Genetically Modified Food

English 1010 11 November 2012 Genetically Modified Food Genetically modified foods (GMF) have foreign genes such as plants, animals and bacteria inserted into their genetic codes. Genetically modified organism is processed in a way that does not occur naturally. Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology. There are alternative names for genetically modified foods, such as â€Å"genetically engineered,† â€Å"biotechnology,† â€Å"genetic modification,† or â€Å"transgenic. Genetically modified organisms allows scientist to speed up the process by moving desired genes from one plant into another, sometimes from an animal to a plant, for example they take a genetic material from a number of different sources from virus and bacteria and they insert it into the soybean plant, which herbicide usually kills the plant but because of the genetic modified organism it does not. Genetic modified food is dangerous because it greatly expa nds the scope for horizontal gene transfer and recombination; this process creates new viruses and bacteria that cause disease, epidemics, and trigger cancerous cells.Genetically modified foods are dangerous because it can cause harmful effects on human health (â€Å"What are Genetically Modified (GM) Foods GM Products: Benefits and Controversies†). Many foods in the United States contain genetically modified organism, such as corn, soy, sugar and aspartame. In most of the foods we eat today contain those ingredients and most people do not even realize that they are eating genetically modified food because labeling the food is not mandatory in most of the United States. Related article: Food SafetyThe reason scientist developed genetically modified organism is because they believe it will provide more nutritious food, tastier food, cheaper food supply, ability to farm in unfavorable climates, faster growing plants and animals, possibility of disease fighting foods, improving the lives of farmers and less pesticides used but there are many risk that cancel out the potential good of genetically modified organism, for example endocrine disruptors, organ damage, decreased fertility, increased allergies, and more pesticide resistance.However Europe is protesting against genetically modified foods since they were first created. Studies in Europe say â€Å"The science of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another was supposed to be a giant leap forward, but instead they pose a serious threat to biodiversity and our own health† (â€Å"What are Genetically Modified (GM) Foods GM Products: Benefits and Controversies,†). UK say s â€Å"The simple truth is, we do not need genetically modified technology in order to possess future food security.Using sustainable and organic farming methods will allow us to repair the damage done by industrial farming, reducing the excessive use of fertilizer, herbicides and other man-made chemicals, and making genetically modified crops redundant† (â€Å"Genetically Engineered Crops†). The United States does not realize that it is bad for you but Europe, UK, Japan, and Australia bans all genetically modified foods for their safety and health. In the United States the FDA does not require any safety test for genetically modified foods because they know majority of people will not buy genetically modified foods.European has been the most concerned with genetically modified foods, everyone one should be concerned about these important factors (Gardner). Genetically modified food has many dangerous effects on the world, for instance genetically modified foods actua lly lose nutritional content in the process of altering their genetic genes. Some genetically modified foods may contain higher levels of allergens and toxins, which can have negative outlook on the personal health of those who eat genetic foods.Viruses and bacteria are used in the process of modifying foods, which means that there is a possibility that they could cause the development of a new disease. Also genetically modified foods could potentially cause damage to other organisms in the ecosystems where they are grown. If these organisms are killed off, it leads to a loss of biodiversity in the environment (â€Å"What are Genetically Modified (GM) Foods GM Products: Benefits and Controversies,†).Animals and people have become seriously ill or died from genetically modified foods because bacteria have been inserted into our food and our bodies cannot fight off these diseases. Even our environment has been damaged because gene pollution cannot be cleaned up, once geneticall y modified organisms, such as bacteria and viruses are released into the air it is difficult to recall or contain them. Toxins have also been the cause of killing people and animals by one or more extremely poisonous substances that unexpectedly appeared in this food supplement. Single genes should not be transferred to a foreign nvironment; their effects are unknown and therefore cause unknown harmful effects to the human health: â€Å"The reason that genetically engineered food could be dangerous is because there has been no adequate testing to ensure that extracting genes that perform an apparently useful function as part of that plant or animal is going to have the same effects if inserted into a totally unrelated species. A number of studies over the past decade have revealed that genetically engineered foods can pose serious risks to humans, domesticated animals, wildlife and the environment.Human health effects can include higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer. As for environmental impacts, the use of genetic engineering in agriculture will lead to uncontrolled biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction, and the potential contamination of all non-genetically engineered life forms with novel and possibly hazardous genetic material† (â€Å"Genetically Engineered Crops†).Monsanto is an agricultural company that first produced genetically modified foods. Monsanto is not worried about health of others; there main concern is the business. They hear of many lives being in danger from genetically modified food but they are not concerned with this because they are making money. There is no long-term safety testing for genetically modified food. Genetic engineering uses material from organisms that have never been part of the human food supply to change the fundamental nature of the food we eat.Without long-term testing no one knows if these f oods are safe. . They say, â€Å"There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans† (Wilcox). Genetically modified foods are bad for everyone because it can cause harm to humans, animals and the environment. Genetically modified food should be tested, and labeled so humans have the choice to purchase the food items or keep away from them.The main reason the United States has not banned genetically modified food is simply because most people do not even know what foods contain these harmful ingredients. If the FDA made a law that genetically modified foods are to be labeled many families would chose not to eat those foods because of the dangers it causes to the world. Work Cited Wilcox, Christine. â€Å"The very real dangers of genetically modified foods. †. The Atlantic, 9 2012. Web. 12 Nov 2012. Genetically Engineered Crops. Center for food safety, 5 2012.Web. 12 Nov 2012. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. † What are Genet ically Modified (GM) FoodsGM Products: Benefits and Controversies. U. S. Department of Energy Genome Programs, 17 2012. Web. 12 Nov 2012. Gardner, Richard. â€Å"Pros and Cons of GM Foods. † Arguments for GM Foods, Arguments Against GM Foods. N. p. , 30 2012. Web. 12 Nov 2012. Villano, Caren. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods. † What are genetically modified foods, Advantages, Types of genetically modified crops. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12

Pigrimage Should money be given to the poor or should it be used for maintaining the places of pilgrimage? Essay

Should money be given to the poor or should it be used for maintaining the places of pilgrimage? I think that money should be given to the poor people this is because Jesus helped the people in need. This is stated in the parable of the sheep and the goats and the rich young man. Another reference to back this up is â€Å"Love your neighbour† this means that you should help anyone in their time of need like in the good Samaritan when a Samaritan was beaten up and was in need of desperate help two people walked past him took a look at him and walked on then a Jew came past and helped him even though Jews and Samaritans absolutely hated each other he helped him in his time of need. So we should give money to the poor because at this time in their life they need our help and it is our duty to help them. This is why money should be given to the poor rather than places of pilgrimage because life is more important than buildings life is unique and special life is a gift from god. But also give money to the churches to maintain buildings of pilgrimage and churches but most of the money should go to the poor. On the other hand some Christians believe that it is right to maintain our places of pilgrimage because God deserves that kind of respect we should build his house in gold. The churches are the core of all communities. The church also helps those in need for example Soup kitchens. If the churches are not maintained then the churches history that it has got over hundreds of years. We also need to preserve places of pilgrimage because it is a way to get closer to God and pray for family. Another reason is that God is worthy of the admiration and beauty of the places of pilgrimage. Organisations like CAFOD help the poor by giving them long term aid like education and tool to get food. They also give short term aid where they give them food clean bottles of water health checks and vaccinations. We are unique and have feelings and our life is more important than buildings. The early Christians did not have places of worship and they managed to cope so why cant we do the same. Churches spread Christianity so if they start to deteriorate people will not want to go to church because it is so run down a lifeless it don’t seem worthy to be Gods house. In conclusion I think that more money should be spent on the poor because life is unique, precious, made in god’s image and likeness and life is a gift from god buildings are a luxury to have. If we spent more money on places of pilgrimage then lives would be wasted where no money was spent on them which means nobody cares about poor people any more.

A Review of Multmodal Learning Styles Essay Example for Free

A Review of Multmodal Learning Styles Essay ? Cara making, outllnes ana time lines created, ana In tne cnolce 0T pnyslcal environment used for study. A read-write learner absorbs information through written forms: lists, reading texts or handouts, detailed note taking, power points, and additional resources like paper or online articles about the subject. Student A also uses some of the strategies of this style with the additional research on the topic, multiple proof reading of written content, and reading of all assigned texts or handouts. Review of the learning strategies of both the read-write and the inesthetic learning styles shows helpful strategies not currently used by Student A. This student can also benefit by incorporating several learning strategies from each style. The kinesthetic strategy of relating the information to their own life experiences and finding real life examples would help Student A to retain and recall information as it is attached to real life references the student has already internalized. Using the read-write strategies of rewriting information several times and turning the content of a graph or diagram into a written summary would help Student A clarify and retain nderstanding of that content. Using the VARK Learning Style Assessment is a helpful tool for any learner. It gives helpful information that allows the student insights into how they learn and offers strategies to make the most of that learning style and avoid the problems that can be associated with that style. It is also very helpful for a student to understand that there are other learning styles and be aware of the focus of those learning styles. This aids in translating information given in another style in to the student’s style for optimum learning and also helps the tudent translate their style to accommodate the learning style of another when teaching information. References Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning. n. d. ).

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FOR TOPIC AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS Essay

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FOR TOPIC AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS - Essay Example Despite the fact that the New York State Department of Education has embodied the belief that art education held the potential to be invaluable in the lives of children and adolescents, it has systematically been the first area targeted in times of budgetary need. The fight for and over arts education has been one that has effectively and efficiently led to a longstanding advocacy for its inclusion in the daily curriculum. Ultimately, the arts in the schools became something to fight for and over the next ten years, arts activists associated with New York City's vast array of cultural organizations and arts institutions emerged to do so. They began using artists to fill in the breach. They used the financial support of arts funders to develop existing arts outreach programs and to create new institutions whose mission was to educate public school children. Over time, more than one hundred of the city's arts organizations, from the major institutions down to the tiniest fragile dance ensembles, developed a roster of "teaching-artists" in a wide range of art forms — collage, African drumming, Chinese calligraphy, modem dance, opera, flamenco, and puppetry, to name a few — who would visit public school classrooms. In the early years, they would visit each classroom several times and present performances. As time went on, the teaching rather than the performance took precedence and teacher engagements got longer until they involved typically ten to sixteen visits (Horowitz & Ingram, 2005).

Marketing Strategy of UKs Leading Provider of Mobile Phones and Research Paper

Marketing Strategy of UKs Leading Provider of Mobile Phones and Broadband - Research Paper Example Even though O2 enjoys a leading positions are cell phone and broadband provider, it still needs to update its policies in order to remain ahead of the competition. Due to favourable policies towards the telecommunication sector in UK, competition has grown strong and diverse in the country. This research attempts to explore the current marketing strategy of O2 and find issues with these strategies in order to develop improved strategies for the company. Importance of the Research This research is particularly helpful in creating an understanding for the marketing strategies of O2 and how it managed to develop such a strong customer base and reach. This research will help students of marketing in understanding the practical implications of the theories and concepts that they learned in the course as applied to a real case example. This research would also be helpful for not just students but also business leaders. It would particularly help O2 as it would not just summarize their current marketing direction but also provide solutions for future directions based on the feedback and information provided by current and potential users of the company. This research would also be helpful for the competitors of O2 in order to analyze the competitor landscape and to understand why O2 is progressing as one of the largest telecommunication companies in UK.

Modernisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modernisation - Essay Example As a result of this each unit focused on a specific task and was directly accountable for it. Cowper (2001) goes on to say that post 1997, in the second phase of the reform process, the labour Government headed by Tony Blair has focused on 'partnership and collaboration within the public sector.' The focus he says has " shifted from outputs to outcomes, and there is a drive to take a longer-term view in policymaking and a consumer view in service delivery." A significant aspect of modernization has been the introduction of technology to the various areas of work. Consumerist orientation of the public sector has also been an area of focus. According to Schofield, (2003) The biggest challenge for the public sector is to ensure high quality service within a limited budget. Along with these aspects comes the key area of employee relations. As the structure and focus of the organization changes, the impact is likely to be felt most by the people who work in the organization. This paper focuses on the implications of this modernization agenda on public sector industrial relations Using the available research and publications on the modernization of the public sector and public service employment relations, this paper will begin by looking at the need for modernization and the key objectives of modernization. The next section will focus on the changing face of industrial relations in the age of modernization. The focus will then shift to the significance of employee relations in the present era. Based on the findings of Dr. Stephen Bach's paper titled 'HR and new approaches to Public Sector Management: Improving HRM Capacity' (2000) and Lynette Harris' paper titled, 'UK public sector reform and gaining commitment to the 'performance agenda," (2003) this section will deal with some of the challenges that lie ahead in the modernization or reform focus. The key issue raised will be the need for better Human resource Management Practices to ensure better employee relations and greater job satisfaction. What is Modernisation According to the Policy Brief, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005),Today Governments all over the world are under increasing pressure to open up to public scrutiny and be more accessible to the people who elected them. It was with a view to cater to this public demand , increase public trust in the Government and to improve the quality of services offered by the public sector that the Government , Cowper (2001) says introduced its modernizing agenda with a 5 point programme: a. to make policy making more evidence-based b. to make services more responsive, more coherent public and focused on the user; c. to deliver high quality, efficient public services; d. to introduce information age, on-line government including the first corporate IT strategy for government to value and reward public service with a program of Civil Service reform e. and greater diversity in recruitment As Cowper (2001) points out, the driving force behind the modernization agenda is the outcome. This model focuses on the result for the user in terms of their life or business and for the government in terms of social or economic or political change. It is not just in the United Kingdom but across the world that public sector management is in a flux. According to a white

Events of September 20th 1973 Speech or Presentation

Events of September 20th 1973 - Speech or Presentation Example The day witnessed the sorrowful and untimely pass away of immensely talented American songwriter and singer Jim Croce who was originally named as James Croce. At the time of his death of a plane crash he was only 30 plus and less than three and half months away of his 31st birthday. Like many other musical geniuses Jim’s early career was not so successful though it turned into colours quite rapidly in 1970 (Alfred Publishing 104). This period was renowned for Jim’s meeting with singer and song writer Maury Muehlesien and the duo jammed together quite well. The flexibility between the two in interchanging their roles as vocalist to musicians was worth watching. The duo produced some ear melting songs like â€Å"You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,† â€Å"Life and Times†, â€Å"Operator and Time in Bottle† and of them received applaud. Especially Croce’s â€Å"Bad Bad Leroy Brown† became the number one chart hit in America in 1973 (And erson, 38). Catastrophe struck at this point of success when Croc along with all the crew in a chartered plain met a crash in their way to Sherman Texas and succumbed to the crash. The most major event on that day regarding sports might be considered as the battle between sexes as it is popularly known. This was a tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King two of the supremos of lawn tennis. The game was metaphorical at the back ground of equality in payment between male and female tennis stars. Two important points are here to note, Bobby was at that time 55 and Billy was 27. However putting it aside Billy Jean King downed Bobby in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The biggest contribution of Billy to women tennis was to put it a step forward towards equality with their male counterpart. It is worth noting that Margaret Court arguably the greatest ever ladies tennis player faced a humiliating defeat against Bobby (6-1, 6-2) on mothers day, popularly known as mother’s d ay massacre. Miss Court was never an ardent supporter of equality among the male and the female players and that perhaps restricted her from furnishing her highest efforts while combating Bobby. On the other hand Billy realised that if this old man manages to defeat her then woman tennis would walk back around fifty years. Though the match ended in a friendly manner and gestures were exchanged between the two, but that in no way undermines the significance of this historical battle of sex between two legends of the game (Drury, 63). On the same day and same year Alan L. Powedermaker and his wife built a ranch in western style making a perfect western essence named Circle R Ranch. At the very initial level the ranch hoisted a party with only 28 members. The party was meant for eastern Kodak. If increase in number of gusts is considered as an significant growth of the ranch and which definitely is; nowadays 350,000 guests are each year entertained within the realm of the ranch. Till d ate Circle R the ranch has been associated with many interesting events that have even claimed awards. Some of them are worth mentioning â€Å"Sly and The Family Stone, The World Classic Rockers, Charlie Daniels Band, LeeAnn Rimes, Tracey Lawrence, Dwight Yoakum, KC & the Sunshine Band, Kool & the Gang, 3 Dog Night, Bo Diddley and Chubby Checker. In 1996, Circle R hosted the Country Music Association Awards Gala.† (Circle R. Ranch) The ranch was now operated by two very experienced persons, Steven Foster and Wendy Foster who are eventually

European Single Currency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

European Single Currency - Essay Example Prior to its launch there were ambiguities but after the launch all the issues quickly disappeared and Euro within no time became a favorite among the citizens residing in European Countries. Roughly around 320 million European citizens use the currency and find it really amazing and beneficial in more ways than one. Euro is used in almost all the European Countries but there are still exceptions like Denmark and United Kingdom who still use their own currencies, the British pound is used in United Kingdom and the DKK better known as the Danish Krone is used in Denmark. One of the biggest advantages of Euro is that it saves a lot of time and effort of the travelers who choose to travel with Europe. For instance if there is a Soccer game in Spain which a Greek citizen wants to witness, he/she can just straight away catch a flight and reach the Soccer stadium in Spain and watch the game. There is no need to covert the currency into some other currency. The same has resulted in saving a lot of time and effort of the European Citizens. This was not the case prior to the introduction of Euro. The people had to exchange money every now and then to meet their demands but after the introduction things have changed for better. Another major advantage is the clarity in prices whenever an European citizen travels to another European country it becomes very easy to compare and buy the products of his/her choice; this facility was not available to the citizens prior to the launch of the Euro. Earlier even if a Tourist wanted to buy a product desperately, he/she was made to think thrice about it because of the different currencies within Europe but these days there is transparency in prices with regard to the currencies and this has only happened because of the introduction of the Euro. Euro has brought in a lot of Economic and financial stability, a Businessman is much less prone to risk when using Euro as his/her currency. Single currency keeps the inflation rate under a good check, which is extremely important for an economy and the Euro does exactly that. It keeps interest rates and the rate of inflation under check hence it can be said that the Euro plays a pivotal role in maintaining the economic growth of the European nations. "Having a single currency and an economic and monetary union strengthens Europe's role in international fora and organizations like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). Euro strengthens the position of all the European countries, having a single currency helps a lot in the growth of the country and in this particular case Europe on the whole. Euro is very frequently used in international trade; it has very quickly become a part and parcel of the lives of many businessmen who carry out trade at large scales. Countries also have started using Euro as the currency for International trade. "A single currency makes Europe a strong partner to trade with and facilitates access to a genuine single market for foreign companies, who will benefit from lower costs of doing business in Europe." (The Euro & You, 20 October 2008). The investors get a lot of positive things by using the Euro as their currency; they get more access to liquid financial markets and also they get a

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writer's choice - Essay Example In today’s business environment culture of a country is perceives to be quite crucial for the successful operation of the business. Accordingly, different countries of the world have distinct cultural values and norms which differentiate them from other nations. In order to analyses the role of culture on the business practices, China is being selected as a country due to its diverse culture. Concerning with the cultural aspects of China, social structure is chosen to ascertain valuable understanding. Thus this paper will primarily intend emphasize on the social structure of the country as part of their culture in order to attain considerable understanding (Diller, 2011). China is considered as the country to be analyzed owing to the fact that it is among the biggest nations of the world with rich cultural heritage right from the olden days. This aspect attracts people from all part of the world to visit the place for various purposes. Politically, the country also has various aspects to be showcased. The government of the country is administered by a single party called the communist party of China. This depicts that power lies in the hands of the few selected people only. The political condition of the country is considered to be quite stable for business it encourage business to establish in the country. This aspect reduces the risk of business operation in the country owing to the support of the government. This also depicts the mindsets of the government regarding business. Economically, the GDP of the country relatively impressive as it is the second largest economy after the USA. Moreover, average income of the people of the country is increas ing on a regular basis which further depicts that each and every person of the country is ensuring more values towards the society which ultimately resulted in hike in purchasing power of the people. This affects the mindset of the people and they are more and

Need and Respect Essay Example for Free

Need and Respect Essay MichelGerges 18/11/12 â€Å" Respect is the key, they are many doors in life and basketball could be one but if you don’t get the key of respect then you will never get pass that door.† Many people that are trying to attract good things into their life have one major flaw. They do not respect what they seek. Our team desires to win and to succeed in the game of basketball but we do not the respect or mind set to do so. Respect is a very important factor in any sport. You must respect your teammates, your coach, the referee, the fans and your opponent. More importantly, you must respect the game. You must show up on time for games and practices and respect the rules of the game and the rules of the STM team. These rules were simple, the coaches did not ask for much from us. All they had asked for was for us to show respect for everyone on and off the court. Another rule was to be a leader, in a way which you wouldn’t let your teammates disturb other leagues that go on in the church such as other sports league. Show them the respect that we would want back in return. By not telling our friends to stop fooling around then we don’t show any leadership. Leadership is also a way to show respect. We didn’t show leadership when Mina had asked us all to calm down and to get our friends to stop disturbing the league. Mina has better things to do on his Saturday mornings but he decides every morning to get up early to help us even though we have been nothing but ungrateful children who just want to play around and not play real basketball or find out what it’s really like to have the heart for the game. Also, coming into practice late and walking in as if you own the place is unacceptable. It shows a lack of respect and self-discipline. We should treat this team as if it was a team outside of the church. Actually we should treat this with double the respect because this team is a privilege not a right. Not many of us have noticed that yet. Respect to me means being able to step in someone else’s shoes and take a look at life from a different point of view. Everybody has a story and a history we may never hear about, and we must be understanding and non-judgmental. Its loving and caring for everyone around us, for we are all important pieces of the big puzzle that is life. This is what I think respect means but it means many different things to different people and we need to learn to have one common ground with each other. This will help us  to advance in life and succeed and this is the same thing with basketball. If we want to win games and win tournaments than we must have respect for all our coach and teammates. Mentally and physically. We need to sacrifice our body when working hard so that you are giving a hundred and ten percent on the court and not regretting it.

Project Analysis Of New Wembley Stadium

Project Analysis Of New Wembley Stadium The construction of the new Wembley stadium is a project which has been both controversial and fascinating. The aim of the project was to design and build a state-of-the-art national stadium, unlike any other in the world, to be the home of English football and to host large events such as Cup Finals, music events and athletics. The new stadium is eventually expected to become an icon in the same way as the old stadium with the twin towers replaced by the arch. The new 90,000 all-seat stadium will be operated by WembleyNational Stadium Ltd (WNSL) and is now expected to be finished and signed off by late summer 2006, ready to host its first events in 2007 (following a block of event cancellations in 2006). The old stadium was closed in 2000 and demolished in 2002. Construction of the new stadium began in October 2002. FINANCE OF THE NEW STADIUM To overcome financial concerns over the new stadium, the parties involved came to an agreement on a fixed-cost contract. This made provision for a building cost of around  £352 million, with total projectcosts of  £757 million. Under such an arrangement, the client is protected from exposure to budget over-runs or delays in construction. That risk is borne by the main contractor; Multiplex (UK) Ltd. Cyril Sweett acted as independent consultants for WNSL in April 2002 and cleared the Multiplex contract as representing value for money. A National Lottery fund investment of  £120 million was made into the stadium. Financial backing of  £426 million for theproject was secured through West Deutsche Landesbank of Germany. Ken Livingston and Brent Council secured  £21 million in funding for the project and a further  £17.2 million from WNSL for improvements to transport infrastructure in the area around the stadium. The stadium will be linked to Wembley Park Station (London Underground) via Olympic Way and also WembleyCentral Station via the White Horse bridge. The stadium has now also triggered a major regeneration scheme in the surrounding area. Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners was the planning consultan t for the project. DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE The design (50 year design life) of the new stadium is both functional and architecturally significant. Sir Norman Foster designed the arch and the roof structure, with the remainder of the stadium being designed by architects Foster and Partners and HOK Sport. The stadiums unique features include retractable roof panels and the arch. These were developed in response to the particular requirements of the stadium, one of which was the need for a high-quality grass pitch in order to achieve UEFA 5 star stadium status. By using retractable roof panels, which retract to the south, it allows as much daylight and ventilation to reach pitch level as possible. The arch itself is not just a cosmetic feature; it supports the north roof and a sizeable area of the south roof. THE ARCH AND ROOF The arch was designed to give the appearance of solidity without incurring the penalty of high wind loads. The arch has a lattice form consisting of 41 steel rings (diaphragms) connected by spiralling tubular chords and is formed of 13 modules with two tapering end sections. The arch (7.4m in diameter at the base and weighing 1,750t) tapers at its ends and is supported on 70t hinges which are in turn supported on concrete bases founded on piles 35m deep. Inclined from the vertical, the arch is held in position by a series of forestay and backstay cables tied to the main stadium structure. The leading edge of the north roof is in turn suspended from the arch by the forestay cables. Cables from the arch are arranged in a diagonal pattern to help spread loads to control in-plane bending while also providing out-of-plane restraint to resist buckling. The arch structure is 133m in height, with a span of 315m and is the longest single-span roof structure in the world. The 50,000m2 roof is essential to the operation of the stadium as a sporting and concert venue. Weighing some 7,000t, the roof has a number of retractable edge sections which can be manoeuvred to allow direct sunlight to reach all parts of the grass pitch (to allow the pitch to achieve top quality). If necessary (e.g. during inclement weather), the roof can be retracted in around 15 minutes to cover every seat inside. The arch at a 68 ° tilt from the horizontal supports 5,000t of the roof structure. With its load-bearing capabilities, the arch allowed designers to eliminate the need for columns within the interior, which means that every stadium seat has an unobstructed view of the pitch. The arch fulfils another function aside from supporting the majority of the roof. It also provides a beacon for the stadium, illuminating the north-west London sky on match days. The designers vision for the arch was a tube of light that would hover over the stadium at night creating an iconic statement. To achieve this effect, 258 metal halide floodlights were mounted within the arch to illuminate the internal faces of the lattice and the structural rings that form its structure. Because the arch is lit from within, the outer faces remain dark and increase the dramatic effect by adding depth and contrast and giving the appearance that the light is trapped within the lattice structure. The arch also has an aircraft safety light at the top. CONSTRUCTING AND RAISING THE ARCH Construction of the arch began in 2003; it was fabricated on-site using steel modules fabricated by steel subcontractor Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge has since left the project over some serious contractual difficulties with the main contractor Multiplex. The arch was lifted in four key stages in June 2004 and temporarily supported on five restraining cables. Structural engineers from the Mott Stadium Consortium worked closely with Multiplex and the newly appointed steelwork subcontractor Hollandia to transfer the load, in excess of 1,300t, to the permanent cable net and eyebrow catenary cable. The final positioning of the arch to 112 ° was completed at the end of 2005, with the arch being rotated to take up the full roof load. CONTRACTORS The main contractor for the project was Multiplex of Australia.Project management (PM) was undertaken by Symonds who also carried out the PM for the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The Structural Engineers and Consultants included SVE Franklin and Andrews; Nathanial Lichfield and Partners; Steer Davies Gleeve and Mott Stadium Consortium (Connell Wagner, Mott MacDonald, SKM, Weidlinger, M-E Engineers). The original steel contractor was Cleveland Bridge but they were eventually replaced by Hollandia. The ME contractor for the project was Emcor Drake Scull and the building services engineering was carried out by Mott MacDonald. The original stadium demolition was carried out by Griffiths McGee. For the foundations of the new stadium the piling specialist was Stent and the concrete specialist was PC Harrington. PITCH LAYING On 19 June 2006 the laying of the new Wembley turf was completed. The laying process took a week and required more than 10,000m2 of turf to create the new playing surface. The turf arrived at the stadium in giant rolls measuring between 12m to 16m long and 1.2m wide, and was transported in 25 lorry loads. The fibre sand pitch is made up of an underlying web of heating and drainage pipes plus 22,161t of crushed stone, gravel, grit, sand and a blend of sand / soil and fibre. The grass used for the turf was selected from 250 different varieties with each square metre of turf containing 150,000 to 200,000 leaf blades. To maintain the world-class Wembley pitch the roof will be left fully open between events to allow the turf to be exposed to direct sunlight and ventilation. The sub air system installed under the pitch has ducts that are able to supply warm air to the the pitch to heat it and the same system can also be used to remove excess moisture from the pitch if required. Steve Welch is the Grounds Manager responsible for keeping the turf in excellent condition. FEATURES OF THE STADIUM To understand the size of the project, the stadium encloses 4 million m3 inside the walls and under the roof. The construction has required 90,000m3 of concrete, 23,000t of steel and 35 miles of heavy-duty power cable. Four thousand separate piles were used to form the foundations, the deepest of which was sunk to 35m. The stadium roof rises 52m above the pitch and the circumference of the building is 1km. The roof structure covers 11 acres, 4 acres of which are movable. The 90,000 seat capacity makes it the second largest stadium in Europe next to the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona with a capacity of 98,000, but it will certainly be one of the largest stadia in the world to have a covering roof. The seating is much more steeply banked than previously so that no seat will have a restricted view. Minimum seat depth will be 80cm, with a minimum width of 50cm. The stadium will have the facility to convert to an athletics venue by virtue of a removable steel and concrete platform which will rise 6m above the football pitch (the new pitch is 4m lower than in the old Wembley stadium). Installing the running track decreases the capacity of the stadium to 68,000. The front row at each end will now be between 8m to 13m from the touchline, compared with 40m in the old stadium. In addition there will be 310 wheelchair spaces with attendant companion spaces, and increased capacity for other physically impaired spectators. There will also be 400 media seats, 2,618 toilets and four main banqueting halls, the largest of which can accommodate 2,000 people. The stadium incorporates an external concourse surrounding it which is able to cater food and drink for 40,000 spectators at one time. CONTROVERSY AND EVENTS DURING CONSTRUCTION When the project first started it was delayed for two years over financial and political difficulties and eventually got underway in late 2002. The stadium was supposed to be completed by May 2006 for the FA Cup Final (but this was transferred to Cardiff) after consultation with Multiplex about when the stadium would be finished. Multiplex are now paying penalties for the late finishing of the contract although they have threatened to sue WNSL over changes in the design which they suggest were responsible for the project being late. A few construction problems have been highlighted during theproject. The first was a problem between Multiplex and the steel contractor Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge walked off the job in 2004 shortly before the arch was raised because they did not believe they would be paid for materials and there were irrevocable difficulties between the two parties. The problems resulted in two high profile court cases where the two companies have sued each other for breach of contract (Multiplex sued for  £45 million and Cleveland Bridge sued for  £22.5 million to recover what it believed it was owed). As of June 2006 the courts had found in favour of Multiplex because of breach of contract, but Cleveland Bridge is appealing. The second problem involved a temporary roof support rafter, which fell by over half a metre in March 2006. This resulted in the evacuation of 3,000 construction workers and delayed worked while inspections and reports were carried out. Theproject was started again shortly afterwards. Later in March 2006 a third problem came to light. The sewers under the stadium had buckled due to ground movement. Remedial work was put into action for this and is currently nearing completion. The stadium is expected to be completed by late summer 2006 and hosting a full programme of events during 2007. About Wembley Stadium Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) is the company that has redeveloped Wembley Stadium as the worlds leading sport and music venue. Offering up to 90,000 fans unrivalled views of the action in state-of-the-art facilities while generating an unbeatable atmosphere, Wembley Stadium is setting new standards for supporters and performers alike. The aim of the project is to develop an iconic stadium for football and rugby league, which also has the capability to stage major international athletics events. If the project is successful, the stadium will be suitable for holding flagship events, make available a specified minimum number of seats to the general public, and be financially viable in its own right without the need for ongoing public subsidy. Any profits generated by the stadium will be used by the Football Association for the benefit of football. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2006 and is expected to cost  £757 million, of which the public sector funders are providing  £161 million. The original public funding, a lottery grant of  £120 million from Sport England (the largest it has ever given), was paid in full at the outset of the project and used principally to finance the acquisition of the existing Wembley stadium and business in 1999. Had the project not proceeded in 2001 after it failed to secure the commercial financing needed, Sport England would have been entitled to recover its grant but this would not necessarily have been straightforward. Lottery funding was provided on the basis that the stadium would be capable of hosting major international athletics events. Concerns about the viability of the proposed design led to the removal of athletics from the plans for the stadium but provision for athletics has now been reinstated. In April 2001 the Football Association approached the Department to request further public funding for the project, having been unable to secure the commercial financing needed. In September 2002, after a detailed review process, the Department concluded that the project was worthy of further support and committed  £20 million of government funding. In reaching its decision on whether to provide additional public funds the Department, working closely with Sport England, took account of Mr Patrick Carters review of the project and also took assurance from work by the Office of Government Commerce and other external experts. The Department also considered the risks that the project will face as it moves forward and the mechanisms put in place to address the risk of, for example, the stadium taking longer or costing more than expected to build or the projects viability being undermined by a shortfall in revenue. In negotiating the contractual arrangements for the project, the public sector funders accepted that their interests would be largely subordinated to the senior bank since it was providing over half the funding for the project, compared with their 21 per cent. In the worst case, the bank would have first call on the projects assets in the event of the project getting into serious financial difficulty. But for other circumstances, the public sector funders secured provisions which protect the public interest and which should be enforceable without compromising the viability of the project.

Fascism: Abuse of Privilege and Power :: essays research papers fc

Fascism: Abuse of Privilege and Power I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  intro - The abuse and corruption of power. A. context-Abuse of power 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  within society there is always elected officials throughout history, this is a constant within the human and animal world. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This power can be abused. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Focus-Some elected officials can abuse this power In the George Orwell book Animal Farm, corruption of leadership is shown when the pig Napoleon turns his role as farm leader into dictator. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A hunger for power and money leads to corruption and the abuse of power II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Body-Examples of power abuse within our society A. nonfiction-The Jonestown massacre 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corrupt leaders in society can â€Å"brainwash† their followers a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mass suicide (1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Jonestown massacre that took place in Guyana (2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  it was evident that the people were "brainwashed" (3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The constant re-occurrence of elected officials 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What causes us to pass off our responsibilities to others? I)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The lack of want for responsibility s)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Religious and political leaders c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maybe they are more qualified? t)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is it just our fault for electing bad leaders? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  it’s nobody’s fault that these leaders have become corrupt. i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corruption is usually a product of greed. s)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High-up officials take their power and abuse it because of their greed and disregard for others. c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is shown in almost every case of this by t)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These cases are shown and shape our history B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fiction i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A true example of fascism and power abuse is shown in the book Animal Farm s)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Animal Farm Napoleon abuses his power as leader and corrupts his fellow pigs c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This leads to a downfall in the farm t)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This relates to modern day dictatorships C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contemporary i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Iraq, Saddam Hussein abused his power and ruined his country for his citizens. s)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This required a call to action by the world to remove him and his regime. c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This led to the downfall of the Iraqi nation because of his fierce totalitarianism t)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the proof that there is a problem of power abuse in the world III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a problem with some highly trusted, elected officials in our society B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary of evidence 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  nonfiction- There is people/leaders in this world with enough greed and self-absorption that will ruin things for everyone as long as it makes their own life better. a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RE- The fascist dictatorships caused by a thirst for power and money are what have caused many downfalls in civilization. b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RC- These cases are perfect examples of what the abuse of power and greed can do. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  literary- The abuse shown in Animal Farm a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RE- Snowball gains trust among the fellow farm animals and then turns on them with his lust for power. b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RC- This in turn ruins things for his fellow farm animals.

Literary Essays :: Literature

In literary essays, students are exploring meaning and construction of a piece of literature. In a review students are discussing overall effect and validity of written work, while in a literary essay students are paying more attention to specifics. Students are taking a piece of writing and trying to discover how and why it is put together way it is. Students must adopt a viewpoint on work in question and show how details of work support their viewpoint. Like the novel, the essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything. By tradition, almost by definition, the essay is a short piece, and it is therefore impossible to give all things full play within the limits of a single essay. But a collection of essays can cover almost as much ground, and cover it almost as thoroughly, as can a long novel. Montaigne's Third Book is the equivalent, very nearly, of a good slice of the Comà ©die Humaine. Essays belong to a literary species whose extreme variability can be studied most effectively within a three-poled frame of reference. There is the pole of the personal and the autobiographical, there is the pole of the objective, the factual, the concrete-particular, and there is the pole of the abstract-universal. Most essayists are at home and at their best in the neighborhood of only one of the essay's three poles, or at the most only in the neighborhood of two of them. There are the predominantly personal essayist s, who write fragments of reflective autobiography and who look at the world through the keyhole of anecdote and description. There are the predominantly objective essayists who do not speak directly of themselves, but turn their attention outward to some literary or scientific or political theme. †¦ And how splendid, how truly oracular are the utterances of the great generalizers! †¦ The most richly satisfying essays are those which make the best not of one, not of two, but of all the three worlds in which it is possible for the essay to exist The research essay leads students into works of others and asks students to compare their thoughts with their own.

Physics of Robots :: physics robot robots

Definition of a Robot A Robot is a reprogramable, multi-functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or a specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of variety of tasks. In order to make a robot do anything it has to have a program or a set of programs that tell it to do certain tasks. Robots come in all different shapes and sizes. Some robots have been used to try and look and behave physically like a human being. Other robots are used for home entertainments. For example there is a robotic dog that now for sale that can behave and act like a dog. The nice thing about having a robotic dog is a person could shut it off when they get tired of it. Different Kinds of Robots Some robots have arms, legs, heads, wheels, and etc. There are robots that are used in big industrial factories. General Electric uses robotic arms to weld. The robotic arms can weld with such great precision that it looks perfect. There are also robots that have been used in movies such as Mighty Joe Young, Star Wars, and Jurrasic Park. Then there are also miniture robots that are designed like small insects such as horseflys and ladybugs. You can read about the insect robots in the National Geographics Magazine. The Structure of the Robotic Hand A robotic hand can be designed in different ways. The most important is that there is a wrist, fingers, and a way to move an object. The wrist will give the twisting motion. The fingers will be able to grab an object. Some people use grippers. The grippers work like sicorrs. There are also devices that act like sensory nerves. These devices are either light sensitive or switch activated. That way a robot would be able to tell where a light source is coming from or when it was running into a wall. The hardest part about making a robotic hand do something is to make the open and closing motion with the fingers. Humans have nerves and muscels that alow them to retract and contract their fingers. With a robot cables, motors, or pneumatic hydralics can be used. Strong cables can be used to give easy and quiet movements. Motors used with different gear ratios can make the fingers stronger when gripping or faster. By determining how much work would have to be done on the gear to make it spi n would make the gear lift an object with force.

St.patrick’s day

When people here the name st. patrick they would most likely think of a Leprechaun with a green Jacket and hat holding a four leaf clover from Ireland. But really, St. Patrick was born, not in Ireland, but in Britain around AD 387. Well, actually, he wasn't called St. Patrick at the time, or even Patrick, but was referred to as Maewyn Succat. And when he was growing up St. patrick was far from a saint in fact he was considered a pagan until he was 16 when he was taken into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that attacked his village.Patrick was then sold to his master whom he served for 6 years it was then that he became a Christian One day he heard a compelling voice tell him in his sleep to leave his master, and find a ship that awaited him. He fled to the coast of Ireland and eventually made it back to his home. He then studied in the church and stayed there for 12 years that was when he decided that what god wants him to do is to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Eventually he adopted his new Christian name, Patricius, or Patrick as it is said today nd returned to Ireland after being appointed a Bishop.Patrick was very successful at converting people, that upset the Celtic Druids who had him arrested several times, but he managed to escape each arrest. Patrick traveled through Ireland, establishing monasteries, schools, and churches throughout the land. Eventually Patrick returned to where he had once been a slave, to pay his ransom to his former master, and to put his â€Å"blessing† upon him. Even though he had been treated cruelly Patrick didn't hold a grudge against him.As Patrick approached his master's old home he saw that it was on fire. He was told by many people that in a fit, his old master gathered all of his valuables into his mansion, set them on fire, and threw himself into the fire telling everyone that â€Å"his pride could not take the thought of being killed by his former slave†. There are also many legends su rrounding st. patrick saying that he raised people from the dead. Patrick converted people in Ireland for 30 years. Afterwards, he retired, and then died on March 17th, 461 AD.He was not declared a saint when Patrick died, that didn't happen until the 12th century. He would have been declared a saint by acclamation, and his sainthood approved by a local bishop soon after he died. St. Patrick's Day was originally a Catholic holiday, and still is, but has also made it was into a holiday for everyone to celebrate being celebrated by non-lrish, non-Catholics, and ironically even atheists. The tradition of pinching people that didn't wear green is an American tradition that started in the 1700s.People thought wearing green made them invisible to leprechauns, who they thought would pinch people for not wearing green. So when you think of St. Patrick, and you imagine a leprechaun in a green Jacket, hat, pipe, clover, and pot of gold try to remember that he was not a man who devoted 30 year s of his life to teaching and helping the Irish. We think of the color green not a man that suffered six years of slavery to preach his beliefs. And has turned this holiday about him into celebrating leprechauns and wearing green st. patrick's day esssay.

Admissions letter for Forensic Nursing Program masters level

Interest and influence are two main reason why I want to pursue a Forensic course. Influenced by people who are dear to me serves as my motivation in order to succeed in this field of Nursing. Personal experiences gave me learnings and responsibilities that molded me to be what I am now.My endeavors in life that I wished to happen at the right time comes with great purpose. This is for me to finish my masters degree in a Forensic Nursing program offered by Duquesne University Pittsburgh,   PA. I can say that my previous experiences in life has great impact once I mixed it with a Masteral Degree.My optimism helps me accept problems as challenges that are vital for me as an individual. I can say that I am a good student and willing to risk myself in every task assigned by my mentors. I have so many dreams and aspirations in life and I am looking forward to a brighter career in the field of Forensic Nursing.Looking back, I see my personal and academic experiences as stages of growth t hat have helped me to understand my own potential and the road that I wish to take in life. While vast opportunities are before me, I feel that my true calling lies in the fascinating and challenging world of Forensic Science and Nursing.I wish to study more about this field because I believe that choosing to undergo a program for my masters at Duquesne University aid me   to make my dream a reality and become a successful forensic scientist someday.In addition to these, I was able to convey passion for this field since my childhood. That I have been interested in forensics since I was a child. I would often watch forensic files and unsolved mysteries. As well as the HBO series with the coroner Dr. Michael Boden and how unsolved crimes were solved by means of forensic examination and investigation. I am currently a single mother of three beautiful children.They serve as my inspirations in life and my motivation to surpass all trials. I have worked as a full-time nurse and I was al so inducted into the gamma beta phi honor society back in 2002, the sigma theta tha honor nursing society back in 2005 and the alpha sigma labda honor society back in 2005. Being an exemplary student I won the freshman of the year award in 2002 and became the Recipient of

How Chris McCandless Died Essay

Krakauer’s Into the Wild analyzes the whole story of Chris McCandless, a young fellow, who in 1992 strolled profound into the Alaskan wilderness and whose SOS note and withered body were discovered four months after. Globally top rated creator Jon Krakauer investigates the fixation which drives a few people to examine the outer furthest reaches of self, abandon human advancement and look for illumination through isolation and contact with nature (Krakauer, Pp.160). Chris argued that †The essential center of a man’s living soul is his obsession for the enterprise. The delight of life originates from our experiences with new encounters, and thus there is no more prominent bliss than to have an unendingly evolving skyline, for every day to have another and diverse sun.† (Chris McCandless). McCandless looked upon some literary figures that influenced the decision into leave behind everything that the parents provided and go on an adventure in dangerous Alaska. T he literary heroes discussed below had a complete influence from the books they wrote that Chris read and hence getting motivated about the journey. Chris had a similar connection to Leo Tolstoy since Chris’ was an outstanding group of Old Russian Nobility. The connection with Leo was acquainted with Chris’ Life (Madjid, Pp.131). The connection they shared influenced Chris to admire Leo as his legend. In spite of the fact that, He viewed Leo’s way of life, he additionally read books from Leo which influenced to admire what Leo had felt. For Example, a book composed by Leo Tolstoy called Anna Karenina, Leo expressed that †Every single cheerful family is similar; each despondent family is troubled in its way.†(Leo). Chris’ life can be associated with the character into the story since McCandless was additionally despondent with family because Chris’ folks had furnished with all that was needed; it is the thing that made Chris is miserable inside family. The family had felt that giving everything fulfilled Chris’ desires; however, concerning Chris’ view it didn’t ma ke a happy life. Amid Chris’ enterprise, he had gazed upward to many characters (Merkley, Pp.163). However, one that emerges the most was Leo Tolstoy; this was on account of Chris had life and perspectives like Leo. Chris required motivation, from the saints and Leo Tolstoy turned into a most noteworthy legend all through McCandless’ trip. Tolstoy influenced Chris profoundly in the path of asceticism and seeking an alternative to middle-class living. Henry Thoreau was a notable figure in the American philosophical movement of Transcendentalism. This philosophy revolved around the possibility that the foolish congruity of the encompassing society was not sufficiently adequate in life (Harms, Pp.126). Undoubtedly an ideal approach to wind up plainly a visionary is to forfeit your living close by and frame a stable bond with the nature around you. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer displayed Christopher McCandless, a man who was propelled by these early visionary figures, and before the finish of the trip, Chris is tantamount to Thoreau. McCandless discovered the truth in introspective philosophy. A visionary has solid convictions in evading human connections, realism and grasping mysticism. The primary thing Chris did was surrender family, the general population that was nearest. This was the initial phase of turning into a visionary since they trusted that human connections meddled with the capacity to associate with nature genuinely ( Vera, Pp.52). Chris additionally turned out to be exceptionally irritable and ambiguous with the general population that came crosswise over as he bummed a ride, making a point to maintain a strategic distance from human connections. Chris once stated, †You are incorrect if you think Joy radiates only†¦from human connections. God has set everything around us, and you should simply go after it.† (79). Chris had a disposition that influenced it to appear as though clearly nature is the subordinate of happiness. Chris didn’t have time for human connections just like Henry. †Jack London is King† this was cut into a piece of wood found at the transport where Chris McCandless’ body was found. Chris McCandless appreciated Jack London as a man and an essayist (Brandt, Pp.189). Chris went into the wilds of Alaska to demonstrate that he could live off the land, with no advanced accommodations, and no human contact. Jack London composed stories about men and creatures encounter the earth, and survival against hardships, which were composed of his own life. His works included independence and the investigation of the laws of nature. Chris needed to investigate his own independence, his identity, and how he was to carry on with whatever is left of his life. London, a communist, and drifter, lived and worked among poor people and lower classes and related to their predicament. He tramped for a period, as did McCandless. McCandless, similar to London, searched out and related to minimizing individuals living on the social edges (Brandt, Pp.190). Chris’ aspiration in life was to be unified with nature and investigate. He needed to find the world for himself. It didn’t make a difference to him on the off chance that others viewed as foolish; pursuing his fantasies made a difference more to him than taking into account others’ reactions. †ANY MAN WHO WAS A MAN COULD TRAVEL ALONE.† McCandless basically did not trust that there was have to rely on others to survive. For the duration of Chris’ life, he overlooked relations with family and declined to be too sincerely associated with anybody met on the journey to Alaska. McCandless blossomed with independence and one’s capacity to make his own particular way. †YOU CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR MOTIVATION; YOU NEED TO FOLLOW IT WITH A CLUB.† (Hanssen, Pp.195) As confirmation from the book, Chris ends up being an extremely willful and firecracker individual. Chris is certain beyond a shadow of a doubt of objectives and won’t l et anything block on them. Conclusion Chris had a life philosophy that life is more of interaction with nature and sharing the happiness but not just the family relationships. McCandless demonstrates this veneration in one of the most recent days of his life when he composes a short farewell to the world: †I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANKED THE LORD. FAREWELL, AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!† (199). In the last snapshots of McCandless’ life, he communicates actual inclination about the long excursion by lauding God alongside every other person in his life. This demonstrates profound regard to God for brave and satisfying life by saying thanks to the sky (Krakauer, Pp.195). McCandless regularly discusses religion is putting trusts that God has taken a substantial part in making life so energizing and in this manner feels thankful for it. Christopher McCandless takes the Transcendentalist way of life by disengaging himself from society, living with just basics and following transcendentalist religion full-hearte dly. Chris’ life decisions and philosophical thoughts are demonstrated through the voyage to Alaska and take after the perfect Transcendentalist life to an adequate degree, which is the reason such a large number of Transcendent adherents alike and not-alike end up noticeably charmed by his character and his story in Krakauer’s Into the Wild.

Competency Statement Essay

To advance physical and intellectual competence†¦ It is essential to the growth and development of every child to advance their physical and intellectual needs. Preschool age children have a short attention span. They learn by example, and learn by activities that are interesting to them. I keep their minds fresh by including fun games in the weekly lesson plan that improves their physical, cognitive and creative development. I do this on a daily basis. I sing songs, read books and talk about shapes, colors, numbers and letters. I encourage all children to be active, especially, during outside play. I provide the children with opportunities to develop their upper body strength by rolling balls, swinging, and throwing bean bags. I also focus on running, jumping, and balancing to help strengthen their lower bodies. At the center, we come up with all sorts of active games to build up both gross and fine motor skills. I included a game called â€Å"Sleeping Giants† into my weekly plan that is a combination of pretend play and physical activity. The â€Å"Sleeping Giants† game stimulates imagination and multi-directional movement while strengthening their heart, lungs, muscles, and agility. During the game, children will use their large motor skills to run or jump while listening for me to say â€Å"Sleeping Giants†. When I call out, the children will try their hardest to stay quiet to represent a sleeping giant. Then when I call out â€Å"Walking Giants† the game continues and allows the children to be active and freely express themselves.

The effects of female reproductive cycle on metabolic rate Literature review

The effects of female reproductive cycle on metabolic rate - Literature review Example Much is known about the reproductive cycle and its effects on co-morbid conditions during normal function, the pathology of disease states specifically or indirectly affecting reproduction, and changes due to ageing. However, considerably less is understood about the effects of the reproductive cycle in healthy women on many individual factors, as this is their normal state and so there is no control against which to test, though there does exist some research into the differences in metabolism between healthy women with amenorrhoea and those with a regular reproductive cycle (Maughan 2000). No standard exists for the correct levels of bleeding at different ages, for example, which is becoming a fairly substantial public health issue (Harlow & Ephross 1995). However, this research hopes to quantify differences in individual women at different points in their own reproductive cycle, focusing specifically on changes in metabolism, rather than comparing the women as a group to some othe r standard. The hypothesis to be tested is that a woman's point in the reproductive cycle will have an effect on resting and post-exercise metabolism; the null hypothesis being used is that it will not have an effect. Declining conception rates combined with an increase in obesity among women of childbearing age make this research important to the future of reproductive medicine; it is vital that the connection between metabolism and reproduction is fully understood (Crain et al. 2008). In order to achieve this, metabolic rates will be measured at rest and after exercise using expired gas analysis weekly for four weeks. This timing has been chosen to ensure that a sample is taken during or close to each of the four stages of the reproductive cycle. These are the menstruation phase, the follicular phase, the ovulatory phase, and the luteal phase (Porter 2009). The different length of time for each phase in individual women make it extremely difficult to ensure samples are taken durin g each phase, but the day within the cycle can be monitored so that the data can be corrected for this factor. Additionally, algorithms do exist to monitor an individual's reproductive cycle and measure at which point a particular woman is in her cycle, allowing careful recording of this related data (Wactawski-Wende et al. 2009). Each of these phases has a different effect on the woman experiencing them. The menstruation phase, which traditionally marks the start of the next reproductive cycle, is the period of time during which the uterine wall is shed in response to a reduction in oestrogen and progesterone levels. Bleeding occurs, though usually only in a volume of about fifteen to seventy-five millilitres. Menstruation actually during the â€Å"next† phase of the cycle, the follicular phase, though they are being considered separately for purposes of this research. During this follicular phase, there is an increase in follicle-stimulating hormone, which causes several fo llicles to begin to grow in preparation for releasing an ovum, or egg cell. This follicle then begins to produce oestrogen, of which levels peak at the ovulation phase. The ovulation phase is the point where the ovum is released from the follicle and is precipitated by a surge in both lutenizing and follicle-stimulat

Importance of Effective Communication To Elementary Teaching Essay

Importance of Effective Communication To Elementary Teaching profession - Essay Example If the teacher truly does want to create multivoiced classrooms, she/he needs to provide ways for all of the students to participate. One among is the effective communication of the teacher with the students. Communication apprehension (CA) has been defined as an "individual level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons" (McCroskey, 1977). The school environment can play a vital role in the prevention of CA and make the students feel as part of the team. Fisher (1995) describes a school classroom that encourages a sense of community: "For me, community in the classroom is the amalgamation of rigorous learning and caring about one another. Community is built through routines, procedures, and attitudes that evolve over time as the teacher and children develop trust in one another. The teacher can create community feeling in the students by creating a warm, easygoing climate in the classroom --helping students get to know one another at the beginning of the year --using drama and role-playing situations --having students speak to the class in groups or panels rather than individually --allowing students to work with classmates with whom they feel most comfortable --having students speak from their seats rather than from the front of the room --presenting students with oral activi

The Population Variance and Standard Deviation Speech or Presentation

The Population Variance and Standard Deviation - Speech or Presentation Example The standard deviation of the sample was 4.1 million. Find the 95% confidence interval of the true mean. Â  12. It has been reported that 20.4% of incoming freshmen indicate that they will major in business or a related field. A random sample of 400 incoming college freshmen was asked their preference, and 95 replied they were considering business major. Estimate the true proportion of freshmen business majors with 98% confidence. Does your interval contain 20.4? Â  16. A recent study indicated that 29% of the 100 women over age 55 in the study were widows. How large a sample must you take to be 90% confident that the estimate is within 0.05 of the true proportion of women over age 55 who are widows? Â  8. Find the 90% confidence interval for the variance and standard deviation of seniors at Oak Park College if a sample of 24 students has a standard deviation of 2.4 years and the variable is normally distributed. What would be the 95% confidence interval? Â  12. The percentage rates of home ownership for 8 randomly selected states are listed below. Estimate the population variance and standard deviation for the percentage rate of home ownership.

Pizza Hut Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Pizza Hut - Case Study Example The study utilized primary and secondary data. The primary data will come from the interviews of Pizza Hut Manager and customers, while the secondary data will come journal articles, internet websites, newspapers, textbooks and academic and industry professionals. Although there has been a lot of research on customer behavior and customer dissatisfaction, there is less study on customer satisfaction, this according to Shultz and Bailey in 2000. What are the reasons behind gambling on a study regarding simple satisfaction Loyal consumers do not leave a store or a restaurant for better services in another place (Anderson and Fornell, 1994). At the very minimal effort the other companies will just beat services offered. The main key component that a company should implement is to maintain their loyal customers. In order to maintain and gain loyal consumers is through providing high quality standards of products and services so that there will be a very minimal chance that the customer needs will not be fulfilled. Indeed, it is a common knowledge that there are difficulties in understanding the truth behind consumer needs, even if these requirements in advance the consumer can and will alter them without any reason at all. Customer Satisfaction According to the study of Kekre, Mayuram and Srinivasan in 1995, a successful company utilizes market analysis in order to understand the needs of their clients and provide satisfaction to them. This company should not just value profit and gains but also the satisfaction of their clients through this they can make the performance of their company strong and will implicate success. If a business organization desires to examine it themselves, they should observe the particular aspects like business contacts, reputation, advertising and their brand name, these aspects can help identify consumer satisfaction (Barbeschi, 2002). After identifying these aspects, the quantity of customer satisfaction a firm has and in which venues, strategic approaches can be formulated to guide the company to be more competitive. In the study of Carol and Reichheld in 1992, relationship marketing should be implemented. This type of marketing can establish in creating a long-term connection with customers instead of individual business deals. A firm having a full grasp of the consumer's needs as they go through their life phases. Its emphasis is a wide variety of products or services to their present clients, as it is necessary to them (Berry et al., 1988). At the same time Berry in 1983 acknowledges that relationship marketing can be implemented when there are options to select from, when the consumer makes their

The Key Concepts in economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Key Concepts in economics - Assignment Example The main points included in the article (Porter, 2015a) are; 4. The innovation through government and corporate funded R&D have generated large revenue streams. However, the beneficiary organizations have not shared the funding bodies in profits and reinvestment in R&D has been limited. 5. Since corporations are moving away from research spending, they tend to buy innovative start-ups from small businesses. Scientists and universities have also been encouraged to commercialize innovation funded by taxpayer’s money (Porter, 2015a). Investment in R&D sector powers technological innovation, which helps to optimize the use of existing resources and capabilities, creates jobs and improves living standards. It enables sustainable economic growth provided that there are constant returns to the R&D sector. Innovation through research and development therefore has a positive correlation with per capita GDP in both the developing and developed worlds. However, it has been found that large markets encourage innovation through R&D, while the rest benefit from their knowledge stock and spill-over (Ulku, 2004). This allows emerging markets to grow faster by embracing existing technologies, while developed markets experience periods of stagnation due to foreign competition and limited funding directed towards R&D. The ever increasing restrictions on economic activities, such as environmental protection regulations, in the developed world also slows down the progress in terms of GDP. However, aside from poor regulations whic h can lead to additional costs in R&D, many regulations are aimed at social welfare initiatives usually not captured in the GDP measurements. Thus, the GDP growth figures in such contexts can often be misleading (The Economist, 2013a). The innovation driven boom and bust may remain invisible in GDP measurements and sometimes even reveals its shrinking. For instance, the spending of a person on telephone calls

Ethics and Legal Considerations in Strategic Management (StilSim Essay

Ethics and Legal Considerations in Strategic Management (StilSim Company ) - Essay Example Virtues such as integrity and honesty have always been valued here in the stilsim company, not only that, we also believe in quality customer service, openness, personal excellence, continual self improvement and mutual respect. We respect our committment that we have with our cliental and cutomers and we believe in providing the best service that is out there to all of our associations. We here hold ourselves accountable to not only our customers but also to our share holders, our partners and our employees and we pride ourselves on honouring our commitments with them and providing the best of the results that we can. We try our best to live up to the expectations of our cliental and customers. To understand more about the work here at stilsim and the principles on which we work, we provide our employees and clientals with our brochures and handbook. These handbooks have all the essential information about the stilsim and what this company is about. Generally, ethics considered as the moral standards by which behaviour of the people is judged. Often the ethics re considered as the â€Å"golden rule†, this however is only the general consideration of ethics and this standard can not be used to define the buisiness ethics. In a business you are answerable to diffrent set of people such as customers, shareholders and the clients. Business ethics is is a highly compex field where determining your next move when an ethical dilemma arises among diffrent interests is an extremely tricky job. Right now the stilsim company is dealing with many internal and external issues and once we impliment our new strategy, the ethics should be kept in our minds while making any important decision. Since the stilsim company has been in the business for such a long period of time , we believe that we hold a great deal of responsibilty towards our employees, our stake holders, our shareholders, our customers and even the

Fudations of busesiness computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fudations of busesiness computing - Essay Example I have read the CQU policy on plagiarism and understand its implication. I can produce a hard copy of this assignment within 24 hours if requested." A knowledge worker is someone who works for a living at the jobs of producing or utilizing knowledge. Today we are able to define knowledge workers as contributors in the knowledge economy (Jonathan, 2005). The knowledge economy proposes a financial situation where information and its management are the product and the activity. In the context of todays business world, without a knowledge worker, an immense deal of the business world would come to a standstill. Knowledge workers are occasionally known as information workers, and some times people argue that information workers carry out additional tedious responsibilities than knowledge workers. Knowledge Workers are capable to carry out several activities that are ambiguous in their gain to an outsider, however are really important to the overall success of a company and business. They have the capacity to make use of the most excellent sources to achieve the information they required, which are together correct and modern. After t hat, with the data readily available they excel at pulling out the main information, understanding it, and then manipulating it to offer the organization and its business the maximum benefit possible (Jonathan, 2005). For instance, a knowledge worker can be somebody who works at some of the jobs of acquiring, programming, analyzing, organizing, storing, distributing, marketing, searching, planning, or else contributing to the makeover and business of information and those who effort at utilizing the knowledge so produced. In this question I will discuss the difference among the `information technology and `information system. Information system occasionally refers to an organization of persons, data records and activities that process the information and data in an association, and it comprises the

Modernization Essay Example for Free

Modernization Essay Modernization is a process of modernizing a way of life. South Africa and China both attempted to modernize for a beneficial outcome. China was successful at modernizing and benefited greatly. South Africa resisted modernization and in the end suffered from harmful effects. South Africa and China both modernized in their own way. China attempted to modernize from the struggles that were present in the country. In China, modernization occurred later than then most countries; this allowed the Chinese to use other countries as a model. China began to focus on important industry’s that would help their country prosper. They began to advance in military, science, and technology, and established a strong economy by selling products to other nations. As a result of modernization China became urbanized, and industrialized. The nation also became economically stronger which made the growing nation prosper. Modernization benefited China in all aspects of a great nation. China modernization process started to begin after the Qing dynasty fell, with this the country wanted to reform which led to modernization. Modernization was a very beneficial process to china as a whole. South Africa did not benefit from the process of modernization. Modernization caused a loss of culture and society to African culture. The British came to South Africa hoping they could take over the country and modernize the country as a hole. The people of South Africa were known as the Zulus, the Zulu’s resented modernization of the British and wanted to modernize on their own. The British attempted to convert South Africans to Christianity to create modernization in the country. The Zulu’s lost the war to the British and their freedom; natives were forced to provide cheap labor to the British to make money for food. The British benefitted more from modernization then South Africans did. Modernization was not beneficial to the South Africans. Modernization was beneficial to China and was harmful to South Africa. China took years to modernize and was late in modernization but did eventually modernize and greatly befitted from it. South Africa did not benefit from modernization; they had a loss in society and culture. Modernization will always ether help a country or be harmful to the country. This will depend on how the country attempts this process as a hole and what they go off of.

The Speckled Band Essay Example for Free

The Speckled Band Essay There has been a great deal of famous detective stories that have been written by many authors, all of which are very interesting and exciting. Some examples of very good, successful detective stories are:  The murders in the Rue Morgue written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841. This book was Edgars first story and it was very successful.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins which featured Sergeant Cuff and a stolen gem. This was written in 1868.  Another set of detective stories was Sherlocks Holmes written stories, which were written during the 1880s. As you can see detective books have been going on since the mid 1800s as well as in the 1900s.  1920s onwards Agatha Christie starts to write her very famous and very successful detective stories with Hercule Poirot and Dorothy L. Sayers with Lord Peter Wimsey, both of the upper class.  1970s P.D. James and Ruth Rendell start to write. In their recent books they feature corrupt policemen. In P.D. James last three books the murder has not been convicted, either because they died or due to insufficient evidence.  1990s There has been popularity shown by the number of films and T.V series e.g. Inspector Morse, Taggart, Frost, Dalziel and Pascoe and so on. From the above you should notice that there has been a lot of well known detective stories about and I will be comparing and contrasting two types of detective stories. To support my points I will be using quotations and close references. In each section I will compare the stories and clearly explain the difference. I will be covering the following factors in detail, detectives, crime and motive, clues and red herrings, methods of investigation, the setting location social conditions and the creation of suspense. In The Speckled Band written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the detectives are very polite to each other and speak Queens English. When they talk to each other they always address each other a my dear friend, Dr Watson, Mr Holmes or Madam never by there first name. Sherlock Holmes in The Speckled Band comes across as being very clever and witty. You know this because at the very beginning of the story Dr Watson is saying he was going over his and Sherlocks seventy odd cases that they have done in the last eight years. If Holmes were not clever he would have completed all of those cases. Another part of the story where Holmes shows his cleverness is when Helen Stoner has come to see him and he notices that she has come by train and dog-cart. Holmes knows that she has firstly come by train from the ticket stub in Helens hand and secondly he notices that she has come by dog-cart from the splattered mud up her arm, I observe the second half of a return ticket in the palm of your left glove. You must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog-cart There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way.  Holmes also notices that Helen is shivering and orders her a cup of hot coffee. When Sherlock is observing the Stoke Moran notices a lot of clues, which no one else had seen before. I will go into this more when I talk about clues and red herrings.  Sherlock Holmes is always cool and collective in dangerous situations. E.g. when he hears the hissing he lashes out at it very quickly and takes action whereas Watson sits there not knowing whats going on and he panics a bit but Holmes stays calm. Holmes also keeps calm when Dr Grimsby Roylott comes to visit him. I have heard a bout you before. You are Holmes the meddler.  My friend smiled. (Sherlock Holmes)  Holmes the busy body.  His smile broadened. (Sherlock Holmes)  Holmes the Scotland Yard Jack-in-office.  Holmes chuckled heartily.  Sherlock Holmes comes across as not at all being scared. You know this because he is not scared in more than one occasion. He was not scared when Dr Grimsby Roylott barges in and threatens him, he keeps very calm and another place where he keeps his cool is when he is approaching the Stoke Moran place and sees the baboon. Although he knows the Dr Roylott keeps a cheetah he doesnt become scared and he carries on as normal. Holmes is also not as weak as you think he is because when Dr Roylatt comes to Holmes house he bends the fire poker to try to scare Sherlock but Holmes just bends it straight again.  my grip was not much more feeble than his own. As he spoke he picked up the steel poker, and with a sudden effort straightened it out again.  Sherlock Holmes really enjoys his work and loves to solve new cases. You know this because when Helen Stoner comes to him and she tells him what the case is about. She tells Holmes that she wont be able to pay him a lot of money and he replies saying that money is not a problem and as long as she pays for his expenses. E.g. transport fees and accommodation. Sherlock Holmes comes across as being a hero in The Speckled Band because Helen Stoner travels miles and miles to seek out this famous detective. When she finds him he gets straight on the case and solves it within a days work whereas Helen has not had the slightest clue how her sister died for two years.  Another detective in The Speckled Band is Dr Watson. Dr Watson is Sherlock Holmes assistant, he is also very polite when he talking to people, he always addresses people as sir, madam or by their last name never by their first name. Holmes, I cried, I seem to see dimly what you are hinting at.  Dr Watson comes across as being a clever man but not as near as Sherlock Holmes. He has always assisted Holmes crimes all of which he has helped to solve the case. Watson also enjoys his work at solving cases with Sherlock and he has always accompanied Sherlock, you can tell Watson enjoys the cases when he says he wouldnt miss the case.

International strategic alliances

International strategic alliances ADDED VALUE AND SUCCESS FACTORS IN INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN THE FASHION BUSINESS ABSTRACT In the main, this study aims to determine whether there was value added in the merger between Samsung and Georgio Armani. It also intends to identify the key success factors of business partnerships and international strategic alliances of these companies in the fashion world. As such, the following research questions will be answered: 1. What are the key factors that are responsible for their success in the fashion industry? 2. What is the history of international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? and 3. What are the trends for international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? The results of the interview and investigations on the historical data and secondary materials and literature would confirm the following conclusions that international strategic alliances such as Samsung-Armani have the following key factors that made them successful: Mutual trust. Ensure that trust exists between the IJV and its parent organizations; Common understanding. Attain a common understanding of each parent organizations contribution to the IJV agreement; Empowerment. Persuade workers that they are empowered. Mutual long-term commitment. Ensure that both parent organizations are involved in the IJV for the long term. Having both parent organizations committed to the IJV for the long-term decreases the risk of shirking responsibility and increases the likelihood of mutual forbearance between the IJV and its parent firms. It can be concluded that the international strategic alliance between Samsung-Armani has added value to their respective firms through the contributions and synergies of the marketing and distribution expertise of Armani in the fashion industry. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Context of the Problem Firms and industries in the current global business scenario are constantly changing due to globalization. The development of strategic management can no longer be confined to local settings but it is imperative that it should be prevalent in the international business and markets.. Business partnerships among firms and companies were lately made through mergers, acquisitions and consolidations which have been generally utilized by organizations to remain competitive in the global economy. Thus, many companies have been going into joint ventures in order to have joint alliances with them so that operations and marketing will be synergized.. A joint venture would consists of two or more firms which agree to go into shared capital as well as sharing their technology, and human resources in order to develop into a new company. It is a strategy whereby both companies intend to expand its operations and markets and intending to minimize its risk as well maximize the strengths of both firms in approaching the market as well as operations (Hewitt Associates, 2008). The joint venture between Samsung and Georgio Armani have been formed as the strengths and technology of the former merged with the excellence in fashion of the latter. This study seeks to evaluate whether partnerships have added value to both companies and also to analyze whether were successful in harnessing their strengths in approaching the market as well as operations in the global market. Thus this study will explore the case study of these companies going into joint venture and evaluate the success factors that were responsible for the success of the joint ventures in the fashion industry. Statement of the Problem In the main, this study aims to determine whether there was value added in the merger between Samsung and Georgio Armani. It also intends to identify the key success factors of business partnerships and international strategic alliances of these companies in the fashion world. As such, the following research questions will be answered: 4. What are the key factors that are responsible for their success in the fashion industry? 5. What is the history of international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? and 6. What are the trends for international strategic alliances in the fashion industry? Aims and Objectives of the Study The main objective of this study is to verify whether or not the alliances provide significant value to the companies involved as well as identify the key success factors that ensure the success of international joint ventures in the fashion industry. In order to achieve this main objective, the study aims to examine the shared assets, risks, liabilities and management responsibilities among the firms involved the international joint ventures utilizing the case study of Samsung and Georgio Armani. Significance of the Study This study is significant in the sense that the success factors for partnerships and international joint ventures will be evaluated so as to identify these factors that are important for joint ventures in the fashion industry. As such, the rate of success in the industry will be much higher if these factors are identified and investments in joint venture will be encouraged because of the confirmation of these findings in this study. Structure of the Study This study is organized into five chapters. The first chapter discusses the introduction which comprises of the background of the study; statement of the problem; significance of the study; and the structure of the study. Chapter two presents the review of literature which takes into consideration the theoretical basis of the study. Chapter three explains the methodology of the study and Chapter four presents the data and analysis of the study. Finally, Chapter five presents the conclusion and recommendations of the study. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE In this section, the literature pertaining to this study will be reviewed. The chapter will mainly discuss the key concepts and main authors of the study and the research gap in the review of literature. Why Strategic Alliance? Partnerships that are meaningful are important for success. Many companies go into partnerships in order to improve themselves in mutual undertakings. By sharing their resources, these companies can enjoy benefits and add value to their resources. As Vadim Kotelnikov (2010) writes: â€Å"In the new economy, strategic alliances enable business to gain competitive advantage through access to a partners resources, including markets, technologies, capital and people. Teaming up with other adds complementary resources and capabilities enabling participants to grow and expand more quickly and efficiently. Especially fast growing companies rely heavily on alliances to extend their technical and operational resources. In the process, they save time and boost productivity by not having to develop their own, from scratch. They are thus freed to concentrate on innovation and their core business.† (http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/partnerships_main.html) Thus, strategic alliances and partnerships among firms are important to create synergy and competence between the resources of the firms. This is really the case for fast growing companies which needs to rely on the technical expertise created from partnerships. According to Brad Sugars (2008): â€Å"From powerhouse financiers like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts to retailers like Baskin-Robbins to IT pioneers like Hewlett-Packard, business partnerships have been an important part of entrepreneurship and startup success. The reasons are simple: complementary skill sets, shared equipment or expenses, and the idea that one person with hard money capital can create synergy with the intellectual capital of another person so both can profit from their venture.† (http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/startupbasics/startupbasicscolumnistbradsugars/article196912.html) As such, according to Sugars (2008), it is really important for firms to go into business partnerships as in the case of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts which is big financier and also in the case of Hewlett Packard which is an Information Technology pioneer. As have been discussed earlier, strategic alliances through partnerships are important in the success of many business and many cases of alliances had resulted to more value and profits for their respective firms. According to Baine and Company (2010): â€Å"Strategic Alliances are agreements among firms in which each commits resources to achieve a common set of objectives. Companies may form Strategic Alliances with a wide variety of players: customers, suppliers, competitors, universities or divisions of government. Through Strategic Alliances, companies can improve competitive positioning, gain entry to new markets, supplement critical skills and share the risk or cost of major development projects.† http://www.bain.com/management_tools/tools_alliances.asp?groupCode=2 In a similar study, Vaidya (2006) also highlights the importance of IJVs in order to stay competitive in an increasingly globalized business environment. According to Vaidya (2006), â€Å"organizations in developed countries have realized that they need to pursue opportunities aggressively in other countries in order to remain competitive in this fast-paced global market† (p. 188). Vaidya (2006) cites strategic alliances as the most common forms of partnerships between companies. These alliances can range from licensing agreements to fully blown IJVs. An IJV can be defined as â€Å"a separate legal organizational entity representing the partial holdings of two or more parent firms in which the headquarters of at least one is located outside the country of operation of the joint venture. This entity is subject to the joint control of its parent firms of each of which is economically and legally independent of the other† (Shenkar Zeira, 1987, p. 9). Kinds of Partnerships or Alliances Joint Venture is the creation of an independent company by the two or more parent organizations who are the parties to the business agreement. These Joint Ventures (JVs) may be one of two types: * Equity strategic alliances, This kind of alliance involves two or more partners who have various relative shares of ownership in the new alliance. For example, in a joint venture which is composed of three parent companies, one may have 50% equity, while the remaining two may have 25% equity each. These are also called equity joint ventures. * Non-equity strategic alliances, This kind of alliance involves agreements which are carried out through contract rather than ownership sharing. These are also called contractual joint ventures. Motives of Alliance Formation According to Blanchard (2006) there are four major challenges in the implementation of strategic alliances. In the first place, while alliances present a speedy and less risky means to internationalization, it is also very complex and there are many global linkages and interconnections that must be considered and many alliances resulted to failure because on partner could swallow the other partner. Secondly, the kind of organization structure that the alliance would form is also crucial since this influences their success especially in technologically intensive fields such as in computers, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors (Blanchard, 2006). Thirdly, cross-border allies often encounter difficulty in collaborating effectively, especially in competitively sensitive areas. This breeds mistrust and secrecy, which undermines the very purpose of the alliance. The difficulty that these organizations deal with is the dual nature of strategic alliances the benefits of cooperation versus the dangers of introducing new competition through sharing their knowledge and technological skills about their mutual product or manufacturing process (Blanchard, 2006). According to Vaidya (2006), the motives behind alliance formation can be divided into three categories: * Internal benefits. International Strategic Alliances are usually formed in order to develop internal strengths. These benefits usually include cost and risk sharing and obtaining resources that are scarce. These also includes financing, information, managerial knowledge and expertise (Vaidya, 2006). * Competitive benefits. Strengths that are competitive can be made through vertical integration and these can include the bargaining power in the industry structure, preempting competitors, response to globalization, and creation of more effective competitors (Vaidya, 2006). * Strategic benefits. International Strategic Alliances can also be formed to assist firms in change implementation of their strategic positions which could include the creation and exploitation of synergies, technology transfer, and diversification (Vaidya, 2006). Makino and Beamish (1999) also concluded similarly regarding the motives forming strategic alliances as discussed above and according to them. In their study, Ainuddin et al. (2007) identified four major resource characteristics that can affect the successful performance of 96 IJVs in Malaysia. The study determined the extent to which four resources product reputation, technical expertise, local business network and marketing skills exhibited the following attributes: 1) value; 2) rarity; 3) imperfect imitability; and 4) non-sustainability. The results of their studies showed that value, rarity and non-sustainability were significant drivers of performance for IJV assets, while value, rarity and non-imitability were key attributes for organizational capabilities. According to Beamish and Berdrow (2003), it is not generally true that strategic alliances can be just motivated for the sake of organizational learning but also to provide opportunity for both of the partners to gain and develop new knowledge. The findings of their study proved that international strategic alliances that are production-based were no usually motivated by learning outcomes, and there is no conclusive evidence of a direct relationship between learning performance. The authors assert that only a minority of the firms showed strong indirect learning outcomes, especially with regard to partnering and market knowledge (Beamish Berdrow, 2003). The organizations may be driven by any or all of the motives enumerated by Blanchard (2006), and Vaidya (2006) in their studies, as discussed in this chapter. It is important that a company conducts a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis before entering into an international strategic alliance. The results of the study of Beamish and Inkpen (1995) showed that although International Strategic Alliances are inherently unstable organizational forms, the successful ones survive because the foreign partner firm is prepared with thorough knowledge of the local economic, political, and cultural environments of the partner alliance and the partner organization (Beamish Inkpen, 1995). Economies of Scale The dual nature of strategic alliances (see Table 1) are composed of the cooperative and competitive nature of these alliances. The economies of scale in tangible assets through sharing plants and equipments is a cooperative endeavor in these alliances as well as sharing the overhead cost, production expenses, etc. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Technology Exchange and Minimization of Risk Another factor is technology exchange wherein (see Figure 1) the partners would have the opportunity to learn new tangible skills from the partners. Another factor is the partners could minimize risks by limiting investment risk when entering new markets or uncertain technological fields via shared resources. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Also, another motivation is the acceleration of diffusion of industry standards and new technologies in order increase barriers to entry. The creation of â€Å"critical mass† to learn and develop new technologies to protect domestic, strategic industries is another objective of firms who strived to go into strategic alliances. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Convergences and Other Advantages Other advantage in strategic alliances is in the up streaming or down streaming the division of labor among partners. Another is to deny the technological and learning initiative to partner via out-sourcing and long-term supply arrangements. Another advantage and converge is to fill out product line with components or end products provided by supplier. Furthermore, the advantage of converging into strategic alliances is to encircle existing competitors and preempt the rise of new competitors with alliance partners in â€Å"proxy wars† to control market access, distribution, and access to new technologies. The alliance also serve to assist short-term corporate restructuring by lowering exit barriers in mature or declining industries. According to Blanchard (2006) â€Å"alliances serve as experimental platforms to â€Å"demature† and transform existing mature industries via new components, technologies, or skills to enhance the value of future growth options. http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Table 1. The Dual Nature of Global Strategic Alliances Cooperative Competitive Economies of scale in tangible assets (ex. Plant and equipment). Opportunity to learn new intangible skills from partner, often tacit or organization embedded. Upstream-downstream division of labor among partners. Accelerate diffusion of industry standards and new technologies to erect barriers to entry. Fill out product line with components or end products provided by supplier. Deny technological and learning initiative to partner via out-sourcing and long-term supply arrangements. Limit investment risk when entering new markets or uncertain technological fields via shared resources. Encircle existing competitors and preempt the rise of new competitors with alliance partners in â€Å"proxy wars† to control market access, distribution, and access to new technologies. Create a â€Å"critical mass† to learn and develop new technologies to protect domestic, strategic industries. Form clusters of learning among suppliers and related firms to avoid or reduce foreign dependence for critical inputs and skills. Assist short-term corporate restructuring by lowering exit barriers in mature or declining industries. Alliances serve as experimental platforms to â€Å"demature† and transform existing mature industries via new components, technologies, or skills to enhance the value of future growth options. (Source: Blanchard, 2006, p. 7-15). http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/global-alliances-and-strategy-implementation-presentation-701036 Disadvantages and Pitfalls of Alliances Blanchard (2006) in his research concluded benefits of international strategic alliances often have also many pitfalls. These advantages of alliances can be in terms of potential loss of technology and knowledge-skill base. Also, other areas of incompatibility can usually occur like conflicting strategic goals and objectives. Conflicts can also arise in terms of cultural differences and in relation to disputes over who will make the decisions in management as well as in control. Blanchard (2006) also provides for four guidelines for successful alliances in his presentation: * Choose an alliance partner who has compatibility with the strategy as well as the objectives of the firm. * Find alliances where their skills are complementary and that their products and markets also complements with the company. * Seek partner alliances with partners and thresh out how you will each deal with proprietary technology or sensitive data and information. * Recognize that many partnerships could last only a few years and could break up once an alliance partner had already absorbed the skills and information it needs to be independent by itself (p. 7-16). Partner Selection Blanchard (2006) recognized the significance of selecting a partner with compatible strategic goals and objectives before fully entering into an international strategic alliance. It is crucial that the alliance sought will be with an organization or organizations with skills, products, and markets with synergies with each other. According to Cullen et al. (1995), the choice of a partner alliance is the most crucial strategic decision that firms make before actually developing a joint venture. According to Vaidya (2006) the reasons why international strategic alliances failed were due the wrong selection of partners because of their incompatibility; partners which did not fulfill their promises; and the difficulty of managers working together for their partnership (Vaidya, 2006). Before selecting a partner for an IJV, the organization must first identify its needs. In his research, Beamish (1994) provided for five different classifications of partners needs and these are: 1) capitalized items that are capitalized such as capital, raw materials, or new technology or equipment; 2) human resource needs such as local labor including local managers; 3) market access needs for a local market for products that can be produced locally or to foreign markets for products produced in the local markets; 4) government needs such as present laws or regulations may require a foreign company to go into a joint venture with a local partner in order to penetrate the local market; 5) knowledge needs such as that the company may require local information and knowledge about the market, production and government regulations, marketing system, domestic culture and traditions, etc. Partners may have different cultures and could have difficulty adjusting to each others ways or customs (Arino et al., 1997). These differences in cultural orientation in the long term can cause conflicts and could affect the performance of the international strategic alliance (Barkema Vermeulen, 1997). It is a really a problem for partners to trust each other if they are in conflict in the various areas of the business operations. Unfortunately, sometimes these differences are too deeply rooted, especially when they are based on each organizations cultural values. The research by Fey and Beamish (2001) evaluated how organizational climate incompatibility between parent organizations and the partner alliance affects performance. Compatible organizational climates will provide more chances of success since inter-party conflicts can be minimized (Fey Beamish, 2000). Managing Strategic Alliances and Success Factors It is important to note that in international joint ventures, trust and commitment is important among the partners and it is crucial in their success (Beamish, 1994; Cullen et al., 1995). It is also proposed by Fey (1996) that attaining a mutual understanding of each parent organizations contribution to their partnership agreement should be clear. Both companies doing the strategic alliance must also ensure that they have long-term commitment. Finally, it is also significant that employees and managers of the strategic alliances must be empowered (Fey, 1996). In his research presentation, Blanchard (2006) outlines the following motivations for global strategic alliances, as executed through strategic alliances such as avoidance of import barriers, licensing requirements, and other legislation that protects local companies. Moreover, another motivation is in the sharing of the costs and risks of the research and development of new products as well as services. Also, another factor is to have access to particular markets as well as in reducing the political risk in penetrating the domestic market of the partner firm. Some firms also went into strategic alliances in order to take advantage of synergies and to earn fast entry into a new industry. Examples of Successful Partnerships The Finest Accessories (TFA) Another example of a company in the fashion business is The Finest Accessories (TFA). This is a firm involved in offering luxury hair accessory products with big clients such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Macys. Value-basis at TFA Laurie and other designers of the firm developed designs that are unique utilizing Italian, French and other fabric styles and integrated these into the hair accessory clip design. They set these fashion trends and customized their partners in manufacturing. The partnership strategy of the company and to its partners is that they would deliver the products ordered to their partners in manufacturing which are exclusive for them and they would have primary right to refuse potential clients which can become their competitors. They formed partnerships and alliances with eight France based manufacturers with the conditions discussed above. (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-a-High-Fashion-Entrepreneur-Goes-Global.html) Joint development and manufacturing with eight Oyannax, France based manufacturing companies. It is considered â€Å"joint development† in addition to manufacturing because TFA These value added effect of TFA to the eight manufacturing partners resulted to their success and both partners benefitted from the advantages of the arrangement. In terms of investment cost, TFA did not have to put up large amount of money for land, machineries and equipments since these are all being provided by the manufacturing partners while the manufacturing partners also enjoyed higher markets sales because of the big orders for the unique market developed by TFA. (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/552/Partnership-Success-Story-a-High-Fashion-Entrepreneur-Goes-Global.html) Electro The IJV Electro is composed of the following three parent organizations: a large international consumer electronics company based in North American, with 63 percent ownership, and two Russian factories, with 37 percent ownership combined. This is an example of a global strategic allegiance between a foreign organization and a local organization. The IJV is one of four facilities in the world which produces circuit boards for one of the North American parent organizations major consumer electronics devices. One factor that contributes to the success of Electro is that it reports to a special venture-capital type division of its North American parent organization, which has profit and loss responsibility for the IJV. The IJV also hires managers originally from the US who either lived in Russia for a long period of time, or have Russian heritage, or both (Fey, 1996). Electro has also been able to develop a trusting relationship with its parent organizations through mutual forbearance (Fey, 1996) which has contributed greatly to the success of the IJV. Electro and its parent organizations have maintained open communication channels to obtain agreement on the parent organizations roles in the IJV, and constantly spend a significant amount of time in discussing, clarifying, and reclarifying these roles (Fey, 1996). Another key success factor (KSF) for Electro is that its parent organizations have pledged long-term commitment to the IJV. Electros parent organizations have not limited their contributions to providing starting capital to their IJV, but continue to be actively involved. For instance, its Russian parents continue to manufacture an input product specifically designed for the IJV, and devote a significant amount of its specialized resources to this production. Electros dominant parent is also its American parent organization, and by delegating many of the operating decisions to the American parent for which the IJV needs approval gains efficiency since having both the Russian and American parent organizations make a joint decision takes up more time, is more difficult, and increases the risk of conflict. This creates long-term commitment to, and need for, the IJV which has been beneficial for both Electro and its parent organizations (Fey, 1996). Research Gap The success factors and valued added theory of forming strategic alliances were validated by various authors in this review. However, in terms of strategic alliances no formal study yet have been conducted so as to validate the success factors of international joint venture formation in the fashion business as well as its value added proposition. As such, this study is being conducted to fill the research gaps in the literature of strategic alliances. Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY Qualitative Research This research study utilized the qualitative research method, which involves the analysis of data such as words, pictures or objects. This research method was selected because it makes use of the exploratory approach in describing complex phenomena, tracking unique or unexpected events, understanding the experience and interpretation of events by actors or players with different stakes and roles, and is useful for conducting initial explorations to develop theories (Yin, 1989). The qualitative research methodology was particularly useful for purposes of this thesis because it was characterized by an emphasis on describing, understanding, and explaining complex phenomena. The phenomena this study seeks to understand were factors that led to the success of international joint ventures (IJVs) in the fashion business. The qualitative research methodology was also the appropriate research tool to use for studying the relationships, patterns, and configurations among factors, and the context in which activities occur (Creswell Plano-Clark, 2006). This methodology was selected over the quantitative research method, which seeks to draw conclusions by making use of random sampling techniques to draw inferences from sample populations. These samples populations were typically made up of a large number of respondents. With this research methodology, surveys and questionnaires were the most common types of tools used for gathering data and information (Creswell Plano-Clark, 2006). The problem with using the quantitative research methodology was that it often involves controlling a variable to determine how other variables were influenced (Wolcott, 2001). Such an approach was not applicable to this thesis because there was no control variable to begin with, which renders it useless to determine how this control variable will influence other variables. The purpose of this thesis was to identify the whether there was value added in the partnerships and identify the key success factors that lead to the success of international joint ventures in the fashion business. As such, an exploratory approach, through the qualitative research methodology was deemed more appropriate. Case Study The exploratory approach was a component of the case study methodology, which in turn is one of the most common research strategies under the qualitative research methodology. The case study research strategy was used to identify value added and success factors for international joint ventures in the fashion business. The case study approach was selected as the research strategy for this thesis