Manage Risk final Essay

1 You must accurately complete the Student Assessment Pack. 2 Your Assessor may want to discuss written answers with you to get further evidence of your understanding and to check that it is your original work 3 You need to submit Assessment Cover Sheet for each assessment. 4 You are permitted to use dictionaries and to seek support, as required. 5 Where your work has been deemed as unsatisfactory, you will be permitted to resubmit the assessment. Refer to RGIT reassessment policy and procedure. 6 Unless the assessment task specifically allows pair work or group activities such as brainstorming, you must submit their own original work and are not permitted to copy the work of other students. Plagiarism is never acceptable. 7 Assessments must be submitted on their due dates. 8 Extensions are permitted in consultation with the trainer. Performance objective You must demonstrate knowledge of design requirements for workspaces that support innovation and work with a team to redesign a workspace. Assessor Instructions for Using This Assessment Workbook 1. Prepare for Assessment by reviewing support material for this unit/s. 2. Ensure that any pre-requisite units have been assessed as competent prior to the assessment of this unit/s 3. Trainees must complete all sections of the assessment. Be sure to reference the assessment context and proposed environment to ensure any mandatory assessment methods are used 4. Conduct the assessment using the documents provided, gaining participant agreement on each stage of the assessment process. Evidence must be gathered using the assessment tools provided 5. Each assessment tool must be fully completed. Where this is not possible, the appropriate response area should be marked NYC (Not Yet Competent) and notes made as to how competency will be  assessed. Final sign-off must not occur until the participant is assessed as competent in this item 6. Identify and gather any other relevant forms of evidence and attach to the participant Assessment Workbook, making note of the relevance of the evidence. Attach it to the participant Assessment Workbook prior to submission to administration. 7. Provide assessment outcome feedback to participant and complete all relevant details on the competency record sheet, ensuring the participants complete their verification sections. 8. Provide feedback on the competency record sheet section All questions must be answered. Projects must be completed including forms and documents required by the project(s). Completion of the Training Checklist must be included. Please attach any additional information that may be required to this document. Knowledge Based Questions 1. Define in detail, what is a risk? What 2 categories could you place risks in? Risk is a natural part of our physical, social, financial and competitive environments. It is defined as a chance of something happening that will have an impact on the achievement of objectives or goals in an organisation. Iti is measured in terms of likeliness and consequence. Extreme Risk – Forklift running over team member due to no high vis shirt being wear and spotters not doing their jobs properly. Forklift not staying in designated area. High Risk – Spillages, boxes in aisles, floods, Empty crates, Electrical cords across the floor. Medium Risk – Customer slipping on wet floor Low Risk – Liquid on Computers, falling down stairs, staple through finger. 2. When completing a Risk Assessment who might you need to talk to (e.g. Stakeholders)? Risk assessments are usually reported to Managers, duty managers, WHS Officers, Supervisors and stakeholders. 3. What legislative bodies could you communicate with to develop and implement a Risk Management Plan? The legislative bodies you report to are local Councils, Unions, ACCC, and your management Safety Team. 4. What is the purpose of the standard known as AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 Risk Management? The purpose of this standard was to create guidelines and protocols for safe work environments and to give everyone in the work force a chance to know that they will be looked after and be able to go home safe no matter how dangerous their job is. This Standard was prepared by Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee OB-007, Risk Management to supersede AS/NZS 4360:2004, Risk management. When AS/NZS 4360:1999 was revised in 2004 (as part of a routine five yearly revision), it was decided by the Joint Australian/New Zealand Committee OB-007 that rather than undertake a similar revision in 2009, Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand would promote the development of an international standard on risk management which would then be adopted. 5. Detail what a SWOT analysis is, how you might use it in a business Risk Assessment? A SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in a project or in a business venture. A SWOT analysis can be carried out for a product, place, industry or person. It involves specifying the nature of the business venture or project and indentifying the internal and external factors that are favourable and unfavourable to achieve that objective. 6. When completing a Risk Analysis what 4 items must you include in your analysis? The 4 items you should include are Checklists, Brainstorming, Fish-bone Diagrams and Flowcharts 7. What 5 levels of impact or consequence are there to assess Risk? The 5 levels of impact or consequence – Insignificant, Minor, Moderate, Major and Catastrophic 8. Read: WFD Pty Ltd has employed you as a consultant to assist in the Risk Assessment of the business in all areas of its operation. As you go through the process you find that the business is grossly lacking in many areas of business operations and WHS. Using a consultative process outline 2 processes you would have undertaken to arrive at the above conclusion? What relevant parties do you need to communicate your findings with? The 2 processes I would use, would be a workplace Audit and the Administration Records. The relevant parties I would Report to would be – Insurance Broker involved in the company, Manager the WHS Officer 9. Read: During your normal days activities you come across a document that says the business you work for, has no need or requirement for a Risk Assessment, as the owner of the business has assessed that his business does not have any risks. Explain what is wrong with this thinking? List some ways you may improve this policy. What would you conduct and who may you consult? Every business has a degree of risk about it. You just have to determine what they are. I would conduct a risk assessment myself and I would then give it to the Owner/Manager of the company. Fair Trade Office, WHS Officer, Government and the Local Council are also the governing bodies you should give the report to. It is to show were such things like fire extinguishers and first aid kits should go for example. 10. The business you work for has 15 staff. All of them have according to the paperwork been inducted into the business WHS policy and guidelines. However you have realized that a Risk Assessment has not been completed on the new business operations including new machinery that has been introduced. What items would you include in an action plan to correct this situation? You must include what legislation and/or legislative bodies should you consult with. The things to be added into the Action plan would be uniform guidelines, safe  work procedures, mobile phone usage on the floor and guidelines for wearing jewellery on the floor. Legislative bodies to be informed would be Unions, Councils, Managers, Suppliers, added to user manuals, WHS Officers and most importantly would be the workers themselves. 11. After completing a Risk Assessment, how would you communicate your findings to relevant parties in your business and what would your run (2 items)? Monthly safety meeting – information nights, questionaries 12. Using a business you are familiar with, identify 3 of their business’ greatest risks. Using the hierarchy of control for the managing of risk, outline how you would manage those risks. The three greatest risks were I work are Lifting items that are two heavy i.e one person lifting an item that is described as a two person lift item Tripping over empty pallets and getting hit by a forklift.  Need to work out the risk, check to see what is on the box and lift according to the instructions, making sure that the pallet has something on the corners to minimise the danger of tripping, make sure there are spotters giving direction to staff members and customers to minimisethe dangers associated with the forklifts. 13. How and where might you store the Risk Assessment tools including Implementation Plans? Why would the storing of these documents be important to a business? Risk Assessment plans and Implementation plans are kept in the WHS Officers Office as well as near the designated equipment in which the risk assessment covers. It covers the misuse of the equipment, 14. Discuss why it is important to monitor an action plan regarding Risk Treatment once it has moved into its implementation phase. The reason you monitor the action plan is to make sure everyone is trained and using the equipment in the correct manner to reduce any safety issues. When an employee starts to shortcut on doing things that is when things happen. 15. Using the review scope and frequency triangle, give at least 2 examples of activities that could be performed at each level when reviewing the Risk Management Process. Slicing Meat – check equipment, using PPE, operation equipment properly, then when finished turn off machine, then clean with appropriate cleaning procedure. Standard operating procedures – review training Are our work procedures in line with WHS procedures? 16. Employees with a disability have the same rights as other employees to a safe and healthy workplace and they also have the right to workplace modifications or adjustments that ensure their safety. What Acts affords these rights to disabled workers? What types of adjustments might be required? The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 has as its major objectives to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities promote community acceptance of the principle that people with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as all members of the community, and ensure as far as practicable that people with disabilities have the same rights to equality before the law as other people in the community. Toilets with disability access, ramps for wheelchair, work stations adapted for people in wheelchairs or vision impaired, etc. 17. Businesses can take out a variety of insurances that will indemnify them and/ or their employees, customers, members of the public in the case of an accident or other adverse occurrence. Provide 3 types of insurance a business can take out? Provide 3 companies that offer insurance for  businesses. Asset and Revenue Insurance, Personal and Workers Insurance, Public Liability Insurance

Think Like A Man

Think like A Man Battle of the Sexes Think like a Man: Battle of the Sexes â€Å"Don't hate the player, change the game†, this influential quote in Steve Harvers book starts a battle of the sexes in four relationships when the women read it in the movie Think like a Man (2012). The movie exploits different dating stereotypes that lead to conflict and upset the balance of power in romantic relationships. The types of power and different communication climates are all different in reach relationship because of how Steve Harvey says, in his book, to deal with each stereotype the women are dealing with.The women are all willing to listen to Harvey because he has expert power, and was endorsed by Opera which in a way almost gives him designated power as well. They learn how to deal with â€Å"non-committers†, â€Å"dreamers†, â€Å"players†, and â€Å"mama's boys†. However, when the men learn about this book and start to fght back with plays of their own , conflicts arise that can only be resolved with Meta communication rather than strategy. The first battle between the â€Å"non-committer† Jeremy and the â€Å"girl who wants the ring† Kristin begins when Kristin reads that she must â€Å"demand† a proposal in order to get one.They have been dating for seven years so in order to get what she wants Kristin uses the intimacy power she has over Jeremy by forcing him to get rid of his childish collection that he loves. Throughout this conflict Kristin uses disagreeing messages in order to express that she feels Jeremy should grow up. For example, when Kristin redecorates she makes an assertive statement by saying the couch needs to go. Then, as Jeremy refuses to agree she become aggressive as she accents her argument with gestures and a louder tone while reminding him his aunt peed all over it last Christmas.When Jeremy starts to read the book he realizes that he is going to have to present himself as growing up in order to make Kristin happy with him. He does this at first by structuring the conversations to avoid the topic of work, yet later loses control and lies to Kristin about putting in the resume at Neversoft. When Kristin realizes Jeremy nad betrayed ner trust and lied to ner sne moves in witn a triend and practices encounter avoidance in order to suppress her feelings towards Jeremy.After a moment of realization, Jeremy then comes to Kristin when she cannot avoid him and pologizes, he came to the compromise of finally proposing to Kristin in order to her back in his life. Their relationship highlights the natural tendency of progression in interpersonal relationships and the importance of recognition as a couple in the bonding stage. The next battle is between Dominic â€Å"the dreamer† and Lauren â€Å"the woman who is her own man†. Lauren has been unable to find love because she is caught in the emotional fallacy of should when it comes to her men.Whereas Dominic has had trouble finding women who are willing to believe in his dreams and ower their financial expectations in a boyfriend. Lauren first falls for Dominic because he presented himself as a wealthy, successful chef and she saw many tangible rewards in a relationship with him. Steve Harvey warns successful women that they don't need a man to be equal to them in power in order to be happy. So, on their first date the topic of work was avoided by both parties so they would not scare each other away from a relationship.However when Lauren realizes Dominic is a waiter at her company's event her expectations contradicted reality and she became uninterested. Dominic becomes upset when Lauren becomes very impersonal when terminating the relationship which makes Lauren realize that in order to have a deep connection you need intimate meta-communication to make it work. Only after a date with a successful business man does Lauren realize she needed a man that was complementary to her, not simila r and finally makes that clear when disclosing to Dominic her feelings about him.Their relationship highlights the importance of emotional rewards in interpersonal relationships and how the fallacy of perfection can ruin perceptions of significant others. In the battle between Maya â€Å"the 90-day rule girl† and Zeke â€Å"the player† Zeke believes he is in control because of his referent power that he typically has with women. However, because she had gotten her feelings hurt by men like Chris Brown's character who have slept with her yet did not know her name, Maya truly was winning the battle because she had reward power by making Zeke wait 90 days before getting â€Å"the cookie†.These two very different dating stereotypes created the largest clash of power when it came to goals of the relationship. Maya's unwillingness to sleep with Zeke until the 90 days were up made im work harder to figure out the compromise in this situation. Once Zeke gets a hold of t he â€Å"playbook† he realizes that he has to play the part of a loving boyfriend, without realizing that he actually is becoming one. When those â€Å"three magic words† slip out he is no longer Just practicing face work of a boyfriend he actually means it and in return, Maya compromises and â€Å"lets the cookie out of the Jar†.Zeke had been using strategy in order to get what he wanted from Maya, and when she found that out she was hurt because he betrayed the intimacy power she had given him. In rder to fix the problem he needed to be honest about his feelings towards Maya and regain her trust by taking on the role of a serious boyfriend. Their relationship highlights the importance that trust, specifically when it comes to not betraying intimacy, has in maintaining interpersonal relationships.In the battle between â€Å"single mom† Candice and â€Å"mama's boy' Michael there is a lot of outside influence on their relationship. Their conflicts occur when the balance between internal and external dialectical tensions arise. Michael succeeds in the tlrst test when ne is willing to include Candice's son Duke in their activities. However, tensions rise when Michael's mom is unwilling to be nice to Candice and that mother-son relationship seems out of the norm for Candice.She is intimidated by the idea that Michael is so close to his mother and that is why she does not like Candice, this is the fallacy of approval. It is upsetting for Candice that his mother has coercive power over Michael that is allowing him to put Candice in second place behind his mother. Once Michael reads the book and his friends point out to him, even though he is in denial, that he is the â€Å"mama's boy' chapter, Candice starts reappraising her thoughts because they eemed irrational once he changed his mother's caller id in his phone.She started to rationalize the unsettling feelings she had about the mama's boy until she answered his phone one day and fo und out that Michael was lying. In order to get Candice back, Michael needed to show in a big gesture that Candice was the number one women in his life. Their relationship highlights the importance of being a priority to another personal in an interpersonal relationship. The movie Think like a Man expresses dating stereotypes that lead to conflict in romantic relationships. These ifferent stereotypes result in different types of power within the relationships.Kristin and Jeremy highlight the importance of progression in a relationship and the effect of compromise when it comes to meta-communication about the future. Dominic and Lauren explain the concepts of complimentary attraction to others and how expectations and reality often clash while there is conflict in the relationship. Zeke and Maya are examples of the importance of commitment and communication about values of the relationship; they also highlight the necessity of honesty in a erious relationship through meta-communicati on.Candice and Michael represent the struggle between internal and external influences on a relationship and the importance of balancing priorities in interpersonal relationships. All conflict came from dating stereotypes and was influenced by the linear communication model of Steve Harvey's book. This movie is a representation of communication flaws that occur in interpersonal romantic relationships, and the appropriate, effective and ethical ways of reaching a compromise despite all outside influences and stereotypes. Think Like A Man Think like A Man Battle of the Sexes Think like a Man: Battle of the Sexes â€Å"Don't hate the player, change the game†, this influential quote in Steve Harvers book starts a battle of the sexes in four relationships when the women read it in the movie Think like a Man (2012). The movie exploits different dating stereotypes that lead to conflict and upset the balance of power in romantic relationships. The types of power and different communication climates are all different in reach relationship because of how Steve Harvey says, in his book, to deal with each stereotype the women are dealing with.The women are all willing to listen to Harvey because he has expert power, and was endorsed by Opera which in a way almost gives him designated power as well. They learn how to deal with â€Å"non-committers†, â€Å"dreamers†, â€Å"players†, and â€Å"mama's boys†. However, when the men learn about this book and start to fght back with plays of their own , conflicts arise that can only be resolved with Meta communication rather than strategy. The first battle between the â€Å"non-committer† Jeremy and the â€Å"girl who wants the ring† Kristin begins when Kristin reads that she must â€Å"demand† a proposal in order to get one.They have been dating for seven years so in order to get what she wants Kristin uses the intimacy power she has over Jeremy by forcing him to get rid of his childish collection that he loves. Throughout this conflict Kristin uses disagreeing messages in order to express that she feels Jeremy should grow up. For example, when Kristin redecorates she makes an assertive statement by saying the couch needs to go. Then, as Jeremy refuses to agree she become aggressive as she accents her argument with gestures and a louder tone while reminding him his aunt peed all over it last Christmas.When Jeremy starts to read the book he realizes that he is going to have to present himself as growing up in order to make Kristin happy with him. He does this at first by structuring the conversations to avoid the topic of work, yet later loses control and lies to Kristin about putting in the resume at Neversoft. When Kristin realizes Jeremy nad betrayed ner trust and lied to ner sne moves in witn a triend and practices encounter avoidance in order to suppress her feelings towards Jeremy.After a moment of realization, Jeremy then comes to Kristin when she cannot avoid him and pologizes, he came to the compromise of finally proposing to Kristin in order to her back in his life. Their relationship highlights the natural tendency of progression in interpersonal relationships and the importance of recognition as a couple in the bonding stage. The next battle is between Dominic â€Å"the dreamer† and Lauren â€Å"the woman who is her own man†. Lauren has been unable to find love because she is caught in the emotional fallacy of should when it comes to her men.Whereas Dominic has had trouble finding women who are willing to believe in his dreams and ower their financial expectations in a boyfriend. Lauren first falls for Dominic because he presented himself as a wealthy, successful chef and she saw many tangible rewards in a relationship with him. Steve Harvey warns successful women that they don't need a man to be equal to them in power in order to be happy. So, on their first date the topic of work was avoided by both parties so they would not scare each other away from a relationship.However when Lauren realizes Dominic is a waiter at her company's event her expectations contradicted reality and she became uninterested. Dominic becomes upset when Lauren becomes very impersonal when terminating the relationship which makes Lauren realize that in order to have a deep connection you need intimate meta-communication to make it work. Only after a date with a successful business man does Lauren realize she needed a man that was complementary to her, not simila r and finally makes that clear when disclosing to Dominic her feelings about him.Their relationship highlights the importance of emotional rewards in interpersonal relationships and how the fallacy of perfection can ruin perceptions of significant others. In the battle between Maya â€Å"the 90-day rule girl† and Zeke â€Å"the player† Zeke believes he is in control because of his referent power that he typically has with women. However, because she had gotten her feelings hurt by men like Chris Brown's character who have slept with her yet did not know her name, Maya truly was winning the battle because she had reward power by making Zeke wait 90 days before getting â€Å"the cookie†.These two very different dating stereotypes created the largest clash of power when it came to goals of the relationship. Maya's unwillingness to sleep with Zeke until the 90 days were up made im work harder to figure out the compromise in this situation. Once Zeke gets a hold of t he â€Å"playbook† he realizes that he has to play the part of a loving boyfriend, without realizing that he actually is becoming one. When those â€Å"three magic words† slip out he is no longer Just practicing face work of a boyfriend he actually means it and in return, Maya compromises and â€Å"lets the cookie out of the Jar†.Zeke had been using strategy in order to get what he wanted from Maya, and when she found that out she was hurt because he betrayed the intimacy power she had given him. In rder to fix the problem he needed to be honest about his feelings towards Maya and regain her trust by taking on the role of a serious boyfriend. Their relationship highlights the importance that trust, specifically when it comes to not betraying intimacy, has in maintaining interpersonal relationships.In the battle between â€Å"single mom† Candice and â€Å"mama's boy' Michael there is a lot of outside influence on their relationship. Their conflicts occur when the balance between internal and external dialectical tensions arise. Michael succeeds in the tlrst test when ne is willing to include Candice's son Duke in their activities. However, tensions rise when Michael's mom is unwilling to be nice to Candice and that mother-son relationship seems out of the norm for Candice.She is intimidated by the idea that Michael is so close to his mother and that is why she does not like Candice, this is the fallacy of approval. It is upsetting for Candice that his mother has coercive power over Michael that is allowing him to put Candice in second place behind his mother. Once Michael reads the book and his friends point out to him, even though he is in denial, that he is the â€Å"mama's boy' chapter, Candice starts reappraising her thoughts because they eemed irrational once he changed his mother's caller id in his phone.She started to rationalize the unsettling feelings she had about the mama's boy until she answered his phone one day and fo und out that Michael was lying. In order to get Candice back, Michael needed to show in a big gesture that Candice was the number one women in his life. Their relationship highlights the importance of being a priority to another personal in an interpersonal relationship. The movie Think like a Man expresses dating stereotypes that lead to conflict in romantic relationships. These ifferent stereotypes result in different types of power within the relationships.Kristin and Jeremy highlight the importance of progression in a relationship and the effect of compromise when it comes to meta-communication about the future. Dominic and Lauren explain the concepts of complimentary attraction to others and how expectations and reality often clash while there is conflict in the relationship. Zeke and Maya are examples of the importance of commitment and communication about values of the relationship; they also highlight the necessity of honesty in a erious relationship through meta-communicati on.Candice and Michael represent the struggle between internal and external influences on a relationship and the importance of balancing priorities in interpersonal relationships. All conflict came from dating stereotypes and was influenced by the linear communication model of Steve Harvey's book. This movie is a representation of communication flaws that occur in interpersonal romantic relationships, and the appropriate, effective and ethical ways of reaching a compromise despite all outside influences and stereotypes.

Pleasure †Morality Essay

Mill is an heir of an intellectual movement in England known as Utilitarianism; utilitarianism is concerned with the acquisition of pleasure and elimination of pain. John Stuart Mill follows the guidelines of utilitarianism in order to decide if certain actions are moral. Utilitarianism states that a person should perform the action that produces the most pleasurable outcome for every person involved. In order to accurately judge if one pleasure is greater than another, the person must be unprejudiced and have experienced both; such judges will prefer the higher pleasures over the lower ones. However, Mill recognizes that people aren’t always driven to follow moral social standards, because the reasons behind their actions can be not only external but internal as well. What Mill means is that expectations of us from our peers and from a higher being, such as God, do not obligate us to follow these rules set out by society; it is our own feeling within that holds us accountable to these standards. Lastly, Mill believes that in order to be a moral creature, we must obey the three conditions of utility: 1) Goodness is understood as production of happiness, elimination of pain, 2) for all of those concerned with the action, and 3) each counts for one and â€Å"no more than one. † Utilitarian’s believe that a person’s actions are right if they produce happiness; â€Å"the greatest happiness of greatest number,†(Denise, Peterfreund, and White, p. 158). Michael, Peter and Samir are employees at Initech and are planning scamming the company by installing a computer virus that skims money out of the company’s bank account. Mill would look at this action by looking at the conditions of utilitarianism. Although they meet the first criteria of producing happiness through the elimination of pain by acquiring large amounts of money, they do not meet part two or three. In regards to part two, it does produce happiness for the ones directly performing the scam but it indirectly affects the other members working for Initech as well as stakeholders and therefore causes pain for those indirectly affected. Lastly, the third condition to count for one and only one is not met because a lot of people are involved. Mill also considers that in order for an action to be moral, it must come from within. Peter, being the leader of this scam, has no internal morals or considerations for those around him. Michael and Samir are only involved in this scam because they are the brains in this operation and it wouldn’t be possible to perform this action otherwise. Mill believes that although people are motivated by their own desires and they shouldn’t act on them. However, Peter, Michael, and Samir do just that. Mill thinks that when people are excessively fortunate that they are incapable of enjoying it because it only benefits themselves. This goes to show that their scam is immoral because it only directly increases their happiness due to their own self-interests. Also, Mill argues that a person with high capacities will need more to make him happy and therefore is capable of experiencing larger quantities of pain; however, they still shouldn’t allow this to lower their expectations and faculties. Although Peter has experienced a prolonged period of pain while working at Initech through tedious tasks and constant pressure from his eight bosses, this should not be a good enough reason for him to affect others’ faculties and reduce their worth as human beings. Mill says,† it is greater to be a man dissatisfied than a pig satisfied,† (p. 162). In other words, Peter is not capable of experiencing the highest form of pleasure, and therefore chooses to increase the lower pleasures, lowering his existence in the world. Many people who start off wanting everything which is moral sometimes turn to selfish measures. The reason why so many people end up becoming selfish is due to being in occupations that lower their aspirations of something greater; which may be a reason why Michael, Peter, and Samir choose to go through with this scam. They are not unprejudiced judges because they do not know what higher pleasures consist of; due to lack of opportunity. Considering all of these utilitarian schemes, Mill would argue that although on the surface Michael, Samir, and Peter seem to be acting immorally, they could possibly be unable to accurately judge both the higher and lower pleasures because they were not capable of enjoying the higher pleasures.

International trade opportunities between the United States and Essay - 1

International trade opportunities between the United States and Guatemala - Essay Example In the years between 1950 and 1990, the U.S. supplied the Guatemalan army with guns, military training, and financial resources. This period in Guatemalan history is filled with much political conflict and civilian bloodshed. Despite the growing economy, Guatemala is still a very poor country with 56% of the roughly 12 million inhabitants living below the poverty line. During the civil war as many as 1 million people left Guatemala and took refuge in the United States. Today remittance from Guatemalans working in the U.S. brings an amount of money to the country equalling the value of two-thirds of all exports (Guatemala, 2008). Half of the work force in Guatemala participates in the agriculture industry. The main exports are coffee ($473 million per year), fruits and nuts ($367 million per year), and sugar ($261 million per year) (International Trade Centre, 2005). Textiles, petroleum, perfumes, and other foods including plantains make up most of the other products exported from Guatemala. The manufacturing sector has been an important part of the international export industry. Clothing and textile fabrics account for a large proportion of exports as well. The United States is the recipient of nearly $1.1 billion worth of all of these export items each year. In return, Guatemala imports from the United States more than $676 million each year of grains including wheat and corn, soybeans, meats and animal fats, pharmaceuticals, paper products, and communications equipment. The United States provides over 34% of all Guatemalan imports and takes in over 42% of all its exports, making the U.S. one of its most i mportant trade partners (Guatemala Times, 2008). Current barriers to trade with Guatemala include past allegations of corruption from government officials. Confidence levels of investors may have been weakened by concerns about security in this historically war torn Central American country. However, Guatemala is

Clothes make the man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clothes make the man - Essay Example Clothes have always been the most apparent way to display the financial and social well-being of the person who wears them, and theyve been used in these purposes for thousands of years already. Since the beginning of the history of humanity clothes have been the indicator that helped to create an image of the persons status, occupation, and even intelligence and preferred lifestyle without speaking a word to him or her. Up to our times the representatives of some professions can be distinguished from the crowd by their outfit. Clothes are the best way to transfer the desired message to the outer world. Its the great instrument that allows changing social masks as frequently, as it is needed. There is a job interview awaiting you tomorrow, and you want to look like a trusted and qualified professional? Business suit is what you need. A beautiful girl or a handsome man has invited you for a date? Than wear something cute for to create the atmosphere of romance. Pretty skirts or fashionable jeans are the best choice for the party with friends, while the plain sweater and jeans are preferable for the usual day at school, college or at the work place, unless you employer demands some other form of clothing. Clothes are just the instrument that helps you to create this or that impression on people that surround you, and they should be used only for this purpose. Caring too much about clothing is equally unwise as paying no attention to what you are wearing. Like most of the things that exist in our world clothes are nor good neither bad, they can either earn great benefits for the person wearing them or hurt his/her reputation and image in the eyes of his/her surroundings. As youve probably already noticed, there are people in our society who pay lots of attention to their outfits. They spend loads of time for to find and choose the specific items they want to wear and loads of money for to buy them. For

Critical Analysis of the Film Eros Plus Massacre by Yoshishige Yoshida Movie Review

Critical Analysis of the Film Eros Plus Massacre by Yoshishige Yoshida - Movie Review Example Audience’s critique may be inclined to express that fragments of the past and of the present in â€Å"Eros Plus Massacre† are pieced together in a certain manner that guides comprehension of a twist. It appears quite a venture for Yoshida to have radicalized cinematographic aspects which might have otherwise caused misleading interpretation when the broken parts fail to be ascertained as a whole. Yoshida’s decentralized approach in this project explores the nature of sexuality as it portrays the core function in designating characters according to gender traits and the appeal to feminism wears an unusual tone and attitude. â€Å"Eros Plus Massacre†, nevertheless, concretely illustrates scenes where a woman normally falls as man’s object of desire. Between Eiko and her part-time lover whose sensual moment is caught by the intruding friend and colleague Wada as well as between the same man and the other desperate woman in another scene at a spot in ho tel, there occurs an affair of nothing more than physical worth in which undertones of eroticism manifest through moderate visual elements of dynamic nudity. It may be inferred herein that the principle of Sakae Osugi regarding exaggerated independence in a culture that permits a number of liberated sex relations are carried from his conservative era to a modern age of over forty years later. By a sequence of past-present juxtapositions which had been altogether enhanced by peculiar camera angles and transitions, Yoshida managed to bring across the significance of understanding time as an element from which to compare views, especially how such have evolved as whether they appear subject to change or unaltered due to a couple of similarities between the past and the present. The scenario at the top of the cliff when Eiko and Wada station themselves back to back on a wooden cross as though to assume a position that depicts punishment or captivity may be perceived to have figuratively coincided with the thematic situation of Osugi and family in a pyramidal structure that resembles a platform for execution. In particular, when Wada and Eiko are led to an academic recollection among the archives of Japanese history, the critical point in the life of Osugi and feminist wife Noe Ito is projected in a momentous setting with their son who would eventually yield to the misfortune of being massacred.  Ã‚  

Farther and son Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Farther and son - Essay Example His choice of theme was brave simply because in the decade of the 50's homosexuality was still an issue not spoken of or discussed openly. America was waking up to the call of the civil rights movement and it would still take her people a few more years to accept issues of such controversy. The caging effect that conventions can have on a person is also highlighted effectively by Baldwin as he depicts David's struggle with the decision of marrying Hella, simply because it was expected of him. Baldwin, however, was not intimidated by the frowns of disapproval directed his way and with great determination highlighted the plight of those forced to live in the closet simply because they are terrified of breaking conventions and not being able to measure up to the definition of "respectable" formulated by those around them. In today's world, however, when gay literature is quite common and the issue of coming out of the closet is not as burning as it was half a century ago, the greatest appeal of the novel lies in the manner in which Baldwin has sheathed his central character under layers and layers of a complex psychology. Baldwin has portrayed David not simply as a two-dimensional gay character but has breathed a life into him by depicting in great detail the inner struggles and dilemmas that he faces and how his personality is shaped and molded by his childhood experiences and the constraints that he feels because of the social conventions. At this point it cannot be denied that the most important force in David's life as a child had undoubtedly been that of his father. Even after David has grown up, one could feel the palpable presence of his father looming somewhere in the background. It is, without a doubt, the forceful personality of his father that indirectly affected David's vital decisions an d choices. The importance of David's father in David's life can be linked directly to Baldwin's relationship with his own preacher father (Allen, p.29). Baldwin believed that the influence a father exercised over his children could not be denied - his own abusive father leaving imprints of his personality permanently on young Baldwin. It is this same influence that Baldwin desired to create by depicting David's relation with his father. His main aim was to show how vital the support of a family is for a homosexual and how much influence our near and dear ones exert when it comes to the decision a homosexual makes about his lifestyle choices. David's father, although in no way bearing any resemblance to the insane, ranting and abusive father of Baldwin, was a handsome man who had a particular and active fondness for women and alcohol. Baldwin depicted him in such a way that he naturally stood out, not only as attractive but someone who possessed a great deal of easy charm, with his ruddy face, sandy hair and his readiness to laugh. Baldwin has taken care not to introduce him as a clean-cut, out-of-the-factory villain of the story. This would have robbed the novel of its unique complexity and while giving the novel an easy to understand plot, would have deprived it of psychologically complex characters. His sister, Ellen, who believed him to be negatively influencing his son, always met his promiscuousness with disapproval. Once, as David recounts, a fierce argument took place between Aunt Ellen and his father, when he returned one night drunk, as was his custom. Upon being

Leadership roles and responsibilites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership roles and responsibilites - Essay Example It has been viewed in Ofsted report that additional funding is accessible for the college in order to deliver well-equipped preparation courses to its learners throughout the globe. The additional funding, curriculum design and the offers which formulate by the college ultimately pose significant impact upon teaching and learning of the students by a greater extent. The college seeks to deliver more standard preparation courses by investing substantial amount in human capital for attracting as well as increasing its students level. In order to build skills within the team, the college introduces online training courses and establishes curriculum sessions as training modes for its teaching staffs (Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College, 2012). 9 References 10 Part 1 Organizational Context The person possessed 12 years of knowledge or experience as a tutor, teacher and manager in the field of education. The tutor within the educational context performed certain effective leadership qualities such as development manager, course team leader, program manager and technical team leader. Moreover, the tutor also provided active support in different areas which include classroom management, resource planning and quality control of the teaching courses. In relation to organisational context and Ofsted report, it has been viewed that Ealing Hammersmith and West London College aims to deliver a welcoming multicultural setting for its staffs, learner as well as visitors. In order to fulfil this aim, the college regularly performs ethical and legal responsibilities in order to eradicate any sort of discrimination or harassment and tends to promote better relations with every member linked with the college. The management section of the report affirmed that the college has implemented a kind of whole organisation approach which ensures that the learners of the college are able to perform their roles in a secured and inspiring environment. The Ofsted report also stated that as the college is the biggest provider of Further Education (FE) programs in the United Kingdom, the managerial approach of the college might reflect or play a chief contributory part upon the position of FE in the ever changing arena of funding (Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College, n.d.). A Brief Description of Three External and Three Internal Factors External- Changing policies of British Government and UK Border Agency (UKBA), rapid emergence of Information Technology (IT) and alterations in visa regulations for entry to international students. Internal- Interdepartmental competitiveness and lack of a unified delivery approach, standard hours of teaching and superior level of diversity in all classes. The aforementioned external as well as internal factors can impose significant impact upon the educational culture by a significant level. In this similar context, the external factor of changing policies of British Gov’ and UKBA can reduce the inflow of international students to the UK. The rapid emergence of IT might support the teachers to keep themselves with regular updates relating to current technologies. The alterations in visa regulations might affect the students coming to study in different colleges. The internal factor of interdepartmental competiveness along with lack of a unified delivery approach can negatively affect the organizational culture. Another internal factor of

Design thinking- what is design thinking How might an organization Essay

Design thinking- what is design thinking How might an organization create and sustain competitive advantage through the strateg - Essay Example In case of manufacturing or production, design thinking is a process of generating new ideas regarding a product or a service and then taking required steps for the implementation of those ideas in the product development process. Design thinking relates to the concept of innovation in that both of them are aimed towards putting some new ideas into practice which can improve the business of the company. If, in a market, a product is introduced which was not available before in the market, that product is considered an innovative product with innovative design and functionality that never existed before. Some of the main features of design thinking in organizations include modification of business processes to make them adaptable to the changed business environment, use of latest technology to create new products, and modernization of ideas In this paper, we will discuss the impact of design thinking on the strategic performance of company. The paper will include information on the be nefits of design thinking for companies, as well as the way design thinking and innovation can be used by a hospitality company to achieve competitive advantage in market. 2. ... McCallum (2010) states â€Å"creativity is important, particularly in business to remain competitive, to provide opportunities for staff and to create a fulfilling environment which has no constraints on free thinking†. To achieve competitive advantage, innovation and design thinking are not only required in the product manufacturing processes but also in processes and organizational culture. Stressing on the need for innovation and design thinking, Hunt (2007) states â€Å"a company cannot exist and develop without innovation technologies in the modern competitive world†. Observation and logical thinking is the central point for design thinking. Design thinking also improves decision making and problem solving skills, as well as integrates the use of Blue Ocean strategy which is considered necessary for bringing improvement in the business performance and achieving competitive advantage. Design thinkers create and consider a wide range of options to come up with some p articular decision regarding process change. They basically work to add some unique and inspiring features to products so that they become attractive for customers. It is a fact that customers drive the company towards competitive advantage. The more the customers of a company will have, more will be the chance for the company to achieve competitive edge in the market. Talking about the role of design thinking and innovation in achieving the goals of competitive advantage for companies, Berkun (2007, p.140) states â€Å"the innovation earns you money, is enjoyable to work on, or solves the problem that interests you†. According to Chesbrough (2003), no organization can achieve market domination without bringing

Foreign Market Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Market Analysis - Essay Example product. The feel good factor is that it is pro-American country with the Filipinos and their government having very friendly relations with the U.S. The Philippines is the 19th largest export market of the United States with an approximate annual export of $8 billion. For launching a new product by JF’s Electronics, the Philippines can be the perfect launching pad as people there have liking for the U.S. products. Language is not a barrier, as the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country (buyusa.gov). The Philippines market environment for the mobile phone products, called the Cellular Mobile Telephone System (CMTS) is quite encouraging for the U.S. products. Let’s review different environmental aspects related to the Philippines economy, politics, legal, regulatory, technological, and social factors to ensure that the JF’s Electronics would succeed in providing a secure international platform to its new product – customized mobile phone. JF’s Electronics new product – the customized mobile phone would find a ready and ripe market as the mobile phone is a favorite digital device of the Filipinos. More than 22 million Filipinos have a mobile phone. The number of mobile subscribers is growing fast; in 2004 the growth rate touched to 34% to more than 30.2 million. In Short Messaging Service (SMS), this country is the world leader. As per the market report, carriers cover more than 200 million text messages a day in Philippines. The above scenario projected by the U.S. Commercial Service regarding the mobile phone market and the Philippine’s 100 years old friendly business relations with the U.S. are enough to build up confidence of the JF’s Electronics to enter in the Philippines market with its new product launch, i.e. customized mobile phone (buyusa.gov). The Philippines imports in electronics are into raw material to be used in export processing locations. Consumer goods, a subsector of electronics industry are 0.93

Bob Crachit Essay Example for Free

Bob Crachit Essay How does Dickens use imagery and language to present the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in Stave one of A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens started writing A Christmas Carol in the 18th Century. Whilst writing the novel he was experiencing a world that had totally forgotten about Christmas and had no time for it. It was the industrial revolution, things were changing and with it the people were. They did not have time to enjoy Christmas they were more bothered about earning money. This is the kind of character Scrooge is which I will explain later on. Being in this kind of world affected Dickens novel; but it also influenced him to create a character called Scrooge. Who wouldnt care about Christmas; and only caring for business and money. Dickens knew that if he could get people into the Christmas spirit by attracting their attention to his novel. But little did he know he was about to re-inject the Christmas spirit into Britain. Dickens kicks off his extravagant novel by introducing a dead character with the name of Marley who he chose to create as a Ghost. By starting off his novel like this Dickens is directly addressing the reader by using the word You: You will therefore permit me to repeat emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail. By addressing the reader like this it automatically draws the reader into the story as though they are experiencing what Dickens is trying to make them experience by making them apart of the story by being addressed directly. It also makes the reader want to know more for example they might want to know why Marley is dead and therefore this makes them read on. The main character of the novel is named Scrooge. He is present by dickens as a: Squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! By doing this it makes the reader think that Scrooge is an old, mean, miserable man. Of which has no friends in existence excluding his past. Dickens mentions that Scrooge is: Squeezing Meaning that he would Squeeze every last drop out of anything he could, not only money but make people work over their limit. For example Bob Cratchit, his apprentice would work as hard as he could each day, and make Scrooge feel that Bob hasnt got away with easy money. Scrooge is described by Dickens in many different ways; for example Dickens compares him with other things:External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, nor wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he. In this small paragraph dickens has used a good use of imagery weather imagery. He compares Scrooge with the weather and shows that he a cold person who could never be warm hearted. Dickens shows that Scrooge has no feeling, nothing can chill him, and nothing can warm him. Scrooge is immensely described as worse than the weather: No wind that blew was bitter than he This meaning nothing could be worse than Scrooge; Dickens insults his own character with no grief. Nothing could be worse than having Scrooge on your case he is bitterer than the wind. Dickens goes on to downgrade Scrooge to nothing by saying rain, show, hail and sleet could: Boast an advantage over him, they often came down handsomely and Scrooge never did. This meaning that the weather could come down gently and calmly but Scrooge is an old man who is not gentle or calm instead fierce and very uptight. Myself as a reader I would feel that Scrooge is an old hag who is most likely very lonely and despises everyone but himself; and that he is very selfish and would never spare a penny to anyone but himself. I would also feel that Dickens is trying to get across a strong description of Scrooge. When Dickens was describing Scrooge a key line is: The cold within him froze his old features. The line above has no meaning, for example it adds to his description and as a reader it could feel as though the cold within him has frozen his good side like an ice age. It exists inside him but he cant release it. Another example is: Hard and sharp as a flint This is a simile; it shows two sides of Scrooge. Flint is a rock; which was used by humans in the Stone Age. It was used for two things, which shows two sides of Scrooge. They used it for warmth which shows that Scrooge could have a good side in him, and they also used it for weapons, to harm things i. e. a tool could cut you. This shows the bad side of Scrooge he is two faced. Once the reader hears about Scrooges appearance, we think as if Scrooge was a ghost, or he was dead with his corpse still existing. Dickens uses adjectives like: Blue lips Red eyes These lines make us think as if Scrooge was dead because he has frozen lips and bloodshot eyes as if he doesnt sleep. It makes the reader feel aware of how dangerously scary Scrooge looks to go with his attitude and lifestyle. The place in which Scrooges house is situated also shows his personality. His house is away from other houses and is in the middle of a business district. Also, inside his house it is dark and gloomy he double locks the doors as if to lock himself away form the world. His house sets the scene for later in the novel. His house reminds the reader of a haunted house; linking Scrooge with his description of being like a ghost. Scrooge doesnt like Christmas. The word which he uses to sum up Christmas is: Humbug Meaning nonsense. Scrooge makes a speech about Christmas to his nephew, part of it is: Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! Whats Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, and not an hour richer This sums up what he feels about Christmas. He doesnt see the fun side of it, or the religious side of celebrating a special time in the Christian faith. He just looks at the gloomy side, and thinks it is a waste of time. Also Scrooge talks bout money, saying you find yourself a year older, and not an hour richer, and also saying it is just a time where you have to pay the bills showing again he is thinking bout his money and nothing else. Scrooge also says that the poor dont have a right to be happy: What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? Youre poor enough. Hes saying that the poor should be unhappy, that they are not rich enough to be happy, and that they should be gloomy and sad and not have the right to have a good time. This shocks the reader. Before, the reader just feels that Scrooge is gloomy and lonely, but now they feel as though Scrooge is a cold-hearted, nasty, mean old man who doesnt care about anybody but himself. Later in the novel we find out more about why Scrooge may be like this. I think Scrooge thinks this way about Christmas because of how he was treated by his father when he was a child. His father used to leave him alone and not take him home from boarding school but leave him there in a dull little room reading books. Scrooge once fell in love with a woman called Bell. This brought the Christmas spirit into him but then they broke up and that made Scrooge go back to hating Christmas. When people saw Scrooge in the street nobody would stop him to talk, everyone would leave him alone and not dare speak to him. Even the blind mens dogs appeared to know him; and they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would their tails as thought they said, no eye at all is better than an evil eye This sentence shows what everyone thought of Scrooge.

The Effects of Violence on Youth Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Violence on Youth Essay In recent years, the advancement in entertainment technology in the field of and the increasing liberalization of America and its media have led to the creation and marketing of violent forms of entertainment. This includes such technologies movies, TV shows, video games, and news outlets. Today’s youth have easy accessibility to many of these violent forms of entertainment and are increasingly exposed to them at younger ages. The exposure to gore and violence has caused many people to believe that America’s youth are becoming increasing desensitized to violence. This exposure to violence through various media outlets may cause an exponential increase in violent actions of America’s youth and certain harmful effects to those exposed. The experience of violent events harms youth. The increasing publicity by media sources of violent crimes such as shootings may cause children to question their safety at public locations and events. Shootings near the Empire State building that left nine wounded and one dead and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, that left 20 students and six staff members dead affect not only the victims, their families, and their communities but the whole populous of the United States. Such blatantly open and violent acts are now often recorded and show to the public via News channels and other media outlets. They have caused many people, especially youth, to suffer unseen scares such as emotional and cognitive distress. Furthermore, violent events in a majority of Americans cities specifically in areas of lowe r income families and individuals have rendered 90% of the youth in those regions exposed to violence (Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D). Studies have shown that one fifth of these children suffer from depression. One third of these children even suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a disorder most common seen in war veterans. Additionally, studies have proven prolonged exposure to the stress of violence have caused the elevated excretion of certain hormones in children. This causes impaired cognition of the brain, specifically in the areas of learning, memory, and the regulation of emotion. Experts have proven the youth who are increasingly exposed to violence consistently score lower on vocabulary and reading exams. Further, symptoms of those exposed to violence include: emotional numbing and detachment, increased arousal, trouble sleeping and nightmares. Youth  suffering from increased exposure to violence or PTSD are more prone to exhibit aggressive and self destructive b ehaviors such as flashbacks, feelings of guilt, self-harm and even suicide (PTSD: National Center for PTSD). The younger the child is when he/she experiences a violent action or event the more prone he/she is to developing more extreme symptoms. It is imperative that the youth of America be protected from these increasingly more violent and widely dispersed acts of violence. Exposure to violence in media has increased drastically in the last 30 years. Much of this expose comes from the movie many of which children are allowed to view. Modern movies have become increasing more violent than their predecessors yet the ratings have remained the same. The Motion Picture Association of America describes a PG-13 movie as a film with content that â€Å"may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category.† While this definition has remained the same, the material now allowed into movies is consistently more violent and graphic than its predecessors. Since 1950 violent content in pg-13 movies has more than doubled (Study: Violence Levels in Movies Have Skyrocketed over Last 30 Years). In fact, many of today’s pg-13 films would have been rated R in years past. In comparison, other questionable topics found in movies such as drug use and sexuality have not increased in amount since past years and movies with increased amounts of these topics are still rated R. This implies that in recent years the media and the people viewing set media are becoming increasingly desensitized to violence. Researchers have proposed that similar to drug addicts, the American public have grown accustom to ever increasing amounts of violence in movies and need more and more violence to be entertained. One such movie series that accurately portrays this increasingly violent trend is the â€Å"Rambo† series (Study: Violence Levels in Movies Have Skyrocketed over Last 30 Years). Every movie released becomes increasingly violent. People who wat ch violent videos become increasingly more prone to violent actions. We as a society and a people, especially the younger generation who have been exposed since birth, are becoming more violent and prone to violent behavior. This in effect has made the people of America less humane. Video games have become an increasingly more popular form of entertainment, and many of these games have become increasingly violent as well. In depth  research has proven that violent videogames can and do cause more violent actions in its users, even more so in youth. Young people do not have as high cognitive function as adults nor do they have the ability to control their emotions as well. Furthermore, it has been proven that developing violent video gaming habits develop more violent every day habits (Carey, Benedict). However it is not proven if violent video games increase the likelihood that a person will commit a violent crime, such as murder, rape, or assault. One study showed that those who played violent video games took longer to help an injured victim, rated a given fight as less serious, and were less likely to respond to a fight compared to those who played non-violent video games. The same pattern applied to those who watched violent movies. A psychologist at Iowa State University led a research team that studied 47 undergraduates who played â€Å"Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance† for 15 minutes. It also tested whether the students would behave more aggressively, by having them dole out hot sauce to a fellow student who, they were told, did not like spicy food but had to swallow the sauce. Compared with a group who had played a nonviolent video game, those who had been engaged in â€Å"Mortal Kombat† were more aggressive across the board. They gave their fellow students larger portions of the hot sauce. Similar studies also concluded similar results for a short time after playing video games one is more likely to act in a violent nature. Video games a re not solely responsible for extremely violent actions such as shootings. However, in tandem with other aggressive stimulants such as bulling and depression it may set of violent actions of an individual. Some experts suggest that video game have a relatively low impact on daily function. Though many studies have been done, no conclusive evidence has been presented that violent video games have long term effects on its users. Though violent video games might play a small roll in behavior, most scientists suggest that the culture of one’s society plays a much higher part in development of aggressive behaviors. In most studies of this subject, one or more areas was flawed resulting no decisive evidence has been presented concluding that these studies of the effects of video games on violence are a positive indicator of the increased violent actions (Etchells, Pete). Though there may be a correlation between violent  videogames and violent actions, correlation does not prove causation. Furthermore, studies have shown that while we are the nation with the highest murder rate per capita, we are not the nation with the highest violent video game consumption (Kain, Erik). The fact m ay be that because the USA has such a high murder rate and use of video games that the correlation between the two might be entirely coincidental. Some studies show that video games may benefit ones cognitive process. A study on two groups of college student’s, one group who didn’t play video games and one group the who played simple video games for 30min a day. An MRI of the brain after the experiment showed that the group who played video games had significantly more grey matter in their right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum; these areas of the brain are responsible for spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning and fine motor skills in the hands. This study also suggested that video games can be used to treat some mental disorders including Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia (Guarini, Drew). Another study concluded that those who played strategic video games achieved better scores on physiological tests and completed cognitive tasks with better speed and accuracy. Furthermore, playing video games for a mere two hours a week may slow the mental decay process and therefore decrease the effects of aging. An Italian research team presented evidence that playing faster paced videogames may help children with dyslexia read better. Moreover, video games have been proven to alleviate mental stress and act as a pain reliever. Additionally, videogames are known to improve eyesight if played for an hour a week. Video games have benefits and are worth playing for that reason however, this does not justify the increasingly violent actions that these games portray to children. The level of violence the children of America are allowed to view is disturbing. Violence has in no way proven to benefit the development of youth. The cognitive and psychological heath of youth in America is declining with every violent act experienced and perceived. Our families, our communities, and our nation need to take responsibility to e nsure the safe development of youth in our nation. The children of America represent the future of America. If the people in America do not support the safe development of youth, then they do not support the continued development of America. To insure the future safety of America we as Americans need to ensure the  safety of our youth. The nations must more closely monitor and restrict the amount of violence our nation’s youth may view. Increasing violence viewed though various media outlets have been proven to cause increased aggression in today’s youth. Violence has been proven to severely hurt youth not only psychologically but cognitively as well. Though some studies may show no direct evidence between the use of violent videogame and violent actions as a nation the United States should error on the side of safety. It is imperative that the United States monitor more closely the youth use of such violent video games as to prevent the negative effects that go with it. Furthermore communities need to make safer to protect today’s youth from events that will most definitely scar them and damage their development. Violence has negative effects on youth and should therefore be more closely monitored and restricted. Bibliography Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D. Violent Events Have Long-Term Effects on Children. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. . This article explains the effects of violent events on today’s youth. As the article is written by a doctor it is a credible source and a valuable addition to my paper. Media Violence. Media Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . This article written by pediatricians discusses the harmful effects of media violence on today’s youth. Since it is written by pediatricians I have labeled it a credible source. Study: Violence Levels In Movies Have Skyrocketed Over Last 30 Years.OpposingViews.com. Jonathan Wolfe, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . This article discuses the increased violence in movies over the past 30 years it is a good indicator of the increasing liberalization of violence in America. Guarini, Drew. 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Nov. 201 3. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. . This source help me develop reason that video games all research came from sited sources so it is credible. Carey, Benedict. Shooting in the Dark. The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. . This source helped me develop more in depth research into the effects of violent video games on youth. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. PTSD. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. . This source assisted me in my evaluation of the effects of violence. PTSD is one of many effects violence has on its victims Etchells, Pete. What Is the Link between Violent Video Games and Aggression?Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2013/sep/19/neuroscience-psychology This source helped me discern the faults of studies and the opposition to my assertion. Kain, Erik. Do Games Cause Real-World Violence? Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. . This source helped me discern the faults of studies and the opposition to my assertion.

Laura Ashley: Deliberate and Emergent Strategies

Laura Ashley: Deliberate and Emergent Strategies Laura Ashley home furnishing and fashion is a popular store all over the world. This company has come a long way since Laura herself and Bernard Ashley had started their company by producing headscarves, tablemats and napkins for their kitchen tables in the 1950s. Twenty years later in the 1970s Laura and her husband made an investment, they started the company they first produced a dress for social occasion, this was their breakthrough and the sales increased and by then there were many stores open on different parts of the world. The company continued to expand worldwide and flourished throughout the 1980s. However it was one fatal day that Laura Ashley had fallen downstairs on her 60th birthday and died, this upset to the company only got worse after the incident and problems started to occur. Due to the fashion industry changing so rapidly and the fashion provided by Laura was soon replaced by casualness in comparison to the formality fashion the company offered. The company was left behind as it didnt adapt to the changes and didnt size up to the upcoming competition. Laura Ashley deteriorating performances lead to reaching out for help by getting a different CEO in place to help set the company on the right track. The company had up to 5 different CEOs from the dates of 1991-1999 and each one had their own strategies and views on how to run the company. Laura Ashley overall is an unlikely business success story and has gone through a lot and is now currently back to its roots of Kitchen tables covers but also taps in the current fashion industry and not as formal as before. 1. Map Laura Ashleys stakeholders using a power/interest matrix Stakeholders are those individuals or groups that have a part in the company (Hill Jones, 1995, pg 45). Mapping stakeholders is a strategic business tool that identifies and assesses the different effects of individual or group of stakeholders on a company. The power and interest matrix identifies which stakeholders play a vital part in the company and examines the power they have and their likelihood to use that power. ( G. Johnson K. Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002.) By examining the key stakeholder of Laura Ashley we will be able to identify who we should mainly concentrate on. The stakeholders matrix consists of four sections and is divided up accordingly to group A, group B, group C and group D. Group A is (Minimal Efforts) this group needs to be monitored but you do not need to actually provide these people with a lot of information. Group B on the other hand needs to be kept informed. Here you will need to keep the people sufficiently informed and you must ensure that you communicate with them in order to ensure that no problems or other issues may arise. These people are often very helpful to the company with regards to having some details about what you are doing. Group C you must ensure you keep them satisfied. In this situation the company needs to ensure that the people are kept satisfied, the actual difference here in comparison to the first group is that these people are not as interested in using their power. Group D are your key players and these are the people that you must fully engage with and you must ensure that you make the greatest efforts in satisfying them. Your position on the grid below shows you the actions that you must make when it comes to them (Rachel Thompson) Firstly the managers in Laura Ashleys are Laura Ashley herself and her husband Barnard Ashley. Together they are responsible for the overall running operations on the business and they compile different strategies in order for the company to be successful and then ensure that the strategies are implemented. Therefore Laura and her husband have very high levels of interest in the business as they have invested their own money in the company. Laura and her husband Barnard also have a high level of power as they decided on the effort levels of employees therefore they will both be classified as Key Players. The four board directors appointed by MUI also fall under Group A as they have a high level of power on the operations of the business and a high level of interest on the success of the business. The Shareholders of Laura Ashleys have both got high levels of interest and a high level of power therefore also putting them in Group D which is the Key players. According to the case Laura Ashleys shareholders, Malayan United Industries, showed their power by appointing four board members. Dr Khoo Kay Pen is the chair person of MUI and the reason why they have this power is because they had 40% of the chain. The fact they were so involved shows that they had a high level of interest in the success of the business. They showed this by opening new product lines and creating a sense of direction for the firm to further expand. Therefore this particular shareholder need to be kept informed and involved. Although Laura Ashley has other shareholders they dont necessarily have the high level of power that MUI does but they do still have a high level of interested in the business therefore putting them under group B, keeping informed. The reason why they might not have the same level of power to the other shareholder is because they do not have as much shares in the company therefore limiting them to have power to make or implement changes in the company. The Employees of Laura Ashleys are not really in title to high level of power but they do have a high level of interest in the company success. This is because they are concerned with the security of their job and they want to be kept informed on the future of the business and whether or not they will have an income and a job the next day. Therefore the employees of Laura Ashley fit under Group B, Keep Informed. The Distributors and suppliers of Laura Ashley are considered to have a high level of power but low interest levels making them fall under Group C, Keep Satisfied. The distributors and suppliers have high level of power because Laura Ashley is dependent on them making them more in control as they are the once supplying the company with the goods and without them Laura Ashley wouldnt have her quality products. The Distributors and suppliers do not have interest in the business itself just as long as they get paid on time. Customers of Laura Ashley are more concerned with the services they receive and the quality of the products that they purchase. Therefore the customers have a low level of interest in the business running. On the other hand the customers do have a high level of power in terms of deciding if they will be buying your product or not and without your customers Laura Ashley would not have business therefore the customers must be kept satisfied. The customers fall under group C and need to be provided with good services to keep them coming back. The Government plays a vital role in the business operations of Laura Ashley. They implement and increase or decrease tax. Therefore they have power over all businesses when it comes to influencing prices and how the company obeys certain policies that they draw up. The Government has a low level of interest the business itself as long as they pay tax and run their business according to the policies. Therefore the government fits in Group C, keep satisfied. Peel Hunt, the investment bank, would fall under Group A as they would be interest in the companys financial position and they have the power to close the business if the business is making a loss or is not operating according to how they planned. David Cook would be part of Group B as he is the financial director for Laura Ashley and has a high level of interest as an employee and he ensures that the company is financially sound. David Cook does not have a high level of power that influences the business. The Competitors that are competing against Laura Ashley have a high level of power in the sense of offering better services or prices that might impact how Laura Ashley might operate. The competitors might have power over the suppliers and distributors and therefore can be seen as a threat. Therefore it is important for Laura Ashley to be better than the competitors. The competitors also have a high level of interest on the business as they want to be better than Laura Ashley. The Media also plays a part in the power/interest matrix. Tamasin Doe, the director of a fashion magazine would fall under Group B, keep informed. The magazine would be helping the company in promoting their collection. Therefore they need to be kept informed on what is happening within the company and the collection. The magazine has a high level of interest in the business but low level of power or the operations of the business. 2. How would you characterize Laura Ashleys Core Values? Core Values is essential for an organization as it sets guiding principles for the company. Your companys core values should not be confused with cultural practices or operating practices and it should not be comprised of the companys financial gains or short term expediency (Johnson, Schole Whittington, pg 163). Values are seen as a life directing guideline that helps underline the behavior expected. (Trice Beyer 1984) Laura Ashleys core values revolve around their brand, diversification, employees and their customers satisfaction. Laura Ashley value for diversity allowed a much broader employee commitment and it will attract more employees. By getting the employees committed will help guide their decisions and behaviours. This will be shown and discussed accordingly in the paragraphs below. The Core Value of Laura Ashley was founded in the 1950s when Laura and her husband started making basic material accessories in their apartment. Hard work and dedication was the reason why they are so successful today. With dedication and a vision Laura and her husband had the right attitude and passion to become successful business owners. Their value of staying true to who they were and offering the same quality products over the years is also another indication of how dedicated and passionate they were about what they were offering a quality brand to their customers. The attitude that Laura had helped direct her behavior in the sense of how she put everything she could to ensure that the products were of good quality and with this good work ethics Laura was able to guide her organization strategy to be successful. When Laura Ashley died her company carried on but with the same values that she had created and this helped the organization stay close to the roots of Laura Ashley and the vision on where she wanted the business to be. Laura Ashleys kept up to date with the latest trends and made their line inspirational an unique. Therefore they created the value around their brand and ensured that it kept up with the latest trends and fashion apple to the customers. The idea of attaching Laura Ashleys name to the brand was to help customers identify the real quality provided as she uses her own name. This shows that they were positive in their products quality. Laura Ashley was able to personalize and self express with her products which is what added value to the customers. After all the company has gone through such as expansion and numerous of different managers, Laura Ashleys core values remained. The brand heritage was based meaning that it was accessible and it had good designs that were realistically priced. The fact that the brand was so well established it left the customers to have a sense of trust in the quality products that is provided. Laura Ashley lives up to their promises which shows integrity. Laura Ashley identified and develop a clearer, concise and a shared meaning of values and direction because of all the changes they have gone through the employees had to adapt to each new chief executives ways and this could have caused some confusion if the value was not understood. Values help guide the employees in their decision making and this can help with the services to the customers and result in customers satisfaction. (Trice Beyer 1984) These core values identifies exactly what Laura Ashley is all about. They concentrate on the quality brands and ensure that they achieve customer satisfaction. Core Values have helped the company survive and it has helped them stay true to the roots that Laura Ashley herself created. Therefore the core values are very important within a business and it helped identify the business. 3. Recommend a new Mission statement/or Vision Statement for Laura Ashley. A mission Statement defines the purpose of an organization and their primary objectives. A mission statement is developed to define the key measures to a business success. (Angela Schnaubelt Aug 1, 2007) Your mission statement will help an organization have a precise direction about what you plan on doing and where you are going in the future. (Angela Schnaubelt Aug 1, 2007) A Vision Statement is your ticket to success and is like an image in words of your companys future, like a mission statement it also defines the purpose of the organisation but in terms of the organisations values. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) The statement provides inspiration for both the companys daily operations and strategic decision making. In other words without a clear vision statement it would be impossible to have effective business planning. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) A Vision Statement provides the company and the employees a sense of direction and a plan on how to get there in order to accomplish the business goals. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) Laura Ashleys new mission statement will ensure that everyone will feel drawn to and feel more a part of the business and respect the values. I would recommend that the mission statement should be edited as follows: Laura Ashleys wants to establish relationships with those who share a love of the lifestyle that Laura Ashley herself did. Laura Ashleys act to protect those relationships formed and wants to ensure that the relationships are prosperous and long-term. With highly respectable and knowledgeable employees, Laura Ashley can provide the customers with good sales services and help customers find their individuality. The vision of Laura Ashley had changed numerous of times due to the fact that when a new chief executive came they saw different ways to make Laura Ashley a success and each one had their own mind set on how they were going to achieve that. Therefore I would recommend that Laura Ashleys vision statement should be fixed no matter who the chief executive is as this will ensure that the employees dont get confused with what they must accomplish. Today Laura Ashley is in a strong position with 450 stores around the world and is well situated for further expansion. (Lillian Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Laura Ashley in 2005). I would recommend that Laura Ashleys vision statement should be as follows: We want Laura Ashleys to be a place We want Laura Ashleys to be a place where the customers can come and feel welcome and have a good time shopping and finding their individuality. From the moment our customers walk in our store they will be greeted by a warm atmosphere, subtle music and friendly staff. I envisions that Laura Ashley been a leading individual store that provides customers with variety of products and fashion that ensures individuality for each customer. By changing both the mission statement and vision statement for Laura Ashley will be a new adventure for them. The fact that Laura Ashley went back to its roots it would only be wise to change them both and ensure that the employees understand where the company is going and what they should to help it get there. 4. To what extent was Laura Ashleys strategy development emergent or deliberate? A deliberate strategy is more of a desired strategy that is deliberately formulated or planned by the managers. Its associated with the use of tools, techniques and frameworks for strategic analysis and evaluation. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) Deliberate strategy involves a 6 step process namely: 1 Environmental Analysis, 2 Goal Setting, 3 Strategy Formulation, 4 Strategy Implementation, 5 Evaluation/Control, 6 Feedback. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) An Emergent strategy on the other hand comes about through everyday routines, activities and processes in organisations leading to decisions that become a long-term direction of an organisation. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) An emergent strategy is a pattern of action that develops over time in an organization in the absence of a specific mission and goals, or despite a mission and goals. (D. J. Power,ÂÂ  Alexander P. and Daniel J.,ÂÂ  Planning ) Within 14 years Laura Ashleys had up to 11 different CEOs and each one had a different strategy that they implemented. Due to the companys plans and brand investment strategy that was implemented across the fashion and home furnishing department. Laura Ashleys brand became well known and standards were set for good quality product and this deliberate strategy evolved in customer loyalty. On the other hand Laura Ashleys strategy was also an emergent strategy. It was stated that they went into the market by been a home furnishing but the break though came about when Laura Ashley produced a dress for social occasion. At the time Laura Ashley made and emergent strategy to start tapping into the fashion industry. This emergent strategy made the success of the company. Laura Ashleys strategy was deliberate. Laura Ashley ensured that her strategy was to get her brand well known and recognized by the customers and potential customers. By using this strategy Laura Ashley knew she could concentrate on differentiating her products from her competitors as she wanted to put value to her brand. Laura Ashley did this to gain customer loyalty therefore she made the brand the central part of Lauras strategy. Laura Ashley herself planned a strategy that would ensure her brand would be a success. Laura and her husband did environment analysis to see if there was indeed a market. Though the years of operation things drastically changed. After the death of Laura the strategy was still in place but was forced to be emergent at times due to the changes in the environment. When Ann Iverson was selected to be chief executive she made a emergent strategy to expand Laura Ashleys overseas and she tried to appeal to the younger customers in the UK. This strategy that Iverson implemented at the end of the day becomes trouble because there were not enough products to fill each of these huge stores. This could have been a result of not carefully planning. Therefore another emergent strategy had to be put in place. The emergent strategy was to let Ann Iverson go and to put a rescue team in place. This emergent strategy left Laura Ashley having a lifeline, their major shareholder Malayan United Industries (MUI). MUI purchased 40 per cent of Laura Ashley. MUI then came up with a deliberate strategy to appoint four new boards of directors and this resulted in giving Laura Ashley some stability that they needed. MUI implemented many emergent strategies to get Laura Ashleys pack on track, they even closed down some stores that were unprofitable and closed those stores thats rented was too high. This strategy was to ensure that the expenses of Laura Ashley didnt exceed the money coming in. The overall strategy was to modernize the brand but at the same time to remain true to Laura Ashleys brand values, this strategy is emergent as well for the simple fact that it wasnt necessary to go through a long process that is time consuming. Laura Ashleys did not have the time to waste and needed to act fast due to the changes in the environment and due to the changes within the company itself. The one part of Laura Ashley that was deliberate was when they relocated the poorer performing stores from the prime areas to the larger off-pitch stores. This was deliberate as they intended to save money and costs. They had to do environmental analysis to identify the stores that were not doing so well and when they identified these stores they had to set goals in order to ensure that they dont lose any more money. By setting a goal that want to move the unprofitable stores they were deliberately planning to ensure the Laura Ashley succeeds. The next step they took was setting the strategy to actually take the unprofitable stores and move them to larger stores that were off the prime areas, this strategy was implemented for the simple fact of not having a store that is not doing well in you important areas as it could have damaged the brand image. In total this case study of Laura Ashley had deliberate and emergent strategies implemented. Due to the fact that Laura Ashley was a fragile company it was important that they did implement more of the emergent strategies as they had so many CEOs and people running the company that did change business runnings, some good and some bad. With emergent strategies it allowed them to take the opportunities they saw quickly and turn them into a success. CONCLUSION: Laura Ashleys is a business that included product development in order to satisfy the needs or the target customers though focusing on the signature brand offered. Laura Ashleys main strategy evolved around the product brand. The brand strategy provided the company with a solid base as to know that the products must always be high quality as it is the face of the business. Laura Ashleys is a rare success story and is surely an inspiration to many other companies that have grown to international status. The company has succeed for the reason that it was always looking for ways to improve their services and to improve their operations in order to increase customer services and to expand the business globally. The home furnishing offered by Laura Ashley played a major part in building the brand to be recognised, this was because they put extra value to their customers and provided them with quality goods. The company has come a long way since Laura and her husband Bernard started printing fabric on their kitchen table in London. Due to their investment in what they considered would be successfully turned out to be true, as sales increased and the company kept on growing as well. Laura Ashley had a clear brand strategy and when Laura herself was managing things she had a clear vision of wanting to be able to provide quality products to her customers and build long term relationships with them in order to ensure that they will come back. Lauras vision was to be able to also share a common interest with her customers and ensure customer satisfaction by providing excellent services. Harvard Referencing: G. Johnson K. Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002 page 30, 134, 156, 401-402, 407-408 D. J. Power, Alexander P. and Daniel J., Planning Skills .COMsm Susan Ward, About.com Guide Lillian Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Laura Ashley in 2005 Angela Schnaubelt 1 AUGUST 2007 Trice, H Beyer, J 1984, Studding Organizational Cultures through Rites and Ceremonies, Academy of Management review 9, no 4:655 C. Hill G. Jones, 1995, Strategic Management: an integrated approach, third edition, pg 45

Appearances :: essays papers

Appearances Looks really do matter, no matter how many people disagree with that statement. The first impression does make that big of an impact, but whoever made up that statement as to, "Beauty being in the eye of the beholder" perhaps they are right. Perhaps beauty is formed in the eye of the beholder. But we, as humans will always be superficial and judge others on their looks. Very few people in life get away with their character and intelligence. I find myself to be beautiful but not drop dead gorgeous, well okay on some days I do. So "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Everyone has their special qualities in life. But what happens to the one born with a disability? As a child I had many friends, being the outgoing person that I am. I have always been friendly with everyone; the attractive and not so attractive. Even the girl who had a crooked face. I always wondered what happened to her and how she got deformed on the side of her face, she looked so monstrous. Everyday I would see her sitting alone at lunch, always the last one to leave the playground, playing alone everyday, and she was so quiet as well. Kids used to make fun of her everyday, which was very sad. I even feel bad, for I was one who cracked jokes on occasion as well and laughed along with others. One day though my parents had me walk home from school, for I didn't live very far and I saw this girl walking in front of me. She was walking very slowly, staring down at the ground. I decided to say hi and we talked while walking home together. After talking for a while I realized that she is no different then any of us, and she is so sweet, perhaps the sweetest person I have ever encountered in my life. How could I ever make fun of someone like that? I felt so horrible and apologized to her for ever making any mean comments and then I invited her over to play. We became the very best of friends after that. It was so hard though in school talking to her, I suppose I was embarrassed to be seen with her, but after becoming good friends I no longer felt the need to hide our friendship and soon others started talking with her as well, I even introduced her to the rest of my friends and started defending her when others made rude comments. I soon even found out why Appearances :: essays papers Appearances Looks really do matter, no matter how many people disagree with that statement. The first impression does make that big of an impact, but whoever made up that statement as to, "Beauty being in the eye of the beholder" perhaps they are right. Perhaps beauty is formed in the eye of the beholder. But we, as humans will always be superficial and judge others on their looks. Very few people in life get away with their character and intelligence. I find myself to be beautiful but not drop dead gorgeous, well okay on some days I do. So "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Everyone has their special qualities in life. But what happens to the one born with a disability? As a child I had many friends, being the outgoing person that I am. I have always been friendly with everyone; the attractive and not so attractive. Even the girl who had a crooked face. I always wondered what happened to her and how she got deformed on the side of her face, she looked so monstrous. Everyday I would see her sitting alone at lunch, always the last one to leave the playground, playing alone everyday, and she was so quiet as well. Kids used to make fun of her everyday, which was very sad. I even feel bad, for I was one who cracked jokes on occasion as well and laughed along with others. One day though my parents had me walk home from school, for I didn't live very far and I saw this girl walking in front of me. She was walking very slowly, staring down at the ground. I decided to say hi and we talked while walking home together. After talking for a while I realized that she is no different then any of us, and she is so sweet, perhaps the sweetest person I have ever encountered in my life. How could I ever make fun of someone like that? I felt so horrible and apologized to her for ever making any mean comments and then I invited her over to play. We became the very best of friends after that. It was so hard though in school talking to her, I suppose I was embarrassed to be seen with her, but after becoming good friends I no longer felt the need to hide our friendship and soon others started talking with her as well, I even introduced her to the rest of my friends and started defending her when others made rude comments. I soon even found out why