Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Business Research - Essay Example Customer satisfaction gains all the more relevance in hospitality industry like the hotel industry. The Ritz hotel is one of the prestigious and luxurious hotels in France. The hotel is located at the heart of Paris in France and is one of the seven recognized Parisian palace hotels. Ritz presently offers 159 rooms with suites, restaurant, bars and private salons. True to the spirit of Ritz, each room offers a harmonious blend of modern ease and classical charm in a quintessentially French style. While there can be many reasons to choose Ritz over others; some reasons can only be experienced (Ritz Paris, n.d.). The hotel, now, plans to evaluate the level of customer satisfaction with the help of a survey. ‘Guest Satisfaction Questionnaire’ is distributed in various guest rooms and suites of the hotel. This report contains the questionnaire along with proper methodology to analyze the same. A conclusion has been inferred from the analysis and plausible recommendations are suggested to improve the service. Customer satisfaction is majorly understood as the sense of satisfaction that a customer feels when he or she compares his or her expectations with the actual quality of the acquired service. Satisfaction is closely related to the quality of the service (Krivobokova, 2009). In the absence of customer feedback, the quality of service is extremely difficult to assess. That is why direct involvement of the customers is necessary to analyze the improvement activities. Since evaluation of the level of customer satisfaction demands a considerable involvement from the customers, surveys are of paramount importance. Customer survey is a part of primary research. In this case primary researches are used to investigate an issue specific to business and to get feedback from the customers. Primary research delivers more specific results than the secondary research. On the other hand, secondary research is done on

Boston Artwork Essay Example for Free

Boston Artwork Essay The public artworks that I chose are Asaroton 1976 (Unswept Floor) and Boston’s Famed Rainbow Tank. The similarities of these artworks are that they are both available in public view and that they are unique types of artwork. There is not much like the Rainbow Tank or the Asaroton ’76 types, as they were original ideas of the artists. Considering the effect that they have on people, both artworks seem to blend in the everyday life of those who see it in a regular basis. The Asaroton is being walked around and stepped around, while the Rainbow Tank contains liquefied natural gas. It’s as if the artwork has naturally been there, a part of everyone’s ordinary lives despite the fact they are extraordinary creations (Millis, 1997). The Asaroton ’76 is an artwork like no other, as it is composed of bronze replicas of everyday waste and debris of the market, which is then embedded in concrete. At first glance, the artwork just seems to be a deformity or an abnormality in the road (Harries/Heder Public Art, 2006). But if you look at it closely, you will see the intricate details and designs embossed on the concrete walkway. In relation to this, it is situated in a segment of the street which forms a major crosswalk. Many people pass it or walk over it everyday, but they don’t seem to mind. To them, the artwork is already a part of their everyday lives. Boston’s Famed Rainbow Tank is actually a gigantic tank of liquefied natural gas which was painted with five huge swaths of color, artistically placed as though they’re just strokes of a paintbrush (NPR, 2001). The colors are yellow, orange, blue, vermillion, and purple. With the way the tank is painted, it’s as if it was just a large canvas for an abstract artwork. The stripes actually doesn’t resemble anything, but according to those who gaze at this gigantic work of art, they see faces of prominent personalities, whether they’re our friends or foes (images of Ho Chi Minh, Fred Flintstone, Saddam Hussein). The Asaroton ’76 is situated in the busy, open air produce market on Blackstone Street. The place it is embedded is a part of a major crosswalk, so you can just imagine how many people walk over it or pass it during the course of the day. Heavy motor traffic is also present during the day, so we can say that this artwork is not something that we keep in museums or galleries, as it is best appreciated in public. Boston’s Rainbow Tank is situated somewhere along Boston’s waterfront, the industrial part of the area. The rainbow tank is such a massive structure that many people can see it without having to get close to it. There were restaurants just around the area, and the rainbow tank has been a common view for the urban dwellers. The tank holds a good spot in everyone’s heart, as it was made originally as a sign of peace, and now it remains a masterpiece unique from any other artworks. The effectiveness of Asaroton ’76 in conveying an artistic message is incomparable, as it artfully depicts some of the common things that we see everyday. It immortalizes the debris of everyday life, which seem to reflect back to us, how we oftentimes don’t recognize these stuff as artistic or as anything valuable. With the Asaroton, we are able to see how these things, no matter what they are, can be a very good subject for a wonderful work of art. It’s main difference with the Rainbow Tank is obviously the size, and also the feeling it conveys, as it serves as a reminder of the things we usually neglect or ignore, as for the Rainbow Tank, it is a sign of peace, that’s why it conveys a feeling of happiness to the viewers. The Rainbow Tank is effective in its purpose of spreading peace, as it conveys a feeling of peacefulness and childish joy, despite the size of the structure. People who look at it tend to smile, even without a reason. Its mere presence in the area brings and assurance of peace for the people, though in reality, it could easily be a target of terrorism, with all the natural gas it contains. References: Harries/Heder Public Art. (2006). Asaroton 1976 (Unswept Floor). Retrieved June 9, 2008, from http://www. harriesheder. com/asaroton. htm Millis, C. (1997). An opinionated, irreverent look at Bostons public art. Retrieved June 9, 2008, from http://www. bostonphoenix. com/archive/art/97/08/21/PUBLIC_ART. html NPR. (2001). Bostons Famed Rainbow Tank Inspires Admiration, Scorn. Retrieved June 9, 2008, from http://www. npr. org/news/specials/response/home_front/features/2001/nov/rainbowtank/011105. rainbowtank. html

The History of Fermentation Essays -- Fermenting Wine Distillery Alcoh

The History of Fermentation It is impossible to set a date as to the first time fermentation was performed. It is possible, however, to guess, and this guess is roughly 8,000 years ago. Wine has been written about for centuries, in the Greek and Roman myths and scriptures. The Greek god of wine, Dionysius, was in charge of the fermentation atop Mount Olympus. The people of this time may not have known exactly what they were doing, but it was a somewhat complicated procedure. The crushing of grapes, and the storing of their juices led to an amazing beverage that is still used in current society. This process of fermentation was used throughout the time of early Christianity, and other religions, for purposes within sermons. Throughout the Renaissance, fermentation was used in the making of wine as well as bread, not to mention new medical applications. Fermented products were brought to America along with the new settlers. With new government, though, America was put into a prohibition, which did not last long. Today, fermentation processes are carried out nearly perfectly, without too large of variations among the products. Although fermentation has been known of for at least 8,000 years, in 1865 Louis Pasteur was the scientist who really discovered the process of fermentation. At this time, Pastuer was the Dean and professor of chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences in Lille, France. He was originally asked by a friend to investigate difficulties he was having manufacturing alcohol by the fermentation of beetroot. Often, instead of alcohol, the fermentations were resulting in lactic acid. At that time, fermentation leading to the production of wine, beer, and vinegar was believed to be a simple and straightforward breakdown of sugar to the desired molecules. It was believed that the chemical breakdown of sugar into alcohol during the fermentation of wine and beer was due to the presence of inherent unstabilizing vibrations. Yeast cells were found in the fermenting vats of wine and were known as living organisms, yet they were only believed to be either a product of fermentation or catalytic ingredients t hat provided useful ingredients for fermentation to proceed. The brewers of wine, beer, and vinegar were having horrible times with quality control. Yields of alcohol might suddenly fall off; wine might unexpectedly grow ropy or sour or turn to vinegar;... ...s that the fermentation leading to the creation of ethanol has made billions and billions of dollars in profit, along with giving millions of people jobs. It is amazing that something that has had such a large impact on the world (as the fermentation of ethanol has) begins on the molecular level. Bibliography 1. Abedon, Stephen T. â€Å"Glycolysis and Fermentation†. http://www.phage.org/biol1095.htm, July 29, 2000. 2. â€Å"Alcohol Fermentation†. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000. Harden, Arthur. Alcoholic Fermentation. New York, NY: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1932. 3. Boyer, Rodney. Concepts in Biochemistry. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1999. 4. â€Å"Cellular Respiration and Fermentation†. http://fhis.gcal.ac.uk/bio/micro/drjrattray/cab2/cab2resp.htm#Fermentation, July 30, 2000. 5. â€Å"Chemical of the Week – Ethanol†. Chicago Tribune (online); http://www.scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/ethanol/ethanol.html, July 29, 2000. 6. Harden, Arthur. Alcoholic Fermentation. New York, NY: Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1932. 7. â€Å"What is Ethanol?†. Ace Page Links, http://www.ethanol.org/ethanol_info2.html, July 27, 2000.

Reaction Paper About Solas

They discussed about the emergency situations, evacuation, survival crafts and rescue boat, personal life-saving appliances, survival at sea and emergency radio equipment. In emergency situations we should be observant in what happen into our surroundings. Also we should know the muster station. We can be able to know our duties and responsibilities during emergency and the signals for these emergencies just by looking at the muster list. The general alarm has seven short blasts and one long blast on the ships whistle followed by public address of the master/captain. In survival crafts and rescue boats there are different types of lifeboats these are open, partially enclosed and totally enclosed. There are types of life rafts also these are enclosed inflatable life raft and rigid life raft.In Personal Life-Saving Appliances we should know the things that can help us during emergencies. Example of things that can help us are lifejackets, lifebuoy, lifebuoy with self-igniting light, im mersion suit, thermal protective aid (TPA) and pyrotechnics. There are kinds of pyrotechnics the rocket parachute flare usually this kind of flare can last long for 40 seconds, Hand flare can last long for 60 seconds, buoyant orange smoke signal gives off smoke for 3 minutes it can use only for day time only. On our training for Elementary First I think I become more competent to take immediate action upon encountering an accident or medical emergency until the arrival of the person in charge of medical care on board. I have learned how to do the bandaging, to control the blood, to rescue unconscious person.FPFF or FirePrevention and Firefighting this course discuss mainly about Fire on how to prevent and extinguish it.Proficiency in Personal Survival TechniqueA trainee will be able to react in a correct manner during emergency situations, take measures appropriate to his own survival and to the survival of others, and use survival equipment correctly.Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting A trainee will be competent to take appropriate measures for the safety of personnel and of the ship and will also have knowledge of fire prevention. The trainee will be taught how to use the fire appliances correctly.Personal Safety & Social ResponsibilityThis will give new seafarers an insight into the various elements of a ship and the working procedures onboard so that they can adjust to the shipboard environment and be better prepared to cope with any unforeseen circumstances.

Nurse Management

Our services are provided to those who have a private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or have the ability to pay for themselves. No individuals in need of our help will be denied, because of their inability to pay. I believe that management currently employs an instrumental leadership method. The instrumental leadership method has a category that includes the strategic leadership method. According to Rowel (2014), strategic leadership â€Å"influences organizational performance indirectly through actions and sections taken by the leader and his or her follower. Essentially it a follow the leader method, that seems to have taken on quite well with the majority. Our unit leader does not lead vocally, but through her actions. She works hard and which set the bar and example for the remainder of staff to follow. I believe that one of our biggest problems is the lack of accountability from some staff member. It is unfortunately really tough for some people to own up to their own mistakes, which would ultimately help the staff as a whole cause it is something that we all learn from.Our duty is to provide our patients with a multi-disciplinary team throughout their tenure with us, with the hopes of helping them reach a maximum level of dependability. This way they can gradually ease back into society. Ideally, the typical patient to nurse ratio is six to one. I reiterate the fact that is ideally, as with most nurses, in most facilities, we are normally understaffed. So that patient to nurse ratio can sometime reach to ten to one. Which in behavioral health, can be extremely dangerous.Many of our patients are very unstable individuals, and require extra care and supervision. Imagine having multiple patients needing that same care and supervision, at the same time. I simple solution would like for this, is for us to monitor our admissions. Take in account how many nurses are on staff, before admitting several patients at one time. Nurse Management Our services are provided to those who have a private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or have the ability to pay for themselves. No individuals in need of our help will be denied, because of their inability to pay. I believe that management currently employs an instrumental leadership method. The instrumental leadership method has a category that includes the strategic leadership method. According to Rowel (2014), strategic leadership â€Å"influences organizational performance indirectly through actions and sections taken by the leader and his or her follower. Essentially it a follow the leader method, that seems to have taken on quite well with the majority. Our unit leader does not lead vocally, but through her actions. She works hard and which set the bar and example for the remainder of staff to follow. I believe that one of our biggest problems is the lack of accountability from some staff member. It is unfortunately really tough for some people to own up to their own mistakes, which would ultimately help the staff as a whole cause it is something that we all learn from.Our duty is to provide our patients with a multi-disciplinary team throughout their tenure with us, with the hopes of helping them reach a maximum level of dependability. This way they can gradually ease back into society. Ideally, the typical patient to nurse ratio is six to one. I reiterate the fact that is ideally, as with most nurses, in most facilities, we are normally understaffed. So that patient to nurse ratio can sometime reach to ten to one. Which in behavioral health, can be extremely dangerous.Many of our patients are very unstable individuals, and require extra care and supervision. Imagine having multiple patients needing that same care and supervision, at the same time. I simple solution would like for this, is for us to monitor our admissions. Take in account how many nurses are on staff, before admitting several patients at one time.

7 New Year’s resolutions for career-oriented parents

7 New Year’s resolutions for career-oriented parents Do you fall prey to the New Year’s resolution rollercoaster? In winter, most of us decide I will do better. By springtime, you already feel like a failure- or, you simply forget why it was so important to wake up every day at 5 a.m. to go to the gym. With kids, you’re not only navigating personal or professional goals; your resolutions can also factor in a whole other person or set of people: This summer I will finally teach my daughter to ride a bike! Setting resolutions can be truly intimidating, and if you reach too far, you’ll set yourself up for disappointment and bad feelings. The real goal in making resolutions is to tap into the motivation you feel in the new year by setting low-key, flexible goals so you’re not setting yourself up for failure.1. Shoot for good-enoughism, not perfectionismThis first one is a meta-resolution. There’s an old proverb:   Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Whether you missed a school recital or aren’t as far along in your career as you hoped, you have to get over the longing to be all things to all people, ditch the guilt, and meet yourself where you are. Give yourself a forgiving timeline to meet your goals and allow yourself to simply be good enough.2. Establish new traditionsSchedule a new family outing once a month on the weekends- maybe explore a hiking trail or visit a local museum. Fostering a sense of adventure and trying new things can help you get out of a rut, and it also allows you to prioritize family time in a fun way outside of the house. Plus, once a month is a reasonable goal to set, and something the family can look forward to every time the calendar page turns.3. Take a personal day once a monthPrioritizing self-care is something working parents â€Å"forget† to do (or perhaps feel is impossible), but it is something you need to do in order to remain centered, healthy, and able to be a good employee and a good parent. A whole day to do those little tasks that have been nagging but not urgent, or to get yourself organized, or take a long bath or read a good book- whatever a personal day looks like to you that would help you re-center- can allow you to de-stress and gain better overall focus. When you have too much going on, sometimes it’s important to just hit the pause button. You  can tackle all your tasks the next day, we promise.4. Ditch the multi-taskingHave you heard multi-tasking is bad? Like, really bad. When you try to do two things at once, which is actually impossible, you do both things worse and your ability to focus suffers. But parents, whether you are aware of it or not, are constantly multi-tasking by default, trying to meet the needs and demands of multiple people at once. So, it takes extra care to try to focus on one task at a time. You need to establish boundaries. Kids know when you’re distracted, so half-listening to your daughter tell a story as you write an email sends the w rong message to her. Give yourself a clear space to do this task; go into another room and help your kids learn patience as they wait until you are finished.5. Declutter your commitmentsParents get really good at saying â€Å"no† to their kids but are not necessarily good at applying the same practice to peers or coworkers. When you’re juggling too much, you have to prioritize. Will doing this make me happy, will it make me a better person, will it enrich my life? Make sure you feel a strong â€Å"yes† when you agree to do something. You don’t need to bend over backwards for everyone. Learn when your â€Å"yes†es constitute being a good coworker, a good parent, or a good citizen, and learn to say â€Å"no† when things are too much.6. Curb your emailThis is along the same lines as learning to say â€Å"no.† Email â€Å"autoreply messages† aren’t just for vacation time. It can be really freeing to turn on your autoreply me ssage on your email as the last thing you do before you step out of the office. It sets a clear boundary in your mind that you will leave work behind, and also communicates that to others. If you don’t have a 9-to-5 job, this can prove trickier, but all the more vital. Set times when you will actively not check email and not think about work.7. Declutter your â€Å"stuff†The new year brings all the stuff you collected over the old year plus the new stuff you got from the holidays. It’s time to make space for that new stuff: recycle, donate, make a few bucks on Ebay, and empower your kids to decide what they no longer use and discover what clothes no longer fit. This can be a seasonal practice. But if you find your collection of â€Å"stuff† too daunting, even just getting rid of just one thing you don’t need in the new year will clear your mind and make you feel productive for 2019.

Dinosaurs Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Climate History, Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Climate History, Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Dinosaurs: How they became extinct Something happened 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, something so devastating that it altered the course of life on earth. It seems like it happened so sudden, as geologic time goes, that almost all the dinosaurs living on earth disappeared. So how did these dominant creatures just die off? Was it a slow extinction, or did it happen all of the sudden? These questions bring rise to many different beliefs on how the dinosaur disappeared over 65 million years ago. Extinction itself is easily defined: When the birth rate fails to keep up with the death rate, it is called extinction. But, the definition does not answer the question about the nature or causes of extinction. Paleontologists generally divide extinctions into two types, for that of different causes arose. The first is called background extinctions, isolated extinctions of species due to a variety of causes. Included is out competition, depletion of

How to Ask for What You Want at Work

How to Ask for What You Want at Work It’s a fact of life that you will rarely be handed exactly what you want in in your career. It’s up to you to take control of your future and move it in your most ideal direction–if you sit around and wait for people to take notice and reward you, you might be waiting for a long time. If you’re feeling undervalued at work, here’s a surefire plan to organize your thoughts and make a plan before you approach the powers that be.Put into words what is making you unsatisfied. Do you feel your salary is too low? Are your hours too inconsistent? Do you despise working with a specific client?The first step will lead you to the next–and most important–step: identify exactly what it is you want. A raise? A better shift schedule? To be relived of your client? Be specific–it is important to have a concrete goal you can clearly express.Next, envision how your work life will be better if your ideal situation comes true. How might this change make you more valuable to your employer? What are the major selling points you can offer for making this change?Finally, create a plan and put it into action. What is the best method in your workplace for making a change? Send that email or make that call, set up a meeting, and put your best foot (and argument) forward.Even if making and implementing a detailed plan does not lead to your ideal results, your voice and demands will have been heard. If nothing else, a proactive attitude always lets your supervisors know you’re serious about your future.

Art history term paper - Comparing two portrait modes Essay

Art history term paper - Comparing two portrait modes - Essay Example During the era of the roman republic, they considered it a character sign not to cover or manipulate any physical imperfections and the depiction of men particularly as unconcerned and rugged, especially unconcerned with any form of vanity. Statues with more idealism of Emperors of the Roman Empire got ubiquitous over the imperial era, especially with connection to Rome’s state religion. Tombstones, even those of the modestly well off middle class, exhibited the portraits of unknown dead relatives which were carved in relief. This paper aims to compare the bust of a man and the bust of Emperor Commodus while paying attention to the bust’s formal features, and it further, considers how and why each portrait works to idealize the sitter. The bust of Emperor Commodus and that of man are practically two contradictory artefacts. The two artefacts have distinctly varied characteristics with both possessing different styles. The bust of a man is of a veristic style while the bust of Emperor Commodus is of the Augustus style from prima porta. With each of these styles come different characteristics and representations. The bust of a man has a relation to old fashioned morality, which is a virtuous Roman concept (Fejfer, 2009 p243). Generally, the veristic style consists entirely of later life portraits of men, who more often than not are toothless and balding and consists of faces with poor aging qualities and wrinkles. The bust of a man is a perfect example of this style. The bust seems to be representative of men who are or are aging. In the Veristic style, age is taken quite seriously as it signifies and shows endurance and courage, which man has had to endure through out his life. The portraits physical qualities, whi ch follow veristic styles, are reflective of society and class, which they belong to. The pained and twisted expression on the bust of man are testimony of the similar fashion with which the civil war tore apart the society

Project Pitfall Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Pitfall Analysis - Essay Example The risk management process is very important for smooth running of the concerned project. Generally a detailed survey of the market is not done which results in the facing of unidentified risk due to its wrong assessment. To overcome these barriers a few calculative measures have to be taken. The focus of risk aversion should be mainly to take up a level of project whose risk can be easily identified and acceptable; prioritize the alternatives of the risk attached to the concerned project; resourcing, selecting, planning and implementing the most appropriate course of action elected for the elimination of the risk; double check on whether the action plan thus formulated is working in accordance to the plan hatched and lastly a regular revision of the action plan keeping the present market conditions in mind (â€Å"The Risks and Risk Identification† 1). The inadequate project management capability can arise due to faulty selection of the personnel for the respective company. This can be overcome by appointing the right person at the right time for the right designation having the required qualification for the concerned post. As the incapability to perform in managing the project of the company generally arises out the lack of sound knowledge of that field. As said earlier that a project needs to have clarity before undertaking, thus the lack of it results in confusion and disagreements about the project responsibility. Confusion leads to disagreements which can be due to various reasons like goal conflicts which occur because of the end results attached to it along with clashes related to the objectives of the project and administrative conflicts which may arise due to the management structure and responsibility assigned related to tasks, functions and decisions. All these have a solution, the application of which will help overcome the crises. Firstly, developing a master plan with will be compatible for the application of the long term

Thermodynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Thermodynamics - Essay Example work (W) is made of electrical work (We,in), paddle-wheel work (Wpw,in), and boundary work (Wb) and for a piston – cylinder setup with insulation, ‘Q’ zeroes out (since there would be ‘no heat transfer’ between the system and its surroundings). Hot exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine are to be used to produce saturated water vapour at 2 MPa pressure. The exhaust gases enter the heat exchanger at 400ï‚ °C at a rate of 32 kg/min while water enters at 15ï‚ °C. The heat exchanger is not well insulated, and it is estimated that 10% of heat given up by the exhaust gases is lost to the surroundings. If the mass flow rate of the exhaust is 15 times that of water, determine: An air-conditioning system involves the mixing of cold air and warm outdoor air before the mixture is routed to the conditioned room in steady operation. Cold air enters the mixing chamber at 5ï‚ °C and 105 kPa at a rate of 1.25 m3/s while warm air enters at 34ï‚ °C and 105 kPa. The air leaves the room at 24ï‚ °C. The ratio of the mass flow rates of the hot to cold air streams is 1.6. Using variable specific heats,

An assessment of whether the differences in practice between Essay

An assessment of whether the differences in practice between facilitatory and evaluative modes of mediation are such that it is inappropriate for both forms to - Essay Example The facilitative style of mediation involves a third party mediator who does not actively participate in the mediation process but rather functions as a catalyst, helping the parties to discuss their problems and negotiate a solution in an atmosphere of goodwill and trust. In the process of evaluative mediation however, the mediator is a person who may move beyond the role of a facilitator and may offer an opinion on the issues under dispute, including an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the cases of the parties and the possible solutions that could be suggested. The spirit behind mediation is that of allowing a resolution to a dispute that is negotiated by the parties in a non adversarial environment. However, the evaluative mode of mediation is increasingly being likened to a court style adversarial approach and the differences developing between the facilitatory style and the evaluative style raise the question of whether it is appropriate to include both these forms of alternative dispute resolution under the common umbrella of mediation. Therefore, the question posed by this dissertation is: Is it appropriate to include both facilitatory and evaluative modes of mediation under the common umbrella of mediation or is it inappropriate to do so? Chapter One of this Dissertation sets out the premise of this research study, its scope and objectives, methodology and limitations. Chapter Two offers a discussion of the two forms of mediation and the kinds of practices that are used in each. Chapter Three offers a literature review of comparison and contrast of the two systems, employing the views of experts. Chapter Four includes a discussion of the issue of including both these kinds of mediation under a common umbrella and whether or not it is appropriate to do so, thereby also offering recommendations for future research. Mediation is

Functional Area Interrelationships Research Paper

Functional Area Interrelationships - Research Paper Example Tired of frequently travelling, she thought to open her own food store. She realized that there was plenty of opportunity for epicurean food shop, thus Kudler Fine Foods was born. Kudler Fine Foods is a local specialty food store and at the moment they are operating three stores, and are located in San Diego metropolitan area. They deal in; From their vision and mission statements it is evident that, they are purely customer oriented. Their business revolves around making the customers satisfied and not just raking in the profits. When the customers are happy, cash flows in on its own. Their mission states that they search the whole world to find the best foods and then they bring it to their stores for the convenience of the customers. One might think that they should be really expensive if they travel the world and hand pick food items, but the reality is quite the opposite. In fact, their stores are known for suiting all sorts of budget lines. When people find anything a little expensive, they can easily make an economical bundle of the products they’re supposed to buy so that they don’t feel deprived. Kudler Fine Food’s organizational structure comprises of groups of management personnel to achieve one common goal and that is the fulfillment of customers, which is the cause. And the effect is healthy profits in both long and short terms. Just like any conventional organization, Kudler Foods operates under a normal chain of command. A typical organizational hierarchy exists in this company. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t have any improvisation. The chain of command runs from top to bottom. Senior managers delegates work to junior managers and if appropriate, the junior managers can further delegates work to sub-managers. Kathy Kudler sits at the top and holds the presidential chair. From that top spot, she commands the whole structure of the company. The core organizational structure is

New tourist market in Slovenia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New tourist market in Slovenia - Research Paper Example Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa that generates revenue reaching up to 1% to 3% of the gross domestic product. Directly and indirectly, it constitutes 7% to the employment (South Africa’s tourism industry, 2008). South Africa holds special attraction for the tourists interested in sports. South Africa has successfully hosted international events like; 2101 FIFA World Cup,The Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup, A1 Grand Prix, Indian Premier League, World Cups of Golf, Athletics, Swimming etc. (Morgan, n.d). The country also offers people from overseas, some fantastic events like bungee jumping, hiking, fishing, yacht racing, rock climbing, scuba diving, paragliding and horse riding. Target Market: The growth in the popularity of sport-oriented leisure travel can be viewed daily. The highways are, more often than not, seen busy with cars laden with bicycles, skis, and canoes. The number of vacation destinations offering sporting facilities is also growing tremendously (Gibson, 1998). Sports tourism involves either viewing, or participating in the sporting events. It is the fastest growing segment in the global travel agency. This tourism can be divided into three types; Sports Event Tourism, Celebrity and Nostalgia Sport Tourism  and  Active Sport Tourism. ... South Africa has a great potential for this sector of tourism industry, as it caters to both the spectators and the players. Vision: South Africa is a beautiful and prosperous country. The aim is to; Promote sports event tourism and active sport tourism Attract international organisers and tourists and make them fall in love with the country. Encourage international organisers to host their future events on South African soil. Increase the employment rate. Concept: South Africa has fantastic rivers, breath-taking surroundings, sublime coastal scenery and consistent high-quality surf, horse riding trails as diverse as the terrain, a huge variety of superb scenic hiking trails and a climate made for the outdoors enthusiast. So, if a person is interested in canoeing, rafting, kayaking, hiking, horse riding, surf skiing, sailing, he/she is in for a treat. There is no better place for a person looking for an adventurous and fun filled vacation. And what more could a person ask for when ev erything he wants is present in one place. Just one vacation and he gets a lifetime experience. While some sport lovers come to explore their own talents, there are some diehard fans that come to watch world cups and tournaments held there. With the success of 2010 World Cup, the tourism players are now aiming at promoting the country as an outstanding host for future large scale international events. The 2010 World Cup has left an everlasting mark on the South African landscape. Tourism industry is not all about attracting foreigners; it holds some incentives for the locals as well. All kinds of sport attract fervent support, both at the event and at home. There are both social and economical advantages, on a national and regional level, that come from hosting sports events,

Functional Area Interrelationships Research Paper

Functional Area Interrelationships - Research Paper Example Tired of frequently travelling, she thought to open her own food store. She realized that there was plenty of opportunity for epicurean food shop, thus Kudler Fine Foods was born. Kudler Fine Foods is a local specialty food store and at the moment they are operating three stores, and are located in San Diego metropolitan area. They deal in; From their vision and mission statements it is evident that, they are purely customer oriented. Their business revolves around making the customers satisfied and not just raking in the profits. When the customers are happy, cash flows in on its own. Their mission states that they search the whole world to find the best foods and then they bring it to their stores for the convenience of the customers. One might think that they should be really expensive if they travel the world and hand pick food items, but the reality is quite the opposite. In fact, their stores are known for suiting all sorts of budget lines. When people find anything a little expensive, they can easily make an economical bundle of the products they’re supposed to buy so that they don’t feel deprived. Kudler Fine Food’s organizational structure comprises of groups of management personnel to achieve one common goal and that is the fulfillment of customers, which is the cause. And the effect is healthy profits in both long and short terms. Just like any conventional organization, Kudler Foods operates under a normal chain of command. A typical organizational hierarchy exists in this company. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t have any improvisation. The chain of command runs from top to bottom. Senior managers delegates work to junior managers and if appropriate, the junior managers can further delegates work to sub-managers. Kathy Kudler sits at the top and holds the presidential chair. From that top spot, she commands the whole structure of the company. The core organizational structure is

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy Assignment

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy - Assignment Example M&S caters to niche customers because the products are expensive and exclusively branded. This allows the company to focus on the customer’s demand pattern and provide maximum customer satisfaction. With the declining economic climate, M&S has invested in their pricing to ensure premium quality at unbeatable price. M&S encourages its suppliers to remain aware of changing fashion trends to reduce the risks of over-production. The M&S brand is known for its quality as opposed to quantity and hence customers buy less quantity but high quality. Most of the M&S clothing range within great prices and hence are able to maintain their loyal customers. Additionally, the customer loyalty that the company enjoys is great for its market share as well as its profit margins. The company has several drawbacks. M&S products cater mainly to older population and this limits the perspective of younger generation. Moreover, M&S is not quick in adapting to changing fashion trends like its competit ors and critics often tag their clothing as insipid and out of fashion. Also, the products are costlier than its competitors. With its resources like exclusively branded products, high quality customer service and trained management team, the company can look forward to a bright and profitable future. Contents I. Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.......................4 II. ... .........†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13 VI. The Ansoff Matrix..................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..14 VII. SAFS Framework.............................................................................................16 VIII. Core competences and dynamic capabilities..................................................17 IX. Synopsis of the Overall Strategic Situation.....................................................18 X. Conclusion and Recommendations..................................................................19 XI. References...........................................................................................................20 Introduction Marks & Spencer is a world famous British multinational retailer specializing in clothes and luxury items. Marks & Spencer is well known for quality and variations in its products like its clothing lines comes in all sizes, colors and sty les. The company began its commitment to value, quality and customer service in 1884 when Michael Marks and Tom Spencer entered into a business partnership. The company has evolved to one of the largest retailers globally. The entity ventured into the food business in 1931 and later moved into financial services in 1985 (Marks and Spencer Plc., 2012). Marks and Spencer is one of the leading retailer in the UK catering to 15.8 million customers each week. The number of employees is over 75,000 (Case Study: Marks and Spencer, 2008). The success this can be attributed to the quality home products, stylish clothing and outstanding quality foods sold in 766 stores all over UK, and 418 stores in other countries worldwide (Annual Reports and Financial Statements, 2013: 7). The entity is the best provider of lingerie and women wear and are increasingly

What Should Altiuss Objectives Be What Essay Example for Free

What Should Altiuss Objectives Be What Essay What should Altius’s objectives be? What trade- off’s must it manage? With Altius staying just focussing with the manufacturing top of the line golf balls, their business would only continue to drop. Fortunately the brand value of Altuis was recognised and respected very much by many top notch golfers of the country, but this does not mean that they had a lot of profits. Focusing on the low price golf equipments, such as Elevate golf ball and changing the marketing strategy from targeting proficient golf equipments to low cost golf equipments and more fun oriented golf equipment for new golf players will enhance the profitability of Altius. This is because golf industry is vitalizing by the efforts of USGA, through the encouragement of new golf players to play golf with relaxed rules. Therefore, it is a good time to mark new players through widespread marketing of low cost and non-confirming golf balls, which enables new golf players to hit the ball perfectly. The new golf ball â€Å"Elevate† being sold below the 40% of its premium Victor TX brand, enables Altius Golf to capture a new generation of golf players. Other competitors were becoming very competitive; they were providing the best service to elite players and also were reaching the casual players with cheaper products, hence reaching more golfers than Altius. Maintaining the current strategy will make Atius obsolete pretty soon. In a business, trade off’s are quite common. You tend to be having a core competency at one aspect but not all, this does not mean you stick to the former. Hence Altius must enter the not so costly markets. This might mean that the 70% profits have to reduce by at least 10% and utilised in trade offs. This 10 % has to be used to reach the broader recreational market. Altius can very well get back to producing and being the producer of top quality balls. But on the long run they should create an impression which made them look concerned for the game as well as increasing, motivating players. Altius Golf’s balls are expensive as compared to competitor’s golf balls and new golf players are not willing to spend more on expensive golf equipments. Also there could be a possibility of creating a group for searching lost balls which were costlier when sold , repairing them and selling them as a low cost but high quality balls for the casual golfers. They could market this by bringing up the environmental aspects involved while using the materials used for making  the balls. Altius Golf’s competitors are moving with the industry trends and are trying to offer balls and other golf equipments which are easy to use and helps new golf users to hit the shot as they require, while Altius Golf is still offering equipments which are for professionals, although golf professionals value the equipments of Altius but the industry trend shows that recent recession period has decreased the number of professional golf players and new golf players are being encouraged to play golf.

John Locke Primary and Secondary Qualities

John Locke Primary and Secondary Qualities Locke, when presenting his theory of representative realism, focused on the differences that existed between the primary and secondary qualities. His work on this subject is basically a rectification of the naive mindset of the people. It is because of this naive nature that the people tend to confuse the two qualities together. Locke while explaining the human psyche said that the images of the items present in the real world are formed in our minds as ideas and are only symbolic representations of what is actually present. He is of the opinion that all the items and things present in the external world are analysed by our mind on the basis of having two types of qualities either primary or secondary. The primary qualities are the ones that have a direct relation to the objects being. This means that if the objects picture that is in our mind is not having the primary quality than the picture would remain incomplete and the true sense of the object would not be formed in the mind. Because of this integral relationship in between the primary quality and the object our mind visualizes the primary quality as the object itself. The example of primary quality would be mass and not weight. This is because mass is not dependent while weight depends on gravity. The secondary qualities on the other hand are not that important for the visualization of the object in its true form. The secondary qualities are merely the additional features that add variety to the object if anything. Locke says that the secondary qualities only exhibit themselves when they come in contact with the primary qualities. The perfect example of a secondary quality is colour. Even if the colour of an object in our mind is different from the objects colour in reality it would have no bearing on the physical being of the object. Thus, according to Locke colour is not a primary quality even though many people because of having a naive mind set think that colour is necessary for the visualization of the object in its entirety. Locke is of the opinion that size of an object is the primary quality and not its colour because our mind formulates the ideas that are blurry and have no structural form so that they might have an effect on our senses. Thus, a round thing which is r ed in colour would be visualized by our mind as a round figure without colour. The secondary qualities only have an effect on our senses and they do not play any part in the existence of the object. Locke is very clear in his mind about the differences that are present in between the primary and the secondary qualities. He even has come up with classifications of the qualities in terms of being secondary and primary. In the secondary category he has listed the colour, sound and taste while in the primary category he enlists solidity, figure, size and number. This classification is not approved by all and many people have begged to differ from it. Firstly, people say that solidity is temperature dependent so it cannot be a primary quality. Secondly, number is not a quality of an object it is a man-made concept so its inclusion is baffling to say the least. Because of these disorientations, it is best to not focus on classifying the qualities in to secondary or primary but to just find an explanation if the qualities can even be distinguished as primary or secondary. The causality law presented by Locke is at loggerheads with this resemblance issue. Locke opines that the perception of the objects made by our mind and the objects in real both are linked together in a causal way. The basis of his theory is that all the objects that are idealized by our mind are for any cause and it is this cause which is responsible for the objects existence in the real world. Berkeley opposes this concept of Locke and says that if such a causal relationship would have existed then the independent analysis of the cause and effects would have to be made. Lockes ideas are not necessarily proven wrong if the ideas presented by Berkeley are taken in to account. The idea that Berkeley advocates is that there can be no causal relationship in between the ideas made by our minds and the objects that are real still it is a fact that there exists a causal relationship in between our ideas and God. Moreover, Locke in his theory of representative realism negates the idea that objects that we make perceptions of are not present in the real world. He just denies the idea that our mind can visualize an abstract thing that has no representation in the real world. Still this discrepancy of Lockes theory does not make the entire theory flawed. The concept of primary and secondary qualities is a little difficult to understand still if we look to other sources for the proofing of the concept we might find a better explanation to the idea. Locke not only used the method of variability in his studies to differentiate between the two but also employed the method of measurability. According to him, if the object is measurable then it definitely is a primary quality because only the primary qualities can be measured like the size and mass. But with the advancement of science we now know that even the colours can be measured through frequency and wavelengths measurement which are considered secondary qualities by Locke. Hence, the measurement idea is not true. Because of the failure of the concepts of Locke in discriminating between the primary and secondary qualities it is best to look elsewhere for evidences that support the primary and secondary quality theory. Once we broaden our research and look away from Locke, we find that many other philosophers also have worked on the theory presented by Locke. Aristotle was the one who first presented the idea that there is a difference in between the objects that are concerned with a single sensory organ and those that have an effect on multiple sensory organs especially the eyes and the hands. This proves that Lockes theory was not an original one but was in fact a derived one. Locke does not in any way point out this concept in his studies and has not mentioned it significantly. Still this concept serves as a perfect supporting act for the actual theory that primary qualities have an effect on all the senses while the secondary qualities only effect and are identified by a particular sensory organ rather than all the senses. An objection to this theory which is made by Mackie is that it is not necessary that the secondary qualities would have an effect on only one sensory organ. He presents the example of sensory organs like nose and tongue responsible for the sense of smell and taste. He says that even though these senses are different from each other yet they perform as one and usually work together. Nevertheless, this objection is easy to rule out if we look at the sensory organs of smell and taste as a single unit as opposed to two different units. The reason for this singular approach is because the two senses are very closely related to each other and its functionality is dependent on the other. Fortunately, the modern advancement has helped in realising the differences in between the primary and secondary qualities and the studies of Bennet are very helpful in this regard. He takes the route of exposure with the objects and the qualities rather than the visualization of them. He opines that the more a quality comes in contact with us the more it is a primary one and the less a quality comes in contact with us the more secondary it is. He gives the examples of colour-blindness and size-blindness to advocate his case. He says that a colour-blind person can live his life easily rather than a size-blind person because the interaction of colour in our life is limited while the interaction of size is extensive. Thus, colour is a secondary quality and the size is a primary quality. This explanation is very much understandable and appeals to the lay mans mind. In the end, it is evident that although the case put forward by Locke about the differences in between the primary and secondary qualities is very strong and has reasonable proofing accompanying it still it fails to connect with the audiences because of the complex nature of his explanation. However, if the case is viewed through methodical analysis, as is the case in this essay, the argument does become easy to understand. Furthermore, the Aristotles theory mentioned in this essay is also supportive of the idea presented by Locke. The outcome of all the debate is that even if there is a difference between the primary and secondary qualities it is mighty difficult to determine the point of difference between the two.

Evolution vs.Creationism Essay -- essays research papers

Evolution Vs Creationism People have always wondered how life originated and how so many different kinds of plants and animals arose. Stories of a supernatural creation of life developed among many peoples. The Bible, for example, tells of God's creation of humans and other higher animals over several days. Many people also believed that insects, worms, and other lower creatures spontaneously generated from mud and decay. Long after these stories became rooted in tradition, scientists began to question them. Albert Einstein said, "The scientist's religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection." (Creation 9). The first serious attack on the idea of spontaneous generation of life was made in 1668 by Francesco Redi, an Italian physician, who proved that maggots did not arise spontaneously in decaying matter, as commonly believed, but from eggs deposited there by flies. Proof that microorganisms are not generated spontaneously came in the 1860s, when Louis Pasteur, a French scientist, showed that they, too, develop from preexisting life. Evolution can be defined in many ways. One of the most respected evolutionary biologists has defined biological evolution as follows: "In the broadest sense, evolution is merely change, and so is all-pervasive; galaxies, languages, and political systems all evolve. Biological evolution ... is change in the properties of populations of organisms that transcend the lifetime of a single individual. The ontogeny of an individual is not considered evolution; individual organisms do not evolve. The changes in populations that are considered evolutionary are those that are inheritable via the genetic material from one generation to the next. Biological evolution may be slight or substantial; it embraces everything from slight changes in the proportion of different alleles within a population (such as those determining blood types) to the successive alterations that led from the earliest protoorganism to snails, bees, giraffes, and dandelions." (Futuyma, 11) Exactly how evolution occurs is still debated but it is a scientific fact that it does occur. Most biologists believe that... ...nism vs. Evolution rages in the American popular culture. The tension between how people interpret the Bible and what people believe that they have learned through science has been with us for a long time. The fact is science and the Bible is both needed to find the truth. This complex topic presents many issues such as faith, scientific reasoning, and personal beliefs. This generation would probably be more inclined to believe in evolution rather than creationism, merely because today's educational system does not teach creationism as much as evolution. We are taught that science answers everything. Personally after researching the theory of evolution it is more real and not so fictional and fairy-tale like as creationism. Work Cited (Britannica) McHenry, Robert ed. The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Delusion-Frenssen. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. (Creation 9.) No Answers In Genesis. http://www.onthenet.com.au/~stear/. Darwin, Charles The Origin Of Species (Darwin) McHenry, Robert ed. The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Ceara-Deluc. 15th Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1992. (Douglas J. Futuyma.) The World As I See It. New York: Watts & Co, 1975

Intel

Intel's strategy in DRAMS was to focus on product design and to be the first to market with the newest devices and DRAM technology. This allowed them to be a leader and charge significant price premiums, and proved to be a successful strategy for the first four generations of DRAMS. However, over time this became less effective as product life cycles shrank, so the time for competitors to offer a competing product became faster and once the competition â€Å"caught up† then prices would fall dramatically. In this industry, patents were ineffective at blocking competition.In addition to product design, Intel established itself as a leader in process technology. Because cutting edge product design ultimately meant more complex semiconductor technology, Intel needed to invest large amounts of capital to keep its manufacturing capabilities at a level that could support new innovations and complex production. It also took time for Intel to become comfortable with new production tec hnologies, during which yields (a key driver to manufacturing costs) would fall as they worked out new problems and optimized the processes.There are several factors that led to Intel's dramatic decline In DRAM market share teen 1974 and 1984, the ultimate reason being that Japanese competitors were able to introduce new products more rapidly which reduced Intel's position as a leader in the market since competitive offerings would follow so quickly after introduction of a new Intel device. Because of the high capital investments needed to produce new DRAMS, it was necessary to be first to market to be able to take advantage of higher prices as a market leader before competitors introduced similar technologies.One reason Japanese firms could introduce products more quickly is that they strategically invested heavily in manufacturing capabilities. By comparison, Japanese firms invested 40% of their sales revenue into plant and manufacturing equipment while U. S. Firms invested 22% of their sales revenue. Additionally, several of the Japanese firms created relationships and collaborated closely with equipment manufacturers, such as Nixon, to create and access superior production equipment before it was available in the united States.As a result of getting superior equipment, Japanese competitors had much higher production yields for DRAMS than U. S. Companies (as high as 80% for Japanese companies compared to maximum 60% for U. S. Impasse). Finally, Japanese competitors were also more adept at both developing process technologies and ramping up production capacity for DRAMS – for instance, their production yields were as high as 70-80% vs.. 50-60% for US firms in the sass, and this was a factor in driving costs.Intel leadership did not Immediately recognize the potential opportunities for microprocessors and their use in personal computers, but once this was discovered, the Intel team set several strategies In place to become a market leader. Their bigges t competitor, Motorola, had been selected as AppleS standard. Therefore when IBM entered the PC market, Intel and Motorola were huge competitors to become the innovation, but also invested heavily in sales and marketing efforts.Intel's decision to launch the sales effort, â€Å"Project CRUSH†, to gain design wins was instrumental in paving the way for Intel's future success in the microprocessor market, particularly because this sales campaign led to Intel securing a contract with MOM. Intel's DRAM strategy seemed to be â€Å"If we build it, they will come†, whereas the new microprocessor strategy was more â€Å"If we build it, let's make sure they come†. Intel's strategic partnership with IBM was hugely instrumental in Intel's strategy to gain a competitive advantage in microprocessors.IBM led the market in the personal computer market in the early sass and Vim's strategy to expand rapidly and gain market share provided the perfect environment for Intel to grow in tandem. Whereas Intel did not invest in defensive efforts and technology to maintain its competitive advantage in DRAMS, despite winning a major contract with IBM for microprocessors, Intel continued to invest in aggressive marketing against its competitors?particularly Motorola?to maintain its competitive advantage.Another strategy that Intel employed to gain a competitive advantage in microprocessors was to create a network effect and develop a network of suppliers to help produce chips for Intel. Intel learned from its experience with DRAMS production that it was expensive to ramp up production capacity and made a decision for microprocessors to license with other companies to produce chips to meet demand. Although this strategy meant that Intel only received a fraction of the total revenues and profits, Intel was able to meet demand in the rapidly growing PC business and could continue to win contracts and grow overall market share.Leadership also continued to invest in Inte l's internal production capabilities so that Intel could produce a higher proportion of later models of microprocessors in-house to gain more profits. This strategy bought Intel time to really establish itself and the top supplier of microprocessors and also work on its manufacturing capabilities so that by the time Intel produced the 386, it was ready to produce the 386 without licensing. This required major investments and attention to improving internal sources and operation coordination, but Intel was able to make business decisions, such as higher price setting, that covered this investment.

Intake Interview

Patient: Smith, Jane DOB: 06/ 13/ 1985 Date of Interview: 02/05/2010 Date of Report: 02/06/2010 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION: Ms. Smith is a 24 year old white woman currently residing in Vancouver, WA. She is employed as a hairstylist and currently lives in an apartment with two friends and their newborn son. Ms. Smith has been seen for mental health symptoms previously as a teenager, and was referred again on this visit by a colleague. The following report information is based on information collected from my interview with the patient, her medical chart, and psychological testing. CHIEF COMPLAINT: â€Å"I feel like sometimes my life is too much to handle. It makes me sick to think about things and I am not sure I can stand much more. I feel like there is no hope. I am all alone and I think I will always be alone. † HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS: Ms. Smith says she frequently suffers from anxiety attacks and is often times unable to cope with stress while at work. She states she feels sweaty, weak and dizzy when thinking about life. Over the last two years she has been unable to relax, often has difficulty falling or staying asleep, and often feels ill and tired. She says her primary way of coping is alcohol. When unable to drink she reports her anxiety levels being â€Å"unbearable† and tries to stay away from social interaction. She also reports that her anxiety increases after nights of drinking as she feels like everyone is watching her. Ms. Smith has been diagnosed with high blood pressure which may be caused by her weight gain over the last three years. SOCIAL HISTORY: Ms. Smith is currently single and has no children. She was living with her father until she was forced to leave after a domestic dispute caused a no contact order between them two years ago. Her mother and father separated four years ago and her mother moved out of their house into her own apartment. She states that until the separation she heavily relied on both parents for social and financial support. She has two older sisters, both of whom do not live in the area. While she says that one sister is caring she describes the other as â€Å"self-centered† and says she has a hard time staying close to either due to location. She recalls her childhood as â€Å"normal† although she felt like her parent’s attention was given primarily to her sisters. She says that she has a large group of friends, but tries to hide her emotional distress and anxiety from them as she does not want to be burdensome. Ms. Smith reports suffering from significant financial distress after moving out of her parents. She also says she is unhappy with her living situation and the new addition to their household. Ms. Smith also shows great concern over being single and without a relationship since she was 16. She attributes her problems in dating to her gain in weight and says it has dramatically decreased her self esteem. CURRENT/PAST PYCHIATRIC HISTORY: Ms. Smith reports that at age 16 she visited a mental health clinic for the same symptoms and was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and depression. She was prescribed an antidepressant and also attended counseling sessions one to two times weekly. Ms. Smith said that her symptoms improved within six months and she discontinued both the use of her prescription and counseling. She said after discontinuation symptoms once again started to reappear, however with less intensity, until the past few years when intensity has increased. CURRENT AGGRESSIVE IDEATION AND BEHAVIORNO X YES ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE USE HISTORYNO YES X Patient reports that she consumes alcohol on average five times a week. She drinks five to ten drinks per sitting. She also reports that on occasion the smokes marijuana. While Ms. Smith states that she does not think alcohol or drugs are negatively affecting her, she does report increased anxiety and paranoia after drinking. She has also been ticketed and charged for having a controlled substance after her car was searched for a routine traffic violation. DSM- IV DIAGNOSTIC IMPRESSIONS AXIS I: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Dysthymic Disorder AXIS II: Deferred AXIS III: High Blood Pressure AXIS IV: Adjustment to weight gain and changes in finances, social support, and lifestyle AXIS X: Global Assessment of Functioning Scale Score: 80 CLINICAL FORULATION: Ms. Smith presents as very depressed and anxious. Her symptoms appear to be that of dysthymic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. I believe that these are onset by interlinked biological, psychological and social factors. It is likely that the dysthymic disorder results from maladaptive, flawed, or irrational cognitions taking the form of distorted thoughts and judgments. Ms. Smith has experienced traumatic family situations, unwanted separation, as well as lack of social support from family and friends. It appears that these have caused her to feel negatively about herself which has affected her feeling of self-worth and ability to successfully respond to the tasks and stressors present in daily living. It is likely that these maladaptive behaviors were learned from friends or family. These stressors are causing increased anxiety and hopelessness. The anxiety disorder developed a result of not being able to cope with the dysthymic disorder. Due to the fact that these are so closely intertwined, without treatment the depression and anxiety Ms. Smith is experiencing, as well as alcohol dependency will likely worsen. TREATMENT PLAN: Outpatient therapy may involve medication and/or therapy. Behavior therapy will help Ms. Smith to examine her behaviors as to determine exactly what is decreasing her mood or keeping her from achieving goals. This therapy should be conducted in individual therapy sessions, one or more times a week until symptoms improve. As well as therapy Ms. Smith should be prescribed an antidepressant to deal with the contributing biological factors. Ms. Smith should seek evaluation for alcohol and drug dependency, as it appears she is using these substances for self medication. It is important that she discontinues use in order to learn new coping mechanisms.

Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father: A Tale of Redemption

Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is a well written essay about a singular search for identity across cities and continents, region and race. The autobiography focuses on Obama’s need for redemption driven by an uncompromising desire to know his biological father. Barack, the father, was a Kenyan native whose absence informed Obama’s dreams and whose marriage to his white mother, Ann, determined his daily reality.It is a compelling story about the meaning of family, nuclear and extended, and a young man’s pursuit of an authentic self in the complex nexus of race, class, and gender as historically represented in America. The book, written in lively prose, takes the reader on a journey from Obama’s origins in Hawaii, to Indonesia, Occidental College in Los, Angeles, Columbia University in New York, and to Chicago where he begins his public service career while learning a few painful lessons about politics. In Chicag o, Obama evolves into a mature, self-conscious politician.These years, it seems, prepare Obama to accept his bi-racial self and to receive his inheritance in Africa where his father and grandfather have been buried. In Kenya, Obama discovers his unfamiliar family and the spirits of his ancestors bundled in a series of letters and memories as shared by his African Granny. In the end, Obama finds a way to â€Å"affirm [his] common destiny without pretending to speak to, or for all our various struggles† (Obama, 2004, xvi). Both text and subtext are about â€Å"a boys search for his father, and through that search a workable meaning for his life as a Black American† (Obama, 2004, xvi).Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father: A Tale of Redemption In recalling the deadly attack on September 11, 2001, Barack Obama confesses that for him â€Å"history returned that day with a vengeance† (Obama, 2001, x). Referencing William Falkner, Obama speaks of the past as neve r â€Å"dead or buried—it isn’t even past† because the collective past touches the individual in the present (Obama, 2001, x). His life, as presented in Dreams From My Father, is a reflexive and self-conscious memoir which facilitates Obama’s locating of a past that he did not know, one that he could not understand, and a history wanting in authenticity.From his earliest years, Obama’s thoughts and dreams had been interpreted through the prism of an absentee father whom he would never know. The book is organized into three sections consisting of nineteen chapters. Written in lively and description detail, it is a circuitous narrative with a clear beginning and end. In Part One, â€Å"Origins,† Obama provides a window into his formative years in Indonesia with Lolo, his mother’s second husband, with whom he learned how to fight, to â€Å"stay low [and] don’t give them a target† (p. 36).But it was at the Panahou Academy in Hawaii where issues of belonging or not, found its way into the innocence of his childhood. Obama confesses that during this time, his â€Å"sense that [he] did not belong continued to grow† (p. 60). As a teenager, Obama would escape by experimenting with various drugs. He would also, on occasion seek the advice of his grandfather’s friend, Frank, an eighty year old poet living in Waikiki. For example, when Frank learned that Obama was planning to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles, he made clear that Obama should understand that he would be â€Å"trained† and not educated there.He urged Obama to go to Occidental but to â€Å"keep [his] eyes open [and] stay awake† concerned that the experience would further separate him from his past (p. 97). Classmates at Occidental often took him to task for what appeared to have been self-indulgent and narcissistic tendencies. For example, Regina, another student involved in a campus protest, made it clear that Obama’s speech â€Å"was not about him† (p. 109). Her diatribe is worth noting: Well, let me tell you something, Mr. Obama. It’s not just about you. Its never just about you. It’s about people who need your help. Children who are depending on you.They’re not interested in your irony or your sophistication or your ego getting bruised. And neither am I. (p. 109) The confused Obama later decided to participate in an exchange program that allowed him to take classes at Columbia University in New York. Upon arriving in Manhattan, he experienced the fear and humiliation of homelessness until â€Å"redeemed† by Sadik, a friend with whom he later shared an apartment. It was while at Columbia, however, that Obama began to take his studies seriously and to explore his role as a reformer and a person who could create change. For these reasons, it appears, he decided to â€Å"[stop] getting high† (p. 120).In Part Two, â€Å"Chicago,† we fi nd Obama on the ground rallying for the poor, homeless, and unemployed. For example, critical to Obama’s success and instrumental to his moving to Chicago had been Marty Kaufman, a man of Jewish descent who had established the Calumet Community Religious Conference. This organization, encompassing twenty suburban churches and later joined by the Developing Communities Project affiliated with the city, brought blacks and whites together to discuss the â€Å"shame of unemployment, their fear of losing a house or of being cheated out of a pension – the common sense of having been betrayed† (p. 150).These organizations were a real time response to the alarming rate of unemployment due to layoffs and company closings on the Southside of Chicago. At the same time, Smitty’s Barbershop, a spot near Hyde Park where the men talked of â€Å"sports and women and yesterday’s headlines, conversation at once intimate and anonymous, among men who agreed to leave their troubles outside,† provided a space for Obama to test his rhetoric and his ability to assimilate without detection of his white heritage (p. 146).Obama’s encounters with Mary, a white single mother whose two children had been fathered by an absentee black man; his collaboration with organizers such as Angela, Shirley, Mona, and Will; as well as his ascendancy to the Presidency of the Harvard Law Review were an attempt to run from the past while constructing a future (pgs. 167-175). In spite of his successes, Obama remained distracted by an unexplained emptiness. In Part Three, â€Å"Kenya,† we find Obama acknowledging and acting on his need to connect with his past by traveling first to Europe and then Africa in search of his heritage.After Granny’s detailed story about the struggles of both his grandfather and father, Barack discovers a series of letters that answer many of his questions. At this point, the circle closes, the black hole is filled, a nd Obama realizes that he has been haunted by his father’s silence and shaped by his absence. Somewhere near their Kenyan graves, Obama purged himself of the past and departed his ancestral home a different person, a man who could face the truth of his past and future without fear of rejection. A memoir by definition is cathartic.Obama’s Dreams From My Father is worthy of analysis because rarely do we see so much of the realization of the American dream encompassed in the life of one person. The past returned with a vengeance while in Kenya where Obama and all of his fathers received the â€Å"promise of redemption† (p. 135). Relying on oral histories for the most part, Barack Obama’s story of race and inheritance may be one of the most honest and accurate autobiographical works in recent memory. References Obama, Barack. (2004). Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Crown Publishers.

Leading - Understand Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leading - Understand Groups and Teams - Essay Example This implies that organization leaders need to be concerned with people working within the organization as much as they are concerned with results and expectations. Crises are usual occurrences in an organization. A crisis can have disastrous results on an organization that lacks concrete management or leadership. Leading an organization in the first few months after a disaster is of particular interest since it requires balancing the needs and expectations of the organizations as well as those of other stakeholders (Kalb, 1993). This essay will discuss the expectations of an organizational leader in the few months after a disaster. The essay will discuss the group model of leadership as opposed to team model. Leading an organization for the first few months after a disaster has occurred is challenging to both the leader and the employees. This is because there is need to find a solution to the immediate problems as well as ensure employee satisfaction. Being successful in organizati onal leadership requires organizational leaders to organize their employees in order to achieve the objectives of the organization as well as employee satisfaction. In this case, an organizational leader will employ either a team model or a group model. A group leadership model will be the most appropriate in steering the organization through the crisis. The group leadership model has groups as its basic structure. In this case, a group is composed of people with similar work objectives. As opposed to team models, group models are easy to develop since they are based on visible qualities of employees, it will also be easy for an organization leaders to steer an organization from a crisis through group leadership. Unlike teams, groups are made of people who are united by a common goal or problem. In this case, the common problem will be the disaster that has occurred within the organization. A group will also be based on the availability of a common solution for the immediate problem . This factor makes group leadership models to be more preferable than team models. Unlike groups, team are concerned with success in a particular area of strategic management. Leading an organization through a crisis requires facing or accepting reality. This will involve establishing the root cause of the problem before coming up with possible solution. If the cause of a crisis is a natural disaster, then the organization leader will be concerned with finding both short term and long-term measures to fix the problem. A crisis resulting from natural disasters may make things worse for the organization and therefore, organizational leaders should be prepared to tackle any aftermath or occurrence. Before trying to fix the problem, a leader needs to address the available groups of employees. This will involve creation of positive behaviours that will enable the employees to survive through the resultant problems that were caused by the natural disaster. Understanding group behaviours will be the basis of group development. The organization leader will be concerned with developing positive behaviour for each member of the group and each group. In this case, positive behaviours are behaviours that will enable the organization to achieve both short-term and long-term interventions for the immediate problems (Lawrence, Weber, Post, 2005). In the group behaviour model, knowledge, skills, and ability are significant element of organizational le

The Time between Death and the Discovery of the Corpse Assignment

The Time between Death and the Discovery of the Corpse - Assignment Example This highlighted the aim of the study to show the importance of considering the effects of larval crowding that could cause PMI errors during casework. It was found out that increased larval crowding resulted in faster development of C. vomitoria and the size of C. vomitoria that could cause overestimation and underestimation of PMI respectively if not accounted for during casework. The major limitation of this research is that the study only explored development during larval stages. This means that further investigations are needed before making direct comparisons with the results. Moreover, comparison with other studies was difficult because the muscle used in each experiment had a different origin and was likely to cause variation in the results. The consideration of space available to larvae within a culture affects competitive interactions would be required. The research had several strengths while conducting the research. The researchers ensured that food was always in excess so that competitive effects could be ruled out. They also reared the cultures in different pig tissue enabling them to determine the development rate at different larval densities in cultures reared in the brain, liver, and muscle while keeping the experimental conditions identical. The effects of larval crowding at three intervals on each of the three tissues were observed for the greatest changes in body tissues. It was found out that the brain was the least nourishing and due to lower protein levels and higher water content, there was rapid consumption compared to the other tissues. In conclusion, the research was justified because it effectively gave light to how overcrowding during larval stages of development resulted in a competitive feeding environment, therefore, affecting size, development rate, and survival.  

The Medium is the message - explore what Marshall McLuhan meant by Essay

The Medium is the message - explore what Marshall McLuhan meant by this statement, tie it to ways the Internet and telecommunica - Essay Example The medium is the message as a metaphor is important in understanding the new electronic media as well. One could well argue that the medium is the unconscious of the media. Every medium is encrypted with its own messages which in turn substantially influence the message or the content. It is through analyzing the shift from traditional media to the new electronic media; McLuhan understood the nuances of medium as the message. The purpose of the essay is to examine the major postulates of McLuhan’s theoretical leap and some of the responses to from other scholars against the new developments in media of the present world. McLuhan’s Conception of Medium Although, the sentence ‘medium is the message’ is apparently very simple; it has many complex connotations. At first, it is just equating the medium with the message. Secondly but most importantly, if medium is the message, all other messages become secondary or non-messages. Therefore, it stipulates that the medium is the primary message and whatever message is inscripted on it is not substantial or exist only in permanent reference to the message of the medium. McLuhan does not negate the existence of the message of the content; therefore, he asserts that â€Å"although the medium is the message, the controls go beyond the programming. The restraints are always directed to the ‘content’, which is always another medium† (305). It means that the message of the medium is primary and the message of the content withstand only with reference to the message. It is important to remember that every medium is the extension of human capabilities and different mediums alters different human capabilities in different ways. Medium is what is form in literature; it is not just capturing the content but reproduces it in many ways. As we cannot understand an art work without deconstructing the form, the message of a media can only be understood when we deconstruct the politics of i ts medium. It is widely observed that the communication revolution in the technological sphere has not yet turned out to be a communication revolution in the real world. Although, there exist actual potentials for disseminating information which is crucial to enhance democracy among the broad masses, the internet media world has not advanced much in this line. Not only the media has failed in deepening democracy in general but also is unable to substantiate democracy within itself. It is because of the fact that as a medium the new information communication technologies are necessarily fragmented and not amenable to deep contemplation. By and large, global media is controlled the big corporations which are even more wealthy than a number of countries in the Global South. The much celebrated ‘marketplace of ideas’ is no more considered as free as it appears. It is not just because of the fact that American media conglomerates have more corporate and monitory power. On th e other hand, the new media technologies as medium are highly amenable to corporatization and monopolization. Therefore, we never have a media world without monopolies; one monopoly will always be replaces with another. The emergence of terms such as public service broadcasting, alternative media, citizen’s journalism, and independent media centers and so on denotes both the phenomenal corporatization of media and the ongoing global

Consumption and Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Consumption and Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example (Perner n.d.) Researchers in sociology argue that consumption is both a cultural as well as an economic phenomenon; therefore participation in consumer culture is not restricted to those with financial resources to actually purchase goods. The new middle classes, gender, race and youth influence the development of consumer culture. In her seminal work Consumer Culture, Celia Lury argues that consumer culture should be considered as a subset of material culture; that in its current form consumer culture is characterised by 'stylization', following notions of the 'aestheticisation' of everyday life; the ability of subordinate social groups to influence development of consumer culture. This in turn suggests their relative autonomy form dominant structures of economic and social power and to an extent breaks down the distinction between high and low culture, thus levelling or augmenting social change (cited in Bowlby 1997 and Horrocks 1997). The implications of Lury's theses to marketers are obvious. Aesthetics in product presentation are as important as contents. Children, youth and other subordinate groups, which do not form dominant structures of economic and social power, determine or influence consumption. Marketers have data, analytical ability, practical tools and experience to understand consumer behaviour and presumably have the ability to influence it. Yet marketers influencing consumer behaviour on such a scale as to make their company's gigantic successes are an exception rather than the rule, the honourable exceptions being companies like Tesco, Dove, Innocent and iPod. Professor Andrew Ehrenberg observed "that keeping things the same would represent a reasonable success for most promotional campaigns." (Marketing theory2007). On the other hand from a consumer's viewpoint is buying a simple process Is it just that people recognise the need for a product, locate a place to buy it, buy it and consume it According to the post-modern approach, there are a lot of influences that affect the 'simple process'. The experience of Wal-Mart's Latin America operations have important lesson for marketers. The retail chain designed its stores the way they are in the US, with narrow aisles broad parking areas and red, white and blue banners. Latin Americans like wide aisles because they visit super markets with their large families; large parking lots do not appeal to them, as many do not own cars and the banners appeared to them as 'Yankee imperialism'. Consumer's buying behaviour is influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological factors but in this mix cultural factors dominate. (Kotler 2003, p.183). The following diagram depicts the stimulus-organism-response model of buying behaviour: Model of buyer behaviour- Adapted from Kotler 2003, p. 184 According to Kotler, culture, subculture and social class largely determine the consumer's buying behaviour. (Kotler 2003, p. 183). Culture or civilisation is an individual's highest form of identification with the society. Each culture has within itself - sub-cultures - smaller

A Race for Intelligence Gains through Aerial Reconnaissance Term Paper

A Race for Intelligence Gains through Aerial Reconnaissance - Term Paper Example One of the most striking features of the Mosquito bombers as reconnaissance vessels was its reliable speed in aerial space. Technical features range to incredible numbers such as with the Mosquito PR Mk 34 and PR Mk 34A. These units had addition fuel carried in a bulged bomb-bay - 1,192 gallons which was the equivalent of 5,419 miles. A further two 200 gallon drop tanks under the outer wings gave a range of 3,600 miles cruising at 300 mph. Powered by two 1,690 hp Merlin 114s first used in earlier Mosquito units. A total of 181 were built, including 50 built by the Percival Aircraft Company (Bowman 165).As what had been explained above, both Spitfire fighters and the Mosquito bombers were the most versatile aerial vessels of the British Royal Air Force. Both were proven exceptional when it came to dogfights and bomb raids respectfully. They were efficient in aerial defenses that kept enemy aerial raids at bay. Both units were also useful in assault missions where escort Spitfires prov ided cover for raiding Mosquito bombers above enemy territory. More importantly, espionage missions were the key factors which created the Spitfire and the Mosquito a treasure to the British Royal Air Force. The speed and efficiency both the mentioned fighter and bomber units possessed were the primary aspects which catapulted the Spitfire and the Mosquito into heavy reconnaissance tasks. Flexibility to adopt with the environment and the maneuverability of the mentioned units were beneficial for low, medium and high altitude spying.  Ã‚  ... Technical features range to incredible numbers such as with the Mosquito PR Mk 34 and PR Mk 34A. These units had addition fuel carried in a bulged bomb-bay - 1,192 gallons which was the equivalent of 5,419 miles. A further two 200 gallon drop tanks under the outer wings gave a range of 3,600 miles cruising at 300 mph. Powered by two 1,690 hp Merlin 114s first used in earlier Mosquito units. A total of 181 were built, including 50 built by the Percival Aircraft Company (Bowman 165). As what had been explained above, both Spitfire fighters and the Mosquito bombers were the most versatile aerial vessels of the British Royal Air Force. Both were proven exceptional when it came to dogfights and bomb raids respectfully. They were efficient in aerial defenses that kept enemy aerial raids at bay. Both units were also useful in assault missions where escort Spitfires provided cover for raiding Mosquito bombers above enemy territory. More importantly, espionage missions were the key factors wh ich created the Spitfire and the Mosquito a treasure to the British Royal Air Force. The speed and efficiency both the mentioned fighter and bomber units possessed were the primary aspects which catapulted the Spitfire and the Mosquito into heavy reconnaissance tasks. Flexibility to adopt with the environment and the maneuverability of the mentioned units were beneficial for low, medium and high altitude spying. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Luftwaffe provided the Germans with unique espionage units. At the onset of the war, ordinary German passenger planes were used as the primary aerial vessels for the campaign of enemy espionage. These were indeed decisive actions taken by the German intelligence because they risked innocent civilian

Overview of Ancient Greece Essay Example for Free

Overview of Ancient Greece Essay Athens, Sparta, Alexander, the Parthenon and other ancient ruins are vivid reminders of Greece’s almost hallowed past. Greece is a mountainous land surrounded by over 1000 islands and almost completely circled by the Mediterranean Sea. The first farmers settled there in around about 7000 BC due to the ideal weather of hot dry summers and rain only in winter and soon developed into small independent communities cut off from each other by the mountains and often competing for the best land, because the fertile soil was in short supply. These small communities later developed into the city-states and each had a strong individual identity, although very little is known about these early settlers. The Bronze Age is considered the first historical period, and it was within this period that the early writing systems were developed. During the Bronze Age there were two great civilisations- the Minoans and Mycenaeans. The Bronze Age witnessed major social, economic, and technological advances that made Greece the main centre of activity in the Mediterranean; it was characterized by its rapid growth of population and development of trade. It was in the Bronze Age that metals were first used. The Minoan civilization was the first great civilisation of the Aegean world; it emerged around 3200 BC on the island of Crete. The rich Cretan soil produced oil, grain and wine in abundance. The Minoan’s were not Greek and may have originally come from western Asia as early as 6000 BC. The civilization grew wealthy through trade with countries such as Egypt, Asia Minor and the Levant. The Minoans were skilled artists and craftsmen, creating beautiful objects, their architecture reaching near perfection. The Minoans also ruled the other Aegean Islands and various cities on the mainland. New buildings constantly replaced the cave dwellings of the previous age. The great Minoan fleet ruled the Mediterranean, providing wealth to the island from trade and commerce as well as providing protection from any invaders. They were peaceful people with a love of life and equality between men and women. A major earthquake hit Crete around 1450 BC, causing large-scale destruction of the palaces; but the palaces were rebuilt soon afterwards and the Minoan civilization continued to flourish. Not everyone was as lucky as others to live in the palaces but whoever didn’t, then lived in small farmhouses. A new disaster hit Crete around 1450 BC, causing large-scale destruction to the palaces and settlements and resulting in the eventual demise of the great civilization. The Mycenaean civilization flourished on mainland Greece from around 1600 BC. It was a warlike society and weapons and armour have been found in their graves. Mycenae, city of Agamemnon, was one of several heavily fortified strongholds. They are also known for being great traders as they sailed far and wide. They traded with Egypt, Asia Minor, Italy and Cyprus. The Mycenaeans were very wealthy and archaeologists have uncovered many objects in gold, silver and ivory from their towns. Their writing system called ‘Linear B’ was adapted from a Minoan script. Unlike the Minoans, the Mycenaeans spoke Greek. Around 1250 BC the Mycenaeans started to build huge defensive walls around the major towns because they were under threat from foreign invaders. By 1200 BC the cities began to be abandoned or destroyed. 1100-700BC, after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, Greece was plunged into a Dark Age. The rich Mycenaean towns and palaces fell into decline or were destroyed, writing was no longer used and trade with other countries decreased dramatically. Although very little is known about this period it is thought the population of Greece became much smaller with people living in fewer and smaller settlements possibly due to famine and the depopulation. The Archaic Period was a time of great change in Greece from 700 -480 BC. Many cities like Athens, Corinth, Argos and Sparta, grew rich and powerful. Great temples to the gods were built in many places around Greece. The cities developed new ways to govern themselves. Many cities were ruled by kings or rich families. Others were ruled by a small group of people called an oligarchy. At the end of the 6th century BC, Athens developed a system in which many of its citizens helped to make the rules and decisions. This type of government was called democracy. Sparta invaded the neighbouring land of Messenia and forced most of its inhabitants into slavery. To make sure they could control such a large number of slaves, Sparta became a military society. Men and women were expected to be fit and strong. The men were forbidden to have jobs or trade because they were full-time soldiers. Many of the Greek cities joined together when faced with a common enemy. At the beginning of the 5th Century BC Greece was invaded twice by the Persians and even thought the Greeks were outnumbered they were still able to drive the invaders away from their land. From 323-31 BC, the Hellenistic Period was the time from the death of Alexander the Great to the beginning of the Roman Empire. The Greek world was now dominated by large kingdoms ruled by dynasties rather than individual city states. This was a time when Greek influence spread throughout a great deal of the world. The countries that Alexander had conquered adopted the Greek language, religion and styles of art often mixing them with local traditions. Greek towns with gymnasia, temples and theatres were built in all parts of the empire, even as far away as Afghanistan. The word politics come from the Greek word ‘polis’, meaning city-state or community. Greece was a collection of some 1500 separate communities scattered round the Mediterranean. Those cities that were not democracies were either oligarchies – where power was in the hands of the few richest citizens- or monarchies, called ‘tyrannies’ in cases where the sole ruler had complete power by force rather than inheritance. Of the democracies, the oldest, the most stable, the most long-lived, but also the most radical, was Athens. Athens was the first city to develop democracy. Democracy meaning that all the citizens had a say in how a state or city is governed. In Athens the people, who acquired power and freedom, drove out the tyrants. All decision is Athens had to be voted for by the majority of the people. The assembly was the main forum of political life. At least 6000 people had to be present for a meeting to take place. The assembly made important decisions, for example, whether or not to declare war. In times of war, decisions were made about the defence of the city by a group of ten military commanders called ‘strategoi’. These were elected annually and could be re-elected many times. However, not everyone in Athens was allowed to take part in the democracy. Only male citizens had the right to vote. This meant that women and children could not take part in the government. An Ancient Greek soldier was known as a Hoplite. He had to provide his own weapons and armour. A hoplite’s weapons and armour were very simple and left large areas of the body unprotected, but worked well when he fought in a phalanx. The hoplite’s armour consisted of; a bronze helmet with long nose guard and cheek guards, bronze cuirass (breastplate) designed to protect the top part of the body, large shield to protect the body and bronze greaves (leg guards) to protect the lower part of the legs. A hoplite’s weapons were a long spear and short sword. The ancient Greeks believed that there were a great number of god’s and goddesses. They believed that all the gods were descendants of Gaia (the earth) and Uranos (the sky). These gods had control over many different things on earth. In many ways the Greek gods were very human. They could be kind or mean, angry or pleasant, cruel or loving. They fell in love with each other, argued with each other, argued with each other and even stole from each other! The ancient Greeks built great temples and sanctuaries to their gods. They held festivals in their honour, with processions, sports, sacrifices and competitions. Religion played a large part in the lives of ordinary people. Worshippers believed that the gods would treat them well and meet their needs if they offered the fruits of the harvest and animal sacrifices. Stories of the god’s lives were told to children by their mothers and to large audiences by professional storytellers. One key individual of Greece was Alexander the Great. The story of his life sounded more like that of a Greek hero. He was a great military leader and courageous. Many thought he was a descendant of Hercules and another legend claimed he was the son of Zeus. His loyal army would follow him anywhere and he won the respect of the people he conquered. He died aged 33 thousands of miles from home in Macedon with an enormous empire. Another individual was Homer. He was a storyteller and a poet who lived sometime in the 8th century BC. He was greatly admired and created two of the most popular and enduring stories ever told, The Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer’s stories about Mycenae are still told today and reflect real incidents of war, battles and sieges. Drama and theatre were Greek inventions. They held great festivals where plays were performed. At the end of the festival they would choose one of the plays as the winner. The two main types of play performed were tragedy and comedy. Tragedies dealt with terrible events like war or murder. Often they recreated famous Greek myths and legends. A comedy poked fun at current events and people. Many thousands of people would attend these festivals which were dedicated to the god Dionysus.