The Importance of Providing a Quality-learning Environment for a Essay

The Importance of Providing a Quality-learning Environment for a Person with MDVI - Essay Example Teachers and families of MDVI children have a significant role to play in partnership with other organizations as early as childhood (LaVenture, 2007). Most importantly, role models should be available in this environment to help people with MDVI understand how they fit in the local society. They can be taught to work in teams and to sustain friendships. Providing a favorable environment will help these challenged individuals to overcome social awkwardness, protect themselves, and to ensure they realize their sexuality where necessary. Sarah is a twenty one year old adult with CHARGE syndrome. She has coloboma in her right eye and micropthalmia in her left. Sarah has a moderate hearing impairment and uses Makaton to communicate. She is very social and loves being around people. She has a moderate learning disability and as she has eating difficulties, her food intake needs to be monitored. Due to a heart condition, she missed a lot of schooling. Despite poor balance, Sarah likes to walk independently but when tired needs the use of her wheelchair. She is able to orientate herself well in her classroom/workshop but can get easily lost once outside. From this case study, Sarah is a MDVI young woman, who seems to associate easily with people and thus there is a high chance of her learning with ease. However, much has to be done to ensure that she takes meals and to encourage her do some activities on her own. The most motivating feature about her is that she is able to orient herself precisely in her classroom, meaning that she can develop knowledge and skills to enable her pursue her studies further. When working with people with such impairments, multidisciplinary teams such as teachers need to consider several principles such as demonstrating a number of academic studies and writing skills that are most consistent to their physical challenge.  

The Greatest Generation Essay Example for Free

The Greatest Generation Essay It had been a turbulant twenty years for our young American and the worst and the best weve yet to come. On December 7th 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Across America on that Saturday afternoon the stunning news from the radio electrified the nation and changed the lives of all who heard It. The young Americans of this time constituted a generation birth marked for greatness. A generation of Americans that would take its place in American history. It may be historically premature to Judge the greatest generation but indisputably here are common traits that cannot be denied Its a generation of towering achievement and modest demeanor. A legacy of their formative years when they were participants in and witnesses to sacrifices of the highest order. Tom Brokaw, the author of The Greatest Generation illustrates that l think this is the greatest generation any society has ever produced. With such a bold statement, and a sweeping Judgement, since then he has restated it on my occasions. While he is periodically challenged on premise, he believes he has the tacts on his side. Yet he doesnt have facts, he has opinions that help bulld up from his foundation of hls statement. Many are from people who had lived during World War II. They tell how the war had impacted on their lives. What they think about their Generation. Martha Settle Putney stated (pg. 185) l knew when World War II approached it would be a terrible thing but afterward I was so gratefuln_lt provided opportunity Daniel Inouye believed the same thing as he stated (pg. 49) The one time the nation got ogether was World War II, We stood as one. we spoke as one, we clenched our fists as one.

Comparing Plato’s Symposium and David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Huma

Comparing Plato’s Symposium and David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Philosophy, when broken down into the original Greek, is philos, which means love, and logos, which means word. Thus philosophy is the love of words or linguistics. There is not one way of viewing this love of words. Both Plato and David Hume examine philosophy in their texts, Symposium and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, respectively. I will outline, then compare, these two philosophers’ views of philosophy to show that philosophy is a balance. Plato’s Symposium is a dialogue of speeches given by different orators on the topic of love. These discourses allow several views of philosophy to be expressed. These philosophical views relate and compliment the speaker’s view of love. Pausanias introduces two kinds of love: heavenly and common. In contrast to Eryximachus’ speech where â€Å"the love manifested in health (heavenly) is fundamentally different from the love manifested in disease (common/vulgar)† (Plato: 186B). Pausanias holds that â€Å"love is, like everything else, complex: considered simply in itself, it is neither honorable nor a disgrace – its character depends entirely on the behavior it gives rise to† (Plato: 183D). Pausanias views love as good and bad by what it brings. He sees that love with women and with little boys is of the vulgar kind, but love between older men, however, can have a powerful force in the community and therefore be honorable and heavenly. T herefore, in Pausanias’ eyes, love can be a valuable force within the community if implemented correctly. â€Å"Love’s value to the city as a whole and to the citizens is immeasurable, for he compels the lover and his loved one alike to make virtue their cen... ...nsion is located in the soul; the philosophical study of love allows those aspects of the soul to be released, which in turn ties together all the perspectives of philosophy aired in the Symposium with this concept of balance. This balance of philosophy is not going to teach you anything you do not already know, rather it allows you to release what is in your soul. Hume stipulates that not only must there be a balance between the active and reasonable sides of humans, but also a balance of human understanding against abstruse and confused issues. Therefore, from the examination of Plato and Hume, there exists a common theme: philosophy is a balance. Works Cited Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2nd edition. Hackett Publishing: Indianapolis. 1993. Plato. Symposium. Trans. Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett, 1989. Comparing Plato’s Symposium and David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Huma Comparing Plato’s Symposium and David Hume’s An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding Philosophy, when broken down into the original Greek, is philos, which means love, and logos, which means word. Thus philosophy is the love of words or linguistics. There is not one way of viewing this love of words. Both Plato and David Hume examine philosophy in their texts, Symposium and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, respectively. I will outline, then compare, these two philosophers’ views of philosophy to show that philosophy is a balance. Plato’s Symposium is a dialogue of speeches given by different orators on the topic of love. These discourses allow several views of philosophy to be expressed. These philosophical views relate and compliment the speaker’s view of love. Pausanias introduces two kinds of love: heavenly and common. In contrast to Eryximachus’ speech where â€Å"the love manifested in health (heavenly) is fundamentally different from the love manifested in disease (common/vulgar)† (Plato: 186B). Pausanias holds that â€Å"love is, like everything else, complex: considered simply in itself, it is neither honorable nor a disgrace – its character depends entirely on the behavior it gives rise to† (Plato: 183D). Pausanias views love as good and bad by what it brings. He sees that love with women and with little boys is of the vulgar kind, but love between older men, however, can have a powerful force in the community and therefore be honorable and heavenly. T herefore, in Pausanias’ eyes, love can be a valuable force within the community if implemented correctly. â€Å"Love’s value to the city as a whole and to the citizens is immeasurable, for he compels the lover and his loved one alike to make virtue their cen... ...nsion is located in the soul; the philosophical study of love allows those aspects of the soul to be released, which in turn ties together all the perspectives of philosophy aired in the Symposium with this concept of balance. This balance of philosophy is not going to teach you anything you do not already know, rather it allows you to release what is in your soul. Hume stipulates that not only must there be a balance between the active and reasonable sides of humans, but also a balance of human understanding against abstruse and confused issues. Therefore, from the examination of Plato and Hume, there exists a common theme: philosophy is a balance. Works Cited Hume, David. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. 2nd edition. Hackett Publishing: Indianapolis. 1993. Plato. Symposium. Trans. Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Cambridge: Hackett, 1989.

Business Structure of Mcdonald’s Corporation Essay

The organizational structure of a business is a unique relationship formed when functional areas, defined by purpose and specific roles, are associated. Proficient organizations are capable of success because of fluent operations between stable functional areas. This portion of our business project will provide insight on the business structure of McDonald’s Corporation by analyzing the functional areas of business, taking into consideration factors like technology, the basic laws of economics, and some key aspects of management. McDonald’s Corporation runs its business in a similar manner to nearly all fast food restaurant chains, so its creative bubble for abstract business terminology is not necessarily inventive. Throughout the MGT101 course and researching this business, many terms (and/or their definitions) have been mentioned that I consider new to my vocabulary. To name a few: Franchise — â€Å"the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company’s goods or services in a particular territory; also: a business granted such a right or license†. (â€Å"Franchise†, n.d.) Sustainability — â€Å"of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged†. (â€Å"Sustainability†, n.d.) Segment — â€Å"one of the constituent parts into which a body, entity, or quantity is divided or marked off by or as if by natural boundaries†. (â€Å"Segment†, n.d.) Corporation — â€Å"an association of employers and employees in a basic industry or of members of a profession organized as an organ of political representation in a corporative state†. (â€Å"Corporation†, n.d.) Overhead — â€Å"business expenses (as rent, insurance, or heating) not chargeable to a particular part of the work or product†. (â€Å"Overhead†, n.d.) Capitalism – â€Å"an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market†. (â€Å"Capitalism†, n.d.) Capital Expenditure — â€Å"expenditure on acquisitions of or improvements to fixed assets†. (â€Å"Capital Expenditure†, n.d.) Revenue – â€Å"the return or yield from  any kind of property, patent, service, etc.; income†. (â€Å"Revenue, n.d.) Quality Control – â€Å"a system for verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality in a product or process by careful planning, use of proper equipment, continued inspection, and corrective action as required†. (â€Å"Quality Control†, n.d.) Hamburger University – â€Å"the company’s global center of excellence for McDonald’s operations training and leadership development†. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) The organizational structure of McDonald’s relative to the functional areas of marketing, human resources, accounting, finance, and operations can be summarized by investigating each individually. For McDonald’s Corporation, marketing and advertising are what make sales. Whether directed towards children, adults, families, or people managing time restraints, McDonald’s has a goal to make their food fun and affordable. Marketing is conducted not only by television, billboard, radio, newsprint, and internet advertising, but also through sponsorships and promotions. A prime example of McDonald’s sponsorship is evident with the upcoming 2012 Olympics, where McDonald’s is labeled the â€Å"Official Restaurant† of the games, targeting an audience seeking assurance that McDonald’s food is a healthy option. Beyond reigning over the entire games, McDonald’s takes it a step further by getting prominent athletes to promote products and drive influence deeper into the general public. Marketing tactics targeted at children include persuasion based on fun by using toys in Happy Meals. For the thrifty and penny conscience, McDonald’s promotes their dollar menu and offers coupons. By changing their menu options, McDonald’s can promote seasonal and holiday options like milkshake flavors. The organizational structure of McDonald’s Corporation is considered divisional, separated by geography. The business is managed as distinct geographic segments that include: The United States, Europe, APMEA (Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa), and Other Countries & Corporate (OCC) including Canada, Latin America and Corporate. (McDonald’s Corp, n.d.) McDonald’s corporate website provided a financial highlights spreadsheet for 2011 that offer insight into the accounti ng of its organization. The most significant costs and expenses associated with McDonald’s are generally referred to as â€Å"Company Operated Restaurant Expenses†. Breaking that down further, the C.O.R.E. can be identified as  food and paper, payroll and employee benefits, and occupancy and other operating expenses. In 2011, the C.O.R.E. costs totaled over $14 billion globally. The most significant source of revenue for McDonald’s was through sales at company operated restaurants. Although McDonald’s Corporation receives revenues form franchised store locations, its 1,552 company operated locations totaled over $18 billion in sales, while revenues from franchised stores brought in only $8 billion. The most profitable segment of McDonald’s Corporation in 2011 was Europe, slighting the United States in revenue by about $2 billion. (McDonald’s, 2011) Financing the operations within this organization come mostly from retained profits and bank loans. Although McDonald’s offers stock to be traded publically, the revenues generated do not provide the primary source of financing for franchised and company operated store locations. (McDonald’s, 2011) The operations of McDonald’s restaurants are supported by a system that involves three main components, what Ray Kroc titled the three legged stool. The first leg is McDonald’s and its core values of quality, service, cleanliness and value. The second leg is franchisees. Each encouraged to be innovative, but also required to operate within the core values established by McDonald’s. The third leg being McDonald’s suppliers, consistently supply products across business segments in order to recreate the McDonald’s experience at every location. Creating an operating system based on the three legged stool philosophy, Kroc was able to invent the most integrated, efficient and innovative supply system in the food service industry, thus controllin g inventory, quality and repetitive production within each business segment. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) Much like any major corporation, McDonald’s utilizes its functional areas to create compatibility within its infrastructure. As described in our text (Chapter 5 of Exploring Business), the success of a business lies in the ability to manage and grow. McDonald’s Corporation has established a system where the core areas work together to manage operations, money, people, sales, and the competition. The roles of the functional areas and how they work together give McDonald’s the ability to know their business, know their product, and know their competition. (Collins, 2009) McDonald’s management has established goals and values by which they operate. Focus on the employees, customers, suppliers, and brand image has placed McDonald’s Corporation on the cutting  edge of franchised restaurant chains. Its values encourage employee development, environmental and supply chain sustainability, and continuous improvement on every level. Whether franchise owners and operators are enrolled at Hamburger University (a training facility that teaches the McDonald’s business system) or employees are taking advantage of leadership development programs, the management of McDonald’s Corporation has intent to provide support and encourage development from all the people who make McDonald’s stores diverse and successful. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) The impact and evolution of technology has enabled McDonald’s to reach customers, suppliers, employees and restaurants at every corner of the globe. Technology of the times has held a premium value to McDonald’s marketing strategy. The modest beginning of McDonald’s marketing and advertising strategy has evolved since the 1950’s with radio and newsprint ads. 1966 brought the first television commercial to the United States and in 2003 the first global ad campaign (titled â€Å"i’m lovin’ it†) is launched in Germany. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) Technology’s impact on marketing and operations has been substantial. The internet provides an invaluable resource for collecting data points on market segmentation and analyzing global trends. Faster accessibility to critical information has helped optimize supply chain operations and improvements towards sustainability. Global communication capabilities allow business segments to interface â€Å"in person† using webcams, saving time and money on travel expenses. Accounting and finance departments use technology to improve error proofing and record keeping. File sharing is quicker and more secure, allowing restaurants within business segments to watch trends in sales and enable adjustment to accommodate profitable operations. McDonald’s restaurant distribution centers rely primarily on regional suppliers for produce, meat, buns, and packaging. Based on the information I’ve collected about McDonald’s, international trade has little effect on business operations. Unlike companies that rely on foreign made (or mined) textiles and metal ores to make a product, McDonald’s supply chain is strategic to obtain only the freshest ingredients from within each business segment. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) A safe bet could be made in the statement that nearly every McDonald’s customer is either hungry, thirsty, or both. The products served by McDonald’s restaurants are an array of breakfast, lunch, dinner  and dessert items ranging from breakfast burritos and hotcakes, to hamburgers, French fries, chicken sandwiches, and ice cream sundaes†¦and a lot in between. Portioned meals are designed to suffice the appetites of all consumers, including the dainty eaters, mid-day snackers, and the average adult. McDonald’s restaurants solve the problem consumer’s face when seeking f ast food at an affordable price and with good quality. Often found by major roadways and fueling stations, McDonald’s restaurants provide quick and easy dining when traveling. Customers who use the services of McDonald’s stores include all walks of life. Business men and women, health conscience eaters, children, and thrifty shoppers have a niche within the McDonald’s marketing scheme. Finding and identifying every customer starts with good marketing. McDonald’s uses social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to follow consumer habits and trends. They conduct survey’s to collect data on current customers and research other fast food operations in order to compete. Strong advertising campaigns using television, radio, the internet, billboards, and magazines draw customers through vivid imagery, nutritional statements, and brand recognition. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) Considering the varied demographics associated with over 33,000 global restaurants, McDonald’s prices fluctuate from store to store. Their pricing strategy is set to accommodate regional business and market segmentation by analyzing the demographics surrounding each restaurant. In the United States, for instance, two McDonald’s store locations will offer the same menu option at different prices based on the economic status of surrounding areas. McDonald’s Corporation researches the areas thoroughly before opening a restaurant to determine the value of their product compared to the value of a community’s dollar. In shopping districts or roadways surrounding exclusive neighborhoods, McDonald’s will charge more for a value meal when compared to a less fortunate area. Why? They know low-income consumers will likely not find their way to a higher-income area. By creating market segments, prices can vary based on the financial capabilities of its customer s. (â€Å"McDonald’s Pricing Strategy,† 2012) McDonald’s business operations are directly affected by supply and demand. Factors that play into their success revolve around competition, local economies, and population. Restaurants located in areas with a high number of establishments serving food succumb to consumer choice and face the  possibility of fewer sales. Likewise, restaurants in lower income neighborhoods rely on a customer base that faces the decision of quantity or quality. Many lower income families can stretch their dollar into several meals at the grocery where McDonald’s would provide just one. Fluctuations in population can affect the demand for fast food meals, and therefore directly affect sales. (Collins, 2009) McDonald’s has always held an open door to offering a first job, regardless of experience or credentials. From there, McDonald’s Corporation is dedicated to providing an opportunity for a career. Search the web (http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers/workinghere.html) and see that open positions across the United States are available at either a corpora te or restaurant level, on a spectrum that covers all ranges of experience and entry level. Although McDonald’s corporate website does not provide compensation in the form of dollar amounts for either hourly or salary employees, less reliable internet sites might suggest restaurant employees’ initial wages range from around $7/hr. upwards to $10/hr., depending on position; average management positions can offer in the neighborhood of $30k to $40k annually. According to McDonald’s website, non-financial compensation packages for employees include company assisted health plans, paid holidays and vacations, access to career development opportunities and training, 401(k) contributions, discounted meals, and even the possibility of a company vehicle. (McDonald’s Corporation, n.d.) In closing, the strategic system McDonald’s Corporation has organized to manage it business involves multiple factors. People that choose to join McDonalds’ team are encouraged to continuously improve their careers, utilize full potential, and assist with innovation to achieve the goals and mission set forth by McDonald’s Corporation. The unique inter-relationship woven by functional areas of this business provide support within the company structure to assist employees at any level; from top executives to restaurant crew members. Optimization of operations using technology and an innovate supply chain allow for the company to adjust constantly in response to trends and social influence. References Capital Expenditure. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Capitalism. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Collins, K. (2009). Exploring Business. Nyack, NY: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. Corporation. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved fromhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Franchise. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Income Statement. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Company Profile. Retrieved from McDonald’s Corporation website: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Corporate Careers/Training & Development/Hamburger University. Retrieved from McDonald’s Corporation website: http:// McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Our Company. Retrieved fro m McDonald’s Corporation website: http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Our History. Retrieved form McDonald’s Corporation website:http://www.mcdonalds.com McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Our History/Our Story/The Ray Kroc Story. Retrieved from McDonald’s Corporation website: http://www.mcdonalds.com McDonald’s Corporation. (2011). McDonald’s 2011 Financial Information Workbook. Retrieved from McDonald’s Corporation website: http://aboutmcdonalds.com/ content/dam/AboutMcDonalds/Investors/ Investors%202012/McDonalds%202011%20 Financial%20Information%20Workbook.xls McDonald’s Corporation. (n.d.). Working Here. Retrieved from McDonald’s Corporation website: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/careers/working_here.html McDonald’s Pricing Strategy. (2012). Retrieved from http://ecuatoriall.com/mcdonalds-pricing-strategy/ Overhead. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Quality Control. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam -webster.com/dictionary/ Revenue. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Segment. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Sustainability. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/

10 Tips for Choosing a Suitable Graduate Thesis Essay

Some Graduate Students Take over Two Years to Choose Their Thesis Topic Although selecting a topic suitable for your thesis might seem to be simple and easy, the prevailing research on this issue finds that some graduate students take over two years to complete this task — this does not have to be you. Understand that the longer you take to complete this task — the more money the university makes on your continuous registration. Hence, educational institutions are not encouraged to help you figure the thesis process out. Don’t wait until you are finished with your qualifying/comprehensive exams to start thinking about idea for your thesis topic. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Use your graduate courses to pursue a possible topic. Procrastination in selecting a topic can sometimes cause gridlock in your graduate career. Without a topic, you cannot proceed to writing or defending the proposal phase; and more importantly, you cannot begin researching or writing your thesis. I have provided 10 tips to help you develop thesis ideas and start moving toward your goal of completing your degree: 1. Don’t Panic — Keep Things in Perspective Let’s face it, not too many people will read a masters thesis. A thesis is not the type of document that piques the general public’s interest mainly because of its academic rigor and writing style. The topic is generally of interest only to the student, experts in the field and the student’s advisor and committee members. 2. Be Organized — Maximize Your Research Efforts In order to maximize your research efforts, you must be organized and efficient in your search efforts. The more organized you are in the beginning, the more time you will have to write your thesis. Be diligent about keeping track of your files in the early phases of your research to reduce your stress levels later on when your enthusiasm begins to wane. If you have to back track on your research efforts, being organized from the beginning will help make the process less painful. 3. Choose a Subject Area First — Then a Topic for Your Thesis The more information you consume in your broad subject area, the more patterns will emerge. In your coursework readings, you may notice repeated results and conclusions by more than one  source, or facts that favor one view more than another. Paying attention to these patterns should help you become more conversant with the relevant literature as well as help you to narrow your focus. Narrowing your topic should be done with help from your advisor and committee members. 4. Consider Expanding a Masters Thesis Into a Dissertation If you’re working towards a PhD and you wrote a Masters thesis, consider expanding on that topic for your dissertation. You already are familiar with the topic and much of the research is done. This approach can accelerate your progress towards your goal: Completion! 5. Make Sure Your Thesis Topic Is Interesting It is imperative that both you and your advisor are interested in your thesis topic. Some advisors are reluctant to suggest topics because of the implicit responsibilities associated with guiding a student through the process from start to completion. Your advisor’s enthusiasm for your topic will determine his or her willingness to read, support, fund, and provide timely feedback and direction to your work. 6. Choose a Solvable And Manageable Research Problem It is important to select a problem that is narrow enough that you can address it or solve it in a reasonable period of time. You should select a topic that can be completed within a two-year time frame. A longer time frame could allow many unexpected and competing events to occur. If you find yourself spending an exorbitant amount of time pursuing and identifying a research problem, it is possible that the problem is not solvable. With a longer time frame, you also run the risk of someone else identifying and solving the problem before you do. Hence, the concept of â€Å"original† contribution to the field is lost and you might have to start over. Moreover, you run the risk of your enthusiasm diminishing. 7. The Research Problem Must Be Worthy Of Your Time Choosing a topic that is compelling enough to sustain further research is critical. Employers evaluate potential employees based on the student’s ability to not only finish the thesis but also make future contributions to  the field. 8. Make Your Research Topic Original- Has It Been Done Before? The prerequisite for finding a new research topic is to be informed because most things have been studied before. Staying on top of the current debates in your academic field puts you in a position to identify the gaps in knowledge. After identifying the gaps, all you need to figure out is what kinds of information will fill these gaps. 9. Hone Your Research Skills One way to evaluate your research skills and make sure they are up to par is to pursue a potential topic in your Research Methods or Statistics courses where you can get immediate feedback from an instructor. You can use these courses to work out potential problems in your methodology or your review of the literature; thus allowing you to work out any kinks earlier in your academic career rather than later. 10. As You Read — Ask the Following Questions. What is the Research Question in the Study? Did the Researcher Focus on the Wrong Group/subjects? Did the Research Leave Some Group/Something Out? Is the Methodology Faulty? Were the Findings Faulty? Can I Pursue the Author’s Recommendation for Future Research? What Are the Limitations of the Study?

Conflict essays

Conflict essays Conflict is the struggle which grows out of two opposing forces, whether the forces being man versus man, man verses himself, man verses nature, man versus fate, or man versus society. Good examples of conflict can be found in almost any book. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is full of all types of Little Women is a book about four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, who live with their mother during the time of the Civil War, which their father is out fighting. The first example of conflict used in Little Women is when Amy, the youngest sister listens to her older sisters saying that it was dreadful to be poor, and replies with the comment, I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all. This shows conflict between man and society because Amy is comparing herself to the girls of higher society. Little Women also contains other types of conflict. Another kind is man versus man. Man versus man conflict is shown when Meg and Jo get envied to see a play with their neighbor, Laurie. Amy desperately wants to go with them to see the play, but Jo sternly tells her she is just too young to go. Amy, in return of Jos harsh remarks, gets mad and finds the book Jo is writing, throws it in the fire and burns it. The next day Jo can not find her book, and finds out Amy burnt it. She rages in anger and fights with Amy, and says she will never forgive her. An example of man versus nature conflict happens when Beth gets sick. While the girls mother is away, the sisters have to take over her chores and jobs. One of her jobs is to care for the Hummel family. The Hummel family is a poor family that has a sick baby and will not go see a doctor. While Beth is helping care for the sick baby, it dies in her arms. Not long later, Beth is sick, and finds out she has the same disease, scarlet ...

What You Need to Know About Mad Cow Disease

What You Need to Know About Mad Cow Disease When it comes to Mad Cow Disease, its difficult to separate fact from fiction and hard data from supposition. Part of the problem is political and economical, but a lot of it is based in biochemistry. The infectious agent that causes Mad Cow Disease isnt easy to characterize or destroy. Plus, it can be hard to sort through all of the different acronyms used for the scientific and medical terms. Heres a summary of what you need to know: What is Mad Cow Disease Mad Cow Disease (MCD) is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), except that Mad Cow Disease is much easier to pronounce!The disease is caused by prions.Prions can cross between species (although not all species get diseases from them). Cattle get the disease from eating infected food, such as feed that contains rendered parts of infected sheep. Yes, cattle are grazing creatures, but their diets may be supplemented with protein from another animal source.Cattle dont immediately get sick from eating the prions. It can take months or years for Mad Cow Disease to develop. Tell Me About Prions Simply put, prions are proteins that can cause disease.Prions arent alive, so you cant kill them. Proteins can be inactivated by denaturing them (e.g., extreme heat, certain chemical agents), but these same processes usually destroy food, so there isnt an effective method to decontaminate beef.Prions naturally occur in your body, so they are not recognized as foreign and dont stimulate the immune system. They have the potential to cause disease, but wont automatically harm you.Disease-causing prions may physically contact normal prions, altering them so that they too can cause disease. The mechanism of prion action is not well understood. How Do You Get Mad Cow Disease? Technically, you cant get Mad Cow Disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, because you arent a cow. People who get a disease from exposure to the prion develop a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) known as vCJD. You can develop CJD randomly or from a genetic mutation, completely unrelated to Mad Cow Disease. MCD, BSE, CJD, and vCJD are all members of a class of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE).It appears that some people are genetically pre-disposed toward developing TSEs. This means that the risk of contracting the disease is not equal for all people. Some people may be more at risk; others may have a natural protection.CJD occurs randomly in about one out of a million people.The inherited version of CJD accounts for about 5-10% of all cases.vCJD may be passed on by tissue implants and theoretically by blood transfusion or blood products. Beef Safety It is not known how much beef has to be eaten to cause infection.Nerve tissue (e.g., brain) and various ground meat products and by-products carry the infectious agents.Muscle tissue (meat) may carry the infectious agent.Rendering or processing foods can (with difficulty) destroy prions.Normal cooking will not destroy prions. What Does the Disease Do in People? TSEs, including vCJD, kill neurons in the brain.The diseases have a long incubation period (months to years), so there is a long time between the point of infection and contracting the actual disease.The death of neurons causes the brain to appear like a sponge (areas of open space between groups of cells).All TSEs are presently incurable and fatal.vCJD affects younger patients than CJD (average age 29 years for vCJD, as opposed to 65 years for CJD) and has a longer duration of illness (14 months as opposed to 4.5 months). How Can I Protect Myself? Avoid eating parts of the cow that are likely to carry the infection (brain, ground products, which could include hot dogs, bologna, or certain luncheon meats).Remember that it is possible that muscle may carry the disease, although it would carry the prion in much lower quantities. Its your choice whether to eat beef or not.Milk and milk products are believed to be safe. Be Careful What You Eat Dont eat processed meat from an unknown source. The manufacturer listed on the label is not necessarily the source of the meat. Mad Cow Disease affects nervous tissue. Until it is known whether only the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or whether the peripheral nervous system (e.g., nerves that are in muscles) are affected, there may be risk involved in eating any parts of infected beef. That is not to say that eating beef is unsafe! Eating steaks, roasts, or burgers known to have been made from uninfected herds is perfectly safe. However, it may be harder to know the origins of the meat in processed meat products.

50+ Book Marketing Ideas to CRUSH Your Book Launch

50+ Book Marketing Ideas to CRUSH Your Book Launch 50 Book Marketing Ideas Every Author Needs to Know No matter what kind of book you’re writing, all self-publishing authors will eventually reach the same question: what’s the best way to market  it? The great news is that you’re not the first indie author to face this challenge. By following in the footsteps of those who have succeeded before you, you can create a focused and effective plan that will get people snatching up your masterpiece.In this post, we offer up dozens of book marketing ideas that you can steal for your own promotional efforts. Not only that, it features a free book marketing checklist that you can print out and treasure forever! Read now: 50 Marketing Tips Every Author Needs to Know Without further ado, here is your list of book marketing ideas:Identifying your audience You’ve probably heard a variation of this before: If you’re selling to everyone, then you’re really selling to no-one. You need to nail down your target reader before you start marketing your book (or even better, before you start writing it).1. Build a proto-persona If you have any other ideas for book marketing, drop them in the comments below and we'll add them to the list!

Britain Unwritten Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Britain Unwritten Constitution - Essay Example Kingdom is consequently a nation under Parliamentary sovereignty because the entire sovereignty belongs to the Parliament. There is no entrenchment in the British constitution – meaning that there is no need of a supermajority or a referendum to pass some amendments – which can cause some minorities to suffer from majoritarianism. This absence of a central written constitution may lead to believe that the United Kingdom has no formal constitution. It is true the British Constitution is often referred to as unwritten but it relies and incorporates many written sources such as the Magna Carta, the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679, the Bill of Rights in 1689, the Act of Settlement in 1701, the Act of Union in 1707, joining England and Scotland to form Great Britain, the Act of Union in 1800, joining Great Britain and Ireland to form United Kingdom, the Statute of Westminster in 1931, the Peerage Act in 1963, the European communities Act in 1972, being the key documents and conven tions among many others. Therefore, the United Kingdom constitution is seen as a collection of Acts of Parliament, decrees, conventions, traditions and royal prerogatives. However even if some accept it as an unwritten constitution, some go as far as saying that in the absence of a written constitution, Britain has no constitution.... Throughout the world we can see two types of constitutions: the codified and the uncodified ones. In a codified constitution, the articles describe a higher form of law, that is to say laws to which all other laws must conform and in consequence elected assemblies can not pass all the laws they wish. The codified constitutions are usually entrenched which means that they can only be changed or amended according to special procedures. In the political systems of codified constitutions, judges have the key role to interpret and apply the constitution, they have the power, for example, to decide that some rules which were passed by elected assemblies are unconstitutional - not in following the principles set of rules of the constitution. The codified constitution is also a tool to understand the powers of the different institutions that characterize a government and the relationship between them. Finally, they represent timeless principles. A Bill of Rights for instance, defines the lib erty to practice one religion, the right to a fair trial or the freedom of speech. 5 However, United Kingdom does not have such a codified document, its unwritten constitution and therefore the fundamental rules are embodied in major statutes, precedents and legal decisions. It is consequently said that codified constitutions are more rigid than uncodified ones. Flexible constitutions are more reactive and adapt more rapidly to changing conditions. It is the usual characteristic of an uncodified constitution. However, United Kingdom's example is not as clear as this principle. The adaptation to the changing conditions is not easily seen in the United Kingdom. Even though

Behavioural Studies, Attitudes Explain the purpose of the use of Essay

Behavioural Studies, Attitudes Explain the purpose of the use of shocking images in campaigns to attempt change an individual's attitude. Use examples as illustrations - Essay Example People are also affected by advertisements though emotional responses, and this is another important factor in the use of shocking advertising. Understanding psychological and social bases for attitudes may be the key to using shocking advertising to influence individual behavior. Individuality is a key component of many walks of social life, from home to work. Indeed, Mullins suggests that committed staff with valuable individuality are one of the keys to organizational health and success (Mullins, 2007). Psychologists have developed a number of different ways of defining the individual; Eysenck defined them through two key personality differences: introversion/extroversion and stability/instability (or neuroticism). Others, such as Cattell, divided the individual personality into surface traits, which are consistent and form the basis of behavior, and source traits, which underlie and inform the surface traits. These two ideas rely upon the notion of a 'fixed' individuality, which implies that the individual would not be affected by shocking advertising in the long-term.

Assignment III Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

III - Assignment Example By the time of the end of the 19th century, the days of horses were over and around 2 million mustangs were roaming across the North American range. They now became a cash crop. A period known as ‘the great removal’ started and countless mustangs were packed in tin cans and send back to Europe or serve in foreign wars. Passing of Burro Act in 1971 was an important event for animal lovers. The act was passed by efforts of Wild Horse Annie who once witnessed bleeding mustangs carried to slaughterhouse and began a drive to defend them2. It is unfortunate that illegal helicopter roundups are being conducted in present time that defies animal rights. It is true that mustangs often sneak staples from other grazing animals. However, cruelty, such as frightening wild horses with rustling noise, is unacceptable to animal rights activists as they come out to watch hundreds of mustangs being chased by noisy machines. According to Smith, over 100 wild horses had to sacrifice their l ives in Nevada in 2009 during such round ups. According to officials, as wild horses have almost no natural killer, their number has increased excessively. Although claims are made that round ups with their relocation are for the welfare of horses, those who have watched round up operations say it was the most distressing sight they have ever seen during their lifetime3. It is unfortunate that cruel means are employed to safeguard interests when there are other ways to deal with the situation. If wild horses are really a threat to neighboring farms, building fences or other such deterrents can prevent such lands. US as a nation can certainly afford spending dollars on such creative projects that give message of kindness and empathy. It would obviously not cost amount anywhere near the money spend on going to war on Iraq or Afghanistan. On the contrary, such gestures by state authorities together with citizens would make the nation as beholder of strong values. Deanna Stillman, recou nts that that during the 16th century when European explorers were crossing the sea entering the new world, their ships across the equator often faced a situation in which it became stranded when the winds stopped blowing. In order to lighten their ships, horses were thrown overboard. It is believed that about half of the horses expired because of this. The horses that persisted helped in the Spanish conquest of the new land. Interesting to note is the comment by Stillman that horses, unlike explorers, were not newcomers to this land. They had a common DNA link with the horses in this region before the ice age4. Wild horses are not a direct threat to human beings. They may periodically harm in terms of sabotaging farming lands etc., but eliminating mustangs for such reasons is barbaric. One finds it difficult to agree with Peterson, who has herself narrated about bleeding mustangs and then agreeing with the policy of rounding up for better land management5. In US, the approach shoul d no more be Spanish explorers’ opportunistic ways of lightening things by eliminating under provocation6. Let there be resilience on state’s policies by looking beyond economic interests. I would suggest finding every other way of addressing problems raised by mustang population other than eliminating or inflicting cruelty on this vegetarian breed.

Apple Computer's International Business Strategy Essay

Apple Computer's International Business Strategy - Essay Example Company was known for the production of software and computer technologies but now it has widened its areas of productions. As a way of diversification, Apple contributes so significantly in the field of entertainment for instance through the introduction of mp3 mobile player and the iTunes Music Store. Diversification is very significant as it meets the customers’ demands, especially in this digital era. Apple has proved to its clients that it can respond to their needs and also provide for the quality products and services. Diversification of the Apple Company also avails a variety of the product and services to the customers and being that most of its products operates almost under the same operating system thus gives users easy time. Differentiation strategy has also contributed to the success of the Apple Company. It does this by concentrating on both the esthetic and the quality value of its products. The hardware and the software that it uses meet high stands of manufac turing. Because Apple exclusively entrust Mac computers for producing it products, it can easily, monitor and make necessary corrections. Lastly flexibility and cost leadership have also contributed towards meeting the global market. Apple has always been flexible in some of the decisions that they make. When the marketing leaders realize that the price they have set forward for the product does not meet the demand in the market, they always change. There are also able managers in the company who brings about the invention and innovation in the company.

Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Safety - Essay Example Hence, it is important that all business, large, medium as well as small have an occupational health and safety system in place within the organization. The most prevalent occupational health and safety standard which is in existence today is the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series OHSAS 18001standard, which is suited to many organizations large and small. It has been implemented in many countries including the United States of America, Great Britain, Japan etc with the support of the local standards institutes. Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Chrysler have all thrown their lot with this standard which is also supported by the British Standards Institute. In the absence of an International Standards Organization or ISO standard, the OHSAS standard is the one widely accepted standard recognized all across the world. In this brief essay, an attempt has been made to investigate how a newly started small business may be able to set itself on the path to incorporating the OHSAS 180 01 based occupational health and safety management system within its broader system of corporate management. Implementing an occupational health and safety system is important in a business because the business has legal responsibilities to provide for the safety and welfare of its employees. Unsafe working environment is in the long run counter productive for those who have interests in a business organization, including the stakeholders, employees and perhaps even those with business dealings with the company. An occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) provides a framework for managing the occupational health and safety responsibilities of a business so that they become more efficient and more integrated into overall business operations. Faced with such responsibilities, it is important for a company to try and follow an established standard related to safety and occupational health in its business operations. Many countries have been waiting for the

Apple Computer's International Business Strategy Essay

Apple Computer's International Business Strategy - Essay Example Company was known for the production of software and computer technologies but now it has widened its areas of productions. As a way of diversification, Apple contributes so significantly in the field of entertainment for instance through the introduction of mp3 mobile player and the iTunes Music Store. Diversification is very significant as it meets the customers’ demands, especially in this digital era. Apple has proved to its clients that it can respond to their needs and also provide for the quality products and services. Diversification of the Apple Company also avails a variety of the product and services to the customers and being that most of its products operates almost under the same operating system thus gives users easy time. Differentiation strategy has also contributed to the success of the Apple Company. It does this by concentrating on both the esthetic and the quality value of its products. The hardware and the software that it uses meet high stands of manufac turing. Because Apple exclusively entrust Mac computers for producing it products, it can easily, monitor and make necessary corrections. Lastly flexibility and cost leadership have also contributed towards meeting the global market. Apple has always been flexible in some of the decisions that they make. When the marketing leaders realize that the price they have set forward for the product does not meet the demand in the market, they always change. There are also able managers in the company who brings about the invention and innovation in the company.

Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel project Research Paper

Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel project - Research Paper Example Similar was the case with Michelangelo in relation to the Sistine Chapel project, though for different reasons. He was not in proper shape of mind, throughout the four year during which the project lingered on for multiplicity of reasons and Ross King (2003, p.1) puts it thus: â€Å"Michelangelo Buonarroti was summoned back to this workshop behind Santa Cateriea in April 1508. He obeyed the call with great reluctance, having vowed he would never return to Rome.†Thus began the artistic creation of Sistine Chapel Ceiling project of Michelangelo (1475-1564) The intent behind this project: The directions were from Pope Julius, II. What was the credentials of the man, personal and official, of the holy man who was about to entrust to him one of the all-time great responsibilities in the world of art? He was known to be an arrogant, hot tempered and given to military adventures and ardent followers of the Christian principles as perceived by him. He wanted to have the best for his t omb and wished to contribute something tangible for the architectural glory of the city of Rome. He put before Michelangelo his request to paint the chapel ceiling. That was tantamount to the papal order. He had twin visions about the project. That Rome should be rebuilt to its pristine glory and he began to plan to achieve his objective with great applications and issued directions accordingly. Such an achievement would be to his personal credit and would surpass the accomplishments of Pope Alexander VI. That was the other important consideration. What was the scale of preparations for the project? King writes, â€Å"Tons of building materials cluttered the surround streets and pizzas as an army of 2000 carpenters and stonemasons prepared themselves for the largest construction project seen anywhere in Italy since the days of ancient Rome.†(p.6) The task was tough viewed from any angle. Firstly about the work related to the ceiling. The position, from which the sculptor had to work, was uneven and not flat. It was a gigantic ceiling of 40(131 feet) meters long and 13 meters (43 feet) wide. Michelangelo painted in all over 5000 square feet of frescoes. On the frescoes he depicted some of the greatest episodes from the Book of Genesis, like the Creation, the Fall, and picture immediately after Noah’s deluge etc By the side of such scenes, giant portraits of prophets and sibyls who predicted the arrival of Messiah were shown. The entire work was a beauty in tragedy. Below spandrels and lunettes with ancestors of Jesus and the tragic stories of ancient Israel were created. Michelangelo’s awesome skill was seen in the scattered small figures, cherubs and nudes (ignudi), more than 300 of them on the ceiling, each was provided with the most appropriate space, as if it was made for them only. The ceiling was dissected with architectural members and molding. What is their real natured? They are two dimensional, skilful painted creations to demarca te different compositions. The inquisitive one may confuse whether Michelangelo was a painter or a sculptor. Temperamentally he was the sculptor—only sculptor. Painting was the professional demand that was thrust upon him by the supreme authority of the Catholic Church—the Pope! He was at his best chiseling the marble blocks and give life to them in the form of extraordinary creations. Sistine Chapel project was an exception that brought forth to surface the intrinsic talents of the painter in him. When he was a student in

Trends and the Future of Public Service Essay Example for Free

Trends and the Future of Public Service Essay Introduction Public service organizations are the sectors that always receive considerable attention form the government. Beside their currently lower level of performance compare to private organizations, the attention is given due to governmental responsibilities is fulfilling demands of the people. Recently, the public service sector is evolving, partly due to the influence of a new management system called Outcome Based Management. In this paper, I am discussing the contents and philosophy of the Outcome Based management approach and how it influenced the public service sector in United States. Outcome Based Management II.1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Emerging Trend Outcome based management (OBM) is the managerial framework that emphasizes more on forward looking activities. This managerial approach focuses on why are things done and what have actually been done. In a simple sentence, the term encourages managing for actual results. The term is often identified with the sentence: â€Å"better planning generates better outcomes†. The managerial framework first gained attention of public organization’s managers because of its commitment toward results. The public service is always known lo lag behind the private sector because of its weak commitment toward real achievements. This is reveled in various sectors of the public sector, including the environmental sector, health sector and even child-care. These sectors required a system that works based on real-hard results, and OBM’s characteristic that put forth alignment between services delivered and actual goal achievements is a dominant catalyst in the adoption of this concept into the public service sector.   II.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elements of OBM There are several elements of OBM. The first is the outcome itself. Outcome is the impact, result or consequences for the organization of related parties. If the outcome of a particular project matched existing corporate objective, then the company have successfully performed the OBM. The second element of OBM is the services given. They are tools to achieve the outcomes determined earlier. The third element is the Key Performance Indicators. The performance indicators function as an analysis tool that determines whether the targeted outcomes are achieved or not. The traditional perspective perceived a company to perform three important activities, which are: planning, budgeting and reporting. According to the OBM perspective however, these activities can be explained further using a chain of detailed process, which includes: Formulation of corporate goals and strategic outcomes Formulation of mission statement and the strategic plan Formulation of budgets, including key performance indicator targets Delivery of services Performance reporting in annual reports Performance assessment Outcome Outcome is simply the reason why corporate activities are performed. There are actually three levels of outcomes, the first is corporate goals. It is the highest level of outcome and the most general one. The second is called strategic outcomes, which relate corporate goals into these parties: the people in general (community), the environment, the economy, the region and governance. Considerations of these factors brought to the finding of strategic outcomes. The third is called agency-level outcomes, which functions are to detail the general outcomes into more specific targets. The formulation of agency-level outcomes is the final step before performing the services Clearly defining corporate outcomes are important element of the OBM application. This is true because the outcome information will be used to direct the organization within its activities. For example, the outcome information is generally used by the corporate management to: trigger corrective actions like identifying problem areas that requires attention; identify best practices; motivate employees and to perform planning and budgeting activities. The outcome objective can also be used by external parties to: perform economic analysis, provide informed commentary, and perform benchmarking. Services   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next step in OBM after properly defining the right goals, strategic level outcomes and agency level outcomes is defining how each unit could contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. OBM stresses on the importance in finding the link between the desired outcome and the services delivered. This is necessary because according to the OBM resource should be allocated to any unit unless it can contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. Alignment between the goals and the service provided is a must because once such an alignment is achieved; the collection of costs and performance data is easier to perform. After defining the specific agendas of each unit of the organization, the next step within OBM is reviewing the service agendas. The common practice in OBM organizations is by developing a service checklist that will enable them to evaluate whether the services delivered are the right ones. Performance Indicators   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third step in the application of OBM is developing performance indicators. The presence of the right performance indicators will allow performances to be measured, evaluated, and improved. The general performance indicators in OBM are divided into two categories, which are: effectiveness indicators and efficiency indicators. The two categories should have at least three characteristics, which are: relevance, appropriateness and fair representative ness. Defining these indicators enables the organization to perform continuous improvement by identifying emerging issues and specify the best services to deal with the issues, and furthermore, improve organizational accountability.   II.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Expert’s Opinion about OBM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ideal implementation of the OBM concept supposedly generates the following conditions: Encourages information sharing between employees and externally with clients, partners, etc Encourage communication of organizational achievements Easier and more effective reporting activities Increased flexibility and scalability Lead to effective use of available business information for analytical reporting, decision making and forecasting. Improve operational efficiency Increased profitability from relationship with partners and suppliers Drive operating staff toward the achievements of strategic results, etc Taking account of these achievements, the OBM concept is generally benefiting organizations as a whole, particularly the less committed public service organizations. There are however, obstacles that must be faced. In the process of defining outcomes and unit contribution to that outcome, there are individuals and parts of the organization that are reluctant to share data due to fear of inaccuracy or more often, unfavorable interpretation. The second challenge is caused by the tendency of people that have invested in their data collection to be unwilling to share the information due to the loss of credit in the work involved. The third challenge is cost oriented. Some data required to achieve accurate measurement are more expensive than others. The fourth challenge is simply caused by the fear of being judged for something that we cannot control. In many sectors, like the environmental and health sectors, there are often uncontrollable variables that considerably affect the achievements of organizational goals. Including these factors in the evaluation system will be inaccurate and furthermore, most likely become the source of discontent ness among employees.   II.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identification of the Trend   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizations and institutions that use OBM concepts generally have specific characteristics within them. The implementation of OBM is similar in various sectors despite the different services offered by the sectors. The implementation can be detected in the form of steps performed to identify goals and linking them to services performed. The amount of resources and time dedicated to each step might differ from one industry to the others depending on the difficulty of performing each step, but the steps that are performed are generally within the same order. For example, in the environmental public services, the amount of resources committed to define the desirable outcome is quite enormous and significantly larger than other sectors; This is due to the difficult nature of defining the suitable environmental targets to be achieved from environmental projects. In health care sector and child care sector on the other hand, identifying what services to perform in order to achieve identified goals are the most difficult step and the one requires most observations. These sectors however, are all performing similar elements of the OBM approach. Implications for the Public Service III.1.  Ã‚   Unique Sector   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Public service is generally known as governmentally-run organizations which all resources are generated from the government and thus, from the public themselves. If we are to study the development of this sector however, it is necessary to reveal how the public service sector is rationally different from the private sector. The most basic difference is the fact that in the private sector, most activities started at the supply side. Technology, for instance, is known as a tremendous catalyst from the supply side of business in the private sector that generates dramatic changes in various industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the public service sector on the other hand, the main intervention that leads to change originated from the demand side. Ironically, there are generally little chances to charge the public directly for the services they receive. Governmental taxes are the media that connects the payment between the public and the public sector workers. In addition of becoming a tool of delivering what the public needs, the public sector is also the tool to create a balance in the private sectors’ operations. In the transport and utilities sector for example, where networks grows and the element for natural monopoly is strong, public involvement is required to prevent market failures and the abuse of market positions (Franà §ois, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the light of this unique structure, we can logically guest that the problem with public service sector is actually the presence of the government as an intermediary party itself. In the private sector, people are working for their customers and they gain payments from them as well. This trade between service and payments happens dynamically and each side can influence the trade. In other words, it is easier for the private sector workers to influence the amount of payment they will receive. In the public sector on the other hand, people are working for the government.   Workers are not in direct trade of service and payments as the private sector. It is harder for them to influence the amount of payment they will receive (Glaeser, 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In discussions of why productivity and efficiency in the public sector is often considered worse than the private sectors, many factors are mentioned, but the condition revealed above is one of the reasons often mentioned. The private sector workers are generally more motivated because in their frame of mind they have a way of influencing their own destiny. The public sector workers on the other hand, are working for different people than the one signing their checks. Knowing that the quality of their work will not influence their salaries, public sector workers are subject to a declining working motivation (Disney, 1998).   III.2.  Ã‚   Challenges   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to the general problem mentioned above, there are also other issues that are parts of the new development of the public service sector in United States. Political leaders indicated the need to recruit the next generation of public sector workers. It is believed that the public service sector environment today has already evolved into phases that are out of the older-generation’s league. The new system of management requires new workers with the ability to learn and adapt to the evolved conditions of the public service sector. Others however, believed that such a change will not be beneficial due to the similar image of the job. Workers at the public service sector are still viewed as a ‘public servant’, a phrase which are highly unpopular in American society. Despite the enhanced system of management, if the government is unable to maintain change this image, the new workers are still going to be the ‘new generation of public servants’, in the sense that they have minimum bargaining power over the services they provide and salaries they receive. Another issue in the public service sector, particularly in the United States is the ageing structure of the public service workers. Statistics indicated that with the reluctance of young people in entering the sector leave only old people within the sector. This will obviously mean a degradation of management quality within the public service sector. Another study indicated that information deficiency is significant problem in managing public services. The information regarding desired outcome are generally owned by the lowest people in the managerial chain, while the strategic decisions are made by the government which has little access to the information (‘Challenges’, 2008). III.3.  Ã‚   Implications of the OBM Approach III.3.1. New Systems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The application of the OBM approach to the public service sector might address several of the problems mentioned earlier. For example, the lack of motivation could be solved by better focus on actual results and linking organizational objectives directly to services performed. Successful application however, requires adaptation to the steps and elements of the OBM approach.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the public service organization, the desired outcomes can be those specified in the annual budget statements or those identified in legislation and specified by the related authority. For example, the general outcome of a public sector could be: accessible, reliable and safe public transport system, or a fair and independent criminal prosecution service. In the public service organizations, these general outcomes can then be translated into the agency-level outcomes. Furthermore, the use of outcome information in the public service organizations, can internally improve the budget setting process, while externally it can improve agency control, make it easier for other agencies to make contributions to the organization (Hundley, 1991).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the next step, OBM leads the public sector organization to specify agency-level services that are required to achieve the agency-level outcomes. This is generally performed by the making of a service checklist. The service checklist consist of questions like what service are delivered, what outcome are the services addressing, what results are the service addressing. Afterwards, the OBM approach takes the public service organization to developing performance indicators.   For the public service organizations, cost efficiency indicators could be: cost per student graduated, cost per license issued, etc; productivity indicators include: students taught per teacher, cases resolved per officer, etc. Overall, the benefits brought by the new approach include: Greater public transparency Enhanced knowledge in identifying best practices Increased ability in assessing performance against target Increased ability in investigating reasons of failure in meeting specified targets (Hatry, 2003) III.3.2. New Skills Required   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In light of the elements and process demanded by the OBM approach, the new skills required are: Sensitivity to new Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To better perform the first step of the OBM approach, which is defining goals and outcomes, members of the public service organization need to be sensitive of the demands exist in the surrounding environment. This is related to the fact that public sector organizations exist to serve the public rather than to achieve organizational profit. Communicating information The people that are exposed to new information generally come from the lowest structure of the organization. Thus, the organization must design a system and furthermore, the skills to communicate information up to the highest level of management. Linking service activities to established goals Under the OBM approach workers at the public service organization are demanded to constantly see the linkage between the goals, outcome defined agency-level outcome and finally the service performed. This will provide them with clear logical frame of thinking, especially in decision making activities. Reference: ‘Challenges and Trends in Public Administration’. 2008. Retrieved January 2008 from   unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/ public/documents/ASPA/UNPAN006965.pdf Disney, R., and Gosling, A. 1998, ‘Does it Pay to Work in the Public Sector?’, Fiscal Studies, 19(4), 347–74. Franà §ois, P. 2003, ‘Not-for-Profit Provision of Public Services’, The Economic Journal, 113(486), C53–61. Glaeser, E. L. 2003. ‘The Governance of Not-for-profit Organizations’. Chicago, IL, University of ChicagoPress. Hatry, H. P., Morley, E., Rossman, S. B. Wholey, J. S. 2003. ‘How Federal Programs Use Outcome Information: Opportunities for Federal Managers’. National Academy of Public Administration Hundley, G. 1991. ‘Public and Private-sector Occupational Pay Structures’, Industrial Relations, 30(3), 417–34.

Task Scheduling Based On Multilevel Queue Scheduling Computer Science Essay

Task Scheduling Based On Multilevel Queue Scheduling Computer Science Essay Abstract This paper gives the survey on task scheduling. The different scheduling used to schedule task based on priority, time and deadline. To achieve that techniques such as First In First Out, Shortest Job first, Round Robin Scheduling, Multilevel Queue Scheduling are discussed. Among these techniques, the technique named Multilevel Feedback Queue scheduling is proposed as a good scheduling technique along with the future work. Keywords FCFS, Context Switching, Starvation, inflexible, SJF, Multilevel queue. INTRODUCTION Scheduling is a basic concept in computer multiprocessor and multitasking operating systems. Scheduling refers to the way processes are ordered to run on the CPUs, since there are typically many more processes running than there are available CPUs. It also states that when an activity should start or end depending on its duration, predecessor activity, predecessor relationships, resource availability and especially the target completion which is consider as deadline. The  scheduler  is concerned mainly with Throughput, Latency, Turn around, Response Time and Fairness. Throughput describes  that number of processes that complete their execution per time unit. Latency, specifically illustrates about turn around and response time. In Turnaround, total time between submission of a process and its completion is described and the response time  deals with the amount of time it takes from when a request was submitted until the first response is produced. Finally, fairness tells about the equal CPU time to each process (or more generally appropriate times according to each process priority).In practice, these goals often conflict (e.g. throughput versus latency), thus a scheduler will implement a suitable compromise. In  real-time  environments, such as  mobile devices  for  automatic control  in industry (for example  robotics), the scheduler also must ensure that processes can meet  deadlines; this is crucial for keeping the system stable. Scheduled tasks are sent to mobile devices and  managed  through an administrative back end. Types of Operating System Schedulers: Long Term Scheduler: The long term scheduler is otherwise called admission scheduler. This scheduler decides which process or job has to be admitted first to the ready queue. Because while executing a program, which process to be run is authorized or delayed by long term scheduler. The degree of concurrency is maintained and it checks whether high or low amount of processes are to be executed concurrently. It also dictates how the split between CPU intensive and IO intensive is to be handled. It is useful for the real time process to get enough CPU time to finish their tasks in the modern OSs. The GUI interfaces becomes slow if the real time scheduling is not proper. Long-term scheduling is also important in large-scale systems such as batch processing systems, computer clusters, supercomputers and render farms.In these cases, special purpose  job scheduler software is typically used to assist these functions, in addition to any underlying admission scheduling support in the operating system. Long term scheduling obviously controls the degree of multiprogramming in multitasking systems, following certain policies to decide whether the system can honor a new job submission or, if more than one job is submitted, which of them should be selected. The need for some form of compromise between degree of multiprogramming and throughput seems evident, especially when one considers interactive systems. The higher the number of processes, in fact, the smaller the time each of them may control CPU for, if a fair share of responsiveness is to be given to all processes. Moreover we have already seen that a too high number of processes causes waste of CPU time for system housekeeping chores (trashing in virtual memory systems is a particularly nasty example of this). However, the number of active processes should be high enough to keep the CPU busy servicing the payload (i.e. the user processes) as much as possible, by ensuring that on average there always be a sufficient number of p rocesses not waiting for I/O. Short-term Scheduler: The short-term scheduler (also known as the CPU scheduler) decides which of the ready, in-memory processes are to be executed (allocated a CPU) next following a clock  interrupt, an IO interrupt, an operating  system call  or another form of  signal. Thus the short-term scheduler makes scheduling decisions much more frequently than the long-term or mid-term schedulers a scheduling decision will at a minimum have to be made after every time slice, and these are very short. This scheduler can be  preemptive, implying that it is capable of forcibly removing processes from a CPU when it decides to allocate that CPU to another process, or non-preemptive in which case the scheduler is unable to force processes off the CPU. In most cases short-term scheduler is written in assembler because it is critical part of operating system. II.ANALYSIS In this part, we will discuss about different types of scheduler and their usage. Each Technique is compared with different performance metrics such as Throughput, CPU utilization, Turnaround time, waiting time and response time. First Come First Severed (FCFS) This technique is a basic one, and commonly used scheduler. Based on the order the job arrives, the task be scheduled. To maintain this queue will be handled. The entire ready task is put inside the queue, according to the arrival of jobs. To describe this sample source code along with the Gantt Chart. Sample Code: queue_Fifo q; //The processes inside the queue task_Include(procs) // method to include a process into the queue { q.include_Tail(procs); //Inserting the new coming process at the tail end  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  q.size++; //Reporting } Rescheduling(){ // To remove the process from the queue   P=q.head_Exclude();   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reporting;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  return P; }   Example: Consider four tasks P,Q,R and S. Each task requires some amount of time to complete the task. It is shown below. Table 1 Task Schedule Task Time Unit P 9 Q 5 R 10 S 6 Gantt Chart: P Q R S 0 9 14 24 30 Fig 1. FCFS Example In the above example, the incoming task is included in the queue one by one. It executes based on the time units. The drawback of this the task which has to finish first has to wait until its time reach. Another problem is overhead occurs between the processes which leads to Context Switching. Performance Evaluation: Table 2 Performance Metric 1 performance metrics First In First Out Throughout 4/(30+3cs) CPU utilization 30/(30+3cs) Turnaround time (9+14+24+29+6cs)/4=19 Omitting cs Waiting time (0+9+14+24+6cs)/4=11.75 Omitting cs Response Time (0+9+cs+14+2cs+24+3cs)/4=11.75 Omitting cs Shortest Job First (SJF) To overcome the problem of first one we are going for shortest job first technique. In this scheduler, a sorted list is maintained. In the list all the task which has least time unit will be scheduled first. This technique is useful because the task which has earliest time unit got the opportunity to execute. To describe this sample source code along with the Gantt Chart. Sample Code: sort_List SL; //Data Structure for sorted list task_Include (procs, expected_runtime) { // method to include a process into the sorted list. SL.insert(procs, procs.runtime); } //Inserting the newcoming process into the sorted list Rescheduling(){ // To remove the shortest job from the list.   return SL.remove_head();   }   Example: Consider four tasks P,Q,R and S. Each task requires some amount of time to complete the task which is given in table 1. Gantt Chart: Q S P R 0 5 11 20 30 Fig 2. SJF Example In this scheduler, the new incoming shortest job will be included in the list which leads to the problem named Starvation. In Starvation, the job which has longest time to finish the execution will be waiting because all the newly arrived jobs will enter into the list. Therefore, the longest job will starve to get the resource. Performance Evaluation: Table 3 Performance Metric 3 performance metrics First In First Out Throughout 4/(30+3cs) CPU utilization 30/(30+3cs) Turnaround time (5+11+cs+20+2cs+30+3cs)/4=16.5 Omitting cs Waiting time (0+5+cs+11+2cs+24+3cs)/4=10 Omitting cs Response Time (0+5+cs+11+2cs+24+3cs)/4=10 Omitting cs Round Robin Scheduling In time-sharing systems, the Round robin technique is very much successful. The jobs will be preempted. For each task, particular time slot will be given. The job should be finished within that time, otherwise the other jobs will be preempted and the old task should wait until it gets the new slot.This will be achieved using queue Sample Code: queue_Fifo fq; //First in first out queue task_Include(procs) // method to include a task into the queue { q.include_Tail(procs); //Inserting the new coming process at the tail end  Ã‚   }   Rescheduling(y){ // To remove the next process and run it If(y==timer) task_Include(current); set_Timer(time_quanta);   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   return fq.remove_head(); } Example Here also the same four task will be taken and based on time quanta 3 and 6 the task be scheduled. If Time quanta=3, P Q R S P Q R S P R 0 3 6 9 12 15 16 19 21 23 26 Fig 3. RR Example TQ=3 If time quanta=6, P Q R S P R 0 6 10 16 21 23 26 Fig 4. RR Example TQ=6 Performance Evaluation: Table 3 Performance Metric 3 performance metrics First In First Out Throughout 4/(26+9cs) CPU utilization 26/(26+9cs) Turnaround time (23+16+26+21)/4=21.5 Omitting cs Waiting time (15+12+17+16)/4=15 Omitting cs Response Time (0+3+6+9)/4=4.5 Omitting cs Priority(PRI) In this method a priority is fixed to each and every process. To implement this Shortest job first(SJF) algorithm is used. If two jobs are having the same priority the scheduled will be done based on FCFS queue. In some cases, the jobs be preempted eventhough it has the higher priority. To describe this sample source code along with the Gantt Chart. Sample Code: PRI (L,M,H(RR)) queue_Fifo fq[3]; //The processes inside the queue task_Include(procs, pri) // method to include a process into the queue { fq[pri].include_Tail(procs); //Inserting the new coming process at the tail end  Ã‚   } Rescheduling(y) { // To remove the next process and run it If(y==timer) task_Include(current, current.pri); set_Timer(time_quanta); for pri=H to L if(fq[pri].empty())   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   return fq[pri].remove_head(); }   Example: Consider four tasks P,Q,R and S. Each task requires some amount of time to complete the task. It is shown below. Gantt Chart: For Time quanta=6 P P R Q R S 0 6 8 14 18 21 26 Fig 4. PRI Example TQ=6 In the above example, the incoming task is included in the queue one by one. It executes based on the priority assigned to each task. The drawback of this the task is once the higher priority job finish its execution the lower priority jobs gets the chance of doing its execution. Performance Evaluation: Table 4 Performance Metric 4 performance metrics First In First Out CPU utilization 26/(26+4cs) Response Time (0+8+14+21+4cs)/4=10.75 Omitting cs Multilevel Queue Scheduling In Multilevel queue scheduling each process is divided into different groups. It is divided into the following processes: SYSTEM PROCESSES INTERACTIVE PROCESSES INTERACTIVE EDITING PROCESSES BATCH PROCESSES STUDENT PROCESSES Fig 5. Multilevel Queue scheduling Process groups. In the above diagram, the foreground queue is called interactive and background queue is called batch. These two plays a major role in scheduling. The jobs are assigned to separate queues. The assigning be done based on memory size, process type and process priority. The vital one is each queue uses its own scheduling policy based on the need of the task. It can either do preemptively or non-preemptively. Possibilities: There are two possibilities to choose the scheduling algorithm: Each queue has absolute priority; once the higher priority job queue becomes empty it wont go for lower priority jobs. Eg. In the Fig.5. The batch processes wont get the chance of execution until the system, interactive and interactive editing processes finish its execution. Each queue gets some CPU time when there is a time slice between queues after that it can be scheduled the processes in the queue. Eg. If 70% of CPU time is given to foreground queue, it uses round robin scheduling. Rest 30% be allotted to background queue which uses FIFO scheduling. The main drawback of this scheduling is, it is not flexible. To overcome this we are going for multilevel feedback scheduling. III.PROPOSED ALGORITHM Comparing with different task scheduling, the proposed algorithm which can be used in task scheduling is multilevel feedback queue scheduling. To overcome the inflexibility of multilevel queue scheduling, the multilevel feedback queue scheduling came into pass. In this, the process can move between various queues. Here separate queues will be used for handling the process, it automatically adjust the priority of the jobs. The process is either I/O bound or CPU bound. Based on the process type, the scheduling algorithm such as round- robin, FCFS be used which maintains the flexibility. It gives preference on short jobs, I/O bound processes and schedule the process according to the nature of the process. It is described based on number of queues, the scheduling policy, a method used to upgrade, degrade or introduce a process and the inter scheduling between the queues. Steps in Multilevel Feedback queue: The new incoming process is added to the queue tail. At one stage, the process comes to the top of the queue and that will be assigned to the CPU. The process leaves the system once it completes its execution. When the process relinquishes control, it leaves the queuing network and once it becomes ready it enters into the queue level. When the process is having quantum time it will be preempted, and enter into the lower level of queue. This will be repeated until the process completes or it reaches the base level queue. Example Consider three queues, Q0- Round robin TQ: 8 milliseconds Q1- Round robin TQ: 16 milliseconds Q2- FCFS TQ=8 TQ=16 FCFS If the new job comes it enters into the queue Q0 and served as FCFS. When it gains CPU, it gets the tine quanta as 8 milliseconds. If the job is not completed within 8 milliseconds, the job moves to the queue Q1. At Q1 job is again served as FCFS and received the time quanta of 16 milliseconds. If it is not complete it will preempt to queue Q2. IV.CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK From the different view of task scheduling, multilevel feedback scheduling is considered as the good one in assignment of task. This will be implemented in real time systems for the assignment of task.

Male and Female Roles in Sexual Selection :: Biology

Missing results graphs Why It Matters Sexual selection occurs across all species and is a key part of evolution. It allows animals to increase their fitness. Here are several interesting examples of cryptic female choice and male competition: 1) Males may perform courtship dances to show off their good genes. One species in which courtship dances can be observed are jumping spiders. Male spiders of this species wave their legs and arms to show females their abilities. Females choose a mate after seeing the dances. 2) One way for females to find a suitable mate is based on the resources a male will be able to provide. For instance, in the case of elephant seals, males fight over territories to win over a female. The â€Å"winner† of the fight shows the female that he has a territory and that he will be able to defend the offspring. 3) Additionally, in peacocks, the males have elaborate tails that attract females. Females choose a mate based on the ability of a male to show off his tail. The tail indicates to a female that a male has â€Å"good† genes to contribute to offspring. 4) In some animals, the roles of the genders may be switched. In seahorses, the males are responsible for giving birth and raising the offspring. In this case, males have more at stake and so the males are the â€Å"choosier† mate. They choose a female mate based on the female’s characteristics. 5) These ideas of sexual selection and cryptic female choice can be applied to humans. Women choose mates based on career perspectives, attractiveness, and resources. All these allow her to ensure her children will be healthy and successful. As you can see, it is important to research sexual selection across various species’. Similar mechanisms of selection are present in all animals. By learning how these mechanisms act in one species, it is possible to gain insight into the behavior of all animals, including human beings. Introduction Male Competition Versus Female Choice†¦ The sexual â€Å"arms race† is constantly going on within members of a species. While both male and female are trying to pass on their genes to the next generation, they both try to do this in a different way. Females are attempting to obtain genetic material from the best possible male in order to produce the fittest offspring, while males are trying solely to pass their own genes on to the next generation.

Modern day reader Essay

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories were written over a hundred years ago. They are antiquated and out dated and have nothing to offer a modern day reader. Discuss.  One hundred years ago the lifestyle in England was very different. Queen Victoria was in power, the quality of living was at a lower standard, and the technology was not as updated, compared to today’s modern world. Crime was rife in this period, with thieves and pickpockets everywhere. The police force weren’t much help either. They were considered corrupt and unsuccessful in their investigations. This gave them a bad reputation, and made them unpopular with the local public. This helped to make crime as high as it was, and it also made people feel unsafe. The citizens within the community wanted somebody who could solve the toughest crimes, and somebody who wasn’t riddles with corruption. Sherlock Holmes matched this criterion perfectly. That is why Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation of the Sherlock Holmes stories were tremendously admired back then. The book itself was designed for an audience of that time period, and because certain things have changed, for example literature, there will be definite difficulties presented to us in the text. For one, the sentence structure used in the stories was very peculiar, because in quite a few occasions there were uses of extremely long, descriptive sentences that went on for over 3 lines. This is very strange because modern day writes tend to lengthen their sentences up to, maximum, two lines. Also when you were reading it you were running out of breath because of the limited spaces to breathe whilst you were reading. Another problem that we encounter whilst reading this piece of text is the reference to things that existed in the old times, but not today. This may interrupt the reader in understanding what is going on. Vocabulary is one other major a factor which could present the modern reader difficulties. The choice of words used in the older time is not vastly different, but there are some differences, as the modern reader may struggle to interpret the definition of words.  Modern day writers use Doyle’s texts so that they can illustrate some of the techniques Doyle uses in their writing. They use Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes book because the techniques used in the book grasped the attention of many people with the description, and other various techniques. I believe that the books are still popular (not as much as when they were first introduced though) because the Sherlock Holmes series still appear today, most recently on television. The techniques used in the Sherlock Holmes stories are key to bringing the characters to life, and creating a tension-gripping atmosphere. The techniques used also gain and maintain the reader’s interest in a number of ways: through suspense and making the reader question his or her mind, through excitement of what is happening and the thrill of the investigation, or through some of the interesting, unusual characters that some of the stories present us with, for example Dr Roylott in â€Å"The Speckled Band†. One of the predominant reasons why I believe that Doyle can capture and maintain the reader’s interest, not only in the time period it was wrote, but now is because of the structure. Each story has a set structure, which the stories follow, although Doyle has tended to adapt some of them as he feels necessary. The structure is effective because the way that all of the stories are set out, they still leave us with many inquiries in out head, such as how Holmes worked out the case. For example, in â€Å"The Speckled Band†, Holmes discusses to Watson how he figured all of the traps out, how he figured out about the snake, and what he found out about certain features of the bedroom to make him come to certain conclusions. He says â€Å"I had come to these conclusions before ever I had entered the room. An inspection of his chair showed me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . What this illustrates is that the questions that the audience had developed whilst reading the book are answered by Holmes in his description of the events that occurred and the discoveries he made. It also indicated to us some of the points that we may have missed out in the book, or some of he points that we didn’t seem to think were important. For example when Helen Stoner in â€Å"The Speckled Band† says that she has a ventilator in her room, we make nothing of it. We eventually find out though, that it is essential to the case.

Panera Bread Essay

What are the Panera Bread’s primary sources of competitive advantage? In your judgment, are these sources of advantages sustainable? Why or why not? Panera’s primary sources of competitive advantage are: (1) the distinctive nature of its bakery products, (2) its brand strength, (3) the atmosphere of its restaurants, and (4). its position in the restaurant industry Yes,Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) operates the signature restaurant chain Panera Bread, selling hand-crafted breads, sandwiches, salads, and drinks. Panera Bread bakery-cafes are often associated with the concept of â€Å"fast casual†, a mixture between fast food and more upscale casual dining. Customers still pay for their food at the counter, like a traditional fast food restaurant, but Panera arranges tables and chairs to be conducive to group meetings. Most Panera Bread restaurants are located in suburban strip malls and regional malls. As of December 29, 2009, Panera had 1,380 bakery-cafes, spanning 38 states, as well as some locations in Canada. Traditionally, companies like Panera have suffered in recessions, which decrease the frequency with which consumers eat out at restaurants. 1] However, Panera’s strategy during the recession has been â€Å"to stay consistent and not to react to the recession†, keeping costs constant and offering new salads and sandwiches. [2] As a result, Panera’s â€Å"fast casual† niche (between casual dining and fast food) contributes to its relative success; this positioning allowed it to avoid discounting wars and maintain its margins by attracting customers with a higher quality product perceived to be a good value for the money. Panera bread has a great meal of Bacon Turkey Bravo with 28G of fat per meal.