Monday, September 30, 2019

Ethics Game Simulation †Essay Essay

The ethics simulation game is designed to teach us how to make ethical decisions especially when the company is facing challenging times. Making ethical decisions is not an easy task when ones decision will possibly have a great impact on each of the company’s stakeholder, whether they are shareholders or customers, in different ways. In this simulation, the company in focus is G-BioSport which specializes in sports nutrition and supplements sells. This company has so many great core values but the one that really stood out for me was the Customer Focus one, which says that â€Å"We keep our customers in mind during all our actions†. As I went through this simulation as the Quality Manager of G-BioSport, I kept this core value and the standards designed in company’s Code of Ethics as listed in the Quality Management Internal vs. External Standards, in the forefront of my decision making. The first decision that had to be made was about a product already on the ma rket that was contaminated; however, it only put a small percentage of users at a low risk. The question at hand is whether to warn and what information to provide to consumers about the contaminant? Should we publish information broadly about increased risk for specific groups, offer to replace tainted products or refund purchase price? Before making these decisions one had to go through four different lenses and steps of the critical decision making process. These lenses included the Rights and Responsibility lens, the Results lens, the Relationship lens, and the Reputation lens. After narrowing the possibilities down to two solutions using the Rights and Responsibilities Lens, the choice was made to disseminate information about on increased risk and allow consumers to make informed choices. Since this particular product complied with FDA standards, I did not see any reason to recall the product from the market. I also examined how this decision would impact each stakeholder of the company from the shareholders, company Chief Executive to the customers. As I indicated  in my memo to Carson Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, urging him to consider how each of us would like to b e treated in a similar situation and to allow our consumers to make informed choice. By providing information that allowed them to make informed choices, G-Bio Sport had fulfilled its duties and treated all consumers equally, and valued their autonomy. While there might be negative publicity risks involved by disclosing about product containment and can impact company’s bottom line, I believe that our duty to our customers must come first in this situation to continue maintaining public’s trust in our products. G-BioSport knew that giving out this information will not affect the majority of consumers, but we believe the need to be sensitive to those who will be affected, was very important. On a scale of 0 to 5, from low to high risk, my decision rated a 1 and decision quality was rated as â€Å"best†. This decision represented very low risk. Once the product had been sold to consumers, there is no way to entirely eliminate the possibility of a lawsuit. The goal at this point is to reduce the risk. Giving consumers information upon which to base informed choices about continued use of the product reduces both the risk of a lawsuit and the risk of adverse publicity. The second case addressed is whether to sell a product that does not meet U.S. safety requirements in a foreign market that has lower safety restrictions. Due to the recent FDA Regulations Changes, our products affected by the GBS-F contaminant no longer meet official standards which meant that we might need to recall these products in the U.S. However, based on Paul Marconi’s international Market Analysis, we might have an opportunity to expand our sales in overseas. It turns out, standards for food and drug product vary widely from country to country in ways that provide some opportunities as well as challenges. In many places, the products can still be sold legally and safely. I decided distribution of our product at overseas as a viable option rather than disposal. Given the extremely low level of risk for the vast majority of users, I suggested exploring other countries where the standards will allow us to sell these products legally and in a safe manner. As long as we disclose all the possible risks to our international customers, they can make an informed decision based on that. The focus of this decision making process w as guaranteeing basic liberties for the consumers. By using Relationships Lens and Reputation Lens, I decided to honor other countries’ rights to set  safety standards for their own citizens and sell the product where foreign regulations permit. On a scale of 0 to 5, from low to high risk, my decision rated a 1 and decision quality was rated as â€Å"best†. It represented very low risk for the company. Doing business entails risk. So long as the company sells the product at all, there is some risk of liability, even with a product that meets internal and external safety standards. Although an increasing number of countries have products liability laws to protect citizens, the rest of the world is still far less rigid than the U.S. Providing a warning label would likely reduce one’s risk of liability without increasing costs or reducing potential sales significantly. This decision making process through the simulation was very helpful for me. From evaluating the level of impact on the stakeholders to using different lenses and being clear of my role in the process taught me how to make ethical decisions. As Operations Manager for a non profit, I can use this process when I am making decisions about health and sa fety standards for our child care facilities and all the other aspects of my job.

The Westerner vs “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”

Claire Schneider Joseph Libis English 1002 May 30, 2009 Two works of Literature, â€Å"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky†, the short story, and â€Å"The Westerner†, the film, try to convey the civilization of the old west, which allows for settlement and development of traditional American values, which are associated with honest and hard working people in the West Texas frontier. Although, one of these works does a better job of conveying overall theme.Between â€Å"The Bride comes to Yellow Sky† and â€Å"The Westerner†, I would say that â€Å"The Westerner did a better job of civilizing on the Western frontier. Throughout the film, it seemed as they were always arguing with each other, but in the end Jane Ellen Mathews, and Carl Hardin became friends. One way to prove this would be that Carl had said that he thought Jane Ellen’s hair was the most beautiful hair he had ever seen. He wanted to keep a lock of her hair.To me, that says a lot if you wan t to keep a lock of some ones hair. There was a scene in which there was a play in which Judge Roy Bean purchased all of the tickets for. Before the play began, Carl Hardin appeared, and they started to have a shooting match. I’m not sure what the reason was. After a long match, they both decided to call it even and make up. It’s always great when movies wind up having a great ending. Two of the characters, Jane Ellen, and Carl Hardin, wanted to have a home together.In Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, two people have just gotten married, and are on board a train to Yellow Sky. When they arrive back in Yellow Sky, they rush towards Jack Potter’s house, but they see, on their way six men sitting at a bar, and a man comes out and announces that Scratchy Wilson has been drinking again. In the very beginning of â€Å"The Westerner† there were men sitting at a bar drinking. This would be one similarity that the two works of literature share.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Anil Gurung University of Texas at Arlington Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, College of Business Administration Office: Room 630 Business Building Box 19437 701 S West St. Arlington, Texas 76019-0437 Voice: 817. 272. 3528 Email: [email  protected] edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals.The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologie s (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics.New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter & Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics.First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson & Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder & Dilts, 1989; Das & Handfield, 1997; Gomes & Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz & Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi & Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa & Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis & Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink & Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms.With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb & Bentz, 2004).Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logis tic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted.The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways.A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the proble m areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978).These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need.These will include inventory, tran sportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619Inventory and Logistics Management: – Freight Consolidation – Freight Distribution – Shipment Planning – Traffic Management – Inventory Management – Carrier Selection – Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: – Freight Payments – Auditing – Order Management – Fulfillment – Help Desk – Carrier Selection – Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: – Packaging – Product Making – Labeling – Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: – Fleet Management – Cross Docking – Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005)IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry & Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic.The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shi ft of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe & Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recognized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation.Logistics planning syst ems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers.Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of ai rcraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield & Bjorn-Andersen, 1997).The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes.In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong founda tion for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs & Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information.As noted by Dudley & Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road.Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to id entify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain.The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif & Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter & Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applicati ons as well.Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste.For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif & Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards.Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders.In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML).For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the process es in the supply chain.It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics.FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies.As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics.The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new technologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and o pportunities for the companies.Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies.Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. & Quinn, R. J. 1986, â€Å"The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels â€Å", Jou rnal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. & Mandviwalla, M. 2005, â€Å"Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis†, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, â€Å"Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution†, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. & Bagchi, P. K. 1994, â€Å"Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. & Dilts, D. M. 1989, â€Å"Logistics Information Systems in a Just-In-Time Environment â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 50-67. Bowersox, D. J. 1974, Logistics Management: A Systems Integration of Physical Distribution Management and Materials Management, Macmillan Publishing, New York, NY.Chatfield, A. T. & Bjorn-Andersen, N. 1997, â€Å"The impact of IOS-enabled business process change on bus iness outcomes: Transformation of the Value Chain of Japan Airlines†, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-40. Closs, D. J. & Kefeng, X. 2000, â€Å"Logistics information technology practice in manufacturing and merchandising firms† An international benchmarking study versus world class logistics firms†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 869-86. 624 Closs, D. J. , Goldsby, T.J. & Clinton, S. R. 1997, â€Å"Information technology influences on world class logistics capability†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. & Handfield, R. B. 1997, â€Å"Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. & Lasserre, P. 1989, â€Å"Information as a Substitute for Inventories â€Å" , European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. & Mentzer, J. T. 988, â€Å"A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. & Morton, M. S. S. 1989, â€Å"A Framework for Management Information Systems†, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, â€Å"Computer Models in Distribution Management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. & Auker, K. 1973, â€Å"A Survey of Computer Applications and Practices in Transportation and Distribution†, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. & Cail, R. E. 1988, â€Å"Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy†, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. & Talalayevsky, A. 2000, â⠂¬Å"Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. & Bentz, B. A. 004, â€Å"The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey†, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. & Wells, M. V. 1992, â€Å"Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, â€Å"Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. & Randall, H. L. 1998, â€Å"The use of third-party logistics services by European industry†, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, p p. 167-79. Porter, M. E. & Millar, V. E. 1985, â€Å"How information gives you competitive advantage†, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. & Corsi, T. 1999, â€Å"Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. & Stank, T. P. 1992, â€Å"Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20.Sauvage, T. 2003, â€Å"The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. & Weng, Z. K. 2000, â€Å"The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock â€Å", Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. & Langley, J. C. J. 1997, â€Å"A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services†, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. & Patricia, J.D. 1994, â€Å"JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers†, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. & Rogers, D. S. 1996, â€Å"Logistics support for JIF implementation†, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, â€Å"Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM†, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, â€Å"Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future†, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. & Nakamura, N. 2000, â€Å"Reactive logistics in a JIT environment†, Production Planning & Contro l, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, â€Å"Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning†, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, â€Å"A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics†, Communications of the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. & Yasin, M. M. 1996, â€Å"The impact of supplier proximity on JIT success: an informational perspective†, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626

Friday, September 27, 2019

Statement of professional Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Statement of professional Goals - Essay Example This will help me in my career progression in that it will enable me to go for leadership and managerial positions in reputed organizations. This degree will prove to be a fruitful extension of my qualification in that I will become a competent professional in fields like tourism and hotel management. I anticipate that organizational expectations of hospitality managers have increased. In today’s modern business world, a hospitality manager conveys a strong impression when she looks for a job. She is given more supervisory duties, which I am sure that I am capable of performing. I believe that keeping in view my academic qualification, and my need to complement my previous degree, the authorities will definitely consider my application for admission in their reputed university. I assure that I shall prove to be a competent student for your university and a reputed professional in the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Fashion and Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion and Gender - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Gender" examines how the concept of fashion is connected with the idea of gender. The analysis of the issue will be performed from three different perspectives.To begin with, it may be particularly suitable to explain the exceptional role of gender when it comes to examining the role of fashion on the social environment. Thus, it is thought that â€Å"becoming visibly gender involves engagement with complicated, shifting coding system of colours, fabrics, trims, forms, shapes, and patterns and other body fashionings†. This means that fashion might be seen as a platform which allows people to adopt particular roles that are conditioned by their gender and finish their socialization. In other words, the concept in question implies that there is strict division between the genders. The importance of behaviour. Another point that should be mentioned with regard of the way fashion shapes identity of a person is the way people behave while wearing clothes. For example, when a man is dressed in a suit he is likely to be more polite and less aggressive since this kind of clothes is associated with formal events that require people to be on their best behaviour. On the other hand, if a person did not dress formally enough to a special occasion, this might be perceived as extremely rude. Nevertheless, in daily life people wear relatively similar clothes so there is another factor that truly makes difference in this case. The researchers argue that â€Å"it’s not about circumstances so much.

Ethical Decision Making Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Decision Making - Research Paper Example Higher education is not like other industries. It includes a number of educational aspects such as; academics, human resources, sports, housing, food services, health care, business, legal compliance, security, research and development, international affairs, economic development, and legislative affairs. The higher education industry deals with all these educational endeavors with contrasting interests, the allocation of resources among these endeavors gives rise to an ethical dilemma for the decision makers. The functions and people involved in each of these endeavors compete for critical resources as each endeavor is considered to be important by the people involved in it. However, the leadership is faced by the problem of deciding which educational endeavor to be given more or less of the overall resources. It is the responsibility of the leaders to determine what and how every function of higher education receives an equitable share of the limited resources within an institution . The following report will consider the factors that should be considered by the leaders before making decisions regarding allocation of resources and the issues inherent in such decisions. Administrative Function Administrative function of an organization consists of the performance management which is responsible for making and implementing major decisions of the organization. In case of higher education, the administrative function is responsible for the management of all the educational endeavors undertaken by the institute. The major operation of the administrative function is to manage and allocate the available resources to the educational endeavors. The resource that are allocated include; the teaching faculty, the space i.e. the classrooms, funds for curricular and extra-curricular activities, and funds for maintenance of each faculty. The ethical dilemma faced by the administrative function is the equitable distribution of resources available. There are a number of educat ional endeavors run by the administrative function at the same time and each endeavor holds significance for the teaching faculty and students in the respective function. It may not be ethical for the administrative function to allocate more resources to one function and less to the other however in certain circumstances it becomes necessary for such allocation as some functions are more demanding as compared to others. Some functions require an extensive intervention of practical aspect along with the theoretical therefore the administrative function needs to allocate extra funds to such function so that the practical activities may be carried out properly. This situation may cause a lack of funds for other functions. Similarly, some educational endeavors may require a highly experienced teaching staff while the others may not rely on the teaching staff significantly. In this case, the administrative function is faced by the ethical dilemma regarding the allocation of teaching staf f. It may be unfair for other functions if one or some of the functions get a highly experienced teaching staff. Ethical Decision Making Ethical decision making is the making of decisions after proper consideration of all the ethical implications of the decisions (Ford et al., 1994). In the case described above, the administrative function needs to exercise ethical decision making in order to deal with the ethical dilemmas regarding the proper allocation of resources among different

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Sum up what you learned from these articles Essay

Sum up what you learned from these articles - Essay Example Islam has existed in Central Asia for centuries. After being conquered by Turkish Arabs, the native cultures converted to Islam. Yet it was not a pure Islam, but an Islam mixed with local customs. Another issue that impacted Islam in Central Asia was the Soviet occupation. Damrel suggests: The understanding of what happened to Islam and Muslim society under first Tsarist and then Soviet domination is an important part of modern Uzbek self-perception. According to a well-known historical paradigm, the overwhelmingly Muslim communities of Central Asia were subjugated by a European colonial power that attempted to discredit, eviscerate and indeed expunge Islam from culture and society. The Soviets, in contrast, launched a full-scale assault on Islamic institutions and practices in the mid-1920s, a campaign that intensified dramatically during Stalin’s â€Å"revolution from above† and the purges of the late 1920s and 1930s. Although oppression is not favorable, the result was positive. Due to the oppression, Central Asia has formed its own brand of Islam. While it might be repressive to some, the Islam in Central Asia is not as threatening as in neighboring Afghanistan. Plus, Central Asia has formed their religion and culture in the meantime. It is much better than having another occupation. The announced goals of the new university vividly portray a state vision of Islam that intersects both with issues of nation-building in Central Asia and with a larger global Muslim discourse about the nature of Islam itself. (Damrel) mazhab), one of the four main branches of Sunni Islam (the other three being the Shafi’, Hanbali’i, and Maliki’i mazhabs). The standard argument is that Sunni Islam ultimately prevailed over Shia Islam in the region because it was better able to accommodate local practices and traditions, including eventually Sufism, a mystical and popularized form of Islamic worship that is very open to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Significance of Austrian and Post-Keynesian criticisms of the standard Essay

Significance of Austrian and Post-Keynesian criticisms of the standard neoclassical view of the competitive process - Essay Example These markets which are referred to in the neoclassical viewpoint are considered to be a group of optimizing individuals trading amongst each other at predetermined prices and are endowed with the means of production given (Henry,  2012, p. 321). The concept of competitive process in neoclassical view revolves around the utility optimization in an environment of Perfect Competition. Perfect Competition is where there is no market power exhibited by the firms and they act as the price takers. Thus, the extent of the market power indicated the competition in a particular market. The economists of this theory believe that the equilibrium is the point where the utility is maximized. Profit maximization is an example of this as it is a fundamental aspect of a firm within their market structure. Equilibrium, according to them, also provides the market clearing process to take place. As this theory has been providing a simple ideology for the functioning of the market under the Perfect Co mpetition, there are many modern economists who have considered the real life situations and concluded that a number of other factors are also to be included to analyze the competitive process in the markets (Leask, Parnell, 2005, p. 469). There have been some theorists that have criticized the traditional approach over the time as modern aspects were introduced, and so alternative schools of thought were created. Two of these alternative schools are the Austrian and the Post-Keynesian theories. The Austrian school of thought is rooted from the work of Menger, Hayek and Mises. The approach was concerned with the significance of Subjectivism,... This paper stresses that the perfect competition structure of the market is the key approach of the neoclassical theory of competition and on the other hand, the Austrian and Post-Keynesian theories emphasize on the importance of Oligopoly as greater in the modern economics. Being philosophically distant from one another, the neoclassic view had been under constant pressure throughout the years. As much as it is important to assess the criticisms, it is also important to assess the significance of those criticisms and their affects. The author talks that the concept of competitive process in neoclassical view revolves around the utility optimization in an environment of Perfect Competition. Perfect Competition is where there is no market power exhibited by the firms and they act as the price takers. Thus, the extent of the market power indicated the competition in a particular market. This report makes a conlusion that it is evident that the criticisms made by the Austrian and the Post-Keynesians hold a very significant impact on the business economics and this impact is unquestionable. These criticisms were a rise to much advancement that was needed in the modern economics. In fact, the impact that they had were not only on the academics but also on the general knowledge for the public. These criticisms drove the extensions to the neoclassical theories and gave them a sense of realism. These criticisms are however, significant only until the neoclassical school finds a way to enhance their role and advance their models to come up to the level of the two alternative schools. Modern economics and realism are the key factors to be looked upon.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in Essay

Is Genre a useful category for the understanding of films made in China and Japan - Essay Example A scholar that suggests that there is an American genre would be immediately attacked by his colleagues for oversimplifying an obviously complex, multifaceted gamut of movies. So the question of whether there is a Chinese or Japanese genre of film may be answered in the affirmative if one sees "genre" in merely the audience short-hand manner. If, that is, the audience is American or British. The definition of "genre" in this sense will be "having a preponderance of Chinese or Japanese actors, and in either Mandarin or the Japanese language". This is rather simplistic, and might be regarded as offensive or even racist, but it does reflect one of the most simple definitions of genre. China can be divided between Hong Kong, the mainland controlled by the nominally Communist government and then Taiwan, which represents a whole other development both politically and artistically. So it can be said that a "Chinese genre" is redundant beyond the audience-expectation type of definition. Turning to Japanese cinema, while more culturally homogenous, Japan also presents difficulties for the simple definition. Donald Richie, the leading Western scholar of Japanese cinema, states that many Japanese films indeed have a sense of what he calls "Japaneseness". He describes this as "the celebration of evanescence".4 This evanescence is shown by Japanese film-makers within a paradoxical desire to have their films be temporary rather than permanent. Thus Richie quotes the director Ozu, who stated, "the attractive thing about film is this transience, this mist-like vanishing quality."5 The director Naruse goes even further, suggesting that films should "always vanish a few weeks after release, perhaps this is what films should be, things that live on only in the audience's memory, or vanish into thin air."6 The wish to have their films vanish into thin air is rather ironic for two reasons. First, it counters the traditional advantage that film is said to have over theatre: its permanence as opposed to mutability. Second, in darkly humorous irony, this rather intellectual wish has been granted to the vast majority of Japanese film-makers, whether or not they desired the honor. Thus the majority of Japanese films (more than 90% of pre-WWII movies) have vanished because they did not survive the film chemistry or the war of the time. Even with film production since 1945, a majority of Japanese films now no longer exist and can only be referenced within the memories of actors, writers etc.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Songs of the 50s Essay Example for Free

Songs of the 50s Essay Songs of the 1950s Songs of the 50s In this paper I will research and identify 5 songs of the 1950s and what the songs reflect about the culture, mood, and values of the 1950s and the ethnic groups the artists came from. I will also discuss how accurately the songs reflect the mood, value, and perceptions of the 1950s as discussed in our readings, Nation of Nations. â€Å"All I Have To Do Is Dream† The first song I would like to address would be: â€Å"All I Have To Do Is Dream,† by the Everly Brothers. This song reiterates the basic ideology of the 1950s associated with â€Å"the good life. The song offers a neat synopsis of the mood, values, and perceptions of this era, for example, the song states â€Å"only trouble is, gee whiz, I’m dreamin’ my life away†¦. † This quote shows the leisure time available to Americans, it also reflects the time of hope during this era. The song also reflects a strong sense of optimism, confidence, and overall comfort afforded by this era. This song also seems to echo the general sentiments of the time in terms of the open attitudes toward sex with some of the romantic lyrics. Since the baby boom initiated during this era the lyrics to the mood and values are represented in the lyrics above. Since America emerged from World War II, in this era this song reinforces the American Dream. The song gives the mood and perception of happiness at having a secure job, owning a house, etc†¦ â€Å"A Lot of Livin’ To Do† â€Å"A Lot of Livin’ To Do† by Sammy Davis Jr. , Mr. Davis represents both the African American and Hispanic races and this song’s lyrics also embody the era because of the references to the â€Å"good life† with â€Å"And there’s wine, already for tasting. And there’s Cadillac’s, all shiny and new. Gotta move, cause time is wasting. There’s such a lot of livin’ to do. † These lyrics indicate the era because it was called â€Å"the culture of consumption. † The Americans experienced a large scale of spending during this time period. The song’s reference to fancy cars shows that consumer’s values definitely dominated the American economy and culture during the 1950’s. A Combination of Lyrics Through my research for this assignment I found several songs that reflected the moods of this era that did not relate to the â€Å"good life† that I would like to touch base on. My Captain† by Muddy Waters clearly reflects on the issues of the difficult working conditions for an African-American man in a big city. Their lyrics reveal racial undertones as well as the tensions and divisions within America at the time. Two other lyrics that I felt were important regarding this e ra was â€Å"Korean War Blues† and â€Å"Eisenhower Blues† by J. B. Lenoir. These songs reflect the political strive associated with containing communism during this era and the political paranoia underlying the times. The connection to the mood, perceptions, values, and politics are found in the words from the song â€Å"Korean War Blues,† â€Å"Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam’s gonna send me away from here; Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam’s gonna send me away from here; He said J. B. you know that I need you, Lord I need you in South Korea. † These lines reinforce the fear and the paranoia associated with the Red Scare and containment. Yakety-Yak The final song on my list is â€Å"Yakety-Yak† by The Coasters, this song again reflects on the era’s carefree attitude and the triumphant mood of democracy in a light way. It was also a time for teenage rebellion due to the introduction of rock-n-roll. Many adults, parents, and teachers opposed rock and roll as an emerging genre and form of social protest. The lyrics of this song exemplify the generation gap and strain as the kids were fighting for freedom from the adults, â€Å"Don’t you give me no dirty looks, your father’s hip, he knows what cooks, just tell you hoodlum friends outside, you ain’t got time to take a ride, Yakety yak, don’t talk back. † Conclusion Through the course of research for this paper I learned a great deal about the moods, values, perceptions, and politics that were expressed through songs. Even though some of the songs reflected a casual happy life style there were also the songs that reflected the imperfections of the era. This was a difficult time due to the war ending, desegregation was taking place, and it was also the time of the baby boomers. Through the songs of the 1950’s I discovered that many artists were able to vocalize their own point f view on the events of the era. References: Resource Readings: Davidson et al. : Nation of Nations, Third Concise Edition, Volume II  © The McGraw? Hill Companies, 2002 Lyrics Depot:  © 2008 LyricsDepot. com. All Rights Reserved. Retrieved February 10, 2008. http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-everly-brothers/all-i-have-to-do-is-dream.html http://custom-essay-cheap.com/songs-of-the-50s/ http://www.biography.com/people/muddy-waters-9525002 http://timshorrock.blogspot.com/2005/01/down-in-mississippi.html http://www.metrolyrics.com/yakety-yak-lyrics-the-coasters.html

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Managing Customer Relationships: Case Studies on Loyalty

Managing Customer Relationships: Case Studies on Loyalty CRM This component will focus on managing customer relationships with the organization in order to enhance customer loyalty. Moreover, it will also discuss on the aspects of the virtual world and the strategy which will be implemented to use YouTube as a vehicle to communicate with the customers. Business Dilemma Yes I believe that the most influential person in cafà © is the customer. Customers can help the Broadway Cafà © by increasing the sales of the cafà © and also they can help in promoting our cafà ©. For instance, if a customer comes to our cafà © and finds the service good and enjoys the food then that particular customer would definitely go and tell his/her friends and families about our cafà © and in this way many more customers will start coming to our cafà ©. In order to attract more customers we need to understand the needs of the customers and we need to find ways in which our cafà © can satisfy their needs. Customers will go away if the cafà © does not meet their expectation since customers nowadays have become more demanding. Moving on, it is very essential to give proper service to customers because customers can also hurt the cafà ©. If proper service is not provided to them then they can easily make a complaint about our cafà © and this can harm our reputation in the market. Sales of any business are based on customers and in order to maintain the customers we need to develop a customer relationship management strategy. We need to find ways in which we can improve our services and attract more customers because customers play an important role in the success of our cafà ©. As seen in I hate Dell.net that customers and employees are allowed to post their complaints on websites so it is very important for every business to serve its customers properly so that they dont post any complaints and hurt the reputation of the business. (SN Web Consulting), (I hate Dell.net). Yes our employees also believe that customers are the most important part of the cafà ©. Employees who work in our cafà © understand that it is very important to provide customers with proper service. Every top management expects their employees to practice a good customer relationship. Employees are employed in any company so that they can work and serve customers and they are judged upon how well they serve their customers. The Broadway cafà © can offer reward programs such as bonus to its employees in order for them to work hard and maintain customer satisfaction.   Therefore, employee that is most helpful to customers can be rewarded. Making Business Decision 1 â€Å"Virtual world can help people meet, collaborate, plan, visualize, train and learn together.† (How virtual world can help real world business, 2010). Second life and virtual world are playing an important role in a success of a business. Many businesses are developing virtual world in order to incorporate it into their business and increase profits. Also now businesses have realized that doing business in virtual world can solve problems which are faced in real world such as, communication, costs and training etc. In real world it is very hard for every employee to interact with other employees and work together but through virtual world it becomes easier to communicate with every employee and work together. (How virtual world can help real world business, 2010) Moving on, Advertising in virtual world can maximize our customers and this will also lead to a reduction in production costs. Many customers nowadays like watching videos on internet and they mostly like those videos that are presented in funny structure and which has all information regarding the product. Hence, with the use of videos we can advertise and in this way it will reach to customers more quickly and it would be far more effective. Also there will be a reduction in travelling costs as people can communicate in virtual world and save time and costs on travelling down to each others office for meetings etc. (Lowe, 2009). In virtual world products are displayed in different forms for different businesses and in some you can test out the product how it looks on you and it allow people to see or use them before you actually purchase the product. Virtual world is a very useful tool for people to be able to meet virtually and also get full information about a particular product. Also it increases brand visibility and facilitates a new customer base. Therefore, it could be said that virtual can really make work easier for business in real world. (Saltzman, 2008). Customer relationship will be different in a virtual world is through that there will be no physical interaction amongst customers and employees. In virtual world customers can express themselves properly for what they want and they can also state their views on which type of product they are looking for. Here customers will get an experience of how things will be at store, the surrounding and the types of products that are sold. Moving on, in virtual world customers will be able to make complaints about the product but they will have to wait on the response from the company regarding their complaint. In order to manage customer relationships in this new virtual environment you need to be prompt while providing feedback to customers. For instance you should try to answer a customers query within 24 hours. Also try to deal with customer complaints in correct manner so that they dont get offended. You need to be polite and attentive with customers either in real world or virtual world customers are one of the major factor in contributing to business world. Furthermore try to follow up with every customers concern. (Baley, 2011). Supporting traditional customers are the customers in real world. Supporting second life customers will be different in a way that in second life it will be more advanced and more expensive to implement. In second life only those users who are fully equipped with the latest computing hardware can have equal access to second life. Also in second life a new customer will need to take some time getting familiarize with the second life world while for traditional customers it is not so complicated. (Chia Yao Lee, 2007). In second life customers can interact with the employees at the same time in its avatar forms but on web site customers are unable to interact they are just able to email each other. If any product is displayed on web site, then a customer can only view the image of the product and price of it and can just place an order while in second life customers get chance to try the product on themselves and if it suits them only then they purchase it. Advertising on web site is much cheaper compared to second life but in this modern world second life is more acceptable as it provides customers with maximum satisfaction in regards to what a customer actually wants and is looking for. The security issue which you might encounter in second life is authentication and identity theft. People ‘interact in virtual world via avatars and new accounts can be opened†. (Beer, 2007)There will be times when there will be multiple avatars and it will be hard to ensure which avatar represents whom and even if that particular avatar represents to actual person then it will be hard to know to whom it is actually associated to. Moving on, confidential and sensitive information shouldnt be discussed in a second life because it is not so secured. For instance, the information exchanged texts and chats may not be private. (Beer, 2007). Also theft of virtual objects example, stealing of avatar clothes, virtual buildings designs etc. There can be unauthorized use of real world brand name and trade mark. Furthermore payment and transaction integrity can be an issue too. As there is a risk for virtual wallets and inventory to get stolen. (Chia Yao Lee, 2007). Some of the ethical issue is â€Å"defamation and disparagement meaning spreading of false rumors and misleading information. There can be disparagement of virtual and real world products† (Chia Yao Lee, 2007) . Moving on, people having fake identity are not an ethical behavior. Also â€Å"vandalism and harassment† (Chia Yao Lee, 2007) is an ethical issue, damaging of virtual objects and virtual locations. (Chia Yao Lee, 2007). Making business decision 2 YouTube would help in communicating with customers about the unusual long waits for frappachunios and cappuccinos through a video. As JetBlues founder apologized to its customers via YouTube for the cancellation of flights, thats how Broadway cafà © can show a video to their customers on the implementation of new espresso machine and how employees are still getting used to it. You can show in the video that customers who are willing to have frappachnios and cappuccinos, they can place their order in advance, so once it gets ready then the employee can contact their customers and then customers can come and have their farppachnios and cappuccinos and enjoy the drink rather then waiting in lines for the order and getting frustrated. Since most of the people go on YouTube so it will be best to upload a video about this problem on YouTube so that majority of the customers will see the video and place their order in advance. Moving on, the four new employees who have been employed recently are having difficulty understanding the new machine, so the old employees are most of the time assisting the new ones. In this way much time is wasted and employees are not able to attain to customers. Therefore, you can also upload a video on YouTube regarding on the usage of the new machine so that new employees can view that video and can learn from there on how to use the new machine rather than always asking the old employees assistance. In this way the problems can be rectified. Some of the Pros of using YouTube as a customer communication vehicle are that many people nowadays watch videos on YouTube and thus, advertising on it will be very beneficial for the cafà ©. You can watch the video for free and also Broadway Cafà © can express its creativity of the cafà © and its variety of products on YouTube easily and in more advanced form. Furthermore, advertising on YouTube will result in reduction in marketing cost and it is very useful and much effective then advertising in real world. (Feldman) Some of the cons of using YouTube as a customer communication vehicle is that, the video uploaded on YouTube can be viewed by everyone. Since it is viewable by everyone so everyone who views it can post comment. Some times some people post bad comments which can harm Broadway cafà ©s image and reputation. (Feldman).â€Å"Try to avoid spam approach otherwise viewers will stop watching any video that has been uploaded by the cafà ©.† (Feldman). Yes there are other technologies which could be used as a customer communication vehicle. Websites such as social networking for instance, MySpace, Facebook. Nowadays people enjoy social networking, so publishing on website such as Facebook will be very beneficial since many people will get to view the Broadway Cafà ©s website and this will attract more customers. We can also use Blogs. It can be used to promote products, therefore, Broadway cafà © can use Blogs to promote their products and increase sales. (SN Web Consulting). Apply Your Knowledge Currently the Broadway cafà ©s quality of data within the system is low. It has become difficult to determine which customers are ordering what type of food or music. Having quality information means, to have accurate and up to date information. As for Broadway cafà © their data is not up to date and accurate. Quality information should be free from duplication error meaning not having two names for a particular product which becomes hard to identify under which product name the product should be charged. There shouldnt be any confusion while obtaining certain information. (What is data quality). It is very important to have high quality information because it will determine the success of the cafà © in future and also enable for the cafà © to have a good reputation in the market. Most of the times customers are dissatisfied with the low quality information presented by businesses therefore, it is extremely important to have high quality information so that customers are satisfied. Proper information makes it easy for customers to place orders and also it becomes easy for employees to understand the order and serve the customer with the correct order. High quality information would lead to better decisions to be made and boost more profitability for the business. It can obtain competitive advantage in the market and also achieve employees and customer satisfaction which would enable cafà © to achieve the organisational goal. Furthermore, low quality information simply means not having accurate and up to date information about a particular product. Low quality information mostly results in lose of customers because of customer dissatisfaction. Customers who places order expects to receive the correct product. Moving on, Cafe is facing difficulties in determining which customer has ordered which product. This is due to, the poor quality of data been entered into the system. Low quality information will result in poor decisions made .Also many customers who will be dissatisfied with the service provided will also stop coming to the cafà © and this will affect the cafà © and its profitability. The way in which the Broadway Cafà © could understand its customers is by knowing how much each customer purchases and who all are the valuable customers. This can be done by taking account of the customer ID and calculating the sales for the particular customer for all the years. In this way we will better understand our customers and find ways to retain them. Moreover, by evaluating the products and stock on hand figure. Broadway Cafà © can focus on marketing of those products more which are selling fast, because this would satisfy the customers needs and also increase sales. There are many data quality issues as noticed in CRM_AYK.xls. The data presented is very confusing. For instance, the product name  ½ cup of coffee for coffee sales, it is stated two times differently. First it is named as  ½ cup of coffee and then named as  ½ Cup of Coffee, so when a customer places order for  ½ cup of coffee the data is entered incorrectly. Therefore, to avoid confusion they should just keep one properly spelt name of  ½ cup of coffee. Also data presented under heading ‘Other it does not state any dollar value so we can not state that what actually the figures under the heading ‘Other depicts and how to take account of the figures. Some of the figures are negative so it is very hard to analyse that what the negative figure means. Maybe they are recording some products under one general heading as ‘Other. To avoid this issue the company can just record the products under its respective headings rather then putting it all under one as ‘Other which is ambiguous. It also shows negative amounts which needs to be clarified as, what it means and how it should be taken into account. The Cafà © needs to keep track of the stock and the system should automatically depict that how much stock is left for instance, if a Music CD is sold then the system should automatically decrease one Music CD from the stock record and also show how many more Music CDs are left. Moving on, when identifying the best selling product it is hard to indicate whether to take into account the highest number of sales of the highest number of product sold or the profitability of the products or whether to just take into account the highest number of product sold. We have assumed and taken into account the customer ID and the total amount of sales for each customer for all the years and have analysed upon the highest number of sales as the best customer. Upon analysing the customers with their highest number of sales amount for all the years we see that customer number 305668 has the highest sales amount of $49647.45 and is regraded as the best customer. In past 5years it could be said that these customers have purchased a lot from Broadway Cafà © which is very good and we need to retain these customers by providing them with better service and meeting their expectations. There are many marketing campaigns which need to be used in order to retain our valuable customers. The cafà © should increase in its customer satisfaction and loyalty and try to understand a customers needs. The cafà © can have a promotional activity such as rewards for best customer of the year and the best customer wins prizes. Moreover, cafà © can offer discounts to valuable customers in order to retain those customers. We have assumed that in order to determine the best selling product and the worst selling product we looked at the total sales figure of the best and worst types of products sold and not the units because it was a little confusing. We havent taken into account any value from column heading other because it is very ambiguous, it does not have dollar value so it is hard to determine whether the amounts are in terms of dollars or units. Also it has negative figures so if it is a sale amount then how can it be in negative and how to take account of it. Therefore, we have not taken any data from column heading other in calculation of all the questions above.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Influence of Celebrities

The Influence of Celebrities The influence of celebrities especially in this century has extends far beyond the traditional role meant for it in the society. The World Wide Web is one of the major causes behind this phenomenon (Choi and Berger). We have now put the celebrities on a pedestal that is on the same or even a higher level than that of our leaders. Simply put, we treat them as the modern day gods. This phenomenon can be seen where in Twitter; Justin Bieber has a lot more followers compared to Barack Obama. (Mell) in his article discusses that it is noticeable that today’s headlines often revolve around celebrity news than other types of news. The quantities of entertainment magazine such as Us Weekly are noticeably a lot more than any other types of magazine. Generation Y’s obsession over celebrities baffles the Generation X simply because they are wondering why are stars and celebrities are so popular. In his article (Callaway) explains about a new psychology study that helps determine on why some stars are popular. The study showed that people just need something to talk about and that it is a basic human desire to connect and find common ground with others. This basic desire pushes us to discuss on an already popular celebrities. The article also states that fame is self-perpetuating thing even when that celebrity is not doing anything that is fame-worthy anymore. Take Brad Pitt for example, he is a very famous actor and while he is now are doing less acting but when his name are mentioned most people would definitely know who he is. (Austin) in her article discusses that the society paints celebrities and stars as they are just like us but they are the better versions of ourselves in every aspect. Her article also highlight that children these days sees fame as a cure for all problems and that fame appears to be an attractive way to fix things. We aimed to be just like them because in our mind, they are living the perfect life – lots of money, fancy cars, big houses, perfect body, and many others. That is why celebrities and stars are so popular. Take Jay-Z for instance, he is a music mogul who was born in an area that is filled with gang violence but he rose from the slums of where he was born to become rich, successful and have a beautiful family. This is what makes celebrities famous because we relate ourselves to them and we want to be like them. Each of us have our favourite stars and celebrities and for us the term stars and celebrities basically bear the same meaning but these two term bears a totally different meaning. According to (Merriam-webster.com), a celebrity is someone who is famous or well-known because of something that the person does. That person can be a socialite, a famous spokesperson, a radio deejay and many more. For example, Paris Hilton is a celebrity because she is famous for her luxurious lifestyle. Meanwhile according to (Dictionary.com) a star is someone who excels in their respective field and has an added charm to them or what we call as charisma. The combination of excellence in their respective field and their charisma is what makes stars stand out from the rest. An example of a star is Sandra Bullock; she is an award winning actress – she won an Oscar for Best Actress in 2010 because she possesses an excellent acting skill plus she has charisma. With the rising demand for more entertainment shows, reality TV shows are created to fulfil the said need thus a new term are coined for its stars. Reality TV shows stars are called media personality. According to (Urban Dictionary), media personality is celebrities that lack in natural presentation talent. For instance, Kim Kardashian falls under the media personality category simply because she got no real talent. Stars are worth millions or more in the entertainment industry. A star worth is based on their characteristics and personality. A star will worth more if they possessed good norms and ethics and of course a star worth more if they have credible skills in the field that they went into. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo, a famous football player in the world, is beating Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique. He gets the highest paid salary estimated around $21 million every year (Kornowski). Beside Cristiano Ronaldo, there are still a number of famous celebrities who got paid the same or more amount as he is. One of them is Jennifer Lawrence. According to the (The Inquisitr News) Jennifer Lawrence was the most bankable star of 2013. Based on Hollywood Stock Exchange, it claims that at first the market value displayed of Jennifer Lawrence in last September is at $125.49 per scene and currently, her market value has significantly increase to $147.83 per scene (Perez). Stars are easy to rose to fame and fade away from it – they tend to become expandable. Thus, stars like film stars need to be worried if they want to remain Hollywood worthy. This is because they need to use their ability and profession to stay bankable. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s author S. Galloway, stars have more pressure to be the first pick for studios because unless they have an impressive box-office record, they cannot demand and negotiate more about clauses that is in their co ntract (Kiisel). In addition to that, people will judge the stars on how do they look, how do they dress themselves and how do they carry themselves. It means that, looks and appearance is very important for a star to gain popularity. An article by (Kornowski) stated that less attractive stars get paid less whereas good looking stars are paid handsomely. If we notice the current trend of how stars look is that almost all the star is good looking and they have a nice body shape which is slim and muscular. Arirang TV conducted a survey with 699 fans to found out which star has the best appearance. The result that came out was interesting. 2NE1 member and Sandara Park is ranked number one with the votes of 24.5%. For the next survey, the question is which female star has the most perfect body. The result shown that 4Minute member, HyunA got the most votes with 13.9% (Oh-dara.com). This shows that it is very important for a star to own a good appearance and perfect body. Star image can be argued that they are the representative of person which they eventually change the ordinary preconception of what is it to be a normal human being in the society. However it is proposed that the society is what stressed them like others in the social group or class to which they belong (Wilson). For example, Lady Gaga is an image and definitely not the real person. Furthermore, star image is not a real person that is created out of range of materials. They could also be reappearing as icons and font. A star’s images use different type of media forms to be recognized by the public. Many stars use their image for advertising and other purposes. Stars image representative of attitudes, shared values and to promote a certain ideas. The star image’s quality is based on the audience’s interest and views. Stars image usually give the audiences a picture or idea or what people are supposed to be like. Stars are commodities produced and consumed on the s trength of their meanings (Dyer). For example, Lady Gaga was made to create a physical embodiment pop culture. Star image also influences the audiences or fans to copy them in the sense of fashion and hairstyle. Sometimes, stars they have a unique image that is impossible to copy but the image they portray has created many fan bases. A star image motif is a running theme for an artist and the aim is to help to establish the artist as a brand (Dyer). Basically, the star image shows how those medias promote or how they advertise in a way that they will make the star popular and earn money. For example, YouTube stars have to produce a good quality of image to attract more viewers and fans. Moreover, they can earn money by getting more views and subscribers. Some of the stars use their image as logo or icons to promote themselves through media. By that they can also earn money from there. For example, Eminem uses his star image in a style in which he has been using for many years like posters and caps. Even though he wasn’t in the music industry for quite a while but he still maintain he style until today. He also earns more than a million by using he own style to promote himself. This idea makes him even popular because the brand makes him stand out and also makes his fans think that he never left. Furthermore, most of the Korean stars use their image to promote themselves and become popular even though there are not very talented. This is because media is what makes them good looking and popular. Through media also helps them earn more money and also more fans. Pop star like Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars earn more money because of their talent and also their appearance. On the other hands, they also promote themselves through their albums and also cover magazines that make them even popular and earn more incomes. Paparazzi and journalist are known as the ones who publicize famous stars and celebrities for the public. Even though, they are known as annoying yet persistent stalkers who would go against their ethical practices to get the shot or story they desire but this day and age what we think and talk about with our friends and family greatly revolves around the glamorous, and usually scandalous, lives of the rich and famous as said by (Tong). Nowadays, we have created a new platform of entertainment by introducing stars and celebrity television program or better known as reality TV shows to parade themselves and earn money from us like TMZ, Perez Hilton, E! News, web-blogs, tabloids and so on. However, many argued that stars and celebrities chose a career that requires them to be in the public eye and receive a lot of attention. Many believe that if a star or celebrity stays out of the media, they could be unrecognizable and someone might steal their spotlight. Therefore, it is undoubted t hat the press who sells explicit photos, the public who buys them and the celebrities themselves are as responsible for the invasive journalistic practices that pry onto star and celebrities private lives. All three parties are equally as responsible in such practice as the journalist; press and celebrity make money out of it. Paparazzi and journalist target famous people whom they consider the public to have voracious appetite for. The public obsession towards a star or celebrity could result in encouraging paparazzi and celebrities to go above the limits of invasive antics. It is only when harm occurs that the public becomes outraged enough to criticize the news gathering techniques of the paparazzi. For example, who would blame Britney for losing control or Lindsay Lohan for feeling she cant trust anyone† says (Tong). It is because people like us are the ones who pressure stars and celebrities to give portray and image we want to see the in. Whether or not it is bad or good. They may be able to disgrace some people, but in the end, the publishers and readers will make a decision based on the bottom line of it, not whether its right or wrong says (Puente). Frank Griffin, co-owner of the Bauer-Griffin paparazzi agency mentioned that paparazzi does not waste time on famous people whom they fail to cover in as time is the essence of money and the demand on different famous people changes all the time. The paparazzi â€Å"are so easy to avoid Griffin says. Just cover your face, and if you do that every day, theyre not going to get any pictures, theyre not going to make any money and theyre not going to sit outside your door anymore. It is a cycle of demand where it is through the demands of the public that encourages paparazzi and journalist to covers on a certain famous people who they desire to know and is obsessed about. Thus, making the press company to buy photos and stories of famous people the public demand and publicize it. Although it may seem like famous people often avoid paparazzi and press but it was argued that famous people themselves wants to be publicize as well and be used for product endorsements and advertising schemes (Tong). Most of celebrities go to places where they know paparazzi will always be there. Some even call ahead of time to notify paparazzi and journalist of where they are. An article by the (Urban Times) stated that â€Å"There are even rumours that celebrities themselves asked their public relations team to alert paparazzi to their locations in ensuring maximum coverage. In some ways it is win-win for both parties; it’s certainly a complicated relationship.† Meanwhile, in a written article by (Anderson) said that â€Å"the stakeouts and high-speed chases that the paparazzi are notorious for sound horrible, but if people didn’t read the magazines or didnt care so much about the celebrities, there wouldnt be a demand, and the paparazzi may disappear.† In this era where the World Wide Web creates a ‘limitless’ kind of world where information is literally at the tip of your finger celebrities are seen to be centre of it. The internet provides an easy and perfect platform for celebrities to further spread their fame and thus cemented their status in the public eye. From what we gather is that the society put celebrity’s life as benchmark for what a good life should look like – celebrities are put on a pedestal and they are our modern day god. Other than that, we learn about what makes a star bankable – their good looks. Also we look into the fascinating relationship between the stars and paparazzi where we can conclude that it is a win- win situation for both party but there are some boundaries to be obey because now the paparazzi does not only portrays the star alone but also they are lurking about the star’s family. An article by (Schaefer) discusses about â€Å"a bill aimed to protects the children of celebrities and public staff officials from paparazzi.† This bill basically protects the child’s star from any form of harassment including photographing or recording that child without parental consent. In a support to help this bill to be passed, actress Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner both testify in front of the legislative committee. Berry in her statement said â€Å"They ask my daughter questions that are inappropriate for a 5-year-old to have an answer.† While fellow actress Jennifer Garner states that â€Å"she made the decision to have a public life when she chose her career (acting), but her children are private citizens, just like anyone elses.† This bill clearly creates a strain in this star-paparazzi relationship with the newspaper publishers are among those who oppose the bill stating that it would violate on the journalists’ ability to do their job s. With all of this fame that the stars garnered over the years we cannot stop to but to wonder that with fame come great consequences. Julia Roberts once said that â€Å"I dont think I realized that the cost of fame is that its open season on every moment of your life.† This simply portrays that once you are famous your life are owned by the public or so to speak. Word Count: 2624 words References Anderson, Christina. Are The Paparazzi Just Doing Their Job, Or Are They Overstepping Their Boundaries?.The Huffington Post. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Austin, Anastacia. Why Are We So Obsessed With Celebrities?.Buzzle. N. p., 2007. Web. 20 Jun. 2014. Callaway, Ewen. How Celebrities Stay Famous Regardless Of Talent Science-In-Society 24 June 2009 New Scientist.Newscientist.com. N. p., 2009. Web. 20 Jun. 2014. Choi, Chong Ju, and Ron Berger. Ethics Of Celebrities And Their Increasing Influence In 21St Century Society.Journal of business ethics91.3 (2010): 313318. Print. Dictionary.com,. The Definition Of Stars. N. p., 2014. Web. 20 Jun. 2014. Kiisel, Ty. You Are Judged By Your Appearance.Forbes. N. p., 2013. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Kornowski, Liat. Shes Worth HOW MUCH?!.The Huffington Post. N. p., 2013. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Mell, Mic. Is Celebrity Obsession Destroying Our Society? | Thecelebritycafe.Com.Thecelebritycafe.com. N. p., 2009. Web. 18 Jun. 2014. Merriam-webster.com,. Celebrity Synonyms And More From The Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. N. p., 2014. Web. 20 Jun. 2014. Oh-dara.com,. Article: Dara Ranks First In Arirang TVs Survey Which Star Has The Best Appearance. N. p., 2012. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Perez, Adrian. â€Å"The Bankable Star: Why Jennifer Lawrence Is Going To Be Around In The Film Industry For A Long Time†; -A Close Look At Market Value Improvements -How A Film’S Box-Office Success Makes Its Stars More Bankable.Cineasts POV Press. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Puente, Maria. Celebs Push Back Against The Paparazzi.Usatoday.com. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Schaefer, Samantha. Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner Testify On Paparazzi Bill.Los Angeles Times Articles. N. p., 2013. Web. 22 Jun. 2014. Dyer, Richard. Star Image.Slideshare.net. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. The Inquisitr News,. Jennifer Lawrence Was The Most Bankable Box Office Star Of 2013. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Tong, Arianne. Do Celebrities Deserve Some Level Of Privacy By Arianne Tong | Entertainment Scene 360.Entertainmentscene360.com. N. p., 2014. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Urban Dictionary,. Media Personality. N. p., 2014. Web. 20 Jun. 2014. Urban Times,. Celebrities Are Using The Power Of The Paparazzi For Good. N. p., 2013. Web. 21 Jun. 2014. Wilson, Karina. Mediaknowall ASA Level — Stardom.Mediaknowall.com. N. p., 2014. Web. 22 Jun. 2014. 1

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Marshal McLuhan †Charlatan or Visionary? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Marshal McLuhan – Charlatan or Visionary? Marshal McLuhan has been described as both a â€Å"media prophet† and a â€Å"pop professor† (Wilcox). Although his book The Medium is the Massage was rejected by some academics (Wilcox), it became a popular success outside the academic world. His ability to coin such phrases as the â€Å"global village† and his ideas on how media influences culture allowed McLuhan to become an icon of the counterculture movement of the 1960’s. Some scholars argue that McLuhan’s voice was even â€Å"swallowed up in the popular cultural movement† (Surette). The word macluhanisme has been adopted into the French language as â€Å"a synonym for the world of pop culture† (Playboy). But was McLuhan truly a pioneering scholar? It surely depends on how one defines â€Å"pioneering scholar†. I believe that many of McLuhan’s ideas, even if they have become their own clichà ©s and are not wholly understood, are valuable contributions to our academ ic and cultural heritage by the fact that they are still discussed today. McLuhan’s writings have opened up a forum for much discussion and academic study, and have laid the foundation for an area of study on communication mediums. In an interview with Playboy magazine, McLuhan argues that â€Å"man must, as a simple survival strategy, become aware of what is happening to him, despite the attendant pain of such comprehension† (Playboy). McLuhan states that his work has the â€Å"purpose of trying to understand our technological environment and its psychic and social consequences† (Playboy). Many of McLuhan’s ideas concerning media can be classified as technologically deterministic. He argued that several technologies, alphabetic writing and movable type, were responsible for the â€Å"detribilization† of society. By â€Å"detribilization† he was referring to the creation of the individual who is responsible for his/her own ideas. He then argued that in recent times, a â€Å"retribilization† was occurring because of the introduction of electricity-based communications technologies such as radio and television. As Playboy writes, this is the â€Å"electronics revolution that will ultimately retribalize man by restoring his sensory balance†. As critic Tom Wolfe asked: "Suppose [McLuhan] is what he sounds like: the most important thinker since Newton, Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Pavlov - what if he is right?

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Essay --

Kimberly N. Broughton Dr. Pardlow English Literature I Final Exam December 9, 2013 Passage I appears in Book I of Paradise Lost, lines 254-263. The narrator, Satan, is boasting, along with his friend Beelzebub, lord of the flies, about how is it better to be the ruler in hell than serve God in Heaven. It all started when Satan awoken in Hell from being thrown out of Heaven. Many angels had joined Satan and thus started the war with God. Realizing what happened, Satan goes on a rant to Beelzebub, telling him how he will never bow down to God. Interpreting Satan’s rant, he says that everyone has their own mind. Whether or not they’re in Heaven or hell physically, they can make it feel as another mentally. He also questions what makes God any greater than him or him any less that God. Satan figures at least he is free to roam and rule in Hell. In his mind, being king is more important, even if it is in Hell. He also believes that by no means can God drive them away from their throne in Hell. Passage V appears in Book IV of Paradise Lost, lines 98-102. During this phase, Satan lands near the Garden of Eden. Looking back on Earth reminded Satan of who he once was. He considers, for a brief moment, asking God for forgiveness despite its false pretenses. However, Satan is the epitome of evil. Wherever he goes, death, sin, and all things bad will follow. Through lines 98-102, the narrator is saying that there is too much hatred and sin to justify. Satan mentions that if he attempts and achieves to reconcile with God, he is bound to relapse and become worse than before. In his heart he knows that God has given up on him and the other fallen angels. They believe that God created a new world known as man, to replace them. All good is lo... ...er and disobedience to God. Even though the sins of Satan, Adam, and Eve granted them tedious punishments, their reasoning greatly differed. Adam sinned for the love and affection of a woman, while Satan disobeyed because of pride and enviousness. Lastly, passage IX is found in Book 8. During this section, Adam and Eve had already partaken of the forbidden fruit. Shortly after tasting the fruit, Adam mentions that why something so delightful and pleasurable would be forbidden when it should be encouraged. Eating the fruit allowed them to become aware of their physical appearance. Adam and Eve began to cover themselves for they were ashamed. However, along with being ashamed, they become attracted to the appearance of the flesh. Never had Adam ever noticed the perfection of Eve’s body. Needless to say, they had sexual intercourse all night until they fell asleep.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

‘Good Friday’ by Edwin Morgan

‘Good Friday’ by Edwin Morgan In this essay I will show how Edwin Morgan uses different poetic techniques to highlight central themes in the poem. The poem is about a slightly drunk working class man Morgan encounters on a public bus in Glasgow at Easter. One of the main themes with features in this poem is religion, in particular about how society is becoming more secular. The title ‘Good Friday’ immediately refers to the date Jesus was crucified, bringing religion into the poem from the start. Also, ‘3 o’clock’ is the time Jesus is thought to have died, another biblical reference.The fact that the man is going to get ‘Some Easter eggs for the kiddies’, but isn’t really sure at all about the relevance of them to the holiday he is celebrating, shows that they have no real relevance to him even though he is spending money on them, though to Christians, they symbolise the stone covering the tomb where Christ was buried. It shows how religion has faded, and busine sses commercialise these holidays for profit. Another key theme in the poem is social-class; in particular how the fact that this man is working class affects the way he treats the holidays.The man explains ‘I’ve had a wee drink’, but the way he ‘flops’ into the seat suggests differently. He must have seen a difference between himself and Morgan because he feels the need to explain ashamedly, almost, ‘I like to celebrate when I’m no working’, and the way his speech is broken up suggests embarrassment, ‘I don’t say it’s right -I’m no saying it’s right – ye understand – ye understand? ’ The repetition of the question shows he feels pressurized; he doesn’t want to be judged, and it shows an eagerness to be approved.It shows that even by appearances he can see the line between himself and Morgan, and in saying ‘You’re an educatit man,’ he is sort of putt ing himself down, sounding as though he thinks he is below Morgan. He gives off the impression of being slightly angry, and emotional, when he says ‘Its been seen time and time again, the working man has nae education’. He describes himself as ‘bliddy ignorant’. His emotional, chatty persona may partly be because of the ‘wee drink’ he has had, the aftermath has left him feeling slightly depressed.The Scottish dialect that Morgan uses for the drunken man also give the poem a sense of place, the ‘fae’, ‘aye’, and ‘wasny’, all give the impression a Glaswegian man, as well as the poor sentence structure, ‘rose fae the dead like, see what I mean? ’. It further adds to the impression that the working-class man is poorly educated. The verbs that are used ‘lurches’, ‘flops’, ‘lunges’, and ‘swings’ are all quite erratic and violent movements, and the fact that the poem is in the present tense add to that feeling of immediacy and make you feel in the poem.At the end, the structure of the last sentence, ‘On very nearly steady legs’ could be describing the man’s movements as he steps off of the bus, because the words are used as a sort of calligram, the words look like steps. In conclusion, ‘Good Friday’ is a poem in which strong poetic techniques such as speech, verbs, repetition, and symbolism , and they are used to highlight central themes in the poem such as social class issues, and the way society is becoming increasingly secular.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Concept of Total War

The period between 1914-1918, or most commonly known as World War I, is historically significant. Aside from its unforgettable aftermath wherein a number of casualties and various war damages were recorded, World War I also paved the way for the emergence of the concept of total war. It is through this total war that the series of wars that followed within the international system based their strategies and learning experiences making the subsequent conflicts a lot worse. Total War, according to Stephen Badsey, is considered as the â€Å"organization of entire societies for war in social, economic, and even spiritual sense† (Badsey n. ). It is a war strategy wherein combatants forcibly involved properties, lands, and attenuate the vulnerable civilians or non-combatants in their struggle against the enemies instead of just focusing on conquering their military targets. Basically, it is an armed force waged using all national power, human strength and material goods, considering that the traditional presence of big battalions are insufficient without the â€Å"Home Front† support (Kiraly 15). This movement showed tremendous effects in the country's populace and showed social changes. The economy of states involved in total war is strictly controlled to monitor and regulate the flow of money and where finances are utilized. Moreover, through the influence of media and nationalistic propaganda, the citizens are moved to strengthen their support for the total war (Schmiechen 459). As stated earlier, the First World War gauged the intensity of the wars after it. Because of the tragedy caused by World War I, many citizens became very suspicious and fearful of their surroundings and the eventualities around them. The American public is no exemption to this escalating fear and apprehension with the actions and decisions done by their country either domestically or internationally. Post – World War I As eventful as the World War I, the Great Depression of 1929 – 1933 sson took place. It was also known as the Global Economic Slump wherein the Wall Street stock market crash affected the American financial system (Baylis & Smith 57). Because of this economic depression, many Americans feared a massive social consequence manifested in a surge of unemployment. Unemployment was perceived as USA’s primary enemy because it resulted to a number of impoverished families suffering because of the collapse in the market (Baylis & Smith 59). Different reactions emerged during this period including the government’s economic response by pursuing protectionism and avoid importing products from other countries. The period of depression ended with the emergence of World War II. Supposedly, the years 1939-1945 should relieve the American society from the economic slump it previously experienced, however, circumstances worsen as conflict escalates among the involved factions in the war. One of the domestic enemies America experienced during this period was the massive influx of immigrants from different parts of Europe. This is a manifestation of the escalating civil war among the different Western countries. As a response to this, US modified its migration quota system to filter out desirable citizens to enter their land. Immigrants from Great Britain and Ireland were awarded generous qoutas as compared to Russians and Italians as they were affiliated with the emerging powerful satellite group, the Soviet Union, threatening the American democratic system (â€Å"Immigration Through Time†). After World War II, the Cold War era, from 1945-1990 followed. It was a war between two â€Å"Superpowers,† the United States of America and the Soviet Union (Baylis & Smith 72). Many proxy wars in the Third World took place during this period, dragging countries all over the world in the war and dividing them between the two superpowers. The emerging power of USSR threatened the American society as the manifestation of communism is felt world wide and even domestically. The eventualities during the Cuban missile crisis triggered greater military threat in the country as the Soviet Union is believed to be keeping weapons of mass destruction. America reacted in this situation by entering the global battlefield with the USSR and pursued an arms race (Baylis & Smith 81). By the end of the cold war period, USA emerged as the most powerful country and helped some European countries rehabilitate the damages of war. The country continued to emerge as a powerful country wherein they are perceived as primary trade partners world wide. However, in the post 9/11 period, American society placed the blame to the Twin Tower tragedy to the terrorists who were considered as â€Å"the axis of evil† which includes some rogue states in West Asia (Chenoy 13). As a preemptive response by the present administration, they pursued counter-terrorism campaign and established the â€Å"coalition of the willing† to overcome acts of terrorism world wide (Schifferes n. p). The periods of conflict that America experienced over the years showed how the public is very much affected. From the Great Depression and the fear of unemployment, World War II and the problem on undesirable immigrants, the Cold War era and the emergence of communism, and post 9/11 period with the threats of terrorism, the American public is imparted with so much problems and enemies both domestically and internationally which greatly affects the country's internal affairs and national interest to pursue. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the government to ensure that the public interest is taken into consideration in their policy-making to assure the security and safety of their citizens.