Historic Preservation and the Imagined West Essay - 3

Historic Preservation and the Imagined West - Essay Example What had been original downtown areas went into decline as growing populations demanded more space, modern buildings, as well as roads and highways that take them there. Chasing the In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a renewed interest in urban renewal. According to Morley, three cities that she examined determined that what was old could be revitalized and made useful and profitable. Much of the trend towards this renewal (translation: rewriting) of history was started by Dana Crawford in the mid 1960s, before whose time urban renewal meant erasing the past and rebuilding a future vision. These efforts resulted in many historic structures being torn down and destroyed. Unfortunately, although Crawford and her group did save some historic buildings, much of the revitalization she accomplished was of Denver’s sports mania. If General William H. Larimer, an early settler of the area and for whom the street is named were to return, the only way he would recognize what today’s preservationists call Larimer Street would be if he was a Broncos fan. Soon after the Larimer Street project started showing signs of success, Crawford took her preservation carpetbag to other areas of the city, most notably the southern downtown area. As the profit news spread, other areas such as Albuquerque and Seattle took note. As with Denver, Albuquerque and Seattle also saved a few historic buildings in their utopian visions, but for all their efforts to save history and work with what is, Morley says that they failed to make authentic places (Morley 16). Albuquerque, for example, saved several old residences, churches, and commercial structures in the Old Town. Seattle’s Pioneer Square was the old central part of the city, but a trip through the Pike Place market, where hundreds of vendors loudly hawk their wares is as Morley describes it, â€Å"an honest place in a phony

Personal Definition of Honesty Essay Example for Free

Personal Definition of Honesty Essay Whats the definition of honesty? The one in Websters Dictionary says that it is: The quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness; truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness; freedom from deceit or fraud (Honesty). However, each person may define honesty differently. Everybody has his/hers own definition that varies upon his/her beliefs. Some think of it as a main rule of their life, but still tell a little white lie once in a while. Others can not even identify themselves with honesty. The truth is that being honest is extremely hard and not lying at all is impossible. Everybody lies, even politically significant people responsible for the nations well being, who are viewed by the society as icons of trust. People lie on a daily basis, in fact sometimes not realizing that they do it so often; it is second nature. Some of the lies may be innocent. For instance, some may lie not to hurt somebodys feelings. A lack of honesty would not be such a big problem, though, if that were the point where it ends. Some people consider that telling a little white lie doesnt hurt anything, but still get annoyed and irritated when somebody lies to them. If they expect others to be honest with them why cant they pay back in the same way? Usually humans lie for personal gain and self-interest. For instance, some may lie because they are ashamed of the things they have done and do not want or are afraid to face the consequences. A good example here is Bill Clinton, who in 2004 lied about his affair with Monica Lewinsky to both the nation and the grand jury. People hide, ignore and omit the facts. They care less what effect it may have on others. In this case they arent just dishonest and selfish but also show a lack of integrity. On the other hand, people may lie because they want to be a part of group. As Stephen L. Carter writes in his article The Insufficiency of Honesty, integrity may be often a fake honesty (106). For example, humans lie to impress somebody or put up facades to look better in others` eyes. They agree with other peoples statements, even if those vary from their own beliefs, simply because they want to be accepted. Furthermore, throughout history people could experience dishonesty from many, if not all U.S. presidents. For instance, Richard Nixon lied because he was trying to save his presidency, which was imperiled by his misdeeds. Franklin Delano Roosevelt misled the country over things like Lend-Lease in order to advance a policy he thought would save the world, but which he knew would be difficult to sell politically ( Cannon 57). During World War II in 1944, President Roosevelt lied to the public about his health condition, simply to hide his weakness from opponents. All of that proves that even people, to whom public trust is given, in the hope of better future of the country, arent any different from regular people. As Carl M. Cannon writes in his article Untruth and Consequences Presidents lie because they are human (58). Moreover, in a contemporary political world, it is difficult to distinguish the truth from a lie. For example, taking under consideration the war in Iraq, people are constantly confused with the news delivered to them. The Republicans say that everything is under control and without a doubt U.S. is winning the war with terrorism. On the other hand, Democrats talk about the unquestionable failure of the American army and government, as well as undisputable chaos it has caused in the Middle East. Those two versions prove that one of the sides is definitely lying. In this case the lack of honesty is very high and lives of U.S. soldiers as well as prosperity of the country might be at stake. Politicians should put aside their personal-interests and do what is right, because the consequences of their dishonesty may be too high to bear. Even though the definition of honesty here differs from the one in dictionary, many people will agree with it. Everybody knows from the experience how hard it is to go at least a day without telling a lie; it is impossible. All the people are built from the same mud; they all lie. It doesnt matter who a person is or what he/she does. Some may be more sensitive about it and would rather have a clean conscience, when others will keep lying without thinking twice. But everybody has to remember that the bigger the lie coming out of their mouth, the larger the consequences they will have to face in the future. Because as my mom used to say, a lie has short legs; one cant go far or gain much by lying, and if so it will be only temporary. Works Cited Cannon, Carl M. Untruth and Consequences. The Atlantic. Jan/Feb. 2007: 56-67. Carter, Stephen L. The Insufficiency of Honesty. 50 essays: A Portable Anthology. 2nd ed. Ed. Samuel Cohen. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2007. 104-111. Honesty. Websters online Dictionary. 2007. Websters Dictionary. 29 Jan 2007. http:www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/honesty.

Free Hamlet Essays: Hamlet’s Deceit :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet’s Deceit In the play hamlet we see hamlet, a man stuck in a deceitful world. The spies, everybody but Hamlet, need deceit and treachery to live, and without it they would perish. Polonius, perhaps the most underhanded member of the play lives and dies while spying, literally. Other characters spy also to better themselves to certain individual to advance their social status. We see Hamlet, the one honest man left in the bunch, spying his one time to save his very own life. The perceptiveness of Hamlet is short-lived as are all actions in this play save the killing. "That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain"(I, v, l.108) This is to be my theme, something that Hamlet discovered and lived by for many a year and scene. "Neither a borrower nor a lender be, far loan oft loses both itself a friend"(I, iii, l.75-76). Experience Polonius has in both fields, for he represents the loathing, scheming men of the world in Hamlet. Polonius is an underhanded man in the play. We see this fat Lord chamberlain play goofy and somewhat stupid during his talks with Hamlet. We know that when his son Laertes is sent to France, Polonius send a spy to follow him and to make sure he is not doing any wrong. Polonius also likes to keep tabs on everyone including his daughter Ophelia, who is expected to report her relations with the lord Hamlet to her father. Later in the play, Ophelia lets Polonius and Claudius spy on Hamlet and herself conversing. "Her father and myself†¦, seeing unseen, we may from encounter frankly judge†¦ if’t be th’affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for" (III, i, l.32-37). Polonius, known for his deceit is the only real symbol of it, and it is symbolic when haml et kills him, almost like killing the evil which plagued the land in his natural form, for Polonius was unceremoniously spying on Hamlet and his mother from behind a curtain. Other characters in Hamlet are also deceitful. Laertes, has poison, from where did he get it? Ophelia as said earlier, serves as a medium for Claudius and Polonius to tap into hamlet’s thoughts. The queen is even a part of it one time. Even without the spying however, she is intertwined in guilt, marrying the brother and killer of her husband on the day of his funeral; what shame (unfortunately only experienced by Hamlet!).

The Qatar Islamic Arts Museum Essay -- Art

Introduction: In this research paper I am going to inform you about the desk research I carried out dealing with a service related organization. The organization I have chosen for my assignment is Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum. It is beyond questioning that I have chosen such an organization for various reasons. It is deeply related to the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry. Besides this, it is a major contributor to the current development of the cultural and entertainment sector in the state of Qatar. Furthermore, QIM is meant to bring in more tourists into Qatar. One more thing, Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum is considered as home to the World's largest collection of Islamic art. To cut it short, Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum represents the largest museum that is mainly dedicated to Islamic art in the world. In this respect, it is of paramount interest to shed lights on the key aspects about the history of such a unique museum, its legal form as an organization, specify its mission and vision, describe the environmental factors that influence it and identify the products and or services that it offers. Environmental factors: The birth of the Islamic Arts Museum can be seen as an intelligent and thoughtful plan to fulfill the vision and mission of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA). The QMA is the official body in charge of the management of all the various museums in the State of Qatar. Thanks to Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum, Qatar Museum Authority (QMA) managed to be" a global leader in the world of museums, art and heritage". As for its mission, Qatar Museum Authority is seriously preoccupied with developing, promoting and sustaining museums, art and heritage at the highest global standards for community engagement and edu... ...http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/#2 Business, M. (2012).what types of business organizational is best for you? . Retrieved December 16, 2011, from My own business: http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/#2 Neologix, C. (2000). Qatar's Imposing Islamic Arts Museum. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from Qatar Visitor http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=415&pID=1281 Ouroussoff, N. (2008). Pei's Doha museum reflects splendor of Islamic art . Retrieved December 19, 2011, from NY times : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/world/africa/23iht-art.1.18063805.html Shore, W. (2011).Living and working in Qatar. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from Which off shore http://www.whichoffshore.com/city-guides/qatar Times, N. (2011). Legal form of business Organization. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from about.com: http://biztaxlaw.about.com/od/businessorganizationforms/a/legalbizforms.htm The Qatar Islamic Arts Museum Essay -- Art Introduction: In this research paper I am going to inform you about the desk research I carried out dealing with a service related organization. The organization I have chosen for my assignment is Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum. It is beyond questioning that I have chosen such an organization for various reasons. It is deeply related to the tourism, hospitality and leisure industry. Besides this, it is a major contributor to the current development of the cultural and entertainment sector in the state of Qatar. Furthermore, QIM is meant to bring in more tourists into Qatar. One more thing, Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum is considered as home to the World's largest collection of Islamic art. To cut it short, Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum represents the largest museum that is mainly dedicated to Islamic art in the world. In this respect, it is of paramount interest to shed lights on the key aspects about the history of such a unique museum, its legal form as an organization, specify its mission and vision, describe the environmental factors that influence it and identify the products and or services that it offers. Environmental factors: The birth of the Islamic Arts Museum can be seen as an intelligent and thoughtful plan to fulfill the vision and mission of Qatar Museums Authority (QMA). The QMA is the official body in charge of the management of all the various museums in the State of Qatar. Thanks to Qatar's Islamic Arts Museum, Qatar Museum Authority (QMA) managed to be" a global leader in the world of museums, art and heritage". As for its mission, Qatar Museum Authority is seriously preoccupied with developing, promoting and sustaining museums, art and heritage at the highest global standards for community engagement and edu... ...http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/#2 Business, M. (2012).what types of business organizational is best for you? . Retrieved December 16, 2011, from My own business: http://www.myownbusiness.org/s4/#2 Neologix, C. (2000). Qatar's Imposing Islamic Arts Museum. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from Qatar Visitor http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=415&pID=1281 Ouroussoff, N. (2008). Pei's Doha museum reflects splendor of Islamic art . Retrieved December 19, 2011, from NY times : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/world/africa/23iht-art.1.18063805.html Shore, W. (2011).Living and working in Qatar. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from Which off shore http://www.whichoffshore.com/city-guides/qatar Times, N. (2011). Legal form of business Organization. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from about.com: http://biztaxlaw.about.com/od/businessorganizationforms/a/legalbizforms.htm

Interview people about the economy Essay

The people of the Orange County are an optimistic bunch. Yet, one can see this optimism slowly fading away into the darkness. For a country which is so close to perhaps world’s biggest entertainment hub, this is not a pretty picture. It would be wrong to blame the people. Little has gone right for the county since the economic recession of 2008, the effects of which are still quite visible. For a county which was already suffering from one of the more serious unemployment problems than compared to the average figures of the United States of America, the recession of 2008 has spelt doom, and its repercussions can still be felt. Take the case of the 34-year old Mr. Matthews who had a small shop selling electronic goods. However, with most people who gave him patronage, out of jobs or saving up for the bleak future, there are no takers for his once steadily selling shop of television sets and radios. His only hope is a government bailout, so that his customers have more money in their hands, or in other words greater purchasing power so as to indirectly get him out of this mess. Mr. Matthews situation is in complete contrast with Mrs. Mosby who is a secretary with the local government authority. She has been affected very little by the 2008 economic recession but maintains that she is concerned about a lot of her friends, whose businesses have shut or who have been shown the door in their jobs. The only consequence of this recession on her is that while her pay has not increased, prices of many commodities of even general use have gone by which makes it difficult for her to make the ends of her household meet. She is for the moment thankful that she has a government job, but strongly advocates that it is the state’s responsibility to find her fellow citizens a job which at the very least promises them adequate means of survival. Recession and the deteriorating economic situation is a concern not only to those who are currently affected by it, but also those who may be affected by it in the future. Take the case of 24-year old Mike, who is a final year student at the local university. He agrees that the heat in the air can be felt by all, and even though his university manages to put together a small career fair every year, it seems a difficult proposition this year. Although in the top half of his class, Mike admits that getting a job which helps him repay his educational loans he took for college, at least currently, seems to be a daunting task. He is hopeful that by the time he graduates, the situation would improve. He doesn’t make a case for out and out state intervention, but hopes that the state would help big economic powerhouses by giving them incentives and subsidies. Things have turned sour for those who are self-employed as well. Take the instance of a lawyer who has his own practice, Miss Timberlake. Litigation has become suddenly too expensive, and people seem to prefer to hold up matters for now. Even matters of home foreclosure have got delayed for now. People are looking at otherwise normal litigation procedures as a luxury service, which they are unable to afford at the moment, and are not as big a priority as say medical and health expenditure. Health insurance companies are facing the heat as no other according to Jeff, who works at one of the biggest insurance companies. The health and medical costs have spiraled over the last few years. The fact that people have very little disposal income, and are defaulting on their regular premium payments is making the matters worse for the insurance companies. Their being no solution in sight, people are turning to each other and urging them to perform acts of gratitude. For instance, appeals are being made to doctors and other hospital staff to give up a day’s pay. People are becoming much more cautious and conservative in spending their money. For instance, the younger siblings are getting their older siblings clothes. The insurance companies don’t have enough cash flowing in so as to be able to cope up with the increasing medical costs. This spells a disaster not just for one or two companies, but for two industries which are vital to the US economy – health and insurance. Whether there is a way out of this mess is the million dollar question facing everyone right now. The companies in both sectors, however, are optimistic and hope to see things improving with the Obama administration. Obama’s success in being able to pass the health insurance bill is being seen as a huge positive and people seem to be oddly comforted by his words of promise. Job creation is what people are currently looking forward to. Perhaps, the only sections of the society who have nothing to lose right now are the school going children. However, it is amazing how the economic crisis has made way into their everyday conversations as well. David who is only 14 is angry at the whole situation. He maintains that the whole crisis is the fault of the government, which allowed risky investments to be made. He is also unhappy about the liberal policies which have allowed a bulk of the work to be outsourced to other destinations where labour is much cheaper. Stricter laws are needed, he argues emphatically. Those who are retired have been hit badly as well. Their pension schemes and other insurance amounts are simply not enough for them to be able to make their ends meet. Home foreclosures are likely and in the offing, and this has most of them worried. Take the case of Mr. Andrews, who is 66 years old and survives on a small pension scheme. Recently the prices of even basic consumables have risen so sharply risen that he is finding it difficult to make the ends meet. His old age means that it is much more difficult for him to find a job as compared to other freshers just out of college. He is worried that if the State fails to take some concrete steps soon, many Americans could be tinkering on the verge of starving poverty. Take the case of Mr. Murdoch who is a stock market analyst and broker. In the economic recession of 2008, he lost close to $100,000. He says that he is devastated and doesn’t know if there is any hope remaining for his business, and whether he will be able to revive it in the near future. He is currently torn between the idea of continuing his business, or taking up a small job somewhere. However, he himself laughs at the irony of it all, given that it would be near impossible to find a job anywhere. He also feels responsible to many of his clients, who he was acting for, and have lost a considerable amount of money in the stock market. At the same time, however, he is quick to point out that investment in the market is subject to market risks, and therefore, one is understood to have assumed the same.

Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill By Maeve Maddox One of our readers used this expression in a recent comment: make a mountain out of a mole hole I assumed that the writer had intended to write the common expression make a mountain out of a molehill. I was about to shrug it off as a typo and move on when I thought Id just Google the unfamiliar version. I found enough examples to indicate that the readers version is in fairly common use. I found the mole hole version in headlines, subject lines, comments and serious articles. Here are a few examples: The media paints the picture of a mountainous recession, but it may simply be a mole hole of slow growth that we must conquer. The Fed is creative and seemingly cogent enough to get the economy through its current stress. New N Economics However, Mr. Dubad gave us the impression that the sky is falling apart and a civil war is in the offing. He made a mountain out of mole hole. The Somaliland Times Think too hard and you’ll over think the problem. Consider the size of the problem too much and you’ll make a mountain out of a mole hole. Quest Venture Partners The English word mole has various meanings: 1. a spot on the skin 2. a burrowing animal 3. a wall or other barrier built in the sea to hold back water 4. a unit of molecular quantity 5. a spy (figurative use because, like a mole, a spy burrows in darkness) It is the second sense that gives us molehill. The word mole may come from mouldwarp, lit. earth-thrower. Moles tunnel beneath the earth. A surface opening to a tunnel is often marked by a little pile of earth, a molehill. A molehill is not very large, but it is shaped like a mountain. A person who makes a big fuss over a small matter is said to be making a mountain out of a molehill. Heres an example of the expression from over 400 years ago: To much amplifying thinges yt. be but small, makyng mountaines of Molehils. [John Foxe, Acts and Monuments, 1570] Its not clear to me why molehills should have morphed into mole holes. I can see an immediate connection between a molehill and a mountain, but not between a mole hole and a mountain. Wouldnt an exaggerated hole be more like a crater or a lake than a mountain? In researching the expression I came across numerous tourist retreats called The Mole Hole. Perhaps their existence has contributed to the shift. I know. Im just making a mountain of a mole-. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One Spelling15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their SynonymsForming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives

Understanding and Using Stipulative Definitions

Understanding and Using Stipulative Definitions A stipulative is a  definition that assigns meaning to a word, sometimes without regard for common usage. The term stipulative definition is often used in a pejorative sense to refer to a definition that appears to be deliberately misleading. Stipulative definitions are also known as Humpty-Dumpty words or legislative definitions. Examples and Observations Michael Ghiselin A lexical definition, such as one that occurs in a dictionary (a lexicon), is a kind of report on how language is used. A stipulative definition proposes (stipulates) that language shall be used in a given way.–Metaphysics and the Origin of Species. SUNY Press, 1997 Trudy Govier Words in a language are public instruments for communication in that language, and a stipulative definition is useful only if it sets out predictable and comprehensible standards of use that are workable for the purpose at hand. If a stipulated definition becomes popular, the word defined in its new sense then becomes part of public language, and it is open to changes and variations in use just as other words are.–A Practical Study of Argument, 7th ed. Wadsworth, 2010 Patrick J. Hurley Stipulative definitions are misused in verbal disputes when one person covertly uses a word in a peculiar way and then proceeds to assume that everyone else uses that word in the same way. Under these circumstances that person is said to be using the word stipulatively. In such cases the assumption that the other person use the word in the same way is rarely justified.–A Concise Introduction to Logic, 11th ed. Wadsworth, 2012 Jon Stratton Stipulative definitions that slant or bias meanings are called persuasive definitions. They are meant to persuade and to manipulate people, not to clarify meaning and encourage communication. Persuasive definitions are sometimes encountered in advertising, political campaigns, and in discussions about moral and political values. For example the definition, A caring mother is one who uses Softness brand disposable diapers, is persuasive because it unfairly stipulates the secondary designation Softness user. The term caring mother is much more significant than that!–Critical Thinking for College Students. Rowman Littlefield, 1999 Use in Literature â€Å"There’s glory for you!† â€Å"I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’ Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. â€Å"Of course you don’t–till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!’† â€Å"But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument,’† Alice objected. â€Å"When I use a word,† Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, â€Å"it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less.† â€Å"The question is,† said Alice, â€Å"whether you can make words mean so many different things.† â€Å"The question is,† said Humpty Dumpty, â€Å"which is to be master–that’s all.† Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. â€Å"They’ve a temper, some of them–particularly verbs, they’re the proudest–adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs–however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!† â€Å"Would you tell me, please,† said Alice, â€Å"what that means?† â€Å"Now you talk like a reasonable child,† said Humpty Dumpty, looking very much pleased. â€Å"I meant by ‘impenetrability’ that we’ve had enough of that subject, and it would be just as well if you’d mention what you mean to do next, as I suppose you don’t mean to stop here all the rest of your life.† â€Å"That’s a great deal to make one word mean,† Alice said in a thoughtful tone. â€Å"When I make a word do a lot of work like that,† said Humpty Dumpty, â€Å"I always pay it extra.†Ã¢â‚¬â€œLewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, 1871 Use in Film Nancy: Can you, like, define the meaning of love? Fielding Mellish: What do you... define... its love! I love you! I want you in a way of cherishing your totality and your otherness, and in the sense of a presence, and a being and a whole, coming and going in a room with great fruit, and love of a thing of nature in a sense of not wanting or being jealous of the thing that a person possesses. Nancy: Do you have any gum?–Louise Lasser and Woody Allen in Bananas, 1971

Paintball Tourney Essays

Paintball Tourney Essays Paintball Tourney Paper Paintball Tourney Paper The XPL 7s will be run on a monthly basis in between other major league paintball tournaments. It will be based on 4 leagues with around 8 teams on each averaging about 30 40 teams per event. There will be 4 super air fields with 6 marshals and an ultimate per field. Also a staging area that only team players and crew members can access with there unique ID cards and controlled access from security guards. The game structure and general concept will be best on that of the rule book (app.1)  Location and Layout  The field layouts will be based on those from millennium series events and will be different every event. The field layouts will be designed in advance and put up at least a day before the event and checked with the Field of Play regulations in the PA rulebook (app.1) The fields will be stored and packed away when not in use in a storage container and washed down before hand The players staging area will be big enough to hold 300 players and 40 teams with 6 meter removable security fencing with only one entrance guarded by security personnel only letting players and crew members with unique ID cards with official XPL stamp and 2 other security personnel checking the perimeter for intruders and thieves. Promotion  The main source of promotion will be the website. I have designed and made the website, just need web space and domain name for it. It will have all relevant information on it to do with the tourney, entry, results, schedule etc. Another source of promotion will be in paintball magazines like PGI and also internet ads on websites like walkonzone.com  A questionnaire has been produced for marketing reason to work out if firstly the staff will work for that kind of money. Secondly to find out what general interest this will create and key features that paintball players look for in a paintball tournament. Flyers and posters will also be made to promote the event to new audiences and the target market.  How the Leagues work  There will be 4 leagues and based on 8 per division, each team will play 7 games. Which are 56 games in each division making it 224 games in total. Split up into 4 fields over a playing time of 7 hours (not including 1 hour lunch break), 56 games per field over 420 minutes. 15 minutes between games. See app.2 for schedule details and game layout. The day will run from games starting at 10 am to finishing at 5 pm with a 1 hour break at 1 pm for lunch and marshals to rest. The teams will be placed in there divisions past on their performance at other tournaments and what level they play on. The divisions will also work on 2 go up and 2 go down. Teams wont be allowed to change divisions, the only way teams change divisions is with the promotion and demotion method Marshals  On each field will be 7 marshals, one of which will be the ultimate who Is in charge of that field and his marshals. He will be considered head marshal on that field. The marshals will be that of tournament level standard and will be sent a copy of the XPL rule book to read well in advance and will need to have experience in marshalling tournaments and over the age of 18. The marshals will be paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 for the day and will receive free lunch. The marshals will also get a 1 hour lunch break at 1pm. Security  There will be 4 security personnel hired who will have to be 21+ and will be given a shirt to wear and radio to communicate with the other security personnel. Only 3 of the 4 security guards will be working at one time. 1 of the 3 will be at the entrance of the players area checking for player ID guards and checking for the official XPL stamp and checking the photo. The other two will be patrolling inside and outside the players area for thieves and intruders with no ID card. See appendix 3 for security personnel schedule. ID cards  The ID cards will be the size of a business card and have a photo of the player, the player name, team name (to stop that player playing for another team) players signature, an organisers signature and the official XPL stamp. With a plastic cover going over the top. If a security guard sees a player ID were the plastic has been peeled back, that player will be denied access. Every player and his/her information will be stored on the computer and when a teams arrives at a competition they will be asked to fill in a form writing down each players name, address, player ID and signature which will be double checked on the player IDs and on the computer during the day for sandbaggers or players switching teams. The player must supply a passport sized photo. Air + Co2  Air will be supplied by H-Pac services at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 per player. With a maximum of 56 teams and assuming 8 players on each team which would be around 300 players in total playing in the event costing around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1500. The Co2 will be supplied by APS with 4 tanks set up for players to be filled up on. A member of staff will be hired at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 for the day to watch over, check bottles and help fill. Food and Refreshments  The safe zone at the Skirmish Paintball Site will be used as a restaurant where people that get refreshments charged that of the prices below. A Cook and kitchen personnel will be hired for the day to cook the food and serve it to customers.  Car Park and Traffic  The Strip of land between the field of which the tourney will be played on and the woods will be converted into a car park that can hold at least 400 cars. Staff will use the sites car park and two car park staff will be hired to assist the parking of cars during the day. Trade Stands  Companies will be offered a space at the event to set up trade stands. For the 1st event there will be no charge but will be charged per event after that to set up a trade stand.  Company Banners  Companies can have their banner stuck up on the side of the netting, in the car park and around the site at a small cost of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 per banner. Although sponsors of the event can have their banners up, as many as they want and wherever they want, at no cost. Paint  Teams can buy paint from Adrenaline Paintball Supplies. A Choice of WDP, RPS or Evil paint will be available and discount for buying in bulk, but teams MUST ring in advance to let APS know how much paint they are expecting too need so they get enough in. Prices for paint are below.

Personal Development Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Personal Development Planning - Essay Example The idea is to allow a user to do tasks more efficiently, quickly and from any location and eventually letting the virtual office handle the routine chores for us and facilitate interaction with others. In the paragraphs below we will look at some of the functions available in a virtual office. A bulletin board can be used to share important information with a work group, posting announcements, giving contact information, posting messages, and list of jobs to be completed, announcing events and even conducting polls among workers about an issue. A travel planner can be used to make travel plans by researching and creating itineraries. It can also be used to compare flight fares and also used to save travel data for workers and their travel plans. Search engines can gather background information on any place including lodging, site seeing and customs, weather and local maps. Document sharing is an important part of any office. Now this can also be done digitally using virtual office tools. Text document and spreadsheets are central to any business. A group of people may work on a single file for a few days. Online spreadsheet and document services are available to make this possible. This utility allows the user to post a document on the net to be viewed edited and downloaded and worked on by other designated users. There is also file management and storage service available over the internet that allows you to organize files and folders and store them on the internet to be accessed by others. There are also tools facilitating online ordering of major office supplies that provides e-commerce channels to conduct business with vendors. It also provides links to major air cargo carriers and travel suppliers. One of the most useful communication tools of a virtual office is a virtual PBX. This service offers businesses all the features of a PBX without the hardware requirement or the need to install new phone lines. These services are hosted by companies for a monthly fee. This system works by assigning a toll free number and a set of extension numbers to the client. When a call is placed, the system answers with the clients customized greeting and redirects the caller according to the specifications of the client. These services also offer features like on-hold messages, music on-hold, virtual calling card, dial by name, question and answer mailbox, virtual fax etc. The most used among the virtual office tools is the web conferencing facility. While chat technology requires participants to be online at the given time, web conferencing involves either real-time conversation or presentation that can be accessed at a given time by all the conferencing members or at different times by different members. Web

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

Hydrogels - Essay Example However, chef a amongst them are temperature, pH, ionic strength, solvent composition, and light and electric field, Al these are stimuli responsive Hydrogels are useful in the development of a number of appliances especially in the development of controlled drug release systems, sensors, cell culture substances, and flow control. Additionally, Hydrogels are suitable for immobilizing the bimolecular because the=y have a bimolecular capacity, this is very fundamental in keeping their shape in the original condition. They can also be vey important in immobilizing optical sensors because they have a very important property. By virtue of their functionality, their biocompatibility makes the ideal candidate of the development of the rational optical sensor. They have a very wide loading capacity that is mainly suitable for sensors. Additional they have a very wide background which is only suitable for optical low optics. They also have another property that makes them very suitable for the development of cornerstones. For example polymers can be mixed to derive a very effective hydrogen cornerstone There have been a lot of res DNA however; one of the mot important a breakthrough in the researches that involves DNA is the use of DNA functionalized Hydrogels to make biosensors. This breakthrough was also fundamental for the development of controlled release system just like in medicine and other stimuli reactive materials. The focus on the main property of Hydrogels such as the ability to swell is very important because in this way. The most important breakthrough has been achieved in the scientific circles. A better example is the focus on gels phase shift. A stimuli responsive smart gels. There has also been the relatively low number of bolometric sensors. Acrydite-modified DNA is easy to link Hydrogels understanding through co-polymerization. Upon the completion of the gel transformation, their general viscosity is transformed as one can

Inside Obama's Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Inside Obama's Presidency - Essay Example The second challenge was the huge bonuses awarded as compensation to the banks; .the public was angry. When Obama met with the top banks C.E.O’s, most people expected that he would take on a hard approach against them, but this was not the case to the dismay of many. The banks seemed to have gotten it all on silver Plata. Another challenge was the reforms on the health care. Again he tried to take a bipartisan approach, but there came the problem; dealing with the congress that often slows down processes. The republicans were on his case: they did not vote for the motion. When faced with the issue of terrorism and handling Osama Bin Laden, he had to make the verdict to send U.S troops to Iraq. Leon Panetta, the CIA director, had information that Osama lived in a compound in Pakistan. The American troops went for the raid, and that reported that Osama had been killed. Another obstacle came which Obama had not foreseen. During the mid-term elections, his party lost to the republicans. Most of his supporters had been ousted, and he now had to take another approach to get things done. To take care of the debt crisis, he met John Boehner, who let him down when he needed him the most. To Obama it seemed that he had total confidence in his governance. He was so sure that his bipartisan approach would work. But if we would gauge his performance on this, I’d say that he was not successful. In all instances, he had to look for a second option. For example, looking at the stimulus bill, it passed without the votes from the republicans. Clearly, his promise to offer bipartisan solutions did not see the light of day. This was not because he was not willing to do so, but because the republicans were not ready to cooperate. From the first term’s performance, Obama tried too much to change how things worked: he had too many expectations that there wouldn’t be politics. He ought to have taken it as it is. In politics, everybody tries to be better

Operational Sales Management - The nature of the sales environment Essay

Operational Sales Management - The nature of the sales environment - Essay Example Support for international selling is based on the significance of exportation for economic growth and survival (Cool and Goddard, 2006). The United Kingdom is not self-sustaining in the sense that much of its food and raw materials are imported from abroad. In turn, the United Kingdom must encourage the business community to export more in order to achieve balanced trade and earn foreign currency to pay for imported commodities. Conversely, many business executives in the United Kingdom have remained adamant and apprehensive to sell overseas despite government’s exhortations. The mystique surrounding international selling has often been blamed for such apprehension (Jobber and Lancaster, 2009). Therefore, this paper aims to dispel some of the mystery surrounding international selling by examining various aspects of international selling. 2.0 Aspects of International Selling Selling overseas is not only relevant to national economic growth but also benefits individual companies . The decision to sell overseas is made by individual companies intending to reap the benefits of international trade. First, product differentiation in terms of design and quality allows companies to enter international markets (McCall and Stone, 2013). ... By selling overseas, local companies become less susceptible to impacts of economic recession in local markets and also counter market fluctuations. For instance, players in the tourism industry can promote London Towers as an attraction site for tourists from international markets. In essence, international selling enables firms to take advantage of disposable income held by expanding middle-class populations in emerging markets, such as China and India (Cateora, Graham and Ghauri, 2006). Third, technically obsolete products in developed countries may still be technically appropriate in developing countries. For instance, analogue cameras and desktop computers have been replaced by advanced digital cameras and portable computers respectively. However, analogue cameras and desktop computers are still appropriate in developing countries. Technology firm still having stock of these products can dispose them to global markets, where demand is still high (Jobber and Lancaster, 2009). The benefits of international selling are dependent on various aspects that are discussed in the proceeding sections. 2.1 Economic Factors Higher interest rates, inflation, unsettled financial markets, consumer debt levels and other economic factors adversely affect consumer demand for products and services. Economic factors may also force business entities to change the product mix they sell (McCall and Stone, 2013). Certain commodities are volatile and subject to regular fluctuations emanating from shifting domestic and international demands, competition, labour costs, government regulations, market speculation and other factors. Significant and rapid fluctuations in commodity prices may have

Winter dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Winter dreams - Essay Example During winter time, at the end of the year everyone makes himself a survey and sees what was wrong and right, and what he would have wanted to live or to have. Now the most interesting and unexpected dreams are born.Winter dreams differs from person to person, in accordance with the person's age, character, social and financial condition, religion and country. All these factors influence and shape a person's dreams because we refer to the ones around us and our needs.Winter dreams was a theme often used by the writers, poets or it was used in many magazines. Maybe people were inspired reading the novels, short stories, articles on this topic, but the truth is the exchange is reversed: in all these pieces of paper exist a bit of our soul.and writers wanted to take part in these dreams. Charles Dickens did this too and his contribution was greater than the other writers because his message moved many and succeeded to change something in the mentality of his age. "A Christmas Carol" was a novel about the holiest period of year and was considered a book which wanted to resurge the spirit of Christmas and which offered a brand new image to its values: kindness, cadge, forgiveness. This redefinition came in a decline period of this holiday. Thus, the book may be considered as an accomplished winter dream.Dickens organizes the structure of the novel in a certain way, hoping that the readers will see that winter dreams have changed the main character in the end, have made him a better person. The point of view is that of the main character, but this overlaps with the others. The author presents the story at third person singular, seeming that we are told an objective story, but through this technique the author gives the readers the possibility to see facts in their own opinion. Winter dreams and all those charity deeds are seen by the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge , with irony, but in fact he is the one chaffed. So, the readers can realize that Ebenezer's type of behavior regarding Christmas and winter dreams is not appropriate, and that those poor people he detests, will help him in the end to change. Ebenezer Scrooge is a greed selfish business man . In the beginning of the novel it can be said that he doesn't know the notion of dream(maybe only the proper meaning), but gradually it can be discovered that this term existed in his mind and soul but was repressed many years ago. This character is in fact a symbol for all those who want to minimize holidays and even life, shortening it to the financial prosperity. The first lines of the novel talk about the death of Jacob Marley, a good friend of Scrooge seven years ago . Then the action moves in the business man's office during the winter holidays. Charles Dickens does not aleatory use this number. Seven in Hebrew means to be complete , and it is associated with God, with the spiritual perfection1. In Bible and in different writings this number is used very often. If seven means a completed cycle it may emphasize a new beginning. So, Scrooge was doomed to this behavior seven years , but now a new chance was given to him. This symbol may be seen as a part of winter dreams , because we tend to think of God and the holy things during Christmas time. Scrooge is visited by three ghosts in Christmas Eve and this is the event that will make him change forever. Ghosts are an often used motif in winter writings because this period is considered to be the bridge moment between the two worlds: of livings and of deaths. The number of spirits, three , is full of meaning again: three represents what is solid, real, complete . God has three main characteristics: omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence. This can

Systemic family therapy(psychotherapy) TEAM Essay

Systemic family therapy(psychotherapy) TEAM - Essay Example Within the systems approach, there are three different ways problems are approached, namely, the strategic approach, the structural approach and the systemic approach. The strategic family therapist addresses problems in light of uncertain and inconsistent hierarchies within the family system (Watson n.d., p.381). He/she elicits "power and control issues, and directs change by means of family assignments or paradoxical injunctions" (Haley 1976, Madanes 1981, cited in Watson n.d., p.381). A structural family therapist looks into family structure, subsystems, and boundaries with an ideal family structure in mind and tries to reorganize the boundaries of families. The systemic approach has its origin in the work of the Milan therapy team inspired by Mara Selvini Palazzoli along with L.Boscolo, G. Cecchin and G. Prata (Wright & Watson 1991, p.407). Systemic therapy involves conceptualization of family problems from a systemic perspective, which plays an important role in the treatment pr ocess. Systemic therapists offer information and advice that liberate the family and enable them to solve their own problems. A systemic opinion is "offered by conceptualizing the presenting symptom as a solution to some other hypothetical or implied problem that would or could occur should the symptom not be present" (Tomm, cited in Wright & Watson 1991, p.427). This is called reframing. ... They offer different and contradicting views of reality, referred to as split opinions, which enable the family to be more open to change (Wright & Watson 1991, p.428). Therapists require the family to follow a pattern of behavior that is different from what it is used to. This is referred to as a ritual. Rituals help families to make new connections which in turn help them find new realities, leading to change and resolution of issues. The reflecting team In systemic family therapy, a reflecting team consisting of consultants or co-therapists from different fields helps the family in finding its own solution. The family is invited to sit behind a one-way mirror and observe the team's discussion on a previously held conversation between the family and the therapist. The team's voicing out aloud about the family's problems and possible solutions directs the family to consider alternate views of the family situation, problems and possible solutions. Andersen has suggested several assumptions and working guidelines for the reflecting team (cited in Jenkins 1996, p.1). A reflecting team follows the assumption that information needs to shared and not withheld, and based on this, the team can share its thoughts with the family during discussions. When there are multiple ideas discussed, there are different perceptions of reality, and the family's perception of its situation is also enriched on hearing these differences. Consequently, the family gets an opportunity to view its problems and possible solutions from alternate perspectives. These enriched pictures of the family and its dilemma form "an ecology of ideas" (Bogdan, cited in Jenkins 1996, p.1). Listening to the multitude of ideas and opinions of the reflecting team members helps the clients

Kudler Fine Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kudler Fine Foods - Essay Example mmunicating and delivering value to customers, and also by managing customer relationships in such a way that it benefits the organization and its stakeholders (Kerin et al, 2006:8). The focus of the current strategic objectives of the Company is to improve customer loyalty and enhance customer profitability by offering expanded services such as cooking classes and parties in the store to increase customer frequency of visits and promote word of mouth marketing. Another initiative that is proposed is to track customer purchase behavior and offer loyalty points which may be redeemed for other specialty foods, airline tickets, etc. Thirdly, the Company is also integrating new software systems and starting employee training programs to improve efficiency of operations. With the help of technology, the Company is tracking financial data, so that customer behavior over time can be analyzed. Therefore Kudler is focusing upon delivering value to customers and managing customer relations to benefit the organization. However, before actually entering into this plan, the Company needs to carry out extensive marketing research. Marketing research encompasses the process of first arriving at a definition of the marketing problem and opportunity and then systematically collecting and analyzing information, which will form the basis upon which proposed action can be recommended (Kerin, Hartley, Berkowitz, & Rudelius 2006: 206). In the case of Kudler, it must be noted that most of the initiatives that are proposed are new ones – such as starting cooking classes and rewarding customer loyalty through a points system. While everyday discounts for regular customers have proven efficacy, the efficacy of the points system in ensuring customer loyalty has not been conclusively proved. Customer loyalty has been defined by Dick and Basu as â€Å"the relationship between the rela tive attitude toward an entity (brand/service/store/vendor) and patronage behavior.† (Dick and Basu, 1994:

Systemic family therapy(psychotherapy) TEAM Essay

Systemic family therapy(psychotherapy) TEAM - Essay Example Within the systems approach, there are three different ways problems are approached, namely, the strategic approach, the structural approach and the systemic approach. The strategic family therapist addresses problems in light of uncertain and inconsistent hierarchies within the family system (Watson n.d., p.381). He/she elicits "power and control issues, and directs change by means of family assignments or paradoxical injunctions" (Haley 1976, Madanes 1981, cited in Watson n.d., p.381). A structural family therapist looks into family structure, subsystems, and boundaries with an ideal family structure in mind and tries to reorganize the boundaries of families. The systemic approach has its origin in the work of the Milan therapy team inspired by Mara Selvini Palazzoli along with L.Boscolo, G. Cecchin and G. Prata (Wright & Watson 1991, p.407). Systemic therapy involves conceptualization of family problems from a systemic perspective, which plays an important role in the treatment pr ocess. Systemic therapists offer information and advice that liberate the family and enable them to solve their own problems. A systemic opinion is "offered by conceptualizing the presenting symptom as a solution to some other hypothetical or implied problem that would or could occur should the symptom not be present" (Tomm, cited in Wright & Watson 1991, p.427). This is called reframing. ... They offer different and contradicting views of reality, referred to as split opinions, which enable the family to be more open to change (Wright & Watson 1991, p.428). Therapists require the family to follow a pattern of behavior that is different from what it is used to. This is referred to as a ritual. Rituals help families to make new connections which in turn help them find new realities, leading to change and resolution of issues. The reflecting team In systemic family therapy, a reflecting team consisting of consultants or co-therapists from different fields helps the family in finding its own solution. The family is invited to sit behind a one-way mirror and observe the team's discussion on a previously held conversation between the family and the therapist. The team's voicing out aloud about the family's problems and possible solutions directs the family to consider alternate views of the family situation, problems and possible solutions. Andersen has suggested several assumptions and working guidelines for the reflecting team (cited in Jenkins 1996, p.1). A reflecting team follows the assumption that information needs to shared and not withheld, and based on this, the team can share its thoughts with the family during discussions. When there are multiple ideas discussed, there are different perceptions of reality, and the family's perception of its situation is also enriched on hearing these differences. Consequently, the family gets an opportunity to view its problems and possible solutions from alternate perspectives. These enriched pictures of the family and its dilemma form "an ecology of ideas" (Bogdan, cited in Jenkins 1996, p.1). Listening to the multitude of ideas and opinions of the reflecting team members helps the clients

Leading a Diverse Workforce Essay Example for Free

Leading a Diverse Workforce Essay 1.0Introduction This report is an introduction to the circumstances of the diverse workforce. It explains the causes of diverse workforce leads into past, present trends. Where focus has centred on the consequences, there are some advantageous and disadvantageous outcomes which lead to â€Å"pay-off† of the organization. Therefore, discussion moves forward to the difficulties that managers would face and the management solution. The report concludes with a discussion 2.0Causes of Diverse Workforce â€Å"Workforce diversity is a workforce consisting of a broad mix of workers from different racial and ethnic background of different ages and genders, and of different domestic and national culture† (Naik, 2012). The emergency and development of diverse workforce is basically the result of globalisation, which is the current developing trend of the world. To meet the challenge of globalisation, it is extremely necessary for an organisation to have a diversity strategy than a domestic one (Naik, 2012). The diverse strategy enables the organisation to enlarge their customer base and market since the various backgrounds of employees make it much easier to communicate with global customers. There is also another cause of diverse workforce which is the requirement of the law and responsibility for the society (McInnes, 2013). There are usually some disadvantaged people in our communities who may suffer discrimination and a lot of hardships. In consider of that, the government has made anti-discrimination legislation to protect the rights of those disadvantaged people. Therefore, the organisation recruits people such as women, aboriginal and disabled individuals to form a diverse workforce as abid ance by the law and as a social obligation. 3.0Past and Present Trends The trends of the workforce diversity in the organisation are dramatically difference between past and present, for the aspect of gender, generation and cultural. As the globalisation is prevalent around the world, especially in Australia where the place is encouraging multiculturalism and immigration, there are more organisation engage the workers with different  cultural, it makes the workplace more diverse, such as the Vodafone and ANZ Bank. For example, ANZ Bank started to promote a diverse workplace since 1990s. They believed that the staff with a vibrant and diverse background and life experience can help to forge strong connections with all their customers. Besides, in the past, the women in the workplace were automatically assigned to temporary or part-time jobs because their first priority was taking care of their families. It shows that most of the gender work in an organisation is male. However, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2011, p.3) indicate s that â€Å"The proportion of women in the Australian workforce and in leadership positions is increasing since 1960 with 52% and compared with 70% in 2009†. Nowadays, most women tend to work as a permanent worker and do not see it as temporary because women are become more independent. Therefore, the gender diverse in the workplace has a huge change from homogeneous to diverse, thus the organisation have been learning to treat women as the equals of men and discrimination against female employees are now against the law. 4.0Consequences of Diverse Workforce 4.1The advantages of having diverse workforce First of all, it can increase an organisation’s creativity, flexibility and innovativeness (Cole, 2013). More fresh ideas and different perspectives could be provided by diverse employees from various cultural backgrounds and mind-sets since they are more willing to think outside of the box (Belcher, 2014). Secondly, the diverse workforce can attract more different customers as the employees are capable to communicate across cultural boundaries which therefore give the organisation a competitive edge and help meet the needs and wants of globalisation better (Belcher, 2014). What is more, the image and reputation of an organisation could be enhanced through a group of diverse people and then retention can be improved because it appeals to some other competent talents (Cole, 2013). Loyalty of employees would also be reinforced since they are in a fair and friendly working environment. Last but not lease, the proper utilisation of diverse workforce will result in greater producti vity (Belcher, 2014). 4.2 The disadvantages of having diverse workforce In fact, diverse can lead to a conflict and some negative effect. Jensen (2011, para. 10) demonstrates that â€Å"Communication is the key to breaking down the cultural; barriers between people†. As people with different cultural may easily have a communication problem, they will always cause misunderstanding which will harm working relationships and damage working environment and atmosphere. Therefore, a company ne beds a well planning to engage different background, culture, experience, ability and age of employees, and provide an effective policy on every member of the workplace. 5.0The â€Å"Pay-off† The advantages and disadvantages of diverse workforce are heatedly debated. As we mentioned above, a diverse workforce can assist an organisation in many aspects such as working environment, productivity and creativity. Generally speaking, a diverse workforce enables an organisation to be much better. Though a diverse workforce would cause some misunderstanding, the problems will be solved as long as the managers are able to handle it. Eventually, with the development of the diverse workforce, it turns out that the benefits outweigh the costs. 6.0Challenges for managers The change of workforce requires leaders to pay more attention to adjust policies for diverse employees made up of ages, genders, nationalities and more. Meanwhile, employees also need to know how to work and communicate with people who are different with dissimilar cultural background. â€Å"Diversity management practices are specific activities, programs, policies, and any other processes designed to improve management of diversity via communication, education and training, employee-involvement, career management, accountability and cultural change† (Cieri, Costa, Pettit, Buttigieg, 2008, p.6). The people with various cultural backgrounds a typical kind of diversity. They could forge strong connections with customers coming from diverse background; however, it might cause conflicts and misunderstandings because of their different understandings for things. In this case, in order to make full use of this kind of employees and force a nice working environment, managers are su pposed to deliver the concept of accepting and understanding other cultures and let the employees share  cultural value. Multigenerational team is another kind of the diverse workforce. Because of backgrounds, circumstances or the different education level, multigenerational workforce is much easier to bring about conflicts and misunderstandings. As a result, the function of leaders becomes significant and essential. They analyse and manage conflicts, organise all the work. More importantly, leaders know what kind of job each generation is qualified. For example, the younger generation is more likely to do the creative work while the older generation is better to do with the management. Conclusion As it enters the 21st century, workforce diversity has become an essential business concern. Diversity could be a positive factor to contribute to the local business, but misunderstanding is a major barrier. Australia as a developed country is attracting people from all over the world to come for study and work. Therefore, the government should make a comprehensive policy to improve diverse workforce issue, such as the working condition and foreign workers’ permission standard of the entrance system in Australia. Person with disability is a typical kind of diversity. They might have achievements that the normal people could not reach. Although they are not as efficient as others, they might have specific achievements that normal people could not reach. In this case, in order to make full use of them, leaders give this group more welfare as well as set up particular facilities to assistant them to work more efficiently and effectively. Reference list: Cieri, H., Costa, C., Pettit, T. Buttigieg, D. (2008). Managing a Diverse Workforce: Attraction and Retention of Older Workers. Retrieved from http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/mgt/research/acrew/ageing-workforce-wp-2008.pdf Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2011). Human Resources: Managing Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces, p.1-9. Retrieved from www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Document/Mange-Diverse-Inclusive-Workplace.pdf Jensen, M. (2011). Special Issue on: Impacts of Diversity in the Workplace: Maintaining Open Communication. Aviary Group. Retrieved from www.aviarygroup.ca/special-issue-on-impacts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace-maintaining-open-communication/ McInnes, R. (2013). Workforce Diversity: Changing the Way You Do Business. Diversity World. Retrieved from http://www.diversityworld.com/Diversity/workforce_diversity.htm Naik, P. (n.d.). Challenge for Business Survival-Managing Workforce Diversity. IOSR Journal of Business and Management. Retrieved from http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/7th-ibrc-volume-2/15.pdf

The Effects of Peer Leadership

The Effects of Peer Leadership Theory Leadership, by definition, is the process of guiding and directing the behavior of people in the work environment (Nelson/Quick, 2011). The leader influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal, usually set by the organization. Leadership and management are not interchangeable; they deal with very separate things in the work place. In general, management involves tasks that are necessary for the business, such as staffing, budgeting, and problem solving, whereas leaders focus on the people within the organization and their needs, such as motivation, goal setting, and camaraderie. Currently in the workforce, there are three different generations of leaders: the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (1961-1981), and Generation Y (1974- 1994) (Robbins, 2008). Stereotypically speaking, there are differences in leadership styles and work ethics between these generations. Baby Boomers resist change and are unwilling to understand the new age. Those in Generation X are seen as unmotivated and selfish, though they generally have strong communication skills and are technologically savvy. Individuals born in the Generation Y do not have the same, strong work ethic as previous generations and do not understand the meaning of hard work, but are viewed as energetic, able to multitask, and very technologically savvy. Because of the differences between the generations, this could make leading groups or teams difficult. However, according to Robbins, all leaders  ¿Ã‚ ½must learn to dismiss stereotypes and gain an understanding of all generations ¿Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (Robbins, 2008). Today ¿Ã‚ ½s leaders face many challenges. From diversity and generational differences to globalization and technological progression, it is how leaders face these challenges that set apart effective leaders from unsuccessful ones. The most important implications for leaders are that they need to be good diagnosticians. Leaders must be flexible enough to vary their own behavior in relation to the needs of individuals in particular situations in an appropriate way. Peer leadership is great for situational leadership. Successful peer leading in university settings is the result of relationships among students, mentors and instructors (Ashman, 2010, pg. 121). Teaching also occurs between and among students as they work together and at times mentor each other in and outside the classroom. Though instructors may wish otherwise, this sort of peer teaching may have an even greater impact on students than teaching in the classroom (Goodlad, 1998). They suggest that academic involvement and interaction with faculty and fellow students increases the time and physical and psychological energy that students devote to the academic experience. Two of the most common situations that involve students helping other students are peer mentoring and peer leading, such as residential life settings (Ashman, 2010, pg. 122) .Peer leading focuses on more experienced students helping less experienced students improve overall academic performance, encourages mentors ¿  ½ personal growth (Falchikov, 2001; Kram, 1985), and provides advice, support and knowledge to the mentee (University of South Australia, 2003). Using peer tutors requires a whole system of training and support concerning the socialization of students, teachers and instructors. Peer leaders are a great help to the student body. It is because of the similarity in age that students can better relate with the peer group they are leading. They are the connecting link. In other words, they help other students inside and outside of class get involved with their campus and education (Sanft Jensen McMurray, 2008). Also, because peer leaders are less authoritative, students feel more comfortable at times approaching them making them more effective leaders. It ¿Ã‚ ½s really important for students to have leaders ¿Ã‚ ½ knowledge of resources and events on campus. Students are the  ¿Ã‚ ½go-to ¿Ã‚ ½ people when it comes to learning information about things relevant to their age group. Peer leadership guides and motivates other students (Ashman, 2010, pg. 125). Peer leaders encourage their students to get involved on campus, study more efficiently and improve academically.  ¿Ã‚ ½They ¿Ã‚ ½re not just leaders to the students [in their class], they ¿Ã‚ ½re leaders to all students ¿Ã‚ ½ they ¿Ã‚ ½re an example to all students. ¿Ã‚ ½ (Interview 40) In the role of learning coach, peer leaders teach students important academic and life skills (9 of 29). Almost every proponent of peer approaches indicates some sort of benefit to both sides of a peer mentor relationship (Ashman, 2010, pg. 127). In the past two decades, much new research on inspirational leadership theories has emerged. Transformational leadership, charismatic leadership, and authentic leadership are all important developments in inspirational leadership. As the Residential Life program assists in the development of life skills, such as respect, accountability, mindfulness, responsibility, and patience, transformational leadership is demonstrated through staff forming emotional bonds with residents and  ¿Ã‚ ½arousing enthusiasm for a common vision ¿Ã‚ ½ (Kearney 1). Instead of using their official position to manage residents, Residential Life staff members rely on their personal attributes to inspire and excite. As role models, Residential Life staff members are charismatic, provide inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation, and show individualized consideration, all sub-dimensions of transformational leadership (Kearney 1). According to Nelson and Quick (2011), individualized consideration refers to how much attention leaders place on individual needs, and inspirational motivation is how well a leader is able to  ¿Ã‚ ½articulate a vision that is appealing to its followers ¿Ã‚ ½ (Nelson/Quick 197). Studies have shown that transformational leadership increases firm performance (Nelson/Quick 197). According to Judge and Piccolo (2004), it is positively related to a number or important outcomes, including the satisfaction, motivation, and performance of followers. Transformational leadership is effective because leaders encourage followers to set goals that are equal to their own personal interests and values (Nelson/Quick 197). This results in followers valuing their work more because their ultimate goals match up with who they are. The Residential Life program consists of staff members ranging in age. With student RAs in every residential hall, there is little age difference between leaders and followers. This small age gap could conceivably influence the relationship between transformational leadership and team performance. Eric Kearney sought to examine the question of whether transformational leadership is more effective when it is provided by team leaders who are older than the other team members. According to Bass and Riggio (2006), personal identification and respect for a leader, as well as the internalization of the leader ¿Ã‚ ½s values, are all key mediating processes through which transformational leadership exerts its effects. Kearney proposes that as well as being perceived as  ¿Ã‚ ½competent and extraordinary (i.e. transformational), ¿Ã‚ ½ leaders must also be considered deserving of a special status. He then refers to Festinger ¿Ã‚ ½s (1954) social comparison theory that states that people have a natural tendency to evaluate themselves and their abilities (Kearney 2). In teams consisting of members of similar levels of education and qualifications, members will search for legitimate reasons why one among them has been selected to lead. As RAs enforce rules and regulations in residential halls, residents of the same age may question the RAs authority. If students do not fully accept the legitimacy of the status and power of the RAs, it greatly reduces the potential positive impact of the RA. Through studying 49 Research and Development teams in a multinational pharmaceutical company, Kearney hypothesized that  ¿Ã‚ ½the age difference between a team leader and his or her followers moderates the relationship between transformational leadership and team performance such that this relationship is stronger with increasing leader age relative to the team. ¿Ã‚ ½ He examined teams consisting of researchers and technicians who interacted often and worked interdependently toward common team goals. The average mean age of the 49 teams was 38.78 and the mean age of the team leaders was 42.98. After 6 months, the direct supervisor of each team rated team performance. Kearney ¿Ã‚ ½s results indicate that it makes a difference whether transformational leadership is provided by a leader who is older than or close to the same age as the followers. When the leader was older than the other team members, there was a positive relationship between transformational leadership and team performance. He interprets his findings based on the social comparison theory. Kearney states that leaders who are about the same age as the other team members are more likely to be viewed by similarly qualified team members of lacking the  ¿Ã‚ ½legitimacy to occupy a privileged position ¿Ã‚ ½ (Kearney 7). This in turn may make the team identify less with the leader and resist the internalization of the leader ¿Ã‚ ½s visions and values. Kearney does note however, that the non-significant correlations between leader age and both transformational leadership and team performance show that older leaders themselves are neither perceived as more transformational nor are they more effective as leaders than younger leaders. Thus, leaders who are of a similar age as the other team members can be successful as leaders who are older than their followers. Kearney ¿Ã‚ ½s findings do suggest that leaders of a similar age as the followers are less likely to positively affect team performance through transformational behaviors. Application At Skidmore College, students are used to help lead the student body in the residential halls. Students are hired to work as  ¿Ã‚ ½Resident Assistants ¿Ã‚ ½ to help foster a healthy and happy living environment for the students. Resident Assistants generally employ one of three potential leadership styles. These styles are laissez-faire, autocratic and democratic. 1) Laissez-faire: The laissez-faire leadership style has an unusual approach. Rather than actively directing a team to perform a task, the laissez-faire style gives little to no direction. Known as  ¿Ã‚ ½hands off, ¿Ã‚ ½ the laissez-faire system provides freedom an individual team. Although the laissez-faire leadership style in many situations can prove to be controversial and negatively affect the outcome of a group ¿Ã‚ ½s performance, it is not completely useless. Often if people are intrinsically motivated in a particular area the role of an active leader is not prevalent to encourage. The laissez-faire style can also be important and works very well for a team of experienced and trustworthy individuals. For example, consider a construction site with an architect and a five of his workers. The five workers have been building homes for ten years and understand construction very well. In this scenario the architect designed the home laying out the details and materials needed to get the job don e safe and efficiently. Although the architect is the leader, his expertise consists of imagining the home but not necessarily the process of how it is to be built. Based on the architects original plan, the works build the house without any additional guidance from the architect, unless necessary. To clarify further, the architect knows where to put the window, but is not quite as sure how to put it there subsequently trusting his workers to build it. The  ¿Ã‚ ½hands off ¿Ã‚ ½ approach allows the workers to utilize their personalized techniques and work with each other in order to complete the task. The laissez-faire leadership style also applies to residential life at Skidmore College. The jobs of residential assistant aren ¿Ã‚ ½t solely to boss students around and keep order, but also to make student feel comfortable. As new students arrive at school they are filled with an array of emotions including anxiety, excitement, and fear that can make any individual uncomfortable. It is the job of a residential assistant to make the transition easier by creating a welcoming feel and sense of community within the dorm. That does not mean that an RA is responsible for a particular student ¿Ã‚ ½s friend making process, or work balancing skills. In order to expose a new student to the rest of their dormitory without  ¿Ã‚ ½holding ones hand, ¿Ã‚ ½ a laissez-faire approach is an intelligent direction to go in. Fun icebreakers that involve the young adults and allow students to meet each other work significantly well. The RA is initiates the interaction and explains the rules for th e ice-breaker, then steps aside as students take control of the outcome of the game. If the RA gets too involved it can take away from the experience. For returning students, the laissez-faire style is also necessary as these students are experienced and have already gone through the process. Therefore, the returning students do not need much guidance and are fine on their own. In the concept of the laissez- faire behavioral theory, leaders believe that their followers will perform to their greatest ability if they let them  ¿Ã‚ ½respond to their responsibilities and obligations in their own ways ¿Ã‚ ½ (Web Finance. 2010). This principle allows their followers to excel at their own expense and allows them to be accountable for their decision making. This concept gives followers more freedom to work at their own pace and allows them to feel as if they are in charge of themselves. Although this shows that the leader is respecting that there may be different work needs among their workers, this type of leadership method does not always work. Within this laissez-faire concept, the leader may be seen as trying to relinquish his or her tasks that they were originally apportioned (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 81). This style of leadership can cause uncertainties within one ¿Ã‚ ½s position and it can  ¿Ã‚ ½cause interpersonal conflict at work ¿Ã‚ ½ because t here is a poor communication between what the leader wants and what the followers do (Nelson Quick, 2011, pg. 189). Take the role of a resident assistant in a resident at a university. When a resident assistant has his or her first floor meeting with their floor there is usually a discussion about what the rules and expectations of the resident hall. If this resident assistant decides not to set any ground rules or give any direction many conflicts would arise. There would not be a clear and concise framework for this situation which would leave the question,  ¿Ã‚ ½Who exactly is the leader and what does their position really entail? ¿Ã‚ ½ Many of residents would not have any guidance to know how to act when sharing a living space with different people and this could create tension among one another which would later cause disagreements and confusion. To further discuss this point, there was a study that wanted to prove that laissez-faire leadership behavior was considered to be a damaging management behavior within the workplace (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 80). According to the experimenters, some problems this concept caused in the work setting were conflicts and misperceptions about role positions, disagreements among employees, harassment, and  ¿Ã‚ ½ psychological distress ¿Ã‚ ½ (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 80). With these variables, the researchers came up with these five hypotheses to correlate these problems with laissez-faire leadership:  ¿Ã‚ ½Hypothesis 1: Experiencing laissez-faire leadership by one ¿Ã‚ ½s immediate superior is associated with high levels of role conflict and role ambiguity ¿Ã‚ ½. (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg.81)  ¿Ã‚ ½Hypothesis 2: Experiencing laissez-faire leadership by one ¿Ã‚ ½s immediate superior is associated with high conflict levels with coworkers ¿Ã‚ ½ (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 82)  ¿Ã‚ ½Hypothesis 3: Role stressors and conflicts with coworkers mediated the relationship between superiors ¿Ã‚ ½ laissez-faire leadership and subordinates experienced exposure to bullying at work ¿Ã‚ ½ (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 82)  ¿Ã‚ ½Hypothesis 4: Superiors ¿Ã‚ ½ laissez-faire leadership is directly associated with subordinates ¿Ã‚ ½ exposure to bullying at work. ¿Ã‚ ½ (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 84)  ¿Ã‚ ½Hypothesis 5: Role stressors, conflicts with coworkers, and bullying mediate the relationship between superiors ¿Ã‚ ½ laissez-faire leadership and psychological distress among the subordinates ¿Ã‚ ½ (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg.84). With these hypotheses in mind, the experimenters mailed surveys to 2,273 Norwegian workers to assess whether or not they were exposed to this type of leadership behavior (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 84). The mean age of this sample was 43.4 years and half of the test subjects were women (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 84). Skogstad et al. (2007) used a number of testing measures to evaluate the responses of the workers such as one from  ¿Ã‚ ½the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire ¿Ã‚ ½ to gain insight on the subjects contact with this leadership style (p. 84). In a portion of the survey, the researchers also used  ¿Ã‚ ½the Bergen Conflict Inventory ¿Ã‚ ½ to find out what types of conflicts the subjects experienced whether it was job-oriented or personal differences among coworkers (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 84). Within the results, the experimenters discovered that more than half of the workers  ¿Ã‚ ½experienced a low level of laissez-faire leadership, but that out of all the ot her effects of this concept, there was a sound relationship linked to harassment as well as the other office stressors mentioned before. (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg. 84-85). The reasoning behind this conclusion was when a leader does not meet up to their followers ¿Ã‚ ½ anticipations or show that they are apparent within the workplace, mannerisms such as role conflicts are initiated (Skogstad et al. 2007, pg.86). This study shows how, at times, laissez-faire leadership can be a hindrance in certain organizations and business. 2) Autocratic Leadership: Autocratic leadership is considered to be an outdated, classical style of leadership. Fundamentally, autocratic control places all power into the hands of the leader. In autocratic leadership managers seek to make as many decisions as possible, have the most authority and control in decision making, retain responsibility rather than utilize complete delegation, consult with other colleagues in minimally and prefer to work on the task at hand (Gastil, 1994, pg. 386). The reason autocratic leadership survives, is because it is intuitive, has many short-term benefits and comes naturally to many leaders (Gastil, 1994, pg. 387). Despite having critics, autocratic leadership offers many rewards to managers who emply it. For instance, stress is reduced due to increased control (Gastil, 1994, pg. 387). Also, group productivity often increases under increased surveillance (Gastil, 1994, pg. 388). The oversight that an autocratic manager exerts over a team improves their efficiancy and makes them less likely to be negligent. This is good for under-motivated employees who have little concern or interest in the quality of work and the speed with which that task is accomplished. Also, logistics of operations are improved (Gastil, 1994, pg. 390). Having one leader with in charge of everything makes it more likely that problems are foreseen and deadlines are met. This makes autocratic leadership best for complex projects where efficient cooperation is imperative to success. Faster decision making is another benefit (Gastil, 1994, pg. 392). When only one person makes decisions, choices are made faster. Unfortunately, in most instances, autocratic leadership only leads to short-term improvement and carries grave long-term effects (Gastil, 1994, pg. 393). Even though leading autocratically can cause faster decisions making, the manager is actually hindering his or her workforce from progressing. This is a result of depriving employees of the opportunity to gain experience and learn from their mistakes, which leads to poorer decisions and productivity in the long run (Gastil, 1994, pg. 394). Managers with poor leadership skills with often revert to this leadership style (Gastil, 1994, pg. 394). By assuming all responsibility an autocratic leader naturally works at his or her full capacity. This hyper-focus on work comes at the expense of good leadership development (Gastil, 1994, pg. 396). While autocratic leadership has virtues in certain instances, autocratic leadership is not appreciated by employees. People dislike being ordered around (Gastil, 1994, pg. 396). As a result, the autocratic leadership style can create in a non-motivated workforce. Although autocratic leadership is a good solution for non-motivated workers, it is the leadership style alone that often demotivates employees (Gastil, 1994, pg. 397). After becoming accustomed to receiving orders with little return on cooperation, workers lose the confidence to make their own decisions. Accordingly, workers become ineffective functioning on their own. 3) Democratic Leadership: Democratic Leadership encourages the distribution of responsibility, the use of delegation and continual group input (Woods, 2004, pg. 4). Democratic leadership is characterized by managers seeking assistance on decisions, delegating tasks, welcoming feedback and encouraging others to become leaders (Woods, 2004, pg. 4). The result of this very involved leadership style is a more positive work environment (Woods, 2004, pg. 7). An environment where employees are given responsibility are challenged results in an organization where employees are more inspired to work. Similarly, the process of receiving feedback corresponds with better decision making and effective operations (Woods, 2004, pg. 8). In other words, democratic leaders ¿Ã‚ ½ engagement with employees results in their knowing when something is going wrong, while employees under autocratic rule are discouraged from informing the leader. Another benefit is that democracy breeds creative thinking (Woods, 2004, pg. 10). Unrestricted flow of ideas and positivity is the unsurpassed vehicle for creativity. Reduction of friction and office politics is another reward of democratic leadership. By allowing employees to think freely, managers reduce the amount of tension employees are subject to (Woods, 2004, pg. 11). When autocratic leaders refuse to listen to their workers they are effectively asking to be undermined. Unfortunately, democratic leadership can be in danger of pseudo participation (Woods, 2004, pg. 19). If managers simply pretend to employ democratic leadership to seem friendlier, employees will realize this when their ideas are not actually valued. Accordingly, the manager-employee relationship will be subject to further misfortune.

Telecom Technology :: essays research papers

1.0 Executive Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the last four years, OSS Telecom Technology, a well respected $300 million steel conglomerate, has built up significant interests in the telecom sector ranging from wireless and paging services to billing software. OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan, was formed in Taiwan in 1994 to pursue opportunities in the Operations Support Systems (OSS) telecom software market, with a particular focus on customer care and billing software solutions (CCB systems). Since 1994, OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan has grown steadily, building a customer base of 24 telecom operators for its software. In 1998, encouraged by the potential of the billing software market opportunity, OSS Telecom Technology decided to pursue a more aggressive expansion strategy, appointing an experienced and credible executive management team to unleash the potential of the OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan business. Corresponding with the placement of the executive management team, OSS Telecom Technology was created. OSS Telecom Technology has already made and continues to make significant investments in growing the business. 2.0 Situation Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   OSS Telecom Technology current situation: Product Since 1994, OSS Telecom Technology has developed an open and flexible product platform from which it can expand. The current product portfolio includes: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caribou: a customer care and billing product; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  MEDUSA: a mediation system providing billing data collection and service provisioning services. The following products are all currently under development: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Short Messaging Service Center (SMSC); †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IN Prepaid/Calling Card Platform; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performance Appraisal of Networks (PAN): Windows and UNIX based network performance monitoring system for telecom networks; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Java-based rules engine. Product Support In support of product sales, OSS Telecom Technology offers a number of services such as installation and configuration, as well as warranty and post warranty support services. Consulting Services OSS Telecom Technology has developed most of its products to date through projects delivered as part of its consulting services group. Services offered under the umbrella of the consulting services group include consulting, project development, and implementation. This enables OSS Telecom Technology products to be closely tailored to customer needs. 2.1 Market Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operations support systems (OSS) encompasses a broad range of applications and services. Although definitions vary, OSS typically includes applications geared toward customer acquisition, service provisioning, asset management, network management, customer care, and billing. Increasingly, these applications are becoming more interdependent and carriers are beginning to realize how important a world-class OSS is to effective competition. Telecommunications OSS The OSS segment of the telecommunications industry is experiencing tremendous growth. The increasingly competitive telecommunications market, both wireline and wireless, has increased carriers' awareness of the importance of OSS. Telecom Technology :: essays research papers 1.0 Executive Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the last four years, OSS Telecom Technology, a well respected $300 million steel conglomerate, has built up significant interests in the telecom sector ranging from wireless and paging services to billing software. OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan, was formed in Taiwan in 1994 to pursue opportunities in the Operations Support Systems (OSS) telecom software market, with a particular focus on customer care and billing software solutions (CCB systems). Since 1994, OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan has grown steadily, building a customer base of 24 telecom operators for its software. In 1998, encouraged by the potential of the billing software market opportunity, OSS Telecom Technology decided to pursue a more aggressive expansion strategy, appointing an experienced and credible executive management team to unleash the potential of the OSS Telecom Technology Taiwan business. Corresponding with the placement of the executive management team, OSS Telecom Technology was created. OSS Telecom Technology has already made and continues to make significant investments in growing the business. 2.0 Situation Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   OSS Telecom Technology current situation: Product Since 1994, OSS Telecom Technology has developed an open and flexible product platform from which it can expand. The current product portfolio includes: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Caribou: a customer care and billing product; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  MEDUSA: a mediation system providing billing data collection and service provisioning services. The following products are all currently under development: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Short Messaging Service Center (SMSC); †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IN Prepaid/Calling Card Platform; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performance Appraisal of Networks (PAN): Windows and UNIX based network performance monitoring system for telecom networks; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Java-based rules engine. Product Support In support of product sales, OSS Telecom Technology offers a number of services such as installation and configuration, as well as warranty and post warranty support services. Consulting Services OSS Telecom Technology has developed most of its products to date through projects delivered as part of its consulting services group. Services offered under the umbrella of the consulting services group include consulting, project development, and implementation. This enables OSS Telecom Technology products to be closely tailored to customer needs. 2.1 Market Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operations support systems (OSS) encompasses a broad range of applications and services. Although definitions vary, OSS typically includes applications geared toward customer acquisition, service provisioning, asset management, network management, customer care, and billing. Increasingly, these applications are becoming more interdependent and carriers are beginning to realize how important a world-class OSS is to effective competition. Telecommunications OSS The OSS segment of the telecommunications industry is experiencing tremendous growth. The increasingly competitive telecommunications market, both wireline and wireless, has increased carriers' awareness of the importance of OSS.

Ray Kroc :: essays research papers

Ray Kroc PROBLEM STATEMENT : In order for McDonald's to reach its goal of "par excellence", it must use the full meaning and definition of marketing. Marketing is giving the target market what they want, when and where they want it, at a price they are willing to pay for it. REFLECTION / OPINION For McDonald's to achieve its "par excellence", they must focus on the fact that there is an ever changing market and that the wants and needs of consumers are constantly changing. Since McDonald's has been around for forty- one years, it is safe to say that they are the father of the fast food industry and that they have set an example for others to follow. When Ray Kroc bought the first McDonald's in 1955, he focused on what people wanted. With this focus came the utilization of Mr. Kroc's theory of QSC ( quality, service, and cleanliness ). QSC successfully got McDonald's off the ground, but as times changed, the company saw many more market segments and opportunities. In the 1970's and 1980's once again McDonald's lead the way in the fast food industry. The changes we saw included, for example, the fact that women were now a major part of the work force and dual income families were becoming a more common occurrence. McDonald's became a mastermind of marketing toward specific markets by pioneering ideas such as breakfast menus, healthier choices and alternatives, and "adult" foods. McDonald's has truly evolved into a world power by paying attention to the needs and wants of the changing market and adjusting to these needs. LINKING THEORY : Ray Kroc saw early on what needed to be done. He changed what was at one time a product orientation, into a marketing orientation. Back in 1955, this was still a new type of management. From the beginning, Kroc was already in the forefront of marketing. Marketing orientation focuses on the customer and what they want in a product, rather than product orientation which focuses on the product itself. McDonald's has taken every aspect of marketing orientation and utilized the philosophy to its fullest. McDonald's has focused in on the customer needs and wants, sometimes even putting the ideas into the consumer's mind before they even knew what they wanted or expected. McDonald's could deliver! They have done extensive market analysis and product development based on this analysis. They have packaged their food and priced it exactly to the market segment which they have targeted. Showing McDonald's innovations in marketing even further, is its early adaptation of societal marketing. Societal marketing takes into account the overall concerns of the target market, the environment, for example.