Saturday, November 30, 2019

Sabir Warsame Essays (247 words) - Emotions, Hope,

Sabir Warsame Mrs. Riddell ENG 3U-22 August 1, 2017 Jimmy Santiago Bacca's View on Oppression While reading this poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca I came across this fact that the author was trying to tell us to never lose hope and keep fighting for the things you want. The author used his own personal experiences to express this statement. The powerful words he used were such as strength, unshed tears, and remembering you're a human, puts Bacca in a situation were freedom is not option and in order to escape, he must have a positive mind and attitude. This first example was pointed forward using powerful words to express his pain and emotions. This second quote "look deep to find the grains of hope, strength, and sing, my brothers and sisters" mentioned to be strong and to always have hope. Looking back at this quote, I felt that the author was sending this message to someone that he loves or he's very close to. This last quote "fiery spears will count your years, as you start into the next year, endure my brothers, endure my sisters'', shows how you much he had encouragement in himself and the reader no matter how bad the situation is. This quote shows how you should always have a positive mind set and use this as a motivation to never give up. As much as you think many things can go wrong in a situation, there will always fade away and your worries be gone. In conclusion, this poem shows the true definition and art of oppression. Sabir Warsame Essays (247 words) - Emotions, Hope, Sabir Warsame Mrs. Riddell ENG 3U-22 August 1, 2017 Jimmy Santiago Bacca's View on Oppression While reading this poem by Jimmy Santiago Baca I came across this fact that the author was trying to tell us to never lose hope and keep fighting for the things you want. The author used his own personal experiences to express this statement. The powerful words he used were such as strength, unshed tears, and remembering you're a human, puts Bacca in a situation were freedom is not option and in order to escape, he must have a positive mind and attitude. This first example was pointed forward using powerful words to express his pain and emotions. This second quote "look deep to find the grains of hope, strength, and sing, my brothers and sisters" mentioned to be strong and to always have hope. Looking back at this quote, I felt that the author was sending this message to someone that he loves or he's very close to. This last quote "fiery spears will count your years, as you start into the next year, endure my brothers, endure my sisters'', shows how you much he had encouragement in himself and the reader no matter how bad the situation is. This quote shows how you should always have a positive mind set and use this as a motivation to never give up. As much as you think many things can go wrong in a situation, there will always fade away and your worries be gone. In conclusion, this poem shows the true definition and art of oppression.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

7 Flawed Sentences Redeemed by Commas

7 Flawed Sentences Redeemed by Commas 7 Flawed Sentences Redeemed by Commas 7 Flawed Sentences Redeemed by Commas By Mark Nichol The simple insertion, deletion, or relocation of a comma (or two) can alter a sentences meaning, so when writing or editing a sentence, carefully analyze it to determine whether the punctuation (or lack thereof) serves its intended meaning or whether it creates grammatical confusion. The following examples illustrate the significant difference punctuation can make; discussion after each sentence explains the problem and provides a solution. 1. Relaxed capital and leverage requirements are favorable to depository institutions as they allow institutions to put more of their capital to work and may even provide consumers with more access to credit. Punctuation helps readers recognize the meaning of a word that, in identical syntactical arrangements, can have distinct meanings. In this sentence, as appears to function as a synonym for while in the sense of referencing a simultaneous occurrence. However, the clause that follows as is an explanation- here, as is a synonym for because- and is therefore a dependent clause, which means that it must be preceded by punctuation: â€Å"Relaxed capital and leverage requirements are favorable to depository institutions, as they allow institutions to put more of their capital to work and may even provide consumers with more access to credit.† 2. It is a never-ending campaign to stay in step with adversaries, and wherever possible, anticipate their next move. In this sentence, the intended function of the commas is to set off a parenthetical phrase, but the placement of the first comma erroneously suggests that its purpose is to separate two independent clauses. The parenthetical phrase is â€Å"wherever possible,† not â€Å"and wherever possible†- test this fact by temporarily omitting each alternative from the sentence and seeing which statement is still grammatically valid- so the first comma must follow, not precede, and: â€Å"It is a never-ending campaign to stay in step with adversaries and, wherever possible, anticipate their next move.† (Because the phrase that follows and is not an independent clause- there is no subject- no additional comma is required before the conjunction.) 3. I consider movies, such as Get Out, examples of artwork that provoke discussion about our society. The commas bracketing â€Å"such as Get Out† imply that that phrase is expendable- that the sentence is valid without it. But the writer is referring to a category of movies that the film Get Out exemplifies in some quality, so that phrase is essential to the sentence and therefore cannot be treated as a parenthetical phrase: â€Å"I consider movies such as Get Out examples of artwork that provokes discussion about our society.† (If movies were qualified with an adjective, as in the phrase â€Å"movie that allegorically pertain to racism,† then â€Å"such as Get Out† would be valid as a parenthetical phrase because it suggests an example of a specified category of film, rather than just one film in the all-encompassing category of â€Å"movies.†) 4. Getting the right information, to the right people, at the right time, is intrinsically valuable to any organization. The segmentation of the first three phrases in this sentence is unnecessary and obtrusive. The writer of this sentence assumes that punctuation is required to distinguish the three factors referenced sequentially in this sentence, but the prepositions to and at serve this function: â€Å"Getting the right information to the right people at the right time is intrinsically valuable to any organization.† 5. Directors can’t get the information they need to make critical decisions because the company’s ability to effectively measure and report on key risks is limited. If this sentence continued after limited, with an alternative explanation for why directors can’t get the information they need (following a semicolon), then the phrase â€Å"because . . . is limited† would be essential to the sentence. But in the sentence as written, â€Å"because . . . is limited† is a subordinate (and therefore nonessential) clause, and it should be set off from the main clause (â€Å"directors . . . critical decisions†): â€Å"Directors can’t get the information they need to make critical decisions, because the company’s ability to effectively measure and report on key risks is limited.† 6. It’s kind of scary actually. When an adverb appearing at the end of a sentence is intrinsic to the sentence, do not include intervening punctuation, as in â€Å"We visit them annually.† (Without annually, the sentence â€Å"We visit them† would not convey the intended information- the frequency with which they visit- so annually is essential to the statement.) But in this case, actually merely serves as an informal form of emphasis- it merely strengthens the admission but does not add meaning- so it is set off from the main clause: â€Å"It’s kind of scary, actually.† (Also, actually should be set off if it precedes the main clause- â€Å"Actually, it’s kind of scary†- but no punctuation is necessary if the adverb is inserted within the clause: â€Å"It’s actually kind of scary.†) 7. What’s different is they came of age at a difficult time. The subject of this sentence is they, and what comes before is a dependent introductory clause, which must be set off from the main clause by a comma: â€Å"What’s different is, they came of age at a difficult time.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SThe Difference Between "will" and "shall"10 Terms for the Common People

Friday, November 22, 2019

Interview How to sometimes say no to your editor

Interview How to sometimes say no to your editor How to sometimes say 'no' to your editor - An interview with Gale Winskill Our 9th #freelancerfriday interview: â€Å"It does really worry me when authors take every suggestion that I make and implement it. I worry that they don’t believe enough in their own book. An author should always feel they can come back and say â€Å"I hate your suggestions but I accept that my original doesn’t work.† That’s healthy and that’s good. They can understand why you’ve made the criticism, but can then go away and find their own solution to a problem.†Gale Winskill  is a great editor. She offers the full set of editorial services, with a portfolio proving experience in an enormous variety of genres - including a strong background in editing children’s fiction. Below we talk plot-structure, polyediting, and a healthy way to work with an editor. Enjoy!What services do you provide?Mostly editing, proofreading and critiques, although I also do some training. I work with a variety of genres: a lot of fiction editing, bot h for adults and for children; a lot of academic editing for non-native speakers of English; non-fiction; children’s picture books; and manuscript critiques.Are there differences between editing adult and children’s fiction?Not very many. The basics of plot structure are essentially the same for both. The main difference is checking that the content is appropriate for the age group, that you’re talking about subjects that they can understand and follow, and that the language level is also suitable for the age category concerned.What do editors do for authors?The editor is the most critical reader you will ever encounter as an author. As an editor your role is partly to spot things that will be criticised, as well as what’s strong. An editor tries to make sure that the author doesn’t fall into those pitfalls. The author has an opportunity to address any weakness that might open their work  up to criticism before the book goes to print. The editor is very much a reader, first and foremost.Two editors will never think the same way, just as  two readers will find different things in the same text. I may have to tell an author that I can see why they did something one way, but that it may be perceived in a different way by readers. But how the author decides to address that is up to them. Your professional duty as an editor extends to telling an author what strikes you about a text, but at the end of the day it’s the author’s prerogative to ignore everything an editor says, as ultimately it’s their book.Is working with multiple editors a good practice for authors? Does having second opinions help?I think it usually ends up a mess. An author should find an editor they like and - while they don’t have to agree with everything the editor says - one they can work with.  If you have multiple editors it can be confusing. I might feel a particular character doesn’t work for a particular reason, wh ereas another editor might not see a problem. For authors, I don’t see how they can follow one person’s train of thought if they’re trying to compare that with another person’s train of thought.However, there’s a different argument for having more than one critique of a book. It might be interesting to see what various people pick up from reading a book without having them pull it apart.What kind of advice are you able to give an author?Judging by the responses of my authors, I’m good at spotting the weaknesses in a text and offering suggestions on how to resolve it. It does really worry me when authors take every suggestion that I make and implement it. I worry that they don’t believe enough in their own book. An author should always feel they can come back and say â€Å"I hate your suggestions but I accept that my original doesn’t work.† That’s healthy and that’s good. They can understand why you’v e made the criticism, but can then go away and find their own solution to a problem. Authors have told me that they knew something wasn’t working but couldn’t work out why. Once they know the reason they can go away and redraft it. I think authors prefer to be told when a book isn’t publishable in it’s current state but that it could be made to work if they do this and that, as opposed to publishing online and being slated. Authors appreciate criticism so long as it’s constructive, justified, and given in a diplomatic fashion.When should an author approach you with a work-in-progress? After the first draft is completed?Unless I’ve worked with an author for a while and I’m familiar with their work, I don’t like working on a book in pieces. As I work through the book I may change my mind about what I said in the first few chapters. If people send the work piecemeal, I don’t get a sense of the whole. I suggest to new author s that until they’re at the end of the process and are ready to submit it for editing, my seeing it doesn’t benefit them. It’s more constructive when the editor’s opinion is formed in one go.Thank you for your time Gale.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

International Marketing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Marketing Assignment - Essay Example Most of the investors who invest in business in Indonesia must have the authorization from the senior governmental officers hence proper plans should be made by the business top management bodies to familiarize the senior government official of the detailed information about the business and its intentions to Venter to the countries market. On the other hand, the company also should put in to place the proper measures to enhance promotion. This is the process through which awareness is created to the people and every person in the target market are familiarized with what is being offered by the company. By being present in most mainstream malls, which are major interacting places for teenagers is in itself, a critical strategy to be a dominant force in the teens’ market. Furthermore, they are intensely tottering on luxury and casual wear by offering higher prices but fall short of the ones demanded by the designer’s1. As a result, this strategy has allowed the company to market to a wide array of social classes. Even though they are very specific on age, appropriateness their target of class is not hence promotion play a major role in ensuring the company maintains completion and that people know its products. In summary, therefore when it comes to getting into, capturing and penetrating a new market especially in foreign countries, businesses usually find it challenging and difficult. For Abercrombie and Fitch to succeed in the Indonesian market it will have to do the following:- Market Segmentation is defined as the process of separating a market into direct groups of consumers who may need separate products. There are numerous bases for segmenting the market; they are psychographic, geographic and demographic variables2. A Psychographic criterion is defined as the process that considers both psychological and sociological information. Psychological nature entails attitude, motivations, and personality. Sociological

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

An Research about Relationship among Fashion Life Style Dissertation

An Research about Relationship among Fashion Life Style - Dissertation Example The paper "An Research about Relationship among Fashion Life Style" examines consumer psychology. The Chinese economy has grown at a very fast pace in the past decades resulting in a high number of affluent and middle class consumers. With phenomenal growth in the number of affluent households China has now become the third largest consumer market for luxury goods. However, the affluent consumers in China do not necessarily fall under one consumer segment. While different regions within China have consumers with different levels of affluence, the consumption behaviours of these consumers also vary. GEOLIA, founded in 1985, is a ladies’ fashion brand headquartered in China. Their vision is to discover, to live and to share a fashionable and healthy lifestyle with their customers. They offer quality, trendy products at affordable prices and have easily accessible distribution network. Their customers comprise of ladies between mid-twenties to early thirties who are at that phase in their lives when values and lifestyle are cultivated. The brand aims to partner with their customers in grooming their personal styles both in fashion and everyday life. Brand GEOLIA is impressed upon the Chinese consumer’s mind as the friendly women’s apparel brand. A consumer behavior model proposed by Hawkins et al (2004) reflects the effect of self concept and life style on consumer behavior. The self-concept and lifestyle influence the needs and desires; these needs and desires can be satisfied through consumption. Lifestyle involves multiple levels and it is determined by people’s individual characters, past experience and current condition. Lifestyle keeps changing with changes in the internal and external environment. As consumer fashion life style and self concept increases consumer purchase intention becomes more powerful (Ahmad et al., 2010). Consumer Purchase Consumer purchase has become a leisure activity and is used to enhance social status. Th is is based on the concept of the self and a material symbol of who a person is and how he/she would like to be known (Dittmar and Drury, 2000). Clothing and fashion are the medium through which people express their identity (Rathnayake, 2011). Fashion and clothing display how a person would like to, in other words, the person’s self concept. Self-concept Self concept has received considerable importance in marketing literature as it can significantly impact consumers’ decision making and product and brand choices (Ye, Bose and Pelton, 2012). The theory of self-concept suggests that consumers prefer products that are consistent with their self-image and hence the brand or product can enhance their self-image. The self-congruity theory suggests that the self-concept is dynamic and conflicting traits may exist in an individual’s self-concept. Fashion and Fashion Consciousness Fashion has been defined as â€Å"a way of behaving that is temporarily adopted by a dis cernible proportion of members of a social group because that chosen behavior is perceived to be socially appropriate for the time and situation† (Sproles cited in Chen, Shang and Lin, 2008). People like to be perceived as trendy and hence would follow the trend that the group follows. With the inclination to follow the fashion trend they may tend to neglect their own personal feelings and

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Visiting Forces Agreement Essay Example for Free

Visiting Forces Agreement Essay Thesis Statement: The Philippines should consider terminating its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States before it’s too late for the government to overcome its unexpected dilemma. I.What is the RP–US Visiting Forces Agreement? a.A bilateral agreement between the between the Philippines and the United States consisting of two separate agreement documents. a.Balikatan as VFA-1 b.Balikatan as VFA-2 or the Counterpart Agreement II.There are several negative effects of â€Å"Balikatan† in the country. 1.Balikatan exercises threatened our environment and ecological resources. a.In the past Balikatan exercises, war and combat simulations which involved maneuverings and live fire exercises have caused coral reef destruction and ecological pollution. b.Dumping of toxic wastes and nuclear-powered submarines are very dangerous to the health. 2.Balikatan exercises can affect the peace and order situation in the country. a.Danger to life, honor, safety, and peace of the citizens, like what happened to Nicole (Subic Bay rape victim) and to the other Filipinos threatened since the VFA was signed. 3.Balikatan exercises can affect the industrial and agricultural sector. a.During the dangerous exercises, farmers, fisher folk and indigenous people are banned from attending crops or fishing at the seas, thus, does it affect their livelihood. III.What are other alternatives aside from recent visiting forces agreement? a.Improved the facilities and human forces by setting the international standard in military tactics. b.A new refined and version of visiting forces agreement with the US or other countries that protects the Philippine and international laws on the protection and preservation of the environment.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Invisible Man :: Literary Analysis, Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison uses symbolism in the first chapter of Invisible Man to illustrate the culture in which he lived and was raised. In the chapter, entitled â€Å"Battle Royal†, Ellison intends to give his graduation speech to the white elite of his community. However, before her can deliver said speech, he is forced to perform humiliating tasks. The use of symbols is evident throughout â€Å"Battle Royal† particularly with regard to the Hell imagery, power struggle, and the circus metaphor. The setting of the chapter is significantly symbolic. The story takes place in a luxurious ballroom, which Ellison has masterfully transformed into Hell. This is the smoker. The men in the audience are â€Å"smoking black cigars† (1255). The room was â€Å"foggy with cigar smoke† even though the room is described as large and has a high ceiling (1255). The narrator also gives these men animalistic qualities that essentially revealing them to be savages. They are seen â€Å"wolfing down food† (1254). Later, they â€Å"run laughing and howling after [the dancing woman]† (1257). Although far less of a ravenous image, the narrator even compares the perverted old man to an intoxicated panda. The narrator also describes them as having â€Å"red faces† (1259). In this characterization the men seemingly have all the characteristics of demons in Hell. The Hell image is advanced further when the fighters are blindfolded. The narrator explains, â€Å"..now I felt a sudden fit of blind terror.† (1257). When the fight begins, he adds, â€Å"[t]he smoke had become thicker and with each new blow it seemed to sear and further restrict my lungs. My saliva became like hot bitter glue.† (1258). The men demonstrate their authority over him and his classmates. A prime instance of this is the dancing woman. The ten fighters were positioned in the front of the ballroom. Then the woman was exhibited, all eyes were on her. She was completely naked, except for her makeup and a tattoo of the American flag. Her face was â€Å"heavily powdered and rouged†¦ [her] eyes hollow and smeared a cool blue.† (1256). She represents America, and therefore freedom. The men in the audience even though they are just as fixated as the fighters, have more control. In their society, they are allowed to look at a white woman. The fighters however, are black, and therefore are supposed to suppress any thoughts regarding her so they do not get killed. This display also serves to rob them of some of their masculinity.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Magazine Advertisement Analysis: Kotex Essay

This print advertisement for U by Kotex shows a woman driving a convertible in which the written concept takes the edge off the embarrassment some feel about feminine products. (The N.Y. Times, B3)  ·As I looked at the advertisement, it gave me a feeling of calmness with a peace of mind. I felt like I could be that young woman in that car. This advertisement describes the driver holding up her right hand, in a light blue convertible on the highway with the text placed in the sky above the driver, car and the road that reads: â€Å"I tied a tampon to my key ring so my brother wouldn’t take my car. It worked.† (The N.Y. Times)  ·The message takes the edge off the embarrassment some feel about feminine products. In a black block with pictures of the product boxes on the bottom of the page, there’s a question: â€Å"Why are 40% of people uncomfortable with tampons?† Break the Cycle. New U by Kotex. (U by Kotex)  ·Acquiring a new product line, U by Kotex, the brand discreetly constructed its own advertising campaign to speak to these extremely media aware users. The most abnormal advertising technique being used: Kotex accepted the fact that their target market completely understands that they are advertised to or enticed. This way, Kotex made their users dominant, laying order directing in their laps. Being aware of the â€Å"awareness factor† also arranged consumers as brilliant, brand-competent, and witty. (Ad Campaign Analysis) Mitchell 2  ·Wrappers for the individual items come in four bright colors, with the outside packaging is mainly black. Mr. Meurer of Kotex states, â€Å"This has been a institutional type of product, with products that are white and light blue and boring, and what we have is a variety of bold lipstick colors in each pack.† â€Å"What we like to say is, we’re taking the category from institutional care to personal care.† (The N.Y. Times)  ·In general, the inventive arrangement of the advertisement, with the black, grey and white  lettering put together with the apportionment of the scenery, black bottom and the converted images of the products, arranged for an exceptional visual understanding. The surroundings look as if the photo was taken somewhere on a countryside back road, maybe southern California, because of the broad variety of vegetation, and other geographical conditions illustrated in the scenery.  ·Not only does U by Kotex adequately sell their products, but they give much more. Website visitors, UbyKotex.com, which was designed by the New York office of Organic, section of the Omnicom Group, are encouraged to sign a â€Å"Declaration of Real Talk,† pledging to defy societal pressures that discourage women from speaking out about their bodies and health. For every signer, Kotex donates $1 to â€Å"Girls for Change,† a national nonprofit based in San Jose, California, that puts together urban middle school and high school girls with professional women to encourage social change. According to Mr. Meurer of Kotex, â€Å"We’re really out there and we’re trying to touch women and say we care about this conversation.† We’re changing our brand equity to stand for truth and transparency and progressive vaginal care.† (The N.Y. Times)  · The questions are out there in the world, yet they can’t be answered fully. It’s not the 1950’s anymore. Talking freely about many private health problems is no longer taboo. Actually, it’s encouraged, steering toward added awareness and better health care for people everywhere. Society and the media still have not accepted the issues women have below the waist. Sadly, this secrecy and shame about all things Mitchell 3  pertaining to vaginal health have a negative impact on a woman’s body image, self-esteem and overall health. U by Kotex brand wants to help women change the conversation about periods and vaginal care. Help Break the Cycle, so women can begin to feel comfortable their bodies and confident about their personal care. http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/03/16/business/16adco_CA0.html Works Cited â€Å"It’s time to Break the Cycle.† U by Kotex. U by Kotex, 10 June 2012. Web. 10 June 2012. â€Å"Rebelling Against the Commonly Evasive Feminine Care Ad.† The New York Times. The New York Times. 15 March 2010. Web. 10 June 2012. â€Å"Ad Campaign Analysis: Kotex Reveals Ad Strategy, As Strategy.† 23 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 June 2012.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

To what extent does business process reengineering improve sustainable competitive advantage

Rationale / Background Due to the increasingly competitive and evolving environment of modern business, a significant focus now lies on business restructuring in order for firms to meet the demands of the global economy. Buhalis and Owen (2010) see this necessity as the driver behind business process reengineering and as a result the practice is widespread, for instance Attaran (2004) highlighted a study in which 87% of businesses were found to engage in the process. Much research has been conducted in this area (see Kettinger and Grover 1995), which points towards competitive advantage as the primary focal area. Based on Porter’s original five forces model (Porter 1979) companies now look to business process reengineering to create a sustainable competitive advantage for their firm. Whilst research done by Ansoff and McDonnell (1990) focuses on more traditionally held beliefs about a firm’s unique resources, many has since changed their beliefs on what is considered a dynamic capability wo rthy of creating a sustained competitive advantage. Meed et al (1994) cited a company needs to transform in order to adapt to its environment, and Osborne (1997) suggested that the very nature of the issue requires ever evolving material. Thus there is becoming an increased focus on the more subjective capabilities of modern organizations, as Barney’s 1999 article noted how strategic resources tend to be evenly distributed across firms and so there is a new focal point of knowledge being central to the business reengineering process and to creating a sustained competitive advantage for modern businesses. According to Grint (1994) reengineering quickly became the buzzword for businesses in the 1990’s, set on organizational improvement and change. Business process reengineering is defined as â€Å"a requirement to study fundamental business processes, independent or organization units and information systems support, to determine if the underlying business processes can be significantly streamlined and improved† by Langer (2008) and is based on operational objectives in order to improve performance. For instance a firm may wish to simplify their processes, improve communication procedures or speed up their operational turnover (Sayegh 2005.) As mentioned previously the very nature of business process reengineering requires a circular flow of communication in order for business processes to continuously improve, as Guha et al (1993) suggested the process reengineering cycle to be implemented into organizations in order to quickly tweak any issues with a new process with a minimal delay on output. The subject of business process reengineering is still relatively new and so there are suggestions for future improvements, as a significant focus now lies on not only creating the information systems but using them effectively. This requires what Earl et al (1995) called alignment, that a process must not only be operationally efficient it must also be aligned not only with the company’s other materials and systems but also with the existing knowledge of the firm’s staff. This view is supported by Burgelman et al (2008) who focused on the links between not only different management levels but also between different strategic levels of the business. The suggestion by Burgelman et al being that organizational knowledge is unevenly spread and so needs to be aligned more thoroughly. According to Brynjolfsson and Renshaw (1997) business process reengineering does suffer from low success rates, due to a lack of tools for managing the change proces s. Brynjolfsson and Renshaw proposed utilising a matrix of change in order to help managers identify and deal with critical issues. In this sense the importance of organizational knowledge is evidently the weak link in making business process reengineering reach its potential. Therefore much work has been done to attempt to bridge this success gap between the operational processes of a business and people’s ability to use them (see Khosrowpour 2006.) Attaran (2004) believed information technology to be a key element of a successful reengineering approach, citing Bill Gates’ comment on the 2000’s focus being on velocity. Therefore it is feasible for a company to rely on information technology to understand processes if they operate in a particularly fast paced industry like the example Bill Gates was referring to. In fact Johnson and Vitale (1998) believed innovations in information technology to be the future source of competitive advantage for firms, using exam ples of where it has been essential for business success for instance linking systems between an organizations diversified functional areas. Organizational knowledge is therefore seen to be one of few sources of a sustainable competitive advantage for modern firms. Tacit knowledge means that no two companies are the same (Collis and Montgomery 1995) and so as a dynamic capability knowledge appears to fulfil the necessary criteria, seen by Ambrosini and Bowman (2002) as being difficult to imitate, difficult to substitute or transfer and being scarce. Especially vital in the modern business environment is the speed in which knowledge can be created or transferred, as Saint-Onge (1996) noted how a company’s intellectual capital needs to be in line with rapid technological developments.This focus on human capital led Saint-Onge to cite the â€Å"knowledge era† of modern times. A key application for business process reengineering of this focus is the need to constantly reinvest in organizational knowledge, due to the attrition effects of competition decaying the casual ambiguity that knowledge creates (Reed and D efillippi 1990.) Therefore the real challenge for modern companies is how to undertake this required reinvestment in business process reengineering. Cavusgil and Calantone (2003) pointed out in their study on tacit knowledge that the primary issue is sharing knowledge throughout the firm. Howells (1996) noted that in order to be fully utilised tacit knowledge can be transferred on a variety of levels as in many cases knowledge should not only be transferred horizontally but vertically in firms, i.e. that managers must pass on their knowledge to their staff and vice versa. This vertical transfer is vital for informational systems as in many cases practicalities experienced by lower level staff are not considered by upper management. Due to the difficulty in representing tacit knowledge acknowledged by Lubit (2001) the suggestions on how to transfer knowledge throughout the firm focus on more informal means. Lubit believed social mechanisms to be the best option, citing how formalis ed processes will always leave gaps. Similarly Ambrosini and Bowman (2002) found that techniques such as individual questionnaires and storytelling were most suitable for demonstrating tacit knowledge. Description Project Aims and Objectives: To uncover relevant links between organizational knowledge and the firm’s business process reengineering, and the role of knowledge management in facilitating the reengineering process. To examine theoretical approaches to business process reengineering and empirical evidence of their respective success rates. To investigate the impact of business process engineering on sustainable competitive advantage from a theoretical standpoint. Research Methodology Due to the theoretical approach being adopted in this study, secondary research would be utilised in accomplishing the aforementioned research objectives. Based on this approach, the study would adopt an interpretivist epistemology. According to Saunders et al (2007), â€Å"Interpretivism is an epistemology that advocates that it is necessary for the researcher to understand differences between humans in our role as social actors†. Interpretivism relates to how people make sense of the world around them, and how they interpret social phenomena. Compared to the positivist view, the interpretivist view relates essentially to the interpretation of findings by those collecting data, and a common risk is that there may be issues of reliability and validity due to its subjective nature (Collis and Hussey, 2003). Based on recommendations by Collis and Hussey (2003), an inductive approach would also be utilized in conducting the research, as this involves analyzing the theoretical da ta concerning business process reengineering and competitive advantage, and drawing up a conclusion (after indepth analysis), on how both factors may be related. Data collection and analysis within this study would involve the systematic review of literature, reviewing previous studies on business process reengineering, knowledge management and competitive advantage to establish the relationship between all 3 variables, and ascertain if and how they the reengineering of business processes could actually lead to an improved competitive advantage within an industry. Through the combination of a number of results from a number of studies, the researcher hopes to uncover reasonable, reliable and valid insights into the subject area. Relevant databases such as Business Source Premier, Ingenta Connect and Emerald Insights would be utilized in finding these researches. Further research would also be conducted on institutes of business, such as those who may have statistics on how business processes affect competitive advantage. An entire subchapter would also be devoted to critiques of business process reengineering, particularly in its relevance to competitive advantage, as this allows for a balanced critical research and helps support the study’s reliability. Secondary research has been adopted as opposed to primary research, as it essentially bases our findings on more extensive research that may have been done in the past. These literatures are usually wider ranging and cover a lot more aspects of BRR than this research could have, if it adopted a primary approach. Deliverables This project intends to deliver clear conclusions and recommendations on the following: The relationship between business process reengineering and knowledge management within organisational settings. Do they necessarily impact on one anotherDoes effective knowledge management particularly promote better results when processes are reengineered Empirical findings on the success and / or failure rates of business process reengineering activities that have been conducted over the past decades. These could be differentiated based on industries, and conditions, such as whether the organisations properly utilised information technology or knowledge management systems. Empirical or theoretical evidence suggesting that business process reengineering does promote sustainable competitive advantage. Particular emphasis would be placed on how it was accomplished and the secondary factors (such as information or knowledge management technology) that may have acted as catalysts. Schedule Secondary research (literature search) to be completed within two weeks of the project’s s tart. Cross-examination of literature is to be completed within a week of the final data being collected. This will encompass all of the data to spot any clear patterns. Checking of the discovered patterns to ensure their viability, reliability and generalisability will also be aimed to be completed within the same week that the original cross examination has been completed. The Introduction and Methodology chapters would be written within a week from when the data has been gathered. This would help in the structure of these chapters. The systematic literature review would be written up and conducted using the thematic approach. Meaning that each of the project deliverables would be separated into different themes and analysed as such. Overall project timeline – A maximum of 4-5 weeks from starting to accumulate the relevant data to having a clear, presentable set of results. Resources Required No hardware resources are required, except for computer hardware to use in researching, analysing and writing up the project. Access to literature sources such as the journals mentioned above, and empirical results on business process reengineering may require library access to such journals and in-depth Internet research. The researcher is confident that he has the skills to accomplish all of these. References Ambrosini, V. And Bowman, C. (2002) Tacit Knowledge: Some Suggestions for Operationalization. Journal of management studies, Vol 38, Issue 6, pp 811-829. Ansoff, H.I. and McDonnell, E.J. (1990) Implanting strategic management. Prentice Hall New York. Attaran, M. (2004) Exploring the relationship between information technology and business process reengineering. Information and management, Vol 41, pp 585-596. Barney, J. (1999) Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, Vol 17, No 1, pp 99-120. Buhalis, D. And Owen, R. (2010) Business Process Reengineering. Business Process Management Journal, Vol 6, Issue 2, pp 113-121. Burgelman, R.A. Christensen, C.M. and Wheelwright, S.C. (2008) Strategic management of technology and innovation. McGraw- Hill / Irvin. Cavusgil, S.T. Calantone, R.J. Zhao, Y. (2003) Tacit knowledge transfer and firm innovation capability. Journal of business and industrial marketing, Vol 18, Issue 1, pp 6-21. Collis, D.J. and Montgomery, C.A. (1995) Competing on Resources: Strategy in the 1990s. Harvard Business Review, July-August. Earl, M.J. Sampler, J.L. and Short, J.E. (1995) Strategies for business process reengineering: evidence from field studies. Journal of Management Information Systems, Volume 12, Issue 1 (June 1995.) Grint, K. (1994) Reengineering History: Social Resonances and Business Process Reengineering. Organization, Vol 1, No 1, pp 179-201. Guha, S. Kettinger, W.J. and Teng, J.T.C. (1993) BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING Building a Comprehensive Methodology. Information systems management, Vol 10, Issue 3. Howells, J. (1996) Tacit knowledge, innovation and technology transfer. Technology analysis and strategic management, Vol 8, No 2, pp 91-106. Kettinger, W.J. and Grover, K. (1995) Special section: toward a theory of business process change management. Journal of management information systems, Vol 12, Issue 1 (June 1995.) Khosrowpour, M. (2006) Advanced topics in information resources management. Vol 5. Idea group publishing. Langer, A.M. (2008) Business process reengineering. Analysis and design of information systems. Lubit, R. (2001) Knowledge Management : The Keys to Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Organizational dynamics, Vol 29, Issue 3, pp 164-178. Meed, J.W. Bots, P.W.G. and Sol, H.G. (1994) A hard core for soft problems: A business engineering case study within the Amsterdam municipal police force. TCBAUS IFIP Information systems international working conference, Gold Coast, Australia. Osborne, T. (1997) Business process reengineering. PACIS 1997 Proceedings. Porter, M.E. (1979) How competitive forces shape strategy. Harvard business review. Cited by Smit, P.J. (2000) Strategic planning: Readings. Juta and Company Ltd. Reed, R. and Defillippi, R.J. (1990) Causal Ambiguity, Barriers to Imitation, and Sustainable Competitive Advantage. The academy of management review, Vol 15, No 1 (January 1990) pp 88-102. Saint-Onge, H. (1996) Tacit knowledge the key to the strategic alignment of intellectual capital. Strategy and leadership, Vol 24, Issue 2, pp 10-16. Sayegh, F. (2005) Business process Reengineering. EFS Technical report No.21. (December 15th 2005.)

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Life Of George Washington Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

The Life Of George Washington Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers The Life Of George Washington Flexner, James Thomas. George Washington. Little. 1967 George Wahington George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. He served as commander-in-chief of the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, and later served as the first president of the United States. His thoughts and ideas helped mold the United States into the great country that it is today. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was the eldest son of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington. He received no formal education, but he read geography, military history, agriculture, deportment, and composition. Washington later developed a powerful and convincing style of speech and writing. He enjoyed sports and social occasions, and he later became a surveyor for landowners on the Virginia frontier. George Washington was elected president of the United States in 1789, and in New York City on April 30, 1789, he took the oath of office as President of the United States at age 57. He was extremely influential in the initial operation of the new government. After the ballot he wrote, My movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feeling not unlike those of a culprit, who is going to the place of his execution. Washington's task was to organize a government but also create a role for the highest officer of the new nation. Both tasks earned him enemies. One of Washington's first duties of office was establishing a cabinet. He appointed Alexander Hamilton secretary of treasury and Thomas Jefferson secretary of state. Washington allowed Jefferson to pursue a policy of seeking trade with European nations. Hamilton proposed important ideas such as a funded national debt and the creation of the Bank of the United States. The first United States census was taken in 1790 which showed the population to be four million. He created departments within the government, each with different jobs. The government issued money that was good in all states. President Washington also helped plan a new capital for the nation that was named Washington in his honor. Also, Vermont and Kentucky were added as states in 1791 and 1792 respectively. George Washington reluctantly agreed to serve a second term as president, even though he wanted to go home to Mount Vernon. An outbreak of war in Europe plagued Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy design. Alexander Hamilton formed a pro-British foreign policy during Washington's second administration. Jay's Treaty of 1795 settled outstanding American differences with Great Britain. This treaty was extremely controversial, although the treaty was passed by a narrow margin in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania against a federal excise tax was his critical domestic challenge. He himself rode partway to the field at the head of the militia that was raised to put down the rebellion. Washington reorganized his cabinet in 1795, and Tennessee became a state in 1796. He was asked to return for another term as President, but he declined. Washington carefully planned a farewell speech to mark the end of his presidency, and issued his farewell speech on September 7, 1796. He was succeeded by his vice-president, John Adams the following March 4. He then retired to Mount Vernon, where he died two years later on December 14, 1799 at the age of 67. George Washington remains one of the most important figures in the history of the United States of America. Washington's accomplishments are and will continue to serve as precedents for future Presidents. I feel that his two terms in office as the President of the United States were the most important periods in the history our country. He shaped the government that we live under today, and if not for him, our government might be completely different.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Alternative Styles Of Creative Advertising Marketing Essay

Alternative Styles Of Creative Advertising Marketing Essay The purpose of this report was to create a creative campaign idea for GWS Motorsport to attract more audiences as well as to increase awareness of the company. Hence, an evaluation of creative strategies theory will apply to the campaign in order to support the raw ideas. The report will show all the achievable innovative approaches that may increase the effectiveness and efficiencies of the campaign. On top of that, one of the strategy approaches has been selected for the GWS Motorsport campaign as part of the creative strategy. This report also aims to give an understanding of the campaign objectives, appropriate strategy for the outcome, the messages that what is this campaign about to pass on and to create the characteristic for GWS Motorsport race team. Hence, a clutter of consumers requires a creative approach to segment them by using marketing mix strategy. As a result, positioning exist in the market to avoid tight competition in the same industry. (Chitty, 2005) 1.2. Scope While understanding GWS Personnel Motorsport, the team does not bring in any profit however they do exercised some business strategies to at least cover its costs because running a race team cost a lot of money. Therefore, the main revenue streams included sponsorship, driver leasing and for those potential revenue streams were from the hot laps, driver sessions/training, VIP tickets and guest appearances. (O’Donnel, n.d) 1.3. Method The information used in this report was gathered by using the sources from GWS Personnel Motorsport official website, GWS presentation power point slides, a series of email with the marketing consultant, Nik O’Donnell and the textbook. Therefore, the second edition of Integrated Marketing Communications textbook was one of the main references that provided the information of creative strategies theory that were applied to this report. 1.4. Company’s Background GWS Personnel Motorsport is a team that puts together by Allan Shephard a nd Peter O’Donnell and mainly sponsored by GWS Personnel itself. Additionally, GWS Personnel is a regional based recruitment company that was established in the early 90’s. There are other sponsors too such as the Shire Conveyancer, Spinifex Australia, and Evocities. Peter O’Donnell has always been passionate about motorsport racing which is the reason behind the team he formed. The GWS Personnel Motorsport as known as the Australian Manufacturers Champions formed a wide range of production cars such as the Europe and Japanese cars were used on the race track. (GWS Motorsport, 2011) 2. Findings 2.1. Creative Strategies Theory In this day and age, many business companies have implemented more creative strategies that use to draw consumer attention and provoke them to purchase a product or a service. As a general rule, these creative strategies are based on the targeted market demographic, psychographic, geographical and behavioral. Advertisers often use catchy ji ngles to capture consumer interest therefore such creative strategy may promote publicity and public relations with them. Based on Table A, the creative strategies are divided into three categories and they are the functional orientation, symbolic/experiential orientation, and category-dominance orientation.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Case study - Essay Example Ang Siow Lee. He moved up the corporate ladder through hard work and he reached the executive management level. His technical expertise helped the company improve processes and reduce waste within the operations. A second stakeholder is a new manager named Mr. Davidson. Mr. Davidson had a totalitarian attitude and personality. He always expressed his concerns, but he often spoke in a loud aggressive manner which made the employees feel bad. There were communication problems at Alpha Plantation. These problems were creating frictions and a lack of trust between the employees and the managerial staff Despite his attitude Mr. Davidson was a bright person with great ideas on how to improve the problem. When he first took command of this managerial position he identified seven significant problems and issues that needed immediate attention. A list of the issues the company was facing is illustrated below: Mr. Davidson received after six month a poor rating review. This event affected him emotionally and psychological. He became a passive person that did not care about his job. On the personal level he became an alcoholic. Friction occurred between Mr. Davidson and Mr. Ang. Eventually the internal conflict escalate so much that Davidson and Ang had a confrontation in public that cause a public spectacle within the organization. Mr. Ang was fired for insubordination and gross misconduct. Mr. Davidson lacked confidence and motivation toward the end which affected his performance as an employee. The conflict that occurred could have been prevented if the top managers of the company implemented better communication internally and externally. In terms of internal communication the managers needs to improve the communication among themselves and between the managers and the floor employees. Two techniques that can be used by managers to improve motivation are internal and external rewards (Beswich). An example of an intrinsic reward is congratulating an employee for