Mec Business Strategy/Value Proposition/4 P - 1008 Words

Mountain Equipment Coop Introduction Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is a Canadian outdoor consumer operative. In 1972, â€Å"We help people enjoy the benefits of self-propelled wilderness-oriented recreation,† became MEC’s first ever mission statement. MEC started with a niche market approach, adopting a focus strategy. Unsurprisingly, to adapt and maintain competitiveness, the organization’s business strategy has slowly shifted; since then, MEC has transitioned from a focus strategy to a growth and cost leadership approach. Nevertheless, the fundamental corporate values that gained MEC’s success, such as brand association to outdoor lifestyle and environmental sustainability, remain seen today. MEC continues to grow and evolve to over 15†¦show more content†¦It also strategically decided to outsource most of its productions overseas; allowing MEC to be competitively priced and slowly move to the vision of â€Å"catch all† rather than the traditional segmented focus strategy. Mentioned previously, although MEC outsources its productions, it puts a lot of effort to convey their ethical and sustainable sourcing standards and best practices. This meshes well with their corporate value of environmental sustainability and supporting human rights. MEC is constantly developing new products to diversify their business and market. They now offer a wide range of products that covers all the active lifestyle markets. This ranges from gears, clothing’s, supplements, to books and DVDs for cyclists, runners, kayaker and all outdoor active hobbies. Again, this is testimonial to MEC’s growth strategy and value proposition of offering products to all healthy lifestyles markets. Price MEC prides itself with the ability to manufacture sustainably and minimize eco foot prints while maintaining a competitive price point. It aspires to create products that are affordable and of good value to all consumers. While MEC carries other product brands, its core strategy revolves around its own unique brand. This vertical integration allows MEC to leverage its retail distribution strength. It effectively competes with all the other brands via a lower price point at a similar quality. Place MEC’s main channels of distribution areShow MoreRelatedBrand Audit of Vodafone6449 Words   |  26 PagesCommunication†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦05 3. Advertising Agency†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..05 4. Frequency of the campaign and the media used†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......06 Section Two: Campaign Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦07 1. Video†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....07 2. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..07 3. Striking features of the campaign†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.08 4. Execution of the campaign†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...09 5. Target Audience†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreAnz Bank142091 Words   |  569 PagesAustralia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (â€Å"the Company†) together with its subsidiaries which are variously described as: †ANZ†, â€Å"Group†, â€Å"ANZ Group†, â€Å"the Bank†, â€Å"us†, â€Å"we† or â€Å"our†. ANZ ANNUAL REPORT 2014 ANZ IS EXECUTING A FOCUSED STRATEGY TO BUILD THE BEST CONNECTED, MOST RESPECTED BANK ACROSS THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE OPERATE ANZ’s history of expansion and growth stretches over 175 years. We have a strong franchise in Retail, Commercial and Institutional

Rousseau and Wollstonecraft Free Essays

â€Å"The neglected education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore. â€Å"-Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Rousseau and Wollstonecraft believed that children should be allowed to grow freely and learn to use their education practically. We will write a custom essay sample on Rousseau and Wollstonecraft or any similar topic only for you Order Now Children would then grow up to be free thinking adults that would keep soceity from becoming materialistic and oppressing. Nonetheless, they vehemently disagreed on who should receive such an education. Rousseau thought that only males, because they are stronger should receive such and education. Wollstonecraft believed everyone, no matter what sex, should be able to be educated to reform and better society as a whole. Though both their works were considered extreme, they are both apparent in the public education system of today. Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) and Rousseau (1712-1778) both agreed that society oppressed human kind, but Wollstonecraft felt that men were oppressing women. They both believed that education should mean letting children grow freely and placing little restrictions. They should protect them from immediate dangers and provide food and shelter. They should not, however, force books and controlled learning upon the children. He thought that children should also develop common sense and each child would choose whatever interests him to study in greater detail. He thought that this method of education would produce a well balanced, free thinking child. Therefore this would lead to a natural society rather than a materialistic one. Rousseau†s theory of natural education was not intended for all children. He felt that girls should be limited motherhood, and how to be a wife. To Rousseau, women exist in order to serve man, because they are weaker. Wollstonecraft stated that women should be taught medicine in order to take care of parents, infants, and husbands properly. She endorsed equal education for all children no matter what the sex. They should not only be taught the same things, but should be taught together, to learn social interaction they would encounter as adults. Girls and boys would attend day school together and then boys would be sent to their apprenticeships and girls would learn how to sew and other skills. Wollstonecraft tried to prove that by denying a woman†s education you are denying her the ability to raise children adequately. Therefore it would benefit both sexes if women were properly educated. Rousseau was applauded for advocating human rights and natural education but when it concerned women he broke no new ground. He actually promoted women†s role as a wife and mother present to serve her husband. He stated that because women were weaker physically that their minds were as well. Wollstonecraft upheld his philosophy of natural education to encourage individual freedom to benefit society. However, she detested his treatment of women. She advised that women and men should both be educated, and educated together. Both of Emile and The Vindication of the Right†s of Women were considered radical, they were both revolutionaries. Emile impacted practical applications, and the exploration of natural curiosity in education. Wollstonecraft†s radical idea of educating boys and girls equally, and together are applied on public education today. How to cite Rousseau and Wollstonecraft, Papers

2014 Forest Hills Dr. by J.Cole free essay sample

â€Å"For what’s money without happiness? Or hard times without the people we love?† One of the many lyrics that leave you thinking. The album has so much diversity and shows us a lot of his life growing up, the pains of being poor, the ambition to make it, his first time, the difference between his home town and being in a city where he knew he was going to become something more. Some of the songs you see the confidence he has in himself and how he beats all the odds to end up on top without fail. This album shows what other albums can’t. J.cole was on a mission and he successfully accomplished it, but even still wasn’t award with a golden globe even though he released a solo album without any features and was still under par in the eyes of the world. This album peaked the billboard 200 at no. We will write a custom essay sample on 2014 Forest Hills Dr. by J.Cole or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1 initially selling 354,000 copies. This album is one of the best if not the best representation of being poor and living under harsh and bad environments, but still make a way and beat all of the odds. Personally J.cole is already one of my favorites if not my favorite artist of all time! But to add to the already long list of reasons he is my favorite artist just another thing that makes him even better to me is this accomplishment he was able to bring home to his city of Fayetteville. With this album he holds now 2 out of six spots to ever gone platinum under the record label known as Roc-Nation. The other four spots are held by the founder Jay-Z. A personal note, He is one of the people who actually inspired me to become an artist, and at the same time gave me a sense if understanding of what type of music is truly moving. J.cole puts many things into perspective on this album alone sharing much of his life and childhood experiences growing up. There are also a lot of his opinion on what the hip-hop industry has b ecome over the years. Some of the lyrics actually show you what people are more in tune to and what they care more about. And through his song fire squad you see that even with putting out an album with no features and being nominated for a Grammy that that he still gets beat out by a female artist that thrives through the hype and well composed hooks and beats. But even though this album beat him out for best rap album of the year he still sold so many more albums than she sold. There are so many things that can be talked about due to the fact that his music is constantly rising over another artist making such massive name for himself. He was signed to Roc-Nation in 2007 but wasn’t actually introduced to the industry until 2008 on the founder of the record label album which was the spark of his career. The albums he releases are albums you can listen to start to finish without stopping, but even still this album was under appreciated by so many! This is a concept record abou t a boy finding out his purpose in life but it is written from the perspective of an older and now successful version of himself explaining the facets of fame and superstardom. But at the same time showing how importance of love even with fame.

Pollution Essays - Waste Management, Environmental Toxicology

Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has cause many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us and but we continue to live in our own filth. What is the reason behind this flawed logic? In this paper I will examine the problems and solutions for this issue. Automobiles are undeniable the greatest source of pollution. The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while its running. And of course the most famous of the automobiles evils is the exhaust. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. But why do we do continue to drive these walking time bombs. Some people will say it is progress, but the majority drives it for the convenience. Why walk four miles in four hours when you can drive the same miles in four minutes? Another popular source of waste is the post-consumer market. American citizens throw away millions of tons of garbage each year, and this trash has to go somewhere. While there are projects underway to clean and reuse this refuse most of it gets dumped into huge landfills. These landfills are disgusting festering blisters on our country's landscape. But people continue to consume and throw away more and more in the name of convenience. As they see it, when things get old, throw it away and get a new one. They blame the government for the trash problem, but the truth blame should be placed on themselves. The last great source of pollution lays in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but you're wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lake's ecosystem. Not only do companies dump chemicals, but also hot water. This hot water kills most life it comes into contact with, but also causes an overgrowth of algae that covers the surface of the lake, or pond, and blocks the light from reaching the bottom. This means the plant life cannot grow, which mean the small bacteria and other microorganisms can't grow which means fish can't feed which means the ecosystem dies. Pollution like any other problem can be solved, but this is a long process. Individuals can do their part to save the environment as well as themselves. Instead of driving, carpool, take the bus or any other method of mass transit. This will cut down on pollution made by cars each year, not to mention your gas bill. When it comes to the trash problem, take the time to sort your trash and place it in the appropriate recycling bins. By recycling we reduce the amount of waste piled onto the landfills. As for consumption, pay attention to how the products you buy are manufactured and how they are packaged. Avoid those products made in 'unfriendly' ways towards our mother earth. If a product encourages the destruction of land, or is of completely no use don't buy it. And finally voice your opinion in the polls. If each individual did their part, we will be creating a better world for ourselves as well as our children. July 27, 1998 English 1A

Pressure Transducer Essay

Pressure Transducer Essay Pressure Transducer Essay Measuring Control Valve Noise By: Nathan Kotz, Sean Newton and Jimmy Greco 11/30/10 Executive Summary: We are designing a system to measure the pressure, temperature and vibration in a sealed control valve. Our final design will have an accelerometer being held on by a powerful magnet and the temperature and pressure gages will be screwed into the pipe. The final system will meet all of these requirements but we will have to keep the pressure in the pipe below 500 psi in order for our pressure sensor to read properly. We must also keep the frequency in the pipe below 10000 Hertz otherwise our accelerometer will not read correctly. Overall our goals are met but if we are going to deal with higher frequencies we would need to go with the other accelerometers to measure up to and over 20000 Hertz. Objectives: Our group is trying to measure the sound created by the flow through a control valve in an extremely noise sensitive environment. The line we are testing is being used for air flow and we are asked to measure a few different quantities. First we have to measure the internal static pressure upstream and downstream of the valve, second we must find the pipe wall vibration at two different locations upstream and downstream of the valve and lastly our group has to take the temperature downstream of the valve. The static and dynamic pressures need to be measured inside the pipe and the specifications that need to be met are shown in table 1 and figure 1A. Figure 1A. Measurement System Design: Our group first started looking for pressure sensors that were in the 0-400 psi range and we were unable to find any that would meet our resolution requirement. So we decided to go with the PCB Piezotronics Model PX309. This made the most sense because it had the closest range to our specified values and the resolution was the lowest. It was the second most expensive pressure sensor that our group researched but it wasn’t much more expensive than the 119B model. The next items that our group researched were the temperature gages that had to be able to measure between -20 and 100 degrees Celsius. The gages also needed to have a resolution of 0.1 degrees Celsius. All of the gages met the range specification but the best model was the omega TH-44007-40-T because of its low cost. This model met all the specs and was cheaper than the other two. Lastly our group looked at a couple of accelerometers to measure the vibration in the pipe wall. We fou nd two one dimensional sensors that fit the range and resolution but we would need three of them to measure in all 3 dimensions. Omega

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Emerald ash borer (EAB), a native beetle of Asia, invaded North America in the 1990s by way of wooden packing material. In a decades time, these pests killed tens of millions of trees throughout the Great Lakes region. Get to know this pest, so you can sound the alarm if it makes its way to your neck o the woods. Description: The adult emerald ash borer is a striking metallic green, with an iridescent purple abdomen hidden beneath the forewings. This elongate beetle reaches about 15 mm in length and just over 3 mm in width. Look for adults from June to August, when they fly in search of mates. Creamy white larvae reach lengths of 32 mm at maturity. The prothorax nearly obscures its tiny, brown head. EAB pupae also appear creamy white. The eggs are white at first, but turn deep red as they develop. To identify emerald ash borer, you should learn to recognize the signs of an infestation. Unfortunately, symptoms of emerald ash borer dont become obvious until two or more years after borers enter a tree. D-shaped exit holes, just 1/8 in diameter, mark the emergence of adults. Split bark and foliage dieback may also portend pest trouble. Just under the bark, S-shaped larval galleries will confirm the presence of EAB. Classification: Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraFamily - BuprestidaeGenus - AgrilusSpecies - planipennis Diet: Emerald ash borer larvae feed only on ash trees. Specifically, EAB feeds on the vascular tissues between the bark and sapwood, a habit that interrupts the flow of nutrients and water required by the tree. Life Cycle: All beetles, including the emerald ash borer, undergo complete metamorphosis. Egg – Emerald ash borers lay eggs singly, in crevices in the bark of host trees. A single female can lay up to 90 eggs. Eggs hatch within 7-9 days.Larva – Larvae tunnel through the trees sapwood, feeding on the phloem. Emerald ash borers overwinter in the larval form, sometimes for two seasons.Pupa – Pupation occurs in mid-spring, just under the bark or phloem.Adult – After emerging, adults remain within the tunnel until their exoskeletons properly harden. Special Adaptations and Defenses: The emerald ash borers green color acts as camouflage within the forest foliage. The adults fly quickly, fleeing from danger when needed. Most buprestids can produce a bitter chemical, buprestin, to deter predators. Habitat: Emerald ash borer requires only their host plant, ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Range: Emerald ash borers native range includes parts of China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, as well as small areas of Russia and Mongolia. As an invasive pest, EAB now lives in Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Virginia. Other Common Names: EAB

The Chrysanthemums Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Chrysanthemums - Essay Example Her working apparel is clean and provides security to her while working. She is very particular about her self cleanliness as well as of her farmhouse and ""The Chrysanthemums". She declares that her gardening skills were result of her mother's dextrousness in same work. She has just crossed her youth life and has a craving for going out and experiencing the kind of life other people live and to experience new things. She enjoys a very healthy and humorous relation with her husband who makes sure that he starts or leaves the conversation on a laughing note. Her husband who owns a ranch keeps her happy and cares for her well being. She is very observing and inquisitive by nature and keeps check on her surroundings and notes minute details about some things while even working on her beloved Chrysanthemums. Elisa has a face that becomes strong while assertings herselfat work and changes to more softness when she talks to her husband. Lean and strong, at the same time her face is mature and handsome to be seen as masculine while working on relatively softer stems and branches of the flowers. She is thorough with her work with matching knowledge and skilled hands. She loves going out and away from the usual chorus of farm work. She gets intrigued by stories of life that other people live, and also likes experimenting with things. The moment discussion gets towards chrysanthemums, Elisa gets emotionally attached to them and she helps anyone who appreciates the flower for its heavenly hue. She is a believer and a gifted lady. The spring wagon man initially has some off note talk with Elisa but then talks around things in order to get what he actually wants, the work that he pleaded initially to her. The behaviour of Elisa towards the untidy clothed man was rather appreciable and emphatical. And at last but not least, in parts of story, Elisa is depicted as a somewhat sensuous and very beautiful lady who pampers her self as much she works in her flower garden. At the e nd of the day when she gets ready to go out with her husband, she dresses up lovingly. Now we will talk about the character named Henry Allen. He is the owner of the ranch and Elisa is his wife. He loves Elisa very much and keeps her happy in her strenuous work, around the flower garden. He has an air of romanticism around him whenever he talks to her wife and has a good sense of humour with perfect timing. He plans things around pretty well and manages the ranch well also. There is also mention of him selling some fordson at a rate which was profitable. He and his wife share a very fulfilling relation together and his teasing and witty yet hilarious remarks refreshes Elisa quickly. Ain the end of the story while riding a roadster, he is very understanding and caring to her wifes responses and tries to reinforce her smile back. He loves his wife very much and it shows silently in their normal conversations. In the end we will have to discuss the character of a spring wagon chariot who is a daily wager and is not well off in his clothes, attire and vehicle which has a rather amusing fleet of one horse and one donkey clubbed

Critique and Development of Research Questions Essay

Critique and Development of Research Questions - Essay Example onsidered as a chief method of ensuring national security and the employment of Polygraph interviews as part of security clearance procedures in different branches of the American government has been widely criticized. Thus, in the background of ongoing debates on the utility of polygraph in national security, the scope and relevance of a profound research on the topic is categorical. In this research paper, the focal attempt has been to make a scrupulous investigation on ‘the utility of polygraph in national security’. The psycho-physiological detection of deception (PDD) including polygraph testing should be given more crucial attention in current researches. â€Å"In stark contrast to the scientific literature on forensic use of PDD, the use of FDD in employment and for screening, including screening for national security, is the subject of relatively little published research. Initial commentary on the use of polygraphs for national security screening focused on pro blems that all diagnostic tests experience when attempting to diagnose a rare condition.† (Granhag and Strà ¶mwall, 2004, p 118). In the background of serious debates on the question, it is of central implication to have a precise analysis of the matters and to come up with the most sagacious findings on the question. Therefore, the importance of this research paper is greater and the potential findings of this investigation on ‘the utility of polygraph in national security’ also justify the scope of the study. The utility of polygraph in national security has been a critical topic which has attained enormous focus and invited national interest in the modern American context. The paper attempts to undertake a profound investigation into the topic ‘The Utility of Polygraph in National Security’ and come up with the most sagacious findings on the questions which attract the current debates. Polygraph testing has been a serious technique of security assurance for a long time, in spite of the

The quadrennial Olympics Essay Example for Free

The quadrennial Olympics Essay His athleticism was displayed when he was tapped to join the United States judo team who competed in the 1964 edition of the quadrennial Olympics. And because of that, there are biographical notes that described him as â€Å"world famous,† considering that a stint in the Olympics and a chance to represent the U. S. is something that does not come anybody’s way all the time. Contributing to this is skill, dedication and passion for the sport, which reflected in Campbell’s early achievements during his early judo career prior to his selection to the United States Judo team. For three times, Campbell was considered as the countrys best when it comes to judo. He bested the competition during the 1963 edition of the Pan-American Games. After that, he earned the honor in becoming the captain of the squad that the United States sent to Tokyo to compete in the judo event of the Olympics, even earning a more honorable status in the international judo scene by acting as coach for the judo team of the US after he was done actively fighting . Jeweller The most significant development in the life of Campbell which was also the turning point of his financial capability was Campbell’s move towards jewellery designing. Campbell possessed a deadly combination; in one hand, he has the tradition of Native American art passed on to him by his culture; and on the other hand, his talent and skill in fine arts which he learned in school and developed personally through self practice. Using these advantages that he possessed, Campbell hit the jackpot with his new line of expertise. His works was received by the consumers with a high level of interest, while left and right critics are giving his works positive reviews while his personal art received honors and accolades. Campbell made full use of his artistic instincts, the art form of his Native American heritage and the techniques that he learned from Japan and from the US as well, to become one of the most heralded artists for jewellery during his time. He focused on every type of jewellery. He had designs for bracelets and rings as well as for pendants, and many of these designs are award winning to boot. In fact, the ranch measuring to up to 120 acres located in the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, located close to Ignacio in Colorado, was something that Campbell was finally capable of buying because of the increase in money and wealth that he achieved after the good sales of the jewelleries that he made and designed and sold. He did not just try to reproduce what was already considered as existing art and sell it to consumers of the contemporary time. He tried to do something different, what others even defined as bold artwork. Campbell built up a successful business making jewellery of his own bold design . His Life in Congress His first experience serving the public happened not when he was elected in the United States House of Representatives when the then-Congressman Campbell was elected to represent the third congressional district of Colorado, where Campbell served in this capacity starting in 1987 and ending in 1993. Before that, he was first an elected official for the fifty ninth house district office of Colorado, a public servant office. He did not pursue the position intentionally but was just a product of coincidence starting from a bad weather that led to him being unable to fly his small plane to deliver jewelleries and instead leading him to a meeting of the Democrats in Colorado where he eventually run for public office for the first time. To the surprise of the many, he won after beating an opponent whom many believe was more popular than Campbell when it comes to politics . Before his election to the third congressional district of Colorado, Michael Strang was the congressman of Colorados third congressional district; and following Campbells tenure was the election of Scott McInnis. While serving in Congress, Campbell slowly gained a reputation that can be good or bad, complimentary or insulting depending on who is looking and who is interpreting. In the aspect of financial management, he was considered as a conservative; but the same cannot be said when it comes to social issues, which showed Campbells more liberal side. For example, he supported the idea that women who are pregnant should have the choice and the option on whether to continue with the pregnancy or to just simply abort it, making Campbell a supporter of prochoice for this matter . Campbell, all in all, held office in the Colorado General Assembly for a length of two terms before moving forward and serving in the United States House of Representatives, where he worked as an elected official from 1987 up to 1992 . Another significant action made by Campbell when he was still a congressman is a move that helped many Native American Indians and will still help many more. This is his co-authoring of what is now known as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which proposes the setting of several important guidelines, as well as standards that affect directly how the lands and reservations designated for Native American Indians are being used and will be used in the future . Campbell also participated in talks, discussions and problem solving endeavors inside his political sphere to address the problems of the people from his own culture and heritage. He (Campbell) has become a symbol of recognition and reasonable discussion for tribal interests. For example, water rights dispute occurring among Native Americans was settled because of his role and participation in the discussion that enabled for all parties concern to adopt a system favorable to all stakeholders. There were also symbolic efforts, like the renaming of the Cuter Battlefield Monument to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in the belief that the Native American Indians who fought in that battle should be the ones honored in these hallowed grounds. It was also in this point of his career wherein he worked on the establishment of what is now known today as the National Museum of the American Indian . His Role in Establishing the National Museum of the American Indian Senator Campbells work, influence and contribution to the creation of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMIA) did not go unnoticed; this applies positively and negatively. Those who believed that he was instrumental in realizing this very important step towards culture preservation and presentation to the people expressed their feeling of gratitude to Senator Campbells efforts. For example, the address of Lawrence M. Small, the Smithsonian Institution Secretary, during the Opening Ceremony of the National Museum of the American Indian made mention of senator Campbell whom he described in the address as skillful advocates and someone who Small considered as a person who was the with group who created the museum from the ground up every step of the way . Small expressed his personal gratitude, as well as the gratitude of those who appreciated the museum, by saying how the people cannot thank Senator Campbell enough for his work towards the creation of the museum, a work Smart described as extraordinary . At the opening of the NMAI, Senator Campbell once again flashed his pride for his culture and heritage by coming to the opening ceremonies in full regalia fitting a prominent leader of one of the American Indian tribes and fitting to one of the individuals who muscled the government and made efforts so that this particular museum is realized. During the opening day, Campbell came wearing traditional American Indian outfit. He was donning a feathered headdress, while the rest of his body was covered by the traditional white leather worn by Campbell’s ancestors, along with the beads and other decorations adorning the costume that represents the culture and heritage of Campbell and many other American Indians in the US and around the world who will finally be able to communicate their culture and heritage to the greater, bigger audience through the opening of the museum. This is just one, and a special one of the many incidences wherein Campbell uses his clothing to tell the world about his heritage and culture, considering the significance of the occassion and Campbell dressed according to what he believed is proper and what was dictated by his sense of propriety. His regular working days as an elected public official was no better (although less loud and flamboyant than his traditional Indian attire during the NMAI opening) especially since he was considered as a bull headed individual when it comes to dress codes He opts to wear what he believes he has the right to wear for his own reasons, and that includes sentimentality over culture and heritage and how he wanted to shout to the world this message every time Campbell Insists on dressing western style, neckerchief instead of tie, even in Washington .

A Critical Study of Media Reaction to September 11 Essay example -- Se

September 11, 2001: A DAY OF INFAMY.  Ã‚   So it was vehemently proclaimed in Time Magazine ¹s special issue dedicated to one of the most tragic events in American History and arguably one of the most brutal acts of terrorism to date.   America, in the spasms of a few hours, has become a changed country.   Perhaps in an attempt to understand this change and come to grips with the ensuing crisis, more and more people are turning to the media for answers.   Now more than ever, the media, namely television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, have become the most powerful tools in disseminating information relevant to this event.   This is a truth we cannot escape.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would of course be naà ¯ve to say that this information is always reliable and accurate.   Beneath the surface there may be underlying messages which can serve to manipulate the public.   We as individuals need to be aware of this reality.   We need to be discerning with the information we take in, be able to critically analyze it, and eventually make intelligent and informed judgements.   Hence, to do a critical study of media culture with reference to the events transpiring after the September 11 attack, we need Cultural Studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cultural Studies gives us the methods for analyzing the media.   It gives us the pedagogical tools necessary to critically interpret the media.   It enables us to read cultural text  ³against the grain ² by deconstructing it.   In other words, it allows us to decode the encoded messages.   An example of an encoded message could be the ubiquitous NBC Peacock icon which has changed its rainbow colored wings to red, white and blue.   Prior to this change, the constant presence of the logo at the bottom of the screen had made it almost invisible  ... ...ake a quick buck ² by flaunting the flag on everything from a pin to clothing to various other patriotic paraphernalia.   In many such cases the flag serves as a spectacle.   Many billboards across town are an entire picture of the flag with no caption, thus creating a polysemic visual image evoking endless emotions and feelings in the viewer.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a cultural studies point of view, if one is to derive a  ³lesson ² from all of this, it would be that we need to be educated in media literacy so that we can discern and discriminate between good media and bad.   We should not be so naà ¯ve as to blindly accept the subliminal or even sometimes overt messages conveyed through media.   Instead, we need to critically decipher media messages and understand their overwhelming impact on our culture.   Only then will we be empowered to make intelligent and informed judgements.

Personalidad: Proposito de Las Teorias, Caracteristicas Y Y El Papel de La Funcion Cerebral En Personalidad

TEORIAS BIOLOGICAS: SE CENTRAN EN ASPECTOS FISICOS Y FISIOLOGICOS. Teorias biologicas: se centran en aspectos fisicos y fisiologicos. Teorias psicologicas. Se incluyen aqui tres versiones: por una parte tenemos la teoria psicoanalitica; en segundo lugar esta la rama conductista, basada en relaciones estimulo-respuesta; por ultimo, el enfoque cognitivo, que parte de la base de entender nuestra mente como un ordenador, con propias leyes de almacenamiento y procesamiento de la informacion. Teorias socioculturales. Estas teorias se centran en el estudio del sujeto dependiendo del ambiente cultural en que se desarrolla. TEORIAS BIOLOGICAS: TINY DYNAMITE Cuando nos referimos a las teorias biologicas de la personalidad, debemos tener presente que son aquellas que se interesan por el estudio de la personalidad desde dos perspectivas. Por un lado, parten del hecho de que una gran parte de la personalidad viene determinada geneticamente. Por otro lado, otorgan cierta relevancia al aspecto fisico como determinante en el desarrollo de la personalidad. E. Rojas senala que estas teorias son tan antiguas como la propia ciencia de la psicologia. Los antiguos estudiosos griegos ya habian establecido lo que se conoce como la teoria de los cuatro humores. Entendian que la personalidad estaba predefinida dependiendo del nivel existente de los cuatro tipos de fluidos, tambien llamados humores. Asi, la sangre, la flema, la bilis amarilla y la bilis negra daban origen a cuatro temperamentos: Un exceso de sangre conducia al sanguineo que desarrollaria una personalidad caracterizada como optimista, alegre, abierto, extravertido y de apariencia saludable y agradable. Una abundante cantidad de linfa define al flematico. Serian personas lentas, apaticas, siempre con tendencia a la inactividad motivada por el cansancio y la abulia. En tercer lugar tendriamos al colerico, definido por un exceso de bilis amarilla. Sera una persona irascible, fuerte, agresiva por naturaleza, combativa e impulsiva. Finalmente, la excesiva bilis negra conducia al melancolico, convirtiendolo asi en una persona triste, decaida y con una vision de la vida excesivamente pesimista. E. Rojas senala que ya en el siglo XX, la clasificacion que tuvo mayor fortuna fue la de E. Kretschmer3 (1926). Kretschmer intento establecer una union entre los aspectos fisicos, es decir, la morfologia de los sujetos, y la forma de ser, reaccionar, actuar. Llego asi a clasificar la personalidad en cuatro tipos y, dependiendo de estos tipos, establece la tendencia a sufrir algun tipo de trastorno o enfermedad psiquica. El leptosomico sera un sujeto de alta estatura, cuerpo delgado y aparentemente fragil. Le caracteriza la hipersensibilidad, es introvertido, idealista y presenta grandes dificultades en el contacto interpersonal. El leptosomico tiene una inteligencia mas profunda que expresa y presenta facilidad para el pensamiento abstracto. El picnico, sin embargo, es de baja estatura, el cuerpo ancho y miembros flacos. Su estado animico oscila continuamente entre la alegria y la tristeza. Tiene facilidad en el proceso comunicativo, es abierto. Es un sujeto con una inteligencia mas extensa que el leptosomico, no tan profunda, lo que lleva a que su forma de pensar y actuar sea concreta y siempre practica. El atletico tiene una figura herculea, su forma de ser es perseverante, con explosiones de caracter en ocasiones. Su pensamiento es de escaso relieve. El displasico viene determinado como una mezcla de caracteristicas de las tres categorias anteriores. Una clasificacion similar es la que establece W. H. Sheldon4 (1939), discipulo de Kretschmer. Identifico tres dimensiones basicas: endomorfico, mesomorfico y ectomorfico. El endomorfico se corresponderia con el picnico, el mesomorfico con el atletico y el ectomorfico con el leptosomico. W. H. Sheldon anade que, atendiendo a esta clasificacion, el individuo sera mas propenso a desarrollar un tipo determinado de enfermedad psicologica. Asi, el endomorfico sera mas susceptible a padecer enfermedades psicologicas afectivas-depresivas. El mesomorfico, debido a su tendencia a la lucha y el esfuerzo por conseguir sus propias metas, sin importarle el dolor o sufrimiento y receloso o desconfiado por naturaleza, tendra mayor posibilidad de sufrir algun tipo de enfermedad psicologica que se incline hacia lo paranoide. Los ectomorficos tienen una psicologia que Sheldon denomino cerebrotomica, es decir, les caracteriza el autocontrol y dominio de si mismos, prefieren la soledad y saben enfrentarse a sus propios problemas. La enfermedad psicologica surgiria cuando alguno de estos aspectos tienda al desequilibrio. Abi Morgan no caracteriza a sus personajes desde un punto de vista morfologico, los datos que establece vienen relacionados con la edad, el estado civil y la profesion. Nosotros, como lectores activos, podemos llegar a imaginarnos la estructura fisica de los personajes. Formamos nuestra propia imagen de como podria ser ese personaje dependiendo, por un lado, de los datos anteriormente citados por la autora y, por otro, de la forma de actuar e interactuar de esos personajes, por lo que no considero muy oportuno establecer una clasificacion de sus personajes atendiendo a esta teoria, ya que la propia autora no determina estas caracteristicas. Aun asi, es una teoria muy interesante para poder llevar a cabo el proceso contrario cuando se proceda a la posible caracterizacion escenica, es decir, atendiendo a la personalidad y rasgos se puede llegar a determinar un fisico especifico. El Dr. C. George Boeree5 (1997) senala que la teoria temperamental desarrollada por H. Eysenck6 ha significado un gran avance en las teorias biologicas de la personalidad. Aunque es un conductista que considera los habitos aprendidos como algo de gran importancia, considera que las diferencias de nuestras personalidades vienen determinadas por la herencia. Segun Eysenck, el temperamento es un aspecto de la personalidad con el que se nace y las diferentes personalidades parten del aprendizaje y el desarrollo temperamental en el transcurso de las vivencias individuales. Eysenck senalo que el temperamento tiene dos dimensiones principales: ‘neuroticismo’ y extraversion-introversion. El ‘neuroticismo’ es la dimension que oscila entre las personas tranquilas, calmadas, equilibradas, y las nerviosas en exceso, de forma incontrolada, quienes tenderan a sufrir con mayor frecuencia una gran variedad de trastornos nerviosos o neurosis. Este exceso nervioso viene determinado por la respuesta que muestra el sistema nervioso simpatico7 ante situaciones determinadas. Dependiendo del nivel de respuesta del sistema nervioso simpatico, podemos establecer una caracterizacion de los individuos como mas o menos propensos a sufrir algun tipo de trastorno neurotico. Otra dimension del temperamento formulada por Eysenck es la conocida como extraversion-introversion. Su hipotesis consiste en que una persona extravertida tiene una fuerte inhibicion, es decir, ante un trauma, la respuesta de su cerebro le protege. Una persona introvertida en la misma situacion de estimulacion excesiva, no es protegida lo suficiente debido a que le caracteriza una pobre inhibicion, y, por tanto, es mas susceptible a sufrir un trauma.

Ceja Vineyards Marketing Analysis Essay

eja Vineyards’ Decision to Directly Market to the Hispanic Community Analysis The Case Study, â€Å"Ceja Vineyards: Marketing to the Hispanic Wine Consumer?† by Armand Gilinksy Jr., Linda I. Nowak, Cristina Santini, and Ricardo Villarreal deSilva (2010) outlines a critical decision a small, family owned winery in California is facing. The winery, Ceja Vineyards, is located in the Carneros region and is equally owned by four Mexican born immigrants of farm workers. Amelia Moran Ceja, President, and her husband Pedro Ceja, Artistic Director, along with Pedro’s brother Armando Ceja, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, and his wife Armando Ceja comprise the ownership team. Amelia, Pedro, and Armando grew up working in the Napa Valley vineyards, and in 1983 purchased fifteen acres in the Carneros region to begin their own vineyard. They planted their first grapes in 1986, and had their first harvest in 1988. From 1989 to 2000 they purchased additional plots of land and planted a variety of grapes. Their wine grape growing company is named Vina del Sol. They produce enough grapes for 65,000 cases of wine per year. In 2001, the company took another large step and began producing their own wine, under the branded name Ceja Vineyards. Their wine is made using their own grapes grown by Vina del Sol. In 2002, Ceja Vineyards was named â€Å"Winery of the Year† by a panel of ninety wine writers. Now it is 2007, and their wine production has doubled almost every year to the current amount of 10,000 cases a year. Problem Identification The key issue in the case study is whether or not they should make a concerted effort to target Hispanics in their marketing efforts. They see the potential of marketing to Hispanics due to the influx in Hispanic population in the U.S., and the continued projected increase. Their main concerns, are that they will have to change their marketing strategies, and incur substantial promotional expenses. They also will not lower their wine prices just to market to Hispanics. Amelia wants the company to focus on direct sells to the consumer so they don’t have to depend on the current distribution system. Analysis To understand the present situation Ceja Vineyards is in and to best recommend a course of action, three analysis techniques were employed. These three are the SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and Value-Chain Analysis. SWOT Analysis A SWOT Analysis was applied first to the situation to assess the internal Strengths and Weaknesses, along with the external Opportunities and Threats. Ceja Vineyards has a multitude of Strengths. Their ownership knowledge is based on a lifetime of real world experience. They grew up picking grapes, and control every aspect of the company guaranteeing top quality. They have a unique history, in that they are Mexican immigrants and the company is family owned. The vineyard is in a premier location. Carneros was the first wine region based on climate rather than political boundaries. Their wine is estate grown using grapes from their wine growing company, Vina del Sol. The company is debt free from years of solid investing and planning. They implemented a wine club, to be able to sell directly to the consumer. Ceja Vineyards is not without its weaknesses. Their small production amount limits their marketing strategies due to not being able to compete head to head with the mega-wineries. They also have limited distribution due to their size, though the emergence of Boutique distributors and their wine club has helped. As for external factors, Ceja Vineyards looks to have a plethora of Opportunities to increase their demand. They could target the ever growing U.S. Hispanic Market. There are currently forty million Hispanics in the U.S., 20% who earn more than $100,000 per year. They are also projected to be the fastest growing population for the foreseeable future. In 2006, they had to turn people away from a wine tasting in Los Angeles because of the demand. Hosting more of these events could be beneficial. Their wine club members receive a discounted retail price, but Ceja Vineyards could introduce a â€Å"Rewards Program† for recruiting new members. The wine market has exploded in the 2000s, and has produced quite a few Threats for Ceja Vineyards. Competition has become fierce recently as the number of wineries grew by 26% from 2004-2007. The â€Å"three-tier system† for distribution does not favor small  wineries. It places a different tax rate dependent on state, and the â€Å"Big Five† distributing companies hold 52% of the distributing market. Boutique distributors are not able to operate in all states, and are always at threat of being purchased by the major distributors. Ceja Vineyards has done well for itself so far, but there is always the threat of growing too fast, without the required demand. The SWOT analysis shows a very high amount of strengths and opportunities that would suggest an aggressive strategy if not for Ceja Vineyards personal business strategy of slow growth. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces was next used to determine the competitive environment. The Five Forces method is used to determine a company’s profit potential for a particular industry.  The Threat of New Entrants – High. Despite the high start-up costs, and that vineyards and wineries are a long term investment, it has not stopped people from joining the market. In 2006-2007, 12,000 new brands were introduced to the market. The number of imports in the U.S. market has also grown. Most noticeably, imports priced above ten dollars, that would compete with Ceja Vineyards, have grown â€Å"44 percent annually from 2005-2007† (Gilinksy Jr., Nowak, Santini, and Villarreal deSilva, 2010, p. 15). The Bargaining Power of Buyers – High. The main buyer of wines from wineries are supermarkets and warehouse stores. These location account for 80% of wine retail sales. Another factor that is increasing the bargaining power of buyers is that there are few key buyers since the, â€Å"retail sector witnessed considerable consolidation in the early 2000s, due to mergers of both supermarkets and liquor store chains† (Gilinksy Jr., et al., 2010, p. 14). The Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low. Suppliers in this instance, mean small market suppliers. Gilinksy Jr. et al. (2010) states, â€Å"The top ten wine companies in the U.S. controlled 82 percent of all shipments,† so while the larger producers may have some bargaining power, it doesn’t allow any for smaller quantity producing entities. The Threat of Substitute Products and Services – Low. Ceja Vineyards location is its greatest strength against the threat of substitute products and services. While there are other wine products, and other companies that sell even the same type of wine as Ceja Vineyards, there are only so many that can produce it using Carneros grapes. In the wine industry, the quality of your grapes are your biggest asset, and each location produces a distinct flavored grape. People who prefer Carneros grapes will only have so many options due to its limited size. The Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an Industry – High. As stated previously, the wine market is growing each year, both domestically and internationally. As is the number of wine producers which is outpacing the market growth. This combination makes it harder each year to create a demand for your product with so many options available to the consumer. Value-Chain Analysis To understand if a company has a competitive advantage or not, a Value-Chain analysis can be performed on the company’s business model. For this report, we will only focus on the primary activities of the Value-Chain analysis Inbound Logistics. Ceja Vineyards is classified as an estate-grown winery, because it is located in the same place the grapes are grown. The vineyard that grows the grapes, Vina del Sol, is owned by the same group so this makes this portion of inbound logistics ideal. Being located in California, also helps with the inbound logistics of bottles, corks, and bottle labels because California has the largest number of wineries per state in the United States. This is going to mean any supplies needed for wine making will be readily available. Operations. The four owners consist of two married couples, and each has an equally weighted vote in any decision. They are also family, and live nearby each other making communication easy, in theory. They also grew up around vineyards so all have a deep understanding of what is needed to run the business. The quality remains high because according to Pedro, â€Å"we’ve done quality control over every aspect, from growing to the cork that goes  into the bottle† Gilinksy Jr. et al. (2010). The only improvement to the operations side would be if Pedro quit his day job and focused his full attention on the winery. Outbound Logistics. This is the area that is the main issue for the Ceja’s. The industry is set up to cater to the mass producing wineries. To mass distribute their product they would have to use the â€Å"three-tier system†, which would only pay them 50% of the retail value of their product. Other options are the boutique distributors, but they can’t distribute to the entire U.S. This is why Amelia wants to sell directly to the consumer through their wine club, and tasting room to cut out the middle man and increase their profits. Marketing and Sales. The grape producing side of their company, Vina del Sol, is doing terrific. The demand for it is very high as it already has five companies on the waitlist to buy grapes. While, Ceja Vineyards sales have doubled each year since introducing their branded wine it is hard to judge the ceiling. This is mainly because the company has grown slowly, and been vigilant of growing too fast. The company realizes though, they have to decide on exactly how to market their product though if they want to continue increasing demand for it, and that is the issue we are trying to solve. Alternate Solutions The Ceja’s have multiple options they could take, and still be successful. The easiest option would be to change nothing. They have increased their revenue and profits each of the past three years according to their income statements. Also, they stated they had doubled their wine sales each year, and were ranked number 2 in Wine Business Monthly’s Hottest New Small Brands. With the growing wine market and critic accolades, they would probably continue to grow without changing anything. They could decide to target the entire Hispanic population, and market heavily. This mass marketing strategy would reach the most people, but would be very expensive. It would require an understanding from all the  owners that it could produce significant losses during the transition period. They could look at Round Hill Vineyards & Cellars as a blueprint. They did an ethnic outreach program in 2004 to target Hispanics and Asians. Their total case sales increased 400 percent from 2005 to 2006. Ceja Vineyards could work directly with their current Wine Club members, asking them for feedback on what made them join. Offer the members rewards for purchasing so many cases a year, or recruiting new members. Currently, half of the wine clubs 1000 members are of Hispanic descent. They could speak directly to this portion of the group to try more of a grassroots marking campaign. Ceja Vineyards could also market to only a portion of the Hispanic community. Since they refuse to lower their prices, they could market to the nine percent of Hispanics that make up the â€Å"mostly acculturated† percent of the Latino population. Wine consultant Sandra Gonzalez stated, â€Å"these Hispanic wine consumers are 96 percent more likely to spend $20 or more a bottle than non-Hispanics.† (Gilinksy Jr., et al., 2010, p. 14). Recommendations Ceja Vineyards in the enviable position of being a growing company with no debt in a growing market. After analyzing Ceja Vineyards’ business model and the state of the external environment, Ceja Vineyards should market to the Hispanic population. As of 2005, there were 12.5 million Hispanics in California alone. This is an enormous untapped market that if tapped into would allow Ceja Vineyards’ to rely less on the big distributors and more on direct to consumer sales. Ceja Vineyards’ should continue to grow their Wine Club through the use of promotions and a reward system, while also reaching out to the â€Å"mostly acculturated† percent of the Latino population. They should also look into the marketing strategies Round Hill Vineyards & Cellars employed to attract Hispanics and Asians to their brands.

Organizational Learning Success

Organizational Learning Success Introduction Many scholars have defined organizational learning while considering key areas such as knowledge creation, transfer and behavioral change or adjustment. A widely accepted definition is that organizational learning is an incessant process of knowledge creation and acquisition as well as transferring the same knowledge with an effect of causing behavioral modification.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The end result is that there shall be a display of a different knowledge as well as possibility of resulting to a product which is highly valued (Nielson, 1997, p. 2).  Focus has for a long time been given to the knowledge transfer flow from the highly developed and industrial western world. To the contrary, the Asian part of the world, which is a catch up region in technology and economical progress, has shown great progress drawing attention from other parts of the world. It has been observed that these regions Especially, China has shown great economic progress not necessarily by adopting the learning experience of the western parts of the World but by employing and following other means. As a result there has been a new focus on the learning and management systems that are used in this part of the world. Objectives The objectives of the project is examine critically the analyze any differences between the learning process of the western world that has traditionally been used and other knowledge transfer from other parts of the non-western world, with China and its Chinese-firms both in China as a republic and its investments in other neighboring nations such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The main purpose of the project is to clearly provide information that will help investors with an intention of establishing and running successful business operations in that region. The managers are supposed to use this information to come up with organizational learning strategies that will focus on incorporating the local staff, thus creating feasibility in their business operations in this region. Literature Review Because of the success in development in the Asian region, there has been a keen interest from investment non-western investors focusing the strategies used by china in its operations. The observation has shown that these nations have progressed successfully economically for the last thirty years, despite the fact that an economic downturn hit the region. The progress did not come with simplicity of a natural happening, but as a response from policy makers in the region to consider a re-assessment of developmental strategies for the region while borrowing so much to the organizational learning and systems of learning employed in china and its firms in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. Dierkes et al, (2003. P. 716) asserted that these firms have got a high level of resilience as op posed to their main export competitors like Japan.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to resilience, the Chinese firms have shown an admirable level/degree of corporate flexibility and adoptability cushioning them against market fluctuations (Wolf, 2000, P. 8)  Scholars’ main concerns has been analysis of the viability of these Chinese and Chinese based firms to combat with social structural and frequent economic downturns in the region. Do these firms really have a competitive edge, with a generally accepted fact that they are small and medium sized firms? Can a focus be given to them shifting from the traditional western based learning and management systems? (Dierkes et al, 2003, p. 716). There is a new focus shift from the Large Firms to small and medium sized ones on Market. Characteristics of Chinese Based Firms Presently, Chinese based f irms are found in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The firms are small and medium sized (Yeung et al. 2011, p. 34. In addition, these firms do not innovate in the processes of production but they imitate and use adoptive methods to compete in the market. As a result, they are characterized with a lack of significant access to advanced technologies and markets enjoyed by western based systems of Europe, Japan and USA (Dierkes et al, 2003, p. 716). Furthermore, the firms do not invest to a full extent in the field of research and development as do their highly competitive neighbors like Japan, instead most of their competitive edge comes from producing at live cycle phases of the products, although Jacobson Robertson point out that RD adopting has been proved that it has little technological revolution (2011, p. 274-275). Learning strategies and processes If these firms are small and medium in size, the biggest puzzle is then how do they gain entry to the competitive market and techn ology? They use adoptive and imitational methods to get the access (Yu, 2007). This has given them a competitive edge against the highly developed nations. The perspective is that these firms are late comers both in technology and to the markets. Chinese based firms create imitation and innovation through learning to learn the processes used by the western systems (Watkins Ehst, 2008, P. 4). Learning in networks Firms in these Chinese business regions of Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong create a network both locally and internationally with other established western systems. Since the firms are not innovative in nature, and owing to the fact that they are late comers to the technology and markets, they are subcontracted by large firms belonging to highly developed western systems to carry out production of high end goods. Through such contracts, Chinese firms and their allies acquire insights into the technology used its competitors, makes strategies to imitate and develop that tech nology to produce relatively high end goods for the market. Learning in this manner has the advantages of being quick and adoptive. This has highly enhanced their process of knowledge transfer, acquisition and utilization.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Inter-firm cooperation The firms in this region of the world being late comers to the technological world of production strive to make their products better through knowledge accumulation and internalization leading to knowledge of producing goods already on market. (Dierkes et al. 2003, p.721). There exist also strategic alliances. Strategic alliances The alliances have a specific target. The point of interest is that they are brand specific, that is, big name brands. It seems that they understood the effective computational edge both technologically and marketwise these brand names pose to them. The best way to compete therefore was to form alliances, not only alliances but strategic alliances so that they are subcontracted to produce on behalf of the big-name brands. This is evident in the Chinese mobile phone industry (Cheung, 2005, p. 267) Forming strategic alliances is also another learning strategy employed by Chinese firms as their Learning process. They target brand name leaders of through formation of joint ventures with these innovative Firms. Their governments also give them some support. Government support One way of fostering organizational learning is through support from a government. Asian economies of Taiwan and Singapore have experienced growth, due to the governments’ creation of a supportive environment, especially to human resources.  Human resource is the learning part, thus its availability and skill level impacts learning positively. It is also characteristic of the Governments in these regions to provide and create favorable organizat ional learning conditions through provision of basic human resource training, provision and spreading required production and marketing knowledge and giving subsides to research and development targeting majorly, strategic industries and Firms for knowledge transfer. Despite this, these firms still face some barriers to organizational learning. Available techniques of learning in the region Subcontracting versus design/development and marketing/distribution They all lead to organizational learning except that design and development is usually employed by western based systems. The most available is subcontracting where the goods are produced based on an original-equipment license. An advantage of subcontracting is that it is cost effective, facilitates access to cheap labor and reduces unfair market competitions as opposed to design and development.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research and development versus imitation Research and development is geared to knowledge creation by taking a product through its life cycle. Learning can also be achieved through imitation of a product which is already at its life cycle stage. Although both lead to learning in an organization, RD takes a long time and therefore is not entirely suitable for catch up economies in Asia. Diffusion of technology versus human resource training Diffusion of technology involves the western systems that transfer knowledge to non-western systems like china and its firms through global networks. On the other hand, another available technique applicable in the region is creation of knowledge through training to create skilled human resource, in the field of foreign technology and market trends. The notable difference between the two is that human resource training lacks that ability to expose a learning organization to a hands-on experience in the long short term. Diffusion on the other hand, lacks active learning process of the local firms. Types or organizations found in the region As mentioned earlier, the firms based in china and its foreign establishments are small and medium sized enterprises. This does not entirely exclude the large firms. Small and medium scale firms are the most developed, toy firms, electronics, textiles and garments and foot ware. Barriers to organizational learning in the Chinese based firms Chinese enterprises are still in the catch up stages. Catch up strategy by imitation is an entirely favorable system particularly when the concern is directed to products that require advanced technology throughout their production. This is seen in the production of high end electronic good like computers and the software development industries, which require a specific path to complete the process of production. In this case, catch up Chinese firms have to reassess their crash research and development programs are known to lack the capability to duplica te a successful technology (Cheung, 2005, p.267).These firms have are vulnerable to under financing due to lack of technological underdevelopment thus they are exposed market fluctuations as compared to large enterprises found in Japan and South Korea. On the overseas perspective, Chinese firms In Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore lack access to advanced technology used by large western enterprises, as well as large advanced markets of enjoyed by the western based models of organizational learning. Conclusion It can be concluded that the success of Chinese firms lies in their resiliency to market fluctuations and their flexibility to adopt new technologies and market conquest by adopting imitational strategies as well as creation of networks both globally and locally with the advanced systems of the western world. Despite their success, they should review their research and development strategies for high end goods like computers and computer programs which require long term research and development goals for duplication of a successful technology. Also, linkage creation with firms that already have a firm foothold in the global economy should be nurtured since it creates an immediate oversight into global market paces and trends, as well as technology advancement. Besides, their strategies should be geared towards capacity building to exploit knowledge emerging opportunities available in these linkages. Reference List Cheung, C., 2005. Technology transfer and competition: The Mobile Handset Industry in post-WTO. Hamburg: Gabler Verlag. Dierkes, et al., 2003. Handbook of Organizational Learning Knowledge. NY: Oxford Publishers. Jacobson, D Robertson, L, 2011. Knowledge transfer and technology diffusion. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing limited. Neilson, R., 1997. Collaborative Technologies and Organizational Learning. London Idea Group Inc. Watkins, A.J. Ehst, M., 2008. Science and technology and innovation: capacity building for sustainable growth and pov erty reduction. Washington DC: World Bank Publications. Wolf, C., 2000. Asian Economic Trends and their Security Implications. Arlington: Rand Corporation. Yeung, et al., 2011. The Globalization of Chinese Companies: Strategies for Conquering International Markets. Singapore: John Wiley Sons. Yu, F.T., 2007. Taiwans economic transformation in evolutionary perspective: Entrepreneurship, innovation systems and government. NY: Nova Publishers.

A Critique of A Good Man is Hard to Find good hard

A Critique of A Good Man is Hard to Find good hard Essay A Critiqueof A Good Man is Hard to Find She reached out and touched him on the shoulder. The Misfit sprang back as if a snake had bitten him and shot her three times through the chest. Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find is the story of a familys vacation tragically ended by a murderer and his gang. After a meddlesome Mother/Mother-In-Law/Grandmother tries to insist that the family go to Tennessee instead of Florida, it was in fact through her own insistence that prompted the family stray from the main path in search of some false, lost treasure. This deadly decision caused the family to fall prey to the Misfit. Foreshadowing at the beginning of the story hints to the reader that while on their trip to Florida, this family is destined to cross paths with the Misfit. For example, Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. Through OConnors use of characterization, symbolism and the theme that A Good Man is Hard to Find, OConnors point that societys morals and faith has crumbled is conveyed. OConnors use of characterization shows the breaking down of respect and discipline in American society. From past generations to present generations, this message can be understood. Grandma represents the past with her strong Southern Hospitality heritage. For instance, The old lady settled herself comfortably, removing her white cotton gloves and putting them up with her purse on the shelf in front of the back window. Her collar and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady. Later on she even states, In my timechildren were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then. The grandchildren, however, are a product of where this gap between social courtesy and lack of discipline apply. In the beginning of the story June Star rudely comments to her grandmother, She wouldnt stay home for a million bucks, afraid shed miss something. She has to go everywhere we go. When John Wesley was asked by the grandmother what he would do if confronted by the Misfit his reply was, Id smack his face. In the end we found this to be very untrue. The Misfits character is again the result of the breakdown in humanity, family values and all of the values that have been lost in todays culture. The Misfit may have some social graces because he says politely, Yes mam, No mam, I pre-chate that lady, and apologizes to the grandmother for Baileys harsh comment, but there is some uneasiness about the morals his own father had as a role model. There is an undertone that the Misfits father had a darker side and had some run-ins with the Authorities. The Misfit explained to the grandmother, Daddy was a card himself. You could never put anything over on him. He never got in trouble with the Authorities though. Just had the knack of handling them. OConnors symbolism throughout the story represents faith (or lack of), and death. The fact that the family had strayed from the main path onto an unimportant side road, where they were killed, symbolizes how people often stray from Jesus and follow the wrong path spiritually. Even the towns name Toombsboro is a symbol of death. It was in this town that the grandmother thought the old plantation was. This was where she became sidetracked, again like her faith in Jesus. In the car, John Wesley and June Star were playing a game by guessing the shape of the clouds in the sky. READ: The New Age After the 1500s Essay The clouds represent the grandmothers superficial faith. She dressed herself with the purple spray of flowers just in case she died. It was as if she were taking death lightly. It was when .

Care management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Care management - Essay Example Here you are dealing with human beings, not furniture! Veronica arranged to have the referral documentation completed and waited for a place for Mrs. James in good faith. But what happened? It is quite surprising that Veronica Gibbs, the Ward Manager was not aware of a particular procedural aspect that affected her and her patient. The age difference and the merit of the case is a later issue. The prime question is, why Veronica Gibbs was not taken into confidence, at least informed in advance, about the impending admission of a patient, on out-of -turn basis, superceding the ‘seniority’ of Veronica Gibbs! Veronica arranged to have the referral documentation completed and waited for a place for her patient. Coffee house is not the place for Veronica to know, how she has been overruled. That too it is a matter of chance that she came to know about it! This lapse on the part of the authority that took decision to admit a junior patient without the knowledge of Veronica Gibbs is regrettable and difficult to condone! Assuming for a while that the young patient required the treatment for a short duration (as compared to the assumed treatment of Mrs. Violet James for a longer duration) yet, the clandestine admission of the junior patient can not be justified. Mrs. James is bound to know about this development. Won’t she feel betrayed by Veronica Gibbs? Even she too should have been taken into confidence, as to why a junior patient was considered for admission and the special reasons about it. All concerned would have been happy. Trust betrayed takes time to heal, at times, it may never heal at all. With this wrong advertisement, the good will of the Care Management will suffer much. Without doubt, the practice adopted by the Care Management, is wrong. I know a case where a rich patient admitted to the hospital for kidney transplantation, getting preference in the matter related to operation. The specialist

African American treatment by the police Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

African American treatment by the police - Essay Example Most African Americans, particularly those victimized by crime is a disproportionate manner, have little trust that the police would treat them in a fair manner. On the contrary, the population believes that law enforcement officials should treat all people equally regardless of their race, gender, or religious affiliation. This issue has attracted considerable attention, in different parts of the country based on the growing rates of victimization and exaggeration y the media in the United States (University of Texas, 2013). This paper will depict the issue of victimization of African American by law enforcement officials. It will also discuss how the media influences the perception of the public towards a criminal, and how media depiction of an incident affects individuals involved in a criminal activity. Researchers have revealed that a large number of black young men feel targeted by the police, particularly when driving or walking. In this case, they feel judged by stereotypes, which fuel resentment, hopelessness, and fear. Statistically, when targeting issues such as implementation of a drug policy, pulling individuals over, or implementing a death penalty, various racial disparities prevail. As such, just as most black Americans are influenced by crime in a disproportionate manner, the police equally scrutinize them unfairly (Fiducia Project, 2012). In 2010, for instance, African-Americans, representing 13% of the total population, accounted for about 55% gun homicides victims. These conflicting feelings have resulted to creation of incompatible policies. During the mid-1980s, a time when cocaine epidemic was dominant, tearing apart communities and families, and fueling murders, black lawmakers were on the forefront to facilitate in the establishment of laws that would help control the menace. This issue led

Case Study - Mr. Brown, Heart block Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

- Mr. Brown, Heart block - Case Study Example Brown did not want a pacemaker in his chest. In this context, the ethical principles which are involved along with identifying alternatives and developing a suitable action plan for solving the ethical problem relating to this case has been depicted. Steps To Take When Solving Ethical Dilemmas A 70 years aged patient, Ed Brown was admitted in the hospital suffering from the problem of third-degree heart block along with the syncopal episodes, weakness as well as fatigue for around 21 days. In consultation with a cardiologist, it was observed that Mr. Brown required a stable pacemaker which was conveyed to the patient and thus an approval was obtained thereof. However, while being taken to the holding area, Mr. Brown changed his mind deciphering strong reluctance to undergo the operation. He communicated with the nurse regarding his wish. The information was then conveyed immediately to physician. After attending the patient in the holding area, the physician then suggested Mr. Brown to discuss the entire procedure. The examples referred above depict one of the common phenomena witnessed in medical treatments where patients often change their decisions just prior to the surgery due to anxiety or uneasiness or emotional dilemma. The key players engaged with the case can be identified as the patient, Mr. Brown, the nurse and the physician or surgeon. Apparently, Mr. Brown’s wish was to regain his health while the interests of the nurse and the physician was to render adequate health assistance to the patient and ultimately cure the problems with which he was admitted to the hospital. From an in-depth perspective, the wish of the nurse was to assist the patient in order to serve him with appropriate healthcare without hampering his interests. In this context, a strong influence of emotional strength can be witnessed which in turn motivated Mr. Brown to reject undertaking the medical treatment with the pacemaker surgery just before he was being taken to the h olding area. The emotional interests of the patient in this context can be identified as his willingness to have no other injuries on his body because of surgery. It can also be affirmed that as Mr. Brown was already 70 years old, he might have preferred to die with dignity without taking the support of a machine to live a longer life. This gave rise to the dilemma for the medical practitioners to secure their medical obligations of to preserve the emotional interests of Mr. Brown. Dilemma With regard to the case study, it has been viewed that the main dilemma was that the cardiologist desired to perform the surgery to set pacemaker in Mr. Brown’s respiratory system so as to satisfy his professional obligations to secure patient’s health and preserve life. In the similar context, the nurse also desired to preserve Mr. Brown’s life serving his with adequate medical assistance, but simultaneously ensuring that his emotional interests were not hurt. On the other ha nd, the reluctance deciphered by Mr. Brown a few minutes prior to the surgery before being placed in the holding area can be assumed to be his anxiety of undergoing such a major operation or his emotional interest to face death with dignity. Hence, even though the moral concerns of all these key players can be identified as just and appropriate, the clash between patient’s emotional interests and practitioners’ professional interests gave rise to the conflict. According to the case study, it can be stated that in such circumstances, in case the surgery

The Importance Of Work Environment Construction Essay

The Importance Of Work Environment Construction Essay 3.1 Introduction This chapter reveals the importance of work environment and gives an over view on different types of office designs and its applications. Unit also provides an insight in to the evolution of the modern offices. Workplace and Its Importance A workplace is the physical work environment and it is very important to a person. The physical work environment is ranked one of the top three factors employees take into account when deciding to accept, decline or leave a job according to research carried out by the American Society of Interiors (ASID, 1999). Employee comfort, flexibility, access to equipments and privacy all depends on the physical work environment. Thus an unsatisfactory physical environment can lead to occupant dissatisfaction. The prime factors the employees value in a work environment (ASID, 2001); Comfort of the work environment, which includes the climate, ergonomics, lighting, noise, privacy, cleanliness and the overall atmosphere. Communication, which is the effective means of communicating internally and externally with co-workers and customers. Easy access to people, equipments and things needed in a workplace. Functionally Efficient making the employees perform their task in an easy and efficient manner and with the effective utilization of space. Workplace Productivity According to Clements-Croome (2000) workplace productivity depends on the following variables; Personal characteristics- the job itself Characteristics of indoor climate- lighting, acoustic, temperature, air quality and workplace layout Social factors- coworkers and the relationships with them Organizational characteristics- structure of the organization and the management Office productivity is a composite of the physical environment and the behavioural environment (Barry P. Haynes, 2007). Physical environment of productivity falls into two main categories: office layout and office comfort. The components distraction, interaction and informal interaction points relate more to the behavioural environment of productivity. Fig 3.3 Validated Theoretical Framework of Office Productivity (Barry P. Haynes, 2007) Factor Name Attributes 1 Comfort Ventilation, heating, natural lighting, artificial lighting, dà ©cor, cleanliness, overall comfort, physical security. 2 Office layout Informal meeting areas, formal meeting areas, quiet areas, quiet areas, privacy, personal storage, general storage, work area-desk and circulation space. 3 Interaction Social interaction, work interaction, creative physical environment, overall atmosphere, position relative to colleagues, position relative to equipment, overall office layout and refreshments. 4 Distraction Interruptions, crowding, noise Table 3.3 Components of Office Productivity (Barry P.Haynes, 2007) The primary goal in building design is designing spaces that are conducive to the tasks being performed in these spaces and to operate building systems in an efficient manner. The indoor air quality (IAQ) deteriorates and energy is wasted when the building systems that regulate and control indoor environmental conditions do not function properly. Conflict in performance requirements between several attributes, such as ventilation, lighting, or temperature can result from poor building performance. The cumulative effect of less than satisfactory performance culminates in environmental stresses perceived by the occupants. Building integrity depends on satisfaction of various factors (Preiser, 1989); Functional/ Spatial Quality Thermal Quality Air Quality Acoustic Quality Visual Quality The researchers have, for the most part, ignored the effects of building indoor environment on productivity and job satisfaction considering the great importance of the workplace, and the stresses related to it. The field studies were usually carried out by industrial organizations to determine the effects of extreme temperature and humidity conditions on workers. Most of the occupants in recent case studies have been highly dissatisfied with an environmental attribute even though some of the technical measurements indicate that current standards are being met. This shows the need to reassess the measurements and standards as they apply to more specific and newly emerging functional requirements. 3.4 Evolution of Modern Office Office is where people come to engage in activities for enterprise persevere and prosper. Office buildings in mid 1800s where rooms rented to a single company or to several firms for clerical and executive business. With a single purpose office building the workplace evolved with advances in construction technology, improvements in office equipment, and developments in organization theory. As the workforce grew, they were accommodated in larger general-purpose office spaces. Bullpens were the placement of enclosed offices on the perimeter created sizable interior spaces where hundreds of clerical workstations were placed in these expansive interior spaces. Fig 3.4 Open bullpen office space in 1926 (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS browsed on 09-07-09) It consisted of a rigid arrangement of desks in rows. With no visual or acoustic privacy, noisy, poorly lit environment they provided individual workers uncomfortable places to work. Ergonomics was not considered. A new office design called the Burolandschaft was developed in the late 1950s in Germany, which provide flexible office. Spacious layouts and high-quality furnishings were used. Space was divided into individual work areas tailoring to the occupants needs. Robert Propst, in 1960, developed an unconventional approach to furnishing offices by replacing traditional office furniture as desks and credenzas with furniture components and panels that could be assembled into a wide range of work settings. Storage units, work surfaces and other elements were hung on freestanding panels, which could be arranged as needed to form a complete office work setting. This was the beginning of systems furniture (GSA). Changes occurring in the organization, communication techniques as well as functional conceptions of office space are presented in table. Conventional Contemporary Pattern of Work Routine Individual tasks Isolated 9-5 Creative Group, project work Interactive Extended Occupancy Own desk/office Low utilization Low density Shared as needed High utilization High density Settings Status based Single setting Task based Multiple/varied Settings Table 3.4 Changes in functional concepts of office space (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS) 3.5 Types of Office Layouts in Modern Buildings 3.5.1 Closed Plan/Cellular Office In closed plan, full height walls or partitions divide the space into offices and support space by floor-to-ceiling partitions (walls) with doors. It usually has a desk and chair. The people (one or two) working in a cellular office use the same office everyday and leave their working material there. Private offices are situated along the window wall. Administrative support is housed in workstations along corridors or in shared rooms. 3.5.2 Open Plan Office (More Working in Less Space) Open plan office has a large open space and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices. An open plan office saves spaces as compared to cellular offices. Cost, efficiency and communication are the major advantage of open plan. Fig 3.5.2 An open plan office in Abu Dhabi, UAE Open plan provides greater opportunity to maximize the utilization of space than closed plan and minimizes the circulation space required because workstations can be modified slightly to fit available space. The use of systems furniture in open plan can also improve space utilization because a job function can normally be accommodated in less space in a systems furniture workstation than in a closed-plan office. Most of the modern buildings in UAE are implementing open plan offices. This design saves money, promotes teamwork and improves flexibility for future renovations. But many employees view this design as a series of compromises in terms of space, prestige and privacy. As employees consider changing from closed plan to open plan cubicles, they often have concerns about their abilities to work productively in what they anticipate to be noisier, more distracting workplace. The most overwhelming complaint about open plan office design is the lack of acoustic privacy. New Environments for Working The behavioural component of productivity, interaction signifies the importance of work interaction with the functional spaces such as hive, den, club and cell and link analysis which relates to the position relative to the equipment. 3.6.1 Francis Duffy Theory Francis Duffy, chairman of international architectural practice DEGW and one of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field of office design theorized that office design is closely related to increasing productivity at work through work-based layouts. Francis Duffy bases his theory on two organizational needs privacy and teamwork. This explains the dynamics of change in office design and throws light on the ways in which office layouts are likely to differ and to change. Privacy and teamwork are interrelated with many aspects of office design because they affect workers expectations about the layout and work settings. Duffy identified organizational types as hive, cell, den and club in a way to capture the distinct work patterns and distinctive design features of each. The implications of modern working practices for the specification and performance of building form and environment systems were studied in 1997 by DEGW in collaboration with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) (Laing et al, 1998). This led to the development of a model for design logic in new office comprising of four alternative office layout topologies according to the activities they support. These were designated as; Hive Hive office is characterized by individual routine process work with low levels of interaction and low autonomy. The user sits at the workstations for continuous periods of time. Examples are call centre, customer support offices, BPOs etc. Den Den office is associated with group work, interactive but not highly autonomous. This office is for group working in a simple setting, typically arranged in the open-plan or group room example, workstations in Advertising agency, Sales offices etc Cell Cell offices are for individual concentrated work with little interaction. Individuals occupy the whole office in an intermittent irregular pattern with extended working days, working elsewhere some of the time. This space is highly autonomous for example, CEOs cabins, lawyers Office etc. Club Club offices are for knowledge workers and are highly autonomous and  Ã‚   interactive. Occupancy is intermittent and over an extended working day. For example, conference rooms, meeting area, break-out areas and cafeteria where there are one off meetings, not ongoing interaction between the same people. ` Fig.3.6.1a Arrangement space based on functionality (Adopted from Denice Jaunzens, 1997, RICS) Cell Hive Den Club Fig:3.6.1b Typical arrangement in modern offices according to functionality (Source: http://ergo.in/paw_funatwork.html browsed on 08-08-2009 original source: unknown) 3.6.2 Spaces for Performance For the performance of workers three types of spaces are identified (BCO, 2008); Spaces to concentrate This is to provide space for workers for performing tasks, which require high levels of privacy and attention. These can be separate rooms, designated areas or rooms separated from noise and distraction of the office. These spaces are equipped with furniture and adjustable settings. Spaces to collaborate A collaborate space is a dedicated area for the teams to work and communicate freely. It should be well equipped with white boards, pen, paper, AV equipment etc. Movable furniture and flexible work settings should be there for personalized use. To suit the task and time of day, the lighting should be adjustable. Spaces to contemplate Contemplate space provide a space for the people to recover from stress and noise of the office environment. It should provide calm and noise free environment. Plants and adjustable lighting can make the contemplate space more relaxing. 3.6.3 Integrated Workspace The result of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to developing and providing workspace, bringing together the organizations strategic real property plan with strategic business goals is Integrated Workplace. It provides the people in a workplace the physical space and tools needed for their success. Integrated workplace provides a flexible, efficient and cost-effective office environment that enhances productivity and retains quality work force. 3.7 Functional arrangement of office space 3.7.1 Link Analysis Link analysis is a technique used to represent relationships between elements in a design. It assesses the links or connections between areas, such as the frequency of peoples movements between two spaces. Applying this technique to the existing office environment will contribute to a conclusion of who needs who for the new office floor layouts. Avoiding any unnecessary movement around the office shall free up any possible hint of congestion. This technique will indicate where links are and most useful, but will not give the frequency. Therefore, an observational study of the current office structure will be concluded to see the frequency of events within the linking system. (Brooks, 1998) Link Analysis before reorganisation Link Analysis after reorganisation layout Fig 3.7.1 Link Analysis (Adopted from Brooks, 1998) Avoiding unnecessary journeys around a workplace can ease areas of congestion and reduce annoyance levels for workers seated near walkways. 3.8 Conclusion The selection of the work place is truly based on the work culture, work style and nature of the job. Workplace selection should be primarily based on the job demands. Each Job has its own requirements and if the facilitator is not able to meet the job demands that will lead to a decline in the productivity of the office workers. Chapter-4 Factors Affecting Workplace Satisfaction and Productivity 4.1 Introduction Before analysing the satisfaction level of the occupants we need to understand the factors related to workplace. This chapter provides and insight to the factors affecting the workplace, sick building syndromes (SBS) and indoor environment quality (IEQ) parameters. 4.2 Common Complaints in a Workplace Key aspects affecting workplace satisfaction and productivity (Hilary Davies, 2005, RICS ): Workplace layout: Most of the modern offices are open-plan to increase flexibility and allow changes in organization size and structure. Open-plan was intended to allow more communication among the co-workers. But according to study conducted by Pekala (2001) the work-success ratio for those who worked in open-plan was 74% less than those in enclosed offices. Thus the occupants were not satisfied with their work environment affecting their productivity. Distractions: In most of the modern offices, noise is more because of workstation density and use of more office equipments. Workplace grids create more distraction. Workers in open plan are 65% more distracted than in private offices (Olson 2000). Increased errors and stress is generated as a result of working in a noisy environment. Thus noise impacts productivity (Leaman and Bordass 1999) and 70% of the occupants agreed that productivity can be increased by decreasing the office noise (Carsia 2002) . Comfort, Health and Well-being: Air quality and ergonomics are the major areas which affect the occupants health and work environment. Repetitive strain injuries affect the health of the occupants leading to back pain and rehabilitation. Studies conducted by Kruk (1989) showed that an ergonomically designed chair can increase the occupant satisfaction in an office by 15%. Indoor air pollution also affects the occupant productivity which inturn can cause sick building syndrome (SBS). Indoor Environment: Indoor environmental factors such as insufficient day-light, lighting, smelly air, acoustics causes occupant dissatisfaction and discomfort. Occupant satisfaction and productivity is inter-related. 79% of the employees surveyed in a Steelcase survey (2003) believed that the physical environment had an impact on occupant satisfaction. Frequently reported unfavorable conditions in UK offices were: high/low temperatures, stale air, noise problems, low quality lighting and insufficient day-light (Clements-Croome and Kaluarachchi , 2000). Personal Control: This is one of the major problems affecting occupant satisfaction. Most of the occupants can be satisfied with individual control over their environment and when they are allowed to participate in the design decisions. Efficiency and morale increases when occupants are allowed to reconfigure their workplaces (Stern, 1991). The difference between a tolerable and intolerable workspace is the ability to fine-tune locally. The ability to control climate, reducing glare by able to move the desk, able to open the window, quiet space, storage space all boost employee satisfaction and productivity according to the survey by Knoll. Employee Stress: Stress affecting the occupants can be various. This can be work-related stress due to increased workload or inadequate resources or less time, stress from home and life aspirations. High stress office environment can result from unsupportive, monitoring supervisors and low levels of job control (Kaplan and Arnoff, 1996). An open plan office with less privacy, increased noise and disturbances can also lead to low levels of psychological privacy. Thus dissatisfaction with the physical environment lead to decreased job performance. 4.3 Spatial Comfort Productivity As the offices shrink in size, dimensions of the office furniture become more important to the worker. Occupant in a building evaluates spatial comfort in terms of the amount of space they have, storage and ergonomic comfort of furniture. Key aspects of office furniture, such as work surface dimension, file storage; partition height and choice of accessories also affect spatial comfort. Smaller offices and workstations at higher densities cause users to be more aware of the amount of work surface they have. All these have a direct impact on the functional comfort and performance of work in an office. Although modern office furniture is physically comfort, corporate tendency to standardize office and workstation layouts (one size fits all) and to density layouts at the cost of spaces to meet and work together makes a certain percentage of users functionally uncomfortable. Factors such as proximity to co-workers, varying partition height to enable contact with some colleagues and protect from contact with circulation areas and other workgroups, proximity to spaces to meet and work together and convenient access to shared storage and equipment all have a direct effect on how well people work. Spatial comfort affects productivity of the occupants in a building as workspace size, configuration, storage and shared work areas directly affect the performance of individual and team tasks. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a situation where the occupants in a building experience acute health or comfort problems during the time spent time in a particular building. The complaints can be widespread in a building or confined to a particular room or zone. The condition is temporary and most of the occupants find relief once they are out of the building. But some buildings can have long-term problems. According to the World Health Organization (1984 Committee Report) 30% of the new and re-modeled buildings may be the subject of excessive complaints related to indoor air quality (IAQ). Frequently reported symptoms or complaints of SBS are (Thad Godish, 1995); Sensory irritation in eyes, nose and throat Neurotoxic or general health problems such as headache, sluggishness, mental fatigue, dizziness, reduced memory Skin Irritations Nonspecific hypersensitivity reactions as running nose, asthma-like symptoms Odor and taste sensations 4.4.1 Causes of Sick Building Syndrome According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigation, the primary contributor to SBS is inadequate ventilation. Air contamination from sources within the building such as copying machines was reported to be major cause of contamination. Other indoor sources like adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, pesticides, and cleaning agents may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde, which can affect the health of the occupants, and at high concentrations be carcinogens. Chemical contaminants from outdoor sources which can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows, and other openings and biological contaminants like bacteria, molds, pollen, and viruses can also cause sick building symptoms. 4.5 Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) The IEQ in a building can affect the health, comfort and well-being of the occupant and intern the productivity of work. Indoor Environment Quality is used to describe air quality and the attributes of enclosed spaces. The key components of IEQ are; Indoor air quality Thermal comfort Acoustic environment quality Luminous and visual environment quality 4.5.1 Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality is a major concern as it can have a major impact on occupant health, .90% of the people spent their time indoor and most of their in an office environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies show that there can be more indoor pollutant levels than found outside which can increase the risk of illness. Indoor air pollution is ranked the most important environmental health problem. An improved indoor air quality can result in higher productivity. The factors that affect indoor air quality are; pollutants or odors; building ventilation systems; moisture and humidity occupant perceptions and susceptibilities Fig 4.5.1 Under floor air distribution system (Source:http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/underfloorair/typicaloffice.htm browsed on 10-07-09) 4.5.2 Thermal Comfort Thermal comfort is defined as the subjective satisfaction with the thermal environment (Bligh and Johnson, 1975). Thermal comfort is the psychological state of mind and affects the overall morale of a person. Productivity decreases in a workplace as employee complaints may increase and in some cases people may refuse to work in a particular environment. Air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and air movement are factors of thermal environment which may also contribute to the symptoms of sick building syndrome.(HSE Guidance) 4.5.3 Acoustic environment quality An important attribute of commercial office building design is acoustics. One of the most prevalent annoyance sources in offices is noise which can lead to stress for occupants to maintain a high level satisfaction and moral health among occupants a good acoustic environment is very essential. The major sources of dissatisfaction include: Speech interruptions, such as people talking over the phone, in adjacent areas and corridors Equipment noise Excessive background noise from HVAC and lighting systems Lack of conversational privacy Lack of personal control over noise levels Space being acoustically too lively or too dead Fig 4.5.3 An open plan office with no acoustic privacy (Source:http://www.rockwool.com/acoustics/acoustical+comfort/acoustic+in+special+buildings/offices browsed 10-07-09) The levels of background noise and speech privacy and separation between particular types of spaces have important implication for the work environment and productivity of building occupants. Distractions due to the sound of speech have been found to be significantly problematic especially in open plan offices. This is because speech is more distracting than unintelligible speech or sounds with no information content. Conversely, office spaces with low background noise can have poor levels of speech privacy, which can also hinder communication. (Peter Newton, Keith Hampson, 2009) 4.5.4 Luminous and visual environment quality The luminous and visual environment quality is the totality of the characteristics of a building, which affects the occupants visual perceptions. The occupants abilities to perform tasks will be affected by the luminous and visual environment if they are visually intensive. Occupant perceptions can be affected by the following (Peter Newton, Keith Hampson, 2009): Luminance levels (ambient and task) for different task and their uniformity Glare levels and reflections in computer screens Levels of personal control through task lighting, shading or dimmers Access to daylight and views Lighting characteristics, such as color temperature and ballast flicker Visual appeal and color scheme of interior design Fig 4.5.4 An Office with abundant daylight for the entire office to gather (Source: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/12/1201_idea_factory/source/8.htm 12-07-09) Dissatisfaction with the visual environment can be due to limited access to daylight, inappropriate light levels, glare levels and lack of control over the environment. Appropriate task lighting and integration of day lighting and electric lighting systems for ambient lighting wherever feasible can be introduced for improving the luminous and visual environment and maximizing occupant comfort,. 4.6 Office Ergonomics Ergonomics incorporates the scientific and engineering disciplines that are concerned with the humans at work. An ergonomically designed workspace enhances peoples well-being, make work easy to do and allow people to perform efficiently (Kroemer, 2001). The elements of ergonomic assessment include general physical activity, lifting and handling, work postures and movements, accident risk, job content, job restrictiveness, worker communication and personal contacts, decision making, repetitiveness of the work, the need for attentiveness, lighting and vision, thermal environment and noise. Ergonomic parameters which are required in the design of a workstation are (Craig A. Langston, 2003); seat height with feet flat on the floor height to top of thigh when seated (for desk height) eye height above seat level (for use of computer) height from seat to underside of elbow (for arm rest height) near reach when seated and far reach when seated, affecting spread of equipment and functions on a desk and adjacent surfaces Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the common type of injury due to poorly designed workstation. The RSI develops slowly and affects many parts of the body. An ergonomically designed workstation can reduce the possibility of RSI. Fig 3.8 An Ergonomically designed Workstation (Adopted from David A. Madsen, 1990) 4.7 Conclusion Every workstation has pros and cones while comparing openness, flexibility, privacy etc. While analysing the workplace satisfaction level the selection of type of workstation is an important factor. Furniture, accessories, flooring, ceiling, HVAC System, lighting, sound insulation, color schemes, interior design themes and corporate identity are the other ]factors affecting the satisfaction level of the occupants. Low Quality building design or interior design and poor maintenance will lead to sick building syndromes (SBS). Next chapter elaborates the method of research conducted to identify the facts.