“A Scrap of Paper” by Studdert Kennedy and Geoffrey Anketell Just a little scrap of paper

The poem I chose is called â€Å"A Scrap of Paper†. I believe that this poem is one of the world’s best and most interesting poems I’ve ever read, and even though it’s short, it leaves a lot for the reader to think about. The poem was written around the time of the First World War, and that is what I think it is about: a person who has received a letter saying that they have lost a loved one in war. Although the poem is short, there is not a lack of rhetorical devices. Imagery is common throughout the poem. In the first line, the description of the â€Å"little scrap of paper† sets up a vivid mental image for the reader. This paper isn’t overly valuable and not something that is important, yet to the recipient family, it is the most priceless artifact. It is â€Å"just a little scrap of paper† which the reader can now see. When I read this I think of an older looking piece of paper that probably is crinkled. I think the word â€Å"just† adds to the imagery. The word â€Å"just† is similar to â€Å"only†, which demeans value. It’s only one scrap of paper. In the second line, literal imagery is present in the description of the â€Å"yellow envelope†. This literal imagery leads into more figurative imagery. The reader of the poem now has some information to set up the setting of where and when they think the poem is being placed. For me, I see a house with a lady standing on the front porch holding the envelope in one hand and the little scrap of paper in the other. The colour of the envelope adds irony and contrast to the tone of the poem. The colour yellow is rarely affiliated with sadness, which is definitely present in this poem. Yellow is often seen as a colour that brings joy, happiness, energy and, many may even argue, hope. This is ironic because the contents within this yellow envelope is none of the above. These happy emotions associated with the colour yellow are polar opposites from what lies within the envelope. I think that this was done intentionally by the poets to make the sadness of the letter that much greater. The choice of the word â€Å"scrap† to describe the piece of paper was also a meaningful choice done by the poets. They could have used a different denotation, such as: â€Å"a piece of paper†. Using the word â€Å"scrap† sets a harsher tone and shows that the conditions of where the letter is from (theoretically from where the war was taking place) are not in a good condition. The scrap piece of paper symbolizes loss of hope. When there is no scrap piece of paper the families are bottled up with hope that their loved one will come home after the war. When the letter gets sent to the houses of loved ones, this hope is immediately lost as they will never see their loved one again. There are many rhetorical devices present in the poem â€Å"A Scrap of Paper† that help the reader enhance the underlying messages and meanings in the poem. There are also some sound devices used in the poem. The poem itself is a rhyming poem. It follows the pattern abcb. A common trend in poems about war, death, and other tragedies seems to be rhyming. Rhymes can help to lighten the mood of the poem and add a nice rhythm to the piece. The couplet of words that rhyme are â€Å"envelope† and â€Å"hope†. There are two very distinct types of connections between these words which is seen in their own context. In the context of this poem, these words contrast each other. This envelope does not associate with hope, it is the opposite. In general context, envelopes can often bring hope to people. There is always an element of surprise attached along with envelopes since one is often unsure of the contents within. The use of consonance is present in the quote â€Å"scrap of paper†. There is a repetition of the letter â€Å"p†. The use of the sound device consonance generally adds a harsh and â€Å"dark† tone. This tone goes along with the theme of war. In conclusion, the sound devices used in the poem â€Å"A Scrap of Paper† help to enhance the theme and meaning of the poem. The saying â€Å"quality, not quantity† is definitely applicable to this poem. The first time I read the poem over, I thought there was no way that this poem is exemplary to be one of the world’s best poems. After analyzing it more thoroughly, I realized my initial opinion was very wrong. I think that’s what the poets were hoping the reader would think. The length of a poem does not limit it’s depth and meaning and this was effectively proved while analyzing this poem. The simplicity and shortness also allows the reader to make their own assumptions. I think that this is a good quality for a poem to have. The definite results are not â€Å"set in stone†, so the reader can make their own connections with the poem. It is evident that every detail was considered while making this poem and that’s why I believe it is one of the world’s best poems.

BAA’s Communication Breakdown

The biggest challenge facing the British Airports Authority, or BAA, is allowing itself to move forward without sacrifice. Group leaders want to expand their authority while being a good community neighbor. Problems exist considering that the organization proposed to enlarge Heathrow Airport. BAA officials knew they could not start those improvements until area residents complied with their requests. (Olivant, 2000) Most companies put in this situation would follow their agendas because they (a) had their shareholders’ position in mind (b) their own interest in mind or (c) they could.(Olivant, 2000) What BAA executives did instead was speak with affected groups to determine what could be done to please everyone. The solution was a â€Å"Contract with the Community† that openly addressed public concerns ranging from air pollution to runway expansion. The results were increased community support and the backing to continue serving its customers. (Olivant, 2000) This move became telling, as the BAA switched leaders in March 2008 to streamline best practices and to bolster travel in and out of Heathrow Airport.(Pagano, 2008) The hiring of Colin Matthews as the CEO was instituted to get those changes and attitudes about the airport done. Getting security in line with modern technology and addressing the expansion issues in making the airport more suitable for travel. (Pagano, 2008) Whether this move pans out for the BAA remains to be seen. It was perceived that should the move to change the CEO at the BAA be unsuccessful, then it would make for a real communications problem because the BAA Chairman Sir Nigel Rudd would also resign. BAA 2 List of ReferencesOlivant, S. (200). â€Å"A business case for corporate citizenship. † Best Practices: Best Enterprises for Sustainable Travel. New York: The Conference Group. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from: http://www. sustainabletravel. org/docs/pdf_BAA. pdf Pagano, M. (2008). â€Å"Bloodletting at BAA: the new regime that must take on a jumbo sized challenge. † The Independent. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from: http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/bloodletting-at-baa-the-new-regime-that-must-take-on-a-jumbosized-challenge-790176. html

Math and Music Essay

Math and music are connected in many ways. Math is seen to be as very precise. Music is often seen as a way to express emotion. They are actually both very closely related together. Music is an expression of scales and notes that are strung together to make sound. Math is the subject of numbers and symbols used to write formulas and equations. At its foundation, music and math are related. In this essay, you will show that math and music are related in many ways. They are more closely related then what they are seen to be. Numbers to beats. Pitch to rhythm. Rhythm Math and music’s connection begins with something called rhythm. Music is built on rhythm. Same as how mathematics is based on numbers. Rhythm is made whenever the time range is split into different pieces by some movement or sound. There are many everyday life examples of rhythm the beating of your heart, when waves hit the shore of a beach and the systematic way the traffic light blinks is rhythm. Rhythm measures time so the measure and time signature are created to make rules for a certain piece of music. A piece of music is divided into equal measures. Each measure represents the same amount of time. Each measure gets split into equal shares, or beats. A time signature has two parts. It resembles a fraction. The top number (numerator) is how many beats in each measure. The bottom number (denominator) indicates tells you which note to count. For example, 4/4 is the most common time signature. The four at the top represents how many beats in that measure (4). The four at the bottom indicates which note to count (in this case, a whole note). Beats are in notes. These represent how long to hold the note for. For example, a quarter note equals one beat. How many beats in measure, four. (Numerator) How many beats in measure, four. (Numerator) Which note to count for, whole note. (Denominator) Which note to count for, whole note. (Denominator) Binary Number System Music is related to math with the binary number system. By following this pattern, one can see how each succeeding power (of two) gives a new note to work with (ex: sixteenth notes, thirty-second notes, sixty-fourth notes, one hundred-twenty-eight notes, and so forth). This pattern is also used for rests. A rest that is a whole rest is equal to a whole note. A half rest is equal to a half note. This pattern continues on. In 4/4 time there is one whole note in a measure, this equals 20=1. Two half notes go in a measure. The binary version of this is 21 = 2 half notes per measure. 4 quarter notes in a measure. The binary version of this is 22=4 quarter notes in a measure. 8 eighth notes go in a measure. The binary version of this is 23=8 eighth in each measure. 16 sixteenth notes fall in each measure. The binary version is 24=16 sixteenth notes in a measure. Binary Number System is shown above Adding a ‘dot’ after any note increases the value of the note by one half of the original note value. This also applies to rests. All of these rests and notes can be a combination of many arrangements to make different rhythms. The only condition it has is that there must the same exact number of beats in every single measure. A time signature of 4/4 says that every measure, no matter what notes they contain, must equal four beats. The fractional way of saying this is the sum of the fractions that every individualized note represents, must always equal one. This is because 4/4 simplified is â€Å"one.† Here are a few examples that will and will not work out. Another very common time signature is 3/4. The fractional way of saying this 3/4. The quarter note would still get one beat (due to the fact a four is at the bottom) but this time there would only be three beats in a measure. This basically means the total number of beats must be three. These are some examples that will and won’t work. Math can be used to determine where the second note of the two will fall in relation to the three-note rhythmic cycle. This concept is the least common denominator (LCM). Since the LCM of two and three is six, one would divide the measure into six equal counts to determine where each and every note would fall. The six count measure can be counted as â€Å"one and two and three and.† (In the time signature of 3/4, each and every one of these counts signifies an eighth note, because three quarter notes equal six eighth notes.) In the measure below the first rhythmic cycle has three quarter notes in each measure. Each one is taking up exactly two counts. The first note is counted as â€Å"one and,† the second note would be counted as â€Å"two and,† and finally the third note would be counted as â€Å"three and.† The second rhythmic scale has two dotted quarter notes in every measure. The first dotted quarter note is counted as â€Å"one and two.† While the second dotted quarter notes starts on the ‘and’ of two, and is counted as â€Å"three and.† Give one of these cycles to each of your hands and try to play them all at once, beating on a table or some other surface. It may even help to count aloud while doing this to make sure all the beats are falling on the right count. A much more complicated rhythm is three aainst four. The least common multiple of three and four is twelve so so the measure is divided amongst twelve equal parts. (In this case, each count signifies one sixteenth note, because three quarter notes equals twelve sixteenth notes.) This cycle can be counted as â€Å"one e and a, two e and a, three e and a, four e and a.† While trying to beat out this rhythm as well, one may find that beating out a two against three is far easier then beating out a three against four, though it is quite possible to play both. Every single thing surronding us has a rhythm. Ocean water has a rhythm. Protons and neutrons have rhythm. In every case, however, the rhythm moves the vibrations of the rhythm to the surronding material. Whether it be water, the ground, air, or something else, rhythm transfers vibrations. When rhythms distrupt the medium in a periodic way (repeating at equal times for equal amounts of time) they create something called wave motion. A wave has a high and low point just like an ocean wave has a high point and a low point. The high point in a wave is called the crest. The low point is called the trough. One wave equals one cycle. The first wave is called a transeverse wave. A transverse wave is a wave that lets the particles in the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction that the wave is traveling. Particles in medium travel this way Particles in medium travel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! Attach a rope to something in front of you then give it a little slack. Imagine jerking the rope up and down really quick. Jerk the rope Jerk the rope Wave moves along rope Wave moves along rope The movement of one’s hand sends a wave going horizontally down the rope whilst the rope itself moved up and down. Crest Trough Crest Trough Particles in mediumtravel this way Particles in mediumtravel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! Crest Trough Crest Trough When a violin string gets plucked, it works exactly like the rope. The pluck, instead of a jerk, creates the wave. The wave travels along the string horizontally, thus, the air particles around it move ever so little vertically. Particles in mediumtravel this way Particles in mediumtravel this way Wave travelsthis way! Wave travelsthis way! An example of transverese waves are sine waves. Here a few examples. 2 Another type of wave is called a longitudinal wave. In this wave, the particles vibrate parallel to the direction the wave is traveling. A longitudinal wave is sent when you knock over the first dominoe. This is because the dominoes fall in the direction of the wave. Another example of a longitudanal wave is a Slinky  ® toy. Hang a slinky from the ceiling, with a weight attached to it’s end, if you pull on the weight and then let go, the slinky goes up and down many times. The wave and the medium move parallel to each other. Sound waves are also longitudinal. The source of sound waves directs a vibration outwards in the air. At the points of compression, many air molecules crowd together and the pressure gets very high. At it’s point of refraction, the molecules are far apart and the air pressure is low. Sound waves create points of compression and refraction. An example of a transverse wave is when one plucks a violin string. The wave that it produces however is longitudinal. The wave travels through the air, hits your eardrum and lets one hear the note. A direct connection can be seen between two kinds of waves. The crest of a transverse wave has a direct relation to the point of compression in a longitudinal wave. The trough of the transverse wave corresponds to the point of rarefraction in the longitudinal wave. Amplitiude, frequency and wavelengths are charecteristics of a wave. Amplitude (A) is the distance from the top of the crest to where the wave originated from. The wavelegnth (ÃŽ ») is any point on the vibrations to the corresponding next one. It is the distance a wave travels in one cycle. The frequency (f) is the number of waves per second. Frequency is measured in Hertz. One Hertz (Hz) = one vibration/seond. The period (T) is the amount of time it takes for one whole wave or cycle to complete fully. The period and frequency are recipricols of on another. (T=1/f). The loudness is how the listener measures amplitude. The larger the amplitude the louder the loudness. The smaller the amplitude the quieter the loudness. The pitch is the listeners measuremet of frequency. It shows how high or low a sound is. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch. The lower the frequency, the lower the pitch. The water experiment can explain pitch. The more water in the glass the lower the pitch. The less water in the glass, the higher the pitch. In a complicated tone, there is something called a partial. The root tone with the smallest frequency is called the fundamental frequency. In most musical tones, the frequencies are integer multiples. The first one would be f. The second would be 2f. The third would be 3f. This pattern continues. 1st harmonic f=100 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=200 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=300 Hz 4th harmonic4f=400 Hz 1st harmonic f=100 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=200 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=300 Hz 4th harmonic4f=400 Hz If the fundamental frequency is 100 Hz, these would be the frequencies of the first four harmonics: 1st harmonic f=220 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=440 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=660 Hz 4th harmonic4f=880 Hz 1st harmonic f=220 Hz 2nd harmonic2f=440 Hz 3rd harmonic3f=660 Hz 4th harmonic4f=880 Hz If the fundamental frequency is 220 Hz, these would be the frequencies: Handel (1685-1759) used a tuning fork for A with a frequency of 422.5 Hz. By the 1800’s the highest frequency was 461 Hz in America and 455 Hz in Great Britain. Since stringed instruments sound better when tuned higher, the frequency probably would have kept rising. However is 1953 the standard of 440 Hz was agreed tooo. Still, some people use a frequency of 442 or 444Hz. The Piano 5 black keys 7 white keys 5 black keys 7 white keys On the piano keyboard, there are 88 keys. It has a pattern that repeats every 12 keys. The pattern contains 7 white keys and 5 black keys. The white keys are given a letter name A through G. The black keys also get letter names, just with either a flat or sharp symbol after it. For example, the black key between C and D is has two names, C# or Dâ™ ­. The distance between two anearby keys on the piano is called a half step (for example, between C and C# or E and F). Two half steps make a whole step (for example between C and D or E and F#). A sharp raises it a half step meanwhile the flat lowers it half a step. Geometry Math is related to music by geometry. Geometric transformations are like musical transformations. A geometric transformation relocates the figure while keeping the size and shape. The original piece or geometric figure is not changed. The simplest geometric transformation is when the figure slides in a certain direction. The results are the same size, shape and angle measurement. This is called a translation in geometry First place the music notes on the vertices of this triangle. Then move the notes are to the staff. The musical version of the geometric translation appears. Geometric Translation – Repetition The most simple of translation are in â€Å"When the Saints Go Marching In.† The repetitiveness is the theme of this song. The notes are played the same, just in different measures of the music. This means that different measure have the same notes. Another example is in Row, Row, Row your Boat. Geometric translations do not only have to be horizontal. They can be raised or lowered. It can be raised or lowered vertically which means the pitch can be higher or lower. Transposition is a more sophisticated application of translation to music. It involves the movement of an exact sequence of notes to an Geometric Translation – Transposition Transposition is another application of translation in music. It involves the movement of an exact sequence of notes to another place on the scale. The notes are in another key. This is shown in the song â€Å"Yankee Doodle.† Another example of this can be found in â€Å"O Christmas Tree.† Geometric Transposition – Reflection When the geometric figure is reflected across a line, the result is a mirror image of the original figure. The size, shape, angle and measurement remain unchanged. Another name for reflection is a â€Å"flip.† There are two types of reflections, one over the x-axis and one over the y-axis. The musical version of this is called retrogression, is shown below. An easy-to-see reflection is in the song â€Å"Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head.† An additional example is shown in the Shaker tune â€Å"Simple Gifts† A geometric reflection across the x-axis is the same except for the fact that the line of reflection is horizontal instead of than vertical. In music, it is called inversion and can take several different forms. One is in harmony: The other form of inversion is in melody and can be shown in Greensleeves. Transposition – Glide Reflection This is the third form of geometric transformation, which is called glide reflection. It is a translation followed by a reflection or a slide and then a flip. You can see inversion in Guantanamera, a popular Spanish song. Rotation A rotation occurs when a geometric figure is rotated 180 degrees around a point. The figure is moved to another location. It is also called a turn. This can also be done by reflecting over both axes, in any order. The Circle of Fifths and The Chromatic Circle The circle of fifths can be plotted from the chromatic scale by using multiplication. The chromatic scale is based on 12 notes which cannot be repeated until all notes are played. Multiply the numbers by 7. The reason we are multiplying by 7 is that there are 7 whole tones. Number the 12 notes of the chromatioc scale from: (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) Showing all of the notes on the chromatic scale: 0=C, 2=D, 4=E, 5=F, 7=G, 9=A, 11=B, 1=C#, 3=D, 6=F#, 8=G#, 10=A# Now multiple the whole row by 7 (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77) Then subtract 12 from every number until the final number becomes less then 12: (0, 7, 2, 9, 4, 11, 6, 1, 8, 3, 10, 5) And this is equal too: (C, G, D, A, E, B, Fâ™ ¯, Câ™ ¯, Gâ™ ¯, Dâ™ ¯, Aâ™ ¯, F) Which is the circle of fifths (this is enharmonically related too): (C, G, D, A, E, B, Gâ™ ­, Dâ™ ­, Aâ™ ­, Eâ™ ­, Bâ™ ­, F). This is the chromatic circle with the circle of fifths inside. (Star dodecagarm) This is the chromatic circle with the circle of fifths inside. (Star dodecagarm) Fibonacci Sequence Mozart is thought to be one of the greatest musicians and composers in the world. He used Fibonacci Sequence in some of his piano concertos (a concerto is a musical composition normally composed in three parts or movements.) Fibonacci sequence is the sequence of numbers, in which the sum of the two previous numbers equals that number ex: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13†¦). In the margins of some of his music, he wrote down equations. For example, in Sonata No. 1 in C Major, there are 100 measures in the first movement (A movement is a self-contained part of a composition.) The first section, of the movement, along with the theme, has 32 measures. The last section of the movement has 68 measures. This is perfect division, using natural numbers. This formatting can be seen in the second movement, in turn. Although there is no actual evidence concerning this matter, the perfect divisions of this piece of musis is quite easy to see. Fibonacci sequence goes on infinetly. The first number is 1. Every following number is the sum of the previous two. Adding 1 to nothing would give you 1. The third number would then be 2, the sum of 1 and 1. The fourth number would be 3 (to get this you would add 2+1) and the fifth number would be 5 (to get this you would add 3+2). These are some examples of Fibonn aci numbers: Fibonacci Sequence is everywhere. For example, the Fibonacci sequence gets shown on the piano because of the way the keys are setup. An octave is made up of thirteen keys. Eight of the keys are white and five are black. The black keys are split into groups of two and three. Each scale has eight notes. The scale is based off of the third and fifth tones. Both pitches are whole tones which are two steps away from the first note in the scale (also known as the root). There is also something called the Fibonacci Ratio. A Fibonacci ratio is any Fibonacci number divided by one adjacent in the series. For example, 2/3 is a Fibonacci ratio. So are 5/8 and 8/13. This pattern continues on. The farther along the ratios are placed, the more they have in common. They also become more and more exactly equal to 0.618. The porportion that these ratios show is thought to be, by many, to look appealing to the eye. It is called it the golden porportion. A Hungarian composer named Bà ©la Bartà ³k often used this technique while creating his compositions. The chart below is based on the Fibonacci ratios. The root tone A has a frequency of 440 Hertz. To find high A you multiply the Fibonacci ratio of 2/1 by 440 Hertz to get 880 Hertz. To get the frequency of note C, multiply 3/5 by 440 to get 264 Hertz. Harmonics are based off of Fibonacci ratios. Bibliography http://www.goldennumber.net/music/ http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/ProjectDetail.aspx?ProjectID=150 Math and Music: Harmonious Connections by: Trudi Hammel Garland and Charity Vaughn Kahn

Norman Finkelstien Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Norman Finkelstien - Essay Example It was not simply writing on the Holocaust that Finkelstein saw to be fraudulent, but an entire â€Å"Holocaust industry† pushing this particular past on the present for both ideological and financial gain. Finkelstein's criticisms of what were perceived to be misuses of the Holocaust were neither the first word nor the last on this subject. As the accusations leveled at Leai suggest, right from the outset, questions were raised about the mixed motives behind representing this particular past. With the increasing prominence of the Holocaust in popular discourse since the 1960s, those dissenting voices have gotten louder, reaching a deafening crescendo in Finkelstein's damning critique of the Holocaust industry. But Finkelstein's claims of the existence of a Holocaust industry drew on a much longer tradition of critical reflection on the popularization of the Holocaust. Much longer history of the criticism of Holocaust representation can be seen developing alongside the history of that representation. There are two broad strands in this disparate literature. One strand has questioned what has been seen as an overemphasis on the Holocaust in general, and by Jews in particular. Another strand has not questioned all contemporary concerns with the Holocaust per se, but has critiqued specific representations of the Holocaust—movies, museum exhibits, and books—in large part on the grounds of inauthenticity. What unifies these two broad strands—and such diverse writers as Norman Finkelstein and Elie Wiesel—is a refusal to accept any cultural product that draws on the history of the Holocaust as by definition a good thing, simply because it makes this past known. Within the more restricted criticism of someone like Wiesel, there can be, and have been, inappropriate Holocaust representations. From the more radical perspective of Finkelstein, all the products of the Holocaust industry are rejected as little more than attempts at â€Å"J ewish aggrandizement.† 4 While these two critical strands differ quite markedly, beneath both lies the deeper question of whether all the more recent talk about the Holocaust is a good thing in general, and whether it is a good thing for Jews and non-Jews in particular. However, such criticisms have recently been themselves subject to criticism. In the aftermath of the publication of Finkelstein's book in particular, voices were raised against the questioning of both specific Holocaust representations, and the perceived centrality of the Holocaust. The attack on the Holocaust industry by Finkelstein and others has been challenged and critiqued, perhaps most importantly, in an essay written by Alvin Rosenfeld in the American Jewish Year Book for 2001. There, Rosenfeld argued that the criticism of what was perceived to be a contemporary overemphasis on the Holocaust amounted, explicitly or implicitly, to calls for forgetting. If the Holocaust was to be increasingly forgotten, as critics of the Holocaust industry advocated, the result would be, Rosenfeld suggested, that Jews would â€Å"return to the kind of vulnerability that preceded Auschwitz and helped bring it about.† 27 However, before reflecting on the recent debate over the broader critique of the Holocaust industry, there are narrower criticisms of the specific products of the H

South And East Asia - Environment And Society Essay

South And East Asia - Environment And Society - Essay Example The people belonging to the Austronesian family who originated from the southern part of China and Taiwan began to move into the islands of South and East Asia around four thousand years ago. The original inhabitants were either displaced or absorbed by the wave of migrations. Nearly all the languages that are being spoken in the insular South and East Asia belong to the Austronesian family group. Cultural variations began to affect the regions as a result of increased influences from the expansion of the South by the Chinese controlled regions leading to the colonization of Vietnam. The Buddhism and Taoism arrived in the region of Vietnam from China resulting in a remarkable cultural influence. The expansion of trade across the Bay of Bengal resulted in increasing Indian influences that were well represented in large populations where the people were deeply involved in rice growing activities that were being supported by irrigation. These were seen in regions such as Vietnam, Cambod ia, Myanmar, and Java. The aspects of local societies were linked up with the various forms of Buddhism and Hinduism to form part of the laws that government leadership and court systems. The variations in the environmental conditions greatly affected the political structures of the region. In cases where the people were mainly nomadic or semi-nomadic, it was a major challenge to be able to come up with a proper means of governance that were to be marked by reliable tax systems as well as stable bureaucratic approaches.

Dq-4.1-Sheila Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dq-4.1-Sheila - Coursework Example The socio-technical system is one of the new systems that are employed firms to enhance better performance among their teams of workers working at different levels globally. This system coordinates workers easily thus team work is embraced. Other improved communication channels also play a major role here. Such technologies include Blackberry phones, iPhones and android phones. This paper is going to highlight how the communication in departments and teams can be improved by these innovations. A socio-technical system is a combination of technology and the people in the society. It is an operational system that enhances the working together of all the members in the society using the available techniques (Bass, 2012). Due to this reason, most organizations and business firms employ the socio-technical systems that are easy to adopt. They use these systems to make communication an instant thing in their operations despite the distance between workers. There are various types of socio-technical systems that have been put in use by many globally operating firms (Horspool, 2011). Some of them include Skype, online chats, emails and video conferencing. All of these systems require some components to operate effectively. There are some parts that are common to all of the socio-technical systems. These parts are the software, hardware, procedures, and the people using the system (Frederiksen, 2013). In my workplace we use videoconferencing to hold some board meetings with regional managers in different parts of the world. The use of videoconferencing and Skype can be classified as socio-technical. Therefore, the socio-technical system is also in use at my work area. Knowledge workers who are dispersed to far places in the world sometimes face difficulty of communication. The socio-technical systems are some of the few opportunities available for these team members to connect without being disturbed with the distance. Due to this there is need

Global Marketing Final Project on Pantaloons LTD - India's largest Term Paper

Global Marketing Final Project on Pantaloons LTD - India's largest fashion retailer - Term Paper Example Pantaloon also sells products of more than 50 private labels such as of big bazaar or food bazaar. Pantaloon has a vertically integrated management structure and the manufacturing expertise is more focused on supply the latest fashion to the market in the shortest possible time. The manifesto of the company is to explore the untapped market and form new rules to create fresh opportunities. It is always kept in mind that the customers get what they want to have and also assist them how and where to get their desired product. Pantaloons has always spotted the future trends and accordingly offered products or services to the customers. The company's vision and mission is to serve its customers and stakeholders by leading them towards a wonderful future (â€Å"Overview†). 2. Screening and Evaluation of the Potential International Market Pantaloon is one of the key players in the Indian retail market. The company has a well establish retail chain and a well planned distribution cha nnel around the country. This is moment when the company can think about global expansion. This study would analyze the retail environment conditions of three African countries, namely Ghana, Kenya and Angola for preparing an expansion plan for Pantaloons, in Africa. The initial focus would be on the launching the food section of Pantaloon called Food Bazaar. For this it is very important to do proper screening and evaluate the potentials of the Food Bazaar in retail market of these countries to identify the most suitable market. The screening and evaluation of the markets can be done by analyzing and monitor the international market. a. International Market Intelligence Overview The retail sector in Kenya has shown... Pantaloon is one of the key players in the Indian retail market. The company has a well establish retail chain and a well planned distribution channel around the country. This is moment when the company can think about global expansion. This study would analyze the retail environment conditions of three African countries, namely Ghana, Kenya and Angola for preparing an expansion plan for Pantaloons, in Africa. The initial focus would be on the launching the food section of Pantaloon called Food Bazaar. For this it is very important to do proper screening and evaluate the potentials of the Food Bazaar in retail market of these countries to identify the most suitable market. The screening and evaluation of the markets can be done by analyzing and monitor the international market. The retail sector in Kenya has shown positive progress since the last few years. In 2011, the growth in the wholesale and the retail sector has being about 7.3 percent, which was more than the manufacturing, a griculture, transportation or communication sector. The revenue generated by the retail sector was about 18.5 percent. Though the retail sector is developing in Kenya, yet they require some set of retail development guidelines or policies to sustain this growth. The retail market in Kenya is becoming overcrowded with new retail chains.

Evolution of Western corn rootworm population Essay

Evolution of Western corn rootworm population - Essay Example The characteristic that has allowed some Western corn root worm populations to become resistant to corn - soybean- corn rotation is that they produce higher levels of special class proteinases (cathepsin-L) that respond to soybeans defenses (Yates, 2012). Darwin’s theory of natural selection states that evolutionary change occurs when individuals produce variations in each generation and differential ways of survival by combining these variable characters. Individuals with variable characteristics, which increase their chances of survival, will have more opportunities to reproduce and their offspring will benefit from these advantageous characteristics. Similar to this theory, the western corn rootworm has evolved to produce enzymes in their gut that has enabled them to become resistant to corn-soybean-corn rotation. The enzymes inhibitors enables them to survive for two to three days in the soybeans fields which is enough for some of rootworms to lay eggs, when corns are planted in the same fields the rootworm larvae feeds on the corn roots. The modern view of evolution as a change in allele frequencies defines evolution as not only the development of new species from older ones but also the small changes within species from generation to generation-over long periods. Similarly, the western corn rootworm has been able to produce special class proteinases over long period of time, these small changes have enabled them to survive on soybean

Admission to MBA Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Admission to MBA Program - Essay Example This is important in my opinion because the workplace has changed in the last several years and it is more diverse. This calls for people who can understand each others differences while acknowledging that they must come together in order to complete a project. This is one of the places that active listening comes in because each part of the team must listen to the others in order to move foreword with a project. I believe that another strength is compassion that gives me the ability to look understand the needs of people and help them achieve their goals. When I think of weaknesses, my major weakness is that I am a perfectionist. Although many people may think this is a strength, for me it has a tendency to slow me down. As an example, when I work on a project independently I want to make sure that everything is the way I want when it is done. Because of this, I have often taken more time on a project that necessary. I am working to change some of my habits in this area so that I can move through projects faster and easier. The personal qualities I have include enthusiasm, charisma, empathy, keen observation, I am easy going and personable. I find these qualities becoming more important as I grow older and I understand the world of work better. I believe that these qualities also help me when I am working with teams or individuals. The characteristic I would like to develop is public speaking. I am nervous when I stand in front of a group for a presentation because I tend to be more introverted than extroverted. I would like to become more comfortable in front of groups. Finally, my main professional goal is to have an executive position with a Fortune 500 company. I feel that an MBA will put me into a position to find a company that will fit my talents and abilities. I feel that today, many companies are in need of qualified candidates and the MBA will be one way for me to realize my

Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Autobiography - Essay Example This lack of parental supervision and guidance led me to fall into the wrong crowd. Although I was constantly bounced within the foster and educational system, I managed to keep my optimism about my future intact. Little did everyone at the community high school and mainstream high schools that I attended know that what they thought were behavioral issues such as acting as the class clown and rudeness towards authority were actually the methods by which I was trying to express my creativity. Having discovered my talent for music and writing helped ease the conflicts within my life and give me a direction. My talents did not go unnoticed in our town as I often find myself invited to perform my original compositions at local hotspots where I am always warmly welcomed and embraced by the audience. I even became a local celebrity in my own right when I was invited to perform at the Senior Center as my performance together with the choral group that I am a member of was covered by and reported by the local paper. All my experiences in life have led me to understand the importance of education and its direct effect on my life and on the life of those around me. I will be the first generation graduate in my family and I hope that my accomplishment over the adversities of life will serve as an inspiration to those around me. I want them to see me as an example of how it is never too late to take charge of your life and accomplish anything that you want to and gain recognition for it. I am looking forward to attending college either at a local or out of town university where I can learn all about the business world alongside the development of my love for music. I believe that business and music can make beautiful music together as a musician such as I must have the knowledge and skill to promote my talents as a business and invest the earnings that I make from my engagements in order to keep me financially secure in the

(B&M) Managing Sustainability Reflective Log Essay

(B&M) Managing Sustainability Reflective Log - Essay Example Sustainability affects each level of human life starting from the local neighborhood to entire planet. Issues Affecting the Human Beings in Relation to the Planet â€Å"In the late 1960s, a second imperative emerged alongside human rights: sustainability† (Vischer, 2006, p.51). It is beyond to mention that the natural resources have certain limited availability and the human beings would have to respect the limits. There are certain issues which are facing the human beings. According to a news piece, the issues have emerged in various areas. Climate Change Global warming has put its increasing impact on the global environment and in turn has led to the emergence of various threatening issues for the human race. The greenhouses gases like Carbon-di-oxide have been responsible for the same and thus increasing the temperature of the planet (Oracle ThinkQuest, n.d.). According to UK prime minister, one of the most significant environmental issues, which have emerged as significant threats for the human race, is climate change leading to growing number of storms, drought, flood and loss of significant species. The depletion of ozone has resulted from the emission of the fluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons and some more hazardous gas releasing from industries like manufacturing and chemical factories. This has ultimately caused UV rays to enter in the atmosphere of the earth. Penetration of these rays may lead to severe carcinogenic reaction in human bodies (The Views Paper, 2009). Natural Resources With the enhancement in the life styles, energy consumption has increased with decline in the natural resources. The world is now facing with an increasing crisis for this earth to retain the sustainable supply of the resources. Resource sustainability is a significant requirement in today’s world. The petroleum products, coal and mineral resources have also been intensively exploited to certain greater extent. If the situation persists like this, after a sho rt span of time, all these resources are expected to be non-existent in the near future. Biodiversity Loss Despite of an increase in the conservation efforts the biodiversity state experiences a decline in turn most of the indicators. The significant pressure on the biodiversity has continued to grow considerably. Even, there is no or less indication displaying a considerable reduction in the declining rate in the biodiversity across the globe. The following are the indicators which have raised enough concerns among the researchers and scientists. Even a number of scientists think that the Earth is approaching to enter into the ‘sixth great extinction phase’ (Kirby, 2004). Figure 1: Indicators Displaying Biodiversity Loss (Source: Shah, 2010) Figure 2: Factors Affecting the Environmental Sustainability (Source: Kirby, 2004) The above figures show the increasing amount of population growth with growing usage of cars, consumption of water, paper and fertilizers. With the enhancement in the social lifestyles, there has been huge loss of rainforest, growing amount of carbon-di-oxide concentration. At the same time, the fisheries have been exploited heavily. The

Edward R. Murrow & Socrates Essay Example for Free

Edward R. Murrow Socrates Essay Indestructible courage, persistence and public service drove both Socrates and Murrow to live their lives with unwavering commitment for truth, critical thinking and unbendable integrity. With these values, Socrates and Murrow made their own lives as vivid examples of truth and veracity. They set the standards for all subsequent Western philosophy and the ideal broadcast journalism respectively. Nevertheless, their enduring courage may have brought them also to make half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or perhaps, self-centered intellectuals. Socrates pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the current course of Athenian politics and society. During his time, Socrates appears to have been a critic of democracy wherein some scholars had interpreted his trial as an expression of political infighting. He boldly face the charges made by the jury as seen in Platos â€Å"Apology,† an account of Socratess (unsuccessful) speech in his own defense before the Athenian jury. Socratess speech includes a detailed description of the motives and goals of philosophical activity as he practiced it, together with a passionate declaration of its value for life. I was really struck when Socrates purposefully gave a defiant defense to the jury because he believed he would be better off dead. With this statement, we can say that Socrates really happens to be a man of truth and valor similar to his modern counterpart, Edward Murrow. According to Wadleigh, â€Å" Murrow, at every juncture, did what he thought was right. He took risks that at the time seemed outrageous and he was not afraid of anything. † Furthermore, his exceptional courage is seen when he let Senator McCarthy hang himself with his open criticism program- but without any â€Å"expose† (Wershba Hottlelet). It was found out that Socratess works are often philosophical or dramatic texts rather than straightforward histories. Parallel to Murrow, â€Å" his voice made the words catch fire! The way he could add drama to the simplest looking text made him amazing! † (Wershba Kalb). Murrow offered himself to public service analogous to the teaching life of Socrates. Socrates pointedly declined to accept payment for his work with students whereas Murrow fearlessly did his job as a broadcaster. â€Å" He was a driven reporter – truly driven to tell people what was going on. He do it with intensity! † (Hottlelet) Plato refers to Socrates as the gadfly of the state (as the gadfly stings the horse into action, so Socrates stung Athens), insofar as he irritated the establishment with considerations of justice and the pursuit of goodness. If Socrates stung Athens, then Murrow stung America: â€Å" using his charisma, integrity and personal standards† (Wershba). It is Socrates and Murrows critical thinking that made themselves â€Å"men of worth. † Socrates showed this (critical thinking) through his philosophical works while Murrow made this appear through his jobs as a writer and broadcaster. These two men were really exceptional by committing themselves in pursuit of truth. However, their deep thinking and boldness has somehow conflicted their commitment to truth thus making half of themselves as merely ego maniacs or self-centered intellectuals. It was supported by the reasons why Murrow left his job at CBS: â€Å"Then there was the other side of Murrow, the driven news reporter. Murrow made Harvest of Shame and showed the rotten spots of American life. [CBS Chairman William] Paley didn’t like that. It scared away sponsors. Paley wanted it tame. Murrow wanted it real. † (Hottlelet) Another statement was from Hewitt telling that â€Å" Murrow would talk with his Person to Person guests beforehand Murrow felt that for entertainment some discussion to prepare the subjects was legitimate. Paley disagreed, so Murrow left. † He has that hidden pride in his self. Like what Ive said earlier, he did what he thought was right which is to leave CBS. Another thing I noticed about Murrow is his sense of egoism or perhaps, self-importance. It was stated in one of the interviews that â€Å"Murrow selected very good people, who, in his presence, got better. Those around him never wanted to disappoint or embarrass Ed—so they pushed themselves to their outer limits He set the pace; he was the example. † (Kalb) This statement was further supported by Hottlelet â€Å"He never gave instructions. He knew his worth. I think he just expected the trained reporters he hired to follow his example. † The life of Socrates appears to be really parallel to the life of Edward Murrow. By following what they thought was right and by pursuing the truth, they made half of themselves as the greatest and the most defiant men in history but half as conceited and egoistic individuals of all times.

British Heart Foundation Organisational Analysis

British Heart Foundation Organisational Analysis The British Heart Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation. We are the UKs largest heart charity (the fifth largest charity in the UK), fighting heart and circulatory disease. Largest funder of research into heart disease in UK. Founded in 1961 Our head office is based in London and there are six regional offices. Employ 1807 staff. Heart and circulatory disease the UKs biggest killer 2.6 million people in UK living with heart disease. Income year ending March 2008 was nearly  £117 million Fund research, education/campaigns raising awareness, life-saving cardiac equipment and through BHF heart nurses, they help support patients suffering from heart disease. BHF has B2B customers, working in partnership with organisations such as Colgate, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Weight Watchers and Scottish and Southern Energy. However, this study will focus on BHFs B2C customers. Number of SBUs trading, Events, VFR, Legacies, Prevention and Care therefore serving multiple customer segments. BHFs target audiences include Heart patients, at-risk groups, health professionals, and children and parents. As with most charities, those donating money, time and support to the BHF are typically 45 plus, ABC12s. 1.2 BHFs Philosophy The philosophy of an organisation refers to its business approach, it is the principles that underlie its whole operation; the philosophy is what guides the organisation. Organisations may operate under one of three philosophies; they may be product, sales or market oriented (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). A product oriented organisation focuses on their existing products, their goal being to produce them as efficiently as possible. There is little, if any, consideration of the needs and wants of their customers or the market. A sales-oriented organisation, although recognising their competition, still devotes little in the way of considering the needs and wants of their customers. The sales-persons role is key and their goals are typically short-term with success being measured in terms of sales (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). A market-oriented organisation holds the customer at the centre of all its activities. In contrast to the sales orientation, where marketing is likely to be restricted to a marketing department, the marketing-oriented philosophy is one that permeates the whole organisation; every department recognises the central importance of the customer. There is an emphasis on understanding their target audiences; identifying their needs and satisfying them. (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). Products and services are developed with the target audience in mind, in fact extensive research into the customer needs and market conditions is conducted to inform the development. Andreasen and Kotler (p38, 2007) Marketing orientation means marketing planning must begin with the target audience, not with the organization The BHF follows a market oriented philosophy, Target audiences are a central focus of the organisation; the organisation only exists as a result of their audience. The focus on their customers is demonstrated not only by their current strategy to make the organisation more relevant to target audiences, but also by their corporate objectives (see appendix 1), which are customer focused; based on fulfilling their needs and attaining a high standard service. The organisation is dedicated to instilling the market-approach organisation-wide, for example internal marketing workshops are frequently held, aimed at the non-marketing departments. Lancaster and Reynolds (2007) claim that to achieve their corporate objectives, the market oriented company must recognise that they do not exist in a vacuum; rather, the external environment is dynamic and constantly changing. Whilst it is essential to identify and anticipate the needs and wants of their target markets, and know how best to respond to these with the most efficient use of the resources available to them, it is important that this is done within the context of their ever-changing external environment and the opportunities and threats it poses. Therefore, for a market-oriented organisation such as the BHF, the role the marketing plan plays is a crucial one. It operationalises the organisations philosophy and ensures the organisation actually is market-oriented and provides a route the organisation can follow to ensure this. As mentioned in 1.1 the marketing plan requires a great deal of research scanning the environment and aiming to meet the customer needs and wants (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). The role of marketing information and research in conducting and analysing the marketing audit The Role of Marketing Information and Research In order for an organisation to operate a market orientation and remain customer-focused, information and research is essential. When undertaken properly it can provide a thorough understanding of target audiences and the micro and macro markets. The findings guide the direction of the marketing plan and with the right information and research subsequent decisions will be informed ones and it will be possible to make more realistic future predictions. Failing to gather data and research poses serious risks; without it an organisation is effectively operating in a vacuum, future decisions are uniformed and there is no customer focus. (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). Collecting Marketing Information There are two ways of collecting marketing information; secondary and primary. Secondary data is information collected for a purpose other than for the current research. External sources of secondary data include third party databases such as keynote and mintel, government statistics, national and trade press and the internet. In addition, there are also a number of internal sources of secondary data, for example a Customer Relations Management (CRM) database providing demographic (age, gender, address, occupation) and lifestyle data (where, what, when and how they buy, how much they spend, religion). Other internal sources include customer complaints, sales reports, personnel, information on their products and services, prices, retailers, internal training of staff, marketing budget/spend, communications spend and results of previous market research studies. Much of this data may be held on a central database The Marketing Information System (MkIS), this can provide substantial inf ormation, fulfilling some research needs, however to obtain bespoke, targeted information to fulfil all research needs primary data is necessary (Taghian and Shaw, 1998) Primary data is data bespoke to the research project. It allows for a more detailed analysis specific to the organization. External sources of primary data interviews, focus groups and surveys. Internal data can be gathered through interviews with staff. Conducting Research within BHF Secondary: OneCRM Third party databases Subscribes to specialist magazines such as ThirdSector, Marketing Week and PR Week Information on external environment. Primary: Recognises importance of bespoke research uses external agencies (FIND NAME RESEARCH NOTES!!). Important to note that there are only 2 other chest and heart charities in CAF top 500, third party data therefore often only relates to charity or health charity sector, not very specific. Use surveys and focus groups. 2.4 Conducting and Analysing the Marketing Audit Environmental scanning is necessary to conduct a detailed marketing audit; it requires both primary and secondary information on both the internal and external environment. To analyse the internal environment we need to consider: Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence (7Ps) and Staff, Style, Shared Values, Systems, Structure, Strategy and Skills (7Ss). This data is specific to the organisation and therefore internal sources such as sales reports, CRM databases, staff interviews, internal observations and staff intranet are used. To analyse the external environment we need to consider factors such as political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) as well as suppliers, publics, intermediaries, customers and competitors (SPICC). This requires information sources such as third party reports, newspapers, trade magazines such as ThirdSector, focus groups, surveys and interviews of existing and potential volunteers/beneficiaries/supporters. Marketing audit and their key issues and their implications for the plan 3.1 The Marketing Audit The Internal Environment This refers to those factors the organisation has full control over. To identify the strengths and weaknesses of BHFs internal environment the 7Ps marketing mix and McKinseys 7Ss framework were used (appendix 2). These consider 14 elements such as product, price, place, promotion, strategy, structure staff and skills. In addition there are also models that can be used to help analyse certain elements, for example the BCG matrix (appendix 2) and value chain analysis. The Micro Environment To help identify the opportunities and threats that exist within BHFs micro environment the SPICC model was used (appendix 3), which considers 5 factors an organisation has partial control over; suppliers, publics, intermediaries, customers and competitors. To help analyse these factors the Product Life Cycle, Porters Five Forces model (appendix 3) and the Value Systems Analysis can be used. The Macro Environment An organisation has no control over influences within the external environment, however it is important to scan the environment in order to identify the opportunities and threats that may exist and to make informed decisions to prepare for them. When scanning BHFs external environment the PESTEL model was used (appendix 3), this categorises the forces into political, economical, social, technological, ecological and legal. Having analysed the internal and external environment a SWOT analysis can be conducted (figure 2), whereby the key strengths and weakness of the BHF and the opportunities and threats facing them are identified. Bringing together the strengths and weaknesses enables the identification of BHFs core strengths; their distinctive competencies (DCs), and from the opportunities and threats their critical success factors (CSFs) can be identified. CSFs Little direct competition. Many customers with a link to the cause. Media attention surrounding issues BHF tackle. Large prospect market. THREATS The credit crunch: decreased disposable income, corporate donations, legacies (accounts for 40% BHFs income). Direct Marketing not as effective as it used to be for charities (not seeing a return on investment). Hard to obtain the details of new people. More health and medicine charities than any other type, therefore a lot of competition especially as many tackle similar issues e.g. smoking, obesity. Many people find it embarrassing and give socially desirable answers when discussing issues such as obesity and exercise, i.e. issues the BHF deal with research unreliable. Governments Digital Britain Initiative could leave the BHF looking out-of-date. OPPORTUNITIES Many customers have a link with the cause potential to engage with our audiences more directly and build long-term relationships. There is a large prospect youth market opportunity to increase revenue and market share. Little direct competition, one of just 3 heart charities in top 500 opportunity to maximise differentiation. Companies are placing more importance on Corporate Social Responsibility provides more B2B opportunities. More media attention surrounding the issues BHF tackles such as food labelling and obesity raises profile. Governments Change4Life campaign has given BHF exposure. WEAKNESSES Lack of perceived relevance to the target audience hard for them to engage with BHF. Many generic products that arent customer friendly. Website is hard to navigate much information available, but buried under links. Low staff turnover lack of fresh ideas and perspectives in the organisation. Staff close to or highly driven by the cause find it hard to see general public perception. Regional offices developing their own structure, meaning BHF messages may appear inconsistent on a national level. STRENGTHS Strong and trusted brand. Market leader (number 1 heart charity in UK) Large integrated CRM large pool of customer data Highly motivated -dedicated and driven by cause. Recently launched large multi media campaign Connections increased awareness. Strong demand/need heart disease is the biggest UK killer. A number of large corporate sponsors give access to large audiences. Many professionals working for BHF high calibre and solid knowledge base. DCs A strong, trusted brand. Large CRM database. Strong demand. Large corporate sponsors. 3.2 Key issues faced by the BHF and their implications for the plan The SWOT analysis highlights the key issues now faced by the BHF, these are shown below: Key issues the BHF faces and their implications to the marketing plan. Key Issue Implications to the Marketing Plan Credit Crunch reduction in disposable income, therefore less donations slump in the housing market, therefore reduction in legacies reduction in corporate donations Income reduced therefore a tighter budget need to generate alternative, cost-efficient ways of raising funds go for low risk options such as building on existing relationships rather than investing a lot of resources trying to make new contacts. Increasing competition from other health charities. BHF needs to maximise their advantage of having little direct competition and emphasise their differentiation by highlighting unique aspects of the BHFs work rather than those that are similar to other charities and make it relevant to target audiences. Direct Marketing no longer an effective communication media for charities. Need to use alternative communication media that are equally accountable yet more effective possibly making more use of new media. Large prospect market. Targeting this market will require a great deal of resources, however in the short term; given the economic climate it is perhaps not the best time to try to enter this market. It is a great opportunity that should be should be considered in the long-term. Very high priority given to cost savings and operational efficiency, even more so due to the recession often results in generic products (Bruce, 2007). Need to optimise the use of the OneCRM database and increase product customisation. The Digital Britain Initiative is set to secure the UKs place at the forefront of innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and quality in the digital communications industries rapid development could leave the BHF behind. Plan needs to make better use of new media, possibly going out of the BHFs comfort zone. Having conducted the SWOT analysis and considered the key issues, the BHF is now in a better position to set their objectives and determine their strategy. Referring back to figure 2, the DCs are well supported by the CSFs; there is a good match. Therefore we can afford to set higher level marketing objectives (discussed in section 4.1). This creates a gap, identified through gap analysis, between the initial forecast (where we will be if we continue to do nothing) and the new objectives. Taking the SWOT analysis into consideration I believe this gap can be bridged through establishing a product development growth strategy, this is a moderate risk strategy, which the match of the DCs and CSFs supports. The BHF will also operate a differentiation competitive strategy (appendix 4); we need to emphasise our unique selling point amongst all the other health charities. Although, other product lines may also contribute in closing the planning gap, the remainder of this plan will focus on the BHFs new product. Task 02 Red for heart campaign London to Brighton Bike Ride New Product B2B Corporate Partnerships World Events Regional Events Sponsored School Events SBU Marketing Marketing Objectives for the BHFs New Product The BHFs New Product The BHF will launch a B2C membership service that will allow them to engage directly with a large audience and encourage the development of long term relationships. Members will receive information on how to improve their heart health. Upon registering the member will receive a welcome pack containing a heart risk tape measure, a guide to heart health, a 5-a-day food diary, a heart matters fact card and a membership card. They will also receive access to the heart matters helpline, receive email alerts tailored to their needs (healthy eating, getting active, quitting smoking and well being) and will have an online account with a homepage that is regularly updated according to their stated interests upon sign up. Their membership will also provide them with special commercial offers. This is a free service because it is a belief of the BHF that heart health information should be available to all. 4.2 Marketing objectives for the BHFs Heart Matters membership service There is a hierarchy of objectives with three levels; corporate, functional and operational. At the corporate level they start off more general and are long-term and get more specific the closer the planning activity gets to the tactical implementation stage (p23 Robert et al, 2005). Corporate objectives are often expressed in financial terms, for example referring to return on investment (ROI) and return on capital employed (ROCE) (Beamish and Ashford, 2008). However, for many not-for-profit organisations, including BHF, although still long-term, they can be much harder to measure. They are typically based on the needs of the beneficiaries, now and for the future. [They] set out the direction of the organisation; they are a statement of its prioritiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Everything the organisation does should be related back to a [corporate] goal (accessed on 10/04/09 10.30 at http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/index.asp?id=488) Functional objectives are more specific than corporate objectives, often medium term referring to percentage increase in sales or market share. These then feed down to the operational objectives that are short-term and much more specific based on the 7Ps marketing mix, for example to offer a 10% discount for 2 weeks. Therefore when setting the marketing objectives for Heart Matters, they should support the corporate objectives as well as reflecting the close match between the DCs and CSFs. With regards to Heart Matters, the BHF have three options. The first is to take the view that the BHF is doing a lot of work directly related to their corporate objectives, therefore Heart Matters should be all about raising funds to help finance this work. The second is that Heart Matters should primarily focus on the need of the beneficiaries, the third is a middle-of-the-road option, whereby the need is addressed to a certain extent, but the service must be self-financing. We believe Heart Matters should initially be about addressing the need of the beneficiaries as this would provide the best opportunity to reach and engage with a wider audience. Keeping in mind the objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound) the marketing objectives for Heart Matters are as follows: Marketing objectives for Heart Matters Membership Service Objectives To recruit over 300,000 members, with less than 7% annual attrition by 2012. This helps support the BHFs objective to provide vital information to help people reduce their own heart health risk once recruited, members will have access to heart health information to help improve their heart health. Hitting this target would indicate increased engagement with supporters. For 20% of donors to make a donation by 2012. 30% of the general population donate to charity; however, this may be skewed (as heart conditions are more prevalent in low income areas). This supports all objectives, as funds raised are invested in helping achieve BHFs objectives. For example, to achieve objective 1 (appendix 1) the BHF will provide funding, equipment and facilities to achieve the best results. Therefore, funds raised will support this. For 40% of members recruited to have engaged with another BHF product/service by 2012 e.g. to have participated in an event, donated, made a purchase from the online shop or catalogue. This serves to increase public involvement in heart health, to help achieve objective 2 (appendix 1). Achieving this target would indicate an increased understanding of the work BHF does and an increased involvement of BHF supporters. 5. Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning of Heart Matters. 5.1 Segmentation Customers are very diverse; therefore the same product and tactics will not appeal to all of them. We need to use segmentation; the process of dividing the market into specific groups of consumers/buyers who share common needs and who might require separate products and/or marketing mixes (Kotler, 1998 as cited in Ashford and Beamish, 2008). B2B and B2C markets each require different techniques to do this, as Heart Matters is a B2C product consumer segmentation will be used. Consumer markets can be segmented based on the following criteria: Geographic segmentation is based on variables such as region, population density and size of the area. Demographic segmentation uses variables such as age, gender, income, occupation, ethnicity and social class. Geo-demographic segmentation is a combination of the above, assumes that people either socialise according to class and occupation, or their lifestyles and geographic factors (Ashford and Beamish, 2008). ACORN (A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods) is a system commonly used to segment the population according to geo-demographics. Psychographic segmentation groups according to lifestyle using variables such as social activities, interests, opinions and values. Behaviouristic segmentation refers to customer behaviour, segmenting based on variables such as benefits sought, purchasing rate and usage rate. Segmentation for the BHF differs depending upon whether the market to be segmented is donor or beneficiary. When segmenting the donor market, all of the above criteria are important, however when segmenting the beneficiary market, behaviourist segmentation will typically be given priority (Bruce, 2007). There will be 2 main phases to Heart Matters; the first will target beneficiaries. Upon recruitment of the target beneficiary groups the product will move into its second phase, to raise donations, therefore the target beneficiary groups will be further segmented and new target groups identified (for example this will determine those members receiving a  £5 donation ask and those receiving a  £15 one) . This report will focus on phase 1, therefore segmentation will be specific to the BHFs beneficiary market (for further information on phase 2, please refer to appendix 5. As previously mentioned, the BHF gives priority to behaviourist segmentation when segmenting their beneficiary markets. Potential segments Heart Matters could target include: Seeking help recovering from a heart condition Seeking help living with a heart condition Seeking information on caring for someone with a heat condition Desire to improve their lifestyle Desire to improve their diet Frequent user of BHF products/services Infrequent user of BHF product/services Use products and services from a variety of health charities Loyal to an alternative health charity Although behaviourist variables form the basis of segmentation, further segmentation is necessary as within these groups there are still huge differences from one customer to the next. Further, given limited resources it may not be possible to serve everyone within a particular needs group. The BHF also use the other criteria to identify additional segments: Geography: The BHF is a nation-wide organisation, however they segment according to Densely populated areas Large metropolitan areas Areas of low income Demographics: Parents educate about keeping their childrens hearts healthy 65+ higher risk of heart disease, inform on how to reduce risk 30-45 leading busy lives, but still have a chance to make a change 7-16 to educate about the importance of keeping their heart healthy Sedentary occupation High stress occupation Geo-demographic: Segment into different ACORN groups all of which are within the BHFs beneficiary market as heart health information should be made available to everyone. The market is segmented according to ACORN group as solutions and recommendations may differ depending on income and social class, for example EF14 category affordable healthy recipes, gym-free ways of keeping fit. Psychographics: Internet-savvy Dependents Families Older couples (no children or left home) Gym Members 5.2 Target audience for Heart Matters The marketing of Heart Matters will follow a differentiated strategy, that is Heart Matters will only be targeted at certain segments of the total market and the marketing mix (section 6) will be tailored towards these target segments of the market. Figure 4 below shows the target groups chosen for Heart Matters Membership. Recovering/living with heart conditionhigh risk Glasgow and London Age 50+ Behaviour Geographic Demographic Target groups for Heart Matters Target Group Reason for Choice Recovering/living with a heart condition and high risk groups. This is a large market; heart and circulatory disease is the UKs biggest killer, almost 2.6 million people are living with heart disease. It is a current strategy of the BHF to make the organisation more relevant to target audiences; this is a large audience where the need is currently greatest and it is important to ensure the BHF is made relevant to them. These are issues that are unique to the BHF, no other large charity tackles them targeting this group provides an opportunity to highlight the BHFs differentiation. Glasgow and London As this is a new product, and one which is free it will initially be launched into just 2 cities, this is to reduce the risk involved. Densely populated cities give a wider market reach. Glasgow has been chosen as there is a high concentration of heart disease, London has been chosen as people living here tend to have a faster pace of life, encouraging them to be unhealthy. Initial rates of membership registration of the two cities may give an indication of where to roll the membership out to. Age 50+ Heart disease is more common and risk is greater in older people. Further, a survey under-taken by one of our corporate sponsors Fitness-First revealed that of all age groups the over 50s showed the greatest percentage eating healthily, this indicates a large market that would be receptive to health-related information. In addition, this is the baby-boomer generation, a large percentage of which are wealthy home owners may provide significant fundraising opportunities in phase 2. 5.3 Positioning Heart Matters Having selected the target segments, it is important the service is then positioned with their needs and requirements in mind. Positioning is the act of designing an offer so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the minds of target customers (Kotler et al, 1998). The target segments are likely to have concerns, it is therefore important the service is positioned as reassuring. However, we do not want to be patronising and compromise our brand, the service tackles serious issues so needs to be positioned as a provider of expert advice. Each customer treated as an individual, we wish the service to be viewed as providing customised, not generic information. Figure 4 below shows how we would like our target audiences to perceive our service. Customised Reassuring Expert, trusted advice Generic Inaccessible Amateur advice Depressing Accessible Perceptual Map for Heart Matters Marketing mix for the BHFs Heart Matters Membership Service Strategy Justification Product USP (Unique Selling Point) Core product: USP no other charity provides information and advice specific to living with and recovering from a heart condition. Supports our competitive differentiation strategy. Secondary and tertiary product: Carbon Copy many other charities provide free membership services offering newsletters, free calendars, membership cards etc (appendix 4) Price Intermediate strategy, in terms of the value the customer will place on the product. This supports our quality of information positioning and selective marketing strategy. Heart Matters core product has a USP; however we want it to be available to everyone within our target market, not just a specialist group, so therefore skimming is not applicable. Price penetration is also not applicable as this is a strategy typically used for lower quality, carbon copies therefore does not support our quality of information positioning strategy. In addition we do not want to target everyone within the beneficiary market; this is a new product, do not want to appear low quality and generic, the intermediary price strategy supports this. Place Dual distribution use both direct and indirect (via intermediaries) distribution to the customer. Selective Distribution Interdependence BHF retains full control. Dual distribution: the core product will only be distributed directly, this is essential to support the expert positioning and give the BHF full control over the service. Indirect distribution of the core product may confuse customers and fail to relate it to the BHF. Indirect distribution of Heart Matters registration and materials. This will give a greater access to the market and provide customers with the option to register in person or online. Selective distribution will give access to the right customers i.e. our target groups. This also supports our quality positioning strategy and intermediate price strategy, as we can choose intermediary locations that support our brand such as pharmacies. Intermediaries will be interdependent the BHF will retain full control. This is because the BHF has a strong brand and a greater understanding of the customer needs, particularly as this is a service aimed at beneficiaries. Giving independence to intermediaries may risk bad PR for the BHF. Promotion Objective Differentiate and Inform Str

Enterprise Application Integration and Business Intelligence

Enterprise Application Integration and Business Intelligence Table of Contents (Jump to) Abstract Enterprise Application Integration Enterprise Application Integration requirements EAI integration Architecture EAI using XML interface Case study on Business Intelligence Steps converting file onto open source XML EAI moving forward Advantages and disadvantages of Enterprise Application Integration Conclusion References List of Figures Need for Enterprise Application Integration Abstract Business Intelligence helps in strategic alignment of businesses. By performing visualization and applying several Business Intelligence tools; company can understand in better way how the people, processes, income and technology can be used together at an Enterprise level. Enterprise Application Integration is an informal process which has been carried out with integration of various applications. With this research paper we can clearly understand EAI approach to integration, different level of interfaces and EAI with XML, also we can describe the advantages of Enterprise Application Integration at enterprise level. We will also study the case study on how different file formats gets converting with the help of Open source XML tool. Key Words: Enterprise Application Integration, Open Source XML, Metadata, Online Analytical Processing Engine (OLAP), Interface. Enterprise Application Integration Enterprise Application Integration is the combination of informal processes were all applications are integrated together to share information and processes freely. EAI helps in rethinking of technology which helps in making decisions in shorter duration with less cost. In today’s world vast majority of firms are depending on newer applications and hence integration of new applications at an enterprise level not only saves millions of dollars for different corporations who share application information inside the organization or with other multinational firm. Figure below gives the clear idea how the applications are integrated and the need EAI. (Linthicum, 1999) Need of Enterprise Application Integration Enterprise Application Integration requirements Business Process Integration: Most important thing for any organization is to check the process at which the integration and exchange of information takes place. Business Process Integration involves the management process, modeling and work flow. This helps in reducing the cost and satisfies the customers’ needs. Application Integration: Real time integration needs to be done by bringing data form one application to different application. In order to integrate successfully, backend application needs to be supported by Customer Relationship (CRM) Model and Business to Business integration model. CRM with backend application will help in building good systems for different businesses. Data Integration: Data needs to be integrated for successful Business Process and Application processes. Metadata must be constructed, location for that data needs to identify and recorded. By this way data can be shared with various database systems, available in XML, COBRA, EDI, COM+DCOM. Platform Integration: Platform Integration provides the tool that helps in communicating the systems optimally and securely. And data can be transferred to different applications. All these are needed requirements for Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) for eliminating different errors in integration. ( Fenner, n.d.) EAI Integration Architecture EAI consist of two types of Architectures, Direct point to point and Middleware based. Point to point architecture: If there are less systems to integrate this type of architecture is most valuable, easy to understand and helps newer websites to integrate with current sales order system. The disadvantage with this approach is that it will not provide integration with multiple systems. Also the coupling, dependencies and multiple integration points are its drawbacks. And hence we need to provide intermediate level for this integration points. Middleware architecture: A better way to integrate the organizations is to mediate with different applications. Generic interfaces can be provided and passed to different applications and each interface defines the process. With the help of middleware architecture routing, separating, aggregating is done on data; in this way applications can be modified, added or removed. ( Fenner, n.d.) EAI and different level of Interface We can understand EAI at an application level interface, data level interface and user level interface. Application level interface: This type of interface is most common interfaces which gives developers customized interconnection at various level of interface. With the help of Application Interface the developers can access to business processes and perform encapsulation of data without entering the database. Other advantage at Application Interface is to provide the mechanism which helps in sharing of data. Application level interface uses application programming which is used to connect servers, databases and middleware layers. Let us consider two systems one is the older system which is COBOL and other is the latest application interface system EAI, in order to have successful communication we use programming languages like C,C++ and java. To get the information of customer or to have product quantity we can write GetCustomerInformation (â€Å"cust_no†) Quantityavalilable (â€Å"product_no†) Data Level Interface: It involves the process of business flow directly with public interface with different applications. This level of interface is very much important as it customers data stored at various databases of an organizations. Several data centric flow tools are emerging in the market for e business, customer relationship management and business intelligence. Let us consider Data level EAI by taking an example were the needs to be moved from Oracle database to Informix, here a developer needs to understand metadata for each database. After this the second step is to find duration and frequency at which the transformed. There are various tools such as message brokers, database replication software, custom build utilities, etc. User Level Interface: This is widely used interface level with a mechanism for accessing logic and data. It has a mechanism of screen scraping in which the information present on the screen is accessed through programming language. It also uses middle ware drivers for processing and data transmission. (Linthicum, 1999). EAI using XML Interface In order to access the database using XML interface organizations needs to purchase custom â€Å"connector† application that helps in converting different formats in to XML form. XML messaging is used between an application and a portal server which helps in retrieving the native data through a portal. XML has various features like BizzTalk routing details, portal instructions that help in messaging, sending and receiving to applications. All depends on XML schema which is like a pattern, having information regarding message. It also uses to update, delete or modify the documents as well as update the metadata for specific documents. The sample below gives the XML file which provides one way and bi directional channel between portal and external source. (Hameed, 2004). BizTalk Routing Details filetype=txt mode=1> 12300 Steve Steve 7432 Silver Columbia 21045 2345678 4320659 01/06/1999 window.NREUM||(NREUM={});NREUM.info={"beacon":"bam.nr-data.net","licenseKey":"de6e6cfad9","applicationID":"221047987","transactionName":"bl0HMhMFDEYCWhJeWlcXMBQISwdGEFgfRBpYShEPAggHGxNRFg==","queueTime":0,"applicationTime":1,"atts":"QhoERFsfH0g=","errorBeacon":"bam.nr-data.net","agent":""} Case Study on Business Intelligence In this case study we can see how Winwise a leading software designer company wants to integrate reporting tool, reportsmith.net with Microsoft office software to satisfy customer’s demand. Reportsmith.net tool is providing cascading style sheets to change the application appearance; multiple reports can be created with drill down capability, data filtering, KPI and much more. Users with this tool are more flexible with applying filters, format graphs and tables and integrate them onto graphic charts and exports report with the help of Microsoft ASP.NET file format. The only disadvantage with ReportSmith.net is that users cannot export data to Microsoft excel sheets. As a result of which converting and deployment of report on binary file format is a big problem. Open source XML helps Business Intelligence with binary file formats that are helpful for exporting billions of documents and helps in exporting reports to Microsoft excel sheets. Winsight is a tool by which all queries are addressed to SQL server, online analytical processing (OLAP) engine in XML for analysis and return XML flow carried which was carried before. This flow can be displayed with the help of XML schema that converts file in to Open XML. By this way Winsight can sort out customer’s requests and convert any file into Open XML with which reports can be exported onto Microsoft excel sheets. And hence data integration is done at an Enterprise level. (Microsoft, 2007). Steps to Convert File into Open Source XML Select the package that is needed to be converted to Open source XML. Next thing is to generate XML schema. Using File name field set the desired output file. Using encoding field encode the desired XML. Generate the schema by clicking on generate button. Generated schema will be seen in progress edit box.( Web report, 2013). EAI moving Forward It is always better to know the present state and future state of Enterprise Application Integration; we need to think different approaches with respect to different technology. Message brokers, Open source XML are various tools which help in successful integration of Application to Application and Data base to database. Enterprise Data Interchange and XML are the sound solutions for integration, but organizations now days are moving for message brokers which are most cheaper and flexible approach. Security, Performance and administration are top aspects for company. (Lincthium,1999) Advantages and Disadvantages of Enterprise Application Integration With the help of message broking; applications can communicate asynchronously, messages can be send with less response time and less repetitive configuration. This disadvantage with EAI is that it uses central engine and broker can fail the whole network. All the applications run concurrently so messages between all applicants should pass through central engine. Message broker technique with its central engine also not suitable for larger geographic locations. Finally integration will be big problem with different vendors, internal systems, etc. Conclusion Enterprise Application Integration is successful tool in integrating different applications for many companies in IT industry. We have studied integration at data level, application level, and business level at different platforms. Also we have studied point to point architecture and Middleware architecture. We have seen Enterprise Application at different level of interface. Implementing Application Integration provides flexibility in interfacing different file formats with the open source XML tool, also we have seen the case study of Winwise organization, how they have interface Reprotsmith.net tool with Microsoft excel and successfully imported the reports. In conclusion we can say Enterprise Application Interface has advantages and disadvantages in parallel. References Linthicum, D.S. (November 5, 1999). A textbook on ENTERPRISE APPLICATION   INTEGRATION: Addison Wesley Ballard. C, Hamid. A, Frankus. R (August, 2006). A textbook on Improving Business   performance Insight: With Business Intelligence and Business Process Management:  IBM:Red Books. Microsoft. (August 30, 2007). Solution Provider Uses Open XML to Create Scalable Business   Intelligence Tools. Retrieved on January 24, 2013 from http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Microsoft-Office- 2007Suites/Winsight/Solution- Provider-Uses-Open-XML-to-Create-Scalable-Business-Intelligence-Tools/4000000485 Fenner. J ( n.d.) Enterprise Application Integration Techniques retrieved on January 25, 2013  from http://www0.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/ucacwxe/lectures/3C05-02-03/aswe21-essay.pdf Hameed. S ( March 26, 2004). Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) using XML: Codeguru,  retrieved on January 26, 2013 from http://www.codeguru.com/cpp/i-n/internet/xml/article.php/c6773/Enterprise-Application-Integration-EAI-Using-XML.htm Web Report ( January 14, 2013).XML schema generation retrieved on January 26, 2013 from  http://www.sparxsystems.com/resources/xml_schema_generation.html

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Asian Carp The Great Lakes system affects our lives in various ways. Not only does this water system affect people, it has an impact on the natural environment as well. The weather, climate, wildlife and habitat are all affected by this arrangement of five lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie. The lakes are huge and powerful, however they are very fragile when it comes to being mistreated. The ecosystem has been placed under stress in the past, and we now realize the importance of protecting and preserving our lakes. Years ago, a species of carp were brought into the United States to help our lakes, and now they run the risk of destroying them. Asian carp are a species of fish native to Siberia and China, but they were imported by fish farms in the southern United States to control algae and snail population. In the early 1990’s, aquaculture facilities in the southern United States were flooded and the carp escaped into the Mississippi River and spread into northern rivers. The carp moved north becoming the most abundant fish in some areas of the Mississippi river, triumphing over native fish and bringing hardship to the people who fished the river. The carps’ domination over the Mississippi is reason for concern in the Great Lakes region growing concern in the Great Lakes; the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. Last month, a survey was taken that found Asian carp only 55 miles south of our very own Lake Michigan. Unless the Asian carp are deterred, they will infiltrate our great lakes, potentially bringing disastrous effects to the entire region.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Asian carp are a serious threat to the Great Lakes for a number of reasons; the primary concern being that they would become the dominant species after they enter the system. Asian carp can grow to the enormous size of four feet and weigh as much as 100 pounds. Their massive size results in a large appetite as well. In addition to this, Asian carp are a fast breeding species; upon entering the great lakes, it is likely that the carp will become the overwhelming majority of the fish population. Female carp carry up to one million eggs, allowing for this species to easily replace the local fish. These fast-growing Asian carp are not easy to get rid of. While smaller fish are scored and sold easily, this species of large fish are harder to process and score because their bones are big and difficult to remove.

Christian Sybolism in Beowulf Essay -- Christianity epic Poem Beowulf

Christian Sybolism in Beowulf Within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and Heaven and Hell. Beowulf is the oldest known English epic poem. The manuscripts date back to about 1000 A.D., when two scribes wrote it down for posterity. The poem was handed down from the Anglo-Saxon period, and through the retelling of the poem, it changed a little each time. The poem creates an oral depiction of an epic hero who strived to fight against the forces of evil. There really was a â€Å"historical† Beowulf who helped the Geats and Danes fight off pirates, but he was neither King of the Geats nor Danish hero at any time. In fact, he was not considered a man of any extraordinary qualities, much different than the Beowulf in the poem. Christianity influenced much of the literature during this period of time. Although the poem never mentions Christ, the poet did use various characters and references to the Old Testament. The poet uses them sparing ly, but the references to biblical events and characters are clearly evident. Protected by God, King Hrothgar became a mighty ruler over the lands surrounding Herot. When Grendel, an epitome of sin, comes into the poem, Hrothgar was probably less worried about himself, and more worried about his people. He was not â€Å"an old pathetic king, incapable of protecting his people†(Bloom 47). He was described as being a famous hero because of his goodness and great wisdom. Made of earthen walls covered by gold and ivory, Herot’s beauty and reverence reigned throughout the land. â€Å"Herot, the great hall becomes an emblem for God’s word itself †(Chickering 271). Fire has and probably always will be a representation of evil. I... ..., â€Å"[Beowulf’s] sacrificial death is not seen as tragic, but as the fitting end of a good ( some would say â€Å"too good†) hero’s life† (Bolton 1). Bibliography: â€Å"Beowulf†. Elements in Literature. Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston. Harcourt Brace and Company, 1997. Bloom, Harold. â€Å"Beowulf.† Bloom’s Reviews: Beowulf. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. 46-47. Bolton, W.F., The New History of Literature: The Middle Ages. New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1986. Chickering Jr., Harold D. Beowulf: A Dual Language Edition. New York: Doubleday, 1977, 267-277 Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Random House, Inc., 1971. Price, Martin, et al. The Oxford Anthology of English Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. 24-26. The Student Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

Solutions Managerial Accounting

A company usually has a small number of processing departments, whereas a job-order costing system often must keep track of the costs of undress or even thousands of jobs. In a process costing system, a Work in Process account IS maintained for each separate processing department. 4-5 The journal entry would be: work in process, Firing XX Work in Process, Mixing . The costs that might be added in the Firing Department include: (1 ) costs transferred in from the Mixing Department; (2) materials costs added in the Firing Department; (3) labor costs added in the Firing Department; and (4) overhead costs added in the Firing Department.Under the weighted-average method, equivalent units Of production consist Of units rendered to the next department (or to fin- each unit transferred out of the department is counted as one equivalent unit-?regardless of in what period the work was done to complete the units. Under the FIFO method, only the work done in the current period is counted. Units t ransferred out are divided into two parts. One part consists Of the units in the beginning inventory. Only the work needed to complete these units is shown as part of the equivalent units for the current period.The other part of the units transferred out consists of the units started and completed during the current period. -10 The weighted-average method mixes costs from the current period with costs from the prior period. Thus, under the headquartering method, the department's apparent performance in the current period is influenced to some extent by what happened in a prior period. In contrast, the FIFO method cleanly separates the costs and work of the current period from those of the prior period.This makes the FIFO method superior to the weighted-average method for cost control because current performance should be measured in relation to costs of the current period only. 4-11 Operating departments are the units in n organization within which the central purposes of the organi zation are carried out; these O The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. , 2008. All rights reserved. Solutions Manual, Chapter 4 departments usually generate revenue. By contrast, service departments provide support or assistance to the operating departments.Examples of service departments include laundry services in a hotel or hospital, internal auditing, airport maintenance services (ground crews), cafeteria, personnel, cost accounting, and so on. 4-12 Service department costs are allocated to products and services in two stages. Service apartment costs are first allocated to the operating departments. These allocated costs are then included in the Operating departments' overhead rates, which are used to cost products and services. 4-14 Under the direct method, interdepartmental services are ignored; service department costs are allocated directly to operating departments. -15 under the step-down method, the costs of the service department performing the greatest amount of service for the other service deep retests are allocated first, the costs of the service department performing the next greatest amount of service are allocated next, and so Roth through all the service departments. Once a service departments costs have been allocated, costs are not reallocated back to it under the step-down method. 4-13 Interdepartmental services exist whenever two service departments provide services to each other. O The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. , 2008.