The COPPS Philosophy & The SARA Method To Solve Community Problems Assignment

The COPPS Philosophy & The SARA Method To Solve Community Problems - Assignment Example The drinking issue by underage young people also presents the environment for further crime to be committed such as robberies and assault, along with gang fights. Introduction One of the most important aspect of policing efficiently is the use of patrol units that regularly canvas the same neighborhoods on a regular basis. Officers in patrol cars or on foot patrols get to know the neighborhood and the people when they see the same places with the same people over and over again (Craven 2009). This also helps to establish relationships between the police and the people in the neighborhood and is essential when there are a rash of crimes being committed as police can go to the people and request help in reporting suspicious activity (Allen & Sawhney 2009). A good representation of this is the Neighborhood Watch team which has neighborhood members who drive or walk around neighborhoods and then call in to the police anything that looks suspicious (Hunter & Barker 2011). Utilizing the pr inciples of COPPS (Community Orientated Policing and Problem Solving) requires that the police department engage with the community and develop efficient trusting connections that will promote information gathering techniques from the community to the police department which oversees that community. This will help to promote a safer community for all where people can live and raise their families (COPPS 2013). In this example, there has been a surge in street racing of cars and other vehicles, seriously compromising the safety and security of the neighborhood. Along with this, there has also been underage drinking reported among those who have been caught, either driving these vehicles, or creating a public nuisance in various areas of the neighborhood such as the playgrounds. A program will be studied and devised to assist in eliminating these issues before there is a serious life-threatening accident, particularly to young neighborhood children when they are out playing with their friends (Allen & Sawhney 2009). Both COPPS and the SARA principles will be used in combination to create, develop and implement this program (SARA 2013; COPPS 2013). First Steps – SARA In designing a program to solve a neighborhood problem, the tools of SARA must be implemented first to begin in the information collection process of the problem. SARA is comprised of the four tools of Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment (SARA 2013). The first three tools are essential for use in information gathering and mapping the situation in order to design the response needed. The scanning of the neighborhood is important to understand layout factors, what current patrols are already in place, sorting through the reports of problems over a specific time period (a year), and then mapping these to get a visual picture of where the majority of the crimes are being committed (SARA 2013; Hunter & Barker 2011; Cordner & Scarborough 2010). If a sector presents itself as being a hot spot of activity, based on the reports analysis, then a higher level of patrol cars will be detailed to that area, particularly if it is noted that these crimes occur mainly in the late hours of the day. The analysis will also show if there is a higher volume on the weekends when young offenders are not at school and therefore, out on the

Fast food Essay Example for Free

Fast food Essay Department of Finance, Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore Department of Marketing, Lahore Business School, The University of Lahore * E-mail of the corresponding author: farzan. [emailprotected] com Abstract Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. This paper focused on intensity of fast food trend and its effect on Pakistani society. Previous studied had reviewed to rationalize the results. Questionnaire had utilized as a data collection instrument. Microsoft Excel had used for tabulation and graphs while SPSS for descriptive and inferential analysis. Results showed that youngsters spend more money on junk food. Nuclear and Joint both family systems like fast food due to its taste. People like to eat fast food, outside their homes. Hunger can be satisfied with fast food. Moreover, fast food is not a cost effective mean. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. It is also evaluated that prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Age and Education have negative correlation with the likeness, consumption and spending money on fast food. However, with the increase in income there will be more likeness toward fast food. Keywords: Fast food, Obesity, high cholesterol, Junk food 1. Introduction Fast food denoted as food that can be cooked and dished up swiftly. Theyre admired as they serve filling foods that taste fine with low expenditures. Nevertheless, the food is frequently made with cheap items such as high fat beef, classy grains and added sugar fats, rather than nourishing ingredients, for instance, lean meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables. In earlier period people used to consume vigorous, freshly ready food with their relatives in the residence. Nowadays though, several people, mainly young people, have a preference to consume junk food such as hamburgers, fried chicken, Shawarma, or pizza. There are various causes for the fame of fast food. One of the major reasons is the modifying in standard of living. Many people functioning long hours, shifts, or comprehensive school days. They don’t have time to discover ingredients or organize good food. A further reason is the enormous number of young, well off people. In most of countries larger amount of people are young population so they spend more money on fast food. Fast food restaurants regularly target kids with television and Internet promotion. Children meals with bright covering and mini toys appeal to young children, but they are loaded with fat, sodium and additional sugars. The rise of babyhood fatness and other ailments such as diabetes may be connected to the lofty fat and sodium content of these detrimental fast food meals. The ill consequence of fast food and the probable hazard that it possesses by its usual eating is outrageous. Chubbiness, increase in cholesterol levels, dietary deficiencies, cardiac disorders, loss of muscle mass, depression, sexual dysfunction, asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer (kidney / uterine / colon / breast / esophagus), liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases can all be caused by eating fast food on a regular basis. Advertising is a gigantic wickedness when it comes to junk. Businesses take benefit of this tool to attract kids, particularly with good deals and offers on food ordered. Television ads and those in print have a way of creeping up on children right down to when theyre toddlers, building upon brand devotion before they can even get the name right of the burger their sinking their little teeth into. Fast food, though it is expedient and a delicious addition to a diet, can have serious health and communal effects. People should learn to choose fast food cautiously. Not all snack food is bad. Today, progressively fast food restaurants are offering improved options and new menu items. This paper reviews the trend and effects of fast food on the society of Pakistan. 1 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 2. Literature Review The fast food business, initially conceived in Southern California during the 1940s, not only changed the eating habits of Americans, but also those in several other countries around the world, plus Asian countries (Schlosser, 2001). Fast food utilization increased radically in Pakistan. Aspects having impact on customers food choices are; attraction for eating out, socialization, urbanization, taste for college and university students, expediency for dualincome families in Pakistan, and numerous other (Baig and Saeed, 2012). Globalization has influenced the manufacturing and processing of food plus its sales, arrangements and utilization and with growing relative significance of snacks, burgers, pizzas and fizzy drinks, people are snacking in a new way. Urbanization is also one of the issues leading to alter lifestyles and augmented income and sovereignty of young people, as it had been stated that requirement for food is related with the lifestyle of urban areas (Pingali, 2004). Utilization of western style food increased as the income level of developing countries increased (Regmi and Dyck, 2001). A study carried out by a group of researchers in Houston illustrated that just 3% of kids’ meals offered at a range of fast food restaurants met dietary standards describe by the National School Lunch Program (Wood, 2009). Research also evaluated that those who ate fast food at home were more probable to be heavy (MacFarlane et al. , 2009). The researchers also showed that those students who attended school close to fast food restaurants were heavier than their corresponding persons who attended school not next to a fast food restaurant (Davis and Carpenter, 2009). Howard, Fitzpatrick and Fulfrost (2011) sought to find associations between schools located near fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets and the rates of overweight students in California. In Turkey just 15% of participants reported consuming the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. Nearly one-third of participants said that they choose junk food or fast food as a daily snack, and the same number also reported having fast food once or more daily (Akman et al. , 2010). Goyal and Singh (2007) estimate importance of various factors affecting the choice of fast food outlets by Indian young consumers. They indicate that the young Indian consumer has passion for visiting fast food outlets for fun and change but home food is their first choice. They feel homemade food is much better than food served at fast food outlets. Lots of people take pleasure in eating fast food every day, although they might have never recognized about its terrible effect to their health. One of the syndromes that causes from consuming fast food is cancer (Serve et al. , 1980). Shockingly, the anticipated causes of cancer in the U. S. in 1993 demonstrated that the cause from diet because of high fat and fried food to create cancer can be about 25 % (Watson Mufti, 1995). Policy makers in numerous cities have countered by limiting the accessibility or content of fast food, or by requiring posting of the caloric content of the meals (Abdollah, 2007; Mcbride, 2008; Mair et al. 2005). Jekanowski, Binkley, and Eales (2001) inspected the effect of price, income, and demographic uniqueness on fast food. Ekelund and Watson (1991) also found that fast food utilization was empirically associated to opportunity costs of the household. 3. Objectives This research has following objectives: 1. 2. 3. To find out the intensity of fast food trend in Pakistan. To corroborate the effects of fast food on people of Pakistan To verify the association of demographics with research questions 4. Methodology Data had been conducted using questionnaire as a data collection instrument. Questionnaire included close ended questions for the convenience of respondents. Most of the questions were on Likert Scale ranging from â€Å"strongly disagree to strongly agree†. Data had been collected from 398 respondents, who belong to different demographics. Simple random sampling as a sampling technique had selected. There SPSS and Microsoft Excel had used to complied the results. Microsoft Excel for tabulation and graphs while SPSS for descriptive and inferential analysis. 5. Empirical Results Results has presented graphically, descriptively and inferentially. 2 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 5. 1 Graphical Presentation Data has also shown by using graphs to demonstrate more expediency in viewing results. Chart No. 1: Time of Buying Fast Food What time would you normally buy fast food? before 12 pm between 12 to 3 pm between 3 to 6 pm between 6 to 9 pm 10 pm or later. Above pie chart (chart no. 1) shows that people normally buy fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm as it covers the maximum portion in the chart. However, the least portion shows that very few people buy fast food before 12 pm. Chart no. 2: Reason of eating fast food Reason of eating fast food Nuclear Joint Bar chart (Chart no. 2) shows that mostly people eat fast food due to its taste. Bars show that there was greater nuclear family system than joint family system. However, in case of price as the reason of eating fast food, joint family system have taller bar. 5. 2 Descriptive Analysis. Now there is descriptive analysis of data using frequency and their percentages. 3 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org Table No. 1: Descriptive Analysis of Research Questions Strongly Disagree Research Questions Mostly people like fast food Usually people like to eat fast food outside Fast food is a status symbol Hunger can be satisfied by fast food Every type of people eats fast food Fast food saves cost Almost every member of the family like fast food You eat fast food just for the sake of fun enjoyment. People prefer fast food over continental food Fast food is a cause of high cholesterol Fast food is a major cause of obesity Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem People prefer fast food over home cooked food due to taste and fluent availability Fast food is a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition Most of people prefer fast food at their workplace Most of the people are addictive to fast food F Disagree % F % Neutral F % Strongly Agree Agree F % F % Total F % 21 5. 3 27 6. 8 85 21. 4 153 38. 4 112 28. 1 398 100 18 4. 5 58 14. 6 69 17. 3 164 41. 2 89 22. 4 398 100 46 11. 6 110 27. 6 83 20. 9 119 29. 9 40 10. 1 398 100 36 9 82 20. 6 80 20. 1 158 39. 7 42 10. 6 398 100 39 9. 8 119 29. 9 100 25. 1 98 24. 6 42 10. 6 398 100 93 23. 4 178 44. 7 62 15. 6 51 12. 8 14 3. 5 398 100 32 8 81 20. 4 68 17. 1 157 39. 4 60 15. 1 398 100 24 6 50 12. 6 77 19. 3 169 42. 5 78 19. 6 398 100 40 10. 1 129 32. 4 116 29. 1 62 15. 6 51 12. 8 398 100 13 3. 3 42 10. 6 72 18. 1 162 40. 7 109 27. 4 398 100 22 5. 5 41 10. 3 89 22. 4 146 36. 7 100 25. 1 398 100 12 3 48 12. 1 110 27. 6 150 37. 7 78 19. 6 398 100. 17 4. 3 47 11. 8 67 16. 8 160 40. 2 107 26. 9 398 100 57 14. 3 85 21. 4 67 16. 8 121 30. 4 68 17. 1 398 100 21 5. 3 46 11. 6 71 17. 8 163 41 97 24. 4 398 100 14 3. 5 53 13. 3 91 22. 9 171 43 69 17. 3 398 100 20 5 48 12. 1 94 23. 6 153 38. 4 83 20. 9 398 100 Table no. 1 shows that most of the people liked to eat fast food. Usually people are fond of eating fast food outside. Whether fast food a status symbol or not, final results cannot be concluded as there is minimal difference between agree and disagree responds. Most of the people agreed that hunger can be satisfied by fast food. Respondents disagreed about eating fast food by every type of people. Fast food does not save any cost as retorting by respondents. Most of the respondents agreed that almost every member of the family like fast food. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. People do not prefer fast food over continental food. Prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. 5. 3 Inferential Analysis To verify the results inferentially Pearson’s Chi-Square and Correlation has applied. Age, Education and Income has chosen from demographics to corroborate their association with research questions. 4 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org Table no. 2: Pearson’s Chi-Square and Correlation Demographics Age Education Income Research Questions Mostly people like fast food. People spend almost 25% of their income on fast food Every type of people eats fast food Fast food is a major cause of obesity Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem Most of the people are addictive to fast food Mostly people like fast food People spend almost 25% of their income on fast food Most of people face indigestion problem due to fast food eating Prolonged use of fast food causes major health problem Mostly people like fast food Chi-Square 0. 007 0. 000 0. 002 0. 019. Correlation -0. 199 -0. 285 -0. 048 -0. 103 0. 006 0. 003 0. 048 0. 036 0. 005 -0. 171 -0. 143 -0. 126 -0. 172 -0. 113 0. 002 0. 047 0. 017 -0. 08 -0. 06 0. 021 Table no. 2 shows demographics association with research question. However, only significant values have opted for succinct review. Age has association with likeness of fast food by most of the people. It has negative correlation with age. This means with the increase in age there is less likeness of fast food. Spending almost 25% of income on fast food has also associated with age with negative correlation. People spend less money on fast food with the increase in age. Moreover, as the older people hesitate to consume fast food so there are less health problems in older people as compared to younger ones. Education is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows negative correlation which means with the increase of education there is less likeness of fast food. Higher educated people also spend less wealth on fast food. Moreover, educated people are well aware of fast food affects on health so they have less health problems as compared to less educated people. Furthermore, income is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows positive correlation so with the increase in income level there is greater likeness toward fast food. 6. Discussions Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. Hamburgers, fried chicken, Shawarma, or pizza are famous junk foods. People with much busy schedule mostly consume this type of food. Core population, who eat fast food and spent money on it vigorously are youngsters. Fast food companies are targeting kids and youngster through great promotion strategies, delicious recipes and attractive advertisement. There are much greater side effects of fast food and people are unaware of its ill consequences. Chubbiness, increase in cholesterol levels, dietary deficiencies, cardiac disorders, loss of muscle mass, depression, sexual dysfunction, asthma, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer (kidney / uterine / colon / breast / esophagus), liver disease, cancer and cardiovascular diseases can all be caused by eating fast food on a regular basis. Many researchers worked on fast food. They find out the origin, effects and consequences of junk food. The aspects having impact on customers food choices are; attraction for eating out, socialization, urbanization, globalization, taste for college and university students, expediency for dual-income families, and numerous other. Researchers also evaluated that about one-third population consume fast food. The results of this research showed that in Pakistan normally people used to eat and buy fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm. In Pakistan Nuclear family system and joint family system both consume fast food due to its taste. Joint family system is more conscious about price than nuclear family system. Most of people like fast food and prefer to eat outside their homes. According to MacFarlane et al. (2009) the people who ate fast food at home were more probable to be heavy. Therefore, eating outside is bit better option. Whether fast food a status symbol or not, final results cannot be concluded as there is minimal difference between agree and disagree responds. Most of the people agreed that hunger can be satisfied by fast food as there are many 5 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org fatty and oily ingredients. Junk food cannot be eaten by every type of people. People who are health conscious do not prefer to eat this kind of food. Results also showed that fast food does not save cost. There are many expensive deals with offered by most of the restaurants which target high income families. Almost every member of the family like fast food, this fact is almost true for nuclear family system. As in nuclear family system most of the family members are youngsters. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. This result is related to the research by Goyal and Singh (2007) who indicate that the young consumer has passion for visiting fast food outlets for fun and change. However, people use continental food over fast food. Prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food; this result is contradictory to the research by Goyal and Singh (2007) who evaluated the preference of homemade cooking by people. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. According to Akman et al. (2010) 15% population is consuming the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. Nearly one-third of participants choose junk food or fast food as a daily snack, and the same number also reported having fast food once or more daily. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. The results are also validated inferentially by using Pearson’s Chi-square and correlations to ensure demographics association with research questions. Only three demographics have selected, i. e. age, education and income. Age has association with likeness of fast food by most of the people with negative correlation. This means with the increase in age there is less likeness toward fast food. Spending almost 25% of income on fast food has also associated with age with negative correlation. People spend less money on fast food with the increase in age as youngsters have more passion toward it. Moreover, as the older people hesitate to consume fast food so there are less health problems in older people as compared to younger ones due to consumption of fast food. Education is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows negative correlation which means with the increase of education there is less likeness of fast food. Higher educated people also spend less wealth on fast food. Moreover, educated people are well aware of fast food affects on health so they have less health problems as compared to less educated people. Additionally, income is also associated with likeness of fast food. It shows positive correlation so with the increase in income level there is greater likeness toward fast food. This outcome is interrelated with the research by Regmi and Dyck (2001) who evaluated that utilization of western style food increased as the income level of developing countries increased. 7. Conclusion. Fast food is convenient and tasty though it prepared with low nourishing or unhealthy ingredients. Youngsters spend more money on junk food. Fast food companies are targeting kids and youngster through great promotion strategies, delicious recipes and attractive advertisement. There are much greater side effects of fast food and people are unaware of its ill consequences. It can tend to many detrimental diseases. People consume fast food between 6 pm to 9 pm. Nuclear and Joint both family systems like fast food due to its taste. People like to eat fast food, outside their homes. Hunger can be satisfied with fast food. Moreover, fast food is not a cost effective mean. Fast food also used for the sake of enjoyment and fun. It is also evaluated that prolonged use of fast food is also a cause of health problems, obesity, indigestion problem and high cholesterol. Due to good taste and fluent availability people prefer fast food over home cooked food. Fast food is also a major cause of avoiding proper nutrition. People prefer fast food at their workplace due to their busy schedules. Moreover, fast food is also an addiction for most of the people. Age and Education have negative correlation with the likeness, consumption and spending money on fast food. However, with the increase in income there will be more likeness toward fast food. 8. Limitations and Suggestions Due to less finance data had been collected only from one city of Pakistan, i. e. Lahore. Futuristic researchers must cover other cities, particularly major cities of Pakistan for better results. Some other sampling techniques can also be applied. 6 Food Science and Quality Management ISSN 2224-6088 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0557 (Online) Vol . 11, 2013 www. iiste. org 9. Recommendations It is recommended that fast food restaurants should use healthy ingredients in making of fast food. Parents should keep an eye on the diet of their children. Excess and prolonged use of junk food can have many ill consequences. Moreover, policy makers should limit or ban the unhealthy fast food restaurants. Media should spread awareness among people about the side effects of fast food. References Abdollah, T. (2007) A Strict Order for Fast Food. Los Angeles Times, A-1, Akman, M. , Akan, H. , Izbirak, G. , Tanriover, O. , Tilev, S. , Yildiz, A. , Hayran, O. (2010). Eating patterns of Turkish adolescents: a cross-sectional survey. Nutrition Journal, 967. Baig, A. K. Saeed, M. (2012). Review of Trends in Fast Food Consumption. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences. 48. 77-85. Chang, H. , and Nayga, R. r. (2010). Childhood obesity and unhappiness: The influence of soft drinks and fast food consumption. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(3), 261-275. Davis, B. , Carpenter, C. (2009). Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 99(3), 505-510. Ekelund, R. B. Jr. , Watson, J. K. (1991). Restaurant Cuisine, Fast Food and Ethnic Edibles: An Empirical Note on Household Meal Production. Kyklos, 44(4), 613-27. Goyal, A. , Singh, N. P. (2007). Consumer perception about fast food in India: an exploratory study. British Food Journal, 109(2), 182–195. Howard, P. H. , Fitzpatrick, M. , Fulfrost, B. (2011). Proximity of food retailers and rates of overweight ninth grade students: an ecological study in California. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 68-75. Jekanowski, M. D. , Binkley, J. K. , Eales, J. (2001). Convenience, Accessibility, and the Demand for Fast Food. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 26(1), 58-74. MacFarlane, A. , Cleland, V. , Crawford, D. , Campbell, K., Timperio, A. (2009). Longitudinal examination of the family food environment and weight status among children. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 4(4), 343352. Mair, J. , Pierce, M. , Stephen, T. (2005). The Use of Zoning to Restrict Fast Food Outlets: A Potential Strategy to Combat Obesity. The Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities. Mcbride, S. (2008). Exiling the Happy Meal, Wall Street Journal. Pingali, P. (2004). Westernization of Asian diets and the transformation of food systems: implications for research and policy. ESA Working Paper No.04-17, FAO, Rome, Italy. Regmi, A. Dyck, J. (2001). Effects of Urbanization on Global Food Demand. USDA FAS, WRS-01-1. Schlosser, E. (2001), Fast Food Nation. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Serve, A. W. (1980). Chemicals Work and Cancer. London: Nelson. Watson, R. Mufti, I. (1995). Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. Florida: CRC Press. Wood, M. (2009). Kids, Fast Food Obesity. Agricultural Research, 57(9), 20-21. 7 This academic article was published by The International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE). The IISTE is a pioneer in the Open Access Publishing service based in the U.S. and Europe. The aim of the institute is Accelerating Global Knowledge Sharing. More information about the publisher can be found in the IISTE’s homepage: http://www. iiste. org CALL FOR PAPERS The IISTE is currently hosting more than 30 peer-reviewed academic journals and collaborating with academic institutions around the world. There’s no deadline for submission. Prospective authors of IISTE journals can find the submission instruction on the following page: http://www. iiste. org/Journals/ The IISTE editorial team promises to the review and publish all the qualified submissions in a fast manner. All the journals articles are available online to the readers all over the world without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. Printed version of the journals is also available upon request of readers and authors. IISTE Knowledge Sharing Partners EBSCO, Index Copernicus, Ulrichs Periodicals Directory, JournalTOCS, PKP Open Archives Harvester, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek EZB, Open J-Gate, OCLC WorldCat, Universe Digtial Library , NewJour, Google Scholar.

Women, Men And Competition :: essays research papers

Women, Men and Competition Loudly and often, women insist they don't like competition, and that competition is an act of aggression. Ironically, however, competition as aggression is inevitable in a society where men must compete for the attention of women. Women encourage this. Every time they passively wait for men to take the initiative, or reject nurturing men in deference to domineering men, they sustain the dynamic of dominance. Ignoring this, pop-feminists contend competition is the capitalization of aggression, and men do it to the detriment of all. Does this mean fighting for domination is the only way to compete? That competition is solely a product of masculine socialization and something we can do without? Masculine socialization has nothing to do with it. In one way or another, all living things compete, because wanting creates competition. You want to live, so you offer goods or services to others in exchange for the goods and services you need to survive. The better the goods and services you offer, the more you can get in exchange, and the better you will be able to live. To live well, you make your "stuff" as good as possible relative to what your "competition" offers. That is the essence of competition in a free market. It respects the rights of others, and everybody wins because it works through validation rather than domination. Competition as validation is the process by which the efficacy of ideas, knowledge, and products is validated by consumers. They choose what they value most. To the extent our economy encourages winning through validation, it works. Most women, however, encourage competition through domination by ignoring cooperative, nurturing men to give their love and sex to domineering, "virile" men. What's more, women compete, and they compete to win. This is especially evident in women's response to the invention of the rubber condom. Prior to the 1870's, prostitution in Europe was prevalent. Victorian ladies' distaste for sex encouraged "an explosive increase in prostitution" that caused "an epidemic spread of venereal disease, and a morbid taste for masochism." Then, women began to compete sexually, and prostitution had to go. They began to compete with prostitutes for their husbands' continuing attentions. What changed? Men started using rubber condoms. This gave women the option of enjoying sex without risking pregnancy, and that meant women now viewed prostitutes as sexual competitors. Subsequently, they demanded laws prohibiting prostitution, belying the myth that women don't compete. Women say this is men's fault. That men have forced the necessity of sexual competition upon women and that, left to themselves, women hearken to a more cooperative agenda. But the facts do not support this contention.

Slavery as an Attack on Domestic Life in Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet B

Slavery as an Attack on Domestic Life in Uncle Tom's Cabin      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Compromise of 1850 included The Fugitive Slave Law, a law forcing non-slave owners in the free Northern states to return escaped slaves to their Southern masters and participate in a system they did not believe in. Jehlen notes the reaction to this cruel governmental act by stating that "[t]he nation's growing guilt and apprehension is tangible in the overwhelming response to Uncle Tom's Cabin" (386). It seems hard to believe that people could find no wrong in making it a law to return humans as if they were property. In fact, Stowe wrote her most famous work, Uncle Tom's Cabin, at a most opportune time; indeed, she wrote it in response to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law.  Ã‚  Ã‚      Knowing her audience would be primarily white women, Stowe played on their feelings of uneasiness and guilt over the treatment of slaves, especially those of the Northern white women who could help with the Abolitionist movement, by introducing her readers to seemingly real characters suffering from the injustice of slavery. This can be seen even in the style in which Uncle Tom's Cabin was written; Stowe directly addresses her readers, forcing them to consider slavery from the point of view of the enslaved. "Expressive of and responsible for the values of its time, it also belongs to a genre, the sentimental novel, whose chief characteristic is that it is written by, for, and about women" (Tompkins 124-25).   Uncle Tom's Cabin is a sentimental novel; it was meant to appeal   to the unsettled emotions that existed in the reader's mind, creating and sense of   guilt and injustice, making them see how slavery destroys human lives and families. Through the introduction of ... ... of California P, 1990.   39-60.   Brown, Gillian. "Getting in the Kitchen with Dinah: Domestic Politics in Uncle Tom's Cabin." American Quarterly 36 (Fall 1984):   503-523.   Davidson, Kathy N. "Preface: No more separate spheres!" American Literature 70   (September 1998):   443-454.   Jehlen, Myra. "The Family Militant: Domesticity Versus Politics in Uncle Tom's Cabin." Criticism 31 (Fall 1989):   383-400.   MacKethan, Lucinda H. "Domesticity in Dixie: The Plantation Novel and Uncle Tom's Cabin." Haunted Bodies: Gender and Southern Texts. Ed. Anne Goodwyn Jones and Susan V. Donaldson. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1997.   223-239.   Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.   Tompkins, Jane. Sensational Designs: The Cultural Work of American Fiction, 1790-1860. New York: Oxford UP, 1985.   Slavery as an Attack on Domestic Life in Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet B Slavery as an Attack on Domestic Life in Uncle Tom's Cabin      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Compromise of 1850 included The Fugitive Slave Law, a law forcing non-slave owners in the free Northern states to return escaped slaves to their Southern masters and participate in a system they did not believe in. Jehlen notes the reaction to this cruel governmental act by stating that "[t]he nation's growing guilt and apprehension is tangible in the overwhelming response to Uncle Tom's Cabin" (386). It seems hard to believe that people could find no wrong in making it a law to return humans as if they were property. In fact, Stowe wrote her most famous work, Uncle Tom's Cabin, at a most opportune time; indeed, she wrote it in response to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law.  Ã‚  Ã‚      Knowing her audience would be primarily white women, Stowe played on their feelings of uneasiness and guilt over the treatment of slaves, especially those of the Northern white women who could help with the Abolitionist movement, by introducing her readers to seemingly real characters suffering from the injustice of slavery. This can be seen even in the style in which Uncle Tom's Cabin was written; Stowe directly addresses her readers, forcing them to consider slavery from the point of view of the enslaved. "Expressive of and responsible for the values of its time, it also belongs to a genre, the sentimental novel, whose chief characteristic is that it is written by, for, and about women" (Tompkins 124-25).   Uncle Tom's Cabin is a sentimental novel; it was meant to appeal   to the unsettled emotions that existed in the reader's mind, creating and sense of   guilt and injustice, making them see how slavery destroys human lives and families. Through the introduction of ... ... of California P, 1990.   39-60.   Brown, Gillian. "Getting in the Kitchen with Dinah: Domestic Politics in Uncle Tom's Cabin." American Quarterly 36 (Fall 1984):   503-523.   Davidson, Kathy N. "Preface: No more separate spheres!" American Literature 70   (September 1998):   443-454.   Jehlen, Myra. "The Family Militant: Domesticity Versus Politics in Uncle Tom's Cabin." Criticism 31 (Fall 1989):   383-400.   MacKethan, Lucinda H. "Domesticity in Dixie: The Plantation Novel and Uncle Tom's Cabin." Haunted Bodies: Gender and Southern Texts. Ed. Anne Goodwyn Jones and Susan V. Donaldson. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1997.   223-239.   Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.   Tompkins, Jane. Sensational Designs: The Cultural Work of American Fiction, 1790-1860. New York: Oxford UP, 1985.  

Hitler compared to macbeth Essay

When one is ambitious in gaining power by the force of evil or by the used of violence, there is no stopping this one from what he or she is going to do. This is one of the moral ethical of humanity, something that every human being must suffer during their time of existence. It is also what William Shakespeare tried to show humanity that being ambitious will never bring any good to one person nor will it give happiness to one person. During the time of Shakespeare, the time of the Renaissance, many dukes, lords, thanes, monarch, and commoners were ambitious in gaining power. They all slew each other, even their own bloodline to gain power over the other. Shakespeare then wrote a play know as Macbeth, to show everyone of every class and society of how ambition can led one person from good to evil. Even in today world that there are still people that are ambitious in gaining power. Adolf Hitler, the tyrant of Germany, is very much similar to Shakespeare’s character, Macbeth. If one ever compares the two tyrants, one would thinks that they are twin brothers or that Hitler based his character off of Shakespeare’s work. Both Hitler and Macbeth are similar in many ways, their ambition for gaining power, their liking for killing people, and their triumphant and hatred amongst the people. One of the strongest similarities of both Hitler and Macbeth are their ambition of gaining power. Both of them never had any intention of being ambition at their young ages nor when they are serving for their country. At first, Hitler was just an ordinary son of Alois Hitler and an orphan after the death of his mother. In his early years, Hitler had no intention of overruling the government or any†¦

Battle of Plassey in Indian History

Battle of Plassey in Indian History Battle of Plassey - Conflict Date: The Battle of Plassey was fought June 23, 1757, during the Seven Years War (1756-1763). Armies Commanders British East India Company Colonel Robert Clive3,000 men Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud DaulahMohan LalMir MadanMir Jafar Ali Khanapprox. 53,000 men Battle of Plassey - Background: While fighting raged in Europe and North America during the French Indian/Seven Years War, it also spilled over to the more faraway outposts of the British and French Empires making the conflict the worlds first global war. In India, the two nations trading interests were represented by the French and British East India Companies. In asserting their power, both organizations built their own military forces and recruited additional sepoy units. In 1756, fighting began in Bengal after both sides began reinforcing their trading stations. This angered the local Nawab, Siraj-ud-Duala, who ordered military preparations to cease. The British refused and in a short time the Nawabs forces had seized the British East India Companys stations, including Calcutta. After taking Fort William in Calcutta, a large number of British prisoners were herded into a tiny prison. Dubbed the Black Hole of Calcutta, many died from heat exhaustion and being smothered. The British East India Company moved quickly to regain its position in Bengal and dispatched forces under Colonel Robert Clive from Madras. The Plassey Campaign: Carried by four ships of line commanded by Vice Admiral Charles Watson, Clives force re-took Calcutta and attacked Hooghly. After a brief battle with the Nawabs army on February 4, Clive was able to conclude a treaty which saw all British property returned. Concerned about growing British power in Bengal, the Nawab began corresponding with the French. At this same time, the badly outnumbered Clive began making deals with the Nawabs officers to overthrow him. Reaching out to Mir Jafar, Siraj Ud Daulahs military commander, he convinced him to switch sides during the next battle in exchange for the nawabship. On June 23 the two armies met near Palashi. The Nawab opened the battle with an ineffective cannonade which ceased around noon when heavy rains fell on the battlefield. The Company troops covered their cannon and muskets, while the Nawabs and French did not. When the storm cleared, the Clive ordered an attack. With their muskets useless due to wet powder, and with Mir Jafars divisions unwilling to fight, the Nawabs remaining troops were forced to retreat. Aftermath of the Battle of Plassey: Clives army suffered a mere 22 killed and 50 wounded as opposed to over 500 for the Nawab. Following the battle, Clive saw that Mir Jafar was made nawab on June 29. Deposed and lacking support, Siraj-ud-Duala attempted to flee to Patna but was captured and executed by Mir Jafars forces on July 2. The victory at Plassey effectively eliminated French influence in Bengal and saw the British gain control of the region through favorable treaties with Mir Jafar. A pivotal moment in Indian history, Plassey saw the British establish a firm base from which to bring the remainder of the subcontinent under their control. Selected Sources History of War: Battle of PlasseyModern History Sourcebook: Sir Robert Clive: The Battle of Plassey, 1757History of Islam: Battle of Plassey

Discussion #5 Example

Discussion #5 Example Discussion #5 – Essay Example Topic: Home Schooling Pros and Cons Homeschooling has the benefit of promoting home development due to the support that a child will receive from all family members. Slide ten proposes that the family members will utilize the routines, time and space in the home for promoting child development at home. However, it would be hectic in cases where both the parents are working and in other scenarios such as single parenting. This brings about a massive workload to the parents who will be forced to spare time for homeschooling (Windley, 2006). For the child to receive a quality education, parents will have to make homeschooling a full-time commitment to substantial investment in terms of effort and time. In terms of costs, it will also be expensive for the parents to purchase an up to date curriculum besides to the cost of materials, books, and other stationery. Unschooling is a new phenomenon that requires self-drive and a lot of discipline in making and adhering to a strict study plan. This philosophy is currently gaining popularity due to less pressure associated with the learning mechanism where a child will choose appropriate learning schedule and lessons to complete at any moment. Many schools should start thinking about incorporating unschooling with their regular program to encourage children explore their talents while at the same time indulge in various learning exercises. This setup wold make learning more attractive in terms of stimulating the mind and breaking the monotony of always indulging in books as the only learning routine. This learning mode would not be conducive for the children who need constant motivation to excel in their studies as well as those who need constant competition to excel in class work. The freedom associated with unschooling should be regularly assessed to ascertain its effectiveness in the learning process and impact on child development. ReferencesWindley, C. (2006). Home schooling. New York: Atlantic Monthly Books.

Geography of El Salvador

Geography of El Salvador Population: 6,071,774 (July 2011 estimate)Border Countries: Guatemala and HondurasArea: 8,124 square miles (21,041 sq km)Coastline: 191 miles (307 km)Highest Point: Cerro el Pital at 8,956 feet (2,730 m) El Salvador is a country located in Central America between Guatemala and Honduras. Its capital and largest city is San Salvador and the country is known as being the smallest but most densely populated country in Central America. The population density of El Salvador is 747 people per square mile or 288.5 people per square kilometer. History of El Salvador It is believed that the Pipil Indians were the first people to inhabit what is present-day El Salvador. These people were descendents of the Aztec, Pocomames,  and Lencas. The first Europeans to visit El Salvador were the Spanish. On May 31, 1522 the Spanish Admiral Andres Nino and his expedition landed on Meanguera Island, a territory of El Salvador located in the Gulf of Fonseca (U.S. Department of State). Two years later in 1524 Spains Captain Pedro de Alvarado started a war to conquer Cuscatln and in 1525 he conquered El Salvador and formed the village of San Salvador. Following its conquer by Spain, El Salvador grew considerably. By 1810 however, the citizens of El Salvador began to push for independence. On September 15, 1821, El Salvador and the other Spanish provinces in Central America declared their independence from Spain. In 1822 many of these provinces joined with Mexico and although El Salvador initially pushed for independence among Central Americas countries it joined the United Provinces of Central America in 1823. In 1840,  however, the United Provinces of Central America dissolved and El Salvador became fully independent. After becoming independent, El Salvador was plagued by political and social unrest as well as many frequent revolutions. In 1900, some peace and stability was achieved and lasted until 1930. Beginning in 1931, El Salvador became ruled by a number of different military dictatorships which lasted until 1979. During the 1970s, the country was marred by severe political, social and economic problems. As a result of its many problems a coup dà ©tat or government overthrow occurred in October 1979 and a civil war followed from 1980 to 1992. In January 1992 a series of peace agreements ended the war which killed over 75,000 people. Government of El Salvador Today El Salvador is considered a republic and its capital city is San Salvador. The executive branch of the countrys government consists of a chief of state and a head of government, both of whom are the countrys president. El Salvadors legislative branch is made up of a unicameral Legislative Assembly, while its judicial branch consists of a Supreme Court. El Salvador is divided into 14 departments for local administration. Economics and Land Use in El Salvador El Salvador currently has one of the largest economies in Central America and in 2001 it adopted the United States dollar as its official national currency. The main industries in the country are food processing, beverage manufacturing, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture and light metals. Agriculture also plays a role in the economy of El Salvador and the main products of that industry are coffee, sugar, corn, rice, beans, oilseed, cotton, sorghum, beef and dairy products. Geography and Climate of El Salvador With an area of just 8,124 square miles (21,041 sq km), El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It has 191 miles (307 km) of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Fonseca and it is situated between Honduras and Guatemala (map). The topography of El Salvador consists mainly of mountains, but the country does have a narrow, relatively flat coastal belt and a central plateau. The highest point in El Salvador is Cerro el Pital at 8,956 feet (2,730 m) and it is located in the northern part of the country on the border with Honduras. Because El Salvador is located not far from the equator, its climate is tropical in nearly all areas except for its higher elevations where the climate is considered more temperate. The country also has a rainy season that lasts from May to October and a dry season that lasts from November to April. San Salvador, which is located in central El Salvador at an elevation of 1,837 feet (560 m), has an average yearly temperature of 86.2à ‹Å¡F (30.1ËšC).

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Project management - Essay Example As recommended by literature (Field and Keller 2007, p.198), the forward pass mode has been used for calculating the ETS for each of the activities. The mode is based on the assumption that all previous activities have been finalised. The following equation has been used in calculating its values: ETSj  = max (ETSi  + Ti  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ i - when an activity is linked to j on an arc from i to j). The values of ETS for each of the activities are provided in a Table 1. Early Finish Time (EFT) is calculated by adding the duration time of each activity to its ETS. The Late Start Time (LTS) is calculated through the use of backward pass mode. It is based on the assumption that the latest time the last event can occur is equal to the last event ETS. The following equation has been used in calculating its values: LTSi  = MIN (LTSj  - Ti  -j is an activity linked to i on the path from i to j). The values of LTS for each of the activities are provided in a Table 1. Float The total float in the scheduling provides information on the accepted event delay that will not result in total delay of the whole project (Field and Keller 2007, PMI 2008). It is the difference between the LTS and ETS of each project activity, i.e. Fi = LTSi–ETSi 3. The project duration and the critical path. The minimum required time for the completion of the project is 80 days. A final step in designing the network is the identification of the critical path. A critical path is made out of the critical activities of the project. An activity is assessed as critical when if delayed, will cause a delay of the whole project duration by an equal amount of time (Field and Keller 2007:183, PMI 2008). For a critical activity: The ETS and the LTS of the activity must be equal at the each node; The Float must be equal to 0; Table 1. Task Name Duration Pred. Early Start Early Finish Late Start Late Finish Float Critical path A 4 - 0 4 0 4 0 yes B 4 A 4 8 4 8 0 yes C 2 A 4 6 14 16 10 no D 6 A 4 10 10 16 6 no E 5 A 4 9 11 16 7 no F 8 B 8 16 8 16 0 yes G 10 C,D,E,F 16 26 16 26 0 yes H 7 G 26 33 26 33 0 yes I 6 H 33 39 33 39 0 yes J 5 H 33 38 34 39 1 no K 7 I,J 39 46 39 46 0 yes L 14 K 46 60 46 60 0 yes M 8 L 60 68 60 68 0 yes N 2 M 68 70 68 70 0 yes O 2 N 70 72 76 78 6 no P 8 N 70 78 70 78 0 yes Q 2 O,P 78 80 78 80 0 yes 1. Different Project Scenarios If the project starts on Monday 21st, May, 2011, what is the earliest date it can be completed using a 5 day working week? For calculating the schedule and the earliest date the project can be completed, the project management tool - Gant chart is used, presented in Appendix 2. The calculation is as follows: the total duration project of the (80) is divided with 5 (working days in the week) = 16 weeks. The earliest date is for completion of the project is Friday, September 2nd, 2011. If the following happened what would be the effect on the duration of the whole project? Explain the reasons. a. A two day delay in activity

KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Assignment

KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - Assignment Example Such information may include those in applications, specific markets and users. Proper harnessing of these information resources, can contribute enormously to making innovation effective in the organization. Also, organizations partner with others to fulfill specific business goals and objectives. In doing so, invaluable knowledge resources can be created. If a structured approach exists for capturing and sharing these resources, it can aid the innovation process tremendously. It must be added that, a structured approach to acquiring organizational knowledge can by itself be self-financing, in that knowledge is an important source of sustainable wealth creation. It is also cost-effective to the organization in the sense that projects that are unlikely to succeed on the market can be identified on time by the structures created and abandoned. Such an approach sharpens the innovative process and thereby increases Institution of the needed structures is only part of the process of making innovation effective in an organization. In addition to that, there must be a well defined strategy and also a supportive culture for the process. It has been estimated that around 30 percent of western consumers would be aged 50 by 2009. Available reports indicate that this age group would like to maintain youthful looks (Pitman, 2006). Hair care products with anti-ageing properties should therefore be appealing to them. Financially, this category of users is more endowed than their younger counterparts and therefore spends more money on such products. Targeting this category of consumers with naturally occurring hair care products should find ready acceptance with them. Developing a natural hair product for this market would require a seven step processes to be followed. These steps are (i) new product strategy development (ii) idea generation (iii) idea screening and evaluation (iv) business analysis (v) product development (vi) market testing and (vii) commercialization. Many manufacturing companies have a clearly defined new product development strategy that defines the role a particular new product is to help fulfill its overall objectives. Such a policy sharpens the focus of the idea generated for the company. This also prevents the company from dissipating its resources on work that does not help achieve its vision and goals. The naturally occurring hair product with anti-aging properties to be developed is strategically consistent with the company's objective of being recognized as an environmentally friendly. The conception of the idea of producing a naturally occurring hair product emerged from desk research. The researcher came across articles that extolled the properties of some hair care ingredients as well as the emerging trends among male adults to maintain their youthfulness. On the strength of these pieces of information, the idea to manufacture a hair product was conceived. Subsequently, several alternative ingredients were explored. Several product ideas

Web Based Delphi Information System Research Paper

Web Based Delphi Information System - Research Paper Example Property management systems are computerized systems that are used in the manufacturing, logistic, government and hospitality industry for managing properties. PMS is single software capable of performing numerous services including, management of personal property, equipment, and the associated legalities. In this digital age where web based applications such as PMS provide a competitive edge over old-fashioned, paper-based management mechanisms, these applications should entirely be incorporated into the business environment of any organization. This paper attempts to explore the advantages the PMS software such as Delphi would have on the hospitality environment such as chains of hotels. The hotel industry is made up of ventures interlinked together to provide wholesome services to consumers. Starting from reservations all the way to check out, all this activities need to be documented in a harmonious way. The adoption of technology is therefore necessary to promote interoperabili ty as well as efficiency. The many hotel systems such as point-of-sale, telephone, security and room control, entertainment and ordering, telephone services, accounts, HR and payroll among others are comprehensively packaged together in single PMS software. By automating these services, better customer service is achieved, which encourages spending, and consequently better returns. The automation can be achieved at a single entity or/and integrated throughout a worldwide chains.

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Buddhism - Essay Example Buddha then offered to heal her child only if she is able to bring a mustard seed given by a family who has not experienced death. Kisogatami searched and was able to find families willing to provide her with the mustard seed but to her dismay each one had experienced death at one point. In the end, Kisogatami understood that death comes to all and she finally accepted the fact of her baby’s death (Matthews, p.115). The idea of death in Buddhism, much like in every other religion, is an acceptable and inevitable part of human life. But where death is usually the end of a life’s cycle in others, the concept of rebirth is a reoccurring process until one reaches Nirvana which is essentially â€Å"the state of being free of egocentrism and the suffering that it causes. Positively, it is joy and peace† (ibid). Karmic destiny is understood to be an invisible force to which certain events and something that even moral justice is not included as opined by some since some Buddhists regard this as the causation of suffering brought about not by their doing and beyond any person’s control. Weber (as cited by Keyes and Daniel, p.15) cannot â€Å"be a logical solution to theodicy, since it points to an ultimate force that cannot be comprehended in logical terms.† Cause and effect best describes the notion of karma and how it affects the life of an individual. Fundamentally, man seeks to find an explanation to the suffering which one endures and religion can provide for a comprehensive elucidation to this predicament by offering various and largely acceptable enlightenments. Westerns philosophers are among the supporters of how the notion of karma and rebirth provides for a substantial explication of suffering and the problem evil. Extensively compared to the Christian rationalization of evil, Max Weber and Arthur Henman together with Michael Stoeber points to the apparent logic of this Buddhist doctrines as a more reasonable justification than the notion of purgatory (Kaufman, pp.15-16). Buddhism has greatly advanced its presence worldwide and the logical appreciation of karma brings it forth as a simple yet compelling belief which can be attributed to its acceptability. In the strict erudite of theodicy, the conviction of God as an all-loving and all-knowing Supreme Being gives rise to the basic question of why does evil exist. This main concern of theodicy makes karma an inconsistent answer since as pointed out earlier, karma does not extensively discuss nor expound on the same because man’s suffering is by his own doing base on previous acts or wrongdoings. Nevertheless, Kaufman maintains that a modern understanding of the concept would elucidate on karma and reincarnation as it provides for an easy response to why suffering exists. He then accedes to the five recognizable flaws in consideration of karma. The first is that one does not remember anything in what is supposed to be one’s own past life a nd is thus inimical to justice since he would never know for what he is being punished for. Second is the fact that there must be a correlation to the amount of suffering in consideration of what was previously done and in this case, similar to the previous one, there would be clear difficulty in ascertaining what offense was previously committed. The third is what he refers to as infinite regress which points to questioning the beginning of the process and in this sense it ignores the question by the

The Skills In The Identification Of The Hypothesis Essay

The Skills In The Identification Of The Hypothesis - Essay Example There is a suggested cohort study that revolves around the interaction of three variables namely age, cohort and period factor related to the time of study but the regression between the said factors can produce insignificant relationship since the said factors can be considered as demographic values used for baseline data gathering and establishment.   This was perceived to cause a statistical error on the basis of colinearity (Cole et al., 2008).   A suggested method to resolve such issue is the application of partial least squares (PLS) to study the different variables involved which can yield significant data since the method is not totally dependent upon the gathered data and other variables such as repeat purchase and type of brand can also be analyzed (Cole et al., 2008).  Based on the study of the article undertaken it can be considered that the hypothesis then,   is that changes that are associated with the age of a person have effects on the cognition, setting goals , habits, and choices.   Results have confirmed the hypothesis.   The older population can base their choices regarding product and brand choice on a wider perspective compared to the younger population.   The differences can be attributed to different points which include the fact that older consumers possess different fundamental psychological attributes.   Although this is the case there are other factors that can also affect brand choice including the individual experience of the consumer, the environmental effects and the importance of the product (Cole et al., 2008). The hypothesis was confirmed but the further study and exploration of the topic are required to be able to answer the question in the manner the age-related factors affect older consumer’s brand choice.

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Buddhism - Essay Example Buddha then offered to heal her child only if she is able to bring a mustard seed given by a family who has not experienced death. Kisogatami searched and was able to find families willing to provide her with the mustard seed but to her dismay each one had experienced death at one point. In the end, Kisogatami understood that death comes to all and she finally accepted the fact of her baby’s death (Matthews, p.115). The idea of death in Buddhism, much like in every other religion, is an acceptable and inevitable part of human life. But where death is usually the end of a life’s cycle in others, the concept of rebirth is a reoccurring process until one reaches Nirvana which is essentially â€Å"the state of being free of egocentrism and the suffering that it causes. Positively, it is joy and peace† (ibid). Karmic destiny is understood to be an invisible force to which certain events and something that even moral justice is not included as opined by some since some Buddhists regard this as the causation of suffering brought about not by their doing and beyond any person’s control. Weber (as cited by Keyes and Daniel, p.15) cannot â€Å"be a logical solution to theodicy, since it points to an ultimate force that cannot be comprehended in logical terms.† Cause and effect best describes the notion of karma and how it affects the life of an individual. Fundamentally, man seeks to find an explanation to the suffering which one endures and religion can provide for a comprehensive elucidation to this predicament by offering various and largely acceptable enlightenments. Westerns philosophers are among the supporters of how the notion of karma and rebirth provides for a substantial explication of suffering and the problem evil. Extensively compared to the Christian rationalization of evil, Max Weber and Arthur Henman together with Michael Stoeber points to the apparent logic of this Buddhist doctrines as a more reasonable justification than the notion of purgatory (Kaufman, pp.15-16). Buddhism has greatly advanced its presence worldwide and the logical appreciation of karma brings it forth as a simple yet compelling belief which can be attributed to its acceptability. In the strict erudite of theodicy, the conviction of God as an all-loving and all-knowing Supreme Being gives rise to the basic question of why does evil exist. This main concern of theodicy makes karma an inconsistent answer since as pointed out earlier, karma does not extensively discuss nor expound on the same because man’s suffering is by his own doing base on previous acts or wrongdoings. Nevertheless, Kaufman maintains that a modern understanding of the concept would elucidate on karma and reincarnation as it provides for an easy response to why suffering exists. He then accedes to the five recognizable flaws in consideration of karma. The first is that one does not remember anything in what is supposed to be one’s own past life a nd is thus inimical to justice since he would never know for what he is being punished for. Second is the fact that there must be a correlation to the amount of suffering in consideration of what was previously done and in this case, similar to the previous one, there would be clear difficulty in ascertaining what offense was previously committed. The third is what he refers to as infinite regress which points to questioning the beginning of the process and in this sense it ignores the question by the

Factors That Contributed To Industrial Revolution In Britain Essay

Factors That Contributed To Industrial Revolution In Britain - Essay Example Important conditions that favored the growth of industrialization in Europe include capitalism, a growth of population, peace and increased cross-border markets for industrial goods. Capitalism encouraged people to own private property and make beneficial contracts among themselves. They realized that there was the need to work harder with the objective of acquiring more property. Capitalism was a motivation that enhanced people’s desire towards making inventions since it was the only way towards wealth accumulation. The growth of population in Britain provided the necessary labor for industries and guaranteed a local market for goods and services. Increased labor and demand constituted the primary motivators for an industrial revolution. Britain peace and tranquility prevailed in Britain; this provided a favorable environment for industrial growth. Industrial investors no longer feared destruction of their property caused by conflicts and wars. People, therefore, volunteered to install machinery for industrial production with no fear of destructive activities. International demand for industrial goods was increasing at high rates as people desired to make their lives easy through the use of machinery. This provided opportunities for marketing Britain’s industrial goods. Increased markets encouraged more production and accelerated industrial revolution. Industrial revolution marked a major turning point in history because it influenced approximately all aspects of people’s daily lives.

Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” Essay Example for Free

Tchaikovsky’s â€Å"1812 Overture† Essay The concert that I chose to review was an online performance of Tchaikovsky’s â€Å"1812 Overture†. This overture is the finale to his Symphony No. 5. The piece that I chose was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic on October 9, 2008 and conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Ozawa has conducted orchestras in Germany, Austria, France and many other countries. He holds the distinction of being, â€Å"the first recipient of Japan’s Inouye Sho†¦recognizing lifetime achievement in the arts† (â€Å"Seiji Ozawa: Conductor). The â€Å"1812 Overture† has movements that have become famous and have been used in movies and on television, but the sections of it that have been used in these places don’t convey the whole feeling of the overture. The â€Å"1812 Overture† as a whole is a moving piece because it combines elements of music to uniquely convey emotion. The overture begins adagio, with the strings playing in a very legato style. The notes are smoothly combined with a slight tremolo to them to evoke emotion. The woodwinds enter next, with the flutes featured legato in accompaniment to the strings. Ozawa conducts with his whole body and his arms seem to move in the same way that he wants to listener to feel the music. The tone of the piece changes when the percussion enters espressivo and joins the wind instruments and the strings. The piece begins to accelerate when the percussion instruments begin to play. An oboe solo contrasts with the percussion’s vibrato. The introduction of the percussion makes the whole orchestra play faster and more allegro. As the brass and percussion instruments increase in speed and volume the entire orchestra plays forte and with force. At about four minutes into the overture as the overture becomes more and more allegro there is a section that echoes the drum section of the overture that has become so famous that will be played later. This opens up a section of grandioso style with all instruments playing forte and allegro, giving the overture an overall lively and quickly moving feeling. There is an interlude that follows this quick movement of the overture. The strings are featured in this movement and the whole movement is played softer, more adagio and with several glissando sections from the stringed and wind instruments to calm the overture down. Here an oboist and flautist each perform a cavatina, a short solo that is part of the larger piece the orchestra is playing. Their solo parts echo the orchestra but also compliment it. From here the overture returns to a vivace tone and all sections play briskly, lively and fast. The timpani accompanies this fast pace with several forte, brisk notes. Ozawa moves the orchestra easily through the overture’s theme and the adagio sections seem to blend easily with the vivace movements and make the overture feel whole and vibrant. There is a wind instrument section shortly after the timpani that leads into the forte, grande finale of the overture that has become so popular. This section features the flutes and clarinets playing a very fast and repetitive section. When I listened to this section I felt that the whole energy of the overture was accelerating. This was accompanied by timpani and percussion making the movement more forceful and forte. The overture continues to build and accelerate in volume and pace as it reaches its finale. As the strings speed up the brass section joins them to make the movement more forceful. The percussion joins in with bells that seem almost dissonant to the other instruments. This feeling of semi-dissonance is because the other sections are all playing fast, repetitive fifth note tremolo progressions while the bells seem to be playing almost at random. The bells didn’t quite seem to fit with the rhythm of the other instruments at this point to me, but as the movement progressed towards the finale I understood how the bells fit in to the whole piece. The bells play in a similar tone as the other instruments, so even though they are playing in a completely different time signature they don’t seem completely out of place. I enjoyed watching the bells being played during this section also because the bells used are so large they were almost the size of the man playing them. This somehow made them seem even more powerful and forceful when they were being played. As the movement progresses it slows down briefly once more, becoming slightly more adagio but the bells don’t stop. The bells continue to play and act as a bridge to bring the othe r sections into the grande finale section. In the final moments of the overture the percussion and brass sections seem to take over. The whole finale is played very grande, with all of the instrumental sections combining to give the overture a very big, encompassing feel. In the performance notes for a performance by the Burgess Hill Symphony Orchestra, Sonia Hill describes the overture as, â€Å"a festive and patriotic piece to immortalize Napoleon’s defeat and celebrate the liberation of the Russians† (Hill) and this final movement illustrates that inspiration. Ozawa’s body language changes during this final movement also, and he begins to move as quickly and forcefully as he wants the orchestra to play. If the other instrumental sections were not playing as forte as they are, the percussion section would probably drown them out. The end is punctuated by many staccato sections from the brass instruments that echo the forte notes by the percussion section. This is then contrasted right afterwards by longer, smoother notes from the woodwind section. The reason the end of the overture is so memorable and powerful is because of that contrast between the forte percussion playing huge, booming notes, the brass playing staccato and vivace, and the wind sections providing tremolo sections that accompany them. The final moments and notes of the finale feature rolling sequences by the timpani. These rolls seem to signal that the overture is ending, but they also contribute to the grande tone that is meant to leave a lasting impression on the listener. The pace of the orchestra slows down from the frantic pace a few seconds ago and here the strings play forte but smoothly, bringing all the sections of the orchestra together and also signalling the end of the overture. The overture ends with each listener remembering the power of that final movement. Works Cited â€Å"Overture 1812†. YouTube. May 29 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blroZTvCOMQfeature=related â€Å"Repertoire: 1812 Overture†. The Burgess Hill Symphony Orchestra. May 2004. May 28 2010. http://www.bhso.org.uk/repert-173-Tchaikovsky-1812-Overture-Op-49.htm â€Å"Seiji Ozawa: Conductor†. Welcome to the World of the Bach Cantatas. 12 January 2010. May 28 2010. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Ozawa-Seiji.htm

Swot Analysis Of The Garden Company Limited

Swot Analysis Of The Garden Company Limited Garden supplies thousands of food products to todays retail and catering markets, with many of their products internationally awarded. As one of the largest bakery production corporations in Hong Kong, they are well equipped with state-of-the-art large-scale equipment. Their technology, quality, output and market development have long reached International Standards. Gardens wide assortments of products, high sales volume and extensive market penetration have long been broadly recognized. To further cope with rising market demand, they continue to inject large sums of investment into product research and development as well as upgrading their technology and production hardware. The various production procedures are completed with the most sophisticated equipment in their factory. Computer automation is integrated in all the processes from production to packaging, fully manifesting the remarkable results brought about by scientific management. Furthermore, their principal factory in Sham Tseng with a total area of 70,000 square meters carries out the production lines for bread, cakes, biscuits, candies etc. Unlike most firms in Hong Kong, Garden was a pro-China company and had been supplying bread to Chinese army during World War II. The firm closed its operations during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945. The company expanded with the growth of Hong Kong before and after World War II and benefited from the influx of immigrants from Mainland China. In the 1980s and 1990s, Garden products were shipped overseas to Chinese communities around the world. Besides their major business in Hong Kong, Garden has also been actively taping into the Mainland China market since the 1980s. Factories had been set up in Dong Guan and Yang Zhou to introduce the advanced technology into the food manufacturing industry of the Mainland. Achieving the ISO9001 certification in 1997 was a milestone in their history. It demonstrates that Garden, with its world-class corporate management and modern operation system, is a globally acclaimed food manufacturer. Today, the company remains a privately owned family (Cheung family) business with several joint ventures with mainland Chinese firms. It is one of the few Hong Kong firms with manufacturing operations still in Hong Kong. All Garden products are made of the finest ingredients selected from all around the world, for example their barley is from Australia, flour from the United States, milk and butter from New Zealand, just to name a few. Their long-standing experience, fully-automated technology and packing equipment together with careful quality control guarantee that every product of theirs can meet strict quality testing and safety standards in many countries. With the past 80 years of excellence, Garden has successfully established itself as a distinguished brand supported and favored by many consumers around the world. Their products currently reach many major Chinese communities in as far as Europe and America. Today they are actively developing overseas markets in order to offer their quality foods to consumers in different corners of the world. With more than eight decades of experience in food production, the Garden Companys determination in offering quality products and services and its innovative spirit are as strong as ever. Looking ahead, they will continue with their commitment to producing nutritious and quality food with the pursuit of perfection. QIE, which stands for Quality, innovation, Efficiency, serves as Gardens corporate mission with the objectives to lead their staff to pursuit of superb quality, continuous innovation and achieve efficiency enhancement. It is through the implementation of QIE that the recognition and reputation of their brand have been greatly elevated. To realize their goal of QIE, the Company puts LTC Learn, Think, and Communicate into practice with all their working together to continuously improve the manufacturing of quality products, developing new technologies and new product values so as to satisfy the ever-heightening needs of consumers. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis Strengths: Garden has a global brand, it is a strong brand, strengths including brand recognition, brand quality, economies of scale, strong distribution network, strong distribution chain, supply chain, strong international operations, online growth, good reputation, reputation management, market share leadership, effective marketing strategy, experienced personnel, strong management team, effective communication, extensive customer base, loyal customers, cost advantage, asset leverage, competitive pricing, original and unique products, high research and development, advanced equipments, innovation, etc. Apart from all these company strengths, they are famous in Hong Kong. I believe that all households in Hong Kong consume their products, one or the other on a regular basis. They are considered second to none in the bakery industry. Weaknesses: Due to Gardens huge range of products, coupled with a substantial global retail network, bad communication is unavoidable, it happens from time to time. Furthermore, they experience diseconomies to scale, at times over leveraged financial position, and weak corporate governing practice. Since Gardens range of products is for the public in general, many of their competitors go to the upper end market, for example to high class customers such as hotels and delis, and leave Garden in the lower end market for many years. Opportunities: Garden basically has a healthy financial position. They did some acquisitions, merger and takeovers on a small scale basis. They also tie up with international events to capitalize on synergy opportunities for growth of the operation. They continuously look for new markets; expand in Asia, expand into online shopping; decrease its taxation through donations to charity organizations. In the era of emergence of international middle class, and change in consumer lifestyles, they are constantly changing their products to expand their customer base, and their service lines like new products such as drinks and snacks, and new service such as mail order. Threats: Although Garden has a lion share in the bakery industry, they have many competitors in the high end sector. With Hong Kong returning its sovereignty to Mainland China, Garden is facing many financially strong competitors from the Mainland. There are new competitors from the Mainland entering into this relatively small market. As far as their foreign business is concerned, foreign exchange rate changes affect its imports/exports strategies. The volatility in fuel costs, rising costs of business, pricing pressures, potentially slowing global economy, changes in demographics, change in consumer lifestyles, changing to cheaper technology, substitute products, changing consumer patterns, growing power of customers to set the price etc. are possible threats Garden has been facing during the past few years. Porters Five Forces analysis Competitive Rivalry within an industry: Since multi-market competition exists, rivalry between competitors in the industry is extremely intense. Companies in the industry have started new businesses to increase the level of competition with one another and compete heavily for geographic markets. There is no clear dominant market share player in the industry. Though the industry currently has relatively high growth, much of the business is cyclical, which leads to intensified competition in economic downturns. High fixed costs also contribute to intense competition. More recently, the continued growth of online shopping, mail orders, combined with increasing awareness of door to door logistics arrangements have been giving Garden headaches and they have been streamlining their services in this competitive environment. A few remarks are listed below to introduce some of Gardens international and local rivalries. Sara Lee Corporation Sara Lee Corporation is a global consumer products company with food, beverage, and household and body care lines of business. With powerful brands, such as Ambi Pur, Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Kiwi, Sanex, Senseo and its namesake, Sara Lee, the company has leading positions in numerous categories in the more than 180 markets in which it competes. In Hong Kong, Garden has two main competitors in its frozen and fresh breads. For frozen breads, it major rivalries are Maxims, Sara Lee. For fresh breads, Garden is facing numerous small size competitors, in particular in the western style restaurants which bake on an everyday basis for its afternoon tea customers. Competitive Rivalry is a strong force in the bakery industry because the competitors use price cuts to compete, there is a low cost product range and there is ease in switching brands, and the companies in this industry can diversify and acquire other companies for strategic growth and for synergy purposes. Threat of New Entrants: The threat of new entrants into this industry is relatively low because of the scale required to make companies in the industry competitive. Capital demands to fund all of the assets required in the industry are extraordinarily large, making competition from entrepreneurs or small companies very difficult at this level of market competitiveness. Economies of scale are necessary for the business to be profitable and because of the intensity of rivalry, customers are difficult to attract. While the basic service of shipping goods would be relatively easy for new entrants to imitate, the competitors in the industry have created value and high switching costs for their customers through proprietary technologies. Threat of New Entrants is a weak force in this industry. Each company currently in the industry has strong brand images, leaving a harder job for new companies. The capital expenditures to start a bakery company are large, and the companies currently are achieving economies of scale by going global. Any smaller company will not be able to achieve these right away, not allowing them to compete on prices. Another factor threatening potential entrants is trade tariffs and international regulations. Most companies currently in the industry have already established relations with foreign countries. New companies will have to prove themselves to foreign companies, suppliers, and customers. Threat of Substitute Products: The threat of substitutes is currently high for the industry, but major technological or governmental foods regulations could change that. As mentioned above, although Garden has a lion share in the bakery industry, they have many competitors in the high end sector, for example Maxims, Saint Honore, Tai Pan Bakery etc. Garden is also facing many financially strong competitors from the Mainland. The latter produce substitute products such as dumplings, dim sums to suit the changing consumers taste. This is one of the many reasons why Garden has been continuously modifying the ingredients and packaging of their products during the past few years. Threat of Substitute Products is a strong force in this industry. There are plenty of substitute products in the market. Bakery retail outlets such as Maxims, Saint Honore, Tai Pan Bakery etc are conveniently located in all the 18 zones. One can literally find either one of them in almost every main street in Hong Kong. These competitors also offer very competitive prices which make potential consumers lose their brand loyalty and easy to switch to another brand. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Suppliers bargaining power is fairly low in the industry, but different suppliers have slightly different pricing strategies to fight for their survival. Competitors are also on the same footing with suppliers, as they are all subject to the same prices, although they may have hedged differently. Labour is a major factor of production in the industry and differences between companies regarding labour contracts subjects them to varying degrees of supplier power. Suppliers of raw materials, components, labor, and services (such as expertise) to the firm can be a source of power over the firm, when there are few substitutes. Suppliers may refuse to work with the firm, or, e.g., charge excessively high prices for unique resources. This is a strong force if the suppliers serve different industries with their raw materials. If a supplier only has accounts or the majority of their accounts with different companies, they will not be able to control prices and supplies. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Customers in the industry initially have power, but once they commit to a bakery, their bargaining power decreases significantly. New customers can easily shop around for price or level of service in the beginning, but once they have chosen a bakery and buy their product, they are usually loyal to them. Customers are likely to become loyal to a certain provider because of long-standing relationships or personal interaction with the company. This is a moderate force in this industry because competition keeps prices similar among the companies. The only difference is degree in loyalty. Also, the buyers of the services in this industry are reactionary. They do not know the technology before it happens. They become dependent on the technology, service and speed offered by the companies in this industry and will pay for it. SCOR (Supply-Chain Operations Reference) Model Planning activities: Gardens target customers are the public in general, whether they be as young as 2 years old, to as old as 99, they could be Gardens customers. Their pricing strategy is value for money. Their marketing slogan has been nutrition you need every day with the highest quality. These planning activities have proved to be most successful and made Garden the leading supplier in the bakery industry, in particular in the breads, biscuits and cakes sectors. Sourcing activities: According to the reading materials I searched and found, Garden has been purchasing all the baking ingredients directly themselves. However, they do outsource through logistic companies in their delivery activities. Locally, they need to deliver their fresh breads every early morning to hundreds of retail outlets. They also need to deliver fresh buns to all McDonalds franchisees. Furthermore they also deliver a range of fancy breads to airline caterers, hotels and restaurants. Internationally, they outsource transportation companies as well as freight forwarders for special orders such as wedding and birthday cakes. Internally, they outsource information technologies, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, foods testing etc. just to name a few. Make or production activities: Gardens upstream suppliers are worldwide. These included but not limited to flour, sugar, milk, cocoa, vanilla, wheat, soda powder, etc. again just to name a few. Countries included but not limited to (in alphabetical order) Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Bread Production Gardens bread production lines operate on a 24-hour basis, of which one is the first fully-automated line for hamburger buns in Asia. Apart from the retail market, they provide a huge volume of wholesale goods, which include bread, pastry and frozen dough products to major fast food chains, restaurants, hotels and airline catering services in Hong Kong. With their far-ranging businesses, they are committed to providing consumers with better choices with continuous innovations. Biscuit production Garden possesses diverse expertise, equipment and automated production lines to produce a wide variety of biscuits including wafers, cookies, sandwich biscuits, saltine, crackers and assorted biscuit gift packs to meet market demands. Cake production Their wide range of cakes has long been famous for its high quality and great taste. To cope with market demand, Garden produces cake products with highly efficient production lines, of which one is fully computerized for producing mini-cakes. With a wholehearted contribution from over 1,200 employees, Garden has established itself as the most reputable manufacturer in the local industry. Order processing information systems All market interactions, from the understanding of aggregate demand to the fulfillment of each order are not done wholly by Garden internally themselves. Some logistics are being outsourced, in particular for the overseas markets in Northern and Latin America, Australia, Europe, and Canada. Garden normally receives their orders through phone, fax and e-mail or e-order. Its IT department uploads orders to the printing invoice system. Automatically, these invoices pass to its distribution department for delivery. After deliveries, these invoices will be, again automatically, sent to its accounting department. The latter department then issues credit notes to the appropriate customers. Currently they are still using the information systems designed by IBM. Quality Control foremen in Garden are made responsible to ensure that expiry date, and appearances are properly done, and presentable. All delivery vans must have the correct temperatures for the different kinds of products. Delivery activities: Different transportation teams are required for different products. Fresh breads, frozen breads, biscuits are being delivered by the China and Hong Kong transport teams. Fresh bread team has about 60 vehicles to deliver 4,000 orders per day. These trucks are recognizable easily on the streets. Frozen breads and biscuits teams have about 20 vehicles to deliver 400 orders per day. Three trailers are being outsourced for the Mainland China and Hong Kong markets. As mentioned above, Garden does outsource through logistic companies in their delivery activities. Locally, they need to deliver their fresh breads every early morning to hundreds of retail outlets. They also need to deliver fresh buns to all McDonalds franchisees; deliver a range of fancy breads to airline caterers, hotels and restaurants. Internationally, they outsource transportation companies as well as freight forwarders for special orders such as wedding and birthday cakes. Not only that Garden wants to manufacture the best products, they also want to provide their best delivery service. Return activities: Garden guarantees its products are fresh and proper. They promise their retailers that they will replace any damaged or rotten items, that is if that happens. Garden has agreed with their retailers that they will pick up any expired items on their shelves. Assess how well the organization implements the supply chain management As mentioned right at the beginning of this report, Gardens major upstream suppliers are from the US, Canada, and Australia whereas their three biggest downstream suppliers in Hong Kong are supermarkets Wellcome, ParknShop and Mcdonalds. As far as this report is concerned, I would focus in the downstream supply chains; and before I go into how well Garden implements the supply chain management, I would like to introduce Gardens major downstream supply chains Wellcome, ParknShop and Mcdonalds. Wellcome Wellcome is Hong Kongs longest-established supermarket chain, they have an overall staff of 5,000 in more than 240 stores and serves more than 14 million customers every month. ParknShop ParknShop is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong (the other is Wellcome Supermarket). ParknShop operates more than 260 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China. ParknShop has more than 200 stores and 9,000 employees in Hong Kong. Mcdonalds McDonalds Corporation is one of the worlds largest chains of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving nearly 47 million customers daily. Most of their breads in Hong Kong are supplied by Garden. Although Garden does supply their products to airlines catering companies, hotels and restaurants, as well as supply chains such as 7 Eleven, Circle K and etc., I am not going to introduce these supply chains on a one on one basis. Basically these supply chains are owned by substantial and listed companies with well-trained management teams. Top management, as well as middle management personnel at Garden have very good business relationships with their supply chains. They have properly done legal contracts specifying all the details in supplies and payments. I have not been able to find any past news regarding any communication breakdowns between Garden and its supply chains. I have neither been able to find any past law suits about Garden suing any of its supply chains for non-payments, nor any company suing Garden for not delivering its responsibilities although there have been rumors that Garden has been finding it more and more difficult to get their payments on time during the past few years. Based on these findings, I believe Garden has been successful in its supply chains management activities. Suggest solutions/ways to improve the organization business; especially by improvements on supply chain management of the organization Supply Chain Management (SCM) is not created to suit for every company. It can succeed only with top management commitment and managers loyalty in executing those management strategies. Gardens management teams need to spend time in evaluating whether new SCM, inclusive of international networks, is suitable to be implemented into their company and how it could be successful. Garden bread has long history in Hong Kong that the fundamental target market should be the mass public served as the stable diet. With the increasing awareness of healthy eating, the variety of healthy consciousness products have been promoted like multi-grained, whole wheat, high calcium low fat breads. It is the general social trend and also serves as one of the marketing strategies that focus on the targeted middle-class, office-ladies and health consciousness customers. The relative advantage of Garden obviously is its long history and well-developed manufacturing factories, well-connected distribution channels, competitive retailing price and, of course, the well-known and long established brand name. On the other hand, these relative advantages might contribute some shortcomings in terms of the flexibility of market positioning and variety of products in response to the ever-changing and ever-increasing market force. Personally I am disappointed with Gardens decade-long use of coconut oil as an ingredient for their biscuits production. According to certain food magazines, too much consumption in coconut oil is bad for our health. Although all the reading material I found have been saying good things about Garden, nevertheless Garden is not a listed company, it is a privately owned company. They do not have to disclose any of their operation details to the public. Particularly, they do not have to disclose their financial position apart from to the Inland Revenue. My perception of Garden is that it is a very old style traditional company. Its top management includes family members of the founder. It is purely family business. Its image is not catching up with the young generation. Their product range is also conservative. It does not give any modern flare to attract those expats from the west. They focus on Asians so far, that means there is a huge expats market for them to develop. Garden reminds me of the Green, Yellow and White Arrow brands chewing gum company. The latter company has been too conservative and has not been innovative to catch up with the new entrants. Hence, Green White Arrow chewing gums have been losing market share. Until today, they have not been able to gain back what has been lost. The image of Garden should shift to focus more clearly on each market segment. For instance, Garden should develop a Gourmet production line which emphasis on the finest ingredients, the innovative design, for example in its packaging, and its advertisements. They could consider making more choice of breads, land cakes similar to those recipes from Italy and France, or from Europe at large. In order to shave off the old stable diet image, instead, the building up of the delicate and professional crafted food and to state that not only the five stars hotels can produce but Garden can also make and even better. The efforts to make sure managers do well in the SCM program and not treat it as another flavor-of-the-month include but not limited to the followings. Firstly, Garden has to ensure that the companys SCM strategies are specifically designed. Secondly, the SCM program need to meet their customers demands and reduces the companys costs. Thirdly, the management team must buy-in the program. Also, all the benefits included from the program such as customer responsiveness, more consistent on-time delivery; shorter order fulfillment lead times; reduced inventory costs; lower cost of purchased items; higher product quality; faster product innovation and etc. must be clearly explained to all the concerned managers so that they know the importance of the program. Garden must ensure that the staff concerned understand the objectives of the program, for example to better utilize the company resources and yet with higher product quality. Finally, if managers do well in implementing and executin g the program, the company should consider giving them incentive such as bonus or additional rewards other than their normal compensation. This will give them more motivation to continue to run the program. Garden has to do detailed surveys and researches to find out what are the products that their customers demand. They should listen to the voice of their customers. Their views and suggestions could in turn help the company to produce specifically the range of products the customers need. The company could also utilize their findings for meetings and discussions with their suppliers, both upstream and downstream and production managers to reduce the order processing time and inventories. The company would also be able to produce higher quality products with lower prices and less order processing time. In this way, the company would be more responsive to both their customers and suppliers. By doing the above, the company would be able to expand its market share from other competitors. Further possible improvements can be capitalized in the advances in technological and informational environment. These improvements have major implications for all industries, particularly logistics. If used effectively such advances may be a key source of competitive advantage. The technology listed below may become a competitive edge advantage for Garden in the future. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) not ready to implement? Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the use of an object (typically referred to as an RFID tag) applied to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. It works like a barcode, but instead of having to be passed in front of a scanner for recognition, tiny transponders (known as tags or chips) send out radio signals. Each tag is small, robust and unique so any one item can be tracked individually throughout the supply chain. Logistics and transportation are major areas of implementation for RFID technology. For example, yard management, shipping and freight and distribution centers are some areas where RFID tracking technology is used. Transportation companies around the world value RFID technology due to its impact on the business value and efficiency. The new technology is currently seen as too expensive to put on individuals products, but large companies already use it to track shipping items. RFID trials have met with mixed customer reactions. As with many such technical advances the effects can be both positive and negative. RFID technology is currently unsophisticated and largely applied to logistical operations. Training of staff and informing all internal stakeholders as to how RFID technology works and can benefit the company, stating the impact on customers so that companies are able to improve their operations. Global Positioning System (GPS) The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based global navigation satellite system. It provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to worldwide users on a continuous basis in all weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth which has an unobstructed view of four or more GPS satellites. GPS has become a mainstay of transportation systems worldwide, providing navigation for aviation, ground, and maritime operations. Installing GPS systems for delivery vehicles can increase the efficiency and effectiveness in delivering products. Even though transportation companies offer tracking and insurance services to their customers, there are still chances that the customers packages might be lost or stolen. Imagine a GPS chip attached to the delivery packages; it can then be tracked anytime. Adding this technology can boost the customers confidence about Garden. Conclusion Gardens supply chains are owned by substantial and listed companies with well-trained management teams. Garden has very good business relationships with their supply chains. Garden has been successful in its SCM activities. For further improvements, Garden should keep themselves abreast of the current important trends being developed in the business arena, for example electronic commerce has been widely used. Experienced users reveal that e-business reduces costs and time. It creates less conflict between suppliers and consumers. Garden must realize that very few industries are protected geographically; competition is getting more and more fierce. Gardens determination to change as the contents mentioned-above is critical for its advancement. With Gardens top management teams commitment, together with managers efforts, I believe that Gardens staff is more willingly to change and Garden has a good chance of success in improving its current SCM program. During the process of finding reading material for this exercise and thereafter digesting the material, I became more familiar with what supply chain management is. I will be interested in searching material for other type of companies when time permits.