexus) sold 16,498 fewer cars in the first three months of 2009 as compared to the same period in 2008, which represented a 26. 6 per cent decrease in sale volume. During January 2009, the company implemented a general price increase for some of its imported vehicles due to a weaker Australian dollar. Export Market: Toyota Australia is the country’s largest vehicle exporter. In 2008/2009 the company exported 94,955 Camry and Aurion vehicles to 20 countries which were Middle East, New Zealand and Pacific Islands. This was down from 99,395 in 2007/ 2008, due to the decrease in demand from Middle East Markets following the start of the global financial crisis. However for the calendar year, Toyota Australia exports reached 101,668 which was an all time record for the Australian automotive industry. The export program earned $1. 9 billion in revenue over the same period. However for second half of the fiscal year, due to the global economic crisis impacted the entire business resulting in decline of sales in export and domestic markets. Global economic conditions will result in exports being lower in the 2009/2010 period. Despite the tough marketing conditions, the company continues to set new sales record. On a model basis, sales records were set for Corolla, Prius, Kluger, Yaris and HiLux. The 11,000th Prius Vehicle was sold in Australia during the period and globally, the one-millionth Prius was sold in April 2008. The decline was due to the impact of the global economic downturn and changes to Luxury Car Tax implemented by the Federal Government in 2008 and increased competitor activity by companies like Honda. (Toyota 2009) iii. Channels Toyota automotives are available at different dealers over the world. It uses different integrating web services to provide information of the different vehicles online. It also provides an option to book a test drive online on http://www. toyota. com. au/book-a-test-drive. Cited on Toyota Website at One can also get eBrochure and printed brochures and all the information for the vehicle on the Toyota Australia website (www. toyota. com. au). The main headquarters are in Japan. b. External Environment i. Markets The demand for cars has increased in recent times so the important aspect for the company is to get an appropriate market share in Australian market. The figure 1 is shown in Appendices which tells us the current market share of the company and Figure 2 shows that sales of the new motor cars in recent years has increased. As there is a concern for providing greener environment across the world, there exists an opportunity for Toyota Australia to create better fuel economy and reduced emissions car which caters to the need of environment. Toyota Prius is one such hybrid synergy drive system vehicle which provides best combined greenhouse and air pollution rating of any vehicle sold in Australia. ‘Prius is officially our greenest car’. As cited on Toyota Website at ii. Competitive environment Toyota Australia strong competitors in every segment are Ford, GM, Honda, Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen. Car Sales. com Limited 2009) Toyota Prius main competitors within the market are Honda Civic Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid car. Toyota Prius belongs to the lower/medium passenger car segment (C). Currently Toyota Prius provides maximum fuel efficiency as compared to other brands. It comes with a standard 1. 8L l4, 16 values engine. (ANDiDAS. com 2003) Comparison As cited on Yahoo Website at iii. Econ omic environment Australia is a stable, democratic country with a strong competitive economy. Australia has one of the most outstanding economies of the world with skilled workforce. There is a flexible labour market, an efficient government sector and a very competitive business sector within the country. The Australian economy is one of the fast growing within the world. Australia investment in ICT as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product is the third highest of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Australia is strong in Information and communication technology (ICT), innovation systems, business environment and human resource development. (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade 2009). GDP for Australia expanded to 0. 0% over the last 4 quarters. The Australia Gross Domestic Product is worth 1015 billion dollars or 1. 64% of the world economy, as mentioned by the World Bank. Australia's economy is occupied by its services sector, yet its economic success is based on lots of agricultural and mineral resources. Australia's relative advantage in the export of primary products is a indication of the natural wealth of the Austra lian continent and its small domestic market. The country is a major regional financial centre and a fundamental component of the global financial system. Figure 3 in Appendices shows the Australian GDP Growth Rate. (TradingEconomics 2009). Due to the increase in fuel prices, consumers will realise the value to the quality and services the car provides, rather than price. The Toyota Prius car with the hybrid system which provides fuel efficiency and reduce emissions will definitely run a long way as its environment friendly. iv. Demographic environment The estimated population growth rate in 2009 for Australia was 1. 195%. The total population estimated was 21,262,641 out of which 18. 6% of the population was between the age group of 0-14 years , 67. % of the population was between the age group of 15-64 years and 13. 5% of the population was between the age group of 65 years and over. The target customers for Toyota Australia would fall into these two age groups ranging from 15 – 64 years and 65 years and over. The age structure is similar to that of New Zealand and the USA. (Kotler, 2007). These are the potential customers and Toyota needs to focus on them as they fall into the potential market for buying cars. In Australia 99% of male and female population are literate. The statistic show that 78. % of people speak English, 2. 5% of people speak Chinese, 1. 6% of people speak Italian, 1. 3% of people speak Greek, 1. 2% of people speak Arabic, 1% of people speak Vietnamese , 8. 2% of people speak other language and 5. 7% of people speak unspecified language ( As per 2006 Census). There are different ethnic group like White, Asian, Aboriginal and others. Different religion like Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Presbyterian and Reformed, Eastern Orthodox, other Christian, Buddhist, Muslim and others exist. (Central Intelligence Agency 2009). v. Social and Cultural environment Australia has a multi cultural environment. It has different cultural group from all over the globe. Its diverse culture reflects liberal democratic traditions and social and cultural influences of the millions of migrants who have settled in Australia since World War II. Australia’s original inhabitants, the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders peoples, have been living in Australia for at least up to 40,000 years. The rest of Australia’s people are migrants or descendants of migrants who have arrived in Australia from about 200 countries. The defining feature of today’s Australia is the cultural diversity of its people, and the way they are united to each other. Australian has the right to express their culture and beliefs and to participate freely in national life. (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade 2009). Toyota Australia needs to define an international standard which caters to the different cultural group so they can target the potential buyers within the market. vi. Political and legal environment The political system in Australia consists of a federal parliamentary democracy. There are 6 states and 2 territories in Australia. The legal system is based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations. There are no political pressures from the group leaders hence the company can start the business in Australia. (Central Intelligence Agency 2009). The only problem here was when the Luxury Car tax was implemented by the Federal Government in 2008, Toyota Australia experienced a decline in sales on their luxury car segment range. Also environmental and safety measures needs to be implemented within the car with respect to the legal requirement for Australian standards. (Toyota 2009). vii. Technological environment In Australia the technological environment changes rapidly. Some of the technologies related to automotive industry are as follows: Environmental Technology like hybrid synergy drive, Safety Technology, IT Based Approach, Fuel Cell Technology, Personal Mobility and Robot Technology which are used in the modern cars. Such features increase the sales figures of the company. For Example: In Toyota Prius the hybrid synergy drive which gives a better fuel efficiency and reduces emissions is one of the key features which gave the opportunity to increase the sales figure of the company. Toyota was the innovator for this hybrid synergy drive car and it captured the market using this technology. However these features also increased the cost of manufacturing the car. So Toyota needs to keep up with the pace, as the technological environment keeps changing rapidly and the competitors might come up with a better enhanced version of this technology. (Toyota Japan 2009). c. SWOT analysis Toyota Prius Car, Australia SWOT analysis done within the Australian market: Internal Environment| Strength| Weaknesses| * Toyota Australia is the country’s largest vehicle exporter. Its reliable and Eco- environment friendly. * Continuous Improvement and Innovation * ‘Just in Time’ approach to Production pioneered by Toyota. * Lexus, Corolla and other strong brands| * Need to Understand the Australian Culture * Expensive Price * Costly to manufacture * New Technology can cause potential problems| External Environment| Opportunities| Threats| * Hybrid Synergy Drive Tec hnology * Due to the recent economic crisis the petrol price has increased enhance it gives an opportunity for Toyota Prius to enter into the market as it works to maximize fuel efficiency. Due to the Australian government regulation in concern with the environment, Toyota Prius will be suitable for the market as it will reduces emissions and is environmental friendly. | * Strong Competition within the market. Example : Honda, Ford, and General Motors * Petrol fuel Price Increase * Availability of Public Transports in Australia Example: Train, tram, bus and cab. * Luxury Car Tax implemented by the federal govt in 2008. | d. Critical issues The demand might decrease for Toyota Prius as it does not focus on some actors which are as follows : * The cost structure of Toyota Prius needs to be rectified. The profits is reduced due to the cost structure. * Enhance the development of hybrid and compact vehicles which would be the key to the future growth. * Implement a more effective cost s tructure in the areas of production and sales operation. (vBulletin 2009) * The company needs to rectify the problems which are there in the current version of the car. Problems which relate to electrical, engine, interior accessories and fuel delivery system. (CarComplaints. om 2009) * Toyota needs to keep investing in the Research and Development of Prius Car for new innovation. As it already possesses expertise in producing hybrid cars. So it is essential for Toyota Prius to keep investing in the Research and Development of the car engine to increase the fuel efficiency and provide a competitive advantage in the market. * Expand the scope of the emergency value analysis to achieve cost reduction and reduce fixed cost by 10%. (vBulletin 2009) These are some of the critical factors which if not considered might cause problem in towards competitive business environment. Which in turn will affect the sales of the Toyota Prius Car. 6. Marketing Objectives * Increase the sales for the coming year and regain the loss which occurred during the economic crisis. * To increase the market share of the company. * To attract new buyers for the car and retain the loyal old customers. * To maintain the brand and standard within the market. 7. Marketing Strategies a. Target Markets The Toyota Prius has targeted this car at all levels of consumers. However the drivers ranging in an age group of 40 to 80 year old drive this car as they are environment conscious. Toyota targeted the car which was affordable from middle to lower income groups. It fuel efficiency and less emission is very attractive to this kind of age group. (Sheila Wilson 2005). Toyota is also designed to be used by people who are working in the in the city , because it features include switching of the engine whenever the Prius is stopped at a red light and give an extraordinarily good fuel consumption and excellent usable performance. Therefore Toyota Prius segments the market only by combining two demographic values which is income and age group and hence it targets these two segments of the market. WebPublication Pty Limited 2008). The campaign of Toyota Prius says â€Å"Harmony between Man, Nature and Machine†, which means the car, has been absolutely designed for the use of the environment and everyday life. This car belongs to the lower/medium passenger car segment (C). Hence the competition is against the entire (C) car segment. So the company needs to be innov ative in a manner. (High Gear Media 2009). b. Product strategies The Toyota Prius has re-engineered the car and launch the third generation version. The market in Australia is huge and profitable; so Toyota needs to launch the re-engineering project quickly and create new innovation to be a competitive leader within the consumer market. However on the company website it say it plans to launch an urban commuter battery electric vehicle by 2012. To improve the environment the new generation Prius has a 1. 8- litre four cylinder petrol engine which replaces the 1. 5- litre engine previous model. It has technology such as the solar ventilation system and remote air-conditioning system. It has features such as pre-collision safety system and intelligent parking assist. It the ‘greenest’ car ever sold in Australia, thus it provides the lowest pollution emission and low fuel consumption. So Toyota Company can satisfy the customers and earn profit from the Australian Market. (Toyota 2009). c. Pricing strategies In view of target consumers, Toyota Company uses excellent technologies for the Prius cars. It is cogent to maintain the original price-positioning strategy. Most of the buyers don’t bother about the price. Toyota Prius car uses the Price Skimming Strategy. In this strategy the company will set a relatively high price in the beginning and then reduce the price over time. As they are able to get consumers at every price point. Toyota Prius car is based on the innovation of hybrid synergy drive hence this innovation helps the company to use this pricing strategy. Competing with price will not support effective development. However, for the company to increase their profit the basic objective is to reduce the prospective cost (sunk cost). So it needs to use the price skimming strategy and capture the market before other competitors enter the potential market. And Toyota Company has always been an early innovator to do that. (Aisha Jones Scheffel 2008) d. Promotion Strategies The different promotion strategy which were used by the Toyota Company for the Prius car were as follows: Television and print advertisements highlighted the evolutionary aspect of hybrid technology and freedom from depending on oil. Toyota has created online e-brochures with video clips which were sent to different people. Toyota also benefited from various celebrity endorsements that attracted attention to the new Prius car. Toyota also promotes motor show exhibitions. Example : The Melbourne Motor Show was the first public outing to display new Prius Cars. Toyota has one unique characteristic which is to provide a greener environment friendly car as it produces low emissions. Recently they promoted in an advertisement saying ‘Harmony between Man, Nature and Machine’. (Ann Rodriguez and Chris Page 2004) e. Distribution Strategies Toyota Company has distribution centres in Australia. In 1999, Victorian Park Distribution Centre was opened at Altona. It uses the unique distribution methodology the Internet. One can find the dealer on the Toyota. com. au website. Dealers are classified with General Sales, Prius Sales, General Services, Prius Services and All Parts. One can get the relevant information of the dealer which would contain the address, Telephone, fax Phone and email address. 8. Recommendation for Change * Lower the fixed cost of the whole process. * Improving the procedure of the Research and Development. * Build good relationship with other automotive companies in order to increase profits. * Supporting supplier development by funding the on-site process improvement and cost reduction activities. * Supporting dealers to apply Toyota Production System to improve customer service reduce costs and increase productivity. Producing Hybrid cars at the manufacturing plant within Australia. (Toyota 2009) 9. Implementation Plan * The main problem was maintaining a long life of the battery of the car. This is one of the biggest problems of the Prius car and the company should overcome this problem to increase the sales. (ConsumerAffair. com 2009) * The passenger side headlight goes off intermittently. This should be rectified by the company. It is a common problem found in most of the cars. (Howard A. Gutman 2009) * Vehicle’s engine shutting off, at a speed of 35 miles per hour (mph) and 65 (mph). Launching advertisement campaign for Green Environment friendly vehicle. * Providing great offers during festival like Christmas and Easter. * Advertising the new features of the third generation car like Remote Air Conditioning System, Pre-collision Safety System, Intelligent Park Assist and Solar Ventilation System. (The Gale group 2009) 10. References * Kotler, Brown, Adam , Burton, ed. (2007), Marketing, Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia. I. Bibliography * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 9th November, 2009, ; http://www. toyota. com. u/about/company; * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 9th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 9th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 9th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 9th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited 2009 Sustainability Report, Toyota, Australia viewed 10th November, 2009 * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 10th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited, Australia, viewed 10th November, 2009, * Car Sales. com Limited 2009, Toyota Prius (2003-) (October 2003), Car Sales. com Limited 2009, Australia, viewed 10th November, 2009, * ANDiDAS. com,2003, Toyota Prius; Marketing Communication Plan, ANDiDAS. com, UK, viewed 10th November, 2009, * Yahoo 2009,Yahoo Autos, Australia, viewed on 10th November, 2009, * Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade 2009, Australia Today – Australia Now, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia, viewed 10th November, 2009, * TradingEconomics 2009,Australia GDP Growth Rate,Trading Economics, viewed 11th November, 2009 * Central Intelligence Agency 2009, The World FactBook, Central Intelligence Agency, Australia, viewed 11th November, 2009, * Australian Department of Foreign Affairs Trade 2009, People, culture and lifestyle, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia, viewed 11th November, 2009, * Toyota Japan 2009, Technology, Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan, viewed 11th November, 2009, * vBulletin 2009, PriusChat Forums, PRIUSChat, Australia, viewed 11th November, 2009, * CarComplaints. com 2009, 2008 Toyota Prius , AutoBeef carcomplaints. com, Australia, viewed 11th November, 2009, ; http://www. carcomplaints. om/Toyota/Prius/2008/; * WebPublication Pty Limited 2008, Toyota Prius : Across a Continent , Autoweb, Australia, viewed 11th November, 20 09, * Sheila Wilson 2005, Team : Toyota and Prius Marketing Strategies, Wilson Marketing, United States, viewed 11th November, 2009, * High Gear Media 2009, 2010 Toyota Prius Marketing Theme : Harmony Between Man, Nature And Machine, AllAboutPrius, Australia, viewed 11th November, 2009, * Toyota 2009, Hybrid Synergy Drive News, Toyota, Australia viewed 12th November, 2009 * Toyota 2009, The New Prius Uses an Improved Hybrid System and New Engine, Toyota, Australia viewed 12th November, 2009 * Toyota 2009, Experience Prius, Toyota, Australia viewed 12th November, 2009 * Aisha Jones Scheffel 2008, The Right Pricing Strategy†¦ priceless! ,ArticleBase. com, Australia, viewed 12th November, 2009 ; http://www. articlesbase. om/business-articles/the-right-pricing-strategypriceless-631704. html; * Ann Rodriguez and Chris Page 2004, A Comparison of Toyota and Honda Hybrid Vehicle Marketing Strategies, Rocky Mountain Institute, Australia viewed 12th November, 2009 * Toyota 2009, Toyota M otor Corporation Australia Limited 2009 Sustainability Report – President Message, Toyota, Australia viewed 10th November, 2009 * ConsumerAffair. com 2009 , Toyota Prius Battery Problem , Consumer Affair . com – Knowledge is Power , Australia, viewed 13th November, 2009, * Howard A. Gutman 2009 , Toyota Prius Headlight Defect , Law Offices of Howard A. Gutman, New Jersey viewed 13th November , 2009, * The Gale

Legal Characteristics of a Crime Essays

Legal Characteristics of a Crime Essays Legal Characteristics of a Crime Essay Legal Characteristics of a Crime Essay Legal Characteristics of a crime are: -There must be a failure to act (an omission) which breaks the law. -The act or omission must be seen harmful to the whole community. Summary Offences – are those heard and decided by a magistrate sitting without a jury. They are relatively minor and include motor traffic offences and offensive behaviour. Indictable Offences- are serious criminal offences and may be heard by a judge or jury. They include murder, sexual assault and malicious wounding. The federal government legislates for some criminal offences such as tax evasion, social security fraud and importation of illegal drugs. However most criminal law is state law. Criminal law is found in both common and statute law. Common law still covers many areas of criminal law, for example, conspiracy, and the courts play a major role in interpret ting statutes. The major statute in Australia is the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) which lists offences and prescribes maximum penalties. Other statutes include the Summary offences Act 1988 (NSW) which mostly deals with public order offences and the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW) which covers drug offences. Elements of a crime. -Actus Reus is the guilty act. This is the voluntary commission of an act, or voluntary omission of a duty that breaks the law. The important features of the actus reus are: -The act or omission actually took place -It was done by the accused person -That it was voluntary. If a person have a muscular spasm and hit someone during that spasm, they would not be acting voluntarily and therefore the actus reus could not be proved. -Mens Rea is the guilty mind, this means that the person must have committed the act or omission with the intention to do so recklessly or with gross negligence. This shows that the actus reus must have been committed by a person with one of the following states of mind: -The intention or specific desire to commit the act or omit the duty. -Recklessness – the person could foresee the probability of harm, but acted anyway. -Negligence – person failed to exercise the degree of care. Causation: The act or omission must have caused the specific injury complained of. The principle of causation mainly applies in murder and manslaughter charges. In these cases, if the accused had the mens rea and the actus reus to to commit the murder, but the victims death resulted from other means, then the offence of murder is not proved. In Blaue v R (1975) WLR, the victim was stabbed and upon reaching the hospital refused a blood transfusion, because of her religious beliefs as a Jehovah’s witness. The victim died as a result of refusing the treatment. The accused was convicted of murder for the stabbing, because the stabbing was and ‘operative and substantial’ cause of death. Issues and Remedies Education about why laws are established, how they function and why certain acts are illegal is one of the best crime prevention techniques and should begin in early childhood and continue throughout life. The morals and ethics of certain groups in society might make crime education difficult. Social and economic disadvantage might also make it difficult for people to break a cycle of crime through education. Regulation can also prevent crime. This means that because society has made an action illegal, for example, stealing, that members of society will not steal. Regulations of actions are established by common and statue law and are enforced by the police and the court system. In this way, social order is maintained. Coercion is crime that can be prevented through force. If you steal a car in NSW, then police and the legal system will enforce the law that you are breaking. You will be punished and you would be aware of this before you steal a car. Crime Prevention Social Crime Prevention-Crime can be prevented by changing the social factors which cause people to be criminals. Some criminals come from low socio-economic, minority or disadvantaged backgrounds and may have been surrounded by crime from a young age so that the differential theory comes into play. It is argued that the best crime prevention is through education, employment and a viable social security system. To truly prevent crime, the social causes of a cycle of crime should be broken. Situational Crime prevention –Situations where crime could occur are legislated upon or avoided. For example, parents may stop their children from going to a party where a criminal matter could occur.

The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people The WritePass Journal

The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people Introduction The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people NICE (2011) NICE-recommended risk assessments help prevent falls in elderly nice.org.uk/newsroom/news/NICERecommendedRiskAssessmentsHelpPreventFallsInElderly.jsp Accessed 28/2/13 Sherrington Catherine; Menz, Hylton B.; (2002) An evaluation of footwear worn at the time of fall†related hip fracture AGE AGEING, Volume: 32  Ã‚   Issue: 3  Ã‚   Pages: 310-314. Spink, Martin J.; Fotoohabadi, Mohammad R.; Wee, Elin; (2011a) Foot and ankle strength, range of motion, posture, and deformity are associated with balance and functional ability in older adults ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION,   Volume: 92  Ã‚   Issue: 1  Ã‚   Pages: 68-75 Spink, Martin J.; Menz, Hylton B.; Fotoohabadi, Mohammad R.; Wee, Elin; Landorf, Karl B.; Hill, Keith D. Lord, Stephen R.; (2011b) Effectiveness of a multifaceted podiatry intervention to prevent falls in community dwelling older people with disabling foot pain: randomised controlled trial BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 342  Ã‚   Pages: 1-8 Tencer AF.; Koepsell TD.; Wolf ME.; Frankenfeld CL.; Buchner DM.; Kukull WA.; LaCroix AZ.; Larson EB.; Tautvydas M.; (2004) Biomechanical properties of shoes and risk of falls in older adults JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY; Volume: 52  Ã‚   Issue: 11  Ã‚   Pages: 1840- 1846 The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people Introduction The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people IntroductionFoot characteristicsFootwearConclusionsReferencesRelated Introduction The results section will look at the two main themes from this essay, namely foot characteristics and footwear and their role in falls, and will discuss the main themes in the literature within these two headings. Foot characteristics There are a number of foot characteristics associated with balance and functional ability. Ankle strength, flexibility and range of motion (inversion/eversion and dorsiflexion), hallux plantar flexion strength and plantar tactile sensitivity have been found to be significant predictors of balance and functional performance (Spink et al., 2011a; Mickle et al., 2011; Menz et al., 2005). Disabling foot pain is one of the highest risks in elderly falls and pain in the region of the toe is the most common complaint (Mickle et al. 2010). These findings are in accord with Badlissi et al. (2005) who found that hallux valgus and other toe deformities are the most common disorders. However, in contrast they also found these were often asymptomatic and had no functional limitation (Badlissi et al. 2005).   Mickle et al. (2010) found that the highest risk of falls was in elderly with higher plantar peak pressures and pressure time intervals on the MFPDI, demonstrating that those with less plantar sensitivity were at significant risk, in accord with this Mickle et al. (2010) found individuals with reduced FHFS scores had plantar fasciitis and pes cava. Disabling foot pain has been found to reduce balance, step and stride length, and walking speeds (Mickle et al. 2011). Interventions that can reduce the risk of falls in older adults are exercises to strengthen and increase flexibility in the ankle and foot. Spink et al. (2011b) showed significant reductions in falls risk of individuals that followed a regime of foot and ankle stretches and exercise. This finding is in accord with suggestions from other authors (Mickle et al. 2011; Menz et al. 2005; Spink et al. 2011a). Footwear Footwear is associated with fall risks, although there are many characteristics that make up a shoe and so these factors will be discussed in order of decreasing risk. Heel height is one of the most common factors in the risk of falls, heel heights of 4.5cm or greater have been found to increase risks (Menant et al. 2008; Menz et al. 2006; Tencer et al. 2004; Sherrington et al. 2002; Spink et al. 2011, Lord et al. 1999). Elevated heels cause significant sway and reduction of balance when compared to low heeled shoes (Menant et al. 2008). Other suboptimal shoe features include lack of adequate fixation (Sherrington et al. 2002), low heel-collared shoes (Menant et al. 2008; Sherrington et al. 2002; Lord et al. 1999) and excessive flexation (Sherrington et al. 2002; Menant et al. 2006). Bare feet, socks and slippers are quoted as higher risk of falls in a number of findings (Sherrington et al. 2002; Menz et al. 2006). Whilst shoe sole hardness is found to be a risk factor in some findin gs (Sherrington et al. 2002; Menant et al. 2008), Lord et al. (1999) found no relation between shoe hardness and risk of falls. Orthoses have been used as interventions to reduce pain in older adults with disabling foot pain, thus countering the highest risk in foot characteristics with a footwear solution (Spink et al. 2011b). Orthoses shift the weight load of the foot to areas without pain and are moulded to the individual foot. Most findings agree that the most optimal footwear to reduce the risk of falls is low heeled shoes (less than 4.5cm) and high heel-collared shoes (Menant et al. 2008; Tencer et al. 2004; Sherrington et al. 2002; Spink et al. 20011a and 2011b, Lord et al. 1999), with hard soles or reduced shoe flexibility (Menant et al. 2008; Tencer et al. 2004; Sherrington et al. 2002; Spink et al. 20011a and 2011b,) and high contact area (Tencer et al. 2004). Conclusions The role of footwear and foot characteristics and their contribution to risk of falls in an elderly population has a multiplicity of factors and an overriding weakness in the literature is being unable to take into account other factors such as musculoskeletal problems.   As risk factors can be very specific to the individual it is important to discuss the overriding risks found within the literature. Foot pain and weakness of ankle and toe are a significant risk factor of fall, as is disabling foot pain. Footwear associated with higher risk of fall includes barefoot, slippers or high heels, as well as poor or no fixation. Footwear with the least risk of fall has been found to be low heeled (less than 4.5cm) shoes with good surface area contact. Fall risk can be reduced, especially in those with disabling foot pain, by use of orthoses and shoes with good fixation, as well as targeting weakness of foot and ankle by a regime of exercise. Risk in those with symptomatic toe deformity may require medical interventions. References Badlissi, F.; Dunn, JE.; Link, CL.; (2005) Foot musculoskeletal disorders, pain, and foot-related functional limitation in older persons, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Volume: 53  Ã‚   Issue: 6  Ã‚   Pages: 1029-1033 Lord SR.; Bashford GM; Howland A.; Munroe BJ.; (1999) Effects of shoe collar height and sole hardness on balance in older women JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Volume: 47  Ã‚   Issue: 6  Ã‚   Pages: 681-684 Menant, Jasmine C.; Steele, Julie R.; Menz, Hylton B.; (2008) Effects of footwear features on balance and stepping in older people, GERONTOLOGY,   Volume: 54  Ã‚   Issue: 1  Ã‚   Pages: 18-23 Menz, HB; Morris, ME; Lord, SR (2005) Foot and ankle characteristics associated with impaired balance and functional ability in older people, JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES,   Volume: 60  Ã‚   Issue: 12  Ã‚   Pages: 1546-1552 Menz, HB; Morris, ME; Lord, SR (2006) Footwear characteristics and risk of indoor and outdoor falls in older people, GERONTOLOGY, Volume: 52  Ã‚   Issue: 3  Ã‚   Pages: 174-180 Mickle, Karen J.; Munro, Bridget J.; Lord, Stephen R.; (2010) Foot pain, plantar pressures, and falls in older people: A prospective study, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Volume: 58  Ã‚   Issue: 10  Ã‚   Pages: 1936-1940 Mickle, Karen J.; Munro, Bridget J.; Lord, Stephen R.; (2011) Cross-sectional analysis of foot function, functional ability, and health-related quality of life in older people with disabling foot pain ARTHRITIS CARE RESEARCH,   Volume: 63  Ã‚   Issue: 11  Ã‚   Pages: 1592-1598 Sherrington Catherine; Menz, Hylton B.; (2002) An evaluation of footwear worn at the time of fall†related hip fracture AGE AGEING, Volume: 32  Ã‚   Issue: 3  Ã‚   Pages: 310-314. Spink, Martin J.; Fotoohabadi, Mohammad R.; Wee, Elin; (2011a) Foot and ankle strength, range of motion, posture, and deformity are associated with balance and functional ability in older adults ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION,   Volume: 92  Ã‚   Issue: 1  Ã‚   Pages: 68-75 Spink, Martin J.; Menz, Hylton B.; Fotoohabadi, Mohammad R.; Wee, Elin; Landorf, Karl B.; Hill, Keith D. Lord, Stephen R.; (2011b) Effectiveness of a multifaceted podiatry intervention to prevent fall in community dwelling older people with disabling foot pain: randomised controlled trial BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 342  Ã‚   Pages: 1-8 Tencer AF.; Koepsell TD.; Wolf ME.; Frankenfeld CL.; Buchner DM.; Kukull WA.; LaCroix AZ.; Larson EB.; Tautvydas M.; (2004) Biomechanical properties of shoes and risk of fall in older adults JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY; Volume: 52  Ã‚   Issue: 11  Ã‚   Pages: 1840- 1846 The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people Study Objective The role of footwear and foot characteristics in reducing falls in older people Study ObjectiveOutcome variablesParticipant/study selectionInclusion/exclusion criteriaRandomisationBaseline differencesInterventions usedDemographicsTime frame of studyParticipant flowStatistical analysisCompleteness of follow upReferencesRelated Study Objective The role of footwear and foot characteristics has been extensively studied in older people to understand how these factors interact to induce falls, and further to endeavour to reduce fall as this has been classified as one of the more prevalent means of injury in older adults. Studies often focus on the interactions of footwear, foot mobility and flexation, and musculoskeletal disorders of the foot. Menant et al. (2008) systematically investigated the relationship between footwear characteristics, balance and stepping in older adults. They used specially designed footwear with contrasting features which included 6 different designs, a standard shoe, identically shaped soft and hard sole, a high heel-collar shoe, an elevated heel shoe, a bevelled heel shoe, a flared sole and a tread soled shoe, which were used to assess coordinated stability and choice stepping reaction times. In contrast, Menz et al. (2006) sought to determine the relationship between footwear characteristics and th e risk of indoor and outdoor falls in older people. The study used only two shoe types that were supplied by the participants; these were a soft indoor shoe (slippers) and their normal outdoor shoes. The study explored the relationship between the footwear features and the frequency of falls in older adults by separately assessing indoor and outdoor falls. Determining the correlation between musculoskeletal foot disorders, pain and functional stability is the most common form of fall study, perhaps because these relationships have less variation than shoe characteristics. Badlissi et al. (2005) investigated the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders of the foot (for example pes cavus, pes planus, claw toe, hammertoe, mallet toe, overlapping toes, hallux valgus/bunion, bunionette, and plantar fasciitis) and foot pain and functional limitation, measured on scales of 0-100 for foot pain while functional limitations were measured as walking times on a range of 0-4, to determine how foot pain mediated the relationship. Menz et al. (2005) studied the comparative contribution of a number of foot and ankle features to performance on a range of balance and functional tests, building on previous work, to determine whether these tests could explain further variation in balance and functional performance after standard sensorimotor factors were measured. Spink et al. (2011) also investigated foot characteristics in older adults, determining the degree that foot and ankle strength, range of motion, posture, and deformity were related to performance, using tests that measured balance and functional ability. Pain studies have also been used to assess falls. Mickle et al. (2010) determined if foot pain and plantar pressure were connected with falls in older people. The investigation focussed on the association of plantar pressures with foot pain in older adults and how foot pain or dynamic plantar pressures increase the risk of falls in this population, using ambulatory data from this group of community-dwelling older people. A follow-on study by Mickle et al. (2011) sought to establish whether disabling foot pain could be associated with functional foot characteristics, functional ability, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in retired adults. The principal objective was to determine whether disabling foot pain was connected with foot function quality, practical ability, and HRQOL in older adults, using two definitions (A: reduced ankle dorsiflexion and hallus flexor strength. B: reduced flexor strength of the lesser toes and increased foot reaction time and postural sway). Outcome variables The outcome variables for the footwear studies used similar measurements. Menant et al. (2008) measured a series of balance and stepping tests in the eight randomly presented shoe conditions. Maximum balance range and body sway measurements, coordinated stability and Choice-Stepping Reaction Time was assessed in each footwear style. In contrast, Menz (2006) measured footwear characteristics including shoe style, ï ¬ xation (buckle, velco etc.), heel height, counter height and width, critical   tipping angle, sole rigidity and ï ¬â€šexion point, tread pattern, sole hardness and heel counter stiffness with respect to specific incidence of fall. Badlissi et al. (2005) measured foot disorders e.g pes cavus, pes planus, claw toe, hammertoe, mallet toe, overlapping toes, hallux valgus/bunion, bunionette, and plantar fasciitis against foot pain. Foot health was measured on a range of 0–100, and walk time was scored on a range of 0–4. Spink (2011) measured foot and ankle strength by dynamometry, motion range, posture, deformity, and balance tests which measured postural sway, balance range extent, lateral steadiness, co-ordinated steadiness) Functional ability tests (alternate step, sit-to-stand, timed 6-m walk) were used to assess foot and ankle strength, whereas Menz (2005) tested foot and ankle characteristics (foot posture, range of motion, strength and deformity) against sensorimotor functions, which included vision, sensation, strength and reaction time, as well as balance and functional aptitude as measured using standing and leaning balance, stepping, sit to stand and walking speeds. Mickle et al. (2010) classified participants into two categories (faller or non-faller) based on falls incidence over 12 months. Pain was calculated with the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index (MFPDI) that employs questions consisting of statements about the participant’s foot or foot pain. Finally, dynamic plantar pressures were measured during a walk over a pressure platform which was used to represent bare-foot dynamic foot function. Mickle et al. (2011) also employed MFPDI to establish foot pain. Foot function was characterised by foot reaction time, ankle dorsiï ¬â€šexion strength and ï ¬â€šexibility, hallux and lesser toe ï ¬â€šexor strength, and spatiotemporal gait parameters. Finally, volunteers performed postural sway tasks, those with disabling foot pain were classiï ¬ ed using original and conservative deï ¬ nitions from Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36).   Pain-free was subsequently compared with individuals with pain following adjustments for gen der and body mass index (BMI). Participant/study selection The participant study for these investigations was older adults of retirement age, without comparisons to younger adults. Badlissi et al. (2005) used a very large sample (n=5784) of ethnically diverse adults aged 65 and older for their study into foot disorders. For the footwear studies, Menant et al. (2008) used 29 community-dwelling volunteers recruited from a research database aged ≠¥70 years with a mean age of 79.1 (+/-3.7) years of which 15 were females, while Menant et al. (2008) had the smallest cohort with only 29 community-dwelling volunteers with a mean age of 79.1 (3.7) years. Menz et al. (2006) used 176 volunteers from a retirement village (56 men and 120 women), aged between 62–96 (mean age 80.1, SD 6.4). For the studies into foot characteristics Menz et al. (2005) used the same cohort as their previous study (n=176), while Spink et al. (2011) employed a larger randomized cross-sectional study of people (n=305) over 65 years, participants ranged between 65–93 years. The pain studies by Mickle et al.   (2010 and 2011) used the same participants of 312 community-dwelling people (154 female, 158 male) recruited from arbitrarily chosen federal electorates of New South Wales, Australia. Inclusion/exclusion criteria The exclusion criteria for all seven studies included that the participants were not bed or chair-bound; unable to ambulate household distances unaided (10m), unable to communicate in English (or Spanish (Badlissi et al. (2005)). Further exclusion criteria included neurodegenerative disorders and lower-limb amputation (Spink et al. (2011), Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011)). The ability to pass the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire was deemed necessary by Menz et al. (2005 and 2006) and Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011). While Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011) also stated that participants were required to arrange transport to testing venues; furthermore trials were discarded if obvious gait deviations or targeting of the pressure platform were detected. Randomisation Only studies into pain by Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011) used any form of randomisation in the choice of the study participants. Baseline differences Basline differences measured prior to studies being undertaken were performed by Menz et al. (2006) who assessed participants most-used indoor and outdoor footwear and the right shoe was characterised by a single examiner into 16 basic shoe categories. Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011) used MFPDI to establish baseline foot pain and dynamic plantar pressures. Interventions used The studies into footwear (Menant et al. (2008) and Menz et al. (2006)) employed footwear interventions, however, while Menz et al. (2006) studies shoes types already owned by the participants, Menant et al. (2008) supplied specifically designed shoes for the study. Demographics Almost all studies used volunteers from community/retirement village volunteers, apart from Mickle et al. (2010 and 2011) who recruited study volunteers from arbitrarily chosen federal electorates of New South Wales, Australia. The age range was continuous after retirement age (60+ years) without bias towards gender, race or ethnicity. Other demographic characteristics included weight, height and BMI as well as foot and other medical conditions. Time frame of study Study time-frames ranged from 1 day to 1 week, while follow-up resulted in 1 year, however, only Menz et al. (2006) and Mickle et al. (2010) required 1 year. Participant flow (No data in any of the studies related to this topic) Statistical analysis Badlissi et al. (2005) employed logistic regression to acquire adjusted-odds ratios (95% conï ¬ dence intervals) to show interaction between foot musculoskeletal disorders and pain, with potential confounders adjustment. Subsequently, stepwise multiple linear regression was used to assess variance in walk tests and foot disorders were explained by the FHFS scale scores. Menant et al. (2008) used repeated-measures ANOVA with simple contrasts for statistical analysis of the data, while Menz et al. (2006) assessed the differences in foot-wear characteristics and physiological falls risk factors between fallers and non-fallers using independent samples t-tests (for continuously scored variables) and dichotomous variables. Footwear variables with signiï ¬ cant difference between the two catagories were further assessed using logistic regression analysis with adjustment for confounders identiï ¬ ed by univariate analyses. Menz et al (2005) applied descriptive statistics with multiple and step-wise regression. To define the relationship between foot and ankle characteristics, sensorimotor measures, balance and functional test performance scores, Pearson correlation coefficients (PCC) were used. Spink et al. (2011) also employed PCC to examine relationships between foot and ankle strength and range-of-motion measures and the balance and functional test performance scores and independent sample t-tests to measure difference in balance and functional test scores with Hierarchic stepwise multiple regression analysis. Mickle et al. (2010) applied Chi-square values to establish frequency of foot pain differences between fallers and nonfallers. Independent t-tests was employed to establish signiï ¬ cant differences in peak pressure or pressure-time for the two groups and one-way analysis of covariance to ascertain signiï ¬ cance in peak plantar pressure or pressure-time integral data created by participant reports of foot pain and pain-free. Mickle et al. (2011) also used analysis of covariance tests to determine signiï ¬ cant differences in SF-36 scores, foot function, or postural sway variables in volunteers reporting foot pain or pain-free, while gender and BMI were input as covariates. Similarly, chi-square tests compared the frequency of responses between pain deï ¬ nitions. Completeness of follow up Of the seven studies investigated, only Menz et al. (2006) and Mickle et al. (2010) conducted follow up studies, which occurred one year later. The follow-up required participants to record falls over the 12 month period and comparisons were then made between ‘fallers’ and ‘non-fallers’. References Badlissi, F; Dunn, JE; Link, CL; (2005) Foot musculoskeletal disorders, pain, and foot-related functional limitation in older persons, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Volume: 53  Ã‚   Issue: 6  Ã‚   Pages: 1029-1033 Menant, Jasmine C.; Steele, Julie R.; Menz, Hylton B.; (2008) Effects of footwear features on balance and stepping in older people, GERONTOLOGY,   Volume: 54  Ã‚   Issue: 1  Ã‚   Pages: 18-23 Menz, HB; Morris, ME; Lord, SR (2005) Foot and ankle characteristics associated with impaired balance and functional ability in older people, JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES,   Volume: 60  Ã‚   Issue: 12  Ã‚   Pages: 1546-1552 Menz, HB; Morris, ME; Lord, SR (2006) Footwear characteristics and risk of indoor and outdoor falls in older people, GERONTOLOGY, Volume: 52  Ã‚   Issue: 3  Ã‚   Pages: 174-180 Mickle, Karen J.; Munro, Bridget J.; Lord, Stephen R.; (2010) Foot Pain, Plantar Pressures, and Falls in Older People: A Prospective Study, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Volume: 58  Ã‚   Issue: 10  Ã‚   Pages: 1936-1940 Mickle, Karen J.; Munro, Bridget J.; Lord, Stephen R.; (2011) Cross-Sectional Analysis of Foot Function, Functional Ability, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older People With Disabling Foot Pain ARTHRITIS CARE RESEARCH,   Volume: 63  Ã‚   Issue: 11  Ã‚   Pages: 1592-1598 Spink, Martin J.; Fotoohabadi, Mohammad R.; Wee, Elin; (2011) Foot and Ankle Strength, Range of Motion, Posture, and Deformity Are Associated With Balance and Functional Ability in Older Adults ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION,   Volume: 92  Ã‚   Issue: 1  Ã‚   Pages: 68-75

Ancient Mayan Warriors and Warfare

Ancient Mayan Warriors and Warfare The Maya were a mighty civilization based in the low, rainy forests of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize whose culture peaked around 800 A.D. before going into steep decline. Historical anthropologists used to believe the Maya were a peaceful people, who warred upon one another rarely if at all, preferring instead to dedicate themselves to astronomy, building, and other non-violent pursuits. Recent advances in the interpretation of stonework at Maya sites have changed that, however, and the Maya are now considered a very violent, warmongering society. Wars and warfare were important to the Maya for a variety of reasons, including subjugation of neighboring city-states, prestige, and capture of prisoners for slaves and sacrifices. Traditional Pacifist Views of the Maya Historians and cultural anthropologists began seriously studying the Maya in the early 1900s. These first historians were impressed with the great Maya interest in the cosmos and astronomy and their other cultural achievements, such as the Maya calendar and their large trade networks. There was ample evidence of a warlike tendency among the Maya - carved scenes of battle or sacrifice, walled compounds, stone, and obsidian weapon points, etc. - but the early Mayanists ignored this evidence, instead of sticking to their notions of the Maya as a peaceful people. As the glyphs on the temples and stelae began to yield their secrets to dedicated linguists, however, a very different picture of the Maya emerged. The Maya City-States Unlike the Aztecs of Central Mexico and the Inca of the Andes, the Maya were never a single, unified empire organized and administered from a central city. Instead, the Maya were a series of city-states in the same region, linked by language, trade, and certain cultural similarities, but often in lethal contention with one another for resources, power, and influence. Powerful cities like Tikal, Calakmul, and Caracol frequently warred upon one another or upon smaller cities. Small raids into enemy territory were common: attacking and defeating a powerful rival city was rare but not unheard of. The Maya Military Wars and major raids were led by the Ahau or King. Members of the highest ruling class often were military and spiritual leaders of the cities and their capture during battles was a key element of military strategy. It is believed that many of the cities, especially the larger ones, had large, well-trained armies available for attack and defense. It is unknown if the Maya had a professional soldier class as the Aztecs did. Maya Military Goals The Maya city-states went to war with one another for several different reasons. Part of it was military dominance: to bring more territory or vassal states under the command of a larger city. Capturing prisoners was a priority, especially high-ranking ones. These prisoners would be ritually humiliated at the victorious city: sometimes, the battles were played out again in the ball court, with the losing prisoners sacrificed after the â€Å"game.† It is known that some of these prisoners remained with their captors for years before finally being sacrificed. Experts disagree about whether these wars were waged solely for the purpose of taking prisoners, like the famous Flower Wars of the Aztecs. Late in the Classic period, when the warring in the Maya region became much worse, cities would be attacked, looted and destroyed. Warfare and Architecture The Maya penchant for warfare is reflected in their architecture. Many of the major and minor cities have defensive walls, and in the later Classic period, newly-founded cities were no longer established near productive land, as they had been previously, but rather on defensible sites such as hilltops. The structure of the cities changed, with the important buildings all being inside the walls. Walls could be as high as ten to twelve feet (3.5 meters) and were usually made of stone supported by wooden posts. Sometimes the construction of walls seemed desperate: in some cases, walls were built right up to important temples and palaces, and in some cases (notably the Dos Pilas site) important buildings were taken apart for stone for the walls. Some cities had elaborate defenses: Ek Balam in the Yucatan had three concentric walls and the remains of a fourth one in the city center. Famous Battles and Conflicts The best-documented and possibly the most important conflict was the struggle between Calakmul and Tikal in the fifth and sixth centuries. These two powerful city-states were each dominant politically, militarily and economically in their regions, but were also relatively close to one another. They began warring, with vassal cities like Dos Pilas and Caracol changing hands as the power of each respective city waxed and waned. In 562 A.D. Calakmul and/or Caracol defeated the mighty city of Tikal, which fell into a brief decline before regaining its former glory. Some cities were hit so hard that they never recovered, like Dos Pilas in 760 A.D. and Aguateca sometime around 790 A.D. Effects of Warfare on Maya Civilization Between 700 and 900 A.D., most of the important Maya cities in the south and central regions of the Maya civilization went silent, their cities abandoned. The decline of the Maya civilization is still a mystery. Different theories have been proposed, including excessive warfare, drought, plague, climate change and more: some belief in a combination of factors. Warfare almost certainly had something to do with the disappearance of the Maya civilization: by the ​late Classic period wars, battles and skirmishes were quite common and important resources were dedicated to wars and city defenses. Source: McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004.

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA - Lab Report Example DNA is the double stranded helical structure which carries the genetic information. The study of the DNA molecule will give us the details about life. DNA molecules can be extracted from the cell using the extraction techniques and they are then quantified using the agarose gel electrophoresis. The DNA fragment is separated in the Agarose based on the pore size (that is the concentration of the agarose), the voltage applied, the molecular size of the DNA molecule and the conformation of the DNA. The smaller molecules a move downwards in the gel faster than the larger molecules and the separation occurs based on the size of the DNA. If high voltage is applied, then the migration will be faster but the separation of the DNA fragments will not be clear. (Westermeier 2006). So, 110 volts for 30- 45 minutes is usually applied for the separation of the DNA fragments in the gel. The agarose gel electrophoresis of the DNA molecule showed distinct bands in the lanes 4,5 and 6 indicating that only a single DNA is present in the sample. Introduction: Doeoxy ribo nucleic acid (DNA) is a polymer consisting of base, sugar and a phosphate bond. The sugar is always deoxy- ribose in case of DNA and the base will be a purine or pyrimidine molecule: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine or Thymine. Phosphate molecule connects the two nucleosides. DNA is a covalently linked structure which is helical in shape. DNA is a double helical structure held together by the hydrogen bonds. DNA carries the genetic information. ... Since DNA are acidic in nature, they migrate towards the positive pole when exposed to an electric field. The pore sixe of agarose sieve is determined by the concentration of agarose. Agarose gels are made with a concentration varying from 0.7- 1.5%. DNA in a neutral solution is negatively charged. (Williamson and Campbell 1997). So if an electric field is applied to the DNA, it will move towards the anode pole from the cathode pole. Based on the fragment size, the rate of migration will be inversely proportional to the fragment size. The smaller fragments will move faster than the larger ones and the distance moved by the fragments are measured by using the molecular marker. Molecular marker is the standard DNA fragment sizes which act as the standards to measure the molecular weight of the DNA fragments. Thus by providing constant voltage into the agarose gel, we are able to separate the DNA fragments based on their molecular weight. (Westermeier 2006). Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA is a very simple and reproducible technique. The mobility of the DNA molecule in neutral solution was independent of the size of the fragment but varied with the ionic strength .The DNA fragments of up to 40 kilo base pair can be separated using agarose gel electrophoresis. (Williamson and Campbell 1997). The DNA fragments get separated based on molecular size, the current applied, concentration of Agarose and the conformation of the DNA. Agarose is a copolymer containing 1,3-linked ?-D-galactose and 1,4-linked 3,6- anhydro-?-L-galactose linked together by the junction zones and joined by the hydrogen bonds. (Stellwagen 2009). A standard ladder is used to identify the size of the fragments. In

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Finance - Assignment Example 6. Â  If you calculate the growth prospects of a firm and from this forecast you project the amount of and timing of dividends and then you discount this dividend stream back to the present you are applying the Firm Foundation Theory. 8. Â  I do not currently own shares of FB. I think that the business model of FB is going to fail. I decide to borrow shares of FB and then sell these borrowed shares. This is an example of a short sale. 9. Â  It was individual investors who made huge mistakes that led to the dot.com and housing bubbles and the collapse of these markets. If individuals had allowed professionals to manage their money the destruction of value that took place when the dot.com and housing bubbles burst could have been avoided. 10. Investors are rational and this places constraints on asset prices. For example if Company X owns 90% of company Y and 10% of Company Y is traded on a stock exchange then the value of company X will always be the value of 90% of company Y plus the value of Company X. 11. IPOs are a way for insiders to liquidate their ownership interests of a company. IPOs tend to increase in frequency during a stock market bubble because the public is demanding to participate in the market for a new technology. This demand increases the value of shares offered and fuels the demand for more share

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assignment 3 - Essay Example Averys work is the springboard for everything from recombinant DNA work to human cloning to cancer research. It has been used as a basis for other experiments that do not merely change the host genetic makeup, but actually replace one gene with another gene, and this process has even further widened the implication of Averys work. Drug resistant bacterial infections have been stemmed in part because of the processes used by Avery, in which injurious agents are introduced into the drug resistant strains, and these injurious changes are passed down through the progeny. The implications of this work for every aspect of life, from the environment to medicine to crop engineering is explored within the confines of this paper. The basis for the studies were previous studies that induced changes in higher organisms that were permanently embedded and passed on to next generations as hereditary characteristics. The first description of this phenomenon is by Griffith, who transformed variant that was non-encapsulated and attenuated into a fully encapsulated and virulent cells of another type (Avery, et al., 1943, p. 137). The present study deals with an attempt to determine the chemical nature of a substance that produces transformation of the pneumococcal types. This experiment, in which a DNA fraction, which is isolated from Type III pneumococci, transforms unencapsulated R variants, which are derivated from Pneumococcus Type II, into a fully encapsulated Type III cells, builds upon earlier studies that showed that changes induced into various pneumococcal types is determined by the encapsulated cells that are used to evoke the reaction (Avery, et al., 1943, p. 152). The researchers found it striking that variants from a Pneumococcus Type II are changed into Pneumococcus Type III cells by the addition of highly purified and protein-free material that consisted mainly of DNA. Also striking is that the capsular substance and the substance

Operation management - Operational Analysis Essay

Operation management - Operational Analysis - Essay Example Like any other Wal-mart store, ASDA is well known for its bargaining pricing of its products and services that it sells. It is also known for giving access and selling a wide range of products and services to its customers ranging from accessories and clothing to gardening and household equipment. Services include photography and pharmacy services. The motto of ASDA Wal-mat store Inc has been to help consumers save money and also help consumers lead a cheaper, but higher and better living standard (ASDA, 2010). The main objective of this company is to maintain excellent customer service by providing quality products at affordable prices. Another objective is to improve the sales of the store and implement productivity initiatives. The company has enjoyed a number of successes, including the ability to buy in bulk, sell products and services in huge volumes, and be able to survive on reduced on low profit margins. This has in turn helped the organization to pass on the cost benefit to the consumers and at the same time be able to give consumers more value for money which has been a crucial part of the success of the company in a highly competitive market. The paper will take an analysis of ASDA Wal-mart stores mainly concentrating on its current operations management activities. Introduction In any organization or company, operational management deals with the design and management of processes, products, services, and supply chains (BARNES, 2008). This mainly looks at the development, acquisition, and utilization of resources that are required by the organization in order to deliver goods and services to its consumers. Operational management ranges from the strategic level to the tactical level and finally, to the operational level. In other words, operational management is a function that aims at making sure that there is a smooth flow of processes to convert input into outputs in a cost effective and efficient way. There is normally demand for companies to su stain themselves and survive in a competitive market. However, there are two ways which company can adopt to which are cutting their costs or increasing their revenue. In both cases, the OM capacity of an organization is challenged. In this competitive market where competition increases all the time, a company like ASDA to implement effective operational management tools and systems in order to ensure that the production of goods and services is maintained smoothly and that the demands of customers are fulfilled quickly. OM attempts to create the desired balance between costs and revenue to get the maximum profit and at the same time maintain the quality of goods and services. Normally, big companies like ASDA have huge responsibilities to be able to keep up with the operational management activities involving capacity planning, manpower planning, acquisition, and control, scheduling, managing quality, material control, cost control, training and development for employees, and facil ity location and layout planning (LOADER, 2007). Information and Analysis Current Operations Below is an overview

Relationship between EU and Ukraine Research Paper

Relationship between EU and Ukraine - Research Paper Example The Ukraine political system which does not encourage democracy might also have been a hindering factor to the good relationship between the EU and Ukraine. Some people also believe that the relationship between Russia and Ukraine would have also contributed to this hardship. Russia has been long known to have a poor relationship with Ukraine. The preparation of Ukraine to accession into the EU began in the year 2012 in Brussels. However, by November the same year, the twenty seven governments under the European Union and the European parliament had not signed the agreement. This was a result of the poor relationship between the EU and Ukraine because of the way the former prime minister of Ukraine, YuliaTymoshenko was treated and sentenced. The European Union and a section of its member states, Germany being the most notable, had resulted to putting some pressure on the then president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich to stop the sentencing of the former prime minister because of her poor health status (Movchan and Shportyuk 12). Despite there being a number of meetings that had been organized between the EU and the Ukraine government, the EU leaders had snubbed some of these meetings. The relationship between Ukraine and the EU only got worse after this. In the year 2012, the EU leaders snubbed the 2012 UEFA Euro championships after being requested to do so by Ukraine’s opposition leaders. The EU leaders asserted that there would be no signing of the Association Agreement if Ukraine did not attend to the concerns about democracy in their political system.

Operation management - Operational Analysis Essay

Operation management - Operational Analysis - Essay Example Like any other Wal-mart store, ASDA is well known for its bargaining pricing of its products and services that it sells. It is also known for giving access and selling a wide range of products and services to its customers ranging from accessories and clothing to gardening and household equipment. Services include photography and pharmacy services. The motto of ASDA Wal-mat store Inc has been to help consumers save money and also help consumers lead a cheaper, but higher and better living standard (ASDA, 2010). The main objective of this company is to maintain excellent customer service by providing quality products at affordable prices. Another objective is to improve the sales of the store and implement productivity initiatives. The company has enjoyed a number of successes, including the ability to buy in bulk, sell products and services in huge volumes, and be able to survive on reduced on low profit margins. This has in turn helped the organization to pass on the cost benefit to the consumers and at the same time be able to give consumers more value for money which has been a crucial part of the success of the company in a highly competitive market. The paper will take an analysis of ASDA Wal-mart stores mainly concentrating on its current operations management activities. Introduction In any organization or company, operational management deals with the design and management of processes, products, services, and supply chains (BARNES, 2008). This mainly looks at the development, acquisition, and utilization of resources that are required by the organization in order to deliver goods and services to its consumers. Operational management ranges from the strategic level to the tactical level and finally, to the operational level. In other words, operational management is a function that aims at making sure that there is a smooth flow of processes to convert input into outputs in a cost effective and efficient way. There is normally demand for companies to su stain themselves and survive in a competitive market. However, there are two ways which company can adopt to which are cutting their costs or increasing their revenue. In both cases, the OM capacity of an organization is challenged. In this competitive market where competition increases all the time, a company like ASDA to implement effective operational management tools and systems in order to ensure that the production of goods and services is maintained smoothly and that the demands of customers are fulfilled quickly. OM attempts to create the desired balance between costs and revenue to get the maximum profit and at the same time maintain the quality of goods and services. Normally, big companies like ASDA have huge responsibilities to be able to keep up with the operational management activities involving capacity planning, manpower planning, acquisition, and control, scheduling, managing quality, material control, cost control, training and development for employees, and facil ity location and layout planning (LOADER, 2007). Information and Analysis Current Operations Below is an overview

Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth - Essay Example For economic growth to happen there is a need for entrepreneurs to assume, manage, and organize the risks that are in the various business ventures. While entrepreneurship is personal, it has an impact on the entire society, which affirms the positive correlation between entrepreneurship and economic growth. Entrepreneurship is usually s an outcome of complex factors that include socioeconomic, technological, and psychological factors within the environments in which the entrepreneurs live. As a process, entrepreneurship is very dynamic and risky as it involves a combination of human talent or creativity, capital and technology. The concept of entrepreneurship applies to small business enterprises as well as large businesses and multinational corporations. It also applies to economic activities and non-economic activities. Entrepreneurial activity on the other hand refers to the rate of new venture start up that is initiated or started by the entrepreneurs and is motivated by the ava ilability of opportunities. Economic development focuses on ways in which production and competition for resources in enhanced. It also involves the process through which per capita income of a country is increased. ... The economy is portrayed as a combination of enterprises and businesses each of which is a combination of the various factors of production. The Role of the Entrepreneur and Creativity The entrepreneur fulfills several functions. The most important function is that of innovation. The entrepreneur uses the available information and his creativity to come up with products that fulfill the need that has been identified in the society. The entrepreneur also comes up with improvements on the already existing products and comes up with new markets for the products. Being creative, the entrepreneur also comes up with a new organization for a specific industry. Through creative innovations, the entrepreneur converts the available material into resources. He also comes up with different ways to combine the available resources and come up with more products that are better and more productive. Creativity is therefore a very important part of the entrepreneurship process. In relation to entrepr eneurship, creativity is the process of developing new services and products that were previously unavailable (Wennekers, Stel, and Carree 45). An entrepreneur also has the responsibility of organizing the resources that are a necessary part of production. This means he has to use his creative and innovative abilities, and his leadership skills to coordinate the production team, generate the resources required for production, and supervise the process of production. The entrepreneur has to ensure that the available resources are channeled towards progressive activities in the pursuit that he has chosen. If the entrepreneur is not keen on the process of the organization of the resources, he may end up using the available resources to produce goods or services that are already in surplus.