The Effects Of Poor Leadership On Good Leadership

Running head: EFFECTS OF POOR LEADERSHIP 1 EFFECTS OF POOR LEADERSHIP 4 A Qualitative Study on the Effects of Poor Leadership Decision Making Prepared for: Dr. E. J. Bondoc Shorter University Submitted by: Yushica Willis July 06, 2016 Table of Contents Abstract 4 List of Tables 5 List of Figures 6 Section 1: Introduction 7 Background/Situation 8 Problem/Issue 9 Evidence to Justify the Study 10 Definition of Terms 12 Summary 14 Section 2 Literature Review (Relevant Published Information) 16 Theme 1 16 Theme 2 17 Theme 3 18 Theme 4 Error! Bookmark not defined. Summary 19 Section 3 Analysis 20 Relevant Facts About ABC Company Error! Bookmark not defined. Detailed Information about the Specific Issue or Problem 20 Analysis of the Causes of the Situation/Problem Issue 20 Alternatives and Possible Solutions 21 Solution 1: Title 21 Solution 2: Title 22 Solution 3: Title 23 Section 4: Recommendations and Conclusions 24 Appendices 26 Appendix A ? Request for Applied Research Project Approval 26 Appendix B ? Action Plan and Schedule 27 Appendix B ? Action Plan and Schedule 29 Appendix D ? Employee Empowerment Survey 30 References 31 Abstract Myriads of global scale organizations are successful due to the ability of leaders to make proper strategic decisions and also implement them. Therefore, the ability of executives to make relevant and strategic decisions not only places the company at a competitiveShow MoreRelatedWhat Makes A Effective Leader? Essay1168 Words   |  5 PagesI. What is Leadership? â€Å"At times of change or dealing with uncertainty or in a crisis-- that is when the best leader will shine† (Ellis, 2016). A leader who can work effectively in a complicated, unpredictable situation is a competent leader and he tirelessly works to improve his capabilities (Ledlow Coppola, 2010). All great leaders are known for communicating effectively what they want to achieve. 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Are Citalopram, Fluoxetine And Sertraline Effective...

Title: Are citalopram, fluoxetine and sertraline effective medications when treating Alzheimer’s patients. Author: Odalys Chavez Summary: This study will investigate and test how some medications can smooth the progressive advance of the Alzheimer in patients with more than 70 years. Alzheimer which is a degenerative disease of the neuro system due to memory loss is still being very questionable and debated. As of today there is no cure, nor reversal for the disease. Many researchers are still studding and looking for therapies and medication that can stop or reverse the development of the disease. It is very important to prove that some medications can help to cope with the disease. In my study I will be able to demonstrate†¦show more content†¦This decline occurs because nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain involved in cognitive function have been damaged and no longer function normally (. Depending on how deteriorate is the brain and its functions, it is the stage that the patient is in. Between the first and four years of develop the disease, the patient does not remember recent events or conversations. Following these frequent memory loss, it is a moderate or second stage that can last up to 10 years. In this stage the patient cannot longer cover up problems. Finally, there is the most severe stage, the last stage of the disease where the patient is confused about present and past. Due to people is affected by the disease in different ways; the symptoms are also different in each person. Also, it is different how people progress thru the different stages of the disease. It is extremely important to find ways to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer while researchers are trying to find the cure. Currently, there are many scientists conducting experiments and researches on how to cure or improve the symptoms of the disease. That is the main purpose of my research, to conduct an experiment to prove how some medications are very effective in smoothing the symptoms of the disease. Since there is not cure at this time for Alzheimer, it is crucial for patients, caregivers, and relatives, to have at least medications or therapies that can be effective with

Preserving Flowers Essay Example For Students

Preserving Flowers Essay As evidenced by the discovery of preserved flowers in ancientEgyptian tombs, people have for centuries engaged in the art of preservingflowers. Today, a large variety of annuals, biennials and perennials aresuccessfully preserved. Because properly dried flowers can persist foryears after harvesting, they are often referred to as everlastings orimmortelles. To ascertain the optimum growing conditions and harvesting time fora particular species, one should not rely solely on books or articles. Experienced growers will frequently be the best sources of information. Ingeneral, flowering plants require ample sunlight, good drainage and agrowing season with a minimum of 80 days. Harvesting flowers at theappropriate time is critical. Flowers which are without blemishes, insectsor diseases should be picked on mornings of low humidity after the dew hasevaporated from the petals. Several techniques can be utilized to remove moisture from thecollected flowers. The simplest method is to tie a rubber band around abunch of flowers after their leaves have been removed, and to hang themupside down out of direct sunlight in a dry, well-ventilated attic, closetor garage. Ideally, the drying area should have a temperature between60 and 80 F and a humidity rate less than 60%. Another method isto place the flowers in a container and to cover them with clean, finesand, or a mixture of borax and cornmeal, or a nonchlorophyll kitty litter. These inexpensive substances provide the flowers with support, enablingthem to maintain their shape while they dry naturally. A more costly method is to use an airtight container and to coverthe flowers with silica gel, a desiccant, which not only provides supportto the flowers but also removes moisture from them. Overall, the morerapidly flowers dry, the less likely they are to become moldy and the morevivid their colors remain. The drying process can be further accelerated byplacing the container in a microwave oven or by applying heat. Depending onthe method chosen and the particular plant material being preserved, dryingtime may take between one and four weeks. The uses of preserved flowers are limited only by onesimagination. They are popular in floral arrangements, wreaths, bouquets,potpourri and corsages. (NOTE: Call numbers are given for items owned by NAL.)BASIC FLOWER DRYINGJOURNAL ARTICLES-Alden, Janice. 1979. They are beautiful dried, too. AFRICANVIOLET MAGAZINE. 32(4, pt. 1): 16-17. NAL Call No.: 80.AF8Bennett, Jennifer. 1985. The dried flowers of Hedgehog Hill.HORTICULTURE. 63(8): 44-47, 49-51. NAL Call No.: 80.H787Emerson, William J. 1979. Drying flowers in a microwareoven. THE PRAIRIE GARDEN. 36: 96-97. NAL Call No.: 80.W73Loebel, JoAnn Schowalter. 1987. Flowers for drying:everlasting perennials. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST. 66(10):10-13. NAL Call No.: 80.N216Nau, Jim. 1989. A flower growers bibliography: basicreferences. GATHERINGS: THE CUT FLOWER QUARTERLY. 1(1):2-3. ONeil, Sunny. 1988. An exciting new way to dry flowers.FLOWERLETTER. 5(3): 1-2. Onions that produce flowers, beautiful to bizarre, fresh ordried. 1987. SUNSET (CENTRAL WEST EDITION). 179(5): 233. NAL Call No.: 110.SU7Petersons, Hedviga V. 1981. Drying and preserving flowers.FACTSHEET. ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD. No. 81-016. NAL Call No.: S155.A105Proulx, E. A. 1984. Dried and true. HORTICULTURE. 62(8):24-28, 30. NAL Call No.: 80.H787Reilly, Ann. 1984. Plan/plant now for your dried flowers.FLOWER AND GARDEN. 28(2): 26-28. NAL Call No.: SB403.F5Russell, A. Brooke. 1987. How-to hints for July gardeners:dried florals capture summers glory. AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST. 66(7): 8, 10-11. NAL Call No.: 80.N216Sheffield, Richard R. 1980. Plant everlastings for year-roundenjoyment. ORGANIC GARDENING. 27(1): 186-188. NAL Call No.:57.8.OR32Swan, Joyce. 1988. Everlastings: flowers that keep ongiving. FLOWER AND GARDEN. 32(3): 38-39. NAL Call No.:SB403.F5BOOKSCOMMERCIAL FIELD PRODUCTION OF CUT AND DRIED FLOWERS: ANATIONAL SYMPOSIUM. Sponsored by The Center for AlternativeCrops and Products, University of Minnesota and The AmericanSociety of Horticultural Science, December 6-8, 1988. .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .postImageUrl , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:hover , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:visited , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:active { border:0!important; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:active , .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0c459ed1c1deafabf1ef6eda108ba6cd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Adolescent Depression and Suicide Early Detection EssayMinneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota?, 1988?. NAL CallNo.: SB442.85.C6Conder, Susan. DRIED FLOWERS: DRYING AND ARRANGING. Boston:David R. Godine, 1988. (ISBN 0-87923-719-8). Condon, Geneal. THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FLOWER PRESERVATION. Boulder, CO: Pruett, 1982. (ISBN 0-87108-618-2). Out ofPrintEmbertson, Jane. PODS: WILDFLOWERS AND WEEDS IN THEIR FINALBEAUTY; GREAT LAKES REGION, NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES ANDADJACENT CANADA AND AREAS WHERE FROST AND FREEZE ARE COMMON. New York: Charles Scribners Sons,

Marketplace consideration Essay Example

Marketplace consideration Essay What are marketplace considerations for implementing ISO 14000? Does implementing ISO 14000 provide a company with a competitive advantage? If so, how? Discuss. ISO 14000 is a standard meeting criteria for any organization. Implementation of ISO 14000 requires some huge considerations. One of them is marketplace considerations; you have to look for the standards of your market and your competitors, it may be very essential to survive in your market place. For example consider food industry and toilet paper industry, if you are a mineral water producer, and 60% of your competitors are ISO certified, you may loose a major chunk of your market share, just because you are in a food industry and people are much conscious of their health standards specially people of 3rd world who drink mineral waters to ensure health and quality of water. Even reduced prices or competitive prices may not do the miracle which an ISO certification can. Yes, the title brings along a competitive edge, but yet it depends on nature of your market, your competitors and your product. Even it may be a necessity more than an edge. What is a GAP analysis? Why is it important to the ISO planning process? Discuss. GAP analysis a technique used to measure the standards of your organization and compare with the standards of ISO implementation. You find the shortcomings, the problems and try to fill in the gaps. A GAP analysis may provide a basis for drastic change, thorough improvements, and radical developments; it may lead to an opportunity also. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketplace consideration specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marketplace consideration specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marketplace consideration specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As a transformer you must apply all the required transformations on an organization in all of the departments to fulfill the specific criteria laid by the ISO. The minimum criteria can only be measured against some benchmark and you have to work at your bottlenecks to improve in all and off course required dimensions. How does a sustainability plan positively affect internal stakeholders? How quickly would they see benefits? Discuss. A sustainability plan serves as a rescuer for sinking organizations, there are many dimensions of sustenance and the internal stakeholders can experience the ways in many dimensions. New horizons to business The benefits are tangible and intangible, they may be visible or invisible, but yet there are many things which are apparent but yes they take time to appear, because after change success comes after a certain while and you can enjoy the results only after the dust of movement has settled upon the road. But often a sustenance plan may cater a prototype limited kind of change in selected business area or functionality. References Eduardo Alvarez, Ian Buchanan, Jong Hyun Chang, Vinay Couto, Peter von Hochberg, David Humenansky, Paul Hyde, Narayan Nallicheri, Gary Neilson, Paolo Pigorini, Joe Saddi, and Akira Uchida, Booz Allen Hamilton (2003). A New take on Business Process Redesign. Accessed on April 30, 2010 from eiltd.net.

How to Get a Good Job essays

How to Get a Good Job essays First of all, if you want to get a good job you must have good education. Then, look through the advertisements and pick up the ones that suit you best. Make sure that the company you are going to apply to is reliable. Next, it is very important to have an effective CV. Keep it brief but dont forget to include all your skills, qualifications and achievements. However, great knowledge and a good CV is not enough. It is extremely important how you look and act during the interview. You should dress formally and look calm. Be aware of your body language, try to control yourself and dont show that you are nervous. Smile and keep an eye contact with the interviewers but dont act too informal. You must be very self-confidant. You should not only answer the questions but ask ones as well. You are expected to show great enthusiasm and interest in your potential future job. Anyway, you should feel the limits because employers dont like over-confidant candidates. In general, you must be aware of your abilities and have in mind that not only the interviewer is choosing a candidate but you are also choosing a place to work in. First of all, if you want to get a good job you must have good education. Then, look through the advertisements and pick up the ones that suit you best. Make sure that the company you are going to apply to is reliable. Next, it is very important to have an effective CV. Keep it brief but dont forget to include all your skills, qualifications and achievements. However, great knowledge and a good CV is not enough. It is extremely important how you look and act during the interview. You should dress formally and look calm. Be aware of your body language, try to control yourself and dont show that you are nervous. Smile and keep an eye contact with the interviewers but dont act too informal. You must be very self-confidant. You should not only answer the questi...

Ernest Hemingway Bibliography of Major Works

Ernest Hemingway Bibliography of Major Works Ernest Hemingway is a classic author whose books helped define a generation. His to the point writing style and life of adventure made him a literary and cultural icon. His list of works includes novels, short stories, and non-fiction. During World  War I signed up to drive ambulances on the front line in Italy. He was wounded by mortar fire but received the Italian Silver Medal of Bravery for helping Italian soldiers to safety despite his injuries. His experiences during the war heavily influenced  much of his fiction and non-fiction writing. Heres a list of the major works of Ernest Hemingway. List of Ernest Hemingway Works Novels/Novella The Torrents of Spring (1925)The Sun Also Rises (1926)A Farewell to Arms (1929)To Have and Have Not(1937)For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)Across the River and Into the Trees (1950)The Old Man and the Sea (1952)Adventures of a Young Man (1962)Islands in the Stream (1970)The Garden of Eden (1986) Nonfiction Death in the Afternoon (1932)Green Hills of Africa (1935)The Dangerous Summer (1960)A Moveable Feast (1964) Short Story Collections Three Stories and Ten Poems (1923)In Our Time (1925)Men Without Women (1927)The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1932)Winner Take Nothing (1933)The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories (1938)The Essential Hemingway (1947)The Hemingway Reader (1953)The Nick Adams Stories (1972) The Lost Generation While Gertrude Stein coined the term Hemingway is credited with popularizing the term by including it in his novel  The Sun Also Rises. Stein was his mentor and close friend and he did credit her for the term. It was applied to the generation that came of age during the Great War. The term lost does not refer to a physical state of being but a metaphorical one. Those who survived the war seemed to lack a feeling of purpose or meaning after the battle had ended. Novelists like Hemmingway and F. Scott Fitsgerald, a close friend, wrote about the ennui their generation seemed to collectively suffer from. Sadly, at the age of 61, Hemmingway used a shotgun to take his own life. He was one of the most influential writers in American literature.

Ijarah Contracts Used By Islamic Financial Institutions Essay

Ijarah Contracts Used By Islamic Financial Institutions - Essay Example It assists in strengthening the financial system of the country. The stronger the economy the stronger the country is. There are two kinds of banking systems and they are Islamic banking and the Conventional banking. Islamic banking is significantly different from conventional banking, and some of the differences are discussed in this essay. This report talks about an important feature in banking system i.e. lease. In conventional banks, it is referred to as conventional lease; and in Islamic bank, the lease is known as Ijarah. â€Å"Ijarah derives from the root word ajar a – to recompense, compensate or give a consideration and return. Ajr refers to a worker’s wage, and ujra h to rental payment.† (Kamali n.d.). Ijarah is a Shariah compliant alternative to Conventional lease. Through these two kinds of lease, bank performs as a Lessor and the individual to whom the asset is leased acts as a Lessee. The bank insists the lessee to pay an amount monthly for the use of the asset. The rights of the asset remains with the bank, and only the privileges of use are transferred to the lessee. 2. Types of Ijarah Contracts Used By Islamic Financial Institutions: 2.1 Simple Ijarah (similar to an Operating Lease) In a business world marred by financial uncertainties and increasing costs of operations, Ijarah loans are broadly considered as the safest, easiest, and the most efficient means to finance production procedures. Like all the other forms of Islamic financing, Ijarah too is rooted in the sound economic main attitude laid down by the Sharia. There are different types of Ijarah, each matched to the specific needs of the parties involved in the agreement. â€Å"The two most popular forms of Ijarah loans are the Simple Ijarah or Ijarah as an operating lease and Ijarah thumma al-bai or Ijarah as a financial lease. The distinguishing feature of Ijarah as an operating lease is that the lease contract is not associated with a purchase agreement.† (All About Ijara as an Operating Lease 2005). The following are some of the features of Ijarah as an operating lease: The whole price of the asset, or the part of property specified in the contract is not amortized through the main leasing tenure. The lessee can get out of the contract, that is, stop the Ijarah as an operating lease agreement anytime the lessee wishes to. On the other hand, the lessee should provide a notice prior to doing so. The real ownership of the piece of property or assets mentioned in the agreement is retained by the lessor. This agreement is executed irrespective of the quantity of payment the lessee has tendered, and that identifies the lessor’s insistence to bear every responsibility and risk connected with the ownership. In Ijarah as an operating lease, permits a part of the property to be returned to the lessor at the end of the leasing tenure. The lessor, which can be a bank or any other financial organization, can again lease the property, if i t is a functioning unit, to a different person or business unit. 2.2 Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek (similar to a Financing Lease) Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek is an Ijarah dealing, in which the possession of the subject asset can be relocated to the lessee after the lease term. Ijarah and Ijarah Muntahia Bittamleek are by nature mere leasing contracts, in which the subject issue is the usufruct of the property; and not the quantity of cash, as in the case of a finance lease. In other words, it is not a financing deal, and instead, it is an alternative to financing

Human Resources Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resources Report - Essay Example Moreover, concentrating on evaluation of a training process it can be stated that it is referred as collection of data in a systematic manner, which helps the trainers to conclude the effectiveness of training program. The main objective of the trainers is to evaluate whether the training contributes towards reaching the overall organizational goal, implementing policies and enhancing the organizational learning (Mavin, Lee, and Robson, 2010). The various methods of evaluating the effectiveness of learning, training and development and the limitations of the methods are also depicted in the report. In an organization, managers have different perspective of the management of people. The two approaches towards management are the unitarist and the pluralist approach. Therefore, the two methods are employed for understanding the different perspectives of management. The effect of the approaches on the physiological contract is also studied in the report. Physiological contract is defined as the unwritten expectation of the employer from the employees. Recruitment is the process of attracting quality candidates to apply for the vacant positions, whereas, selection is the way of determining who is best suited for the job among those who have applied for the available positions. Thus recruitment and selection is the process of searching and hiring the most suitable person for the job (Doornenbal, Stitselaar and Jansen, 2012). The process of recruitment includes giving advertisement for the vacant positions, attending career fairs, connecting directly with people and many other ways. Selection process involves conducting written test to evaluate the aptitude of the candidates; taking their interviews and seeking information about them by contacting the references (Doornenbal, Stitselaar, and Jansen, 2012) At first, a job analysis is conducted in order to determine the

African Americans Essay Example for Free

African Americans Essay African Americans have a unique history as well as culture. Their history in the United States is greatly influenced and shaped by the events in the last three centuries. A period that would shape their destiny, their interactions as well as their orientation to most important events in life. The United States census figures put the number of African Americans at over thirty-eight millions in 2005. Of this population, over 55% of them reside in the metropolitan areas with cities like Chicago and New York being the homes to a huge majority of African Americans A close look at the African Americans in relation to the rest of their white counterparts reveals that they are disadvantaged in various aspects. This can only be understood by focusing at the underlying causes of this, key being the century’s discrimination and oppression meted out against the blacks by the successive regimes up to the period that the civil rights movement stepped up its calls for equality and political rights. African Americans had been for long subjected to slavery especially in the southern states. The end of slavery brought forth systemic discrimination where they were treated as second class citizens especially after the introduction of the Jim Crow laws that institutionalized racism. This is what is seen to be the cause behind the impoverished lot amongst the African Americans with 24. 7% of this population living in abject poverty. The group also remains disadvantaged in the education sector, health, housing as well as having the highest crime rates in the United States. Since the enactment of civil rights legislation, the African Americans population has made considerable steps towards improving their economic status largely narrowing the huge discrepancies that exist. This has been marked by the expansion of the African American middle class. Unlike in other ethnic groups like the white; there is parity across the gender amongst the blacks. Income levels in America are tilted to the disfavor of African Americans. This is largely seen as being linked to the inability to access other vital resources such as education and jobs. Speculative figures have it that over three quarter of African Americans aged above the age of 25 have not gone to college and hence do not possess college diplomas. By the turn of the century, over a third of the African American population living in the big cities was without employment compared to their white counterparts; this figure has not changed much (Brandon S, 1984). Life expectancy of the African American group compares unfavorably with that of the whites a fact exacerbated by the lack of medical and proper provision of health facilities. With a significant proportion of African Americans lacking medical care and proper provision of health facilities; with a significant proportion of African American having a low level of income and being unemployed, and with the united states lacking a universal health care system , African Americans are badly placed in terms of health facilities access. They are also at a higher risk of succumbing to chronic diseases as well as pandemics such as HIV aids. Statistics have it that of all people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS between 2001 and 2005, over half of them were African Americans. Cities that contain large populations of African Americans such as Washington DC contain the highest rates of HIV infections. African Americans have maintained a deep sense of religiosity this has been passed on from the days of slavery. Known as black churches, they have played a pivotal role in the struggle for blacks to acquire and consolidate civil and political rights. Majority of the evangelists have ended up as political figures playing a crucial role in the American civil rights movement.

Syrian Woman :: Art Painting Syrian Woman Essays

Syrian Woman Profile This portrait from the Riley collection is believed to have been taken off a funerary monument from Palmyra, Syria, in the early third century CE. Based on research of the lives of the Palmyrens and their funerary reliefs, a vague but somewhat accurate picture of the woman can be assembled. This woman was most likely a freeborn, although lower class, woman. Based on the known trends of Syrian art at the given period, it is likely that the woman had vey little monetary wealth upon her death, explaining the lack of any jewlery besides the headress being depicted in this statue. The woman was probably born in Syria of Arabic descent, and her age at the time of death was somewhere between thirty-five and forty. There are deep lines in her cheeks depicting this aging process, but the lack of other facial wrinkles gives the assumption that she died rather young. Based om the sunken cheekbones and large eyes, as well as the fact that she was most likely poor, it can be assumed that had been in relatively poor health at the time of her death, probably heightened by meager food and strenous activity. The decpition of the woman's right hand caressing her cheek, although not completely uncommon in Syrian portrature, draws attention to her hand and makes the assumption that she may have worked much with them. From this, it can be speculated that perhaps she was a midwife, an idea that shall assumed for the rest of the profile. She probably was betrothed early to her husband, possibly as young as six. By fourteen she was married to him, and taken into his home as not just the mother of his future heirs but to help out at the store, as most men of Palmyra are merchants. By fifteen she produced her first child, a son, and at sixteen her second birth ended both in the loss of the child andher own inability to produce further offspring.At the time of her death she was most likely widowed, her husband possibly dying as few as five years ago,but continues to live in the same house with her still unmarried son who by then would be running his father's store. Because of their low income, she would have had no household slaves, leaving the woman not only with all household responsibilities, but with responsibilities in the store as well.

Everything you wanted to know about quoting

When writing an essay, you need to give evidence from the story, poem, novel, etc. that helps to support your argument. By quoting from the text, you show that evidence is definitely there. Keep quotes short†¦ they should support your thoughts, not replace them. TIP: If you only need to quote part of a sentence, use an ellipsis. ORIGINAL: â€Å"Mr. Cunningham, said Atticus, came from a set breed of men† (Lee 21). â€Å"Mr. Cunningham†¦ came from a set breed of men† (Lee 21).Only quote the part of the ext that relates to your point. Connect the quote to your words†¦ dont Just leave it hanging. Use phrases like, â€Å"Scout shows this when she says,† â€Å"as revealed by the line,† â€Å"as the author states,† etc. Place a colon after your thoughts to link them to your evidence (the quote). Boldwood loses control of himself. His love for Bathsheba strips him of reason. Boldwood gives in to his emotions totally, as shown when he says, â €Å"l had some faint belief in the mercy of God till I lost that woman†¦ ‘ feel it is better to die than to live† (Hardy 244). He nearly loses his mind.Harper Lee concludes To Kill a Mockingbird happily. The novel ends by showing Atticus reunited with his children: â€Å"He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning† (Lee 281). Atticus's fatherly presence shows the reader that all is right with the world. DANGERS TO AVOID Never use a quote in a way that changes the meaning it had originally (â€Å"take it out of context†). Never let your quotes drown out your own voice. Never stick in a quote without connecting it to your words. Never forget to use quotation marks and cite the place where you found the quote.Never use quotes that are longer than they have to be. Never use a quote unless you are sure of what it means. Jem and Scout meet Mrs. Dubose. â€Å"Mrs. Dubo se lived alone except for a Negro girl in constant attendance, two doors up the street from us in a house with steep front steps and a dog-trot hall. She was very old†¦ † Mrs. Dubose is mean. â€Å"If she was on the porch when we passed, we would be raked by her wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior†¦ â€Å"

Cross Border Mergers and Acquisitions in India Essay

The corporate sector all over the world is restructuring its operations through different types of consolidation strategies like mergers and acquisitions in order to face challenges posed by the new pattern of globalisation. The intensity of such operations is increasing with the de-regulation of various government policies as a facilitator of the neo-liberal economic regime. The intensity of cross-border operations recorded an unprecedented surge since the mid-1990s and the same trend continues. Earlier, foreign firms were satisfying their market expansion strategy through the setting up of wholly owned subsidiaries in overseas markets which has now become a ‘second best option since it involves much time and effort that may not suit to the changed global scenario, cross-border mergers and acquisitions became the ‘first-best option’ to the leaders and others depended on the follow-the-leader’ strategy. The Indian corporate sector too experienced such a boom in mergers and acquisitions that led restructuring strategies especially after liberalization, Four types of growth strategies adopted by the firms. Firms started with domestic production and began to export to the foreign markets, establishment of subsidiaries in overseas market was the next stage and as a fourth phase, firms started to acquire firms in foreign markets instead of establishing subsidiaries. The increasing magnitude of investment through cross-border mergers and acquisitions and its emergence as a major component of FDI even in the case of developing countries such as India, why firms are engaging in cross-border consolidations instead of establishing subsidiaries or to engage in export-oriented growth.

Levis in Walmart Essays

Levis in Walmart Essays Levis in Walmart Paper Levis in Walmart Paper Problem Faced with 5 years of declining sales, should Levi’s sell a brand to mass discount retailer, Wal-Mart? Executive Summary Quick! Name the first company that comes to mind for the following products: facial tissue, photocopiers, and jeans. Did you answer Kleenex, Xerox, and Levi’s? I bet you did. The #1 apparel brand for brand awareness and recognition, â€Å"Levi’s† is virtually synonymous with â€Å"jeans. † In the past several years however this strong brand recognition has failed to translate into sales growth and in fact the company has seen a progressive decline over the last 5 years. Faced with the declining sales, Levi Strauss Co. ’s CEO, Phil Marineau, has been considering selling a Levi’s brand to mass discount retailer, Wal-Mart. Bad idea. Clearly this would be brand suicide or, brandicide if you will, sacrificing long-term survival for short-term growth. Levi’s should instead put an end to its brand’s dilution and concentrate its target on trend-setting members of Generation Y by positioning itself as an ultra cool brand with a social conscience. In addition to working closely with its current retail outlets to re-invigorate the brand image, Levi’s should work on growing the number of Original Levi’s Stores worldwide in order to retain as much control as possible over the positioning of the brand. The forecasted financial results show that choosing to revitalize and refocus the brand rather than diluting and devaluing it further by selling a value brand to Wal-Mart will cost the company 50 million dollars in the first year. However, within 3 years the efforts are expected to payoff with a 330 million dollar revenue increase over 2002 vs. 270 million dollar projected revenue loss for the Wal-Mart choice. Plus, Levi’s will be able to hit the triple bottom line by remaining socially and environmentally responsible while increasing shareholder earnings. Situation Analysis Strengths Worldwide recognition of its brand name #1 for apparel brand for brand recognition and brand awareness. Global presence Owns 12 proprietary specialty stores. Long-standing relationships with many retailers, enabling it to work across several channels of distribution. Continued success of Dockers. Commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility. Reputation as the brand that started the blue jean revolution Weaknesses Presence across several retail channels with a number of products aimed at different segments with price points â€Å"from the $250 level to the $25 level† diluting the brand. Being used as a loss leader in several chain and department stores is devaluing the brand. The average price paid for Levi’s at retail dropping. History of Levi’s 1994 Canadian dispute with Wal-Mart may be a barrier to rekindling a relationship with the mass retailer. Recent product releases have met with poor results, particularly in the US. Major stockholder’s deficit Ineffective marketing efforts (30% of sales spent on marketing, yet sales continue to drop) Opportunities The jeans mark et is growing Teens continue to be biggest jeans buyers Mass merchant channel largest and fastest-growing retail channel for jeans and apparel Threats Competitors at all levels of spectrum including high-end segment, vertically integrated retailers in middle segment, and private-label brands offering comparable designs at reduced prices. Apparel sales down in 2001 Average price of jeans has dropped over the past 10 years due to the proliferation of off-pricing and private-label brands 40% of jeans sold below $20. Issues facing the organization As the jeans market has polarized towards the low and high ends, the Levi’s brand has found itself caught in the middle. Priced between $30 and $50 a pair, the jeans do not offer the same image or design as the high-end brands, or the complete wardrobe selection of the vertically integrated retailers. Also, they do not offer the inexpensive alternatives found through private labels. Further, while the jeans market continues to grow, to stand out in the cluttered market, a company must have a real competitive advantage. In the case of Levi’s it seems that mere brand name recognition isn’t enough. And with 5 years of declining sales, Levi’s has to reinvent itself or die. After reviewing the situational analysis of the company, several alternatives can be considered. Alternatives 1. â€Å"Do nothing† and hope to sell more. Faced with a 5 year decline in sales, doing nothing isn’t a very sound strategy. However, perhaps current initiatives such as new product offerings and specialty retail channels need more time to catch on. 2. Enter a new market with a new product. Sell a Levi’s value brand to mass retailers such as Wal-Mart, a retail channel that accounts for 31% of all jean sales. The potential increase in sales from this new channel is probably very good in the short term, however the risk is that entry into the discount market even with a Levi’s value brand that’s differentiated from the main product line, will further devalue and dilute the brand, making it unattractive to its current retailers. If Levi’s gets dropped from chain, department stores, and independents because its brand is no longer relevant to its customers, then the potential loss could offset a good deal of any potential gain. Further, once the brand loses its â€Å"shine,† through dilution, discounting and devaluation, the benefits to Wal-Mart of carrying a higher profile â€Å"national brand† are lost. A likely scenario is that in the long-run, Levi’s would only be carried in discount stores, its brand image too tarnished for chains and department stores, and even in mass retailers used as a loss-leader for the store’s own private labels. 3. Another alternative, which is similar to the last, also involves Develop and sell a non-Levi’s branded line of jeans to Wal-Mart. The advantage of this is that Levi’s could open up a major new retail channel without devaluing the mother brand. However, this scenario is probably far less interesting for Wal-Mart that would be looking to leverage the nationally recognized brand to improve its own brand image. Interestingly, this scenario is probably far less interesting to Levi’s too, since if Wal-Mart did pick up the generic brand, chances are that it would fall under the â€Å"better† or more likely the â€Å"good† end of the spectrum rather than the â€Å"best,† and the price point would either be unprofitably low or set unreasonably high in order to drive purchases of Wal-Mart’s private labels. 4. Stop extending the brand to the point of complete dilution. Update brand personality and marketing mix to make Levi’s a fresh and relevant brand that resonates with trendsetting youth and speaks to Levi’s management’s perceived competitive advantages, such as commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility, and the focus on product innovation, quality, and value, rather than simply trying a new channel for a distressed brand. In speaking to a specific target, rather than trying to be everything to everyone, marketing dollars can go a lot further. And by focusing on the demo with the most influence on trends, youth, who have the most dollars going towards jeans per person per year, the chance for growth is good. Plus, by focusing less on the product and the retail outlets and more on the Levi’s experience, there is major potential for organic brand extensions and growth. On the other hand, the risk is that the brand has already been too neglected and diluted and is so â€Å"old school† that it’s too late and will never be perceived as cool by the youth market. In this case getting the last bit of life out of a dying brand by distributing it through mass market channels may be the only answer. Recommendations The financial analysis (appendix A) compares projected results of taking a value brand into Wal-Mart with not taking the brand to mass market and instead concentrating the target, dialing up the cool factor and re-positioning the brand to resonate with the 20% of consumers who have the potential to bring in 80% of revenue (the 20/80 rule of business) – the tween, teen young adult market. As we see, introducing a value-brand at Wal-Mart is expected to sacrifice long-term revenue growth for short-term gain since the devaluation of the brand through its association with a discount mass retailer would likely cause department stores and chains to drop the brand one by one. Once the brand has no life beyond the discounter, its value goes down and is likely to command lower price points and less sales even at the mass level. Within three years, we predict that going the Wal-Mart route over the re-positioning route will cost Levi’s 660 million dollars and ensure that the brand is headed towards extinction. On the other hand, while sales are not likely to grow while the brand is in the process of the transition to focus on becoming relevant to the younger, influential market, we see that after the first year, increased price points and distribution, particularly in its specialty outlets should translate into steady long-term growth for the company. Therefore, in order to turn sales around while protecting the integrity of the brand, the best alternative is the last one, which relies on a market penetration strategy, increasing share among existing customers by focusing promotional efforts, combined with a product development strategy, to identify the best products to appeal to the target demographic. The first step in reviving the brand is to choose to fight brand dilution through concentrated targeting. Levi’s must identify the marketing segment that is most important to Levi’s present and future growth and identify the characteristics, needs and motives of that segment in order to develop and maintain a highly specialized marketing mix. By choosing Generation Y (young people born between approximately 1979 and 1994), also called the Net Generation, or the Millenials, as the main target to lead the brand revitalization efforts, Levi’s would leverage several attributes of this group. First, it represents a demographic of about 76 million in the US. Second, they are in the â€Å"young single† stage of the life cycle, which means they have few financial burdens and therefore more disposable income. Young people are also an aspirational reference group for fashion. If young, hip, trend-setters choose to adopt the brand, this would significantly improve the brand image. Levi’s apparently understands this in theory, selling a few higher-end brands aimed at fashion-forward youngsters in the 15- to 24-year-old range, however the problem is that these brands aren’t resonating well enough with this influential demo to have the intended halo effect on the rest of the jeans line. In order to gain success with this group Levi’s must first change neutral or negative beliefs about product attributes into positive ones. For example, Levi’s needs to go from being â€Å"your parents’ jeans,† to a brand that has relevance in the lives of these young people. Brand is very important to this demographic and they are willing to pay a premium for it. In addition, Gen Y likes and expects personalization and customization. Further, this is a segment that has a much bigger environmental and social conscience than does the generation preceding it. Other important considerations when marketing to the tween and teen demographic, according to Paul Kurnit during his presentation on Understanding Youth, in order to build a relationship with the brand are to: make it lifestyle relevant, give it badge value, generate buzz, make it authentic, let them own it (â€Å"I’ve created this†), and keep it fresh in the long term. By re-positioning the Levi’s brand as a stylish brand with a social and environmental conscience, Levi’s can become extremely relevant to this demographic. And this positioning is actually very close to what management already claims are its competitive advantages, including commitment to ethical conduct and social responsibility, ad the focus on product innovation and quality. The re-positioning will simply take these perceived competitive advantages, shout about them, and give them relevance for a very targeted segment. Some recommendations for the marketing plan to achieve this re-positioning and turn around Levi’s fortunes are: Product Higher-end fashions that appeal to Generation Y Environmentally friendly fabrics used in products (e. g. organic hemp weave) Use manufacturers worldwide that practice fair employment practices use environmentally friendly production processes. Bags for merchandise should be paper, made of recycled materials and be cool and of high quality so that consumers will want to reuse them for other things. At flagship stores, offer customized tags with percentage of proceeds going to charity. Place Ori ginal Levi’s One stores to be leaders in shaping brand re-positioning. Increase presence by opening more specialty stores in urban areas. Image department stores high end chain stores. Independent jeaneries Promotion Associate differently coloured tags with key charities so that people can express their social conscience. Support traditional media buys (television print) with the untraditional advertising and promotion methods that Gen Y seeks out. Leverage the popularity of consumer-generated content by giving consumers online tools, including popular music, and video clips, to make their own ads featuring Levi’s styles that they can share with their friends. Create an international online community to leverage the positive image of the brand among trend-setters in other countries and to integrate into young people’s lifestyles. Using guerilla marketing tactics that create buzz such as sending small armies of models dressed only in jeans through city streets in fashion-forward urban areas. Sponsoring mobile phone services like concert alerts. Everything in the store should speak to the young person’s lifestyle, including music. Price The high-end styles should but be priced a little bit lower than other designer and fashion-forward jeans to give a slight cost advantage while the brand is re-building. The recommended target price range is between $50 and $80, but skewing towards the $50 price point as an average price in the first year as the brand regains its â€Å"cool factor. † Conclusion It is easy to understand why Phil Marineau, faced with 5 years of declining sales, would consider getting Levis into the discounters that are grabbing a rising share of apparel sales. Certainly there is a good deal of sales potential of such a move in the short term. But the marketing risks are considerable for a company that has historically strived for a constant injection of cool. Even if Levi’s creates a new brand for Wal-Mart, it would likely still use the Levis name somewhere on the tag, which would quickly destroy any relevance the brand has for fashion-conscious shoppers and signify the beginning of the end for this iconic brand. Instead, Levi’s should turn its perceived competitive advantages like product and promotion innovation and social responsibility into pillars of the brand and sharply focus its target on the segment that spends the most on fashion-forward apparel, the Generation Y. Next steps for implementation In order to fulfill its triple bottom line promise, in its first year of re-positioning, Levi’s should audit current manufacturers for social and environmental best practices and develop plans to improve production processes where necessary. Next, build relationships with key charities that would want to partner with Levi’s on the charitable coloured tab idea. Then, it should begin work on redesigning flagship stores to fit youth lifestyle and work with top retailers to revitalize presence at department stores to fit with fresh branding. Finally, it should introduce the new customizable, altruistic tag jean launch it with a global online community that gives young consumers a chance to express themselves and make the brand their own. Appendix A We will focus on sales, based on the information provided in this case, and assume that the additional costs that might be associated with re-positioning the brand (in particular adjusting manufacturing processes or changing manufacturers and opening new stores, since promotion and product development costs would be similar to previous years, just directed at a new target) would equal approximately to the costs associated with moving into mass market (distribution system changes, especially re-configuring supply chain system to be compatible with Wal-Mart, could be costly) Projections based on Levi’s introducing value brand to Wal-Mart Projected profit on each unit of Levi’s value branded jean (based on highest price of top national brand at Wal-Mart, Dickies $26 – 6$ to retailer): $20 50 million pairs of jeans are sold at discounters out of the 569 million pairs of jeans sold in the US, representing 10% of all jeans sales each year. Assuming that Wal-Mart was se lling half of these 50 million pairs each year, then a Levi’s value brand is likely to take a 20% of these 50 million pairs, or 10 million units . We will base our projection on this: 10 million units in year one, with a 10% drop in number of units sold after the first year (due to brand devaluing as it is taken out of other retail outlets) (9 million in second and third years). Currently, the top 10 customers for Levi’s account for approximately 60% of its total 4. 2 billion in sales (approximately 2. 5 billion dollars). If we assume that 1. billion of this comes from Levi’s jeans sales and if each of the 10 customer’s business is worth approximately 1/10th of that amount, than losing even one customer would cost Levi’s 150 million in jeans sales. Assuming that 1 customer stops carrying the Levi’s brand each year, which is a conservative assumption since, as industry insiders agree once â€Å"you have mass distribution now, we can’t make money on you, you’re gone. † Projections based on Levi’s re-positioning brand targeting Gen Y specifically By keeping its current retail channels and re-positioning its brand, we project that in the first year, Levi’s will have flat sales while the brand is being revitalized, however we project a conservative 10% growth in sales from the current retail channels (from above calculation, this will be 10% of 1. billion in estimated jeans sales) in the 2nd year due to more units being sold and a higher price point and 20% growth in the 3rd year due to expanded Levi’s Original Store sales (with higher margins) and continued growth in traditional Levi’s retail outlets. Year 1Year 2Year 3 Revenue increase from sales Levi’s Wal-Mart value brand$200,000,000$180,000,000$180,000,000 Revenue decrease from removal from other retail outlets 150,000,000300,000,000450,000,000 Total projected sales increase/decrease from entering Wal-Mart50,000, 000(120,000,000)(270,000,000) Revenue increase from re-branding efforts0150,000,000330,000,000 Net gain/loss from choosing to re-position brand rather than selling a value brand to Wal-Mart(50,000,000)270,000,000600,000,000

Timeline of Major Events in the History of Persia

Timeline of Major Events in the History of Persia This Persia timeline of major events is based on a Library of Congress Persia timeline. For an introduction to this area now generally known as Iran see Extent of the Persian Empire: An Introduction to Ancient Persia and the Persian Empire. Iran (Persia) Timeline of Important Events Early Historyc. 3400 B.C.Elamite kingdom emerges in southwestern Iran and Mesopotamia.c. 2000 B.C.Nomadic peoples Scythians, Medes, and Persians move from Central Asia to Iranian plateau. [See Tribes of the Ancient Steppes.]6th Century B.C.c. 553-550 B.C. Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great) overthrows Median king; becomes ruler of Persia and Media; founds Achaemenid Empire.539 B.C.Cyrus captures Babylon, releases Jews from captivity.525 B.C.Cyruss son Cambyses II conquers Egypt.522 B.C.Darius I becomes king; re-establishes and extends empire, carries out administrative reorganization.5th Century B.C.490 B.C. Darius invades Greek mainland; defeated at the Battle of Marathon.4th Century B.C.334 B.C. Alexander the Great begins Persian campaign; completes conquest of Persia and Mesoptamia, 330 B.C.323 B.C.Death of Alexander; division of empire among generals; Seleucids emerge as principal heirs in Iran.3rd Century B.C.247 B.C. Parthians overthrow Seleucids; establish own dynasty.3rd Century A.D .A.D. 224 Ardeshir overthrows last Parthian ruler; establishes Sassanian dynasty with capital at Ctesiphon.A.D. 260Shahpur I wages campaign against Romans, takes emperor Valerian captive. 7th Century637 Muslim armies capture Ctesiphon, Sassanian Empire begins to crumble.641-42 Sassanian army defeated at Nahavand; Iran comes under Muslim rule. Related AchaemenidsSeleucidsThe Parthian EmpireThe SassanidsProblems of Historical Evidence About Ancient PersiaTimeline of the Greco-Persian Wars

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Essay Example ingless and theme less, and further added, â€Å"Miss Hurston voluntarily continues in her role the tradition which was forced upon the negro in the theater, that is, the minstrel technique that makes the ‘white folks’ laugh† (cited in Lester, 3). It was regarded by many that Hurston had exploited the cause of her own people by not correctly portraying the picture of the injustice and sufferings meted out to the blacks by their white owners. It was only in the 1970’s after another African-American writer Alice Walker of ‘The Color Purple’ fame, took an interest in Hurston and championed her cause, did the literary world of that age sit up and take notice. After Walker published an essay in Ms. Magazine â€Å"In Search of Zora Neale Hurston,† it pushed Hurston’s works back into the limelight, and soon there were many prints and reprints of her writings. This article will review the book ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ b y Hurston and will present a critical analysis on it by discussing her writing style and her manner of representing the novel’s chief protagonist. It will also review other authors’ reviews and analysis on Hurston and her novel ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’. Analysis of Zora Neale Hurston and her writing style: Zora Neale Hurston was born on 7th January 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama. Her father, John Hurston was a preacher and a carpenter, while her mother Lucy Hurston, was a schoolteacher. Soon, the family moved to Eatonville in Florida, a town famous for having the first black incorporated Municipality. Hurston completed her graduation from Harvard University and it is from here that she embarked on her writing career in 1921. Soon she moved to New York and became a prominent figure in the then famous ‘Harlem Renaissance’ writing group. Hurston was also an anthropologist, and in fact, her experiences in Eatonville and her researches into old folktales of the black population which influenced much of her writings.

The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life Research Paper

The Possibility of Extra-Terrestrial Life - Research Paper Example Cox and Rees begin to contemplate the possibility, the arguments in favor of life beyond the blue planet tend to gain more credibility. However, the question is not about which side of the argument has greater credibility or even about getting the majority to agree with or refute the theory. When the issue in question has to be proved or disproved, only conclusive evidence should be included. Speculations, whether educated or misinformed, are still speculations only. In the absence of verifiable, conclusive proof, the status quo remains unchanged. Extra-terrestrial life cannot be assumed to exist till such irrefutable evidence is presented. This paper seeks to substantiate this claim by first discussing expert opinions on the issue, and how despite their scholarly backing the opinions remain speculative; then, by exploring how alleged encounters with aliens are possibly nothing more than psychological condition; and finally by looking at the implications of this kind of unrestrained speculation. Apart from the opinions of the scientists mentioned in the introduction, experiences of other experts who have dedicated their careers to researching this possibility are well-documented. Jacques F. Vallee in his paper â€Å"Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects†, advances alternatives to the two conclusions that either Ufo does not exist or if they do, they must necessarily be from outer space. In the summarization of his arguments, Vallee declares: (1) unexplained close encounters are far more numerous than required for any physical survey of the earth; (2) the humanoid body structure of the alleged "aliens" is not likely to have originated on another planet and is not biologically adapted to space travel; (3) the reported behaviour in thousands of abduction reports contradicts the hypothesis of genetic or scientific experimentation on humans by an advanced race; (4) the extension of the phenomenon.

Rolling Over the Native Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rolling Over the Native Culture - Essay Example From this paper it is clear  being able to hunt and make war are only two aspects that any culture faces in their day to day life. Art was an area that had a proud European tradition and it was also celebrated by the Indian tribes of North America. However, there were vast differences in the intent of the art and its use. European art was, for the most part, reserved for the elite. Music was seldom heard outside of aristocratic circles or in formal settings. It had little if any relevance to the average European and performances were routinely commissioned by the wealthy. However, Native American music was offered at tribal ceremonies and was a part of their traditional activities. This was due in part because of the difference in the instrumentation involved. While Europeans used complex and highly engineered instruments and compositions, Natives would use simpler forms.  This discussion highlights that the visual arts also had stark differences. Once again, the Europeans looked on art as the property of the elite. Works were commissioned and the practice and appreciation for art was left to those considered worthy. The subject matter generally had no real relationship to the average man. Often the works would become the property of a church or monarch. Here they were kept from view for many that resided in the countryside, or were that barred due to status.  The Natives, in contrast, had a rich tradition in art with a more meaningful use.  ... This gave the Indians the ability not only to hunt, but also to garner respect from their neighboring tribes. In fact, the Montana Historical Society Museum has over 1000 firearms from this period, one of which is Sitting Bull's 1866 Henry repeating rifle ("Museum Collections"). This is evidence of the high desire for European weapon technology and its great importance to both sides. Another important item that was provided by the Europeans was the horse. The Spanish introduced the horse to North America in the 16th century. The horse was a superior tool for the Native Americans as it provided them with much greater mobility, allowing the Indians to travel greater distances and expand their territory. It provided them with a more effective way to pursue their prey on a hunt and greatly increased their opportunity for survival. Horses were also desirable in waging war. The horses brought from Europe would serve the mounted cavalries of the U.S. Army as they pushed the Indians westward. The repeating rifle and the horse, though often misused, were indeed icons of European superiority. The Arts Being able to hunt and make war are only two aspects that any culture faces in their day to day life. Art was an area that had a proud European tradition and it was also celebrated by the Indian tribes of North America. However, there were vast differences in the intent of the art and its use. European art was, for the most part, reserved for the elite. Music was seldom heard outside of aristocratic circles or in formal settings. It had little if any relevance to the average European and performances were routinely commissioned by the wealthy. However, Native American music was offered at tribal ceremonies and was a part of their traditional

Implementation At Indo Rama Synthetics Information Technology Essay

Implementation At Indo Rama Synthetics Information Technology Essay Before the year 2000, at INDO RAMA SYNTHETICS LTD., individual department worked independently to achieve its predefined corporate objectives. Every department used different tools and software. For example, the production department used MIMS software, accounts department used FoxPro and KICKS for its functionalities, while marketing department used tools which were not robust enough to support overall marketing functions. Lots of paper work in Human resource management was mind boggling and time consuming. This lacked inter-departmental coordination and hampered information sharing. For example, a department found it difficult to know about the stock kept by another department even in times of urgency due to lack of information. Inventory management always plays an important role in manufacturing industry, Indo Rama wanted to handle it more effectively. All these were the matters of concern for a company aspiring to be the best in its business globally. There was a need of cross-fu nctional and business process integration. So that company could react to changes in the market and economy in the most effective way. To overcome such problems, Indo Rama decided to go for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The company decided to implement ERP from SAP (System Application Product). Indo Rama has been on SAP ERP platform since 2000, one of the earlier companies in India to migrate to the SAP platform. Also, recognizing core competence principles, the company outsourced its IT functions to ACCENTURE TECHNOLOGIES LTD., a global outsourcing firm, in July 2001. Accenture provides IT infrastructure management for all company locations, all legacy systems and ERP. All locations are connected on Wide Area Network (WAN) to the central server located at Butibori, Nagpur. INDO RAMA SYNTHETICS LTD. has implemented four major modules in SAP ERP: Sales Distribution (SD) Finance Costing (FICO) Material Management (MM) Plant Maintenance (PM) All major sites have been fire-walled; all locations have anti-spam and anti-virus software installed. The ERP and the internet have clearly defined password, tables of authorities and levels of access. Indo Rama Synthetics has also launched an intranet facility, Antarnaad, where internal policies, notices and other relevant organizational information are stored. Other application software that are in operation at Indo Rama include the Leave Management System, EMIS (where management reports for various levels are generated) and an auction site for vendor management. For its communications backbone, Indo Rama uses a Virtual Private Network (VPN), through which all locations are linked. The company has adopted Outlook Express for mail communications with a Linux-based back-end. During 2007-08, the IT team at Indo Rama undertook several projects. The key ones are detailed below. IRSL IRPL merger project Indo Rama Synthetics Ltd. has merged Indo Rama Petrochemicals Ltd into itself. The necessary changes needed to integrate the two entities in the ERP platform have been completed. Data Center The company built a new state of the art data centre at Butibori, Nagpur. All servers, the WAN and other network equipment are housed in this data center. The data center has been protected against unauthorized access and potential mishaps. Biometric security systems ensure that only authorized person can enter and access the data servers. Sophisticated systems have been installed for fire detection and suppression, water leakage, rodent damage and variations in ambient temperature and environment. Data backup of the SAP system is taken on tapes attached to SAP servers. One copy of the tapes is stored in a fireproof safe at data center and another at a location away from the factory. Every month, a set of tapes are also sent to the New Delhi office for safe storage. Packing System The legacy packing and recording system, which records the carton / box information and prints the labels, was on a FoxBASE database management system. This application has been converted onto an Oracle platform with enhanced features and functionality. Attendance Tracking System An attendance tracking system is installed at each department, which read the finger print responses of the employees every time they enter or leave the premises. It reduces the paper work and man power required to track the attendance. Significance of the study A Study was carried out keeping the functional working of IT department in view and its integration with other departments. Working and spending time with major departments helped us in drafting this report in the context of over all company objectives and strategies that necessitate a holistic approach cutting across various functional areas Marketing, Human Resource, Operations, Finance and Business environment. By implementing SAP ERP modules, manufacturing companies can attain Cross-Functional and Business Process integration required for information and data sharing across the organization. These functionalities save resource, cost and valuable time enabling the company to react fast enough to changes in market, competition and economy. Introduction Company Profile The journey of Indo Rama group began with the establishment of Ashok Textiles Limited, Nepal in year 1969. Indo Rama Synthetics ( I ) Ltd. as a cherished dream of Mr. O. P. Lohia (Chief Managing Director, IRSL) came into inception at Pithampura, Indore in year 1989. Indo Rama group have its subsidiaries in Indonesia, Srilanka, Malaysia, Nepal and India. ISO9001, 9002 certified Indo Rama, is among the leading producers of polyester with its products namely Poly Staple Fiber, Partially Oriented Yarn, Draw Textured Yarn, Fully Drawn Yarn and Polyester Chips are exported to Germany, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Italy. Company believes in product technological advancements and is under technical collaboration with USA based DuPont and Japan based Toyobo. It uses most sophisticated machines from a German manufacturer Barmag and USA based Chemetex Intl. Indo Rama is highly committed to environmental regulations and best practices. Its priorities include minimizing waste, recycling, reusing effluents, controlling emissions, and plantation. The company invests significantly to reduce workplace accidents and ensure safety. Housing colonies, schools and health centers are built by the company as a part of corporate social responsibility. Objectives of the study To understand IT infrastructure management and study SAP ERP modules Material Management, Sales and Distribution, Order Processing, Financial Management, Plant Maintenance at Indo Rama Synthetics Ltd. Study shall help Indo Rama by providing the preliminary work, steps and evaluation required to go ahead in integrating the existing and proposed initiatives, through IT infrastructure management and SAP ERP modules. Study shall help in understanding the importance of Cross-Functional and Business Process integration by adopting IT tools and functionalities, so that manufacturing companies can react fast enough to changes in the market and economy. Brief description of the concepts ERP: An overview In the manufacturing industry, MRP (Material Requirement Planning) became the fundamental concept of production management and control in the mid 1970s. At this stage BOM (Bill of Materials), which is purchase order management that utilizes parts list management and parts development, was in the mainstream. And this concept (MRP) unfolded from order inventory management of materials to plant and personnel planning and distribution planning, which in turn became MRP-II (Manufacturing Resource Planning). This incorporated production management, financial accounting, human resource management, sales and distribution management functions and management accounting functions. It came to globally cover all areas of enterprise mainstay business and eventually came to be called ERP. Enterprise Resource Planning covers the techniques and concept employed for the integrated management of business as a whole, from the viewpoint of the effective use of management resources, to improve the efficiency of an enterprise. ERP packages are integrated software packages that support sales management, production management, accounting and financial affairs. ERP System Manufacturing Inventory Management Sales and Distribution Finance Human Resource Logistics Management Operations Quality Management ERP Implementation: Its relevance The basic idea of ERP is to assimilate companys data at some central location or repository where it can be checked, matched, and shared across the organization. This data is then used for resource planning within the organization in conjunction with the decision systems. Here, INDO RAMA SYNTHETICS aimed at eliminating wasteful duplication of data with the help of ERP. There are various techniques to improve production and efficiency across an organization such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma Quality, Employee Involvement, Factory Automation, etc. These are excellent tools with enormous capabilities to support the business. But one can not achieve the full potential of business with these tools and technique unless they are backed by proper IT strategy, which helps in effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling process. ERP implementation is derived from factors such as the cost benefit analysis, decision making through pros and cons, defining performance goals, data integrity issues and solutions, defining operational environment and software selection. Business planning, strategy development Budgeting and forecasting Production plan and programme Material requirement Work load calculation and resource planning Monitoring operations and overall execution Performance measurement, learning and feedback Figure 1: ERP-related process in manufacturing industries. Mapping IT strategic initiative to ERP A few essential steps should be taken while deploying ERP in business process: Visualization: Visualization of need for ERP and impact on production and organization. Strategy formulation: Formulation of a strategy for ERP implementation and the need for the organization to respond to the changes. Planning of resources: Planning the resources and the overall business. Structuring and prioritization: The structuring of the organization and objectives along with prioritization of business initiatives needs to be outlined in detail before embarking on ERP. Transition: The organization ought to be readied for its transition to ERP paradigm. Deployment: Deployment of the system and new technologies. It also includes deployment of new tools. A proper ERP system selection and implementation helps the management to a large extent. There are various phases in the lifecycle of ERP; the major parts of which are planning, implementation and operation phases. IT enables communication between various parts of ERP and establishes an integrated ERP system. Understand the product requirement Solution planning Design phase SLA presentation and acceptance Implementation, testing Delivery Operation Plan Implement Operate Figure 2: ERP project life cycle implementation Supply Chain Management Supply chain management (SCM) refers to the coordination of activities involved in making and moving a product. SCM encompasses planning and management of all the activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management. Importantly, it also includes coordination and collaboration with the extended organizations and channel partners, who can be suppliers, intermediaries, third party service providers, and customers. SCM integrates and act as a balancing agent between supply and demand within and across companies. SCM brings value to business in terms of innovation, service, cost, and quality. Innovation: It brings value on table through unique technology or new conceptual products. Innovation gives an organization a competitive edge over other competitors. SCM helps in this process by allowing/producing optimal volume (raw material or products) and also by increasing efficiency, thereby ultimately reducing the time to market. Cost: An efficient operation with better resource management reduces the overall cost. Service: Better service can always attract customers. It is definitely a competitive advantage and SCM fundamentally contributes to it by its very nature. Quality: The quality strategy dictates production of the best-in-the-class products. SCM can also contribute to it through quality control and excellence in production. SCM, ERP and IT Infrastructure are inter-related. ERP begins with the Material Requirement Planning as depicted in following figure. Using intranets and extranets, all members of the supply chain can instantly communicate with each other, using up-to-date information to adjust purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, packaging, and schedules. A standard set of tools that are used by companies all over the world to coordinate global supply chains that include participants from many countries. Following figure explains intranet and extranet for SCM. Figure 3: Intranets and Extranets for Supply Chain Management Intranets integrate information from isolated business processes within the firm to help manage its internal supply chain. Access to these private intranets can also be extended to authorized suppliers, distributors, logistics services, and, sometimes, to retail customers to improve coordination of external supply chain processes. Inventory and Purchasing Management system MRP (Material Requirement Planning) ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) ERP and SCM within the organization ERP and SCM across organizations Figure 4: Evolution of ERP and SCM The ERP functions from the perspective of supply chain optimization are shown in following flowchart. Overall process optimization Expense optimization Revenue and Profit optimization Logistics optimization Knowledge optimization Figure 5: ERP optimization at various stages of supply chain The business value of supply chain management systems includes: Streamlined supply chain and accurate information. Reduced supply chain costs. Increased sales through accurate product availability. IT plays a very important role in developing various functionalities and building an integrated system. Following figure highlights IT components in ERP, IT infrastructure and resources in SCM. The SCM planning is the input for ERP. Operating system Data warehouse Retail Link Data, account, analysis Forecast Inventory plan ERP SCM Manufacturing planning Feedback S E R V E R S Intelligent Systems Internet Figure 6: ERP, IT Infrastructure and resources in SCM Customer Relationship Management Customers can be seen as an enterprises most valuable asset, and customer relationship management enable large firms like Indo Rama Synthetics to understand and work with their customers. CRM can also be called a business strategy to select and manage the most valuable customer relationships. It supports effective marketing, sales and service processes. CRM is the process that manages the interaction between company and its customers. With the advent of sophisticated relation databases and data-mining techniques, CRM has enabled Indo Rama to specifically target customers to determine what products, services and values they want. CRM necessitates the alignment of initiatives such as e-business, sales force effectiveness, customer service, customer relationship planning, enterprise resource planning, and supply chain management with customer-accepted value propositions. But to enable CRM to meet the business objectives, it should be backed by IT strategies. The most telling benefit of IT-powered CRM is Return on Investment (ROI). The ROI from CRM typically comes in two forms. The first is cost reductions from increasing the efficiency. For example, when customer data helps an inside sales team maintain productivity levels with fewer resources, cost reductions do result. When the sales agents in the field spend less time manually entering data into slow legacy systems, companies do save time and money. CRM systems capture and integrate customer data from all over the organization, consolidating the data, analyzing the data, and then distributing the results to various systems and customer touch points across the enterprise. A touch point (also known as a contact point) is a method of interaction with the customer, such as telephone, e-mail, customer service desk, conventional mail, Web site, or retail store. CRM systems provide a single enterprise view of the customer and provide customers with a single view of the company regardless of the touch point the customer uses. Figure 7: Customer Relationship Management CRM systems examine customers from a multifaceted perspective. These systems use a set of integrated applications to address all aspects of the customer relationship, including customer service, sales, and marketing. Good CRM systems provide data and analytical tools for determining the financial lifetime value of a customer and customer loyalty and for identifying profitable customers and their needs. Commercial customer relationship management (CRM) software packages range from niche tools that perform limited functions, such as personalizing Web sites for specific customers, to large-scale enterprise applications. The more comprehensive CRM packages contain modules for: Partner relationship management (PRM): PRM software uses many of the same data, tools, and systems as customer relationship management to enhance collaboration between a company and its selling partners. It provides a company and its selling partners with the ability to trade information and distribute leads and data about customers, integrating lead generation, pricing, promotions, order configurations and availability. Employee relationship management (ERM). ERM software deals with employee issues that are closely related to CRM, such as setting objectives, employee performance management, performance-based compensation, and employee training. CRM typically provide software or tools for: Sales force automation (SFA): SFA modules help sales staff increase their productivity by focusing sales efforts on the most profitable customers. They provide sales prospect and contact information, product information, product configuration capabilities, and sales quote generation capabilities. Customer service: Customer service modules provide information and tools to make call centers, help desks, and customer support staff more efficient. They have capabilities for assigning and managing customer service requests and may include Web-based self-service capabilities. Marketing: Marketing modules support direct-marketing campaigns with capabilities for capturing prospect and customer data, qualifying leads, and scheduling and tracking campaign mailings. They include tools for analyzing marketing and customer data-identifying profitable and unprofitable customers, designing products and services to satisfy specific customer needs and interests, and identifying opportunities for cross-selling, up-selling, and bundling. Cross-selling is the marketing of complementary products to customers. Up-selling is the marketing of higher-value products or services to new or existing customers. Bundling is cross-selling in which a combination of products is sold as a bundle at a price lower than the total cost of the individual products. Figure 8: How CRM supports Marketing Customer relationship management software provides a single point for users to manage and evaluate marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including e-mail, direct mail, telephone, the Web, and wireless messages. The major CRM products support business processes in sales, service, and marketing, integrating customer information from many different sources. Following figure includes supports for both the operational and analytical aspects of CRM. Figure 9: CRM Capabilities CRM software can also be used to increase customer loyalty through customer service by identifying valued customers and providing them with special services or offers. Following process map shows how a best practice for promoting customer loyalty through customer service would be modeled by customer relationship management. The CRM software helps firms identify high-value customers for preferential treatment. Figure 10: Customer Loyalty Management process map Thus, the business value of CRM systems which benefits companies includes: Increased customer satisfaction Reduced direct-marketing costs More effective marketing Lower costs for customer acquisition and retention Increased sales revenues through identifying profitable customers Reduced churn rate: The churn rate measures the number of customers who stop using or purchasing products or services from a company and is an important indicator of the growth or decline of a firms customer base. Order Processing As soon as the clerk enters the order into the system, system checks the inventory records and finds out whether the items are available or not. If the item are available, procedures are triggered automatically that will inform the people in the sales and distribution department and the finance department. The information will contain the details of the items to be shipped, the most economic route to the customer and so on. Also, the system will trigger procedures in the financial module so that the invoices are sent to the customer. The information is transferred Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) and the payments are received electronically through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). If the items are not available, then the production-planning module makes a production schedule, which is made available to the production, materials management and plant maintenance modules so that everybody is prepared to start production as per the production schedule. The material requirement planning is done and any item that is not in stock is ordered. If the supplier is connected to the company, the ordering and the associated processes happen electronically. The plant maintenance gets the list of machines required and ensures that all of them are available. Thus, the production of the item goes on without any hitches. An order entered into the ERP system by the order entry clerk triggers a whole lot of procedures and automatically performs a host of functions. All these processes take only a few minutes to complete. ERP in Order Processing After the order is received, within a very short period of time the goods are on their way to the customer. If the goods are not readily available, the customer is informed about it and is given the delivery schedule. Other than the order entry clerk and the people in the distribution, production and maintenance departments, all the other tasks are done by the system and that too automatically. In a non-ERP environment, these tasks could take days or even weeks to complete. Since the ERP system stores all the data in a central database and since the database is updated by all the modules on a real-time basis, the information available in the database is up-to-the minute. This integration of the different business functions and the automation of the business processes and the availability of information is what make the ERP systems capable of producing dramatic improvements in productivity and profitability. Following flowchart explains the order process: In stock? Finished Goods Inventory No Order Production Planning Material Management Production Plant Maintenance Sales Distribution Finance Invoice/Bill Yes Figure 11: Order Processing in an ERP System Finance and Costing The financial application components of the ERP solutions work hand-in-hand to improve the bottom line and the financial goals of organizations. Financial functionalities are integrated across all business areas and all geographic areas. This integration includes all other modules, from material management to human resources to logistics. Because the ERP system automatically links related areas, it eliminates the need to repeat procedures. Data is entered only once. Within the ERP system, all areas work in concert, creating a new level of efficiency in handling financial data. The financial modules of most ERP systems provide financial functionalities and analysis support to thousands of business in many countries across the globe. These ERP systems include not only financial application components, but also Human Resources, Logistics, Business Workflow and links to the internet. Financial modules of most ERP systems will have the following subsystems: Financial Accounting: General ledger, Accounts Receivable/Payable, Special Ledgers, Fixed Asset Accounting, Legal Consolidation. Investment Management: Investment Planning/ Budgeting/ Controlling, Depreciation Forecast/ Simulation/ Calculation. Controlling: Overhead Cost Controlling, Activity-Based Costing, Product Cost Accounting, Profitability Analysis. Treasury: Cash Management, Market Risk Management, Funds Management. Enterprise Controlling: Executive Information System, Business Planning and Budgeting, Profit Center Accounting. Purchasing (Quantity, Value) Sales (Order, Bill) Vendor (Payable) Customer (Receivable) Fixed Assets Employees (Salary, Wages) GENERAL LEDGER Figure 12: General Ledger in ERP Financial Module. Material Management The Material Management module of ERP optimizes all purchasing processes with workflow-driven processing functions, enables automated supplier evaluation, lowers procurement and warehousing costs with accurate inventory and warehouse management and integrates invoice verification. The main modules of Material Management module are: Pre-purchasing Activities: This system supports the complete cycle of bid invitation, award of contract and acceptance of services. The pre-purchasing activities include maintaining a service master database, in which the descriptions of all services that are to be procured can be stored. Requirement Calculation Requisition for Quotations Quotation Evaluation Vendor Selection Vendor Ratings Contracts Figure 13: The Pre-purchasing activities module Purchasing: Purchasing system performs tasks like procurement of materials and services, determination of possible sources of supply for a requirement identified by materials planning and control system or arising directly within a user department, monitoring of deliveries and payments to vendors and so on. Vendor Evaluation: Vendor evaluation component has been completely integrated into the Material Management module. Information such as delivery dates, prices and quantities can be taken from purchase orders. Vendor evaluation also uses data from Quality Management, such as the results of incoming inspections or quality audits. It also access basic data in Material Management, such as goods receipt data from Inventory Management. The Vendor Evaluation system supports the optimization of the procurement processes in the case of both materials and services. It provides accurate information on prices, terms of payment and delivery. By evaluating vendors, company can improve competitiveness. Inventory Management: Inventory Management system allows company to manage its stocks on a quantity and value basis, plan enter and check any goods movements and carry out physical stocks reflect all transactions resulting in a change in stock and thus, in updated inventory levels. The user can easily obtain an overview of the current stocks of any given material. For each material, not only are the stocks in warehouse shown, but also the stocks ordered but not yet delivered, reserved for production or for a customer, and the stocks in quality inspection can be monitored. The stocks are managed not only on a quantity basis but also by value ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­-a prerequisite for cost accounting. With every goods movement, the following values are updated: Stock value for inventory management Account assignment for cost accounting Invoice Verification and Material Inspection: The invoice verification component provides the link between Material Management module and the Financial Accounting, controlling and Asset Accounting components. Invoice verification in Materials Management serves the following purposes: It completes the materials procurement process-which starts with the purchase requisition, continues with the purchasing and goods receipt and ends with the invoice receipt. It allows invoices that do not originate in materials procurement (for example, services, expenses, course costs, etc) to be processed. It allows credit memos to be processed, either as invoice cancellations or discounts. Sales and Distribution A Sales and Distribution module will contain the following subsystems: Master Data Management: Every company will have products, customers, and will require raw materials and will have suppliers. The task of the Master Data management module is to keep information about all these entities, so that these can be made available to the decision-makers and also for the automatic generation of reports, contracts, invoices and so on. Order Management: This module includes Sales Order Management and Purchase Order Management and supports the entire sales and purchase processes. Warehouse Management: Components of a good Warehouse Management application include following: Inventory Planning: It comprises all planned inventory movements, which enable the accurate forecasting of trends and the consequent adjustment of reordering points, safety stock, lead-times for orders and service levels. Inventory planning also allows the commitment of inventory to a specific customer order-so that customer receives the right order in the right quantity at the right time. Inventory Handling: Allows for monitoring of all warehouse order scenarios such as receipt, issue and transfer of inventory. To ensure fast communication with suppliers and customers, advanced shipping notifications can be received or sent by means of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI),