Panacetin Lab Write Up

Lab Report Format for Separating the Components of â€Å"Panacetin† (2) and Recrystallization and Melting Point Measurement: Identifying the Components of â€Å"Panacetin† (3). Lab Notebook Title and Date Objective: Explain the purpose of the experiment and how you plan to accomplish it. Technique: Show the use of separatory funnel and evaporation of solvent setup Reaction(s): Include the main reaction for the experiment and isolation scheme Physical Data: List the molecular weight, melting point, boiling point, density, solubility, and hazards of all pertinent chemicals used in the experiment. Data/Observations: Your observations of the experiment, a. Weight of initial panacetin sample. b. Weight of sucrose collected. c. Weight of aspirin collected. d. Weight of unknown compound isolated e. Weight of recrystallized unknown compound f. Melting point range of recrystallized unknown compound. g. TLC sketches with appropriate data for Rf calculations (Clearly label each column of spots on the page so I know what it is) h. Mixed melting point based on information from TLC Final Report ? Title Page. Include: (1) the title of the experiment, (2) your name, (3) the due date, and (4) the date submitted ? Purpose of the Experiment. ? Background/Setup: ( 1 page) ? Discuss extraction theory and explain the general operation of the equipment ? Explain the theory behind isolation scheme ? Explain the purpose of recrystillization ? Procedure: reference the procedure (i. e. text or handout) and any changes that deviated from the original reference ? Data and Results: o Physical description for substance(s) isolated o Weight of initial panacetin sample. o o o o o o o o o Weight of sucrose collected. Weight of aspirin collected. Weight of unknown compound isolated Weight of recrystallized unknown compound Melting point range of recrystallized unknown compound. Mixed melting point based on information from TLC TLC Cross reference with lab notebook Rf values from TLC (including the solvent used) Percent recovery of sucrose, aspirin and your unknown ? Calculations: Show sample calculations of the percent recoveries of sucrose, aspirin and your unknown and Rf calculations. ? Discussion. What was the identity of your unknown? Explain in detail how you determined it, comparing the data you obtained with known values. Explain any discrepancies. (1 page) ? Conclusion: brief statement with final conclusion (restating the goal of the lab and summarizing important data showing that the goal was or was not achieved) ? Excercises: Lab 2 questions 1,3,5 Lab 3:1 and 2 Additional Question: Where in the separation procedure could you lose one or more of the Panacetin components? Explain which component could be lost in which step. Ignore trace amounts left in containers, or blatant spills.

Quality Television Program Essay

As the channels available on America’s cable programs exceed a thousand and as television becomes more readily available through mobile electronic devices, the criteria for what makes for a quality television program has certainly become more intricate and competitive. There are many different genres of television programs that appeal to a certain type of audience. As a huge fan of drama movies and television, I will be evaluating the recently new spin-off television show 90210 which is currently aired on CW. The American teen drama series revolves around a series of characters attending a fictional high school in Beverly Hills. The program seems to attempt to capture many of the same audiences that enjoy shows such as Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries which are also popular TV programs on CW. To evaluate and determine the quality level of 90210 I will be looking at a set of criteria that includes the appeal that the characters bring to the show, how realistic the show is, and a look at the development of plots throughout the last few seasons. To shed some light on the television program I will introduce some of the main characters that have been present in the four seasons the show has been airing. Lori Loughlin and Rob Hestes play Harry and Debbie Wilson as mother and father of daughter Annie Wilson and adopted son, Dixon Wilson. After a move from Kansas, the family of four enters season one as a new family to Beverly Hills and with Harry as the principal of Annie and Dixon’s new high school. Jessica Stroup plays Erin ‘Silver’ Silver who has a bipolar disorder and tends to hang out with some of the less popular of those at Beverly Hills High. Annalynne McCord plays the infamous Naomi Clark who is the most popular, gorgeous, untouchable girl available at her school. Then there is Michael Steger who plays Navid Shirazi who in the first season plays as role as Dixon’s quirky sidekick and then slowly falls into a leading role as he gets involved in a relationship with Jessica Lowndes who plays Adrianna Tate-Duncan. And it certainly would not be a teen drama without the good looking guy, Matt Lanter playing Liam Court who soon gets together with Annie Wilson. As far as criteria is concerned for evaluating the show’s characters I want to look at how engaging the characters are for the audience, how unique and identifiable they are, and what the relationships between the characters are like. After watching all four seasons of the show, they did a great job of picking actors/actresses that fit their different roles. With that said, each of the characters definitely has their own unique characteristics and personalities.

Effect of concentration on Nacl solution Essay

In this assignment we will be focusing on one property, which influences the electrical conductance of an ionic solution. Compounds can be held by a covalent or ionic bond, which depends on the nature of the bonds. In case of ionic compounds (we also call them electrolytes), the force of attraction is present between the ions, which have opposite charge. One of the ions has a positive charge, which is called a cation, and the other has a negative charge, which is called an anion. This attraction is called an ionic bond. Ionic compounds1 form crystals in which anions and cations are held together with force of attraction. Ionic compounds are also known as salts mostly. They are usually hard and brittle. They are solid at room temperature and they have high melting and boiling points. They conduct electricity in solution because they dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, which are free to move. These ions carry the electrical charge from the anode to the cathode. Properties of salt solutions, which influence their electric conductance:2 The temperature of the solution. The magnitude of the charge on the ions. The concentration of the ions in the solution. The liquid used to dissolve the ionic substances in. The size of the ions. I would like to investigate that how the concentration of the ions in the solution affects the electric conductance of the solution. Aim Our aim is to figure out the answer of the research question through this experiment Research question What is the relationship between the conductivity of the ionic solution and concentration of the ionic compound (electrolyte)? Hypothesis When an ionic compound dissolves in water, the ions usually break apart and diffuse throughout the whole solution. Ions conduct electricity because they are mobile and carry charge with them. In this case, the ionic compound (NaCl) will be dissolved in water, this causes the ions (Na+ and Cl-) to diffuse in the solution and resulting in them conducting electricity. It happens because the sodium holds one excess electron and Chlorine is in need of one electron, resulting in sodium giving one electron to Chlorine when they get separated. As a result of this, the Chlorine becomes electrically negative and the Sodium becomes positive. This is the chemical reaction which occurs- NaCl(s) ? à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ ? Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) When we put electrodes in the solution, the positive ions (Na) will migrate to negative electrode and negative ions (Cl) towards the positive electrode that’s how electric current will flow. The conductivity of a solution depends on the concentration of the solution. In water, it is the ions that pass electricity from one to the next. This means that the more Na+ and Cl- contained in water the more electricity is carried, and the higher the conductivity. If the solution of water and NaCl is more concentrated (NaCl in large amount), its electric conductance will be more than if the solution is less concentrated (NaCl in a smaller amount). Therefore in my opinion, the greater the concentration of the ions, the more the conductivity of the solution will be. Variables: Controlled variables: temperature, voltage applied (in this case 10 volts), the electrolyte (Nacl) used with water to make a solution. Independent variables: The concentration of NaCl solution and volume of water. Dependant variables: Electric conductance measured by an ammeter. Plan for experiment In this experiment we will be using NaCl solution as the ionic compound (electrolyte). We will be placing the electrolyte in water as to create a concentrated solution. Different amounts of NaCl and water shall be mixed to prepare the solutions, which have different concentrations so we can compare the electric conductance in different cases. This giving us an idea of how the electric conductance of the solution would change when the concentration of the solution is increased or decreased. So then from the experiment we can draw a conclusion on how the concentration of a solution affects the conductivity of an ionic solution. Two electrodes are placed and a potential is applied across the electrodes. Then electric current is measured, which passes through the solution. The electric conductance facilitates by the charge on ions. So we can say that the conductivity of the solution is directly proportional to the concentration of its ions. Materials: Goggles Electrodes made of copper Lab coat ( 2 sizes available small and large) 5 beakers Tissue paper Demineralized water – 425 ml in a washbottle as to make it easier to be more accurate while pouring water in the beakers NaCl – 75 ml Ammeter Voltage Power supply Stirring Spoon Measuring Cylinder Experimental set-up Diagram Steps of the experiment: Safety precautions 1. Wear lab coat to prevent clothes from any damage, which can be caused. 2. Wear goggles for safety measures. Checking materials 1. Make sure all the materials are present. 2. Take out 4 glass beakers and set them out on the table. Solutions preparation The solution chosen is NaCl. In the five different beakers, there will be different amounts of water and different amount of concentrations of NaCl will be added. The amount of water will decrease with the increase of concentration as to keep the same volume of the solution, which is 100 ml in total for all 5 cases. These 5 solutions are prepared in 5 different beakers. We use a measuring cylinder to measure the amount of water and measuring beaker for NaCl solution. 1. 1st solution -Take 95ml water in a beaker and then add 5ml of NaCl solution. 2. 2nd solution – Take 90 ml water and then add 10ml of NaCl Solution. 3. 3rd solution – Take 85 ml of water and then add 15 ml of NaCl Solution. 4. 4th solution – Take 80ml water and then add 20 ml of NaCl solution. 5. 5th solution – Take 75 ml of water and then add 25 ml of NaCl solution. Measuring the conductivity / amount of electricity created 1.To measure the electric conductance, we need to first create a circuit by using a pair of copper electrodes. The electrodes are supposed to be placed on an electrode holder, and tightened with clamps. 2. Connect the electrodes with a wire to the ammeter and also with the power supply. 3. Immerse the electrodes in the beaker. Note: Keep the electrodes as far apart as possible (2 – 3 inches), don’t let them touch or the power module will be damaged.3 4. Now turn on the voltage power supply and make sure to put the current limitation to maximum so that there is no interference at all with the result. Note: Do not touch the electrodes after the power supply is turned on. 5. To control the amount of voltage turn the button to 10 volts, it doesn’t matter how many volts are applied as long as the value is kept the consistent throughout the whole experiment. 6. Monitor the conductivity of the solution for 4-5 seconds on the ammeter until it become stable. Making observations: 1. Record the conductivity value in your data table. 2.Make sure to clean the electrodes after taking measurement. 3. Then place the electrodes into 2nd, 3rd and 4th and 5th solutions respectively and record the conductivity in the table for each case. Cleanup: 1. Empty all the beakers in the sink then wash and dry them. 2.Remove ammeter from the electrodes. 3.Dry up the electrodes with tissue. 4.Place all materials back into the cupboards. Data and Observations Amount of NaCl (in ml) Conductance (in amperes) Amount of water (in ml) The graph shows the relationship between the amount of Nacl and the conductance. Conclusion The line represents the conductance. Results: I’ve presented all my data in form of a graph, it will show the co-relation between the conductivity4 and concentration 5of salt solution. On the horizontal axis I have placed the Nacl concentration and on the vertical axis the conductivity of the solution. We can then draw a conclusion after looking at it. After doing the experiment, I can conclude that if an electrolyte is dissolved in water, it completely dissociates into ions and the electrolyte would contribute to conduction of electricity to the solution. In this experiment, NaCl dissociates into Na+ and Cl- ions, which made it possible for water to conduct electricity. The conductivity of the solution depends on the concentration of the electrolyte and behaves differently for different concentration of the electrolyte. As we can see by the graph, if we start increasing the concentration of the electrolyte (NaCl), the electric conduction will be increasing accordingly. So we can get to the conclusion that the conductivity of the solution is directly proportional to the concentration of the electrolyte solution. Evaluation: In overall I find that this experiment went very well. My hypothesis turned out to be as I had assumed it would, as the conductance did increase with the increase of concentration. Although there was mistake we did at first, which was creating the wrong circuit by connection the wrong wires which caused the conductance on the ammeter to be show in negative. However we soon figured out our mistake and then re did the circuit after which we got successful results. My results are reliable up to an extent as we tried to make our experiment as accurate as possible. We made sure that no extra solution was left on the electrode holder whiles taking measurements by cleaning them so that the conductance wouldn’t be affected. Also we applied the same amount of energy to each solution so that it wouldn’t contribute to the conductance. During measuring the amount of water we took a considerably accurate account and tried to make sure that there wasn’t a big difference. However there were a few things we could have done better to get even more reliable results. We could have taken an average of the readings of the solutions whose conductance kept changing and wouldn’t become stable. Also a larger gap could have been taken between the amount of concentrations such that to assist in making conclusions in a much easier way. We tried to consume as less time as possible and were able to finish our experiment in sufficient time. In my view we were also extremely organized in the experiment as we knew exactly what we had to do , and any small mistakes which we made we were able to solve them. Fair testing: There should be reasonable difference in the concentrations of the NaCl solutions used for the experiment to get more reliable result. Keep electrodes for sometime in each solution, and as soon as the reading is stable, note it down on your table. Stir the solutions properly before putting electrodes into it to make sure that NaCl has mixed properly with water in each case. Clean and dry electrodes before putting them into different solutions. The amount of the voltage applied should be the same in each case. Follow up Experiment: We are investigating on the various factors that influence the conductance of an ionic solution. In this experiment we concentrated on how the concentration of a solution affected the conductance. So the follow up experiment should be focusing on another influential factor, which in my view should be how temperature influences the conduction of an ionic solution. I also find this a really interesting topic to continue investigation on. This experiment will give us an even better understanding of conductance and electrolytes. References 1. â€Å"All about ionic compounds.† Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 2. â€Å"Concentration -.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 3. â€Å"Conductivity of Electrolytic Solutions.† UCS Home. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 4. â€Å"Experiments in Electrochemistry.† Fun Science Gallery – Scientific Experiments for Amateur Scientists and Schools. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 5. â€Å"Factors Affecting Electrolytic Conductance † Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 6. â€Å"The HiddenCures G-2 Water Ionizer User Instructions.† Google. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 7. â€Å"Ionic compound -.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 1 â€Å"Ionic compound -.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 2 â€Å"Factors Affecting Electrolytic Conductance † Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 3 â€Å"The HiddenCures G-2 Water Ionizer User Instructions.† Google. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 4 â€Å"Conductivity of Electrolytic Solutions.† UCS Home. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. . 5 â€Å"Concentration -.† Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. .

Sel-managed learning in the context of lifelong learning Assignment

Sel-managed learning in the context of lifelong learning - Assignment Example This paper seeks to discuss how self-managed learning enhances lifelong development. This will be illustrated by evaluating the self managed learning approaches, ways through which lifelong learning could be encouraged both in professional and personal contexts, and the benefits of self managed learning to the organization and individual. In addition, the paper will include information on professional standards and organizational objectives. Personal development opportunities that I have received in meeting both future current needs will also be included. People or individual can learn through conferences and seminars what they have learned or experienced and make changes regarding their own future. Conferences and seminars offer opportunity to people to present their knowledge concerning something to the rest of the people who as a result learn new things. Individuals or people become more confident in public speaking and develops skills of presentation needed in the organization through conferences and seminars (Centre for Self Managed Learning 2000). Different social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, My year book etc offer an opportunity for many people learn new things from friends. People can also access information about the owners of such social networks. Internet is one of the major sources of information through which people get to learn new and historical things. Many articles are also accessible concerning management studies. There are various different sites that on the internet that can assist people or individual in learning new things (Centre for Self Managed Learning 2000). In self managed learning, there exist a number of ways through which lifelong learning in both professional and personal contexts could be encouraged. Lifelong learning entails personally continuous learning that could possibly contribute to professional context (Swann, 2007). People or individual may have assessments at personal level as

Technology Evaluation and Recommendation Research Paper - 2

Technology Evaluation and Recommendation - Research Paper Example Information Security Project Plan There are many differences between physical security, and information security. Information security is concept that entangles most aspects of the society, majorly because of the ubiquitous adoption of computing technology in the modern world. In our daily lives, we use computers at work place for our employers, play on computers in homes, study online, do business, and check emails, and so on. The level of development in the modern world has greatly improved especially with the increased rate of innovation, and growing technology. Everyone in the modern world is impressed at how the level of technology is increasing so fast because they benefit from it in very many different ways (Matford & Whitman, 2012). Owing to the fact that most people have the urge to make things easier in the modern world, everyone is turning towards the direction of Information technology because online seems to be the future of everyone, and everything. The web is viewed as the future of most activities in the world today since currently it serves as a very useful tool even though it also has some intimidating proposition. Although technology enables more productivity and allows access to much information, it also carries a lot of security issues. Employers preserve information about their companies, employees, and other important documents on the computer systems. Banks also store vital information on money transaction between them, and other clients. One of the most common challenges in the modern technology world is hacking, and piracy. When someone hacks information about a company, then this leaves the company in danger of either breaking down or losing credibility from the public that it serves because this interferes with its reputation, and competitors can take advantage of this situation. Employers can lose millions of dollars, and suffer damage of reputation, face legal prosecution through system configuration when hackers accesses personall y identifiable data. These issues are more common in the media, and they have disturbing regularity (Matford & Whitman, 2012). The rapid growth of technology brings many security issues, and this means that security standards need to be put in place with effective implementation. When discussing security issues, it is often helpful to use a model that has a baseline or foundation. This provides consistent concepts, and set of terminologies, which professionals can refer to when security issues arise. Information security has three primary concepts that are confidentiality, integrity, and availability triad since it focuses on security in relation to available data. Concept of confidentiality is similar but not the same as privacy. This component entails protecting data from those who are unauthorized to view it. One of the best examples of implementation of concept of confidentiality is when a person goes to the ATM to withdraw money; he or she is very keen on maintaining, and prote cting the account number, and card pin number. This is how simple concept of confidentiality operates (Matford & Whitman, 2012). This concept of information security goes hand in hand with that of physical security because the idea of confidentiality is still applicable in many ways. With the rapid expansion of global networks through interconnecting information systems in the modern

Homeland Defense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homeland Defense - Essay Example This is always important when operations in the foreland regions approach the homeland. These partners and allies provide logistical and information support (Doctrine for the Armed Forces of the United States, 2007). The Interagency coordination is a vital element since it enables the department of defense to engage the USA agencies for the purpose of achieving an objective. It forges a mutual relationship between other constitutional entities and the national power. This is done through sharing of awareness, planning together, incorporated training education and ground operations. The understanding of non military capability is what makes it successful. On the other hand, protection is considered during planning for homeland and civil mission in four primary aspects namely: 3. Emergency management and response: involve reducing the loss of personnel’s and capabilities due to accidents. It goes further to include use of forces, systems and civil infrastructure of other nations. The public affairs involvement in the operations of the homeland come in handy and includes supported the joint force commander, through giving of truthful and unclassified information on the activities of the defense forces in the United State. The role of public affairs in homeland operation simply narrows to ensure that all federal agencies provide factual consistent and speak in one voice to the public. Therefore, it must be included in all planning and coordination of the homeland security. Since the Armed forces of the United States are required to work under harsh conditions, which could be considered dangerous for human contact. For example, due to toxic gas release, naturally occurred pandemics commanders must therefore train plan and exercise with their inter-agency counterparts in preparedness of working in the homeland defense operations. Other regional

Electro Mcnichael Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Electro Mcnichael - Assignment Example The main electrical systems supplied by the emergency power supply include navigation and communication equipment, emergency lighting, the fire and sprinkler pumps, the water tight doors and lifts, the steer gear and bilge pump. The system is automatically connected to the emergency switchboard and is automatically started if the main power source goes off. The system is always located higher up and outside the engine room spaces. This insulates them from any damage and / or fire to the engine room. Batteries in ships are backup source of power as an emergency system or form part of the standby power system installed to protect property and life from the various consequences of loss of primary power supply. They are an excellent source and store for electrical power since they are used as instant supply source of available energy. They are also used to provide low voltage direct current supply on regular basis to various machines on the deck and engine. Generally, there are two types of batteries used onboard a ship; the lead acid batteries and the alkaline batteries. The Lead – Acid batteries also known accumulators consist of six separate cells in a series and each cell contains a lead peroxide plate as the positive terminal and a lead plate as the negative terminal which are both immersed in dilute sulphuric acid, the two plates are known as electrodes and the sulphuric acid is known as the electrolyte. This whole arrangement is kept in a leak proof casing. The two plates are joined by a wire and this develops a potential across this wire which eventually ensures current starts flowing through it. These batteries develop a total output of 12 volts since each cell in the series has a potential of producing 2 volts. The Lead Acid accumulators used currently has many plates which are interleaved in one cell. For proper insulation the whole arrangement

Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Memo - Essay Example Before joining ISU for my bachelor’s program, I had managed to garner some achievements in my young career life. Among the achievements I have garnered thus far, two stand out as the most memorable. The first achievement was receiving ‘Best Intern’ award during my time at ABC electronic company after graduating from high school. This award came after the hard work and drive I put in completing my tasks in a timely manner at the organization to the point where I got recognized by the staff and selected for the award. This award is of note as I had only interned at the organization for six months!! The second accomplishment was receiving a ‘best science fair project’ under a physics science fair held at my high school. This award helped to reaffirm my belief that I was destined to be great in the field of science. Before moving over to the US, I worked at a mining company in South Africa—Broadmill Mining. I was tasked as an electrical engineer intern where my responsibilities revolved around developing economic feasibility studies, researching on electrical systems at mining sites, and assisting with reporting on the various stages of project development. My abilities to multi-task, working around schedules, and being flexible were greatly tested and proven during this period. Individuals and organizations are nothing without the communities they serve in and serve for. It is for this reason that I am always passionate about community service and the overall giving back to the society whenever and however possible. I have been lucky to serve in organizations that are cognizant of upholding community service values. As an intern at ABC electronic Company I got involved with the organization’s ‘building green’ campaign for their community service. This campaign ensured everyone who worked at the organization would undertake tree planting during the weekends at various communal sites pinpointed by the organization

Electronic Healthcare Record Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Electronic Healthcare Record - Research Paper Example As such, the current standards that exist are focussed on ensuring that the EHR are interoperable and they allow the practice to showcase meaningful use. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s (ONC) is on the forefront to seek ways that will propagate interoperability in vendor’s EHR systems. As such, they have backed up the Clinical Document Architecture (CLA) Continuity of Care Document (CCD) of Health Level 7 International (HL7) (EHR Intelligence, 2013). Other standard’s initiatives include: the standardization of healthcare vocabularies; transport through email protocols that are secure; services through transparent and accessible application programming interfaces (API’s); privacy and security through the implementation of standards set out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is recommended that EHR systems should be implemented by hospitals and clinics so as to improve on the quality of care. As such, below is the step by step guide while implementing EHR systems (USDHHS, 2013). This step involves: conducting an assessment of the EHR system need; outlining the goals and objectives to be achieved when the EHR system has been implemented and determining the financial capability to implement the EHR system. The second step involves planning how the EHR will be implemented successfully. Moreover, the goals and objectives mentioned in step one should be reviewed so as to ensure that the plan is efficient and effective. Other factors that need to be reviewed include: the information security policy template; EHR workflow process mapping and implementation and the workflow redesign templates. The third step involves selecting the best EHR that suits the practice processes and operations. It is important for the practice to implement an EHR system that has been certified so as to avoid

Managing and Leading Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing and Leading Change - Essay Example Organizations are part of the society and are thus affected by the changes in the societal trends (Drucker 2005). As has been observed, employees in these organizations resist changes and are not willing to accept new staff. The need for the employees to accept change especially where leaders exit or there is need to implement new technologies in production (Fullan 2007). Kim should lead its employees in embracing change by involving them and communicating in a timely way the expected results from the change process. There is also need for the employees and stakeholders of Spice Tall to develop a culture of adhering to procedures and using communication channels to express their dissatisfaction. The adherence to procedures will make the employees avoid incidences that cause accidents and breakages. If well developed, the accidents and losses experienced in the warehouse will be reduced and curtailed. The use of the formal communication channel will make the employees avoid rumors and speculations (Cummings & Worley 2008). ... At the same time, management and employees need to accommodate the diverse decisions by compromising. Rigidity retards growth, innovation and hampers adversely on the performance of an organization (Northouse 2009). Barriers in attaining its success will face a business that fails to convince its employees on the core objectives and actions. To achieve the expectations and the target, Spice Tall needs to embrace task culture. An organization that employs task culture will create different work teams that are assigned the duty of achieving a particular result. Employees work as a team and are empowered to make decisions that will enable them realize the core objective (Northouse 2009). If well introduced in the case of Spice Tall, the employees’ motivation and morale will increase making the business grow and increase their returns. Moreover, it will enable Kim concentrate on the results rather than the personality or the processes hence getting relieved of the many duties beca use the culture of delegation will arise. Organization culture is therefore critical in the attainment of the organization success. The management should comprehend the basic assumptions, shared values, and norms in order to avoid conflicts in the making of major decisions. At the same time, new staff must be ready to learn the organizations culture within a short time period for the organization to accomplish its objectives in a short time span (Fullan 2007). The culture of the organization must accommodate the diverse nature and practices of the individuals who are part of the system. Kim must therefore make the employees embrace the practices that are necessary for the organization to be on track in the realization of its aims. Leadership Approach Successful change processes require good

Jade figure of a hound Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jade figure of a hound - Research Proposal Example The artwork is in three dimensional, and it is in the form of a small sculpture. For instance, the artwork is symbolic of the importance given to domestic animals in Ancient China. Michael Sullivan opined that, â€Å"To many people â€Å"Ming† means not painting-for only recently has Ming painting come to be appreciated outside China- but the decorative arts.† Besides, one cannot identify any sort of sharp edges on the artwork because the edges are round in shape. The artwork can be divided as: dog’s head, body, and legs. To be specific, the head is pointed backwards and this fills the viewer’s mind with enthusiasm. To be specific, the dog’s head (especially the eyes) is the focal point of the artwork because the dog is expecting something and looking backwards. The next element in the artwork is the dog’s body, and the same is symbolic of the importance of proportion in art. The next element is the legs, symbolic of warmth and peacefulness. In short, the proportionate alignment of artistic elements proves that the artwork was produced by an artist who is interested in observing animals, especially their shape and size. The artwork consists of curves, symbolic of the athletic shape of animals, especially among dogs and other domesticated animals. The overall size of the artwork is related to the normal size of a dog. One can see that the artist did not try to alter the natural colour of jade and the lines and curves on the artwork prove the same. To be specific, the artist made use of jade as a medium to produce his artwork.

Loneliness - theme within Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Loneliness theme within Steinbecks Of Mice and Men Essay Loneliness is the theme Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. He describes loneliness, and secluded lives of men who work on the ranch. George and Lennie who together share a dream, their partnership of farming their own land. Mutually they partake in a relationship so rare, travelling so many miles together building independence upon one another. Lennies loving puppy-like character has its advantages and disadvantages. His natural simplicity is also considered as naivety, which in many cases leads to disaster. For instance he reverts to fighting when he cant get his way Crashing back through the bush. This proves his childish qualities and immaturity. As with George who adopts a father figure role is by far more realistic, sensible and reliable. Hes independent suggesting that I could get along so easy and so nice if I didnt have you no my taillive easy and get a girl. Alone the two would not survive the cruel ways of the world but together as where one lacks the other gains building a strong companionship. We discover further information about the lonely lives of specific characters living on the ranch from chapter two onwards. Steinbeck at the beginning of chapter two sets the scene. He illustrates the deserted spread of land of which, Lennie and George come across the ranch. They encounter an unfamiliar face by the name of Swamper, a crippled old man who introduced them to the bunkhouse and discussed Whitey a former worker. Whitey was a blacksmith, was strangely hygienic and kept himself to himself. He had the tendency to dress-up even when he wasnt going anywhere put on a necktie even as the swamper described. He had recently quit as he had an issue with all food. This I feel shows a life of very small meaning. I cant imagine anyone who is completely fulfilled to pick at food for the reason of just because? Gimme my time. This I think is Steinbeck showing some evidence of loneliness. A man could be so desolate that he would look to find any excuse to make a fuss, to be noticed. He seemed to create the excitement in which he lacked so desperately, dressing up on any occasion possible a reason to wake up each morning! A character in the story that experiences loneliness is the swamper also known as Candy. A friendly and elderly man, who has worked at the ranch for many years. He stays at the bunkhouse with a dog as a companion. Candy and his dog are inseparable. Candy depends on the loyal hound, and they have shared many happy times together. Later on in the story, Candys dog is forced to be put down for the reason that the rest of the workers disagree for the nasty and decayed mutt to be kept alive. The workers constantly complained of the redolence of the dog However, Candy and his dog were literally attached by the hip and the stench had become unnoticeable and became part of Candy he had been around him so much I never notice how he stinks. This I think explains part of Candys loneliness that without his dog there is a great emptiness within him. George and Lennie soon befriended Candy after the death of the dog, proposing a chance to go into business together. This seems like the opportunity of a lifetime to Candy, his hope for companionship and a secure job to rely on. His destiny to find fulfilment in many respects has come true and will do any thing in his own power to make sure its not taken away from him. Another character that is lonely is Curlys Wife an attractive woman with full rouged lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made-up. Fingernails painted red, hair hung in little rolled clusters. She was known to be flirtatious with a bitchy personality, a terrible reputation. Curlys Wife had seen life as a disappointment failing in her lifes goals coulda been in the movies said so frequently and her bitterness towards anyone who was happier or more successful than herself. She is found picking on those less fortunate than her as when she made the remark They left all the weak ones here, clearly it obvious that the comment was meant to be offensive. A reason for all this cruel behaviour may be loneliness Curlys Wife has no friends and a husband that ignores her. He never seems to be around Any you boys seen Curly? Hes usually in a hoar house or out with the guys. Although, extremely over protective of her. The ranch workers had little respect for Curlys Wife by speaking of her as something of Curlys, no importance she often feels that she is never wanted. Curlys Wife discovers Lennies desire of her in which she takes of advantage of. For once there is someone with an interest of her I get lonely I never get to talk to nobody. When Curlys wife hides behind the make or makes rude remarks it could be because shes insecure within herself, lacking confidence so when she puts people down it makes her feel better. The character that experiences the most loneliness is Crooks also known as the Nigger. He is crippled from a damaged spine resulting in an odd shape figure (hunch back). He is described to have eyes deep in his head his lean face was lined with deep black wrinkles, and thin pain-tightened lips which were lighter than his face. Crooks lives alone as around the time the story was set to be in there were race issues causing discrimination, which was unfortunate for Crooks. Over the years of working in such a secluded environment Crooks seemed to have become bitter and nasty warning people away Dont come where youre not wanted. Crooks seemed to talk to no one other than Slim a real skinner he looks out for his team. Crooks respected Slim, as he was the only one who would treat him as if he were a human being. You learn about Crooks when Lennie approaches him in his bunk. At first he is completely against the idea and tries to worry Lennie with the thought that George maybe hurt or unable to come back Spose he gets killed, or hurt so much, he cant come home. This was poof of Crooks evil way of thinking leaving Lennies mind running crazy but he shortly reassures him saying he will come back, no need to worry. We discover later that Crooks lived a happy childhood playing with the white kids from next door. He also had close relationships with his brothers. It was later on in life that the harsh world ended up him living such a lonely life. He is self-conscious, believing no one to ever like him so when he meets Lennie and discovers he actually takes interest in him, he is shocked and even suggest to help in the assistance of the business between George, Candy and Lennie when he over here the discussion between the three.

A Strategic Analysis Of Tesco

A Strategic Analysis Of Tesco This report is set out in order to evaluate the marketing strategy adopted by Tesco along with how they gain a competitive position internationally through globalisation. Under the findings of this report the approach which will be evaluated will be related to Porters competitive positioning. This will be used to show how Tesco gain a competitive advantage over their rivals such as Asda using the generic strategy. The five force framework will also be investigated to anaylse the competition it faces and finally how Tesco segments there market, identifying the gaps available to develop. In order to write this report a collection of different sources were used. These sources included books, journal articles, media articles, websites, Tescos annual reports and information from Tescos website. The information gained from these sources helped to discover how Tesco manages to gain the competitive advantage in their industry. It has also helped to focus the importance of successful competitive positioning with models from Porter to establish the position in the minds of the consumer. 1.0 Introduction This report includes a theoretical model which will reflect the practice of Tesco in relation to strategic analysis. It will look at the competitive positioning approach and the models/concepts used by Porter to gain a competitive advantage over Tescos rivals. By doing this it will show what other companies in the industry would need to do in order to take over the competitive advantage that Tesco have. Strategy is based on the long term of a business and is the direction and scope of the organisation. It aims to achieve advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences (Johnson et al, 2008). There are generally three different levels of strategies associated with organisations. The top level is known as the corporate level strategy which is alarmed with the overall purpose and extent of the organisation. The second is the business level strategy which looks at particular markets and how to compete successfully in them and the third level is the operational strategies which look at how the organisation delivers successfully (Johnson et al, 2008). 2.0 Findings 2.1 History of Tesco Tesco began when Jack Cohen first opened a market stall in the East end of London in 1919 and since then began trading in 1924. This shows that Tesco has been serving customers in the UK for the best part of a century. Today, they class themselves as much more of a weekly shop as they have introduced new services, products and ways to shop all driven by their Every Little Helps philosophy (Tesco, 2008). In the last decade Tesco has grown their business to become the worlds third largest grocery retailer by determining an excellent level of service wherever they operate. They have a strategy for growth which is based in five parts. These include core UK business, non food, international, retail services and the community (Tesco, 2008). Tescos market share is still growing just short of 7% although that is not as fast as it was. This is because at present the economy is in a recession and so customers are changing their habits (Leahy, 2008). According to the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), the UK food industry group predicts that Tesco will grow at a faster rate than Carrefour in the coming four years. Tescos growth will be spurred by international expansion in markets such as China, the US and India (Hall, 2008). This means that Tesco who are currently the UKs biggest retailer will leapfrog Carrefour by 2012 to become the second largest retailer in the world after Wal ­Mart (Hall, 2008). Within the UK, Tesco employ over 280,000 employees and have over 2,100 stores. Tesco stores have four different formats (See Appendix 1). These are the express stores which sell a range of up to 7000 products with the first express store opening in 1994. The metro store first opened in 1992 bringing the convenience of Tesco to town and city centre locations. The Tesco superstores began in 1970s and in recent years these stores have been introduced to a number of new non ­food ranges such as DVDs and books. Finally the Extra stores have been operating from 1997 and offer the widest range of food and non ­food lines. These products range from electrical equipment to homewares, clothing, health and beauty and seasonal items such as garden furniture. Along with food and non ­food products in different stores, Tesco also offers retailing services (See appendix 2). Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) has the choice of 26 products within their successful market. These range from their savings accounts and credit cards to car and travel insurances. Tescos strategy for growth (see appendix 3) has been well established and consistent which has allowed them to expand into new markets. The rationale for the strategy is to broaden the scope of the business to enable it to deliver strong sustainable long term growth (Tesco Strategy, 2008). 2.2 Competitive Positioning Competitive positioning emphasizes the importance of the environment and provides useful tools for analysing the business in the context of its industry (Campbell et al, 2002 p.298) Competitive positioning is the degree of difference in choice of product or service against the competitor (Lynch, 2003). The competitive positioning approach used by Porter, argues that the position of an organisation is successful if it places itself towards the environment (Campbell, 2002). Positioning within any organisation is achieved through the minds of the consumer and this is what enables businesses to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals (Darling, 2001). A strategic fit is used between an organisation and the environment which again is a way to gain competitive advantage. This is based on Porters Generic Strategy Framework (See appendix 4) (Campbell et al, 2002). 2.3 Identification and application of the models, concepts and theories used in competitive positioning within Tesco 2.3.1 Porters Five Forces The five forces framework (see appendix 5) was developed by Porter and is used in most industries to analyse competition, as it is of value to most organisations providing a useful starting point for strategic analysis (Campbell et al, 2002). Porter suggests that it is the structural characteristics of an industry (the five forces) that determine the relative success or failure of a firm (Jenkins Ambrosini, 2002 p.124). The five forces framework is complex in that different industries could be emerging, maturing or declining and Porter is able to recognise that his competitive strategies would need to vary accordingly (Jenkins Ambrosini, 2002). He believes that competition in an industry is rooted in its underlying economic structure (Jenkins Ambrosini, 2002 p. 29). Johnson et al, 2008 define the five forces as:â‚ ¬Ã‚    ·Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   The threat of entry into an industryâ‚ ¬Ã‚    ·Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   The threat of substitutes in the industrys products or servicesâ‚ ¬Ã‚    ·Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   The power of buyers of the industrys products or servicesâ‚ ¬Ã‚    ·Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   The power of suppliers into the industryâ‚ ¬Ã‚    ·Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   The extent of rivalry between competitors in the industry For more information on the five forces see table one. A criticism of the five force framework is that Porter implies all competitors within an industry are equal. However, this is not always true as it could be the size of the industry which is causing the threat. Also the macro ­ environment must be regularly reviewed due to the continuous movement as the five forces cannot be applied in isolation (Campbell et al, 2002). 2.3.2 Application of Porters Five Force Framework in Tesco Porters five force framework is used within Tesco in order to examine the external factors impacting upon their company. In relation to the threat of entry into an industry, Tesco along with rivals such as Asda, Sainsburys and other supermarkets put up extensive barriers to entry within their industry (Research Papers, 2007). An example of what Tesco accomplish within the market of certain products means that a new supermarket would not be able to find a cheap, reliable supplier. This would mean that Tesco has the advantage of buying in bulk giving them economies of scale (321 Books, 2007). The power of the buyer in Tesco can force down the price of products, as if buyers want products they know they can get cheaper in another supermarket it is more than likely that the buyer will move to the other supermarket. This means that supermarkets have a disciplined approach to setting the price of their products. Supermarkets destroying each other over profits are prevented due to the discipline used within Tesco (Research Papers, 2007). Tesco uses the power of the supplier to their own advantage. However, the price of products are demanded by the supplier otherwise the retailer will not be delivered the goods to sell (Research Papers, 2007). This would create poor customer service and a bad relationship with the suppliers. With Tesco being a larger supermarket, it has an advantage over smaller shopkeepers as they can dictate the price they are prepared to pay the supplier, as if they do not agree to this they will lose business in the long run (321 Books, 2007). Tesco has a very high competitive rivalry in food retail with competitors such as Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Waitrose. All these competitors compete on price, products and promotions periodically (321 Books, 2007). The five force analysis is also complemented with another technique know as a SWOT analysis which is used to create synergy. A SWOT analysis of Tesco can be found in appendix 6. In order to gain new sales opportunities the major retailers in the UK such as Tesco must expand their product categories which is causing intense rivalry between the UK supermarkets (Hackney Birtwistle, 2006). There is also rivalry with competitors over the operation of online facilities, although Tesco has been proven to be the most successful in implementing their strategy. Due to this it means Tesco can sustain a competitive advantage. Sustaining a competitive advantage can be gained in three different ways which is shown in appendix 7 (Hackney Birtwistle, 2006). 2.3.3 Porters Generic Strategy Porters generic strategy framework is used to gain a competitive advantage and is the oldest approach based on an outside ­in approach. It is known as this as it examines the environment and then decides how to achieve a strategically desirable position (Campbell et al, 2002). However due to the recession the economy is in at present, the question relating to Porters generic strategy is it possible that Tesco can afford to look into the environment? (McNeilly, 2008) Generic strategies are used to attain above average performances within an industry in order to gain a competitive advantage. The generic strategies contain cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus and differentiation focus and can be found in appendix 4 (De Wit Meyer, 2004). Porter has argued that businesses should not get stuck in the middle so must choose either a differentiation or cost leadership strategy (Campbell et al, 2002). Competitive advantage within the broad segments of an industry include the cost leadership and differentiation strategies whereas the narrow segments of an industry aim to gain a cost advantage and include cost focus and differentiation focus. However, different industries will vary widely meaning the generic strategies must relate to that particular industry (De Wit Meyer, 2004). The Tesco generic strategy which is used will have to be cost leadership unless they can successfully differentiate their line of clothing so that they can begin to charge a premium price (Johnson et al, 2007). A critique of Porters generic strategies by Bowman is that he believes competitive advantage should be more effective within an organisation than its competitors in order to provide customers with want they want or need. Due to this criticism Bowman developed the strategy clock (see appendix 8) (Johnson et al, 2008). Positioning and competitive advantage can be gained using the strategy clock as it makes managers aware of how changing requirements of their markets and choices can be made (Johnson et al, 2008). In relation to the strategy clock developed by Bowman, Tesco adopts the hybrid strategy as it accepts elements of both cost leadership and differentiation (Campbell et al, 2002). A hybrid strategy seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). However, it could be argued that the price of products used by Tesco should not need to be lowered if differentiation can be achieved. The reason behind this is, Tesco should be able to obtain their prices at least equal to competitors such as Asda and Morrisons if not higher due to them being market leader (Johnson et al, 2008) Johnson et al, 2008 believe that Hybrid strategies can be advantageous for a number of reasons as detailed below: v Tesco is achieving a high standard of market share in the UK. This is due to the grater volumes being achieved over their competitors, meaning their margins could still be superior due to the low ­cost base they have. v Hybrid strategies can be used as an entry strategy in the market where there are established competitors. Tesco adopts this strategy when developing their global strategy. It allows them to target competitors and enter the market in different geographical areas with superior products at low prices. This enables them to get established and gain customer loyalty. 2.4 Identification of market segmentation A market segment is a group of customers who have similar needs that are different from customer needs in other parts of the market (Johnson et al, 2008, p.77). The advantages of market segmentation are shown in appendix 9. Typical bases for segmentation of markets are: v Demographic variables which include difference of age, stages of the family life cycle, gender, income, occupation, education, race and religion. v Geographic variables such as difference by country, region, type of housing/neighbourhood v Psychographic variables which exploit the lifestyle, personality or intelligence differences between people v Behavioural variables such as attitudes to brand loyalty, frequency of use, consumption occasion (Campbell et al, 2002, p.95). Tesco appeal to all customers as the products they sell attracts customers from low incomes to those who are more affluent (McNeilly, 2008). Their product choice is increasing in diversity which ranges from healthy living products, free from products, special healthy kids snacks, organic products and fair ­trade products (Tesco, 2008). This means they segment successfully which is shown in their profits (McNeilly, 2008). For Tesco customer segmentation see appendix 10. Due to segmentation, Tesco have recently identified a few gaps in the market which has enabled them to react to these particular markets before competitors notice them. The first gap they identified was the music download service which will have a major impact on Apples position as it will allow people to legally purchase and download (Beaumont Warman, 2008). Tesco digital is there new venture and plans to play Apple at its own game (Beaumont Warman, 2008). Another area were Tesco has identified a gap in the market is with cheese. The Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB) have added a range of four different cheeses to their portfolio which they have launched in 650 Tesco stores. These are known as the 1st grade range and include mild, mature, Ploughmans vintage and red Leicester. These cheeses are aimed at a gap in the market between everyday brands and niche offerings (The Grocer, 2008). 2.5 Globalisation According to Lasserre, 2007 Globalisation is the phenomenon of the transition of industries whose competitive structure changes progressively from multinational to global. Industries such as telecommunications, processed food, personal care and retail are in the process of globalisation. It is also associated with consistency of products and practices alongside a high level of co ­ordination and integration of activities in Tesco value chain (Lasserre, 2007). See appendix 11 for this. According to Inkpen Ramaswamy, 2006 p.14 global companies must understand customers from the perspective of both domestic and international standards and must have the ability to learn in multiple locations far from the home base. The models which will be analysed to explain the basis of global strategy are Porters global generic strategies, Yips driver framework and Porters Diamond theory. 2.5.1 Porters global generic strategy When looking at globalisation, Porter adapts his generic strategy framework to global conditions. This model suggests five strategy alternatives what a business can use when operating internationally as shown in appendix 12. These five alternatives are positioned either with the extent to which the business is globalised or by the scope of the competitors within the industry (Campbell et al, 2002). In relation to Porters global strategy he considers that competitive advantage results from the global scope of an organisations activities and the effectiveness with which it coordinates them (Campbell et al, 2002, p.268). He also argues that configuration of value ­adding activities and coordination of value ­adding activities is what global competitive advantage depends upon (Campbell et al, 2002). Tesco has demonstrated that their value ­adding activities of allowing customers to shop for all of their needs under the one roof, has enabled them to gain a global competitive advantage effectively. 2.5.2 Yips Globalisation driver framework Yips Globalisation driver framework develops the concept of total global strategy and is much more useful than Porters global generic strategy framework as it evaluates both the overall degree of globalisation within an industry along with demonstrating the features of an industry which are more or less global naturally (Campbell et al, 2002). Yip also believes that his framework helps identify areas of an industry which are global and aspects of the industry which differ locally. Managers of businesses which are global should create their global strategy on the basis of the analysis made for the globalisation drivers (Campbell et al, 2002). 2.5.3 Porters Diamond Theory Sustainable competitive advantage is needed in any business international strategy. When entering into a foreign market/country a business will be at a disadvantage so must have competitive advantages in order to overcome this issue (Johnson et al, 2008). This can be done as Tesco has been successful in many different markets such as Europe, Asia and the US. For a list of countries which Tesco operate in and the year they first opened in that particular country see Table 2. Porters Diamond theory explains how some businesses such as Tesco have a sustained competitive advantage in their industry when their competitors have not been as successful (Johnson et al, 2008) Tesco have more than ten years experience overseas due to their international strategy which contains six elements. These are to be flexible, act local, maintain focus, use multi ­ formats, develop capability and build brands. This is the reason behind how they are able to sustain a competitive advantage and are the third largest supermarket worldwide (Tesco, 2008). Appendix 14 shows the determinants of national advantages using Porters Diamond theory. 3.0 Conclusion Recommendations From the findings of this report, there is evidence to suggest that Porters strategies are relevant in todays grocery industry in relation to competitive positioning. These strategies which Porter uses relate to all types of industries and they help businesses to gain a competitive advantage as in the case of Tesco. By having these strategies in place it has allowed Tesco to gain this competitive advantage in the UK and overseas making them the third largest grocery retailer in the world. These strategies have been used successfully for over twenty years and will continue to be successful in the future. At present the economy is in a recession, meaning that people are spending less and changing their behaviour and habits when it comes to shopping. However, Tesco try to assure their customers that they are about value so there is no need for them to shop anywhere else. Growth is what Tesco believe in and even though the economy is in a recession they have planned and prepared long ­term to expand and invest in the UK and internationally which will create up to 30,000 jobs. In recent recessions Tesco continued to invest which they believe is one of the best things they have done and will continue to invest during this economic recession. Ref erence s Johnson et al (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy, eight edition, Essex, Pearson Education Limited Tesco (2008). Tesco PLC [Internet] Available from: http://www.tescoplc.com/ Leahy, T. (2008). Tesco Interim Results, 2008 ­2009: Full Interview [Internet] Available from: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/pres_results/results/r2008/sirterry_interview090 8/ Hall, J (2008). Tesco to be world number two by 2012 [Internet] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/tsco/3691672/tesco ­to ­ be ­wor Campbell et al, (2002). Business Strategy: An introduction, Second Edition, Oxford, Elsevier Butterworth ­Heinemenn Lynch, R (2003). Corporate Strategy, third edition, Essex, Pearson Education Limited Darling, J. (2001). Successful competitive positioning: the key for entry into the European consumer market, European Business Review, 13, (4), pp.209 ­ 220 Jenkins Ambrosini (2002). Strategic Management: A multi ­perspective approach, Hampshire, Palgrave Research Papers (2007). Porters Five Forces on Tesco. [Internet] Available from: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Porters ­5 ­Forces ­Tesco/108949 321 Books (2007). Porters Five Forces at Tesco PLC. [Internet] Available from: http://www.321books.co.uk/catalog/tesco/porters ­five ­forces.htm Hackney Birtwistle (2006). The UK grocery business: towards a sustainable model for virtual markets, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 34, (4/5), pp.354 ­368 McNeilly, A (2008). Globalisation and the multinational Lecture Notes [24.11.08] De Wit Meyer (2004). Strategy process, content, context, third edition, London, Thomson Beaumont Warman (2008). Can Tesco topple iTunes? [Internet] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3357071/can ­tesco ­ topple ­itunes The Grocer (2008). DFB 1st Grade targets gap in cheese market [Internet] Available from: http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articlesID=195740 Lassere, P (2007). Global Strategic Management, second edition, Hampshire, Palgrave Inkpen Ramaswamy (2006). Global Strategy, New York, Oxford University Press Inc Morris, T (2004). Tesco: a case study in supermarket excellence, New Zealand, Corolis Research Business Teacher (2008). Tesco Swot Analysis, [Internet] Available from: http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business ­resources/swot ­analysis ­ database/tesco ­swot ­analysis/ Bib liog rap hic Ref erencing Beaumont Warman (2008). Can Tesco topple iTunes? [Internet] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3357071/can ­tesco ­ topple ­itunes Business Teacher (2008). Tesco Swot Analysis, [Internet] Available from: http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business ­resources/swot ­analysis ­ database/tesco ­swot ­analysis/ Campbell et al, (2002). Business Strategy: An introduction, Second Edition, Oxford, Elsevier Butterworth ­Heinemenn Darling, J. (2001). Successful competitive positioning: the key for entry into the European consumer market, European Business Review, 13, (4), pp.209 ­ 220 De Wit Meyer (2004). Strategy process, content, context, third edition, London, Thomson Hackney Birtwistle (2006). The UK grocery business: towards a sustainable model for virtual markets, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 34, (4/5), pp.354 ­368 Hall, J (2008). Tesco to be world number two by 2012 [Internet] Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/epic/tsco/3691672/tesco ­to ­ be ­wor Inkpen Ramaswamy (2006). Global Strategy, New York, Oxford University Press Inc Jenkins Ambrosini (2002). Strategic Management: A multi ­perspective approach, Hampshire, Palgrave Johnson et al (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy, eight edition, Essex, Pearson Education Limited Lassere, P (2007). Global Strategic Management, second edition, Hampshire, Palgrave Leahy, T. (2008). Tesco Interim Results, 2008 ­2009: Full Interview [Internet] Available from: http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/pres_results/results/r2008/sirterry_interview090 8/ Lynch, R (2003). Corporate Strategy, third edition, Essex, Pearson Education Limited McNeilly, A (2008). Globalisation and the multinational Lecture Notes [24.11.08] Morris, T (2004). Tesco: a case study in supermarket excellence, New Zealand, Corolis Research Research Papers (2007). Porters Five Forces on Tesco. [Internet] Available from: http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Porters ­5 ­Forces ­Tesco/108949 Tesco (2008). Tesco PLC [Internet] Available from: http://www.tescoplc.com/ The Grocer (2008). DFB 1st Grade targets gap in cheese market [Internet] Available from: http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articlesID=195740 321 Books (2007). Porters Five Forces at Tesco PLC. [Internet] Available from: http://www.321books.co.uk/catalog/tesco/porters ­five ­forces.htm Appendix 4 Competitive Advantage Differentiation Broad Cost Leadership Differentiation Asda Waitrose Tesco Competitive Scope Sainsburys Cost Focus Differentiation Focus MS Delicatessens Narrow The Generic Strategy Framework. De Wit Meyer, 2004 p. 262 Appendix 5 The Five Forces Framework Potential entrants Suppliers Threat of entry Competitive Rivalry Bargaining Power Bargaining Power Buyers Threat of substitutes Substitutes Johnson et al, 2008 p.60 Appendix 6 SWOT analysis of Tesco Strengths: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tesco within the global market place won retailer of the year award 2008. this can drive advantage towards future growth and sustainability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Although global retail sales are declining, Tesco Group have gained sales of 13% in the UK and 26% growth internationally à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As Tesco look to expand they have reserved funds of credit available Weaknesses: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduced profit margins can be the case of Tescos position as a price leader in the UK à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tesco Finance profit levels were caused through bad debt, credit card arrears and household insurance claims. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Due to current economy at present, Tesco will suffer due to the cost of living and lower disposable income Opportunities: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Statistics show that economies of scale can be gained through buying power, which is why Tesco are the third largest global grocer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Due to the acquisition in Asia there is opportunity for further growth internationally à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Further growth and development will be made with Technology Threats: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The credit crunch has affected the UK and American markets so Tesco will focus on lower priced products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Wal ­Mart who are world leaders put persistent threats of takeover on Tesco à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Products areas may need to be evaluated due to changes in consumer buying à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ profit margins may be affected by the rise in raw materials Business Teacher (2008). Tesco Swot Analysis, [Internet] Available from: http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/business ­resources/swot ­analysis ­ database/tesco ­swot ­analysis/ Appendix 7 Sustaining competitive advantage Price ­Based strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Accept reduced margin à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Win a price war à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce Costs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Focus on specific segments Differentiation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Create difficulties of imitation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Achieve imperfect mobility (of resources/competences) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reinvest margin Sustaining Competitive Advantage Lock ­in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Achieve size/market dominance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First ­mover advantage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reinforcement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rigorous enforcement Johnson et al, 2008. p. 225 Appendix 8 The Strategy Clock: Competitive strategy options High Perceived product/service benefits Low Price 2. Hybrid 3. Differentiation 4. Focused Differentiation 5. 6. 1. No Frills 7. Strategies destined 8. for ultimate failure Low Low High Price Needs/risks 1. No frills Likely to be segment specific 2. Low Price Risk of price war and low margins; need to be cost leader 3. Hybrid Low cost base and reinvestment in low price and differentiation 4. Differentiation a) Without price premium Perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits b) With price premium Perceive added value sufficient to bear price premium 5. Focused differentiation Perceived added value to a particular segment, warranting price premium 6. Increased price Higher margins if competitors do not follow; risk of losing market share 7. Increased price/ low value Only feasible in monopoly situation 8. Low value/ standard price Loss of market share Appendix 9 Target market selection Differentiation Market Segmentation Tailored marketing mix Opportunities and threats Jobber, 2004 p, 275 Appendix Firm Infrastructure Support Activities Human Resource M

Abraham Lincolns Second Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincolns Second Inaugural Address Abraham Lincoln and His â€Å"Second Inaugural Address† Delivered March 4, 1864 Though delivered almost 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln’s (1809-1865) second inaugural address continues today to be an exemplary model of leadership, demonstrating its abilities in political unification, cues to nation-building, goals of social progression, and most importantly, its expression of the importance of national reconciliation. Given at a time when a young American country was still reeling from the Civil War, Lincoln’s address not only reaffirmed the Union’s justification for fighting against Confederate secession and insurgency, but also extended a hand to the formerly rebellious states that found themselves structurally and economically debilitated by the end of the war. A work of oratory mastery, Lincoln’s content was not nearly as important as the address’ literary devices such as assonance, alliteration, and diction. Then-president Lincoln’s style and delivery prove that today’s politicians and leadership stand much to gain from the model presented at Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. The beginning of Lincoln’s final term saw a distressed nation left economically and structurally ravaged. Costing the lives of more Americans than any war in its short history, the Civil War was the product of a social, economic, and political rift between the Northern Union and the insurgent Southern Confederacy of secessionist states. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address therefore had to satisfy several requisites. The speech had to take special care to give praise where due to the Northern Union army and its loyal population without alienating the defeated South, still reeling from the economic blow dealt to its agrarian majority by the abolition of slavery. In order to maintain this delicate balance, â€Å"Lincoln began the shift in content and tone that would give† the second inaugural address â€Å"its singular meaning,† inclusive to both North and South (White 61). In his Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural, Ronald C. White makes no te of Lincoln’s â€Å"masterful understanding and use of both imagery and distinctive phrase,† tools that America’s sixteenth president would use as part of an â€Å"overarching strategy† emphasizing â€Å"common actions and emotions† (White 61). George Rable stressed the importance of non-political language in Lincoln’s address in his The Confederate Republic: A Revolution against Politics, as the Southern population was infamously apolitical in its views and practices. Lincoln’s diction therefore had to be deliberately neutral in diction and content so as not to highlight the existing tension between North and South, the major differences manifested in the stereotypes of the prototypical agrarian Southerner and politicized, industrial Northerner. Lincoln was less â€Å"intellectual and studied in tone† in delivering his second inaugural address, focusing more on religious allusions and spiritual reference (White 22). A key feature of the address, Lincoln’s use of religious overtones was neutral in its acceptance in both the North and South. Though taking great care to give the North credit for â€Å"accepting the war rather than let it perish† (Lincoln, lines 17-18) Lincoln did his best not to alienate the South but also took great care not to indemnify the insurgents in the face of his loyal Union constituency. To avoid a potentially catastrophic venture, Lincoln used Christianity and references to Protestant texts shar ed by both national contingents. With such radically different constituents, religion was the only common ground, resulting in a final address that notorious author and black activist Frederick Douglass found more akin to a â€Å"sermon than a speech† (White ii). Lincoln’s religious allusions served to emphasize national unity in similarity, as seen in lines 29-30 in his reference to Northern and Southern populations â€Å"both [reading] the same Bible and [praying] to the same God.† Furthermore, Lincoln alluded to religion as a mechanism to displace blame on either party for the violence that transpired following the Confederate secession from the Union. In lines 29-32, Lincoln urges the two halves of the nation to â€Å"judge not† its counterpart lest they in turn â€Å"be judged†. Placing the final victory in an intangible God’s proverbial hands, the politically masterful president did not place the moral imperative in the hands of either North or South, instead referencing the â€Å"Almighty’s [purposes]† in line 30 which in turn were assumed in the Judeo-Christian tradition incomprehensible by man. The heavily religious theme of the address kept abreast of the apocalyptic undertones of the war. In such a fractious time in American politics, both sides endorsed the distribution of their own versions of the Bible. White links the use of religion as a propaganda tool to encourage both reluctant Northern and Southern populations of their justifications for war: â€Å"With the beginning of hostilities, Bibles were produced almost as quickly as bullets. The American Bible Society made the decision to supply Bibles to all soldiers. At the Bible House, headquarters of the ABS in New York City, sixteen power presses printed and bound the books. The increase in the publication of Bibles was astonishing. In the first year of the Civil War, the American Bible Society printed 370,000 more Bibles than in the previous year† (White 102). Lincoln’s somewhat exploitative use of religious allegory was therefore not a novel concept; the hastened production of Bibles reflects both the Union and the Confederacy’s employment of religious justification to override whatever national allegiances would erstwhile prevent war. Lincoln’s address counteracted this stratagem employed by both North and South, neither negating nor supporting either side’s contentions that divine providence remained with their respective side. Richard Striner detailed the importance of the religious factor in Lincoln’s speech through a private letter Lincoln wrote to a contemporary, wherein Lincoln made special note to mention that â€Å"men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them†; â€Å"to deny it, however, in this case, is to deny that there is a God governing the world† (Striner 251). The letter continued, stating that the concept of man’s helplessness under divine will â€Å"is a truth which [Lincoln] thought needed to be told† (Striner 251). Glen Thurow’s Abraham Lincoln and Political Religion portrays Lincoln as a shrewd politician who understood the power of religious allegory in political speech. Thurow accentuates Lincoln’s foresight in his recollection that â€Å"Lincoln’s law partner, William H. Herndon, [claimed] after [Lincoln’s] death that the president was not a believer in Christianity; [and] some even testified he was an atheist† (Thurow 12). From this vantage, a different Lincoln is brought to the forefront, his re-election address taking on an entirely new significance. For all his political foresight and social innovation, Lincoln did not challenge the heavily religious tones of Washington. Selective of what views he would reveal to the American public, Lincoln was hence an innovator in every sense of the word, an abolitionist leader of a nation whose agrarian half depended on the institution of bondage for its sustenance. Moreover, Lincoln was also an atheist president o f a religious people, one of the primary reasons his two most impacting speeches—the Second Inaugural Address and the Gettysburg Address—were so religious in their hyperbole. More than maintaining the faà §ade of Lincoln’s religious piety, religious speech bolstered what White refers to as the â€Å"homespun† factor (White 15). As a man of humble beginnings, Lincoln’s appeal as a self-made man sharply contrasted that of the social elite who elected him into power. The apolitical South, despite its misgivings about Lincoln’s intentions for the future of America, recognized Lincoln as more than a member of the political bourgeois. Though they perceived his immense support from the Northern elite, the Southern contingent of the country also observed his detractors decrying his â€Å"homespun† style of speech and persona as something that gained him the enmity of his Northern opposition. A considerable amount of confusion stemmed from Li ncoln’s religious ambiguities; though he never belonged to an established church, Lincoln frequently attended services with his wife, Mary. Thurow observes that â€Å"much of the confusion surrounding Lincoln’s religion stems from the fact that commentators have tried to see whether he belonged to the religion of the churches, neglecting the possibility that his speeches were political, not religious, or were religious because they were political† (Thurow 14). It was not Lincoln’s lack of professed faith that made him a leader, but rather his understanding of the unifying effect of religion and his â€Å"carefully thought-out understanding of political religion in America† (Thurow 14). Just as the Confederacy would make use of Christianity’s most sacred texts to justify everything from slavery to secession, so would Lincoln take advantage of religious overtones to unify America and promote national reconciliation and reconstruction. A brilliant orator, Lincoln’s choice of diction played a significant role in the delivery and conveyance of Lincoln’s message of national reconciliation and unity. Taking care not to use divisive terms such as â€Å"we† or â€Å"they† to refer to Northern and Southern constituents (respectively), Lincoln used strategic terms repeatedly to emphasize unity no matter the events of the war. In describing the course of the Civil War, Lincoln describes the other side not as an intangible â€Å"it† but with a genuine sense of moral equivalency and respect. There are frequent references to the nation’s civil war as a tragedy for the collective nation. For example, the war is described as â€Å"the progress of our arms† (line 8). In describing what the war meant to the people of the United States, Lincoln uses the phrases â€Å"all† repetitively in line 12 (â€Å"all dreaded it, all sought to avert it†), the phrase â€Å"both† (line 16) and the term â€Å"each† (line 25) as well. Though Lincoln does ascribe some separating characteristics to North and South, he does not specifically assign b lame, instead ascribing relatively ambiguous terms. Halfway through the address, Lincoln has established the terms of the war and begins to reconcile using the word â€Å"neither† (line 24) to address both the North and the South; in using the negative â€Å"neither,† the president further reconciled the two parties by removing them both from the realm of culpability. Exonerating both entities, the president continues in the address by portraying opposing struggles in relatively positive terms. For instance, in line 28 the president describes each side’s fighting as the means in which both parties sought â€Å"an easier triumph†, giving all involved moral equivalency to one another. The venerated master politician closes the address with the completed theme of national reconciliation with the quotes â€Å"malice toward none† and â€Å"charity for all† (line 47). The strategic repetition of certain alliteration and assonance serves to emphasize the president’s points. For example, the issue of slavery is evoked as one of great importance by the repeated ‘p’ sound of â€Å"peculiar and powerful† (line 20). National reconciliation is reflected by the use of the ‘f’ sound of line 41, as the president communicates his perception of the American citizen as â€Å"fondly† hoping and â€Å"fervently† praying for a positive future. Such optimism was a necessity, as it was of the utmost importance that unity and reconciliation for a bright future were touted foremost on the political agenda. Despite the mass havoc, destruction, and loss of human life throughout the rebellious Confederate states, Lincoln’s address was crafted with an uncharacteristic optimism for the time. White notes that â€Å"after four years as a war president, Lincoln could look ahead to four years as a peace presidentâ €  (White 22). The Civil War was not the only issue addressed, however. North and South were only one party at odds with each other. The fledgling Republican party Lincoln so aptly represented was highly criticized for its disputed reconstruction plan. Moreover, political rifts still remained between Northern Democrats who remained loyal to the Union and the predominantly Southern Democrats who seceded. Thus, the â€Å"election of 1864 would be one of the most decisive in American history—and potentially the most catastrophic† (Striner 217). Lincoln’s political strategies were remarkable, most notably his ability to entertain the political goals of many without compromising his base of support. Alexander McClure’s compilation of letters revealed how politicians with opposing political agendas including â€Å"antagonistic elements to [Lincoln’s] own support† approached the president, who made it a point to â€Å"maintain close and often apparently confidential relations with each without offence to the other† (McClure 85). Lincoln’s proclivity towards national reconciliation stemmed from an â€Å"abiding faith in the people, in their intelligence and their patriotism†; the president â€Å"estimated political results by ascertaining, as far as possible, the popular bearing of every vital question that was likely to arise, and he formed his conclusions by his keen intuitive perception as to how the people would be likely to deal with the issues† (McClure 87). Lincoln was the ideal candidate to handle the fractious political environment of post-bellum America. There were few â€Å"political movements of national importance during Lincoln’s administration in which he did not actively, although often hiddenly, participate† (McClure 85). Crossing political party lines, Lincoln successively galvanized Congress across partisan issues. The Civil War marginalized not only Southerners, but also Northern Democrats who were among the minority of said party to support the Union against the insurgency. The second inaugural address could not alienate the already marginalized white Northern Democrats, as the actions of their Southern secessionist brethren made the Democratic Party something of a political pariah in the Union’s eye .In the years leading to Lincoln’s re-election, Democrats in the Union â€Å"never gave speeches, framed resolutions,† or took any stance of progressive thought for fear of eschewing Southern Democratic support. The issue of slavery, for example, was pivotal in Democratic thought and political action. Though touted by the president as â€Å"two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil† and inherently frowned upon by â€Å"God† and morality, slavery was a divisive issue among Northern Democrats to say the least (line 43). Though pockets of the North such as New England were adamantly abolitionist, there was no significant shortage of support for the institution of slavery on the grounds of racial superiority. For every â€Å"popular expression of the [black man] as human, there â€Å"was a [derisive] counterpart† that dehumanized the so-called â€Å"Negro† cause (McClure 88). Consequently, Lincoln faced problems among the Northern elite, who â€Å"by using popular [racist] language and symbols† managed to â€Å"link popular sentiments to party agenda† (McClure 89). Perhaps one of the most pivotal and important issues of the Lincoln administration, slavery and its abolition may very well have served as the archetype of social and political change for the American nation. Proponents of slavery were as such supportive of the institution for more than social or perceived moral imperative; in addition to being burdened by the incapacitation of agrarian and some industrial facilities at the end of the Civil War, the American economy would be burdened by the throwing of â€Å"4 million former slaves onto the world with virtually nothing: no land, no savings, little or no schooling, no experience of politics, the legal system, or the free economy† (Golay 208). Despite the president’s push for abolition and moral recompense with the equivocation of â€Å"every drop of blood drawn with the lash† to â€Å"another drawn by the sword† (lines 44-45), there was a rift in opinion over how best to deal with the economic windfall of s upporting four million newly impoverished freed slaves. The president encountered significant opposition from both parties in supporting the freed slave; Lincoln had established a bureau expected â€Å"to protect the freed people, distribute emergency relief to the destitute, build an equitable free labor system, and establish a system of basic education throughout the South† (Golay 208). The funding for the said bureau would naturally come from Reconstruction efforts, but few members of White America—North or South—would give equal priority to freed black slaves as they would confederate states. Lincoln faced the spectre of two types of nationalism: the nationalism defined by the then-predominantly Republican Union and the nationalism defined by what was a predominantly Democratic Confederacy. Jean Baker wrote in Affairs of Party: The Political Culture of Democrats in the Mid-Nineteenth Century that: â€Å"In the years before the Civil War one way to express nationalism was to be a Democrat. Some Americans still suspected political parties of subversion, but by mid-century the Democracy had emerged as an institution through which citizens could celebrate devotion to their country and at the same time favour particular programs, leaders, and ideals. No longer was partisanship considered antirepublican. On the contrary, its nature tended to evoke sentiment for the Union and thus forced Southern separatists like John Calhoun and William Yancey to attempt a replacement. In the North, however, the Democracy continued to inspire unity† (Baker 318). Once dominant in the public eye, the Democrats were faced with a new challenge and a new bane to overcome in the regaining of the Union’s trust. While the issue of partisan affiliation was not a topic nearly as frequented then as it is today, a considerable Democratic identity was established with the disaffected South; it was not for some time that the Democratic Party championed the Northern caucus. By comparison, Republicans in the mid-nineteenth century were equally as suspect to national dissolution, as the prevailing theme of the reigning Democratic party was â€Å"inescapably nationalistic,† focusing on â€Å"the preservation of union, liberty, and constitution† (Baker 318). Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address became an insightful indicator of the requisite political, social, and economic changes that were necessary in the reconstruction of post-bellum America. Galvanizing the country’s opposing social and political factions, Lincoln’s address was a masterful piece of oration that testified to both his earnest nature and shrewd understanding of not just politics, but the political climate of America and its fragile stasis. Its diction, alliteration, and religious allegories worked together in a patchwork of executive prestidigitation; Lincoln’s delivery was almost a political sleight of hand in its theme and scope. Though he would be assassinated in a matter of a few months following the delivery of the speech, Lincoln achieved political normalcy in the aftermath of America’s most debilitating war, garnering the collective enmity of an entire half of a nation and the admiration of the remainder. To his opponents, Lincoln was a democratically-elected aspiring autocrat as evidenced by John Wilkes Booth’s infamous quote â€Å"sic semper tyrannus.† To his grateful and loyal supporters, however, Lincoln managed the unthinkable: the abolition of slavery and the retention of American unity. BIBLIOGRAPHY Baker, Jean H. Affairs of Party: The Political Culture of Northern Democrats in theMid-Nineteenth Century. Bronx: Fordham U P, 1998. Golay, Michael. A Ruined Land: The End of the Civil War. New York: John Wiley Sons, 1999. McClure, Alexander K. Abraham Lincoln and Men of War-Times: SomePersonalRecollections of War and Politics During the Lincoln Administration. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1997. Striner, Richard. Father Abraham: Lincoln’s Relentless Struggle to End Slavery.Oxford: Oxford U P, 2006. Thurow, Glen E. American Political Religion. Albany: State U of Albany P, 1976. White, Ronald C. Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural. New York:Simon Schuster Press, 2002. Rable, George C. The Confederate Republic: A Revolution Against Politics

Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century Essay -- Essays Papers

Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century Nuclear Waste With the dawn of the nuclear age in the early 1900’s, came a problem that became a force to be reckoned with. Its name is nuclear waste. This is yet another harmful side effect brought on by man’s drive to find the cheapest and most powerful source of energy technology has to offer. Nuclear waste, ranging from harmful radiation caused by nuclear meltdown to unused military weaponry, has been a serious issue in the past few decades, and is a perfect example of humans effect on nature. Many would argue that the history of nuclear energy and nuclear waste began in 1898 when Marie Curie discovered two radioactive elements; polonium and radium.1 The nuclear scene was relatively quiet until 1838, when a German scientist, Otto Hahn was successful in demonstrating nuclear fission.2 This set off an alert that reached the ears of Theodore Roosevelt, who was President of the United States at the time. With the threat of Germany making a nuclear bomb, the nuclear race was on. The Manhattan Project was launched in an effort to secretly build a nuclear bomb before the Germans. The most commonly known events in nuclear waste history were the near catastrophic meltdowns at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, and Chernobyl power plant in The Soviet Union. Radiation leakage was minimal at Three Mile Island, however, Chernobyl experienced the release of massive quantities of radioactive materials accompanied by a dangerous fire.3 People from all nations came in contact with radioactive particles which the wind blew around the Earth. These two events sparked nuclear awareness by the general public as well as governmental programs that... ...only aid in cleaning up and preventing nuclear waste, but also to inform and educate the public. Until more effective methods of nuclear waste management are devised, the energy hungry U.S. will have to put up with the environmental parasite it has created. Notes 1. "Curie, Marie" Funk and Wagnalls 27 Mar. 1999 2. "Hahn, Otto" Funk and Wagnalls 3. Meshkati, "Chernobyl" 27 March, 1999 4. Konrad B. Kauskopf, Radioactive Waste Disposal and Geology (London: Chapman and Hall, 1988) 10-11 5. "mixed waste" 28 March, 1999 6. "mixed waste" 28 March, 1999 7. "Yucca Mountain Homepage" 28 March, 1999

Atmosphere in Shelleys Frankenstein :: essays research papers

Throughout the novel, Shelley uses a very gothic and gloomy atmosphere partly because she is reflecting her personal life into the novel and also to emphasis on the horror that come when men try to play God. â€Å"As I still pursued my journey to the northward, the snows thickened and the cold increased in a degree almost too severe to support.† (203, Shelley) In the quote, Victor tracks down the monster in the Arctic, Shelley uses such desolate locations to show the isolation of both Victor and the monster. Other desolate places such as the places described by Victor, (locations throughout Europe) were also used. Shelley uses the gothic genre to show the dark side of human nature. Victor became so carried away with his with his experiments that he did not consider that it would be evil to try to play God. â€Å"I had deprived myself of rest and health† (51, Shelley). It can be seen here that Victor what very involved In his studies of the reanimation of life, he does not think of the moral issues that might arise from his experiments. It is Victor that controls the technology and knowledge of life, but he insists on creating the monster. Shelley uses public prejudice showing the evil that society creates through the ever changing personality of the monster. â€Å"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?† (132, Shelley) The reaction of the De Lancy family towards the monster shows the horridness of the monster’s appearance, even though the monster was once described as â€Å"good spirits†, the De Lancys now detest him. In gothic novels, ideas about the supernatural and the mysterious are often mentioned, â€Å"the characters seen to bridge the mortal world and supernatural world.† (74, Coghill), Victor seems to have a mental bond with his creation, the monster seems to know the whereabouts of Victor wherever he goes. Shelley uses allusions from Rime of the Ancient Mariner to show man’s journey for knowledge through Walton’s expedition. This also links to Victor as he is somewhat similar to the Ancient Mariner, they both seek knowledge though the results of their acquired knowledge is different. The Mariner seeks spiritual knowledge while Victor searches for the secrets of life, Victor is cursed by his acquired knowledge unlike the Mariner who was freed by it. Through the Marina’s curse of killing the albatross, he learns to love all that God creates, Victor does not love what he has created causing the monster to want to kill his creator.

Nuclear Family

Yesterday, 22:02Â  in:Â  Essay samples The question is to outline and critically evaluate the functionalist view that the typical family unit is nuclear. The other part of the question is to critically evaluate the work of Willmott and Young that suggests that the family is becoming increasingly symmetrical. In defining the symmetrical family according to Willmott and Young, males and females are becoming equal within the family. Willmott and Young also stated that there are three stages in becoming a symmetrical family.The first stage is the pre-industrial family, which is a unit of production consisting of a husband, wife and unmarried children. The family worked for themselves on the land as a unit of production. This is still represented in a small minority of families today. The family started to decline in the nineteenth –century due to the industrial revolution which gave rise to the emergence of the factory system. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2002). The stage two famili es began with early industrialization.Factory production replaced the domestic system and such families ceased to be a unit of production and focused more on the individuals employed as wage earners. During the nineteenth century there was high unemployment and widespread poverty amongst the working class. Stage three families began in the early 1970’s. This is a new emerging family called the symmetrical family. It is egalitarian and democratic. The conjugal bond between husband and wife is strong and they share their work and time around the home. The nuclear family has become a large self-containing and self-reliant unit.Wives still have the main responsibility of raising the children with a little help from their husbands. Women started a network of support in order to help each other and their children during hard times. This extension of network was done to cope with poverty by creating an insurance policy and support. The bond between married daughter and mother became closer and the conjugal bond between husband and wife became weaker. A survey carried out by Willmott and Young in the 1950’s showed that stage two families still exists in Bethnal Green.There is still a strong bond between mothers and daughters. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2000) Historically the symmetrical family brought changes to the structure of the family. However, there are feminist theories on the family for example, radical feminists believe that that the family is a unit of oppression. Radical feminists see the home as a place where women were exploited by the capitalists and their husbands. Men were the head of the family and household. The men had political and economic powers allowing them to make decisions in the home. As a result the women would be dependent on the men.In order to understand the family, feminism has probably had more influence on the study of the family than any other approaches in society. Feminists have highlighted the dangerous effects on wome n within the family. Also the dominance of men within the family was highlighted. They also question whether the family life is becoming egalitarian. In addition, feminists view the family as an institution, which has greater benefits for men compared to those for women (Haralambos, 2000). In regards to the Marxist feminist perspective, Marxists such as Engel and Zaretsky recognised that women are treated unfairly in the home.However their focus is on the relationship between Capitalism and the family. Margaret Benston states that women are the emotional support for her husband. This support provides him with comfort, which enables him to continue to go out to perform well in his job. In terms this is good for the Capitalist employee working well in order to perform his role as a wage labourer (handout feminist perspectives on the family). According to Bryson (1997), radical feminists view the oppression of women as the most fundamental and universal from of control.In this view, th is is a patriarchal society rather than a Capitalist society in which women have different interests than men. Men are not seen as the source of male domination, although the feminists do see the family as important in keeping male power. Women are seen as exploited because of the housework and child care duties that she has to carry out unpaid. Men are seen as the ruling class and females as the subject in which patriarchal power control women’s sexual activity. Willmott (1970) argues that the way society is organised enabled men to dominate women.In the extreme from this can take the form of violence. As Dobash and Dobash (1980) indicates this violence from men is a real threat to many women and children. Liberal feminists views ague that women wanted equal rights. However they point on that changes in the political, economic and social system of western societies will be a gradual process. Liberal feminists see inequalities as affecting both males and females. They see wom en with potential in the workplace as not having the opportunity to progress. Liberal feminists are a strong advocate of equal opportunities for males and females.According to Haralambos and Holborn (2000) liberal feminists supported such measures as the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and the Equality Act (1970) with the intention that these laws would help end discrimination. Critically evaluate the functionalist view that the nuclear family is both universal and typical. According to Murdock a functionalist who’s claimed that some kind of family existed in every society and was universal. His definition of the family states that ‘the family is a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction.It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship and one or more children own or adopted of the sexually co-habiting adults’ (Haralambos, 2000) His idea of the universality of the family seems to focus on one type of family. However, the kind of family form that Murdock based his findings on when he did his research in 250 societies he found only nuclear families. This led him to the conclusion that the nuclear family was a universal social group. However, Murdock views of the family is somewhat flawed due to the different type of families that exist in today’s society.Murdock and Parsons have the view that women should be a t the home looking after and nurturing the children, while men should go out to work and are bread winners of the family. Murdock states that the nuclear family is universal and is based on three key functions for a family to survive in society. These are, it stabilizes sexual and reproductive functions. It also provides basic economic requirements such as food and shelter. Moreover it provides the function of socialization of the next generation into the norms, values and other aspects of culture in that society.Murdock argues tha t without these functions the nuclear family would not survive (Kirby, 1997) However the functionalist view that the nuclear family is both universal and typical can be contradictory. Murdock studied families in 250 societies and found that some kind of family existed in every society and was therefore universal. The types of family structure that Murdock found in all 250 families was the nuclear family which lead him to conclude that the nuclear family is a universal social grouping, (Handout the family) Parsons agrees with Murdock and goes on to say that the nuclear family is typical and normal.Parsons states that the female role is expressive. He makes distinction on the basic biology in that the female is more expressive because of giving birth to the child. Due to child birth the mother has a closer relationship with her baby. The female is a real carer and good at expressing her emotions and is natural in socialising children. The female is a role model for girls in the family . On the other hand the male role is instrumental. He is the breadwinner, provider, supporter of the family, a role model for male children in promoting achievement and giving motivation.There are biological factors that contribute to the difference between male and female in the family. However as Haralambos and Holborn suggested ‘there is no single blueprint for the family which applies to all societies’ (Haralambos and Holborn, 2000) Families vary in shapes and sizes and come in different forms such as the Nayar tribe, which is communal. There is the single parent, the same sex, contemporary and reconstituted family. Murdock and Parsons view of the nuclear family implies that women should be looking after the home and men as the provider and breadwinner.Murdock views can be contradictory because of the different types of families that led us to discuss the following families, which can be referred to as the exceptions to the rule of the universal existence. However, according to Gough the cross-cultural Nayar family perform qualities of the nuclear family in that there is a special and social recognised tie, which exists between a girl and the boy when she had her first sexual experience. The Nayar society of southern India performs as a nuclear family.Before puberty girls were ritually married to a Nayar man in the tali-rite. However after the tali-rite the female was free to take up several sexual partners as a result paternity was often uncertain. The only responsibility the women possess was to mourn at her husband’s funeral. Women would receive visiting ‘husbands’ after puberty as the men spend a lot of time away fighting. Husbands would visit other wives although the husband took preference when he was back home. The husband or wife would end the marriage any time.Other women share in the caring of the children and the fatherhood of the child was not important because of its matrilineal society. The economical contribu tion of males was minimal towards their children. Brothers and sisters of both parents side contributed to the economics and bringing up of the children (O’Donnell, 1985) the functionalist views regarding children’s need for social and stability works well in the Nayar society (O’ Donnell, 1985) Murdock’s view on the universality of the family is too narrow because it excludes many family forms.For example the single parent family is a distinct and viable family type as O’ Donnell states one in five families with dependant children in Britain in 1994 was headed by a single parent. Single parent family is the most common in western society (Bourne, 1995) states that in 1996 11 per sent of people in Britain lived in this type of family. Today it has doubled. However, there are professional women who choose to be single parents as studied by Jean Renvoizes single mother by choice (1985).She examined 30 mothers of this type who could afford to raise a child single-handed. On the other hand the Cashmore Study this showed that non-professional single parents were poorer and some of these women found being single was better than being in an oppressive relationship. Then there is the same sex family ‘as Plummer (1976) argued that homosexual are less likely to establish long-term relationships. Legally homosexuals cannot marry but there are changes in the law that may allow this group to foster or adopt children.There is not enough evidence to support the notion that same-sex relationships are more dysfunctional than heterosexual families. Kirby states (1997) lesbian mothers maybe seen as unfit to nurture children. Then there are mothers who leave heterosexual relationships and enter lesbian relationships- are these women seen as unfit mothers (Kirby, 1997) The contributing family is one in which couples live together with their children for a period of time, before getting married.As Mc Rae (1993) shows many of these couples ma y never marry. Evidence shows that this type of family is less of a problem for themselves or society as a whole, than single mothers, who have been divorced or never married and live without a partner (Kirby, 1997) The reconstituted family is when there are previously married and divorced people with children coming together and getting married who form a new family. Many children are being brought up in this type of family.Many children are being brought up in this type of family of step-parents and step siblings. The extended family is still present in the 21st century. As study conducted by Willmott and Young in the borough of Green in the East End of London such families had intertwined in their lifestyle. The children and parents live in the same area as parents for three or more generations. This family helps and maintains links with each other. Also the mother housewife role is shared by the female members f the extended family (Haralambos and Holborn, 1996) The Neo-Conventi onal family are family of past divorces coming together and re-marrying to form a new family with children from previous marriages as stated by Chester Kirby (1985) There are alternatives styles of family such as the Kibbutz in Israel. Haralambos and Holborn state there are 3 per cent of the population that live in about 270 Kibbutz. These sizes vary from 100-2000 members and it consists of an agricultural lifestyle with some light industry.Children spend most of the day and all the night away from their parents in the children houses. They are educated and socialised by trained staff. Parents do visit their children and spend time together as a family, which keep the strong bond within the family. This bonding meets the children’s emotional needs, whereas the Kibbutz provides for children’s physical needs. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2000) From the post-modern perspectives of the family this views the modern alternatives to the family.This view is saying that in contempo rary society there is a wide diversity of family forms all equally valid, which provide the function of the modern family (Kirby, 1997) In conclusion, according to Murdock and Parson this nuclear family is universal and typical. However this is contradictory because from my research there are a vast variety of family forms that are all existing and functioning, such as the single parent family, Kibbutzim, co-habiting, same sex and reconstitutional.As in the case of the lone parent family it could be argued that the family in industrial society has lost many of its functions. Many of these functions are taken over by the state in the form of specialised organisations for example the social security agency, schools and hospitals. (Haralambos and Holborn, 1983) The extended family still exist in some developing countries today and carry out the duties as the nuclear family. The post-modern view of the family fits in with modern contemporary society.The feminist view highlights the oppr ession of women within the family and changes that has come about. Even though there are differences in the family forms we have to celebrate all types of families. From the nursing profession it is important not to be judgemental towards people and to learn to accept that there are a wide range of families and groups of people in the contemporary society. This post originally appeared on http://www. customwritings. com/blog/sample-essays/essay-family. html