Students Talents and Potential Areas of Growth Essay

Students Talents and Potential Areas of Growth - Essay Example There are many colleges and universities that hand out scholarships on the basis of a child’s performance in sports. There are people who come from low-income families and hence do not have access to any kind of privileges related to education. Being active in sports opens up a lot of opportunities for the child. It is very necessary for a healthy growth of the children to be physically active and not being able to perform academically does not necessarily mean that the child is incapable of anything. Schools should be encouraged to have a defined syllabus, so as to make sure that they equip their students in a real way and properly rather than making them do selective studies. This sort of trend has recently emerged resulting in the increased test results of those schools who are teaching their children specifically for the tests (Smith, Fey, 2000). Here, it becomes evident that it is not at all necessary for the person to be intelligent and capable, but it shows that if the person strives then, he can for sure get what he desires. Therefore, the main factor behind this high score is none other than â€Å"MOTIVATION†. Motivation can be induced in any way either by offering some sort of monetary reward or it can be as simple as public recognition, or recognition among peers. Of course, a mentally challenged person will not be able to achieve it even with motivation, but an average person with a sound mind can easily achieve a good score with a little motivation. Many a time uninterested respondents do not even bother to go beyond a few questions or think (Salkind, 2002). It has been generally seen that people who belong to low-income strata or to areas with a lower economic growth score lower on the tests.

Tragic Heroes of Illiad Essay Example for Free

Tragic Heroes of Illiad Essay Although Achilles and Hector are both mighty warriors who share the same values, they have different backgrounds, personalities, and reasons for fighting. Homer presents Achilles, the son of Peleus, a mortal, and of Thetis, a sea nymph, as a hero with almost supernatural characteristics. Achilles statue is godlike, his strength is superior, and his powers with a spear unsurpassed. He wears immortal armor and has talking horses. While Achilles is superhuman, Hector is completely human surrounded by his wife and child. As the eldest son of Priam and Hekuba, king and queen of Troy, Hector is the commander of the Trojan army. Hector has strong feelings of responsibility for his community. Troy is a center of culture with elaborate palaces and surrounds Hector and his family with stability. Achilles is a young, complex warrior capable of great cruelty and kindness. Homer always portrays him in extreme passion. He comes to Troy, knowing he will die because he wants honor and glory. He chooses glory and an early death, rather than a long, inglorious life. When Achilles argues with Agamemnon, Achilles reaction is deadly anger (1.190). Although he wants to fight, his stubborn pride compels him to sulk. He rejects pleas to return to the battle. In order to please Patroklos, Achilles finally compromises and allows Patroklos to return to battle wearing Achilles armor. Achilles allows Patroklos to go to his death. Only after Patroklos death does Achilles see that his sitting by his ships is a useless weight on the good land (18.104) which sacrificed many of his mens lives. Achilles is angrier than ever. He tears at his hair with his hands, and defiles it (18.27). Achilles anger, grief, and sorrow is expressed in vengeance. He wants revenge for Patroklos death. Grief stricken and raged, Achilles pursued Hector around walls of Troy 3 times, killed him and tied his lifeless body to his chariot and dragged it (22.401). Hectors fear of death is overcome by his fear of disgrace (7.215-18). Hector is more cautious, practical, and virtuous. Iris tells him to marshal the troops, and he does so (2.802). When Paris proposes a duel, Hector and Odysseus make practical arrangements while Priam and Agamemnon exchange the oath (3.264-317). Hector always appears as a hero of responsibilities. Hectors virtues are the outcome of his responsiveness to society. He is aware that his own virtues are conditioned rather than natural or spontaneous. He has schooled himself to play the warriors role and to be good (6.441-46). He does not question the order of things or shirk his duties. Although they both want glory, Achilles and Hector fight for different reasons. Achilles is an absolute hero who acts only for himself and for the glory of himself. He is an independent warrior in the army of Troy. He can return home when he pleases. His refusal to fight is an indication that he retains his independence. Achilles has no personal grievance against Troy (8.154). Achilles asked Zeus to help his enemies, the Trojans, kill his friends because his personal honor weighs more with him than the lives of his friends. He came to Troy, knowing he would die. He came because he cared so much for glory. He chooses glory and an early death rather than the pleasure of a long inglorious life (18.98). Hectors nobility and sense of loyalty demand that he fight. He is a hero of responsibilities; he never questions his responsibility to Troy. Hector places his life at the service of others. He fights for family and city, but he also fights so that he will not lose the respect of others. Hector is a warrior not because he loves war, but because he is provoked by his perception of his place in the social structure of Troy and of his obligation to the people.

Watching Tennis and A Subaltern’s Love Song Essay -- English Literatur

Watching Tennis and A Subaltern’s Love Song Introduction The themes and ideas are so similar that if one was to briefly explain what both poems were about, you would think that they were exactly the same poems. Yet what really separates these two poems is their technical side. Form The form of a poem can be mainly observed by looking at and listening to the poem. Rhyme scheme, verse length, and line length are but a few examples of a poem’s form. A Subaltern’s Love song is a relatively long poem compared to Watching Tennis. It contains eleven verses, each of four lines length. There are between ten and thirteen syllables in each line. As this poem tells us a story and has a regular rhyme scheme, it is a narrative and can be classed as a ballad. It contains rhyming couplets which show a sense of control and harmony. Watching Tennis is a less orthodox poem. It is a Petrarchan sonnet, containing fourteen lines. This type of sonnet is divided up into two verses, one of length eight lines; the other of six. John Heath Stubbs has divided these two verses in equal lengths again. This results in both halves of the poem containing different verse lengths. The first two verses contain four lines, whereas the last two verses contain three lines. The rhyming scheme too is unorthodox. The rhyming scheme is in the form ABAB for the first two verses and although the first two verses rhyme in order, the last two don’t. This shows how the author is trying to create an image of loss of control and harmony. Style Both poems have a very distinct style. A Subaltern’s Love Song has a very strict and orthodox rhythm which emphasises the idea of how the man gets closer and closer to his dream woman. The steady... ... league. However, A Subaltern’s Love Song talks more in a hopeful, jocular light. The man believes that the girl is in a different league to him. He also talks in a very graceful, pleasant and sweet way about the girl, â€Å"Speed of a swallow, Grace of a boy.† He talks in less of a seductive sexy way as Heath-Stubbs does. â€Å"Your mouth on mine found its silent need.† However, Heath-Stubbs also talks about how the girl is graceful and delicate, â€Å"You move like a dancer,† Conclusion In conclusion, although both poems share very similar ideas and themes, they differ on the technical side. A Subaltern’s Love Song is written in a much more orthodox fashion than Watching Tennis. However, one major concept which both poems share is that they both commence with the idea of the man and woman in love with each other as hopeless, and end with that idea a being hopeful.

Doing Business in Vietnam Essay

Vietnam has had an impressive economic growth over the last two decades and continues to grow rapidly. Over a short period of time Vietnam has gone from a starving country to a major exporter of agricultural goods. Today Vietnam is considered one of the most open economies in the world, with total import and export value corresponding to roughly 160 percent of GDP. In 2007 Vietnam joined WTO and since then numerous reforms have helped the investment climate improve significantly, resulting in a growing inflow of foreign investments and companies. For foreign investors Vietnam has mainly been, and continues to be, an attractive choice for establishing labour intensive, low-technology production. However, as the income levels increase and the consumer behaviour changes, it has become more common to establish businesses oriented towards selling goods on the Vietnamese market. Many companies describe Vietnam as a good complement to the home market, with growing potentials offered by a very young, dynamic population. It is described as cheap to establish new brands and commercialism is still relatively young. Advice for starting a business in Vietnam. One of the main problems for businesses in Vietnam is difficulties with predictability, transparency and clarity in terms of regulations and relations with public authorities. The gaps between legislation, implementation and enforcement are big in Vietnam. Starting a company is associated with some administration (several forms and procedures) and also associated with strategic considerations in terms of the legal form of the company (e.g. joint stock company, representative office etc). So, the first advice is Be prepared to spend a lot of time taking care of administrative procedures (e.g. different forms, contracts and licenses), it means: * Try to get a good overview of the different ministries, authorities and departments you are likely to be in touch with within your business area. * Make sure to have someone with good networks on the relevant state administration level, whom you can consult on these issues The second advice: Do a throughout research on Human Resource in Viet N am. Human resource issues are often described as the most difficult area when doing business in Vietnam. This is mainly because of different cultures. The employee turnover is generally high in Vietnam. It is therefore important to provide the employees with reasons to stay in the company. Most companies stress the importance of investing in the employees. One of the keys to business success in Vietnam is understanding that local customs and behaviours have a significant effect on business relationships, which means paying more money do not keep your employees, understand and being friend with them do. The third advice related to Export/Import matter. The Vietnamese government has shown itself committed to implement the WTO commitments. As a result, trade regulations are softening up slowly. However, when inexperienced, trading can be a difficult area in Vietnam. As there are no extensive guides or manuals to trading and no complaining mechanisms at the custom offices. Efficient trading (import/export) is often a matter of learning-by-doing. Problems can to large extent be avoided by doing thorough research on regulations, in order to ensure that all documents are in order and all laws are followed.

Smart Soleh Slides

STUDY SKILLS (UUB 3013) ACADEMIC ACTIVITY PREPARED FOR: MADAM SITI NOOR AMYAH BINTI KHASBULLAH PREPARED BY: AIN NADIA BINTI ZAILAN (KJC1190154) AHMAD HEIKHAL BIN AMIR HAMZAH (KJC1190261) AZUADI BIN ZAHARIN (KJC0970162) DANIAL SHAM BIN MOHAMAD SHAMIN SHARMENDRAN (KJC1080452) HAIKAL BIN MOHAMAD NAZRI (KJC1160329) MOHAMMAD SHAHIN BIN MUHAMMAD NAZIR (KJC1160277) SYED MUZAMMIL BIN SYED ROSLAN (KJC1160022) SUBMISSION DATE: 30TH NOVEMBER 2011 Contents Introduction1 Objectives2 Organizational Chart3 Details of the Program4 Tentative Activity4 Treasurer5 Progress Report6 Conclusion9 Appendix IntroductionAs we all know, for our group assignment for Study Skills subject, we need to conduct an academic activity in an education institution. The main idea is to apply our knowledge about Study Skills in our own perspective based on the different level of education. Thus, our group has chosen to execute an activity at Smart Soleh Integrated Preschool located at Kota Damansara. This particular pre-sc hool consists of 30 pupils that range 4 to 6 in years. We would like to give an honorable thanks to our lecturer and advisor, Madam Siti Noor Amyah Binti Khasbullah for advising us throughout the planning and preparation period.Also, we would like to thank Madam Nor Banum Md. Noor, as the principal of Smart Soleh Integrated Preschool for approving our proposal and allowing us to execute our academic activities. We believe that children learn well when they are happy and having fun. Through game-based activities we aim to provide an environment where all children will feel valued and happy. We encourage the children to actively participate in their own learning and where, we hope, they will want to explore and learn more.We actively encourage positive relationships where children have high levels of self-esteem and self-confidence, developing care and respect for themselves, others and their environment. Furthermore, we stresses on teamwork and toleration so that the children will le arn how to work with others in the future. During our activities, we are trying to  provide a high quality material that will develop their intellectual skills, ensuring that children are happy and involved with their own learning. We rewarded the children with useful prizes such as stationery items and goodies so that they will compete healthily with each other. ObjectivesFor this particular academic activity, there are two different sides of objectives, first is the objective for the Study Skills Assignment and second is the objective for the children in the preschool. Firstly, by doing this project, our objective is to complete our assignment for Study Skills subject as we were assigned by our lecturer to execute an academic activity at the educational institution. Therefore, we will achieve our objective as soon as this project is done. Furthermore, our objective is to practice teamwork and to tolerate with all of our team members as implementing what we have learnt in Study S kills subject in this semester.Secondly, our objective for the children in the preschool is to create fun learning for the children by conducting a game-based activities as children love to play and they actually learn from it. All of the structured activities that we planned will benefit the children at the end of the day as we focused in academic mainly. Paradoxically, the children learn new things faster than we do, therefore we have to carefully create an interesting and beneficial educational activities. We also aim to provide an inclusive, safe, caring and stimulating environment for the children.Children need those elements in order for them perfectly absorb the learning experience. Safe and caring environment are important since children are active and at their age, they do not implement safety action yet. As a matter of fact, it is our responsibility to provide safe and caring yet stimulating environment for them regardless how we do it. On the other hand, our objective is also to provide a balance, carefully structured activities for the children based on his/her individual developmental needs to foster their well-being, self-esteem and personal development.Children have different characteristics just like we humans do. They think differently, they behave differently and they learn differently. We might confront passive child whom can be characterized as aimless and lethargic. The passive child's facial expressions are dull, with little indication of alertness. Also, we might confront hyperactive child. These children would be continually moving about, exploring the environment around them and in the process creating chaos. For this reason, we have to create carefully structured activities for them to develop their personal development.Last but not least, we also aim to provide regular opportunities for communication and understand well the main of interaction with little kids and exchange and discuss information concerning the child’s develop ment. For instance, we promote teamwork and toleration to the children so that they know how to work with others in learning and everyday life. Organizational Chart Details of the Program Name of the program: Fun Learning – Alphabets ;amp; Numbers Date: 17th November 2011 Time: 09. 30 – 11. 30 am Location: Smart Soleh Integrated Preschool Ground Floor Block A,Pangsapuri Tainia 11/3, Jalan Kenyalang, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Number of participants: 30 pupils Tentative Activity Date| Time| Activity| 17th November 2011| 09. 30 am| Arrival| | 09. 30 – 10. 00 am| Introduction: â€Å"Ice-Breaking†| | 10. 00 – 10. 30 am| Musical Chair| | 10. 30 – 11. 00 am| Academic Activity: * Word Puzzle * Dot-to-Dot * Maze Game| | 11. 00 – 11. 15 am| Prize-giving Ceremony| | 11. 15 – 11. 30 am| Farewell| Treasurer Budget: RM10. 00 X 7 person = RM70. 00 Date| Place| Expenditures| Items| Total(RM)| 5/11/2011| Carrefo ur, Subang Jaya| Prizes ;amp; Goodies| * Stationeries * Goodies * Miscellaneous| 52. 05| 16/11/2011| SNY Stationers, LCS| Activity| * Sketch Book * Stickers| 6. 30| 17/11/2011| SNY Stationers, LCS| Activity| Photocopy A4| 2. 50| 18/11/2011| Hassan ;amp; Norma| Expenses – Volunteer’s Treat| Food| 9. 00| TOTAL| 69. 85 | Progress Report Academic Activity at Smart Soleh Intergrated School We were assigned to conduct an academic activity at educational institution.The venue was proposed by Azuadi Bin Zaharin, as the place is near and it is convenient for us. The activities were proposed by all of the group members while the budget were proposed by the treasurer and project director during our first meeting on the 5th October 2011. The planning took about two weeks before the paperwork was done. There were several impediments to progress such as the group members have difficulty to attend the meeting, lack of communication and been loaded with other assignments. However, we managed to reconcile and make sure that the project is going well.The requested permission letter was given to us by our lecturer ;amp; advisor, Madam Siti Noor Amyah Binti Khasbullah on the 20th October 2011. The permission letter to conduct the academic activity at the educational institution was then sent to the principal of Smart Soleh Integrated Preschool by Azuadi Bin Zaharin. The principal accepted our permission letter and approved our proposal along with fixing the date, which is on the 17th November 2011. As soon as the proposal has been approved, we made the preparation. The budget were collected by the treasurer on 10th November 2011 from all of the group members.With the budget, the expenditures were made by the project director, Ain Nadia on 15th November 2011 by purchasing all the items to be given as prizes and goodies to be given as treats to the children. The next day, the items needed for the academic activities were purchased. After everything is complete, the fi nal preparation was done by confirming our arrival tomorrow to the principal. On 17th November 2011, we departed from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, Leisure Commerce Square at 8. 30am. The traffic was badly congested. However we managed to arrive at 9. 30am.Our arrival was welcomed by the giggles and cheers from the children before we were formally welcomed by the principal. We introduced ourself to the principal and teachers before we started the introduction to the children. The introduction began with the emcee speech by Ain Nadia, and followed by each members introduced their names and the nickname that that kids can call them. Then, all of the members, responsibled as the facilitators, chose five children to be in each group. There were six groups altogether. The â€Å"Ice-Breaking† activity was conducted by the facilitators in a two-way communication with the children.The facilitator are responsible to take care their respective group through out the activities until the e nd of the event. Moving on to the next activity, while the facilitators were busy entertaining their group, our volunteer, Kathiravan which was our photographer at the same time, helped us to prepare for the next activity which was Musical Chair. Fourteen chairs were arranged in a circle. One of the facilitator, Syed Muzammil who was in charged for the sound system, prepared the songs for the game. The six groups were divided into two, three groups to participate in the Musical Chair while another three groups to be the audience.There were two rounds of the Musical Chair game before we finally have our respective winners to compete in the final round. The winner received a colouring book with a colour pencil set while the other children received goodies for each time anyone got eliminated from the game. The highlighted activities are done in the same room to avoid confusion as our objective is to provide an inclusive, safe, caring and stimulating environment for the children. We con ducted the activities freely by sitting on the floor in groups. Each group were given a piece of activity paper.The first was Word Search, continued with Dot-to-Dot and lastly the Maze Game. The objective of the game is to find the fastest team to complete the activities on condition of teamwork. During the activity, the facilitators observed their respective groups. We found that, there were active children, less-active children and also a hyperactive child. For the active children, we encourage them to be competitive and build their teamwork. However, for the less-active children, we helped them to adapt in the activity, build their self-esteem and convinced them that they can do it.A facilitator took the responsibility in taking care of the hyperactive child while the emcee helped him to take care of his group. We hold on to our objectives which are to provide a balance, carefully structured activities for the children based on his/her individual developmental needs to foster the ir well-being, self-esteem and personal development and provide regular opportunities for communication understand well the main of interaction with little kids and exchange and discuss information concerning the child’s development.Finally, we carried on to the next event, which is the prize-giving ceremony. The fastest groups for each activity were given prizes. The winner for the Word Search game was Haikal’s group, while the winner for the Dot-to-Dot game was Ahmad Heikhal’s group and the winner for the Maze Game was Mohammad Shahin’s group. We had a special prize which was a hamper for the group with the best teamwork. After the observations and discussions with the facilitators, we awarded Danial Sham’s group the best teamwork award as we saw them highly cooperating with each other and tolerated in an impressive way.This is what Danial Sham had to say about his group, â€Å"There are types of children that I met in my team. Izah was the moth er of my team because whenever a child was crying she would go to the kid and comfort the kid. She would also arrange the â€Å"kepiah† on the boy’s head, if it’s slanting a bit then she would arrange it back. Adam who was funny, active and loving, gave me a gentle hug when we were about to leave. Sofea was the Informative one because I am not very good with names and whenever I forgot their names she would tell me their names.They do not judge or think badly of you they would just help you when you got a problem. They easily make friends; they do not choose them by his or her status. We also did an activity where we must complete a maze puzzle, connect the dots and Sahiba, my team didn’t won a single prize because we didn’t finish first in every activity, but we still had fun because I push them to finish the activity instead of moping and feeling sad. When we got the prize for most cooperative team they were happy because we finally win something . We had a photography session in the end to capture our moments together before we say farewell and as part of our assignment, we need the photos to prove that we have execute the activity. Surprisingly, right after the photography session with the children, principal and teachers, the children sang the song â€Å"You’ll Be In My Heart† from the film Tarzan. We were deeply touched, by the sincerity of the children. It was the best farewell that we had. The children lined up in two rows, boys and girls, they shook hand with all of us, and we gave them inspirational words to them.We bid farewell and thanked the principal, teachers and all of the children for the great day we had with them. The academic activity has been successfully conducted. All of the group members felt relieved and happy at the same time. The activity went well and smoothly, just the way we planned it to be. Conclusion In particular, we as a group believe that the project of ours is a big success. W ith a big help from our lecturer, family and friends, we managed to pull out a great activity with those exciting and energetic kids at the preschool.Not to forget, the principal and teachers of Smart Soleh Integrated Preschool whom has given us support and guidance in order to make this project going smoothly. At the same time, we also have encountered several problems while executing this project. For example, to handle quite a number of energetic pupils, react towards the situation when there are passive kids that can easily cry, and to understand what the kids are trying to voice out, etc. These actually become a challenge for us to conduct the ideal form of education skills and to meet up the criteria needed to deals with those kids.Dealing with that, we have to analyze back our input and try to cope back with the kids using our redraft plan and some adjustments. After the whole two hours, all of the members agreed to feel mentally exhausted. This assignment is very different t o compare with other subjects’ assignments. We learnt how to cope with the pressure, we learnt how to really be patient and we learnt to be friendly and nice despite our aggressiveness. The two hours were not easy for us, but we hold on until the end proving that all of us can actually encounter this type of challenge.In the meantime, the main plan and the designated antennary have work well with the cooperation from all the group members. Besides that, the teachers also have helped us a lot in handling the problematic kids and preparing the props. We managed to conduct several academic activities focusing on the kid’s intellectual skills and soft skills. Alongside with the activities, we also played some games and sing-a-long with those kids. Lastly, with two hours time, we believe that we gave the best activity and gained a lot of informative knowledge about kids education development.The best thing that we gained from the assignment is the teamwork. We learnt how to work with each other, how to tolerate and how to communicate with each other. Than just classmates, we became teammates and that is a good thing. We helped each other during the activity, to cover everyone’s back and to complete the task together. However, we suggest that for this kind of assignment, the university should sponsor some budget in order for us to organize a better activity.It will be convenient if we get the sponsor, we could create a better structured activities that requires a little costly budget. Furthermore, we suggest that the university can provide the transportation for us to the educational institution to avoid transportation problem. Overall, we can conclude this activity is a good and yet fun to gain and utilize the knowledge about the Study Skills subject. This kind of activity has helped us a lot to understand well about the Study Skills knowledge and how to implement it.To put icing to the cake, we felt very happy and enjoy while doing this projec t and we would love to conduct the same activity in the future again in any chance.Total Word Count : 2,774 Appendix Arrival ;amp; Preparation Introduction: â€Å"Ice Breaking† Musical Chair Academic Activity: Word Search, Dot-to-Dot ;amp; Maze Game Prize-giving Adi’s Group Shahin’s Group Ahmad Heikhal’s Group Amil’s Group Danial Sham’s Group Haikal’s Group Farewell With all the kids ;amp; teachers Academic Activity Word Search Academic Activity Dot-to-Dot Academic Activity Maze Game Receipts

John Adams Essays - Adams Family, Conservatism In The United States

John Adams Essays - Adams Family, Conservatism In The United States John Adams John Quincy Adams was the only son of a president to become president. He had an impressive political background that began at the age of fourteen. He was an intelligent and industrious individual. He was a man of strong character and high principles. By all account, his presidency should have been a huge success, yet it wasn't. John Quincy Adams' presidency was frustrating and judged a failure because of the scandal, attached to his election, the pettiness of his political rivals, and his strong character. John Quincy Adams was born on July 1767, in Braintree Massachusetts. His parents were John and Abigail Adams. Quincy, had every advantage as a youngster. At the time of his birth, his father was an increasingly admired and prospering lawyer, and his mother Abigail Smith Adams, was the daughter of an esteemed minister, whose wife's family combined two prestigious and influential lines, the Nortons and the Quincys. Accompanying his father on diplomatic missions in Europe, young John Quincy Adams received a splendid education at private schools in Paris, Leiden, and Amsterdam, early developing his penchant for omnivorous reading. He was able to speak several languages. At the age of fourteen, he was asked to serve as secretary and translator to Francis Dana, the first US ambassador to Russia. Despite his age, young Adams was a valuable aid to the consul; he enjoyed Russia and the exposure to diplomatic circles. He later returned to the United States and attended Harvard. He graduated in two years and entered the law offices of Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Passing the bar in 1790, he set up practice in Boston. In 1794 John began his long political career. George Washington appointed John Quincy Adams an Ambassador to the Netherlands. After his father was elected as the second president of the United States, he was reassigned to the post of minister to Prussia. He kept this post throughout his fathers term of office. After his fathers defeat to Thomas Jefferson he returned home. In 1802 he was elected to the Massachusetts senate, which sent him to the U. S senate the following year. He was also appointed to the Supreme Court, a membership he declined. President James Madison then appointed him to minister to Russia in 1809. He continued to serve his country and gained a well-respected reputation. Adding to his reputation was his brilliant and tough-minded performance as chief American peace commissioner in the negotiations at Gent that ended the War of 1812 and his effectiveness as minister to Great Britain during the last two years of the Madison administration. He continued to distinguish himself by negotiating a treaty with Spain. The Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain, concluded with Spain on February 22, 1819. Provided for the transfer of East and West Florida to the United States and the establishment of a border between Spanish and US territory running from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains and along the forty- second parallel to the Pacific ocean. Historians regard the treaty as a brilliant act of diplomacy, and Adams himself called its conclusion the most important event of my life. Many historians give credit to Adams for his contributions to the Monroe Doctrine. Adams also was the mind behind the Monroe Doctrine, which warned that the United States would oppose any European interference in the internal affairs of an American nation or further European colonization of territory in the Western Hemisphere. There was no doubt that Adams was a deserving candidate for the presidential election of 1824. He had held high diplomatic positions and displayed both aptitude and ability. He wanted to be President, but although Adams was the most distinguished member of the Monroe Cabinet, his successes were somewhat neutralized by his lack of friends and organizational backing He had also earned himself a reputation of being stubborn and unflexable. He had no problems speaking out against issues he felt were unjust. He also spoke out against his own political party. The son of a leading Federalist Party, Adams proved to be anything but a slavish devotee to that political cause. When he thought the party was in the wrong, he stood ready to oppose it. In fact, as

Exteded definition of baseball fan

Exteded definition of baseball fan What is a baseball fan? The word "fan" is an abbreviation of the word "fanatic," meaning "insane." In the case of baseball fans, the term is very appropriate. They behave insanely, they are insane about baseball trivia, and they are insanely loyal.Certainly the behavior of baseball fans is insane. They wear their official team t-shirts and warm-up jackets to the mall, the store, the classroom, and, if they can get away with it, to work. Then, whenever the team offers a giveaway item, the fans rush out to get the roll-up hat, tote bag, or beer cooler offered that day.In addition, they cover their walls with items of every kind. A baseball fan will have his bedroom walls plastered with posters and ornamented with caps and buttons. When they go to a game, the true baseball fans put on their team colors, grab their pennants, pin on their team buttons, and even bring along hand-lettered bed sheet signs proudly proclaiming "Go Dodgers" or "Braves are Number 1."[Chief Meyers, New York NL (b aseball)] (LOC)At the game, these fans form a rooting section, constantly encouraging their favorite players and obediently echoing every cheer flashed on the electronic scoreboard.Baseball fans, in addition to behaving insanely, are also fascinated by baseball trivia. Every day they turn to the sports page and study last night's statistics. They simply must see who extended his hitting streak and how many strikeouts the winning pitcher recorded. Their bookshelves are crammed full of record books, team yearbooks, and baseball almanacs. They delight in remembering such significant facts as who was the last left-handed third baseman to hit an inning-ending double play in the fifth game of the playoffs.Finally, baseball fans are insanely loyal to the team of their choice. Should the home team's...

Effective Tips For Writing Law Essays

Effective Tips For Writing Law Essays Law Essay: Pointers for a Captivating Essay Even as a law student, you are bound to write an essay at some point in your coursework. You will come to realize that the complexity of writing this type of essay keeps changing as the topics are modified and updated regularly. To ensure your essay is first-class, you should be updated with the latest content on the law as it comes by, and have been of good quality in research. This will give you an advantage of crafting a top-class essay that your reader can relate with. Below are the ways you can apply to ensure you come up with a law essay that is competent and lucid: Picking the Topic to Discuss To many students, this seems to be an easy thing to do. However, t you should know that it is a crucial part of the law essay you intend to write. Below are dependable themes that you should know in order to pick a good topic: Read the assignment more than once Many students take this as a light issue. You would be surprised by a large number of students who drop their grades in law essay writing because of avoiding reading and understanding the given promptly. If the topic provided has an assigned topic, then the logic is centrally based. The student will research ideas that are only related to the topic and determine how to approach it, either by broadening the topic or narrowing it down to a specific point of view. The construction of your essay will majorly depend on the topic; the length of paper signed (this will determine the fitting of your essay outline), and the academic level you are addressing. However, if the topic is not provided, you are required to either choose for yourself the subject you feel interested in or alternatively consult your professor.   Topics you personally choose will have the potential to award you better grades; simply because of the motivation behind the writing will be more informative and inspiring. Go Through the Class Notes The class notes will provide some in-depth information that you require in your research. It is advisable to choose a topic that was discussed briefly in class, which will help you craft a profound law essay piece. This will guarantee you excellent future grades in your work. Always Brainstorm Your Topic After reading through your class work, find more inspiration in articles, and any other material you have collected while you initially conducted research on the topic. At this stage, you should highly consider the length of the paper you have been awarded and the arrangement of each piece of information to form a draft outline structure. There are many ways of brainstorming your work. You can either contemplate quietly or mind maps. Choose the one that you can easily work with. This will help you in creating a list of questions that should be answered, and the arguments to be addressed. You will be ready to write a good essay when you realize that your arguments and ideas relate to the questions and to be answered, and the topic that is being addressed. Be Fluent Addressing Your Interests Writing on the subject matter you have an interest in, or passionate about is the easiest way to come up with a high-quality paper. Reflecting on your passion in law, while crafting your essay is the best way to get inspiration and motivation. Conduct An In-Depth Research By now, you should know that initial research is not enough to come up with sufficient content for your essay topic. There are many ways of crafting an A+ paper and understanding the types of sources required for your paper is a vital part. As you do your research, you will come across different sources, but this does not mean they all relate to your research. Below are some essential tips to help you pick sources that relate to your work, and still comply with the standards for academic writing: Brainstorm on the types of sources you need All sources of information are categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary sources.   Primary sources are basically interviews; questionnaires and any other form of getting first-hand information. Secondary sources entail the full analysis of the information gathered from primary sources. Tertiary sources collectively analyze information gathered from both primary and secondary sources. When it is time to conduct your extensive research, remember to through your assignment again. You might, however, realize that the professor has assigned the type of sources you are to use with your work. Others include the number of resources you are to analyze. It this case, do not deviate and analyze sources that have not been given. When the prompt given lacks information, you can write the basic law essay which is founded on your secondary and tertiary research work. Primary research is mostly associated with multifaceted assignments like thesis and dissertations. Remember to Always Start with Your Tertiary Sources This tip is efficient in helping you avoid time wastage while conducting research on your topic. Since they contain the main points and arguments of both primary and secondary sources, they will give you reliable information that will help you write a top-class law essay. This will give you a chance to quickly go through your written work concerning the subject of discussion, and pick related books, articles or any other source of information relating to your subject of discussion. Tertiary sources are mostly academic guidebooks such as the standard textbooks and encyclopedias. As you use them in your research make sure you read through the footnotes and bibliographies which make a list of reference sources you can use for research. Talk with the Librarian Even though it is easy to get information online, do not underestimate the knowledge and information you can find in your local, or university library. You will be surprised at the amount of information regarding a particularly important subject matter that cannot be found in the World Wide Web. Take advantage of this and visit a library near you. This will also give you a chance to talk to the librarian who will help you locate suitable sources for the information you require. The librarians knowledge might extend to your topic for discussion, and engaging one will help you a lot in the writing of your law essay. Only Use Specialized Search Engines The Google search engine has an incredible amount of useful information, but most are structured to relate more to fun than for academic purposes. However, their Google scholar search engine is the best option when it comes to searching for academic information. For those who live in the United States, HeinOnline.org can also be a resourceful online search engine containing a huge number of credible and acceptable information you can use. While you embark on your research, take the tie to go through information related to your field of study. History and politics are the most common ones. Cautiously Read Through Each Source You Collect Many students commit the same mistake each and every time they are writing an essay. They collect random materials they find in their online research and aimlessly fill their bibliographies with unrelated academic resources. Please do keep in mind that even if the topic of the article or source feels kind of related to your work, it does not mean that the content will relate to your topic. You may underestimate the knowledge of your professor about this, but your grades will tell you later since he might beware. Remember that it is crucial to go through your sources and use the complete citation as per the required style (APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard) to fill your bibliography section. Also remember that some of the quotes you have used come from these sources, so it is important to ensure that you pay attention when it comes to referencing and in-text citation. Only Choose Topics That Fit Your Preference and Make Notes After you select a point that fits your essay topic, make a summary of each point and related argument that you will use in your law essay. There are two ways to do it; either you highlight the crucial parts or create a separate document and copy paste the information. However, this might be an easy way to approach note-taking, but it is not an as effective process. Taking notes manually ensures that you put down points oriented to your topic to help you easily create a comprehensive law essay that is well outlined. Have in mind that copy-pasting is a risky process as you might end up putting the same content into your essay. This is subject to plagiarism and can lower your grade heavily when it is detected. Make sure that you utilize the note-taking process as you will be able to come up with unique ideas that are original and logical. Conduct a Research of Opposing Arguments As a writer, you are required to compose an essay which mostly relates to your point of view. However, your point of reason should not be one-sided, especially in topics that are complex or controversial such as those in law. Take time and conduct thorough research of opposing arguments and use them to prove the validity of your point of reason over them to your target audience. The process of Writing Your Law Essay After you have done enough research and gathered enough evidence to work with, you can now start writing your law essay. Below are some tips that will help you in the construction of your law essay easily.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Begin with a thesis Take a look at the main research question you were deliberating about earlier. If you did complete the full research and analysis of it, you could use it to address your thesis statement. This will include the primary issue you will discuss in your essay. The thesis statement should be the closing statement of your introductory paragraph.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Formulate a Draft Outline You can easily achieve this by going through your previously drafted work on the law essay topic and arrange the vital information available to fit a logical flow of your intended idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Each Paragraph To Address a Single Argument Your introductory paragraph addresses your problem and the thesis statement. For body paragraphs, use them to expound on your point and support them with valid information and arguments to prove your point of view. Additionally, ensure that each paragraph addresses a single point of view. Remember to arrange your body paragraph in order, for your work to make sense when a reader goes through it.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Include the Opposing Arguments As mentioned earlier, your counter-arguments are necessary to give the reader an impression of the validity of your perspective. Use one paragraph to address the opposing arguments to your thesis statement. While you try to prove the counter-arguments wrong, always remember to remain reasonable and logical as you address the issue. Avoid criticizing and prove your point sufficiently.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Write a Well-Organized Conclusion A well-organized conclusion should consist of a restatement of each valid point that you have argued in your body paragraphs. At the start of it, you should also write a restated thesis statement. The idea here is not to paraphrase your points, to restate and prove that it’s right.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Go Through the Paper Again Proofreading is an important aspect of ensuring your essay is first-class and worth the highest grade to be awarded by your professor. You should do this after you have finished writing the final piece of work. It is advisable to do it the following day when you are fresh enough to go through each statement you have put across carefully. Through this, you will identify any mechanical or technical error, from spelling mistakes to punctuation, and even grammatical errors.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Work with the Required Formatting As you proofread your work, it is important to check the outline structure of your work and academic format (this will be specified in the assignment prompt). If none is provided, pick one of your preferred choices and stick to it until you finish your work.

Training Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Training Project - Assignment Example n resource managers, leader leaders and departmental heads due to their day-to-day interactions with employees and their roles in job design and job allocation in the organization. The program is tailored to meet the needs of employees in establishing work/life boundary and considers various aspects of work and personal life that contribute to physical and social well-being of an individual. The program caters for both the organizational needs and individual needs of each employee. By the end of the training program, the managers and team leaders should understand how to create a work/life boundary, how to help their employees in time management and stress reduction strategies. The participants should acknowledge the importance of work/life boundary in improving organizational productivity and increasing employee retention. The participants should be capable of designing a work/life boundary training program for their subordinates. The training program will enable both lectures and case study analysis. The training will entail one-hour lecturers everyday for a period of five days. The lecturers will be conducted inside the company premises. The costs associated with poor work/life boundary are high for both the company and the employees. The program is designed to enable managers know how to help their employees on different aspects of work/life boundary such as improving time management, eliminating burnout, reframing stress, improving health and wellness, and attainment of personal

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 21

Business Ethics - Essay Example To that effect, the image of Shell has been falling down worldwide. In order for Shell to counter this negative publicity that has tarnished its image, it should operate in an ethical manner. It should adopt the utilitarian view of ethics whose goal is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number. The Ogoni people in this case constitute the greatest number of people who have been negatively affected by the operations of Shell so they deserve to get better treatment from this company. The management of Shell should also ensure that their actions do not violate the rights of the local people such as the right to live in a clean and safe environment. It has been observed that the company’s failure to uphold ethical principles has impacted negatively on its operations. Therefore, the company’s goals and objectives should be shaped by different ethical principles in order to fulfill the interests of the stakeholders who may be affected by its operations. 2. There are various implications to Shell and its stakeholders (Interest of conflict between the foreign owners and the local citizens) that need to be considered in order for it to operate ethically. Whilst Shell may argue that it is primarily concerned with generating profits that would benefit the stakeholders, there is a conflict of interest where it can be observed that its actions negatively impact on the local communities. In order to operate ethically, Shell should try to create a fine balance between its profit needs as well as fulfilling the needs and interests of the members of the local community. Enlightened companies encourage their managers to be socially responsible and try to seek ways to protect the long run interests of their stakeholders and the environment (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Essentially, all companies operate within a certain environment and it is their obligation to protect that same environment. In case of Shell, it

Job Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Analysis - Research Paper Example This job related behaviors are therefore considered as important in order to define who to hire and recruit. (Fine & Steven F, 1999) One of the key purposes of preparing job analysis is to define the job specifications as well as job descriptions which invariably allow an organization to identify the right kind of attributes required to perform the job. As such the future hiring and selection of the employees takes place based upon this. It is also critical to note that the job analysis is also used for later improvements in the overall job process besides defining the promotion and compensation criteria based upon the overall contents of the jobs. Job analysis is also used for the purpose of defining the training requirements of the employees and what kind of training and development programs need to be implemented in order to allow employees to move from one position to another. It is critical to note that organizations use job analysis as one of the legal defense tools in the courts. Job analysis can have serious legal implications if there are any elements of bias in the overall process of preparing job analysis for the employees. Since job analysis is also used in the supervisory evaluations as well as the rating of the employees, it is therefore important that all the criteria are effectively measured and carefully defined in order to reduce the chance of bias. Uniform Guidelines on employee selection specifically ask for the thorough job analysis as one of the selection criteria for hiring the employees. Further, validity studies are also required to be based upon careful review of the information about the job and the reviews should give due consideration to the job analysis. Americans with Disability Act specifically give more importance to the job analysis and strictly prohibits discrimination against persons with

Marketing planning consultancy report for NLV Solutions Limited Essay

Marketing planning consultancy report for NLV Solutions Limited - Essay Example To launch the new integrated marketing communications campaign, designed to create brand recall in markets with little knowledge of the brand, considerable preliminary market research will need to be conducted to gain perspectives on consumer attitudes and lifestyles that will translate into an innovative procurement model with product emphasis. The logo utilised to make Vend-O-Matic stand out is based on retro-style signage common during the boom in automats in the 1960s to inspire nostalgic-based consumption behaviours. It is estimated that Vend-O-Matic will achieve a 40 percent increase in sales through this brand-building campaign, justified under premiumisation models in pricing and promotion and through establishment of more cooperative partnerships with many supply chain partners. This will be accomplished by devoting more capital and labour into the promotional function and ensuring innovation in product procurement. NLV Solutions: The Vend-O-Matic Brand 1.0 Situation analysi s Vend-O-Matic is an established brand serving the United Kingdom since the 1960s. Despite this longevity in the automatic vending market, NLV Solutions has been slow to respond to market changes in a sales environment that is strongly driven by consumer attitude and psycho-social characteristics. The methodology by which the company provides talent management through family-based channels is ineffective for response to changing market conditions that continues to erode profitability for this brand. The generic market needs are for top-quality, innovative vending machines, establishment of competitive pricing structures for price-sensitive buyers, and expression of total product convenience to gain target market interest. 1.1 Market summary NLV Solutions has captured quality information about the market and consumer characteristics that will drive success in this repositioning of the Vend-O-Matic brand. This information will be leveraged throughout the entire business model to under stand, specifically, which markets are being served, their tangible and emotional needs, and the most effective methodology to communicate with these markets. 1.2 Target market analysis The dominant market profile in this industry is the 16 to 34-year-old market. The secondary market is the consumer over the age of 55 that contributes profitability through hot beverage vending consumption. 1.3 Mission statement Vend-O-Matic aims to become the most recognisable and innovative vending brands in the UK. Through the establishment of close connections with buyers and renewed focus on customer relationship development, Vend-O-Matic seeks to become a market leader in quality, innovation and responsible product procurement. 1.4 Internal competency analysis Inflexibility under the current family-based management and governance structure is inefficient for achieving market and profit goals. Current management focuses too heavily on the tangibles of service and product and do not focus on the critical dimensions of intangibles required to establish a recognised brand. Consumers are largely risk averse and, to avoid uncertainty, will look for signs and evidence of quality, inferring these perceptions from communications, equipment, pricing, and symbols (Kotler and Keller 2007). Rather than focusing on radical management practices, leadership should be focusing on establishment of a recognised brand in key target markets that requires promotion of

E-retailing and logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-retailing and logistics - Essay Example One has to invest in the progress of a first class virtual catalogue in order to really be successful in e-commerce. Like a mail catalogue, a virtual catalogue presents pictures as well as information regarding the products, as well as offers a way for clients to place orders. Although in place of posting the catalogue to the client, the client moves towards the catalogue by visiting the businesss website. Virtual catalogues have a number of diverse benefits as compared to customary mailed ones. The nature of a website makes it convenient and easy to demonstrate the product in a range of choices and to take account of added product information that there might not be space for in a mail catalogue. In addition, contrasting a mail catalogue, virtual catalogues can be simply transformed to include or eliminate products and to renew product accessibility information (Jelassi & Enders, p. 19, 2008). Business’s website as well as virtual catalogue will just be as successful as the number of traffic or prospective clientele that pay visits to the website. One has to look at the opportunity of publicity on search engines such as Google and Yahoo in order to raise traffic. For the most part, search engines sell space for advertisements that will come into sight next to or around the listing of websites that appear when an internet user types in a word or phrase to search for. During the accurate situations, these advertisements can be a best method to direct individuals who possibly may have a curiosity in the product displayed on the company’s website (Chen, p. 97, 2004). A further method to raise traffic is to publish links to business’s website on other high traffic websites. For either a payment or a mutual linking contract, other companies may be ready to incorporate an advertisement for one’s business on their website. Despite the fact that it is very doubtful that one will influence the competition to chip in in this sort of deal, it is very possible to

Zara case company analysis report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Zara case company analysis report - Essay Example It further looks at the PR of the company and the major crises that have been facing the company over the years. A comprehensive analysis of the company’s strategy is done to establish the root of the company’s success. Lastly, the paper gives suggestions on how the company can improve its operations in the global scene.Zara is the leading brand of Spanish Fashion Group Inditex and a well- established Fashion Company in the global scene (Zara, 2012). The company was established in 1975 in La Coruna and since then, its growth has been sterling. It had opened branches in major fashion cities including Paris and New York by the year 1990. It was because of their tremendous reputation that Zara Home was opened in the year 2003. In 2007, Zara established their first online shop that specialises in the sale of home products (Inditex, 2012). At the moment, the company operates 1830 stores in different parts of the world. According to recent financial statements, it contributes to more than 64% of Inditex’s revenue (Inditex, 2011). The company distinguishes itself as fast fashion trademark and offers high fashion clothing to reach the public at affordable prices. Zara’s success has been impressive over the years and this paper analyses its external environment, value chain, leadership, strategies and challenges facing the brand name. External Environment Analysis The fashion industry is ever changing due to contribution of companies like Topshop, HandM and Zara (London Business School, 2008). Consequently, factors affecting the clothing industry will influence trends in the high fashion world. In the clothing industry, customers’ preferences vary according to their ages and body types (Keane and te Velde, 2008). Furthermore, the demand for clothing is affected by population size and patterns. For example, an increase in the proportion of pregnant women and birth rate will increase demand for maternity and baby clothes (Suttle, 2011:45 ). It is important to note that demographic trends are the driving force in the fashion industry. The PESTLE analysis will be used to study the macro- environment and the Porter five forces model to evaluate the micro- environment. PESTEL analysis The fashion industry is characterised by high levels of competition among the top fashion brand names and frequent changes in the customers’ tastes and preferences. PESTEL analysis is used to identify factors that affect the demand of goods produced with regards to the external environment. Political Aspects In terms of the political framework in the clothing industry, workers’ rights and employment regulations are mandatory in the creation of a legal environment in the manufacturing

E-retailing and logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-retailing and logistics - Essay Example One has to invest in the progress of a first class virtual catalogue in order to really be successful in e-commerce. Like a mail catalogue, a virtual catalogue presents pictures as well as information regarding the products, as well as offers a way for clients to place orders. Although in place of posting the catalogue to the client, the client moves towards the catalogue by visiting the businesss website. Virtual catalogues have a number of diverse benefits as compared to customary mailed ones. The nature of a website makes it convenient and easy to demonstrate the product in a range of choices and to take account of added product information that there might not be space for in a mail catalogue. In addition, contrasting a mail catalogue, virtual catalogues can be simply transformed to include or eliminate products and to renew product accessibility information (Jelassi & Enders, p. 19, 2008). Business’s website as well as virtual catalogue will just be as successful as the number of traffic or prospective clientele that pay visits to the website. One has to look at the opportunity of publicity on search engines such as Google and Yahoo in order to raise traffic. For the most part, search engines sell space for advertisements that will come into sight next to or around the listing of websites that appear when an internet user types in a word or phrase to search for. During the accurate situations, these advertisements can be a best method to direct individuals who possibly may have a curiosity in the product displayed on the company’s website (Chen, p. 97, 2004). A further method to raise traffic is to publish links to business’s website on other high traffic websites. For either a payment or a mutual linking contract, other companies may be ready to incorporate an advertisement for one’s business on their website. Despite the fact that it is very doubtful that one will influence the competition to chip in in this sort of deal, it is very possible to

Examine the value of planning given the History of Urban Development Essay

Examine the value of planning given the History of Urban Development in the US from the 19th century onwards - Essay Example The planning is still on, and the American towns and cities continue to exhibit noteworthy and extensive growth. All American cities exhibit high degrees of marvelous design in the way they appear and how they function. Most of the present-day cities started by being centers of particular reasons. Some began as trade centers while others started as storage and manufacture centers. Some cities also started as agriculture and market centers where produce from surrounding lands was kept. In the history of the US also, some cities began at the junctions of large transport routes such as large rivers, ocean ports or large roads. Therefore, it can be shown that most of these cities were planned for. At the time, for example, the leaders of the people decided on the towns that were market centers or those that were administrative centers. This illustrates massive planning over time in the growth of cities. At the start of the 19th century, most of the cities were planned in such a way that they provided protection in times of war. City walls were constructed in such a way that when there was war, the rural populace would hide behind the walls. This was a time when warfare was common in the land. Such walls required massive innovation and planning so that they would serve their purpose.

Reading assignment Essay Example for Free

Reading assignment Essay The common house mouse, Mus musculus, is a model organism for human diseases. As such, it has been recently utilized in QTL mapping to see which genes may contribute disproportionately to disease states. Unfortunately, because of its high rate of inbreeding and bottleneck effect when it was first developed as a model organism, it displays a high level of linkage disequilibrium such that QTLs can span 20-40 cM, containing hundreds of genes. This is a problem on two levels: One, while this resolution is great relative to the â€Å"double crossovers† of Morgan’s flies, it leaves much to be desired in terms of quickly discovering traits that contribute to disease states. Two, using inbred lines such as mouse decreases verisimilitude—we’re trying to see how diseases work in humans, we should use animals with same genetic variance as humans. This is especially relevant because mice colonized the world with humans, and as such may show similar patterns of gene evolution and population structure. These authors found that QTL maps can be made to the resolution of 1 cM (about 100 kB in M. musculus) by using the wild conspecifics of these lab mice. In doing so, they also found that wild mice have much lower rates of LD, comparable to humans. They do show a lot of homozygosity, which the authors attribute to some inbreeding and previous bottlenecks. The authors suggest that using wild mice to develop finer mapping resolution for QTLs, especially because they can use the same SNPs that they use for laboratory mice. That is to say, we can use the same tools available to us in lab mice on wild mice for experiments more relevant to populations of humans, as opposed to individuals. Questions: 1) Wild mice have a lot of homozygosity. Would wild mouse populations (new world field mice, etc. ) show less homozygosity, and can we use them in these experiments when homozygosity somehow impedes the resolution of the mapping? 2) The text keeps saying that African populations are in a state of high linkage disequilibrium, and I’m assuming it is because they are in reproductive isolation. If mice are commensal with Africans as they are with other human populations, do they exhibit the same LD? Can we then use them as a model to look at disease states and disease traits in Africans?

Infinite Virtue :: William Shakespeare Antony Cleopatra Essays

Infinite Virtue IV.viii of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra is a short scene, less than 40 lines, and an entirely unexpected one. The preceding scenes of Act IV, such as Hercules' departure and Enobarbus' desertion, heavily foreshadow Antony's defeat. When Antony wins his battle against Caesar and returns to Cleopatra in IV.viii, the joy of their reunion contrasts with the despair of Act IV. Antony's victory is a strike against fate and a tribute, albeit short-lived, to the power of Egypt. The association of royalty and divinity was a common tradition not limited to the Elizabethans' world picture. In this scene, Antony portrays Cleopatra as a goddess, revealing her connection not only to the macrocosm but also to the more specific functions of the love goddess Isis. Cleopatra is a "great fairy" (IV.viii.12), able to "bless" (IV.viii.13) soldiers with her speech. As the "day o'th'world" (IV.viii.13) who will "ride" (IV.viii.16) in Antony's heart, she more particularly resembles a sun deity, pictured by the Egyptians as riding in a barge and by the Romans as in a chariot. Cleopatra's association with the day continues up until her death; Charmian recognizes that "the bright day is done/and we are for the dark" (V.ii.192-3) and Cleopatra sees that her "lamp is spent" (IV.xv.89). In Act V, the connection is morbid, but here it is vibrant and positive. Yet in both death and life, the close relationship of Cleopatra and Egypt to fire and the higher elements is omnipresent; Antony swears "by the fire/that quickens Nilus' slime" (I.iii.69-70); Cleopatra before her death is "fire and air" (V.2.288); "your serpent of Egypt is bred...by the operation of your sun" (II.vii.26-7) That fire should so often be linked to life is unsurprising, given the common connection between heat and sex, just as the heart where Cleopatra will ride has long been a "bellows" (I.i.9). Also present is an idea of "vital heat", as when Cleopatra invites Iras to "take the last warmth" (V.ii.290) of her lips before her suicide. Whether fortunate or not, Cleopatra is a spirit of vitality. Even Antony gets a taste of residual divinity, perhaps from Cleopatra's having dressed him; he is "infinite virtue" (IV.viii.17) and "lord of lords" (IV.viii.16), echoing the prophecy that "the Lamb shall overcome [the ten kings], for he is Lord of lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14). In fighting for Egypt Antony momentarily wrests conquering fate from Octavius, whose statement that "the time of universal peace is near.

School Uniforms Essay -- essays research papers

John Doe walks into a skyscraper, confident and well groomed wearing a tie, suit, and dress shoes. His confidence moves him forward, as he enters an elevator going up to the 23rd floor. He approaches his first job interview since leaving Jesuit Prep: McAllen & McAllen Law. This well groomed man graduated from Jesuit prep, which had a dress code and hair restrictions. This dress code and hair restrictions evolved young men into mature adults over a 4 year period at Jesuit. The dress code and hair restrictions play a vital role for our future as they build class integration, increase our image in the community, and dress the students for business, not play. Jesuit Prep needs to continue this vital dress code and hair restrictions for the future.Having a school full of students wearing the same clothes and hairstyles helps build an integration within the class. Students that wear many different styles of clothes all come together wearing similar pants, shirts, ties, and shoes. Through a dress code and hair restrictions, everyone is helped to be made more comfortable by wearing similar clothes, otherwise, people may feel alienated with less trendy or "cool" clothes. Hairstyles help ease this integration as well by giving each person similar styles making everyone feel more at ease. The overall integration helps the students realize that although people may look similar, the idea that everyone exhibits will be greatly different. These different ideas are present...

Opinion on Internet Privacy Essay

When thinking of internet security, my expectations change depending on where I am accessing the internet from. When I am accessing the web from home I feel some sort of safety because I have lots of different protection on my home computers as well as a secured network site key that cannot be accessed by my neighbors or anyone else unless my password is given to them by me. Although I have all these things that does not mean that hackers cannot get into my computer system so I am still very careful as to which sites I enter information onto. At work, I expect them to have some of the best internet security because if ever there is a problem they will have so much more too loose than an average person. Most businesses have things such as financial records and information that should not be accessed by outsiders. With there being a lot of business and organizations that compete they should be careful to make sure their private information cannot be stolen or viewed by anyone other than the people that the information is intended for. In a public setting, I will use my computer but I do understand that when doing so some of my information may be seen or accessed by others. Because of this, I am very careful of the sites that I visit. I do not enter personal information like Credit Card numbers, social security numbers, addresses or any information that I would not want to be in the eyes or hands of a stranger or a computer hacker. In my opinion, I would say that is it not legal or ethical to use your neighbor’s internet signal without their permission. Being a person who pays for internet service, I think that it is unfair to have someone else use your internet service at their convenience and not have to pay anything at all. Also because it is still unclear what information may be able to be seen or accessed by others I would say it is also unsafe to do so.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Essay

The mutual set of accounting criteria used to develop medical centers financial statements are known as generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). GAAP are a mixture of respected criteria created by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and accountants. The SEC has authority granted by The Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to determine reporting and disclosure requirements. Oversight is the general functions of the SEC, granting the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) to determine the standards. Generally accepted accounting practices are required for accountant to follow and medical centers to use so medical centers and provide investors with a minimal level of dependability for financing determination. GAAP provides detailed information concerning the medical center fiscal returns, detailed balance and outstanding debt. GAAP guidelines are expected to be upheld by medical centers when giving an account of their economic figures through financial declarations (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Going concern principle. Financial statements must be prepared with the belief that the medical center will continue operation indefinitely. Disclosure of pending cease of patient care delivery must be noted in financial statement (Finkler & Ward, 2006) Principle of conservatism. Certified public accountants have an obligation to document business purchases that necessitate estimation based on their sound judgment. The total medical equipment productivity time frame and outstanding accounts receivable are illustrations for the use of estimation. In financial data reporting, auditors adhere to conservatism rules, which demands lower appraisal be selected when one or more appraisals are taking in consideration. For example, when the restoration department has reported a five -percent rate return for new MRI machine for the previous three fiscal years, but the medical centers production department claims the reported profit value is inconsistent and there is an expectation that fewer than three percent of the MRI machines will need repair service during the following year. Since there is a discrepancy, the production department will need to presents undeniable proof to authentication the appraisal, the medical center auditor has a duty to adhere to the conservatism principles and prepare for the ive-percent rate return. Losses and costs are documented when they are credible and equitably estimated. Profits are documented when achieved (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Matching principle. The medical center expenditures for providing safe patient care should be documented with the corresponding fiscal year in which the income was produced. Documented in the same fiscal year as the income they help to generate. An illustration of this particular cost is the cost of products sold in the medical center, salaries paid to staff. It is consider when patients are admitted to the medical center and the supplies used to provide safe quality care. Revenue is recognized when reimbursed by Medicaid and Medicare (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Cost principle. The dollar amount deducted from the budget to purchase land, medical equipment, and supplies. Assets are documented at price purchased, which is equivalent to the price paid to gain acquisition. When a medical centers assets such as property or office structures increase in worth each fiscal year, reappraisal in not required for financial reporting purposes (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Objective evidence. For financial reports to be valuable, they must contain information that is pertinent, trustworthy, and organized in a consistent manner. The cost information provided is evidence-based. This means internal and external users could all agree when the medical center reports they purchased telehealth technology for 1. 5 million and they can produce evidence in a form of bank statements or detailed receipt from vendor proving payment, this is reliable information that is verifiable and objective (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Materiality principle. Obligates the preparer of the financial report to correct significant errors that otherwise would cause an individual to make a different decision if provided with correct information. When time approaches to approve the budget for additional telehealth equipment, medical center executive may not approve, if they were aware that the program is not beneficial and several telehealth monitors were sitting in storage areas with the local facilities. Insignificant errors may be ignored (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Consistency. Medical facilities should use the same accounting methods each fiscal year. Consistency make available significant associations to be achieved among separate fiscal years and among the fiscal reports of separate establishments that employ the similar accounting practices. If the medical center changes their accounting method, the accountant must disclose the change in the financial report (Finkler & Ward, 2006). Full disclosure principle. Financial statements usually make available data about the medical center previous performance. However, imminent litigations, unsettled debt, or additional circumstances that have the potential to produce considerable negative influences on the medical centers economic status are also required to be disclosed in financial statements. (Finkler & Ward, 2006). In conclusion when medical centers are in compliance with GAAP this will help preserve creditability with creditors and investors because it restore confidence with external customers that the medical center financial reports precisely depict its financial standing.

Commercial Law Flow Charts and Notes Essay

You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour- Who, then, in law, is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions that are called in question Donoghue v Stevenson Neighbour Principle: You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour- Who, then, in law, is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions that are called in question Donoghue v Stevenson Reasonable Person Test – individual action or failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances, resulting in harm to another Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks Co (1856) Papatonakis v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1985) That it is appropriate for the negligent person’s liability to extend to the harm so caused This was stated in Section 5D of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) and is consistent with the case of Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak Other Tests: for a causal link to exist these elements must be satisfied: iii. Negligence was a necessary condition for the occurrence of the harm iv. That it is appropriate for the negligent person’s liability to extend to the harm so caused This was stated in Section 5D of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) and is consistent with the case of Adeels Palace.

Social & Community Development Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social & Community Development Research - Essay Example The option of having alternative education programs for prospective delinquent children is something I admire. It was no difficult task choosing my area of research seeing that it has been aptly covered by Cox among other researchers. The research by this particular writer is a bonus for me as it provides a foundation stone for my future research interests. Perhaps the reason for my personal interest in this research area is because I lost an elder brother to jail for delinquency; something that could have been prevented early enough. While searching for this journal, I first developed a search strategy that was very useful in identifying this research. To start with, I first defined the topic that I wanted to cover, or rather my research interest. As stated earlier, my interest in research is in child delinquency. A practical solution to child delinquency is the establishment of alternative schools. In so doing, I came up with the keywords ‘child delinquency’ and ‘alternative schools’. To make my search more wide and varied, I included the keyword ‘assess*’. The asterisk at the end of the word assess was intentional to make the search pick up variations such as ‘assessed’ and ‘assessment’. Since the three concepts, assess, child delinquency and alternative schools are related I used the conjunction ‘and’ between them to ensure the search gave results that had all the three concepts. The work of Cox particularly interested me because of the number of reviews that it had attracted (Conley, 2002, pp. 142). Moreover, the researcher has been involved in other remarkable researches. In particular, his assessment of delinquency related outcomes of alternative education programs stood out because it covered the same field that I was venturing in. The fact that Cox has published those many times (Korn, 1991, pp. 75) makes him an ideal reference point in doing my future research. The main

The ideal role of Abu Dhabi Police in improving the traffic safety in Essay

The ideal role of Abu Dhabi Police in improving the traffic safety in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Potential and challenges). (we can make - Essay Example There are also other traffic management centers tasked with the responsibility of ensuring traffic safety and management is well thought of. Introduction The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is contemporary adopting a comprehensive development plan in all aspects of life. It shows a huge interest in developing plans and measures for the renaissance through integration for a future vision for the emirate to 2030. The government has started to prepare the urban plan of Abu Dhabi city, which was adopted in 2007. Achieving this goal will help the government’s strategies to become one of the best five most leading and advanced governments in the world. The realization of the urban plan will require development and improvements of Traffic Management through enhancing traffic safety and improving traffic performance. The collaboration of vehicle and highway to provide transportation must be treated as a system as Rodney K. Lay (2003) suggested in his research. There has been a good effort in Abu Dhabi for the last couple of years between government stakeholders to develop road safety strategy, define rules and responsibilities, and increase a fully coordinated and integrated framework to deal with road safety. It is suitable here to say when you work to prepare a strategy for traffic management, it is very important to consider the most motivating factors for the safety as the humanitarian concerns, economic costs and benefits, and legal and regulatory considerations. The importance of the management in all aspects of the life is indeed consistent with service marketing literature which emphasizes that the ‘people factor’ is an important component of perceived service quality (Ganesh et al, 2000; Chiou et al, 2002). The Henri Fayol as one of the most influential contributors to modern concepts of management considers it to consist of forecasting, planning, organizing, commanding, coordination and controlling [2]. Other scholars, such as Mary Parker Follett, co nsider management as "the art of getting things done through people"[3]. Usually the transportation systems operating in a developing country may not be as economically, or as efficient as the ones in developed countries. According to my point of view the challenges that might be seen as a problem for the future development of Abu Dhabi can be the management and lack of coordination between all concerned parties in the operation. Here we can narrate what Stanley Pickett (1955), said "Think of the things you see in your own city which everyone wishes were otherwise. They might have been otherwise, if there had been careful planning in the past". The proposed study will focus on the development of a framework that will integrate elements of urban planning related to transportation. These will include traffic management systems, speeds management strategy on the roads, application of the principles of management on traffic safety for road projects, rules and responsibilities for the di fference departments involved, and the effective management of the integrated intelligent traffic systems with infrastructure to improve the road safety in Abu Dhabi. All the above will be integrated through the main domain of traffic management which requires an effective structure and organization. As many developing countries are interested in

Citation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Citation - Essay Example Partnership is also an inexpensive way of starting up a business. Although taxation of a partnership is more complex than sole-trader, partnership itself does not have to pay any taxes to the U.S government. The partnership is only required to file information to the U.S government on how many profits and losses were earned or incurred by the business and how were these profits and losses distributed among the partners. Secondly when there are two or more partners involved the ability to raise the finance for the business increases. The plan indicates that $300000 will be raised from personal savings, but the financial burden on an individual entrepreneur will decrease if he involves one or more partners. By forming a Partnership, it gives a different perspective on how to run the business, and the partners can complement each other by combining the variety of individual skills. For example one partner who has a strong background in Finance can look after the financial aspects of the business and the other partner who has good marketing and HR skills can manage the Marketing and HR aspects of the business. This helps in easing the pressure of running the business on any one individual and the partners can use their skills, knowledge and contacts in the business in a more useful manner which is beneficial for the business and help in earning profits. Partnership can also be very cost-effective as the partners can specialize in different aspects of the business. By specializing in different areas of the business they can effectively and efficiently use the resources. The main disadvantage of being a sole trader is unlimited liability. If the business suffers losses, then all the losses have to be beard by the sole trader and he may also have to sell of his assets to pay of bank loans or money borrowed from various investors. Although ‘JBR Collections’ will be financed through personal savings but there

Creating a new business venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creating a new business venture - Essay Example This mission is ideal since it seeks to consolidate the company’s commitment to provide quality transport services to different targeted customers in the healthcare sector. Vision To be the market leader in the transport sector where the company seeks to cater for the interests of different customers in need of healthcare related transport services. Brief description of your organization Accarpio Transport’s business model is based on the notion of establishing a company that will specifically offer transportation services for those in need. The company will target different categories of people in its operations as shown below. Transportation of those in wheelchairs, those who use walkers, and those who can walk. Priced reasonable so anyone that needs our services can have them. The strategy of offering reasonable prices is specifically designed to attract as many customers as possible since there are also other actors in this particular sector of business. This strate gy will help the company to gain a competitive advantage in its operations which is the essence of any business venture (Strydom, 84). Brief historical review Accarpio Transport The business model of the company is unique in that it seeks to offer transportation services that are not provided by most ambulance companies. Most ambulance services are primarily concerned with offering services to patients who want to be taken to the hospital from their respective homes. Some of the service providers only provide transportation to doctors who have appointments. However, Accarpio Transport will provide transport to people who want to perform different errands such as going to the grocery stores or shopping malls, visiting friends or any other errands such as going to the park for refreshment. Current Marketing Situation Market overview The company intends to prioritize various trends that will give it a competitive advantage over other actors in the transport industry. For instance, the company seeks to offer consistent transport services to all clients. It intends to fulfill all their interests and needs so as to create loyalty among them. The company also seeks to harness the philosophy that no transportation job is too small in its operations since it is designed to cater for different types of customers. Market segmentation In theory, market segmentation is described as the process of dividing a heterogeneous market into smaller segments of people who have similar interests (Kotler, 87). In this particular case, geo-demographic segmentation will be used by the company. Geo-demographic segmentation is loosely defined as the process of identifying groups of people in a certain area who have similar demographic characteristics such as age, gender as well as lifestyle (Kotler,88). For instance, people living in the same geographical location may share similar interests such as the use of the same transport services as well as their interests towards different marke t offerings. In this case, Accarpio transport will target individuals interested in carrying out their personal errands such as visiting the hospitals. The company will also target patients intending to use transport to different places such as shops for their personal business. Target market The company will mainly target hospitals and it will offer transport to people visiting patients or carrying out any other business. The company wil

Cultural Advertising (how culture influences advertising) Research Paper

Cultural Advertising (how culture influences advertising) - Research Paper Example The culture of most individuals is determined at their place of birth whereby they pick up the behaviors and mannerisms of those around them. This influences their general outlook towards life and the way in which they perform certain actions in their day to day activities. Culture differs in various elements; the most common is due to the location. Individuals in various continents have various distinct differences and these can be easily noticed. A clear example is the popularity of sports in various continents. In the United States, the most popular sports are American Football and Baseball, in India, the most popular sport is cricket while in Europe soccer is the major attraction. This therefore means that children born in these regions will find that their sporting culture is inclined to these particular sports and therefore they are most likely to follow these sports. The environment we are in is a major determinant of the culture that we will adopt. Culture influences the languages that we speak and the religious beliefs that we are subscribed to. There is therefore a direct impact on the products that any given individual will use by the culture in which they belong. Some religious sects restrict the use of modern technology by their members and as such it would be pointless to try and them electronic. This therefore implies that advertisers should take keen note of the various cultures around the world so that they know exactly which type of people use certain products. They can then target these people selectively with advertisements that cater to their exact needs. The end result is that there will be positive response from the market since their needs will be catered for (Mueller 2004). The goal of this essay is to find out how the advertisements differ from each other on basis of cultural values, are there any similarities also between TV

Cookies as Spyware Essay Example for Free

Cookies as Spyware Essay This paper addresses Cookies as Spyware. The option chosen was to analyze the issues associated with cookies being used as spyware. Are cookies pieces of malicious, benign, or innocent software? The next paragraphs of this paper will discuss the various uses of cookies. And, then, the paper will conclude with my opinion about cookies based upon my research findings. Since web browsing uses a stateless connection, cookies are used to maintain the state of a browsing session. Cookies are small data files that are produced by a web server that are stored on your computer. Cookies allow a personalized web browsing experience because of the identifying information that they store within them (such as login information, passwords, web pages visited, and/or items placed in a shopping cart). There are different types of cookies that are created for specific purposes. They include session, persistent, first-party, and third-party cookies. Session cookies are used to store information related to a particular visit during one session. Persistent cookies are used to store information permanently on your hard drive about your interactions and/or preferences with a certain web site. First-party cookies are used by the specific site that created them while their website is being visited, whereas third-party cookies are not created by the website that is being visited. Third-party cookies are created by another website besides the website being visited such as a banner advertisement on the web page that is being visited. (â€Å"Encyclopedia,†) While most cookies appear to be used solely for the purpose of enhancing the user’s web browsing experience, cookies can be used for other purposes including adware or spyware if they contain active code. Adware is used to automatically download or display advertisements on a person’s computer. Spyware is technology used to gather information about a person or organization without their consent or knowledge and relay that information back to advertisers or other interested parties. (â€Å"Information security magazine,† 2008) Technology has evolved to the point where cookies can or have been abused, so they are associated with some security risks. The risks associated with cookies are hijacking (session hijacking), inaccurate identification (due to multiple user accounts or different browsers being used on a single PC), poisoning or stealing (cookie manipulation), and lack of expiration or artificially long expiration periods (allowing cookies to remain when they are no longer needed can allow the cookies to be stolen or attacked). (â€Å"Are all cookies,† 2010) All of these security risks can be used to gain access to or steal personal information from a user or their computer. In conclusion, from the research articles reviewed, it is my opinion that cookies are both beneficial and potentially harmful if used improperly. Cookies can be used safely to enjoy their beneficial purposes for web browsing by following some simple rules. Routinely find and delete unnecessary cookies by navigating to the path on your hard drive where your cookies are stored (C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Cookies). There really isn’t much danger in deleting these files since new cookies are automatically downloaded the next time you visit the site anyway. Also, check to make sure that your browser settings are only allowing first-party cookies (restrict third-party cookies). Another important thing is to install antivirus software (such as Symantec Endpoint Protection, Sophos, McAfee, or any other reputable vendor) and keep your antivirus software updated properly. Perform regular scans on your hard drive and all attached peripherals to prevent infections. Keep operating system patches updated to prevent anyone from hacking your system because of a known vulnerability. Web browsing would be much less personalized if we completely denied ourselves the privileges associated with cookies.

Role of Technology in Travel Management

Role of Technology in Travel Management TRAVEL INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICES INTRODUCTION In this chapter I will take an overview of the travel industry in order to better understand the context about which I am writing. Consideration of the value of the business travel spend, the role of Travel Management Companies and the role of technology in its operation and future vision, are the relevant issues in this regard. An outline of the various managerial approaches used by private industry will help inform my analysis of travel management in the public sector and what lessons can be learnt. VALUE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL In 2013 Hermes Consultancy Management produced a white paper on ‘Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges’. The research was commissioned by Amadeus (a Global Distribution Service provider) in order to better understand how organisations manage their travel activities and to identify saving opportunities for travel managers. The white paper calculated that in 2011, business travel in Western Europe amounted to almost â‚ ¬ 200 billion, concentrated in five countries: Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain. Hermes (2013). Eleven corporations in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands took part in the research study and numerous travel mangers, executives and travellers from these companies were interviewed. The Central Statistics Office tells us that in 2011, the Irish business travel spend was â‚ ¬548 million on 698,000 business trips (CSO 2013) of that public sector travel under the Government air travel contract was : â‚ ¬5.9 million for 18,358 trips and in 2013 it increased to â‚ ¬6,972, 477 for 25,902 trips. The increase in volume can be attributed to Ireland Presidency of EU during 2013. Business travel is a substantial and growing sector with a significant travel spend. As globalisation continues apace, companies and governments will reach out to newer markets for their goods and services, at the same time as continuing to consolidate traditional markets in a challenging economic climate. Figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) indicate that spending on business travel within the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain is forecasted to climb by 6% next year, an increase which may be set to come about as a result of improvements to the global economy. Government travel is predicted to increase by 4.9% according to GBTA, who believe that the slightly lower percentage for government travel might be because governments have already successfully cut travel spend, while corporate business is enjoying an uptick as it starts and continues to hire new employees who travel. Government business in Europe accounts for 4.7% (â‚ ¬940 mil) of all business travel demand compared with 5% globally. The Director of Operations with GBTA McGavock believes that, that share is expected to increase for at least the short term. â€Å"While 2012 was a difficult year, by the end of 2013 we predict an upturn, and in 2014 we believe we will see extensive growth. The next five years should see a bounce back in business travel among all of Western Europe’s major markets.† The European Commission predicts that the 27 countries it represents will emerge from recession in the fourth quarter of 2013, with its overall economy growing by 1.4% in 2014, Eurostat (2012). Accompanying this growth will be an increasing requirement for corporate travel and this expansion will require robust and innovative management in order to control costs and spend. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Travel Management Companies are the medium through which organisations use to implement and manage their business travel requirements. They should not be confused with the work of a traditional Travel Agency which provides travel to the leisure traveller on behalf of suppliers, airline, hotel, car hire companies. Most travel agencies have a separate department that deals with business travel, and some travel agencies specialise in commercial and business travel only. This department would trade as a travel management company and implement the organisations travel policy. They procure travel on behalf of the organisation according to its policy on the class of travel permitted to fly, negotiate corporate fares/rates with airlines and hotels as well allowing the organisation use its corporate credit card to procure flights online via their online booking tool. According to the Buying Business Travel magazine (2013) the top five (5) TMC’s operating in Europe based on their European spend are: CarlsonWagonlit Travel (CWT), ( £1,157m) HRG Travel, ( £1,000m) American Express, ( £958.1m) Capital Travel and Events ( £525m) BCD, ( £480m) FCM Travel Solutions ( £428) All of the above have a presence in Ireland through either partner agreements or wholly owned. The current provider for the Irish Government travel contract is CarlsonWagonlit Travel. The previous government providers were; HRG (Club Travel) and FCM Solutions. Due to the size of the Government spend approximately â‚ ¬6 to â‚ ¬9 mil annually it is not surprising that the top TMC’s have continually competed for the business. In addition as it is a centralised contract, a large sized company would be required to deal with the volume of transactions generated by Irish Government travel. Each of these companies use a global distribution system (GDS) which provides a network whereby TMC’s can access fares from the various airline reservations systems and facilitates online transactions. This in turn provides a portal for clients of TMC’s to procure their air travel through the use of online booking tools OBT). The most popular GDS providers are, Travelport, Galil eo, Sabre and Amadeus, public sector has had access to Travelport through KDS OBT licensed by CWT and Galileo OBT licensed by HRG. ECONOMIC CLIMATE The impact of the global economic downturn has resulted in an increased emphasis on generating savings, as companies strive to operate within an ever decreasing resource envelope. This is relevant to all organisations and Travel Management Companies in particular. Economic stringency has allowed travel managers to take a more prominent role within their companies, and has made travel management, as a profession, an important element of a company’s strategic planning. According to the Global Business Travel Association (2014), travel managers have been asked to lead company-wide efforts to reduce travel costs, track relevant savings, and report them back to senior management. The knock-on effect of this to TMC’s is increased competitiveness within the travel management sector. The natural ambition of business organisations is specifically the transformation of inputs (resources) into outputs (goods or services) (Worthington Britton, 2006: 4). In the context of a TMC, th e company employs the relevant staff to carry out specialised travel advisory duties, and provides the necessary booking systems to their staff in order to maximise their input to output ratio; in the current economic climate this is becoming more and more challenging. So the drive is on in every sector to achieve greater value for money. TECHNOLOGY In Chapter 2, I looked at technology in relation to the procurement of travel; here I will examine it as it impacts on the business environment, in which TMC’s operate. In terms of external environmental factors, Thomas Davenport (2013) indicated that technological change is one of the main issues currently impacting TMC’s, with the potential of completely transforming the way in which the companies operate. Davenport ( 2013) and a number of other authors including Fred Gebhard (2013), highlighted that the travel industry is at a ‘Big Data’ crossroads, and that complex, large volume and unstructured datasets are beginning to reshape and transform the industry. Additionally, Davenport suggested that big data will require the industry to address a number of challenges, in order to unlock its potential: technological complexity; data accuracy and rights of use; business and technological alignment. At the corporate buyer level gaining access to accurate travel reporting data is a major factor in the effective management of air travel and presents opportunity to identify where savings can be achieved. This is very important for both the buyer and supplier of air travel. It is interesting to note that technological developments pose both an opportunity; and a threat to TMC’s. The opportunities for the companies may involve ensuring the company is up to date with technological advancements within the industry in order to remain competitive. Conversely, if TMC’s are slow on the uptake of embracing and implementing new technology in their organisation, they may be at a disadvantage within the business travel market. Overall, the rapid advancements in technology alone present a significant challenge to the travel industry, specifically to TMC’s. Voice BASED AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY A key writer on the travel industry, Scott Gillespie (2012) identified various technological changes which he emphasised are a ‘tipping point’ for the corporate travel industry. Some of those changes mentioned include the technological advancements of voice-based user interfaces from Apple, Google. Gillespie asserted that these new interfaces may be a threat to company policy compliance, due to the convenience of using such interfaces for travellers; which may in turn cause them to purchase travel outside of company policy direction. If the traveller does not book through the proper channels directed within company policy, there is no way for the TMC or corporation to track the traveller’s whereabouts or provide them with services in an emergency (West, 2013) In Chapter 2 we looked at ‘M’ technology and the growth of that market and its increasing importance in the procurement of air travel. CarlsonWagonlit Travel has invested in this area in its rece nt acquisition of Worldmate a leading mobile technology company. This will bear fruit in CWT’s mobile app ‘CWT TO GO’. Airlines are slowly moving towards mobile phone app technology which will replaces the requirement for printing of electronic tickets and boarding passes by using mobile phone QR code (barcode) technology to check in for flights. The ongoing evolution of technology emphasises the importance for TMC’s to keep up to date with it in the provision of procurement systems for clients which are not only economical, efficient and effective but contemporary and convenient to use. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) The concept that organisations should be held accountable for the effects of their actions on people, their communities and the environment is known as CSR. There are many aspects of CSR which impact on the travel industry and consequently their end users. There are increasing concerns for rising carbon emissions; this coupled with rising costs naturally leads organisations to seek alternatives to air travel. These alternatives include video conferencing and webinars, however, it has been emphasised that face-to-face meetings still remain an important aspect of business negotiations (Forbes, 2009). This affects the competitive environment of TMC’s, since a threat of a substitute method to conduct meetings is available. Travel Management companies need to maintain their relevance in a rapidly changing business environment. And Government travel needs to be particularly vigilant as penalties are imposed on increasing carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. MODELS OF TRAVEL MANAGEMENT It is not feasible to produce a definitive list of air travel procurement models, but in general they fall under the following categories; INHOUSE CENTRALISED MODEL TMC; This model is one where all travel is procured from a centralised office within the company in association with a TMC, who provides online and offline bookings. This model allows greater control over travel policy and spends and is used by both private and public sector. Business travelers would feel this model is too restrictive and doesn’t allow flexibility but that is mute point when it comes to controlling spend. INHOUSE DECENTRALISED MODEL TMC This model is one where travel can be procured by the individual employee either directly with the TMC for offline booking or online through the corporate booking tool. This model allows greater control to the individual and is favored by high-tech or internet based companies, E.G. EBay, Google, independence over their booking. This model tends to be accompanied by an incentive programme, whereby travelers can gain perks by purchasing travel within company policy and in this way costs can be controlled. INHOUSE CENTRALISED AND DECENTRALISED TMC This model is a mixture of the two above and is a very inefficient model of travel procurement as it is very difficult to control travel expenditure and policy compliance. It is generally adopted by organisations where there is little senior management buy in to control the travel spend. INHOUSE TMC IMPLANT. This model allows a staff member of the TMC to reside within the organisation to procure all of the travel requirements of the organisation. This can be an expensive option unless travel policy is strictly enforced. INHOUSE GDS IMPLANT( verify with Volker in Amadeus/ Microsoft ) This model allows for the provision of a staff member of the GDS provider to be embedded within the organisation to assist the procurement of all travel requirements of the organisation. This can be a very efficient option as it eliminates the ‘middle man’ charges of the TMC in the procurement of air travel as it procures direct with the GDS provider. Some organisations who favour this method also have a TMC contract for the provision of VIP or specialised travel only. In the public sector in Ireland government travel is purchased through a centralised contract but managed and procured in many different ways by each of the Government Departments, bodies and agencies with varying usage of online and offline methods. Some use the contract to procure only air travel, others use it for air and hotel (Brussels hotels only as per the contract) and car hire. More and more private companies are using a travel expense management system (OBT) where all expenses related to travel; air, hotel, car, and subsistence/entertainment are captured on the same system, in this way making it more transparent and easier to control and analyse travel expenditure. SUMMARY The world of business travel is a valuable, innovative and technologically evolving industry. The opening up of new markets and the drive to expand business into new frontiers is a reality. Coupled with this is the requirement to develop new business relationships which must be nurtured though face to face meetings thus giving continued impetus to this sector. We have reviewed the role and function of TMC’s and technology in the travel industry and the future challenges they face. The various models of travel management gives us an insight into how the travel industry operates and provides a framework that can be compared against the research findings when examined in more detail and assist in establishing what can we learnt by both the private and public sector in the management of air travel