This film analysis is on the film Ned Kelly in the...

(1) (i) The movie Ned Kelly is telling the audience about Australian history and that Australia is not a perfect country, but struggles with criminals as well. It also conveys racism, not against blacks, but against the Irish. This is now dispelled as Ned Kelly is known as the Australian hero, not the Irish Migrant of Australia hero. The Kelly family were always the target of the soldiers fun. Friendship is portrayed as being vital, as the gang of outlaws would not have been able to achieve what they did if their bonds were not as strong. A barrier between classes was also evident in the movie, which is applicable to those times and even in modern times. (ii) The movie presents Ned Kelly as a hero more than being a murderous†¦show more content†¦Women saw Ned Kelly and his gang offering peril in exchange for the kind of gratification only a woman can give. Women are notorious for their love of a dangerous and rebellious man, as long as he is attractive. (4) (i) The film promotes Ned Kelly largely as an Australian hero. This is evident in that the movie was done in Kellys point of view, so that the audience favours him, not in the authorities point of view, because then he would not be observed as a hero but a villain. The director wisely chose a favourite Australian actor to play Ned Kelly, which also has input to which side the viewers will take. Ned Kelly is also seen as a hero because he is seemingly only standing up against corrupt and biased leadership to prove to the people that it is possible to break free of authority and live in harmony as he did with his family and probably wished he had that option all his life. (ii) There were a few aspects of the real Ned Kelly that were shown in the movie. The main aspect, the one that he is most famous for, is the distinctive suit of armour he wore. The actors were made fibreglass imitations, which they did not wear, but suits of steel, which were four millimetres thick and quite heavy. He also owned a sash, which he obtained as a reward when he was a boy for saving a child from drowning. Another aspect was the long, somewhat extensively

Black Death Cause and Effect - 3189 Words

NAME COURSE PROFESSOR DATE The Causes and Effects of The Black Death The Bubonic Plague or the Black Death has been in the history books since the medieval times. This deadly disease has claimed nearly 1.5 million lives in Europe (Gottfried). The Black Death hit Europe in October of 1347 and quickly spread through most of Europe by the end of 1349 and continued on to Scandinavia and Russia in the 1350s. Not only did the plague effect the European population by killing one-third to two-thirds (Gottfried), it also hurt the social and economic structures of every European society. How it spread The Black Death actually first appeared in the Himalayan region around 1250 AD. There are several theories as to how the disease made its way to†¦show more content†¦Almost all who contracted either the pneumonic or septicemic plague died from the infection (Boeckl). Causes of the Black Death The causes of the Black Death – the flea, the rat, and the bacillus Yersinia pestis– have been labeled the â€Å"unholy trinity† (Boeckl). The flea is able to live in environmental conditions of about 74 ° Fahrenheit and 60% humidity (Ibid). Before the Black Death reached Europe, they were experiencing those same types of weather conditions. The rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis and the human flea, Pulex irritans, are both capable of transmitting plague (Boeckl). Sometimes, an infected flea cannot ingest blood because Yersinia pestis obstructs its digestive tract. The blockage causes a flea to regurgitate into a bitten host rather than ingest the host’s blood, thereby infecting the host with plague (Boeckl). Unable to eat, the famished flea will bite with more frequency, accelerating the spread of plague. A flea can be carrying Yersinia pestis without it blocking the flea’s digestive tract, in which case the flea does not transmit plague when it bites a host. Also, Yersinia pestis can only enter a victim through a bite, as the bacilli cannot pass through intact skin (Gottfried). Social Changes The disease took a major toll on the population of Europe but as it wiped out communities it also caused changes in the social structure of European society. Europe was run by a feudalShow MoreRelatedCauses And Effects Of The Black Death775 Words   |  4 PagesThe Black Death was the most dangerous and contagious widespread disease in history. The Black Death lasted from 1347 to 1351 spreading across Europe killing millions. This is classified as the longest disease that still hasnt had a proper cure for. The disease originated in China and spread across trade routes by interaction and communication. Rodents and Fleas caused the disease by a simple bite to a human even animals causing them to have numerous symptoms which led to death. The Black Death hadRead MoreCause And Effects Of The Black Death1165 Words   |  5 PagesThe Black Death was one of the most devastating worldwide diseases in human history. The plague originated in central Asia and was brought to China by traders a nd Mongols from 1334-1347. Mongol protection of the trade may have caused the disease to spread along the â€Å"Silk Road† to Crimea. During a Mongol siege against Caffa in 1347, the Mongolian army began to die. The Mongols catapulted the dead bodies into the city where the fleas on the corpses were released into Caffa. In the year 1347, OctoberRead MoreCauses And Effects Of The Black Death1010 Words   |  5 Pages The Black Death was a catastrophic plague that struck Europe in the mid 14th century. This plague killed between 30 and 50% of the population in the places it struck leading many to believe this had been a punishment from God. The drop in population caused by the black death left excess wealth which would lead to changes in the social hierarchy and European society in general. The black death caused a severe drop in population and devastated the land leaving excess wealth for thoseRead MoreThe Black Death Pandemic967 Words   |  4 Pages The Black Death: A Murderous Pandemic that Led Life to How it is Today The Black Death, a horrible pandemic plague that spread through all of Europe, taking 25,000,000 people along with it. In 1347, a mysterious pandemic appeared in the city-states of Italy just as Europe was recovering from famine. The Epidemic did not end until 1351 partly due to the belief of the people that this plague was spread through the air and was gods way of punishing them for their sins. Although this plague killedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Ministers Black Veil By Nathaniel Hawthorne1398 Words   |  6 Pagesrelationship] to his sister, Elizabeth.† (85) His early literary vocation forced him to face numerous economic problems, as his works did not give him enough to live. He wrote plenty of novels and short stories like â€Å"The Minster’s Black Veil†. Focusing on â€Å"The Minister s Black Veil,† it is a horror story by Hawthorne, published in 1837. This short story has an interesting meaning, impacting the way people think about morals and religio n, which can be classified as negative for some individuals, especiallyRead MoreThe Deadly Black Death Plague Of Europe1054 Words   |  5 Pages Background Information  The deadly Black Death plague of Europe arrived in 1346 A.D. , during the middle ages from the Middle East as commonly thought and was also known by other names such as â€Å"the pestilence .â€Å" The infectious deadly bacteria moved rapidly within Europe accounting for approximately 50% of mortality while disseminating northward along major trade routes of ships, lasting until the early 1350’s (Ross, 2015). The plague presented before traditional existenceRead MoreBlack Death Dbq1206 Words   |  5 Pagestheir fair share of disagreements, one being their responses to the Black Death. The religion, demography, and interactions all contributed to the differentiation of Muslim and Christian reactions. Christians thought that the Black Death was sent from God as a punishment and blamed the Jews, while Muslims considered it a blessing and did not accuse any minority of initiating the outbreak. The entire reason that the Black Death even spread in the first place was because of interactions. Trade wasRead MoreThe Plague Of The Bubonic Plague825 Words   |  4 PagesThe Plague Discussion Questions The Black Death was an epizootic bubonic plague, a disease caused by the bacterium of rodents known as Yersinia pestis. The bubonic plague overwhelming effects of European history. The Black Death was considered one of the most â€Å"devastating pandemics† in human history. Whom Did the Black Death Affect The Black death affected mostly Europe. â€Å"The disastrous mortal disease known as the Black Death spread across Europe in the years 1346-53.† (Paragraph 1) â€Å"By the endRead MoreThe Unstoppable Virus of the Black Plague663 Words   |  3 PagesThe Black Plague started in 1347 CE and ended in 1351 CE. Europe declined dramatically by the spreading of an unstoppable virus sent from central Asia. As the virus spread through towns, villages, and across countries, dead bodies of the victims caught by the virus started to pile and gather. As more bodies began to pileup, they were dumped into pits. (Wilson 438) There were many effects of the Black Plague in Europe. The three most important effects of the Black Plague was 1/3 to 1/2 of theRead MoreNorman F. Cantor s The Black Plague978 Words   |  4 Pagesdeal with the medieval period. In the beginning of this book, Cantor begins to describe how the black plague began and the symptoms of the black plague. The black plague was also known as the Black Death. Many have their own thoughts about how the plague started, but Cantor explains his thoughts throughout the first section of this book. According to Cantor, the plague started from a tiny flea. The black plague is thought to have started in Asia and spread through trade. Shipyards were filthy during

The Optimist’s Daughter Free Essays

The old saying â€Å"The home is where the heart is† takes on a special meaning in Eudora Welty’s, The Optimist’s Daughter. In this short novel, the death of Judge McKelva prompts Laurel and Fay, who are his daughter and wife, to connect with their own homes. A home is a place where one can restore themselves because it gives one a sense of comfort. We will write a custom essay sample on The Optimist’s Daughter or any similar topic only for you Order Now Home is where people generally feel accepted, regardless of their moods, feelings, or decisions. It is a safe haven where both Laurel and Fay can be truthful with themselves and one another. In other words, home is the obvious place to go when in a time of crisis and change. For Laurel, the town of Mount Salus is her home. For Fay, home is in the town of Madrid, where her extended family likely meets the same needs for Fay as the house does for Laurel. When reviewing the events of Eudora Welty’s life at the time of writing this novel, it will also become clear that, for Welty, home is both Mississippi and her writing. Laurel is a grown woman, living in Chicago, who returns to her hometown of Mount Salus, Mississippi, when her father dies. While it may seem that Chicago is now her permanent home, the reader soon realizes that the house in which she was raised in still very much indeed her home. When Fay decides to stay with her family for a few days after the funeral, Laurel has the opportunity to spend some time alone in the house before Fay takes full possession of it. In her privacy and silence, Laurel begins to grieve more seriously than she did while in public at the funeral. There are objects in the house, such as the clock, books, letters, and her father’s desk, that bring back memories that are intimately attached to one or both of her parents. She becomes sad because the clock has stopped, and she knows this for a fact because nobody has wound it since her father last fixed it (Welty 73). Although it may seem like a minor detail, this stopped clock signifies both her father’s absence and the reality that her time with her family and in her home has come to an end. Her grief is projected onto household objects because they represent the life she once cherished. Similarly, the books remind her of her parents’ habit of reading to each other, a precious memory that she both savors and grieves over. In one passage, Laurel blends her memories of the books with the overall feeling of family, which, she feels, infuses the house. She ran her finger in a loving track across Eric Brighteyes and Jane Eyre, The Last Days of Pompeii and Carry On, Jeeves. Shoulder to shoulder, they had long since made their own family. For every book here she had heard their voices, father’s and mother’s† (Welty 118). Laurel also feels a connection to the house, and thus to her past, in household activities such as gardening. Her mother was an avid gardener (Welty 53), and her father tended to the flowers after his wife’s passing, so it is fitting that, as part of Laurel’s process of connecting with her past, she should take up the task one last time. The activity of gardening helps her to feel comfortable and close to her parents, as she participates in the rhythm of the household as she remembers it. On another level, Laurel is tending her own â€Å"inner garden† in the sense that she is connecting with her own identity. Her mother loved flowers so much that she named her daughter after one, and now that the mother is dead, the daughter is caring for the mother’s flowers (Welty 27). In the house, Laurel finds herself so deeply in touch with her past that she can actually hear the voices of the people she has loved and lost. She hears her mother’s voice when she is in the garden, â€Å"Laurel went on pulling weeds. Her mother’s voice came back with each weed she reached for, and its name with it. ‘Ironweed. ‘ ‘Just chickweed. ‘ ‘Here comes that miserable old vine! ‘† (Welty 107). Later, in a moment of remembering the pain she felt when she lost her husband in World War II, Laurel hears his voice grieving for their lost future together. Welty writes, † ‘I wanted it! ‘ Phil cried. His voice rose with the wind in the night and went around the house and around the house. It became a roar. ‘I wanted it! ‘† (155). There is no other place besides her own home that Laurel can experience such personal revelations and be given the opportunity to confront her pain from the past and make peace with it. The bond that she has with her home is so deep that she can overcome many obstacles and emotional problems in time. Only at home is she truly able to bare her heart and hear what she needs to hear to heal herself. However, to ultimately make peace with her past and her present, she must become â€Å"one† with the significance of the house so she can take it with her wherever she goes. Incredibly, Laurel is able to do so. Fay is originally from Madrid, Texas, which is a small, low-income town. Although Welty never takes the reader to Madrid, the remarks and personalities of the Chisom family offer some idea as to what kind of place it is. It seems to lack all the charm and warmth of Laurel’s hometown of Mount Salus, yet for Fay it is nonetheless her home. In Mount Salus, Fay clearly feels out of her element and becomes extremely rude and insecure. The reader can only imagine whether or not she acts the same way when she is in the comfort of her own hometown, or if she acts the same way. Nevertheless, in Fay’s new community of Mount Salus, she is disrespectful, self-absorbed, and rowdy (Welty 64, 85). Fay does not appreciate the home and the possessions of her late husband than she does his friends and family. In fact, she never makes an effort to understand Laurel’s grief or her need to be in the house for a few days. Fay’s insistence on returning with her family for a visit after the funeral could possibly reveal that Madrid is the only place in which Fay feels secure. Fay is anxious to go back with them, insisting that she needs to be among people who â€Å"speak her language. † In other words, Fay, much like Laurel, needs to go where she feels understood either by others or by herself. In Mount Salus, Fay feels displaced, and her insecurity takes on many ugly forms, such as her tendency to disrespect Becky’s memory and to deny her own family back in Madrid (Welty 152). Laurel imagines, â€Å"Very likely, making a scene was, for Fay, like home. Fay had brought scenes to the hospital-and here, to the house† (Welty 131). Laurel understands that Fay’s horrible behavior is an apparent sign of her need to feel at home. Fay tries too hard to appear as though she believes that Judge McKelva’s home is truly her own, but she never convinces anyone, including herself. At the time Eudora Welty wrote this story, she was grieving the loss of her mother. In fact, the reader can see that the book is dedicated to C. A. W. (Chestina Andrews Welty), which reveals that this work is closely connected to the author’s own personal loss (Marrs 228). The autobiographical elements in the novel are numerous, and are especially prominent in the parallels between Becky’s background and that of Welty’s mother (Marrs 229). Other elements pay respect to Welty’s happy childhood and the loving marriage her parents enjoyed. Through Laurel, Welty honors her mother and also works through some of the pain and the issues surrounding the death of a loving parent. Laurel’s personal journey to make peace with her past in order to make sense of her future certainly mirrors the author’s own struggles. Welty differs from Laurel in the sense that Laurel lives far from her hometown, while Welty lived in Mississippi, where she was born, until her death (Marrs 232). For Laurel, however, the climax of her journey comes from the house. In the absence of a house that holds all of her childhood memories, Welty wrote this book. Welty works through some of her grief in her writing, which is as meaningful to her as the house is to Laurel. Welty comments on Laurel’s love of her past, â€Å"Firelight and warmth-that was what her memory gave her† (Westling 159). Laurel, Fay, and Welty are all working toward such comfort in a difficult time during the course of The Optimist’s Daughter. In very difficult times, confronted with emotion and uncertainty, people often long to return to the comfort and security of their childhood homes. Fay and Laurel find the havens they need by going back to their homes. Laurel is ultimately able to take a piece of that firelight and warmth with her back to Chicago, because she has finally succeeded in making her heart and her home one. How to cite The Optimist’s Daughter, Papers

Modern Music free essay sample

After I interviewed four peoplefriends and family?I found out what type of music they listened to when they are upset, angry, or calm. Music touches peoples souls, and gets the best or worst out of them. My friend Kyle said, When I am in a bad mood I listen to basically rap because it gets me hyped up to where want to dance. Rap lets me get into a better mood where I can forget the problem or what I was mad at before. He continues, No other music affects me as much as rap does because rappers put everything they have into their songs, but that is only my opinion.Kyle has listened to rap since he was 13, and he actually got me interested into it. Never liked rap until I started to hang out with him, and am now starting to enjoy it because of its diversity that is involved in making the music. Rap lets me get into a better mood where I can forget the problem or what I was mad at before. He continues, No other music affects me as much as rap does because rappers put everything they have into their songs, but that is only my opinion.Kyle has listened to rap since he was 13, and he actually got me interested Into It. I never liked rap until I started to hang out with him, and I am now starting to enjoy it because of its diversity that is involved in making the music. Each rapper has their own version of the world, and they express it through their music. -2- Not all rap music is good according to a Texas widow, who filed a lawsuit against Outpace Shaker. Her husband, a Texas state trooper, was allegedly shot to death by a man who stole a car. In the mans car a Outpace tape was found In the cassette player, ND Tubas music was allegedly to blame (Demean).Some people tend to take music too seriously, and end up making mistakes, and they have to suffer the consequences like that Texas man. Those people, who take the music too seriously, are not stable, and the music brings out the worst of them. On the other hand, people like Kyle have no problem with some of the lyrics that some rappers incorporate Into their music, and end living happily with society. I asked Kyles roommate, Tim what type music he listens to when he Is In certain moods. He said, Sometimes when I am homesick I listen to Frank Sinatra because my mother and father listen to it all the time, so it reminds me of them. He is also a big rap fan, but not as much as Kyle. Tim can listen to anything at any time, for instance, he could listen to Notorious BIG one minute then listen to Marilyn Manson the next. He continues, If I have the urge to get pumped up then I need something that Is crazy and wild to get me In that mood, Like White Zombie or some sort of heavy music. There have also been lawsuits involved with such heavy metal like Marilyn Manson, Oozy Osborne, Slayer, and Judas Priest. Marilyn Masons music had been to blame for the suicide of 13 year-old boy from California.Another family from California sued the band Slayer because their lyrics inspired three teenage boys to rape and murder their daughter. Oozy Osborne and Judas Priest had lawsuits filed against them claiming their lyrics drove teens to attempt seclude In the late asss, but the cases penman). Once again people or teenagers took the music too seriously, and they ended making stupid mistakes by doing so. These teenagers are allowed to listen to such music at an early age when they look up to certain entertainers likeMarilyn Manson.These teenagers need role models, and they end up looking the wrong way En they should be dolling baseball and football players. They are at the crucial age when they are looking for a direction in life while trying to find themselves in the process. These teenagers think that they are supposed to listen to every word they sing, and they end up taking them seriously by acting upon those words. The teenagers, who take it seriously and act on it, are insecure looking for someone to dead them through life, and end going to the wrong person for help when they should be going to an adult, or a positive role model for help.I asked my mother what she listens to and what she feels when she listens to it. She said, l like to listen to classical music after a hard days work because it soothes me to a point where my mind is free from all of the stress that is involved in my Job. My mom is an accountant where she works with numbers all day long, and that can get annoying by looking at the same sheet of numbers for hours at a time. My mom recently began existing to country music, and I asked her why she recently switched. She responds, l needed a change from the regular music that I normally listen to.I like it because the lyrics of some songs are quite deep, and I could relate to some of the stories that are incorporated in the songs. The songs make me feel free, and I need that after a hard days work. . 4- am not a country fan, and I often cringe when I hear it, but my mom was the same Nay, and she now listens to country. I guess in time my view will change because as I get older I will look everywhere for a new kind of sound that will catch my ear. Most people go through their stages of music as their get older, and I am in between rap and alternative.While my mother is in between country and classical, but it depends hat kind of mood we are in is when we turn to one or the other. The fourth person that I interviewed was my sister. I asked the same question as the above three. She said, It depends because one week is different from the next. I will buy a new CD, and listen to it until I am sick of it then I move on to the next artist. When I am feeling depressed I listen to the Verve or Dave Matthews because the songs are calmer and tooting, so I can calm down, and enjoy life. She concludes, When I am in a happy mood I like to listen to anything that is on the radio because I do not know what is coming on next, and I like being surprised. I asked myself the same question, and I know that I cannot live without music. I like to come home after class, lie down, and mellow out to some Pink Floyd or Pearl Jam. If I do not listen to my music for a day then I would not consider it a complete day. Music is the only thing that I consider mine, and nobody can take that away from me. Everybody should feel the same way s me because there are certain things that people like to keep to themselves, and music is one of popular things that people tend to keep from other people, but that is only my opinion. To some it is Just sitting down, reading your favorite book, but I like to lie down, and Just contemplate about what I am going to do in life. Pink Floyd really so deep. I have been depressed for a month now, and music is the only thing that I can turn to in order to get relief. People have tried to talk to me about it, but nobody understands that I Just need to be left alone with my music, and that music is my only remedy.Music is a beautiful thing. People need to realize that music can solve many problems, and many people, like me, turn to music to get relief or release stress. Music can touch everybodys soul, and release the pain that somebody might have about a loved one or Just life in general. If you go to a concert, you will see people dancing to the music, and getting in tune with the rhythm like a flower Moving in the breeze, or a tree swaying in the wind. It is our human nature to dance to music, and respond to what we hear by acting out our feelings through music.You an go anywhere and see this; no matter if you are at a concert or a fraternity party, How will see people expressing themselves. Music can also cause a lot of problems too, like the ones I mentioned above. People need to respect it for that quality because it is able to affect people in every way imaginable. It is hard to explain exactly why humans love music the way they do, but it is an art form that we have been creating since the dawn of man. We will continue to explore the wonders of music and explore new ways to produce it while being affected by it at the same time.

The Civil War Essays (1188 words) - Reconstruction Era,

The Civil War The Civil War During both the civil war and civil war reconstruction time periods, there were many changes going on in the Union. The Emancipation Proclamation, as well as legislation such as the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, was causing a new awakening of democracy; while the renouncing of secession by the South marked a definite triumph for Nationalism. As well, the government was involved in altercations of its own. During reconstruction, the legislative and executive branches eventually came to blows over the use of power. The nation was being altered by forces which caused, and later repaired, a broken Union. The first of these forces, was the expansion of democracy. As early as 1862, Lincoln was taking a major step in that direction. On September 22, Lincoln announced the freeing of all slaves in areas not in Union control. Although the proclamation did not free all slaves everywhere, it was the action that would push Congress to pass the thirteenth amendment in 1865. The amendment, ratified later in 1865, stated that Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude . . . shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. It seemed democracy had triumphed by giving freedom to slaves, but the amendment was not complete. It only stopped slavery, and made no provisions for citizenship; therefore, blacks were still not considered United States citizens. The fourteenth amendment was the democratic expansion that fixed that problem. Originally passed to put a number of matters beyond the control or discretion of the president, the amendment also made All persons born or naturalized in the United States . . . citizens of the United States. It also provided that, No State shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States. This not only gave new meaning to black men's freedom, but it also gave a new and broader meaning to citizenship. Those drafting the amendment hoped that the broadness of would cover unanticipated abuses, yet, the general phrasing was only an advantage to abusers. There is no listing of the privileges or immunities offered to U.S. citizens. In fact, there is not even a clarification of what rights a citizen has. These generalities, and the abuses that went with them, prompted the adoption of the fifteenth amendment in 1870. The final major step towards democratic expansion during reconstruction, the fifteenth amendment granted The right of citizens of the United States to vote, and that right, shall not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment finally took out loopholes existent in the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments. The government of the United States was coming closer to being a government by all of the people, and not just whites. Civil war reconstruction offered more than just extended democracy, however. It was also a time of national unification. One of the major boosts to United States nationalism, began with the simple Union victory over the confederacy. Secession was unconstitutional according to those who supported the Union. By defeating the confederacy, the Union had only confirmed that fact. As well, the radical Republican reconstruction plan called for an official renunciation of secession, before states could be readmitted to the Union. If secession from the Union was now illegal, then Daniel Webster's theory of the Constitution being a people's government, and not a compact of states had to be true. The Constitution . . . [begins] with the words 'We the people,' and it was the people, not the states, who . . . created it, Webster claimed in his nationalist theory of the Constitution. The Union became more united than ever before, because now it truly was a Union, . . . now and forever, one and inseparable. There were changes, though, that were occurring in the reconstruction time period that were not as helpful to t he Union as democracy and nationalism. While the nation was reveling in these more encouraging developments, the Union government was having internal conflicts. Congress and the president began dueling over power distribution starting at about the time of Andrew Johnson's presidency. Johnson became president after Lincoln's death and immediately set the tone for the rest of his

A Memorable Day essays

A Memorable Day essays On September Eleventh Two Thousand One the twin Towers collapsed. I was in school. The principal at got on the intercom and instructed the teachers to turn the televisions to channel Five. It was a massive destruction. Terrorists were hijacking our planes and crashing into the towers killing over three thousand innocent lives. It caused so many others pain. Others were worried. People were no lingering safe in America. Everyone everywhere was rushing to take children out of school. While teachers were trying to keep them calm. Emotions were at a rage and uncontrollable. This was history in the making. Others including myself, thought that we would never live through a time of history, and then are able to talk about it. This tragic event is now published in every history books through out the U.S. Living through a period such as this has an effect on everyone. It makes people think of what they have, and instills that maybe what their doing is wrong. It has the ability to change peoples lives for the better. You dont really know or understand why or how good you have things in life. Living through a tragic and distrought event like this gives you a different perspective on life and how you live it. Watching others lose loved ones makes you realize how much you love those who are around you. It makes you appreciate what you have and whom you have. I chose September Eleventh because it brought new meaning to my life. As I hope it did yours. Know one including myself realizes how well they have it until something happens to those around them. It is as if God is giving us a warning or reminding us what we have. September Eleventh Two Thousand One is truly a memorable day in my life. ...

Intervention Programs for Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intervention Programs for Learners - Essay Example On the other hand, multisensory learning helps in the improvement of cognitive thinking, creativity, comprehension of words, thinking, decision making, and problem solving (Pagliano, 2012). Multisensory intervention programs consist of oral language skills, decoding sessions, structured reading, story reading and comprehension skills, vocabularies and single word reading, in addition to phase reading (Adlam, 2008). The teachers use stimulation, assessments and challenge in identifying the weaknesses and strengths of their students for the deployment of effective learning strategies. According to research, multisensory intervention programs have proven efficient and effective for both the teachers and the learners, especially with adults with learning disabilities. It consists of an integration of visual, visual and kinesthetic evaluation and assessment systems that facilitate easier memory advancement, and overall learning. The time consumed in the teaching of the basics of learning, that is sounds and letters, depends on the specific requirements of the learned or group of learners (Fisher, Bates & Gurvitz, 2014). This multisensory intervention group will be applied on three students, namely; Adda who is 38 years of age, Shiene who is 22 years of age, and Karen who is 18 years old.The initial stage in multisensory learning involves oral language skills, where the teacher or instructor interacts with the learner using complete sentences. Inquiry learning is also introduced for the identification of challenges and strong points within the student. Though oral language is usually associated with vocabulary.

Education Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education Leadership - Essay Example As much as leaders in the institutions of higher education face and encounter various challenges emanating from differences in expectations of policies, educational leadership has to be accredited the smooth running of the learning institutions and controversial issues resolved amicably. As noted by Hill, educational leadership is of great importance to the institutions of higher learning considering that it is the system that establishes direction and structural functioning of the institutions (28). It has been routine for education leaders to set future visions to be attained to ensure internal and external growth of the parties involved and the society in general. Setting vision by education leadership inspires the entire students’ body and teachers to work harder to ensure maximization of benefits of staying in the institutions of higher learning. Educational leadership further gains support of Hill as she indicates that it has been responsible in aligning people towards the realization of educational objectives (28). After setting visions, education leadership treads ahead to set example while identifying groups with similar goals and objectives and setting them towards attaining their particular goals. Moreover, Hill reckons that educational leadership has been instrumental in motivating and encouraging stakeholders in the field of higher education (28). The encouragement of the stakeholders has enabled participants in the field of higher education to overcome political rifts, unworthy bureaucracies and growth barriers. This has enabled students and other stakeholders in the field of higher education satisfy the basic needs by use of the limited resources and improve social relation and cohesion. In a nutshell, education leadership has led to blossom of respect among the key participants thereby leading to

Gillette - Developing and Introducing New Products Case Study

Gillette - Developing and Introducing New Products - Case Study Example With regard to developing and introducing new products, Gillette learned from the Wilkinson Sword and Bic experiences to keep ahead of the market by being proactive and searching for opportunities and demands that would satisfy the changing needs of the consumers. Gillette was slow in introducing coated stainless steel blades, despite knowing the technology, because by producing them, much of their manufacturing equipment would be obsolete. Further, they were hoping that the surge in consumer purchase for coated stainless steel blades would only be temporary and the market niche would be small. Therefore, firms making long-term investments in manufacturing and supply chain resources could face imminent threats of obsolescence due to technological breakthroughs and changing consumer demands and preferences.It is not enough for Gillette to simply design a razor that gives the â€Å"best shave possible† because new products emerge in the market due to technological developments a nd consumers have diverse needs that have to be addressed. There would always be threats of new entrants or product substitutes that could give the same advantage and added features. Therefore, manufacturing helps maintain Gillette’s market share by ensuring that ample research has been instituted that would make it difficult for competitors to copy the product and thereby give them the competitive advantage. By involving operations and supply chain personnel early in the development stage, various inputs and innovative ideas are taken into consideration in the design and planned development of new products. This would ensure that all necessary elements in product development have been considered and integrated with the process, prior to launching.

Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses Research Proposal

Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses Research Proposal A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INFORMATION BOOKLET ON EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF STAFF NURSES WORKING IN SELECTED COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF GUJARAT STATE   INVESTIGATOR Bhavisha R. Patel ABSTRACT Disaster has been Mankind’s constant though inconvenient companion since time immemorial. The fury of nature can be as disastrously beautiful as the gifts of nature received gratis. Natural disaster continues to strike unabated and without notice and is perceived to be on the increase in their magnitude complexity, frequency and economic impact. India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. The main objective of the study was assessing the knowledge and practice of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. The conceptual frame work is based on System theory model. Materials Method used for the study was after a preliminary study on Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses conducted at Adalaj CHC, a pre-post interventional study was performed on 8 CHCs of Gujarat State. Four districts of Gujarat state i.e. Ahmedabd, Gandhinagar, Panchamahal and Bharuch were selected randomly. Each CHCs of selected districts were randomly selected. While sample selection was done by Lottery Method. One group pre post design used for the study Data collection includes personal data, knowledge of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured knowledge questionnaires, Practice of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured observation check list. An Information Booklet was introduced in terms of knowledge and Practice performing by Staff Nurses on Earthquake Preparedness. Reliability of the tool was confirmed by Pearson test and validity was done from experts of different health department. Results of or Forty staff nurses were included from Eight CHCs of Gujarat state. For the knowledge it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test knowledge score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 15.82 and the mean post test score is 29.75. The Standard Deviation of pre test knowledge score is 2.77 and that of the post test is 1.84. The calculated‘t’ is 13.92 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance. For practice of the samples it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test practice score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 35.47 and the mean post test score is 48.025. The calculated‘t’ is 21.37 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance There was significant difference between pretest mean score and posttest mean score for knowledge and practice of samples regarding Earth quake Preparedness of Staff Nurses. After administration of an Information Booklet, there was improvement in samples’ Knowledge and Practice. So it was concluded that An Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness increased the knowledge and practice of staff nurses working in selected CHCs of Gujarat State. Introduction â€Å"Hospitals Safe from Disasters Reduce Risk, Protect Health Facilities, Save Lives,† (World Health Day). Disaster caused by nature’s fury is not uncommon in this planet, earth. In fact, scientists believe that the birth of this planet, earth was the result of an explosion that occurred in the solar system, from time immemorial this planet has witnessed numerous natural disasters. In the past, man used to view this natural disaster as the â€Å"ACTS OF GOD† Gradually; science opened the doors of knowledge and enabled man to understand the mysteries of nature. On January 26, 2001 Gujarat was rocked by a violent earthquake. Thousands of people died and there was loss of about 400 crore rupees to the nation. It was one of the severest earthquakes to have hit the country. In served to highlight the gaping holes in the nation’s disaster management ability. This devastating incident made the investigator take up the present study. Nurses in any location will be on the front line as caregivers and managers in the event of a damaging, disaster. Having read the views of various authors the investigator is able to visualize that disaster situations are very different from routine nursing care situation. Nurses need to have adequate knowledge and training to work in such a unique, chaotic, stressful situation and to identify and meet the complex, multi various health needs of victims of disaster. India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. The loss in terms of private, community and public assets has been astronomical. At the global level, there has been considerable concern over natural disasters. Even as substantial scientific and material progress is made, the loss of lives and property due to disasters has not decreased. In fact, The human toll and economic losses have mounted. It was in this background that the United Nations General Assembly, in 1989, declared the decade 1990- 2000 as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction with the objective to reduce loss of lives and property and restrict socio-economic damage through concerted international action, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: 1. To assess the knowledge of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. 2. To assess the practice of the Staff Nurses before and after the administration of Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness in the selected Community health centre of Gujarat state. HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY: H1: The mean post test knowledge scores of the Staff Nurses after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness will be significantly higher than their mean pre test Knowledge scores as evident from the Structured Knowledge Questionnaire at .05 levels. H2: The mean post test practice scores of the Staff Nurses after the Administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness will be significantly higher than their mean pre test practice scores as evident from the structured observational Checklist at .05 levels. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS Effectiveness: it refers to the power of the information booklet to bring about changes in knowledge and practice of staff nurses regarding earthquake preparedness. Informational Booklet: A handy written material, which will enhance the knowledge of staff nurses regarding earthquake preparedness improve practice of the staff nurse. Earth Quake: A sudden violent shaking of the ground as a result of movement within the earth’s crust. Preparedness:- is concerned with forecasting and working, education and training of population, organization for and management of disaster including preparation of operational plan, training of relief groups, ensuring adequate supplies of necessary funds. Knowledge: It is the ability of staff nurses to respond to a structured knowledge questionnaire regarding earthquake preparedness resulting as evident from knowledge score. Practice: It refers to the abilities of the staff nurse to guide and provide care to the earthquake preparedness with the use of informational booklet. At Evidence by Structured Observational Check List. Staff nurse: staff nurse (male and female) who are working in community health center. Community health center: In this study CHC refers to community health center covering a population of 80,000 to 1.20 lake with 30 beds and specialist in surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics with X-ray and laboratory facilities. DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:- The study is delimited to Staff nurse of selected CHC of Gujarat state accessible during the data collection will be selected for the sample. The study is delimited to Staff nurse who are willing to participate in the study. The study is delimited to the CHC of selected district of Gujarat State only. The study is delimited to the 40 staff nurses only. RESEARCH DESIGN Research design selected for the present study was one group pre test post test design. The investigator had developed structured Knowledge Questionnaire and Structured Observational Checklist for evaluation of pre test and post test. RESEARCH SETTING:- The present study was conducted in the selected Community Health Center of Gujarat State. Investigator was divided Gujarat state in five regions (north, east, and west, south and central) and from that investigator will select any four districts by lottery method). From each district by lottery method investigator will select two Community Health Center. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Materials Method used for the study was after a preliminary study on Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses conducted at Adalaj CHC, a pre-post interventional study was performed on 8 CHCs of Gujarat State.. Four districts of Gujarat state i.e. Ahmedabd, Gandhinagar, Panchamahal and Bharuch were selected randomly. Each CHCs of selected districts were randomly selected. While sample selection was done by Lottery Method. One group pre post design used for the study Data collection includes personal data, knowledge of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured knowledge questionnaires, Practice of Earthquake Preparedness of staff nurses with help of structured observation check list. An Information Booklet was introduced in terms of knowledge and Practice performing by Staff Nurses on Earthquake Preparedness. The main area of knowledge and Practice include – Introduction of Earthquake, Types and Phases of Disaster, Earthquake Preparedness and Care of Victim. Reliability of the tool was confirmed by Pearson test and validity was done from experts of different health department. Results for Forty staff nurses were included from Eight CHCs of Gujarat state. For the knowledge it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test knowledge score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 15.82 and the mean post test score is 29.75. The table also shows that the Standard Deviation of pre test knowledge score is 2.77 and that of the post test is 1.84. The calculated‘t’ is 13.92 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance. For practice of the samples it is reveals the comparison between pre-test and post-test practice score obtained by the Samples on Earthquake Preparedness. The mean pre test score is 35.47 and the mean post test score is 48.025. The table also shows that the Standard Deviation of pre test practice score is 3.17 and that of the post test is 2.03. The ca lculated‘t’ is 21.37 and the tabulated’ is 1.68 at 0.05 level of significance There was significant difference between pretest mean score and posttest mean score for knowledge and practice of samples regarding Earthquake Preparedness of Staff Nurses. After administration of an Information Booklet, there was improvement in samples’ Knowledge and Practice. So it was concluded that An Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness increased the knowledge and practice of staff nurses  working in selected CHCs of Gujarat State. CONCLUSIONS The following conclusions can be drawn from the study findings. For personal data investigator concluded the results and it is revealed that 18(45%) of the samples are in the age group of 31-40 years, 37(92.5%) are female, 40(100%) has not attend training regarding Disaster Management, 35(87.5%) have the professional qualification of GNM and 17(42.5%) have 6-10 years clinical experience and 39(97.5%) have not any experience related Earthquake Management. From knowledge questionnaire it is revealed that the mean difference in the area related to the Introduction of Earthquake is 3.30, in area related to Earthquake Types and Phases is 1.82, in area related to Earthquake Preparedness 5.42 and while area related to Care of Victim is 3.37. Samples have gained more knowledge in the area related to Earthquake Preparedness and Care of Victim. Obtained mean difference in all area of knowledge the calculated‘t’ is greater than tabulated‘t’ (1.68) and so the investigat or concluded that there is significant increase in the mean post test knowledge score as compared to the mean pre test knowledge score after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness which is statistically proved and so the null hypothesis Ho1 is rejected and research hypothesis H1 is accepted.. Mean post test knowledge score is higher than mean pre test knowledge score with the mean difference of 13.92 which is statistically proved that the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness is effective in terms of knowledge among the samples. The calculated‘t’ (13.92) is significantly greater than the tabulated ‘t’(1.68) so there is significant increase in the knowledge of samples after the administration of the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness. For The Observational Checklist It is is revealed that the mean difference in the area related to the Arrangement of infrastructure and equipments is 6.25, in area related to Preparation of Emergency kit articles is 2.025, in area related to Communication Facility 3.75 and while area related to Round the clock inspection of medicine and repair of equipment is 0.53. Samples have gained more practice in the area related to Arrangement of infrastructure and equipments and Communication Facility .Obtained mean difference in all area of practice the calculated ‘t’ is greater than tabulated ‘t’(1.68) and so the investigator concluded that there is significant increase in the mean post test practice score as compared to the mean pre test practice score after the administration of an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness which is statistically proved and so the null hypothesis Ho2 is rejected and research hypothesis H2 is accepted. Mean post test practice s core is higher than mean pre test practice score with the mean difference of 12.55 which is statistically proved that the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness is effective in terms of practice among the samples. The calculated‘t’ (21.37) is significantly greater than the tabulated ‘t’(1.68) so there is significant increase in the practice of samples after the administration of the Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness. From all the above mentioned findings, it can be concluded that the administration of an Information Booklet was definite increase in both Knowledge and Practice of Staff Nurses. This clearly indicates that an Information Booklet on Earthquake Preparedness was effective in improving the Knowledge and Practice of the Samples. BIBLIOGRAPHY:- NEWSPAPERS â€Å"Coping with Calamities†. The Times of India, 31st January,2001. â€Å"Courses on Disaster Management Need Upgrading.† The Times of India, 18th January, 2002. â€Å"Networking Relief and Rehabilitation†. The Times of India, 30th January, 2001. â€Å"Press for Quack-Resistance Building Norms† The Times of India, 31st January, 2001. JOURNALES Anne G.H. Coping with Disaster. â€Å"American Journal of Nursing†. 1980 Dec; 80(4): 683. Berglin SL. Emergency Nurses in Community Disaster Planning. â€Å"Journal of Emergency Nursing†. 1990, 16(4): 290- 292. Bhatia, S.C., et. Al. â€Å"A Probabilistic Hazard map of India andAdjoining Regions†. Ann. Geofis, 1999, 42(6), 1153-1155. Bland, John. Superfluous to Requirement. â€Å"World Health†. 1991, 22(1), 17-20. Bittner, Patricia, Disaster Preparedness. â€Å"World Health†. 1991,22(1), 13. INTERNET www.who.int/disaster/repo/5522pdf prehospital disaster search www.redcross.int Disaster and triage http//206.39.77.2/DMCR/triage/rules.htm www.database .disaster BOOKS Best John w. â€Å"Research in Education†. New Delhi; prentice Hall of India Private Limited, 1992. B.T.Baswanthappa.â€Å"Nursing Theories†. 2ndEdition, Jaypee Brothers, New Delhi, 2005. B.T.Baswanthappa.â€Å"Nursing Research†. 2nd Edition, Jaypee Brothers, New Delhi, 2005. C.V.R Murty. â€Å"Preparing for Earthquakes: Where India Stands†. Vol 3, No.3, May 2000. Garrett, H. and K. Woodworth, R.S. â€Å"Statistics in Psychology and Evaluation†. Bombay: Vakils Feffers and Simons Ltd., 1981. Polite, D.F.. and Hungler, B.P. â€Å"Nursing Research; Principles and Methods†. Philadelphia: J.E. Lippincott Company, 1999. W.H.O, â€Å"Coping with Natural Disaster the Role of Local Health Personnel and the Community†, Geneva: WHO, 1989.

Mark Twain not Racist the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin :: essays research papers

There is many racial elements in, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story that has caused much controversy over the years. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was published two decades after the civil war was over, yet it is set in a time period before the civil war began so there is many examples of racism and slavery. Mark Twain believed that slavery, and owning slaves was acceptable, but he was not a racist. Mark Twain was for slavery because he grew up in a time period where it was okay to have slaves and it even boosted your social status, to own slaves. â€Å"He cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n. It don’t seem natural...†(155). Mark Twain thought that black people were on a lower level of social status than white people, and that they did not care for their families as much as white people did. â€Å"And then think of me! It would get all around that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom, and if I was ever to seen anybody from that town again I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame†(212). In the 1860's it was considered immoral and a sin to help a slave into freedom. Mark Twain’s character, Huckleberry Finn, is ashamed that he helped the slave Jim to escape, yet he is good to Jim, so there is a bit of conflicting interests in Huck’s and Jim’s relationship. Mark Twain was not a racist because he did not portray Huckleberry Finn as one in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. â€Å"People would call me a low-down abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum, but that don’t make no difference†(43). Huck new it was wrong to help Jim escape, but that was his friend and he did not care was the other people thought. â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to hell†(214). Huck decides that he doesn’t want to give up Jim’s locations so he decides to rip up the letter that he was going to send to Jim’s owner Miss Watson, even if it meant that he would go to hell for committing what he believed was a sin. â€Å"I saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s got now†(214).

UNlQLO-Hong Kong Essay

Introduction: This essay sets out to strategically analyze UNIQLO which IS a new Japanese ca wear brand invest in Hong Kong. I will analysis UNIQLO internal factor and external factor. After that, I will recommendation some area of digital marketing to UNIQLO Company background: UNIQLO is the well-known casual clothing brand in Japan, and to Show footprints across four continents, 17 places. UNIQLO is mainly developing the† business market in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. In a few years, UNIQLO upgrade to the world‘s fourth largest casual wear brand, just behind ZARA, H&M. and GAP. Also, Giordano is the main local competitor of UNIQLO in Hong Kong. In 2005, UNIQLO started to invest in Hong Kong. They open the first branch in Tsim Sha Tsui. Today, UNIQLO is one of the popular brands in Hong Kong where have 22 branches. Many teenagers or student will buy their clothes because. there have many types of clothes such as T-Shirt, coat, jacket, sweater and jeans. Internal analysis: Business Model UNIQLO is a business to customer (B2C) company, as their company philosophy is MADE FOR ALL’. They want everyone can wear the best quality casual wear. So their product lines divide to man, woman, kids and baby. Also, UNIQLO products have different series such as casual wear, formal suit, underwear and sportswear. They want customer can purchase their clothes more concentrate and convenience. Then main objectives of UNIQLO’s marketing program are enhancing its brand image, In the target market and maintaining relationships with customers  through digital communication. Digital marketing communication is very useful which can attract the potential customers. For example, we are developing the online shopping system to our customers. It can attract the potential customers who are looking our website. Also it can build our brand image, increase our market share. In addition, we are planning to cooperate with local university, Sponsor some clothing to their student. Establish long term relationship with media channels. Target Customer UNIQLO slogan is â€Å"MADE FOR ALL† their target market would be anyone and everyone, no matter what yours gender, ages. In UNIQLO, you can purchase what you need. However, they will not set their products prices too high as they want everybody can afford it. In Hong Kong, teenager and student are their main target customers because teenager and student are care more about their dressing than adult. Competitive Analysis (International competitors in Hong Kong) UNIQLO is the world’s fourth largest casual wear brands, their ,main competitors are H&M, GAP and ZARA. These three companies also sell inexpensive causal wear and thief style is very similar. (What about Giordano, Bossini) GAP & ZARA are UNIQLO big competitor because they want to develop their business in Asia too. They want to infuse the Europe style to Asian. However, UNIQLO is a Japanese company, their products maybe have some Japanese style. In Asia, Asian like Europe style more than Japanese style. 50 it will affect their sales in Asia. In digital marketing, I find online shopping system only GAP website have, UNIQLO, H&M and ZARA haven’t online shopping systems. Also, GAP have the after sell service, it can help customer to reduce the risk of shopping  online. Nowadays, customers like shopping online because they can know the news products and purchase them on the internet, it is more convenience than shopping in branches. ln Hong Kong, UNIQLO only have 22 branches, not everywhere can see UNIQLO stores, so online shopping system can really help UNIQLO to promote their products. However, UNIQLO has used other social application such as ‘LINE’ to interactive with. customers. For example, UNIQLO every week will send message in their fans page, they will ask some question, if follower answers their question correctly, they will give some discount to them. It seems more interesting because customers can interactive with UNIQLO. (Local Competitor) Recommendations Part B(Strategy) ESPN has become part of the American culture for more than forty years. This provision mummy Sports information is becoming integrative to the global phenomenon. In general. world-of-mouth marketing can be cleverly driven Into electronic marketing and social network marketing via the social media in the form of online communities and forums, blogs and social network. Such includes Facebook. Twitter and YouTube. Electronic marketing and social network marketing will be important for ESPN (Dijkmans. Kerhof & Beukeboom, 2014) to continue to keep their position in world culture and remain as one of the top choice of quality sports information provider among consumers. The social network marketing will continue to reach their target customers. ESPN must help her customers in engagement with ease to exchange her brand virally. The business branding of ESPN is to be extended onto Google+ aside Facebook and Twitter since this platform supports the best practice tactics in viral marketing. After all, these social media platforms are to be integrative with EXPN website via the Cell phone technology by the implementation of mobile apps with updates the call for action buttons site structure with search functions enhancement retrieve of comment posting on social platform in display on home site(and vice versa) Google analytic tools (Pan, 2014) in tracking the status of EXPN against her Competitors The implementation allows for provision of 1 visual content sharing of images and videos (for gasping of attention) 2 educational and insightful content to attract more serious people (parents and Young adults) 3 Provide frequent and consistent updates of content of new stories and sports- specific blog posts 4 Provide prominent sharing button of social media platforms for easing Customers in sharing the content ESPN needs to focus on her sport cultural customers especially in creating her evangelists by asking them to encourage their peers into using ESPN. In particular, the youth audiences would be highly influential to continue to appreciate the service of ESPN and help to pass that same appreciation down to their next generation as it has been a part of their culture. Her role as an advisory agency for her sports customers allows the advantages at two levels (Domegan, 2008). At commerce level, cross-selling is possible between ESPN and her other business partners and such saves the operation cost of her sports partners and the time cost of their Customers. At marketing level, her mission and vision in helping the SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding the UNIQLO strengths and weaknesses, and for identifying the opportunities open and the threats of UNIQLO. Used in a business context, a SWOT Analysis helps UNIQLO carve a sustainable inche in its market 1. Strengths: -Products diversification -Great service attitude -Pricing First, UNIQLO’s products have many types such as formal suit, sportswear and casual wear, it can provide more choice for customers purchase in the same place. Second, shopping in UNlQLO can enjoy the best service. When the customers entered the stores, the staff will say ’Welcome to UNIQLO’ and show their smile face to customers to keep the impression better. Also they will solve all about products question to customers. I think this is better than other competitor. Third is UNIQLO products price, they offer discounted prices which increase footfall in store. Also, their price is cheaper than other casual wear shop, but their product quality will not decrease. 2. Weakness: -Employee flow too much -Can’t shopping online No membership (preferential) First, UNIQLO invest much money into training which increase the human resource cost. UNIQLO always have the employee outflow, it will waste their training and money. As UNIQLO hasn’t enough employees discount and welfare so they are difficulty to attract teenager join. Second. UNIQLO hasn’t online shop, they only have online website. Customer only In Hong Kong, the local competitor is Giordano which has 73 branches that more than UNIQLO 22 branches. So, Giordano‘s market share is more than UNIQLO so much. Also, Giordano has perfect online shopping system. it attract more customer purchase Giordano product. This is the main different  between UNIQLO and Giordano. As Giordano has these kinds of service, they can help customer purchase convenient. Giordano’s advertisements do very well and enough that make them to be a well-known brand in Hong Kong. Product Analysis As teenager and student are UNIQLO target customers, their products need to be younger and colorful. Also, UNIQLO is always crossover with some famous designer and other brands such as +J Collection, SPRZ NY, Jeffrey Fulvimari and Disney. It will make UNIQLO products more special and limited. UNIQLO products are very diversification which has four main series products such as women, man, kids and baby. UNIQLO products can fulfill yours need because they have different product lines such as sportswear and casual wear. Their goal is everyone has the chance to come in UNIQLO to purchase. Corporate Social Responsibility UNIQLO not only a business company, they also is a social responsibility company. They have the concept is through clothing to bring the social have the good way development. UNIQLO sponsor some famous sports athlete such as NOVAK DJOKOVIC, Adam Scott, KEl NISHIKORI and SHINGO KUNIEDA. UNIQLO hope they can promote their brand to the world and attend more charity function. The aim is through the star effect to attract more people to care the poor countries. UNIQLO also has the clothing recycling program, they will send the old clothes to the disaster affected countries such as 2013 Nov Philippine typhoon disaster. They donate many recycle clothes to victims. Situation Market Analysis: Situation Analysis ESPN is the leading American cable television network of sports entertainments, entering its first year of operation in cell phone venture in 2003. its premium products were well received and niche marketing has been the key to develop brand and product awareness as well as grow the customer base. ESPN offers sophisticated cell phone with highly specialized content at sports information, serving the growing web industry. The entrance to the Western European markets in 2009 demonstrated the business design and its distinctive capabilities of ESPN as being a leading multinational sports entertainment company. ESPN is shown successful at marketing, capabilities such as understanding customer value, creating customer value, delivering customer value, capturing customer value, and sustaining customer value. Market Summary and Target Customers ESPN possesses good information about the sports entertainment and knows the specifics about the characteristics of a particular sports entertainment follower. This knowledge and the accumulated customer base of customers can be leveraged to better the product and service provision in addressing the needs of the target customers. The common attributes of the target markets of ESPM are as follows: Entertainment Speed Sportsmanship Excitement Culture SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis evaluates an organization to assess the internal and external factors, Which in turns impacts on the market organization of the organization. The assessment is Critical in the development of goals and the implementation of strategies (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company. and describes the opportunities and threats facing ESPN.

Classify the business according to its ownership †McDonalds Essay

The business I have decided to choose for this assignment is McDonald’s. McDonald’s ownership is a franchise. McDonald is a large business with more than 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, serving more than 38 million people each day. * Overseas comparisons indicate that franchising is the fastest growing form of retailing and McDonald has grown quickly by granting franchises. The term franchising has been used to describe many different forms of business relationships. This form of business ownership was first introduced in the U.K. It is a form of business organisation that is becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom. * A franchise is an agreement between two parties. An entrepreneur (franchisor) and franchisee. The franchise agreement grants to the franchisee the right and authorisation to operate a specific McDonald’s restaurant, at a single address. The franchise term is usually for a period of 20 years. These franchise rights include the use of McDonald’s trademarks, restaurant dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor designs, signage and equipment layout, the formula and specifications for menu items, use of McDonald’s method of operation, inventory control, book-keeping, accounting and marketing. * A separate franchise lease covers the right to occupy the restaurant premises. In returns, the franchisee agrees to operate the business in accordance with McDonald’s standards of quality service, cleanliness food safety and restaurant safety. The franchisee is expected to take a ‘hands on’ role in operating the business, and to be involved in local civic and charitable activities. * Throughout the franchise term, the franchisee’s sole business interest should be McDonald’s. Franchising is really the ‘hiring out’ or licensing of the use of ‘good ideas’ to other companies. A franchise grants permission to sell a product and trade under a certain name in a particular area. For example if I have a good idea, I can sell you a licence to trade and carry out a business using my idea in your area. McDonald’s is a big example of brand franchising. McDonald’s has grown its business in the United Kingdom through franchising outlets. Explain the benefits and constraints of the type of ownership. In order to succeed it is necessary to consider the benefits and constraints involvement in franchise. There are clear benefits to this: * You don’t have to come up with a new idea. Someone else had it and tested too! * Large, well-established franchise operations will often have national advertising campaigns and a reputable, well established trading name. * Good franchisors (BFA) will offer comprehensive training programmes in sales and indeed all business skills. * Good franchisor can also help secure funding for your investment as well as e.g. discounted bulk-buy supplies for outlets when you are in operation. * If you are aware that you are running a franchise customers will also understand that you will be offering the possible value for money and service – although you run your ‘own show’ as a part of a much larger organisation. Benefits for franchisor: * Low capital expenditure — franchising is an excellent method of expanding your business with a limited amount of ready capital. Franchisor takes a share of profit without taking risk. Low risk route to expansion. * Personal commitment and motivation from franchisees is greater than from employees, the reason being that they have more accountability and responsibility than an ordinary employee. * Reduced daily involvement — it is a method of obtaining conscientious and dedicated personal who work hard to a safeguard their investment. Benefits for franchisee: Some of the advantages of franchising to the franchisee are that it gives them the opportunity of sharing some of the benefits of a large business such as: * An established reputation * A known brand name and image * Skilled management * Large scale advertising programmes which are usually paid for by an advertising levy * Economies of scale, producing on a large scale is termed economies of scale. McDonald’s does this by trying to keep low cost through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers, which will give the company value for money. * Franchising also offer much of the independence of a sole proprietor In this way a small business benefits from the economies of scale That comes from being part of a large company organisation. Constraints of franchising * Limits on product price – they can’t change their product price up to wherever they want. They have limits for price. * Limits on variety of product – they can’t have variety of products. Customers get confused if they’ll keep variety of product they have to keep certain products. * Limits on freedom- they can’t do whatever they want. They have to follow owner’s instructions to run their business. Franchisees have not much freedom. * Limits on the title of their business- they can’t even change the colour of their title. As you can see they have same colour and title style wherever their branches are. Task 2: A Clear description and explanation of the objectives of the business. The objectives of businesses can vary enormously. Companies may have a number of objectives. In general, the objectives pursued by a business tend to vary according to its size, ownership and legal structure. Small businesses are more likely to focus on survival as an objective as they tend to lack the financial resources to cope with adverse trading conditions. Larger businesses may aim to maximise profits. As being one of the larger businesses McDonald has the following objectives: * Profit maximisation * Survival * Market share * Growth * Providing exceptional customers care * Remaining an efficient and quality producer offering high value to customers (according to company’s policy) Profit maximisation: Profit maximisation is likely to be an important objective for most companies which shareholder including McDonald’s owns. Profit refers to the extent to which revenues exceed costs, so profit maximisation occurs when the difference between sales revenue and total costs is greatest. Companies such as McDonald’s seek to maximise profit to cover up their costs and to provide high returns for their shareholders. McDonald’s does this by trying to keep cost low through economies of scale. They try to select suppliers which will give the company value for money. In order to maximise sales they have various sales promotion throughout the year. The basis for their profit is low cost rather than high price. Survival: Survival is an important objective for many businesses. According to the business writer Peter Drucker: It is the first duty of a business to survive. The guiding principle of business economics, in the other words, is not the maximisation of profits; it is the avoidance of loss. Business enterprise must produce the premium to cover the risk inevitably involved in its operation. And there is only one source for this risk premium: profits. Most recently established businesses like McDonald’s have survival as objectives. This is because often they have intense competition in the market so they have to spend heavily on their advertising to attract customers. They have to ensure that they remain the Market leader in their industry. Growth: Growth occurs for the company when there is an ongoing increase in an economy’s production of goods and services. McDonald’s pursues growth through selling more franchises all over the world in order to have a presence in most countries in the world. They can achieve this by increasing the overall size of the business by merging or joining other firms of buying them out through a take-over. McDonald’s recently went into a joint venture with prà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½t a manager in order to enter another segment of the U.S market and gain a greater share of the market Increasing sale or market share: Growth occurs when there is an ongoing increase in an economy’s production of goods and services. Many businesses pursue growth strategies because their managers believe that this essential for survival. If the firm grows, it grows with more customers, earn higher profits and begin to establish itself in the market. Growth offers: * Increased returns for the owners of the business * Competitive salaries ( and more job security ) for employees of the business * A wider range of products for the business exists and potential customers it is increasingly common for mangers’ pay packages to successful managers can earn substantial incomes if that is reflected in the company’s share price. Increasing market share is an important objective for McDonald’s. It is likely to be a key objective any business operating in a market which is not growing. For example, the market for traditional beers in the U.K is not growing – indeed there are signs that it may be declining. As the market is not increasing the size, brewers of traditional ales can only increase sales by taking market share from competitors. Market share is also important for McDonald’s because that considerably from producing on a large scale. They use expensive equipment and the financial advantages of producing on a large scale are termed economies of scale. Where these economies exist, firm will attempt to take a greater share of the market. This allows them to sell their product at lower price, increasing their competitiveness. Task Three: Every organisation will need to acquire, use and change factors of production in order to produce goods and provide services. McDonald’s has several functional areas that exist in the business to help the business meet its objectives and to provide goods and services as well. And each of which is supported by a particular administrative office. The administration of each function is based on its offices. There are many administrative offices each with a specialist responsibility and function. The functional areas McDonald’s has are as follow: * Finance * Production * Human resources * Marketing * Research and development * 1) Finance Function: The finance director George Mackay is responsible for finance department. The main activities of finance function are: * To keep record of all business transactions, keeping of cost and revenues and setting target through budgeting. * To provide information about services. * To develop new product that satisfy customer’s expectations. * Quality assurance * Supply chain * Measure the financial performance of the business. * Increase market share so they can make profit and give money to their shareholders. * Control the finances and cash flow so the business stays solvent, i.e. does go bankrupt. * Take timely decisions by comparing the predicted performance with actual performance. This chart shows the structure of finance department. Finance Director Finance Information services New product development Quality assurance Supply chain According to McDonald’s finance director accurate financial information allows them to achieve their most important goals to increase profits by expanding, sustained growth and charitable objectives. McDonald’s not only invests much of its profit in extending its own business but also set aside millions of dollars each year to fund charitable activities. Not only this, McDonald’s also provides different type of support to other organisations and schools. * McDonald’s has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. * McDonald’s supports the Groundwork Trust, an environmental urban regeneration programme. * McDonald’s is a major sponsor of international football. * McDonald’s donates million of pounds towards community, educational and charity programme. * McDonald’s also provides salary and benefits to its employees and reviewed on regular basis. As for most of the time McDonald’s made consistently high profits around $3,633 million and have grown successfully by making good profit and still planning to grow more further (according to the McDonald’s book). 2) Production Function: The function of the production department is to change inputs into outputs, which means produce goods and services are to be brought by the customers. McDonald’s is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. And this is what production department is responsible for. In order to deliver on this, the company has made commitments: to food safety, food quality and to nutrition. Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and safety. All staff receives proper training in food safety. McDonald’s food is made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw ingredients are produced to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards and quality and safety. McDonald’s highly trained workers work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality. McDonald’s recognises the importance of a balanced diet, lifestyle and health therefore provides hot, less fat and fresh food to their customers. McDonald’s invest a lot of money in new technology. Thus, improving the quality food preparation and helps achieving company’s aim of growth in the fast food market. * Controlling production methods and planning the scale of production * Controlling costs and working efficiently * Meeting the specific needs of customers McDonald’s is working hard to develop their products and provide their customers a variety of differentiated products, which helps to meet another important objective satisfying customer needs because increasingly customers expect to buy the product that meet their exact needs. Developing efficient methods of production to reduce cost is helps to make profit and growth because a fall in the cost of production resulting form an increase in the size of a business, which is called economy of scale in the language of business. When outputs rises, the cost of production per item-the unit cost-falls, and the business can reduce the price of its goods. With the lower price, it will get more customers and so benefit from the even lower unit costs. This will make it more competitive and can easily increase market share. McDonald’s has raised standard through out the food processing industry. 3) Human resources: Human resources department deals with staff recruitment, training and development. Human resources is a very important function for the business because it selects the workforce (the right people for right job), provides training and development of staff, which improve their skills, performance and relates to the aim of McDonald’s, which is the best service for its customers. Efficiency helps a business run more smoothly, effectively and profitability. Efficiency begins with developing ways of working that are easy to understand and do not waste time or energy. Division of labour, in which each workers carries out a specific job, increase speed and the more people you serve each day the more profit you make so it helps to maximize profit as well as expand the business. McDonald’s have their employment policies. McDonald’s employs some of the best, most ambitious people on the job market. Whether they join as hourly paid staff or management trainees through gradua te or a high standard recruitment, they have the opportunity to develop a career, which can take them to the very top. Above all, McDonald’s values people with a positive attitude towards customers, themselves and other employees, and strive towards delivering the highest standards of quality, service and cleanliness. The ability to understand and adopt McDonald’s customer-led culture is as worth as the more usual career entry requirements of GCSE and university degree. The company is an equal opportunity employer and 1992 set up an equal opportunities group to help foster a diverse workplace and highlight equal opportunities as an important part of the company’ s ethos. McDonald’s commitment to equal opportunity extends beyond race, gender, ethnic origin, marital status, colour, nationality or disability, to compass people with very different backgrounds and experience. Whether university graduates and those without formal qualifications, first jobbers or those who have worked for decades, what binds employees is the knowledge that the opportunities are as great as an individual’s ambition and ability allow. And if employees are happy with the opportunities they are getting form the company they work hard for the company and try to provide best service in the world. It is important to retain talented staff and staff who have become skilled through training. By recruiting quality staff who are committed to the business, thus reducing recruitment costs by not having to recruit too often. McDonald’s also provide benefits with salary to its staff. Hourly paid staff benefits: * Free meal allowance * Paid holidays (4 weeks per annum) * Free life assurance (value dependent upon service) * Private health care (for employees aged 19+with 3 years service) * Sponsorship Programme * Stock purchase scheme * Employees discount card * Service awards (at 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years service) * Stakeholder pension Apart from good rates of pay, McDonald’s try to provide good working conditions and incentives. This also helps McDonald’s to meets its objective of expanding and providing best service to the community. 4) Marketing: According to the research about McDonald’s marketing is the whole process by which goods get from producers to buyers. More people work in Marketing than in production. Marketing involves marketing research, distribution, pricing and promotion. As last week McDonald’s was offering 2 normal fries, hamburger, drink for only à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 and that offer was only for limited period. Marketing department deals with advertising, promotion and improving the image of the product and services to attract more customers. The fast food industry is in which many companies compete for customers. McDonald’s provide a better product, give better value for money, provide a superior service, better at distributing and selling its good and services and making them known through advertising and publicity. There is no doubt that McDonald’s do a lot of advertising and promotion activities. One of them is mentioned above. Recently McDonald’s announced that Kay Napier, Procter & Gamble marketing veteran, vice President/General manger, has been hired as a senior Vice President of marketing. McDonald’s marketing director said, â€Å"I am delighted to add this kind of marketing talent to our team at McDonald’s. This is another step in elevating one of the world’s great brands to an even higher level of marketing strength and value. This will also help them to achieve their objective, which is growth. Customer can be attracted through good eye-catching advertisement, advertisement has this tremendous ability to shift demand curve to the right. As customer increase income rises which helps achieving company’s aim of making profit so that they can cover their cost more easily. McDonald’s also meets its objective which is satisfying customer need by knowing what customer want and how much they are willing to spend on their food. To achieve this objective marketing department employees special research team for the test products do surveys with customers to taste new product and answer questionnaire about them. According to McDonald’s policy McDonald’s will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standards required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality & hygiene. This policy helps McDonald’s to meet its o bjective of Providing best food, beat competition and improve the company’ image. 5) Research and development: The purpose of R & D is to enable business to compete successfully and achieve permanently sustainable competition over its competitors by becoming more efficient and/or profitable and giving customers’ added value. To achieve this McDonald’s always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customer’s expectations for great taste and great value. The company’s new product and development team works with suppliers to expand the menu with new core and promotional food items. The team helps to ensure that all new food items meet McDonald’s high quality and safety standards. As with the existing product range, McDonald’s solicits and carefully listens to customers’ view on any new or promotional products. * McDonald’s offer more and more choices for breakfast by developing new products as more and more customers eat breakfast out rather than at home. * Changing existing products McDonald’s uses conventional food chemicals or additives that add flavour and colour that helps to maintain freshness and make changing in existing products by listening to customers’ views. * Collecting data from worldwide research McDonald’s has special research team to find out what customers want and how much they can spend. McDonald’s also has restaurant development policy: When McDonald’s has local knowledge which is a key to choosing new locations, McDonald’s on discussion with local managers who are closely involved at roots level with their local communities. By keeping customers convenience McDonald’s develop new restaurants. Company is committed to responsible and works closely with local planning and community groups when developing new restaurants. Every bullet point and information is written there helps McDonald’s to achieve its objective of providing good service to the community by attracting more customers and making profit. There are advantages and disadvantages with every functional areas but each functional area helps McDonald’s in one way or another to meet its objectives. Task Four: There are three types of management style and they are: * Democratic * Autocratic * Consultative Management style will describe the different ways that the managers treat their employees and also the way the in charge of the employees. Democratic management style: This type of style involves empowerment. Individuals and team are given responsibility to make decisions, usually with a given frame. The team is then responsible for the decisions that it makes. A manager with this style will feel comfortable allowing others t make decisions. Autocratic management style: This style is where manager gives out instructions, telling people what to do rather than asking employees. The manager is the only person who contributes to decision making. Consultative management style: Consultative mangers are ones who seek to consult other to implement decisions. This type of style wants to draw on more sources of opinion than just her or himself. The purpose of management style is to remember where we started. Business exists to satisfy demand for particular goods and services and in order to do this they need resources; the factor of production. Being the fast food company McDonald’s exists to provide catering service to the community. Management is concerned with planning, controlling and co-ordinating the acquisition and use of these resources. In large concerns like McDonald’s, managers run the business by using people and information. The term ‘managing’ comes from the Latin word for hand, as does the word ‘manual’. It originally meant ‘handling’ things’ but did not originally apply to people. McDonald’s Management is responsible for the preparation, integrity and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements and financial comments. The financial statement has been audited by independent auditors, Ernst & Young LLP, who was given unrestricted access to all financial records and related data. The audit report of Ernst & Young LLP is presented herein. The Board of Directors, operating through its Audit Committee composed entirely of independent Directors, provides oversight to the financial reporting process. Ernst & Young LLP has unrestricted access to the Audit Committee and regularly meets with the Committee to discuss accounting, auditing and financial reporting matters. McDonald’s has an autocratic management style. A manger takes entire responsibility for decisions and, having set objectives and allocated tasks to employees, expect them to be carried out exactly as specified. Employees are told exactly what, how and when work must be started and finished. It is the kind of management style associated with a corporate culture centred almost exclusively on production. Power is focused at the top, and the centralised decision making is geared to getting the goods out of the company and to customers. The culture of a business can be widely affected by its attitudes, values and beliefs. There are different types of culture McDonald’s is very close to customer driven culture by keeping this culture in its mind McDonald’s works and as it is described before that McDonald’s first priority is its customers. Attention is focused on improving all aspects of the production process down to the minutes detail for the customers’ benefits. Technological culture is focused as well. To improve its technology and develop new products they listen to its customers as well as to their staff. An autocratic style does have some advantages and advantages for McDonald’s. Disadvantages are: * Workers may want some flexibility, freedom, little contact workers therefore little teamwork, can be demotivating. * Disadvantage of having a hierarchical structure is that messages can get distorted or lost from one manager to the next. * There is also poor communication between the different functions. Advantages are: * Need quick decisions, health and safety, clear and consistent approach helps employees * Advantages of the hierarchical structure are that every one knows whom they are responsible to and whom they are responsible for. * This can also shows where specialists are needed in their divisional groups The organisation structure McDonald’s has is hierarchical structure, which you can see on next page. The benefits McDonald’s gets are clear management structure, clear lines of responsibility and control and functions are clear and distinct. Of course where there are advantages there are disadvantages as well. The disadvantages McDonald’s has are many layers of communication and many layers of authority and decision-making. The relationship between structure, management style and culture Structure Management style Culture Hierarchical, many levels Autocratic Based on routine procedures of management, e.g. in and job roles, decisions are large business like McDonald’s centralised. Being a huge company McDonald’s has an Operations Director (Peter Sullivan), Development Director (Peter Richards), Finance Director (George Director), Marketing Director (Matthew Howe), HR & Training Director (Carmel Flatley) and chairman and chief executive (Andrew Taylor) are the most important people in the company. Together with the other directors, they oversee the work of the company’s five vast departments: Operational, technical, real estate, financial and marketing. There are also regional manager senior supervisor and superior supervisor, restaurant manager and assistant manager. The board of directors have senior jobs in the company, overseeing different divisions. These are the executive directors. The board also includes non executive directors, who do not work for the company. They help the board make decisions and look after the interests of the shareholders. McDonald’s also have training and careers or its employers. McDonald’s employs local people in their own community. It is an equal opportunity employer, and women and people from ethnic minorities are represented at all levels. Young people accepted for a position on McDonald’s career programme can quickly climb the promotional ladder. Trainee managers go through a series of training courses at centres set up in their own community. They receive even more important on-the-job training at a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s has an open door policy, which allows staff access to managers from the chairman down. Everyone is welcome to make suggestions or complaints. McDonald’s also holds a frequent meetings called rap sessions where staff can voice their complaints to someone from headquarters or air grievances to a member of management from another restaurant. McDonald’s now has a bureaucracy; senior staff is not even treated with the awe they command in some companies. Even the chairman is approachable. The staff and the public have open access to him through the company’s open door policy. There is a McDonald’s management structure on next page. Task 5: A description of the use of ICT for internal and external communications of the business. Businesses need to communicate with a range of individuals and other organisations including their customers, their suppliers, as well as their own employees. Every organisation will need to be able to communicate effectively with staff at all levels for it to function smoothly and efficiently. These are the reason why communication is important for a business or an organisation whether it is internal or external. The business I have chosen for this assignment is McDonald’s. McDonald’s also has internal and external communication to run its business effectively. McDonald’s has an IT strategy. Information technology is important where it enables a business to achieve its goals. However cost is always important and evidence seems to show that IT is more expensive than firms realise. According to Management Consultants, support cost can be five times the amount estimated. This includes help from other staff and time spent on security and back-up procedures. Other costs can include: * Staff training * Introducing health and safety measures * The need to maintain efficient security Two recent trends in keeping down IT costs are: Downsizing: when we look at human resources management then downsizing means is lying off employees. However in IT it simply means using smaller systems, such as a mini-computer instead of a mainframe, or a PC instead of a mini. This is possible because hardware is becoming more powerful. The other recent trend is outsourcing. Outsourcing: This again is a term used in human resources management Internal and external communications: Internal communication: Internal communication is communication that takes place within the organisation. The three main ways of communicating information inside McDonald’s are intranet, McNews and MDUK and High levels. Methods of keeping In touch with staff: * Intranet Launched in the year 2000, McDonald’s UK intranet provides a fast and up-to-the-minute source of information for McDonald’s restaurant management and office staff. It is a single point of reference administrative requirements, news and marketing materials. * McNEWS AND MDUK McNews was the award-winning magazine published bi-monthly for all restaurant staff. In 2002, McNews was re-launched as MDUK – a lively people-focused magazine, it covers news, activities and events from restaurants around the country. * High levels Published bi-monthly for all management and office staff it is a showcase for best practice, recognising individual’s outstanding practices and achievements, as well as highlighting internal and external awards. * An email system operates in all offices and company-owned restaurants. * Regular staff communication sessions are held in the offices. * Employee satisfaction surveys for both office and restaurant staff are held annually. This is how McDonald’s communicate with its staff. The purpose of internal communication is to communicate with its internal customers, which are employees to run business effectively and smoothly. Provide them information they need time to time. External communication: External communication takes place between the organisation and the outside world. McDonald’s needs to communicate with a range of stakeholders including shareholders, customers, government, suppliers and the community. Communicating with suppliers and customers: * Telephone: The most frequently used form of external verbal communication is telephone. McDonald’s uses this form of external communication to contact with their suppliers. Apart from this McDonald’s has answering machines to keep in touch with customers. Phone answering machines tape callers’ messages, which can be played back from a distance by calling the number and typing in a code. * Business letter: McDonald’s has its address available on it’s every website for their customers and also to obtain your copy of the pack you can contact them by sending a letter. * Website: Most companies have an internet website including McDonald’s. McDonald’s uses this for all external communications purposes and for public relations activities. I also used McDonald’s website to do research for my assignment. * Fax: Fax is a form of external communication. Fax machine is used to transmit and receive suppliers to communicate. The purpose of external communication is to communicate with its customers, suppliers and community. Provide them information about the business they want. Benefits: The benefits of using internal communication are: * The benefit of using intranet to business is that it provides a fast and up-to-minute source of information for McDonald’s restaurant management and staff. * McNews magazine covers news, activities and events from restaurant around the country. * E-mail system is faster and efficient. Information and reports are confidential. The same message can be sent immediately to many people. * Employee surveys helps to get employee views. The benefits of using external communication are: * Telephone is fast and its great benefit is that it allows people who would find it difficult to meet to converse. And a person who can’t read or write can talk over the phone to get information. * The use of business letter saves time for the person whom you are writing to and you can explain in detail. Not everyone has access to internet so if somebody who needs information about the organisation can write a letter to them. * Fax does the same thing its transmitting speed is fast and saves time. Again if somebody need information about the organisation can contact them through fax if has no access to internet. * Website provides a lot of information about the organisation and in detail with pictures and graphs make easier for you to understand. It saves time of both who wants information and the one who is giving. For example if you asking the manager of McDonald about the company but he hasn’t got enough time to give you information in detail so when you have time you can go on to McDonald’s website and look for the information you need in detail. In order to achieve business objectives McDonald’s has created communication channels which all allows the company to communicate effectively both internally and externally. Due to successful communication when looking at the McDonald’s UK financial profile form 1998 to 2001. One can clearly see a substation increase in profit during this period. By using effective communication McDonald’s meets a range of organisational objectives which are crucial for the business such ads being a market leader, no 1 fast food retailer in the world which is due to the excellent reputation built throughout the year by maintain strong relationships with customers, adapting to new environment investing in new technologies and continuously up-grading systems and improving staff training. All this reflected in McDonald’s ability to maximise sales profit and revenues. ICT has an enormous impact on McDonald’s business internally and externally. E-mails replaced the old fashioned methods of communication such as letters and phone calls. The company has a very sophisticated network database which replaced the traditional systems of filing, storing information. Computers are used every where in the business to replace a range of standard operations such as maintaining stock levels, organising deliveries, preparing invoices and recording payments etc. The use of the internet website enables McDonald’s to reach any place in the world and is a very latest link with the global market for example every body can obtain the information from the website in a matter of minutes. The global net exchange enables McDonald’s through electronic data interchange (EDI) system to arrange financials transfer dramatically reducing time, paper work and costs. Poor communication results in mistakes, anxiety, low morale, inadequate control and aggression. Not surprisingly there is concern to improve the quality of communications. First this means improving the communication skills of people within the organisation. Second, it means developing systems of communication. We can identify the skills required by individuals as: o Patience o Discretion o Understanding o Assertiveness —— where necessary. A clear explanation of how the production process and quality assurance / control system employed by the business help it to add value to its product or service. McDonald’s production is a very important process in McDonald’s business activities and it involves: o Processing o Manufacturing o Assembly o Craft-based production Processing: Most of the McDonald’s products are created by processing which includes food and drinks. Processing involves treatment such as washing, cutting, salting, weighting, heating, grilling and frying etc. The raw materials such as meat, chicken, fish and vegetables etc are passed through a series of processes until the desire form product is produced for example chicken fillet is processed into chicken burgers, grilled and then assorted with salad cream. Manufacturing: Manufacturing involves making boxes, cups, sticks and different children’s toys which McDonald’s has special facility to produce techniques include for example producing plastic toys from plastic granules called â€Å"Polietilen† which is put into a machine which is heated and under pressure different shapes are made for toys. The same thing applies for the plastic cups for hot and soft drinks. Assembly: A typical assembly operation for example putting together big Mac and French fries with a cup of soft drink in a paper bag to serve the so-called big meal for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.99. Another example for an assembly is when staff is in the workshop assemble kid’s toys, which go together with the kid’s happy meal. Craft-based production: Craft based production involves making individual products by hand for example a birthday cake for McDonald’s birthday parties where the parent can request a special shape and decoration for the child’s birthday cake. So McDonald’s takes individual offers for special cakes. Especially trained staff has the ability and skill to create imaginative and attractive design that suits the individual needs of customers. Craft production in McDonald’s for example involves working with material such as icing, chocolate, cream, coco powder and baking powder. Quality assurance: McDonald’s is committed to maintaining and developing the best food products in the quick service restaurant market. In order to deliver on this, the company has made a number of other commitments: to food safety, food quality and nutrition. McDonald’s first is always the health and safety of customers. The company believes that the food safety standards required by law are only a minimum and the company continually seeks to go beyond this. Because of this belief, McDonald’s has developed a food safety policy to help keep the focus of the company’s absolute commitment to food safety and quality. – All raw materials delivered to McDonald’s restaurant must be consistently produced to the highest standards of hygiene and safety. – Company systems and procedures must be continuously updated to ensure the highest standards of food hygiene for all customers at all time. – All staff receives proper supervision and training in food and safety. – The equipment used must be the appropriate for the needs of each restaurant, and must be carefully maintained and carefully calibrated. Following its launch in early 1998, McDonald’s continues its programme of sponsoring research grants in food safety. The grants are particularly aimed at supporting the work of researchers in the early stage of their independent research careers, who are working in established UK-based departments and institutions. McDonald’s is committed to serving hot, fresh, great tasting, great value food to all customers, every time that they visit a restaurant. McDonald’s food has made from the basic commodities: red and white meat, fish, eggs, milk, grain and vegetables. All raw materials are produce to exacting specifications and the highest possible standards of quality and safety, The Company will not use any ingredients unless it is clear exactly where it has come from and that it compiles with all relevant regulations and McDonald’s own high standards. Additives are only used to ensure that high quality standards are maintained. Additives are removed or replaced wherever possible, as long as this does not compromise food safety or quality. McDonald’s has a highly trained team of quality assurance whose job includes verifying the company’s supply chain through audits and site visit. These employees also work with suppliers to maintain and develop product quality and to ensure that restaurants consistently serve hot, fresh food. Independent food safety auditors re also used to assess their key suppliers partners. In 1984 McDonald’s became the first UK restaurant company to publish detailed nutritional information on all core menu items. McDonald’s highest priority is for the safety of its customers. The company will not any product or ingredient that does not meet their high standards of quality and safety, or has not received the necessary approval by the relevant UK authorities. McDonald’s will not work with any supplier who does not adhere to the standard required by UK and EU legislation regarding animal welfare, transportation, husbandry, inspection, and quality & hygiene. McDonald’s always and will continue to develop new products that satisfy customers’ expectations for great taste and great value. Around the country, thousands of people form a network of dedicated suppliers involved in the day-to-day operation of McDonald’s business. The responsibility of serving more than 2.5 million customers each day makes quality a consistent goal. McDonald’s work with leading suppliers across the UK – from potato farmers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk to dairies in the south and midlands-to bring the customers the tasty products they expect from McDonald’s. It is McDonald’s policy worldwide to purchase supplies from local producers wherever possible, providing that they can meet exacting product and hygiene regulations, operate responsibly and humanely and are competitive. McDonald’s strives to ensure quality from crop to counter. To that end, McDonald’s requires the highest standards and specifications, not just product ingredients every detail of production, transport, delivery, preparation and service is also exhaustively monitored. McDonald’s also recognises the importance of a balanced diet and lifestyle and continues quality new products, which satisfy customers’ expectations for taste and value. A focus on quality permeates every aspect of the business. McDonald’s standards lead the industry, and will continue to work with government and health officials to investigate improvements. Quality control: Quality control in McDonald’s involves all kinds of inspection system for checking the raw materials, the food processing, customer service and management. The company carries out different types of testing the raw materials as well as the ready made meal and drinks for example the cooking oil in which the French fries are cooked is changed twice a day. Each restaurant manger and supervisor inspects daily the premises, the safety of the equipment and the expiry date on stored product such as milk, cream etc and general hygiene on the premises including McDonald’s car park and the neighbouring areas. In the company mission statement different policies are allocated such as health and safety, food hygiene, manual handling, customer service, litter control, recycling and environmental policy for example McDonald’s is a member of the environment council, the corporate responsibility group of Earth watch Europe, the industry council for packaging and the environment (INCPEN), and greeting the high street, a group of retailers who have come together to develop recycling in the high street. Another example is that McDonald’s takes a sensitive approach to its built environment, working closely with planning and conservation officers to preserve buildings of architectural merit and to improve the townscape. In many towns, McDonald’s has invested considerable sums in restoring old buildings, often putting back architectural details that have been lost. York, Chester and Stratford-upon-Avon are prime examples. McDonald’s has supported the tidy Britain Group’s annual ‘National clean’ activities. Since 1988 and support its campaign ‘just Bin it’. In addition to corporate funding, restaurant throughout the UK organise and support activities to clean up their local environment in conjunction with local youth groups. o McDonald’s is one of the country’s leading sponsors of council litterbins. o All packaging carries the Tidy Britain Group’s ‘Tidy Man’ symbol. o Many McDonald’s restaurant organise litter-related competitions with local schools and youth groups. o McDonald’s was a founding sponsor of ‘Going of Green’, a nationwide awareness campaign for sustainable growth. In 1997 at the TIDY Britain Group’s Queen Mother’s birthday Awards for environmental improvement, McDonald’s received the top award, the Queen Mother’s Birthday Trophy. o 100% recycled used for happy meal boxes, take away bags, take away trays, napkins, kitchen rolls and toilets. o All McDonald’s tray liners are made from 100% fully recyclable and biodegradable materials. o All McDonald’s suppliers have to use minimum recycled content of 50% in their corrugated containers. o All McDonald’s offices recycle waste paper and also use recycled paper. o The majority of McDonald’s restaurants recycle their cardboard and used cooking oil.