Hobbes' Leviathan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hobbes' Leviathan - Essay Example The problem, as he sees it, is that there is no overarching 'figure', a being or entity or idea with power to instill awe, to occasion obedience to a greater good beyond the three causes of perpetual war, which he sees as competition, diffidence [fear of attack], and glory [or vanity] [ch13, p2]. Consequently, the lives of people in such a state are famously described as 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short' [ch13, p3]. Hobbes appears to have been influenced in this negative characterization by the civil war raging in England at the time of his writing. He acknowledges that such a state may never have existed 'generally', but that it exists in places where the power to instill awe is absent: Howsoever, it may be perceived what manner of life there would be, where there were no common power to fear, by the manner of life which men that have formerly lived under a peaceful government use to degenerate into a civil war. (ch 13, p4]. More notably, he argues that this state of perpetual conflict exists in societies, such as the native societies of America, where, according to his somewhat distant reading, there are no powers to instill awe and obedience. Hobbes believes that humanity emerges out of this peculiarly solitary, untrusting state - in which justice, being a socially developed concept, does not yet exist (ch13, p4] - through a combination of reason and the passions. Hobbes asserts [somewhat contradictorily] that man's nature, besides being a cause of perpetual conflict with his neighbors, also inclines him to peace: The passions that incline men to peace are: fear of death; desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a hope by their industry to obtain them. And reason suggesteth convenient articles of peace upon which men may be drawn to agreement [ch13, p4]. The 'articles of peace' here mentioned are further developed, in chapters 14 and 15, into nine 'laws of nature'. Of these, Hobbes places the one he considers most important at the head. This law states that 'man ought to endeavour peace' [ch14, p1], as far as he is able to achieve it - and failing this, should seek all the advantages of war. Man's natural diffidence, or fear of attack, as mentioned earlier, would best be assuaged by the creation of a peaceful estate, but if this cannot be created, then a preparedness for war, based on the idea that attack is the best method of defense, is the next best option. Hobbes' second law of nature is central to his idea of man moving out of the state of nature into civil society, in that it involves a willingness to restrict individual liberty. He states it thus: That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth, as for peace, and defence of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things, and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself [ch14, p2]. With Hobbes' third law comes the important idea of the covenant - what we nowadays translate as 'ontract'. 'Men perform their covenants made', he writes [ch15, p1]. I take

Feasibility Study Essay Example for Free

Feasibility Study Essay Technical Feasibility: It is technically possible to design a script remarking system because computers can be used to sort, search and update data input using a database management system such as Microsoft Access. The current hardware of the United Kingdom Awarding Body is sufficient, as all they will need to run the system is a computer (preferably with 64Mb RAM, 10Gb hard disk drive, 3.5/1.4Mb floppy disk drive and a 8Mb or higher graphics card), a standard keyboard and mouse, a printer and a visual display unit to run the system effectively and efficiently. Economic Feasibility: It is economically feasible to design and use this script remarking system because fewer people would need to be employed to do the work of remarking a script and producing the reports manually and more work can be done in a shorter time span, therefore also saving on overheads such as light and heating as well as employee wages, Legal Feasibility: It is legally feasible to use this script remarking system because all the data used will be used for the specific purpose of remarking the candidates script and nothing else. The data will not be kept longer than necessary and at the candidates request; the data may be destroyed after a certain period of time. The data is also secure as both administrators and clerical staff need to have their group name and passwords to log into the system successfully, but also the system database password, without both of these, the data cannot be accessed. Operational feasibility: Current work practices and procedures will benefit from the implementation of this new script remarking system as it allows more work to be done in a shorter time span, therefore providing a quicker and more efficient service to the candidates whose scripts are being remarked. The social factors will be greatly improved by the organisational change of using this remark system, both clerical and administration staff can get more work done in a smaller time period allowing more leisure time to the workers for the same amount of pay in wages. Schedule feasibility: The designing, testing and documentation of the script remarking system can be completed before the deadline, there are 6 weeks to complete this. Data Flow Diagram What are the user needs? The user needs an easy-to-learn and manageable interface to be able to monitor the UKABs (United Kingdom Awarding Body) post-examination remarks. In doing so, the user needs to be able to input data (candidate information, the original mark, the date the script was received, the remark mark and the date the script was marked) and get the desired outputs in queried reports. The user needs to know that all data entered will be secure and not tampered with or altered by hackers, so security measures have been taken. What Entities are to be considered? The entities to be considered for this system are: Script Request and Grade Criteria. The attributes to be considered for the Script Request entity are: * Candidate Number * Candidate Name (Forename Surname) * Centre Number * Subject Reference Code * Original Mark * Re-mark Mark (changed or unchanged) * Whether the centre requested the return of the script With the additional attributes of: * The date the script was received * The date the script was remarked Entity Relationship Diagram The attributes to be considered for the Grade Boundaries entity are: * Subject Reference Code * Grade Boundaries for grades A-E and U What procedures will be required to achieve the desired outputs? Clerical staff using the remark system will need to input the data required via forms using a keyboard and (or) a mouse. This will automatically update the queries in place, which will update the reports. The reports will then be outputted using a printer. Evaluation During this systems design, there were many problems encountered. When designing the entities, it was not known that many of the attribute lengths needed to be shortened to save memory, primary keys to ensure each record of data is unique or validation rules had to be set to decrease user errors. The attribute lengths, validation rules and primary keys were set during the design stage (See Validation). An entity had to be linked to another to allow data from one entity to appear several times in another entity and was used in querying. Reading into how linking entities was completed and the tables were linked successfully. Forms were designed to aid user input and stop clerks altering the design and (or) contents of each entity. At first, some buttons worked incorrectly, but were fixed once further reading into using and creating buttons was finished (See Design). Queries were designed to support the creation of reports. These queries search the entities for predefined criterion which is requested by the user. Some criterion needed much deliberation, such as the outstanding remarks query/report. Two extra attributes had to be considered and implemented, these were: script_received_date and script_remark_date. Then the query for remarks which took longer than 3 weeks could be completed, with the search criterion as follows: [Script_remark_date]-[Script_received_date]21 (See Design). Reports needed to be created, as they were the desired output to be sent off to the centres after scripts were remarked. Reports were created using the queries. A user interface was also designed to make the remarking system user friendly. At first, much like the forms, some buttons did not work correctly and there were other aesthetical issues also, such as a colour scheme for the interface. Buttons were fixed and a simple yet attractive colour scheme was chosen for the interface. Also there was difficulty in producing a suitable formula to calculate the original grades from the original marks and the re-mark mark and the re-mark grades. After consultation with a tutor, a solution was found and the following formula was devised: IIF(Expression), True, False. Afterwards, the grading formula was designed and is as follows: Grades:IIf([Original_Mark]=[A],A,IIf([Original_Mark]=[B],B,IIf([Original_Mark]=[C],C,IIf([Original_Mark]=[D],D,IIf([Original_Mark]=[E],E,U))))). A re-mark grading formula was also considered and implemented and is as follows: Remark_Grade: IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[A],A,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[B],B,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[C],C,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[D],D,IIf([Re-mark_Mark]=[E],E,U))))). Effectiveness: The system re-grades papers and produces reports on the papers that are re-graded when candidate information is inputted via the candidate information input form. Usability: The system is easy for the users to use the interface, it has buttons which open files and forms and have a simplistic design and are attractive to use. Maintainability: The system will be easy to maintain because of its simplicity and will be easy to manipulate to accommodate new requests for different types of information without changing how the system runs excessively. Maintenance Perfective maintenance: For the perfective maintenance, the admin staff can change the queries that create the reports to get the desired results. I.e. changing a query so that the Scripts requested by a selected centre report shows a different centre. Adaptive maintenance: For the adaptive maintenance, staff could use new hardware to help reduce clerical errors. Staff could use OCR and MCR scanners to read the scripts information instead of inputting them manually and therefore reducing human errors.

Essay --

En este papel voy hablar de la historia del narcotrà ¡fico y del mal que le ha traà ­do al mundo. La guerra contra el narcotrà ¡fico, o lucha contra la delincuencia organizada en Mà ©xico, es un conflicto interno que enfrenta el estado Mexicano contra las bandas que controlan diversas actividades ilegales, principalmente el trà ¡fico ilegal de drogas. Desde 2006, cuando comenzà ³ la intervencià ³n del ejà ©rcito Mexicano, el objetivo principal del gobierno ha sido la de acabar con la violencia relacionada con las drogas. Ademà ¡s, el gobierno Mexicano ha afirmado que su objetivo principal es el desmantelamiento de los poderosos carteles de la droga, en lugar de en prevenir el trà ¡fico de drogas, que se deja a los funcionarios de los Estados Unidos. Aunque los cà ¡rteles Mexicanos de la droga, o las organizaciones de trà ¡fico de drogas, han existido desde hace varias dà ©cadas, se han vuelto mà ¡s poderosos desde la desaparicià ³n de los carteles de Cali y Medellà ­n en Colombia en la dà ©cada de 1990. Carteles de la droga mexicanos dominan ahora el mercado mayorista de drogas ilà ­citas, y en 2007 controlaban el 90% de la cocaà ­na que entra a Estados Unidos. Las detenciones de los principales là ­deres de los cà ¡rteles, en particular en los cà ¡rteles de Tijuana y del Golfo, ha provocado un aumento de la violencia del narcotrà ¡fico como los cà ¡rteles luchan por el control de las rutas de trà ¡fico hacia los Estados Unidos. Los analistas estiman que los ingresos al por mayor de la venta de drogas ilà ­citas van de $ 13.6 mil millones a $ 49.4 mil millones al aà ±o. Al final de la administracià ³n de Felipe Calderà ³n (2006-2012), la cifra oficial de muertos de la guerra contra las drogas de Mà ©xico fue de al menos 60.000, aunque las cuentas no confirmadas establecen la tasa de homici... ...tado en la zona desde 1980. En las dà ©cadas anteriores a este periodo, el consumo no se generalizà ³, no mas principalmente entre personas de nivel socioeconà ³mico alto, los intelectuales y los artistas. Los cargamentos de droga se retrasan en las ciudades fronterizas de Mà ©xico antes de la entrega a los EE.UU., lo que ha contribuido probablemente a las altas tasas de consumo local de drogas. A pesar del hecho de que los cà ¡rteles Mexicanos de la droga y sus proveedores Colombianos generan, lavar y retirar $18000 millones a 39 millones de dà ³lares de los Estados Unidos cada aà ±o, los EE.UU. y los gobiernos Mexicanos han sido criticados por su falta de voluntad o la lenta respuesta para hacer frente a los diversos cà ¡rteles operaciones financieras, incluyendo el lavado de dinero. Los carteles no mas ponen en peligro a su paà ­s y les train mucho mal que no le conviene a Mà ©xico.

The Fortune at the Bottom of Pyramid

Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid By Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery, 2009 Acumen Fund Fellows April 2010 Summary Enterprises serving bottom of the pyramid (BoP) markets have tremendous opportunity to create commercial and social impact, but are often illequipped to do so. A particular question that needs to be studied is: how can we sell more effectively to BoP consumers? In this piece, Acumen Fund Fellows Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery draw on their field experiences and research to explain how we can build more effective sales organizations to serve the BoP.Contents Summary Introduction The Survey + Profile of Companies + Overview of Findings + Performance Rating Methodology Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Step Two: Realize Potential Step Three: Reinforce Training + Data Collection + Compensation Conclusion References About the Authors 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 Introduction The business world has heard about â€Å"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyram id† for some time.In his seminal work, CK Prahalad asserts that multinational corporations (MNCs) can stimulate commerce at the bottom of the economic pyramid to improve the lives of the four billion people in the world living in poverty and turn a healthy profit along the way. i This assertion is supported by various case studies, suggesting that the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) is a source of untapped profits for corporations that target local people as both producers and consumers and inspire innovation for new technologies and commercial activities. i A 2008 empirical study by Rodrigo Guesalaga and Pablo Marshall compares the buying power index (BPI) of the BoP market relative to the BPI of middle and high-income market segments and finds that â€Å"relative to the total market, the BoP sector accounts, on average, for more than 50 percent of the purchasing power in developing countries. iii† Large groups of poor consumers have the power to reject or accept what an M NC wants to sell, thereby forcing MNCs to overcome BoP market constraints and revise antiquated business models. v Since the BoP term was first coined, several MNCs and start-ups have introduced new products and services to the world’s poorest customers with mixed success. One leader in this movement is Acumen Fund, which invests in start-up social enterprises that employ market-based solutions to providing the poor with basic goods and services—water, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and housing. An underlying principle of Acumen’s work is that when poor consumers are given the dignity of choice, they are transformed from passive recipients of aid into customers with powerful voices that the business community cannot afford to ignore.Addressing this voice in a sustainable, scalable way is no easy matter, especially for resource-constrained young businesses. Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 1 Lessons from the Field: Sales at t he Bottom of the Pyramid The tools that traditional companies in more affluent markets utilize to understand and reach customers–studies, mailing lists, online campaigns, chambers of commerce, YellowPages, mass media channels— don’t exist or can’t easily be applied in developing countries.BoP-facing companies grapple with language and cultural barriers, infrastructure challenges, and capital constraints, regardless of whether they are an established multi-national corporation or a start-up trying to build a brand from scratch. While literature detailing the benefits of social enterprises is widespread, little attention is paid to the personnel management and organization building of small- and mediumsized enterprises trying to operate in these markets.After a ten-month field placement with two sales-focused Acumen Fund investees in India and Pakistan, Heidi Krauel and Joel Montgomery (2009 Acumen Fellows) were interested in exploring and uncovering common practices among small-and medium-sized enterprises that are successfully building sales organizations to serve the BoP. This executive summary presents the findings from a survey that Krauel and Montgomery conducted with organizations that target the poor through a variety of sales models.Forty-two different organizations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia participated in the survey and contributed to the BoP Salesforce Lifecycle – a framework which identifies specific steps that social enterprises can take to accelerate their growth and development. Krauel and Montgomery suggest that this three-pronged model – Recruit, Realize, and Reinforce –may help BoP companies break through the barriers they face in building high-performing sales organizations to serve the poor. BOP SALESFORCE LIFECYCLE A three-pronged framework that identifies steps social enterprises can take to build an effective sales forceRECRuIt â€Å"ambassadors† with strong soft skills by l everaging low-cost company assets REALIzE potential using ongoing, experience-based training built upon â€Å"on-the-ground† realities REInFORCE by linking smart data collection to performance-based pay and perks The Survey Profile of Companies An online survey was conducted in July 2009 with the CEOs or Heads of Sales at small- and medium-sized enterprises serving low-income customers in developing countries. The majority of respondents (31 of 42) have fewer than 100 employees and 69% percent have less than $1 million in annual revenues.The age distribution of survey responders is fairly even with 21% of companies in their first year of operations, 31% with two to five years operating history, 29% with six to ten years, and 19% with ten or more years. The survey set is dominated by for-profit companies (71%) and one-third of all respondents (36%) have received venture capital investment. Consumer Goods is the most common industry focus (33% of companies), followed by Busines s Services (24%), Consumer Services (17%), Agricultural or Industrial Products (12%), and Other products or services (14%).The majority of companies target primarily low-income and/ or rural consumers: 81% of companies target low-income, 64%, rural. Fewer companies target the urban (36%) or middleincome (26%) consumer. Overview of Findings Challenges: Survey responders report common challenges in finding salespeople with the requisite skills and then extracting top performance in terms of meeting sales targets, effective Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 2 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the PyramidSalesforce's Performance Ratings Based on End Customer type 100% % of companies surveyed 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 36% 44% 33% Primarily Low-Income Primarily Rural Primarily Urban 26% ;gt;10% Primarily Mid-Income 81% 64% % of Companies (n=42) % High Perfomers 44% Performance Rating Methodology Companies were rated based on self-reported data on p erformance against company sales targets. Companies reporting meeting or beating at least 75% of their sales targets are High Performers, while companies whose sales teams meet or beat 50%-74% of targets are Medium Performers.Low Performers tend to miss more than 50% of their sales targets. Having venture capital (VC) investors does not necessarily correlate with high performance, with 47% of VC-backed companies rated as High Performers compared to 48% of companies without VC backing. Similarly, non-profit or for-profit status has little impact on performance ratings, with 58% of all non-profits and 43% of all forprofit companies being High Performers. Nearly half of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers. †¦This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † Company Performance Based on Years in Operation Companies of all ages are High performers, but an inflection point emerges at five or more years of operating history. 20 Years in Operation: ;gt;15 (n=3) 10 to 15 (n=5) 6 to 10 (n=12) 12 10 2 to 5 (n=13) 0 to 2 (n=9) High Medium Low time management, and thoughtful prioritization of markets and customers. Advantages: Participating companies also report unique advantages that can be leveraged to break through these barriers.Social missions act as powerful magnets to new salespeople and relatively high retention rates make investing in sales force development a viable option. Promising practices around soft-skills-based sales force recruitment and assessment, experiential and ongoing sales force training programs, and low-tech but rigorous data collection linked to appropriate compensation schemes emerged and are discussed in the sections below. Some of these practices also corresponded with existing best practices and research in the field of Sales Force Development in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Interestingly, companies primarily foc used on notoriously challenging rural and low-income markets do not seem to be paying a penalty when it comes to performance. Forty-four percent of companies focused on rural markets are High Performers, compared to 33% of companies focused on urban markets. Similarly, nearly half (15 of 34) of companies that target low-income customers are High Performers compared to less than 10% of companies that include middle-income consumers in their target market.This is a promising finding for entrepreneurs aspiring to build successful companies aimed at eradicating the â€Å"poverty penalty. † An inflection point in company size and stage emerges from the survey responses, after which performance against targets significantly improves. Of the companies rated as High Performers, 80% have more than 20 employees and 65% have more than $250,000 in annual revenue. This report hopes to highlight tangible steps that companies can take to not only improve performance in the near term, but al so accelerate progress towards this inflection point and down the path towards size and scale.Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 3 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid Step One: Recruit Ambassadors Barrier Hiring skilled sales staff Breakthrough Recruit ambassadors with strong soft skills by leveraging low cost assets top Hiring Barriers by Percent of Companies (n=42) *Note: respondents could choose more than one category Lack of necessary skills — Lack of necessary work experience — Poor cultural fit — Ability to offer competitive wages — Unknown company brand — 19% 24% 36% 43% 40%Nearly all companies (93%) report Other — 10% that hiring salespeople is somewhat challenging (45%), if not extremely Company location — 10% challenging (48%). Lack of core skills, Ability to offer competitive benefits — 10% direct experience, and cultural fit (with formalized and/or fast-paced startup environments) are consistently reported as the top hiring barriers, regardless of company size Candidates with significant, direct experience are hard to find v or stage. Yet, only 10% of companies note retention as a serious in large numbers; survey findings suggest that BoP managers challenge.This may be driven by the heavy use of personal should also target individuals that possess strong soft skills relationships in recruiting, but dedication to the social mission assets (local relationships, personal confidence, verbal is also reported as a top reason for why salespeople are joining communication, and community influence), and then test these these companies. Still, companies report that obtaining good skills in action as part of the interview process. performance from these committed sales teams is problematic.The survey suggests ways that BoP managers can more High Performers consistently report integrating active effectively hire in uncertain environments and then us e high demonstrations into their hiring processes. Sales force retention rates and mission alignment as rationale for investing interviewees are potential ambassadors for the company who – in the development of incoming sales staff. vi when given basic product information – should be able to shine REASOnS SALES PEOPLE JOIn (â€Å"ASSEtS†), SuCCESSFuL RECRuItIng StRAtEgIES (â€Å"tOOLS†) (n=42) StARt-uP ;gt;20 employees; n=14) SMALL EntERPRISE (20–100 employees; n=17) MED—LARgE EntERPRISE (101–500+ employees; n=11) Assets + Social Mission (n=X, 93%) + Start-up Energy (n=X, 36%) + Social Mission (n=X, 67%) + Competitive + Professional Wages (n=X, 53%) + Social Mission (n=X, 80%) + Competitive Wages (n=X, 53%) Development (47%) + Brand (n=X, 40%) tools + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 86%) + Word-of-Mouth Referrals (n=X, 62%) + Recruiting Agency (n=X, 52%) Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid in role-playing scenarios, trial product demonstrationsvii, or sales contests with potential customers. Post-hire, companies can invest in comprehensive, hard skills training reinforced by thoughtful performance assessment and compensation schemes. This emphasis on recruiting first for soft skills, and then augmenting with training, corresponds with research of Mayer and Greenberg, who advocate for the hiring of employees with real sales ability and talent, instead of mere experience. iii During the recruiting process, BoP managers should keep in mind the unique assets that attract sales people to the particular stage of their company. Start-ups (classified as fewer than 20 employees) can boast of the energy of a new venture and also tout their social mission. Small Enterprises (20-100 employees), on the other hand, can boast of more competitive wages and professional development opportunities. With Me dium – Large Organizations (101-500+ employees), brand recognition becomes more important, though social missionRecruit for â€Å"soft skills† not just years of experiencesalesperson interviewees should be able to shine in roleplaying scenarios and trial product demonstrations. and competitive wages also play an integral part in attracting sales people. Across the board, using word-of-mouth referrals is one of the most important recruiting tools. For Medium – Large Organizations, use of recruitment agencies becomes more common. Newspaper advertisements are another popular recruiting strategy, while little use is made of recruiting or company websites in the hiring process.Lastly, companies of all sizes report keeping senior managers directly involved in hiring sales staff, with 79% overall indicating that the CEO or similar person is directly involved in sales force recruitment. RECRuIt: Innovations from the Field—Quotes from survey responses â€Å"We co mmunicate this activity as a entrepreneurial opportunity†¦which would eventually help them in learning business practices in addition to serving their community. † Indian consumer products company â€Å"We try to rope in satisfied customers [as sales people]. Indian energy product company â€Å"We identify [sales] people by analyzing if they have visited family in the countryside recently†¦ because that is where they will work with us. † Latin American energy products company â€Å"Motivating staff to the social impact of our products†¦. Since the message is out and understood, our staff will go the extra mile. † African food products company Step Two: Realize Potential Barrier Effectively training sales people in a way that is consistent with ompany strategy and priorities Breakthrough Realize potential using ongoing, experiential training based on ground realities As a manager from a Large European Consumer Goods Company states, â€Å"Training is the key, it takes time to develop [a] BoP sales force. † The value of sales training programs depends on the actual number of training hours along with the quality of the curriculum and instructors. Sixty-five percent of High performing companies conduct at least 10 hours of initial training during the first month of employment compared to only 30% of Medium and 33% of Low Performers. For most HighKrauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 5 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid tRAInIng PRACtICES BY COMPAnY PERFORMAnCE RAtIng (n=42) HIgH (n=20) Specialized sales training 10+ hours initial sales training Ongoing sales training Experiential sales training 85% 65% 85% 85% MEDIuM (n=10) 60% 30% 70% 80% LOW (n=12) 58% 33% 42% 62% Performers, the initial training is complemented by periodic refreshers. Eighty-five percent of High performing companies conduct ongoing training compared to 70% of Medium performing companies and 42% of Low performing companies.Not surprisingly, High performing companies dedicate more time to training sales staff, but quantity alone is not sufficient. Many companies indicate that experiential training is the most effective method of training sales people. At least 80% of High and Medium Performers focus on experiential training (role plays, shadowing, etc. ) as opposed to pure lecture form, compared to just 62% of Low Performers. This finding corresponds with the research of Galloix and Robinson x, which cites the importance of role-playing in training good salesmen.Survey findings show a disconnect between the challenges sales staff face in the field and the sales training programs that companies offer. Market prioritization and time management are consistently rated as the top challenges managers face with salespeople, but fewer than half of participating companies provide training in these areas. While High Performers are generally more pleased with the quality of their training programs, only 40% indicate that sales staff have actually acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in the field, compared to just 20% of Medium performing companies and 0% of Low performing companies.Recent research from the developed world suggests that highperforming SMEs successfully integrate R;D into customer outreach (sales and marketing). xi Perhaps, organizations selling to the BoP can benefit from making training a priority and ensuring that training programs are ongoing, consistent with company priorities, and relevant to the on-the-ground realities that sales people face. xii REALIzE: Innovations from the Field â€Å"We gave a one-day training that included a morning full of lecture. The second half of the day, we dropped sales people off in random villages and asked them to sell a product in one hour. Pakistani agricultural product company â€Å"We blend classroom training and demonstration camps.This provides participants an opportunity to learn, apply theoretical learning in live camps and again come back to classroom for clarification about doubts/feedback. † Indian consumer goods company â€Å"We do our operational training in the field with a new customer in as public a place as possible to create a buzz while doing the training. † African consumer services company Step Three: Reinforce Training Barrier Poor performance of sales staff Breakthrough Reinforce training and ompany strategy by linking smart data collection with perks and performance-based compensation Krauel ; Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 6 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid High Performers use rigorous data collection and innovative compensation schemes to reinforce company sales strategy and boost performance. xiii Data collection Nearly all companies (95%) collect basic sales data on a regular basis, and many High and Medium Performers collect sales data on a weekly or if not daily basis ( 63% vs. 33% of Low Performers).This is striking given how challenging data collection can be in developing countries that lack robust IT and communication infrastructure. This challenge is compounded for companies with sales staff that live and work in the underserved communities they are trying to reach (mainly low-income, rural). Companies are breaking through these infrastructure barriers by using a blend of SMS, verbal, email and paper-based methods to capture results from the field. These â€Å"IT-light† practices don’t necessarily change as companies get larger, with 55% of companies with 100 or more employees reporting continued use of verbal reporting.However, older companies (five or more years of operation) report increased use of email and mobile phones in data collection along with decreased use of paper and verbal methods. High Performers also report limited use of verbal reporting (only 30% compared to 60% of Medium and Low Performers). These findings sug gest that BoP companies may be able to avoid investment in expensive ERP or CRM systems, but that there is significant value in adopting rigorous low-tech solutions that are easy to follow, consistently used, relatively scalable, and that limit errors. iv High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting. With â€Å"compliance with company policies† consistently ranked among the top two or three sales force priorities, frequent data collection integrated into training and compensation schemes may be a underutilized but promising practice.xv REInFORCE—DAtA: Innovations from the Field â€Å"Ensure data collection is seen as a specific skill. † Indian healthcare service provider â€Å"We give minor incentives to the top performers in each week's data metric. † African equipment company We issue discount coupons [in order to] capture data from customers. † India financial services company Compen sation Surprisingly, survey responders did not report the inability to offer competitive wages as a significant barrier to growth. Fewer than one-in-four companies note wages as one of the top two challenges in hiring salespeople. However, what these BoPfacing companies might be gaining in sales force affordability, they may be losing in productivity and performance. Company responders are using creative compensation schemes to breakthrough the performance barrier.High performing companies are less likely than Medium and Low Performers to offer variable compensation (35% vs. 70% and 50%, respectively), but those High Performers that offer bonuses and/or commissions, do so aggressively. For High Performers, variable compensation constitutes 46% of total compensation compared to 21% at Low Performers. High Performers are also more likely to complement pay packages with attractive perks and benefits, with 75% offering perks compared to 42% of Low Performers. This raises the point as to how companies think about allocating employee-related expenditures.Targeting rural, low-income clients often translates into long hours, extensive travel, and limited creature comforts for sales staff. BoP companies may benefit from capping overall sales wages at market-rates and investing remaining funds towards employee health insurance, Companies have other levers to pull when it comes to data collection. Forty-five percent of High Performers tie data reporting to compensation, compared to 33% of Low Performers. High performing companies are also much more likely to dedicate training time specifically to data reporting (71% compared to just 50% of Low and Medium Performers).Krauel & Montgomery, April 2010  · Copyright  © 2010 Acumen Fund 7 Lessons from the Field: Sales at the Bottom of the Pyramid transportation, lodging, meals, mobile phones, or retirement plans – perks that can improve a salesperson’s quality of life while also directly supporting sales-relat ed activities. REInFORCE—COMPEnSAtIOn: Innovations from the Field + Eco-friendly paper salesmen are eligible for profit-sharing. + Rural energy salesman receive bonuses on a sliding scale, based on company performance. ConclusionAfter 50 or more years of somewhat ineffectual international development efforts, there is a new awakening among practitioners and business leaders around a different way to approach the problems of poverty: through market-based approaches. At the heart of every market-based approach, there is a customer and a company. And, at the heart of every customer relationship, there is a sales force. In many ways, the success or failure of the BoP movement will hinge upon companies’ and organizations’ abilities to build and maintain high performing sales organizations.Interestingly, our findings resonate with existing academic research on how to construct effective sales organizations, and perhaps BoP businesses can also learn from the best pract ices in sales force development for SMEs. The first step BoP-facing social enterprises can take to confront challenges with less developed labor markets is to clearly articulate their unique company assets (based on company stage) as they actively Recruit sales staff with strong soft skills who can become true ambassadors and champions of the company.Next, companies can Realize sales force potential with ongoing and experience-based training programs, designed with on-the-ground realities in mind. Lastly, linking training topics to targeted data collection and compensation schemes can help to Reinforce and institutionalize company priorities and sales strategies. + African salespeople receive live chickens as rewards during sales meetings. + Latin American rural logistics company provides funds for vacation travel. + Rural energy company follows â€Å"open book management† so sales team sees how their performance fits in. + Community water system company provides salesmen ith equity shares.

Pygmalian and its appropriation Essay

Texts reflect the context of the time in which they are composed as well as the culture their respective society possess. This is evident in Pygmalion, a play by George Bernard Shaw and its appropriation She’s All that, a film directed by Robert Iscove. In these two texts, the same Pygmalion myth is approached from two different viewpoints to reflect distinctly the context of the time in which each was written. Shaw, through the use of a wide range of dramatic techniques such as language, form, and setting, is able to appropriate the Pygmalion myth to reflect the values and cultural beliefs possessed by society in Victorian England. Similarly, Iscove uses cinematic techniques such as setting, dialogue and costume to appropriate the myth to reflect the casual values and cultural beliefs possessed by 20th century American society. After analysing the two texts, we are able to understand how values have been changed or maintained. Pygmalion derives its name from the famous story in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, in which Pygmalion, disgusted by the loose and shameful lives of the women of his era, decides to create a beautiful statue more perfect than any living woman, named Galatea. Pygmalion goes to the temple of the goddess Venus and prays that she give him a lover like his statue; Venus is touched by his love and brings Galatea to life. Pygmalion and Galatea marry. Shaw creates his own version of the Pygmalion myth by translating this allegory to reflect society in Victorian England. In doing so, he exposes the inadequacy of myth and of romance in several ways. For one, he deliberately twists the myth so that the play does not conclude as euphorically or conveniently, hanging instead in unusual ambiguity. Throughout the play, Shaw portrays the characters belabored by the trivial details of life like napkins and neckties, and of how one is going to find a taxi on a rainy night. These details keep the story grounded and decidedly less romantic. Society in Victorian England would not have agreed with the fairytale ideals that the Pygmalion myth implies, and so, Shaw reflects this discrepancy by questioning the values portrayed in the original myth. Robert Iscove, however, tries to reflect the values of modern day society by producing a light hearted and slapstick version of the myth. This is done by setting the play in an American high school in the early 21st century, and showing relationships between teenagers instead of adults. The ideas of love and marriage have been appropriated into high school ‘flings’ and dating. This in itself produces a lighter version of the myth as the relationships shown are not as serious. To be popular and ‘cool’, teenagers must wear the right clothes, and be seen with the right people at all times. Good grades and moral values have little to do with social acceptance. This is a huge contrast to what was shown in Pygmalion, and therefore helps the reader to understand that values have been changed due to technological advancements, media influence on adolescents and the feminist movement. One of the issues discussed in both texts is one of socioeconomic division, and this is shown through means of language (Pygmalion) and costume (She’s All that). Shaw believed that English spelling did not have much reasonable relationships to its pronunciation. This difficulty helps to perpetuate the low dialects which immediately identify the speakers as either humble ones or ones of poor education. Such dialects are an important factor in the division of people into social classes. â€Å"Every time an Englishman opens his mouth, some other Englishman despises him.† – Preface. This is shown in the first scene of the play, as Eliza (a poor flower seller) is immediately judged about her social class as soon as she speaks. THE NOTE TAKER â€Å"A woman who utters such depressing and disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere – no right to live. Remember that you are a human being with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech: that your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible; and don’t sit there crooning like a bilious pigeon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pygmalion p. 27) THE NOTE TAKER â€Å"You see this creature with her kerbstone English: the English that will keep her in the gutter to the end of her days†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pygmalion p.27) It is also evident that social class determines whom a person will date or consider marrying, and may only marry someone who is in the same social class as them. In She’s All That, Iscove uses contrasting images of costume and setting to show the social class division and various stereotypical groups present in 21st century society. Social division is portrayed in a jocular and humorous way as it is set in an American high school instead of the ‘real world’. As the movie is based on adolescents, social status is not determined by the amount of education or values a person possesses, but instead on their fashion sense or audaciousness. E.g. Laney Boggs is an intelligent, artistic and rational girl who is seen as being at the bottom of the social ladder due to her paint splattered overalls and baggy shirts, whereas Taylor, who is one of the most popular girls in high school, has only achieved this status due to her sexy appearance and brazen behavior. After comparing the two texts, it was evident that values regarding social class have dramatically changed. During the early 1900’s, language, etiquette, birth/family and wealth were what decided where a person fitted into the social ladder, whereas two hundred years later, this is no longer the case. Society in the early 21st century believed that appearances, character and social connections are what take you ‘to the top’. The two texts also explore the meaning of the ideal woman. In Pygmalion, Henry Higgins picks up Eliza Doolittle to teach her phonetics and thereby `make her into a lady.’ This shows what his idea of a real lady must be. Higgins convinces Eliza to let him transform her into a proper aristocratic lady who speaks proper English, so that she is able to fit in with the upper class. Eliza’s growth involves increasing self-realization, an evolution from a lower to a higher state of being, and an important quality that is sometimes not innately there and must be developed. Pygmalion spent great time and effort in creating his ideal woman. This gives hope to society, especially the lower classes, that one can change and succeed if they just try hard enough. Eliza Doolittle would not have questioned her morals and  boundaries set by society for a girl of no means. Hence the constant recitation of â€Å"I am a good girl, I am!† Robert Iscove also transforms the main character, Laney so that she is able to fit into a higher social class in high school and become the ideal woman, yet this is done simply by applying makeup and wearing revealing clothes and being seen to socialize with the right crowd. Iscove purposely shows a quick makeover to illustrate that late 20th century society believed that the ideal woman was not necessarily one of etiquette and intelligence, but simply one which looked good, knew the right people and was bold enough to challenge her boundaries. From the aforementioned it is clear that both texts reflect the time frame in which they were composed and provide insight into the way values have been maintained and changed. Both Bernard Shaw’s, Pygmalion and its modern appropriation by Robert Iscove, She’s All That convey the context and culture in which they were written and explore ideas of social division, the denotation of the ideal woman and debate the relevance of the Pygmalion myth in their respective societies.

Emily Davies, Advocate of Higher Education for Women

Emily Davies, Advocate of Higher Education for Women Known for:  founding Girton College,  advocate of womens higher educationDates: April 22, 1830 - July 13, 1921Occupation: educator, feminist, womens rights advocateAlso Known as: Sarah Emily Davies About Emily Davies Emily Davies was born in Southampton, England. Her father, John Davies, was a clergyman and her mother, Mary Hopkinson, a teacher. Her father was an invalid, suffering a nervous condition. In Emilys childhood, he ran a school in addition to his work in the parish.  Eventually, he gave up his clergy post and school to focus on writing. Emily Davies was privately educated typical for young women of that time. Her brothers were sent to school, but Emily and her sister Jane were educated at home, focusing mainly on household duties. She nursed two of her siblings, Jane and Henry, through their battles with tuberculosis. In her twenties, Emily Davies friends included Barbara Bodichon and Elizabeth Garrett, advocates of womens rights. She met Elizabeth Garrett through mutual friends, and Barbara Leigh-Smith Bodichon on a trip with Henry to Algiers, where Bodichon was also spending the winter.  The Leigh-Smith sisters seem to have been the first to introduce her to feminist ideas. Davies frustration at her own unequal educational opportunities was from that point directed into more political organizing for change for womens rights. Two of Emilys brothers died in 1858.  Henry died of tuberculosis which had marked his life, and William of wounds sustained in the fighting in the Crimea, though he had moved on to China before his death. She spent some time with her brother Llewellyn and his wife in London, where Llewellyn was a member of some circles that promoted social change and feminism.  She attended lectures of  Elizabeth Blackwell  with her friend Emily Garrett. In 1862, when her father died, Emily Davies moved to London with her mother. There, she edited a feminist publication, The Englishwomans Journal, for a time, and helped found the Victoria  magazine.  She published a paper on women in the medical profession for the Congress of the Social Science Organization.   Soon after moving to London, Emily Davies began working for the admission of women to higher education. She advocated for the admission of girls to London University and to Oxford and Cambridge. When she was given the opportunity, she found, on short notice, more than eighty female applicants to take exams at Cambridge; many passed and the success of the effort plus some lobbying led to opening the exams to women regularly.  She also lobbied for girls to be admitted to secondary schools.  In the service of that campaign, she was the first woman to appear as an expert witness at a royal commission. She also became involved in the wider womens rights movement, including advocating for womens suffrage. She helped organize for John Stuart Mills 1866 petition to Parliament for womens rights. That same year, she also wrote Higher Education for Women. In 1869, Emily Davies was part of a group that opened a womens college, Girton College, after several years of planning and organizing. In 1873 the institution moved to Cambridge. It was Britains first womens college. From 1873 to 1875, Emily Davies served as mistress of the college, then she spent thirty more years as Secretary to the college. This college became part of Cambridge University and began granting full degrees in 1940. She also continued her suffrage work. In 1906 Emily Davies headed a delegation to Parliament. She opposed the militancy of the Pankhursts and their wing of the suffrage movement. In 1910, Emily Davies published Thoughts on Some Questions Relating to Women. She died in 1921.

The effectiveness of the transformation of the Desert Scene from text to screen Essays

The effectiveness of the transformation of the Desert Scene from text to screen Essays The effectiveness of the transformation of the Desert Scene from text to screen Essay The effectiveness of the transformation of the Desert Scene from text to screen Essay Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet Baz Luhrmann has used many very effective film techniques in transforming the Mantua scene from text to screen. Through the choice of specific setting, music and camera techniques, he has emphasised the role of fate and haste in the lovers tragedy. The setting of Mantua in a barren, desert environment reinforces the isolation of Romeos banishment. With the harsh, unrelenting sun engulfing the scene with a strong orange light, it provides a stark contrast to earlier scenes where the love between Romeo and Juliet blossomed. The desert is a sterile environment, where in the absence of water, life ceases to exist. Baz Luhrmann has effectively employed the visual juxtaposition of water and desert to convey Romeos isolation. Even the caravans, a temporary residence, are situated far apart. But the desert does not only convey a literal setting, it is also symbolic of Romeos emotional desert. Without Juliet, Romeos life is barren and sterile. This metaphorical setting highlights the depth and true love between Romeo and Juliet. Romeos love for Juliet is not an infatuation, but rather having known her, his life becomes meaningless without her. We see Romeo writing in his isolation, and his emotions are clearly conveyed through the use of voice-over monologue. Him half mouthing the words makes what he is writing more natural and realistic. Yet the words themselves are ominous and foreshadowing death, where Romeo dreamt that he had died and yet been revived by Juliet. These innocent dreams are so close to the truth that it builds up tension in the film. Music and sound effects play a vital role in conveying emotions and affecting how audiences react to visual images. Baz Luhrmann uses music in the scene to further highlight Romeos isolation and build up tension. The scene begins with Romeos theme music, a haunting, single-note melody. The music reverberates around the empty desert to emphasis the isolation. This music also takes the audience back to when we were first introduced to Romeo, in a similar melancholy mood as an unrequited lover. We come to associate this music with loneliness, despair and rejection. The music intensifies to a crescendo as another character, Balthasar, approaches the scene. It builds up to a climax for the fateful news, yet the scene is silent as Romeo receives the misinformed news. The silence allows Romeo to absorb the revelations, yet the audience is drawn into the action with this dramatic irony and we watch in anguish at the consequences of Balthasars mistake. The music changes again near the end of the scene, where it becomes a throbbing, relentless pulse. The strong beat forewarns of the actions that are going to take place, and builds up tension in the audience. The scene begins with the camera slowly sweeping across the desert and the next shot is a close-up focus on Romeos face. This close-up shot is very important as it reveals many small details. We are able to clearly identify with Romeos emotions, but more importantly, we are reminded by the scar and ring of dominating issues in the film. The scar is a remnant of Romeos fight with Tybalt and symbolises the violence and hatred in Verona. Violence and social decay is one of the main ideas explored by Baz Luhrmann in the film and the scar shows that even in isolation, Romeo can never completely escape from the realities of Verona society. This violence is further reinforced by the fleeting image of Romeo reaching for his gun as he sees the approaching car. Violence is so predominant and there is such mistrust in the society that weapons are used without a thought. The other important element seen in this close-up shot is the chain around Romeos neck, given to him by Juliet with her crucifix and her wedding ring. This reminds us of their love and Romeos connection with Juliet even in banishment. Yet this image is ironic in that once again, there is the juxtaposition of opposites, where the chain symbolises the love between Romeo and Juliet, but the scar, symbolic of the hatred between the families, forbids and restrains this love. This image relates to the foundations of the tragedy, where love is forbidden because of the feud. There is a dramatic change in mood as Romeo is told of the terrible news, and the camera reflects this with a high-angle shot of Romeo collapsed on the ground. This angle from above emphasises his vulnerability and despair. He is pushed to the lowest and as his body is silhouetted against the setting sun, Romeo faces a life of hopelessness without Juliet. The long angle shot afterwards show Romeo and Balthasar as tiny figures in a vast expanse of desert and lead to the idea of fate in the tragedy. It seems almost as if Romeo is overpowered by external forces, a small puppet on a large stage where he has no control over events. The central idea of fate is further reinforced by Romeo treading over the urgent telegram. The audience sees clearly how close the film was to a happy ending and fate is encapsulated by the final dramatic irony, where the mailman watches Romeo speeding off in haste, moments too late. The terrible timing of events show haste to also be a deciding factor in the chain of events, with the first shot of Balthasar overtaking the mail-van in his haste to reach Romeo and ending with Romeo speeding off, leaving the consequential telegram behind. Baz Luhrmanns has very successfully conveyed the ideas in the Shakespearean text through the use of effective film techniques. His choice of a desert environment, use of camera angles and music reinforces the role of fate and haste in the tragedy and reminds us that the juxtaposition of love and violence is never far away.

Andromeda Was a Legendary Princess in Greek Mythology

Andromeda Was a Legendary Princess in Greek Mythology Today we know of Andromeda as a galaxy, as the Andromeda Nebula, or as the Andromeda constellation located near the Pegasus constellation. There are also movies/TV programs bearing the name of this ancient princess. In the context of ancient history, she is a princess featured in the heroic Greek legends. Who Was Andromeda? Andromeda had the misfortune to be the daughter of the vain Cassiopeia, wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. As a result of Cassiopeias boast that she was as beautiful as the Nereids (sea nymphs), Poseidon (sea god) sent a great sea monster to ravage the coastline. An oracle told the king that the only way to get rid of the sea monster was to surrender his virgin daughter Andromeda to the sea monster; so he did, much as happened in the Roman story of Cupid and Psyche. King Cepheus chained Andromeda to a rock in the sea where the hero saw her. Perseus was still wearing the winged sandals of Hermes that he had used in the task of carefully decapitating Medusa while watching what he was doing only through a mirror. He asked what had happened to Andromeda, then when he heard, he promptly offered to rescue her by killing the sea monster, but on condition that her parents give her to him in marriage. With her safety uppermost in their minds, they instantly agreed. And so Perseus slew the monster, unchained the princess and brought Andromeda back to her many-relieved parents. The Wedding of Andromeda and Perseus Afterward, however, during wedding preparations, the happy celebrating proved premature. Andromedas fiance the one from before her enchaining, Phineus, showed up demanding his bride. Perseus argued that the surrender-to-her-death had invalidated the contract (and if he had really wanted her, why hadnt he slain the monster?). Then since his non-violent technique failed to persuade Phineus to gracefully bow out, Perseus pulled out the head of Medusa to show his rival. Perseus knew better than to watch what he was doing, but his rival didnt, and so, like many others, Phineus was instantly lithified. Perseus would go on to found Mycenae where Andromeda would be queen, but first, she gave birth to their first son Perses, who stayed behind to rule when his grandfather died. (Perses is considered the eponymous father of the Persians.) Perseus and Andromedas children were sons, Perses, Alcaeus, Sthenelus, Heleus, Mestor, Electryon, and a daughter, Gorgophone. After her death, Andromeda was placed among the stars as the Andromeda constellation. The monster who was sent to ravage Ethiopia was also turned into a constellation, Cetus. Pronunciation: Ã ¦n.dra.mÉ ª.dÉ™ Examples: Andromeda was the name of a TV series by Gene Roddenberry, starring Kevin Sorbo, the actor who played Hercules in the TV series. This is interesting because Andromeda was Hercules great grandmother.

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Case Study Example The first recommendation for the company would be to ensure that the information technology department is adequately funded. This is likely to enable the department come up with systems that can help the management to make logical decisions concerning resource distribution and future plans. The funds can also be used to upgrade the systems hence, ensuring efficiency in carrying out tasks. The other recommendation would be for the firm to embark on an implementation plan to enable the top and middle level management to dialogue. The meeting would involve the discussion of strategies to be implemented versus tactics and resource required. This would ensure that there is even flow of information and that implementation of strategies take place. According to Gulachek, a business continuity plan can have a vast effect on the whole organization (6). When plans such as those of the middle level managers of the company are carried out without involving other members, the effect would be the rise of conflicts. For the I.T. planning process to have an impact on ModMeters various demands have to be accomplished. The demands made by the management at the company, to the I.T. department are two. One is to create and implement an automated system. The second demand is the execution the system. The system offers customers the chance to make direct purchases. Planning effort, forces certain disciplines to better understand and plan around their dependency on IT for their daily operations (Gulachek 6) .The department should therefore first, establish the necessary tools and resources required in strategic implementation. These requirements include more funds, so as to acquire the tools that can enable the development of an automated system. The staff members will also be increased so as to hasten the process of labeling applications and files to display the new logo. The department is also required to establish the methodology they are going to use to develop the system they

The Struggle Of The Free Papua Movement Research Paper

The Struggle Of The Free Papua Movement - Research Paper Example Their public statement has been quoted as saying, "We are not terrorists! We do not want modern life! We refuse any kinds of development: religious groups, aid agencies, and governmental organizations just Leave Us Alone, Please!"8 OPM has also been a strong opponent of the transmigration policy of Indonesian government by which migration of non-natives to West Papua was encouraged.9 The way OPM has organized and mobilized itself in the course of its history is a unique social phenomenon and it has been often observed that about 80 to 90 percent of Papuan people had their sympathies with the OPM.10 But it has always been the common people who have carried forward the resistance movement as they constituted the soldiers of this freedom army.11 The Act of Free Choice, the consultation exercise conducted by the Indonesian government under the monitoring of the UN, that attached West Papua to Indonesia officially, was later criticized as being a farcical exercise.12 King has called it, à ¢â‚¬Å"an outrageous exercise in duplicity, intimidation, and coercion on Indonesia’s part.†13 In 1971, OPM declared the formation of an independent Republic of West Papua.14 The organization, since its inception until the recent times, had depended mainly on Guerilla warfare, by making thick forests its hideouts.15 In 1977, OPM militants sabotaged the fuel and slurry transportation of the Indonesian mining company, Freeport Indonesia by cutting pipelines, as the company did not heed OPM’ demands of extortion.16 This mining company was given a free hand by the Indonesian government to exploit the rich copper and gold resources of the Southern Papuan highlands.17 And this mining industry contributed to about 50% of the GDP of Indonesia.18 In 1977, the Papuans under the leadership of OPM also refused to vote in the second general elections.19 In this way, the struggle of OPM has many dimensions- economic, ethnic, environmental, and political. Figures have shown that â€Å"100000 Papuans or ten percent of the Papuan population has been killed by Indonesian troops since Indonesia gained control of the territory.†20 This shows how repressive and cruel the measures taken by the Indonesian government to defeat the resistance of OPM have been. It was in this light that in 1982, OPM set up a subsidiary organization, OPM Revolutionary Council (OPMRC) to promote its demand for independence through international diplomatic interventions.21 It was since 1998 that OPM began to participate in public political dialogues.

The Impact of the Ottoman Empire on Europe's and Turkey's Essay

The Impact of the Ottoman Empire on Europe's and Turkey's architecture, gouvernment and life - Essay Example The major areas where the Ottoman caused impacts in Europe and Turkey include architecture, government, and general life of the citizens. This research paper focuses on how the Ottoman Empire changed and influenced the architecture, politics and social life in Europe and Turkey. The Ottoman Empire constituted one of the three empires that were most outstanding in the world. The other two empires of the world along with the Ottoman Empire were the Roman Empire and the British Empire1. The Ottoman Empire acquired several benefits from the already established states of Turkey. The states had already underwent a lot of establishment, thus, the Ottoman Empire used some of their resources for internal growth and development. One unique feature about the empire was that it was always attracted to ways of life of the West. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire did not have any prejudgements about anyone and bore with all forms of religious and ethnic groups within its operation regions. The founding, rising and advancement of the Ottoman Empire underwent actualisation using a well-designed plan and program. The plan for actualisation was founded on the principles of both spiritual and worldly realities in the state philosophy. The success and influence of the Ottoman Em pire was possible due to sharing the central and local leadership responsibilities with all ethnic and religious colleagues. The history of Ottoman Empire has its tracings back to a Turkish tribal chieftain known as Othman (Osman). The Seljuk Empire in Anatolia collapsed in the late thirteenth century, which led to it being divided into many states. Sogut was one of the states and its founder was Ertugrul. Osman was his son and it is after his death he took over and built the Ottoman Empire. The empire was grounded on the Islam religion. It was during the fourteenth century that he founded this empire originally known as Osmanli, but later through an evolution in

Health history interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health history interview - Essay Example The patient mentioned that he felt relief when he wears warm clothes and drinks warm water. The coughing was worst when he had to do heavy work or walk for a long distance. Kevin was disturbed by the fact that the drugs he had taken for the last one week had not caused substantial relief to his health. Kevin had a severe case of measles at the age of three. He was hospitalized for three days. He received an immunization for pneumonia six months before coming to hospital. Kevin had been diagnosed with HIV a year before and he has been on a daily dose of ARVs. The patient was in the hospital for a CD4 count on 3 Jan 2012. He was on a high vitamin diet to boot his immunity (Reeders, 2001). The mother suffered from varicose veins at the age of sixty-five. There is no history of diabetes, heart problems or tuberculosis. The skin of Kevin was moist, flexible and pink with some skin rashes near the elbow of the left arm. He bears a scar on the knee of the left leg from a fall he had when he was ten years old. The nails of the two toes on the right foot have clubbing. His hair is black and clean. It does not have scales or lice. The cornea is white and clear with no patches. The ears did not have any discharge or tenderness. The nose and sinuses do not have swellings or tenderness. The lips had cracks and there were small white wounds on the lower lip (Irwin, 2003). The lower and upper parts of the mouth were pink and it was not dry. The neck has tender lymph nodes and the lungs have fluid around them (Jamison, 2006). Kevin had a regular heart rate of 69/min. and his sexual health was normal. Kevin was full of confidence and had high expectations that the tuberculosis would be cured. He stopped his morning jog and has not done it for two weeks because he says that it worsens the cough. He sleeps more often because he is more tired than normal. He also said that he felt better after a good rest. He was

Why At-Risk Students Are in Such a Situation, Solutions Research Paper

Why At-Risk Students Are in Such a Situation, Solutions - Research Paper Example The issues expose students to severe conditions that make them terminate school, knowledge acquisition and furthering their careers. This latest trend is sending mixed signals to the world with scholars asserting that it may lead to a low supply of qualified human capital. This condition may also jeopardize innovation and creativity stalling the production of new items that meet the current technological needs of consumers. The scholars also assert that a high number of students who are not succeeding academically may expose society to high crime rates. This is because nations will generate several individuals who are not productive economically due to the lack of credible sources of income. The trend would also affect peace initiatives and general economic growth in various nations. This calls for the immediate development of a viable plan to mitigate issues that hinder students from attaining high academic achievements. These students need to receive proper career guidance and moti vation from teachers. They also need to be convinced to go to school and get valuable teachings on the benefits of education in their lives by key stakeholders in the education sector. Consequently, it is necessary to discuss challenges in the education sector while focusing on at risk. As noted by Lynn (1997), the number of students who are not successful academically is increasing. The increase is attributable to various complications that touch on social, economic, and political processes. These challenges hamper the capacity to record exemplary performance in diverse aspects. Firstly, poverty is a critical element that drives most learners away from school meaning that several students are performing dismally because they lack money to pay for their tuition expenses.

Health history interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health history interview - Essay Example The patient mentioned that he felt relief when he wears warm clothes and drinks warm water. The coughing was worst when he had to do heavy work or walk for a long distance. Kevin was disturbed by the fact that the drugs he had taken for the last one week had not caused substantial relief to his health. Kevin had a severe case of measles at the age of three. He was hospitalized for three days. He received an immunization for pneumonia six months before coming to hospital. Kevin had been diagnosed with HIV a year before and he has been on a daily dose of ARVs. The patient was in the hospital for a CD4 count on 3 Jan 2012. He was on a high vitamin diet to boot his immunity (Reeders, 2001). The mother suffered from varicose veins at the age of sixty-five. There is no history of diabetes, heart problems or tuberculosis. The skin of Kevin was moist, flexible and pink with some skin rashes near the elbow of the left arm. He bears a scar on the knee of the left leg from a fall he had when he was ten years old. The nails of the two toes on the right foot have clubbing. His hair is black and clean. It does not have scales or lice. The cornea is white and clear with no patches. The ears did not have any discharge or tenderness. The nose and sinuses do not have swellings or tenderness. The lips had cracks and there were small white wounds on the lower lip (Irwin, 2003). The lower and upper parts of the mouth were pink and it was not dry. The neck has tender lymph nodes and the lungs have fluid around them (Jamison, 2006). Kevin had a regular heart rate of 69/min. and his sexual health was normal. Kevin was full of confidence and had high expectations that the tuberculosis would be cured. He stopped his morning jog and has not done it for two weeks because he says that it worsens the cough. He sleeps more often because he is more tired than normal. He also said that he felt better after a good rest. He was

Individual Human Beings, Organisations, Groups and Artefacts Essay

Individual Human Beings, Organisations, Groups and Artefacts - Essay Example When companies’ performance in terms of product production is studied, then we say that the companies make the unit of analysis for that case. On the other hand, Artefacts comprises of books, poems, paintings, and evensongs, they also make up a unit of analysis. When one studies or learns about a certain book, then the book becomes a unit of analysis, since one’s aim will entail analyzing different aspects in the book (Downing & Clark, 2010). The ecological fallacy, emphases about clarity on the units of analysis, and how ambiguities lead to an error, the conclusions made from an analysis conducted at a group level may not relate at the individual level.   Equally, analyses at the individual level may not pertain to the group level analysis. Most important, the analysis should take place at the level where generalizations should be implied. For example, if a city as a unit of analysis, with most researchers, has the highest crime rates it does not mean that the resear chers commit the crimes, but they get drawn there for study purposes (Downing & Clark, 2010). Question two. The two models of explanation include the deductive explanation and the probabilistic explanation. The deductive explanation amounts to a deductive assumption of explanation under the principles with general laws and particular facts. It seeks to answer why things happen the way they happen or occur, by presenting that the episode resulted from a particular situation specified. An example of an inductive explanation could be the explanation why the handle of a spoon appears bent at a point where it emerges from a glass of water. Therefore, in this case the explanation would be deductively based under the laws of reflection and refraction to account for the appearance of the spoon. Hence, the deductive explanation involved forms universal theoretical principles (Downing, & Clark, 2010). The probabilistic explanation forms assertions to account that if certain specified circumst ances or situations occur, then the occurrence of such events must follow from the statistical probabilistic laws. Their occurrence does not invoke a universal law but rather generalization about its effect. It thus presupposes general laws of statistical nature, as opposed to universal held theories and principles. An example of the probabilistic explanation could be to infer why a patient heals after taking a given drug, say penicillin. This can be explained by presupposing a general link between the illness and the drug, and conclude that it is the drug that can heal the illness in a high percentage of situations (Downing & Clark, 2010). Question three Levels of measurement implies to the process or properties that define the measurement process itself. Therefore, most of the social phenomenon can be measured in any of the following levels of measurement: ratio, ordinal, nominal and interval. Using the ordinal and interval levels one can measure age, since age as a variable has a ttributes of exclusive and mutually inclusive categories. With ordinal, age can be ranked from the highest to the lowest. In addition, using the interval level, age can be grouped or classified into different age groups. Therefore, using the ordinal scale one can express income in monetary terms and that a single value can take different numbers. One could also use the interval scale, since income as a variable can be expressed as quantities, thus categorising and classifying it. Family size can

Christian spirituality Essay Example for Free

Christian spirituality Essay People in this realm have diverse attention to different facet of their lives. Some of which believes in a certain perception contrary to the views of the other and it all boils down to a premise that we in this universe have enormous preferences which truly makes us unique. Similarly, it has the same wavelength when we put into account the very imperative issue of faith and strong adherence to believing in God. Donald Miller in his masterpiece Blue like Jazz, he exemplifies the avenues of spirituality and how it is possible to enlighten the views of the readers as they go through the work of art. Uplifting the souls is the focal element of the author and parallel to this, the central aspiration of this paper is also to epitomize the intriguing views of the author and at the same time squeeze out the necessary lessons in life that will ultimately open the minds of the readers. By having the views of the book by means of its meaningful experiences of the author, we could have a brilliant grasp to what really is life in a spiritual way. Any occurrences that have been demonstrated in the book will truly it will shed light to our naked eye. The personal reflections of the author contribute to our understanding to the nature of God and how to respond to this indulgent. The ingredients in Donald Miller’s Blue like Jazz are driven by the perceptions towards sex, love, community, family and God. It absolutely speaks on what it feels to have an in depth connection with God and how to examine our inner self on what we truly believed in despite the challenges of our malicious environment. The point of view as regards to searching for spirituality and believers who wanted to have a strong relationship with God was the intentions of this masterpiece. It is intended in the latter part of the paper to expound in a Christian approach the impressions and attitudes in relation to the concept of Miller. Indeed, it is expected that at the end of this paper, the readers should have a strong attachment in relation to the subject matter of spirituality and the things that it entails. Donald Miller tackles the life’s spices which includes sex. The question of does love can be truly be proven by sex is at hand. It has been said that you can love with all your heart but you cannot scientifically examine it. Accordingly, it is an intense feeling which flows inside that makes your personality fortify. The feeling surely brightens our outlook even though it does not undergo several test because what proves it is our own selves per se, â€Å"love for example is a true emotion but it is not rational, what I mean is people actually feel it, I have been in love, plenty of people have been in love yet love cannot be proved scientifically† (Miller, 2003). The author makes use of the penguins as case in point in elaborating how making love can truly transform into something essential in our lives. It says the instances wherein penguins have their own way of showing their love to their partners and at the same time giving value to their siblings. The intensity of emotions in relation to their responsibilities was intact in this scenario. The male penguins take hold of the responsibility of looking after the eggs and in due time the eggs will mature. It has been demonstrated how the female penguins goes back after sometime to witness their little penguin. This was a good elaboration of a strong connection with our loved ones. We sense the right time when it is necessary for us to be there. Similarly, Miller take hold of this picture to emphasize the essentiality of faith that without even seeing it, we know that the love of God is there for us. The timing that the penguins epitomize truly connotes a strong feeling of union that is so unique in our being rational. Being a Christian entails a lot of faith to be able to have a strong grip on what we believed in. Indeed, it signify us the right usage of our intellect and free will as we chooses to have a relationship with our God. â€Å"I don’t think you can explain how Christian faith works. It is a mystery and I love this about Christian spirituality. It cannot be explained and yet it is beautiful and true. It is something you feel and it comes from the soul† ( Miller, 2003), on a brilliant concept, the secret ingredient of a happy life is no other than the healthy bond with God hand in hand with the faith that we have in our lives. In relation to the love that has been showed to us by the instances in the lives of the penguins, we can perceive how essential it is to feel the love and give it back as well. As we all knew, love is a huge topic but at the same time the most interesting subject matter of all time. It is the one wherein we could all take part into. Furthermore, it is the area where varieties of people of all ages can adapt which makes it more interesting for that matter. The reflection of Christ love for the church can emulate in the event of marriage where two souls binds together to be one. The acceptance of differences as well as giving back the love that they received towards the other are the things that makes a real and unconditional relationship. The vocation of marriage enlightens us and ultimately gives joy to our everyday lives. Giving ourselves completely to others has a very deep meaning because it entails acceptance of other person in our life and submission of our inner self. In the circumstance that Miller shares to its readers when he had a conversation with Paul, his friend who is very happy in his married life, he got the realization how incredible it is to be in love and to be loved. Given that some of his friends give him a feedback of a wrong approach of dealing with women, upon talking to Paul he realized that marriage encompass to love your self as well. In order to protect your relationship it is essential to have a factor that will compromise the both parties. In the case of Paul and his wife, they find time to have their own privacy, in that way they’d be able to respect each other which also gives mystery to the relationship that they have, â€Å" I’m saying there are stuff I can’t tell her not because I don’t want to but because there aren’t words. It’s like we are separate people and there is no getting inside each other to read each other’s thoughts, each other’s beings† ( Miller, 2003). In accordance with this, marriage is not all about the two people that has been bind together, it is also about who is the center of their relationship which truly binds them together, â€Å"I am glad I married Danielle and I will be with her forever but there are places in our lives that only God can go† ( Miller, 2003). It is imperative to have God as the center of our relationship. He brings out the best in us when He guides us. As we consistently ask for His love and guidance, the relationship that we have will ultimately be filled with joys and abundance of love, â€Å"I mean that to be in a relationship with God is to be loved purely and furiously† ( Miller, 2003). The best exemplification of what we have learned from the undying love of God to its people was our strength to do the same with our loved one and to other people that surrounds us. As we go back to the essentiality of grace, the application of such is a contributing element in making a successful family life surrounded by blessings and guidance of our almighty. Does the connection we have with God extend a deep relationship with the people that surround us? This is an uncertainty that some of us having a hard time finding the real answer because we are in one way or the other uncertain to what we really wanted to build as relationship with the people we rarely know. Parallel to this, at some in our lives we find it hard to accept a person beyond our wavelength. We set criteria of who we are apt to build rapport to the point that sometimes neglect the importance of a person basing on his or her individuality and not in his/her spirituality. How the community that you belong really changes your outlook in life and your relationship with God? At some point in our lives, we got used to living in our own way far from other people. We live and spend our time alone that we miss the part of our lives that we get along with other people in our community, â€Å"I didn’t know what to think about living in community at first. I had lived on my own for about six years and the idea of moving in with a bunch of slobs didn’t appeal to me† ( Miller, 2003). In lieu of which the exchange of ideas that we get from other people is also essential in our existence in this realm and we could only get this by means of interacting with other people. Like that of what the author showed to us, the interaction with other people was lacking in a sense that became self centered. Some of the people that surround us might misinterpret that gestures that we convey simply because we are not used to living with other people. The lessons of life can simply be available if we look at life in a different manner – and that is to intermingle with the people in our community. On top of this, it is good to apprehend that God enlightens our perspectives in life. He usually guides us in whatever decision we come up to and in this case, God makes him realize the importance to dealing with other people and appreciate their existence, â€Å"God brought me to Graceland to rid me of this deception, to scrub it out of the gray matter of my mind† ( Miller, 2003). The capabilities that the community has could contribute to the knowledge that we have and in this manner, we can help each other grow in our own little way. Family is one of the focal points of our lives. This is where we get the strength and inspiration that we need to continue with our life. We can never deny the fact that this aspect of our life has a huge impact in our personality as well as with the attitude that we project to the people that surrounds us. It is absolutely the time of our life that we think of other people more than our selves because we prioritize our family more than anything else, â€Å"If you don’t love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure and it makes it easy to serve† (Miller, 2003). This instance does not necessarily mean that you wouldn’t love and serve God because you don’t love Him; you don’t love Him because you did not see Him. Ultimately, this is not the case when we talk about our faith and love for God. Our strong belief in the love of God for us and for humanity was undeniably great. We adhere to His principles and we follow His teachings which make us a better person. God’s love for this human race was irrevocably unconditional that he continuously accepts us despite our shortcomings in life. Enormously, God did a magical thing in our lives as he consistently touches our souls and guides our ways. As we scrutinize the importance of the author’s portrayal of what magic truly is, we might get fascinated with the allure of the thought of magic alone. It is true that when we were younger, our attention was easily derailed with the magical world but in fact everything is just a trick. In fact, there is a loop hole in every magic that has been showed to us it’s just that we are too young to recognize it. As a kid, we just focus on the elements that will satisfy our fascination neglecting the truth that magic is just a form of entertainment. â€Å"I got frustrated because everything that was magic was only a trick, meaning it wasn’t really magic, it was an illusion† (Miller, 2003), same with our lives, the figment of our imagination lies on what our naked eyes can reach but we miss the part that the reality of life is always at hand. God provides us with wonderful environment where we could exhaust all our efforts to achieve what is really beautiful beyond the temporary magic that we acquire for a moment. â€Å"Everybody wants to be fancy and new. Nobody wants to be themselves but they want to be different† (Miller, 2003), it is extremely important to pause for a while and contemplate on what we really needed in our lives. We project a gesture that we are different but what is more important is to have a closer look of what magical feeling God is providing us. Indeed, where we lived at a moment is the result of the brilliant love of God for us. What we are in this universe is the output of God’s goodness to this humanity. There are instances in our lives that at some point we have to be rigid with our faith and by doing so, one has to be profoundly knowledgeable on what really comprises his persona and what he truly believes. Having a strong faith is undeniably one of the greatest discoveries in our lives. The very essence of our trust in God is to know the principles of His words, in lieu of which we are apt to follow His commands that are very important in the foundation of our dogmatic belief in God. It is ultimately important for the people to know God and His wonderful deeds. It is beyond doubt that behind God’s creation lays an astonishing message of building ourselves completely. God is all knowing that He provides all the things that we need in continuing the path of our lives. We obey God, we follow His will and we become a better person is what truly matters in this masterpiece. In view of the great knowledge that has been embarked on us making available the work of art of Donald Miller, it gives us the enlightenment that we seek as we go along with the pages of this book. The manner in which the author presents his perception was incontestably comprehensible. It gives his reader the time to contemplate and grasp what he really wanted to go halves. Giving examples as well in the context of his elaboration of his insights truly adds to the substance of his subject matter. It really doles out the purpose of the author to stretch the faith of his readers. The values that we got from Blue like Jazz truly define the voice of God. Beneath the pages of this work of art lies the realization that life is full of magical thought, it is just in our hands to explore these things to make it visible. Our capacity to look at things in a different way is beneficial as we continue to battle with the challenges of life, like that of the book, its mysterious titles expounds what it really wanted to convey in its readers and this is what God wanted to happen, we define our selves in a manner that is reachable and at the same time life worth turning the pages.

In The Sri Lankan Freight Forwarding Industry Marketing Essay

In The Sri Lankan Freight Forwarding Industry Marketing Essay After the three decades of the war ended the political situation in the country is stable and the current government enjoys 2/3 of majority of the parliament and president remains the most popular person of the country. But the political turmoil surrounding the Middle East and Iran affecting the local export market since most of the tea products were export to the Middle East market. Also the economic sanctions impose by United States and European Union on Iran affecting the local export market. 2.2 Economical Environment The fluctuating exchange rates are affecting the local produces since most of them imports the raw material from china and India and produce their main products .also the world economic downturn affecting the local economy. On the plus side opening of the new port and expansion of the Colombo port will bring more vessels to the Colombo port. This will definitely increase container volumes to the country. 2.3 Legal Environment The government has introduced a system to regulate the shipping and freight forwarding industry in the country. All shipping and freight forwarding agents must register with Merchant Shipping department. Where they will categorise to two separate groups and issue licences. This is renewable yearly. 2.4 Technological Environment The Sri Lanka customs department has introduced the new EDI (electronic data interchange) system to update shipping manifest through the entering in to customs department website , which will benefit the industry where cost and time of the forwarders will be saved .previously the manifest were submitted by manually and separate person should allocate to do the job. Also this will help the accuracy and duplication of work. 3 ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRY THOUGH PORTERS FIVE FORCES The Threat of entry In the Sri Lankan freight forwarding industry the threats of new entry is rather high because there are no legal requirements other than registration as a company with register of companies. Any one or any party can enter in to the industry with only requirements are recognition in the industry, business contact and Agent network with minimum capital can enter in to the industry . When new entry enters in to the market it is a burden for the existing freight forwarders in the market. Since the industry is already overcrowded with so many players with in the industry completing for slow growing export market and everyone have e to share the existing customer base with new entries to the industry. The entry barriers to the market can be arisen due to new entry to the industry unable to get economies of scale at once since they do not have the volume advantage at the start of the business. Another barrier is the new regulation by the government which comes under the Merchant Shipping Department. The forwarders must have the licence to carry out the business with in the local Market. The Treats Of Substitutes The substitutes service can be provided by the carriers and air lines by way of value additions or part of the supply chain to the customers. Ware these carriers can provide additional services like warehousing, transportation, inventory control etc. The Maersk the world leading carrier has started their own arm to provide the additional value added services to the customers by in the name of DAMCO international .this will surely make the adverse effect on the current forwarding market in the country. The Bargaining Power Of The Buyers In the Sri Lankan freight forwarding market the bargaining power of the buyers are very high. when comes to the export market in year 2011 countrys export containers were around 260047 and for a month it is around 21680 .other than forwarders the main carriers are also competing to get the business direct from the customers. The freight forwarder has to convince the buyers and must offer more value for the money. When relating to the concerned company the 10 major customers bring about 26.38% of the total income of the company so there buyer power high and the profit margins from these customers are thin. The Bargaining Power Of Suppliers The suppliers for the freight forwarders either shipping lines, airlines, ware house provider or Logistics Companys provide services to the freight forwarders.in Sri Lanka the shipping lines and air lines are dominating the market .if other than the freight forwarder has large volumes they can bargain with the shipping lines and air lines other than that the bargain power of the suppliers are very high. When come to the concerned company same theory is applied to some destinations not for the all destinations. Competitive Rivalry Among Exciting Firms As per the merchant shipping department there are 296 freight forwarding companies in the local freight forwarding market. But there is other freight forwarders operating in the market without licences also. There is high competition among the forwarders since the export market is only expand around 6% in year 2011and import market did expand by 17% when compared to 2010 as mentioned by the Sri Lanka Freight Forwarders Association (SLFFA).in the industry there are lot of equal size competitors in the market and this will result intense competition with in the market .and there are few major size competitors competing in different sectors of the market .most of these competitors complete in the appeal and tea sector since those are the most exported commodities in the country. When analysing the five force frame work in the freight forwarding industry in Sri Lanka there is little information about the individual performance of the rival organisation. And there is no ranking system to identify who the best company is providing the forwarding services in the industry. Even though there is association in the industry it has only 84 members and where government has issued over 296 licences to practice as freight forwarders. And there is lack of understanding among competitors with in the industry about the growth and there is no growth forecast with in the industry. When analysing the above finding there are lot of competition in the market for sea freight export since the sea freight export growth rate is about 6% but the sea freight import growth rate is high about 17% .most of the freight forwarders concern about the full container cargo (FCL Containers) in market and less about the loose cargo load (LCL) and multi country consolidation (MCC). 4. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS To achieve the competitive advantage organisation must deliver the value to the customers below are the value chain analysis for the CWT Globelink Colombo 4.1 Primary Activities 4.1.1 Inbound Logistics When comes to the export of goods organisation provide transport from shippers place of production to the organisations ware house. Fumigation, obtaining relevant certificates for the export purposes is other parts of the job. In the import sea freight communication with relevant shippers in the various destinations, picking up the relevant good, storing in the ware houses in the relevant destinations till it ships to the Colombo or various other ports. 4.1.2 Operations In sea fright exports the operation is stuffing the relevant cargo inside the container according to the stuffing plan.in this case the Cargo must be stuffed to the container without any damages and relevant cargo must be send to the relevant containers accordingly. And should send to the relevant ships accordingly.in import sea cargo must be DE stuffed accordingly. 4.1.3 Outbound Logistics When is come to the import shipments after receiving the goods to the Colombo port the organisation must issue the relevant documents to the relevant consignees to clear the goods from the relevant ware houses operated by the Sri Lanka ports authority. Also must help the consignees to track down the cargo from the ware houses. 4.1.4 Marketing and Sales Promoting sea freight business with relevant rate to the direct and cooperate customers, overseas agents and shippers with value added services are the part of the sales and marketing 4.1.5 Services Tracking the customers cargo till its deliver to relevant parties, issuing Delivery orders, Bill of ladings, surveying for the damage cargo and issuing relevant letters to obtain the insurance claims and sending arrival notices some of the additional services provided by the company. 4.2 support activities 4.2.1 Technology Development The firm provide tracking system to all their customers to track their cargo through new innovative system .using this system customers can see where their cargo are currently lying on or which vessel the shipments are on and time this shipments will be delivered to the destinations. 4.2.2 Firm Infrastructure and Human Resources Management The firm has a good reputation among the customers. The organisation poses a good customer centric culture. The MIS support the innovation and responsiveness to the customer needs. 5. THE SOURCE OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH ONION MODEL THE GOOD ONION MODEL 5.1.2 The Agent Network The organisation poses a worldwide agent network .the organisations has 40 associate offices in 13 countries and cargo ships to over 120 countries reaching more than 1200 destinations worldwide which unmatched by the local competitors . 5.1.2 Superior Rate Structure The organisation offers the most competitive rate in the LCL cargo sector in the market and most of the other freight forwarders in the market co-load their shipments with company since they do not have the capabilities match the rate offered by the firm. 5.1.3 Leading Multi Country Consolidator The organisation is the innovator of the large scale of operations of the multi country consolidation among the competitors. Firm is the leading MCC to Indian sub-continent. 5.1.4 Innovative Cargo Tracking System The customers can track their cargo through the system only the have to do is enter the bill of leading numbers to the system and will able to get the full details about their cargo 5.1.5 Customer Centric Culture The organisation is fully focused on customers needs and requirements. Organisation have separate department focusing the customer care and even has customer complaint line which is first for the Sri Lankan freight forwarding industry. 5.1.6 Cost Leadership in LCL market The organisation provide special services for the like packing transport fumigation entry passing as a whole package which includes the freight charges. The organisation always provides the more service for the money charge for the customer. THE BAD ONION MODEL 5.2.1 Parochial Top Management Mind Set Even though the organisation very centric towards the customers and customer need they are not much focused on the developing business to the next level or stepping up for the next level. They poses very narrow set of business vision for the company and does not want step outside the comfort zone their currently in and change the current business dynamics. 5.2.2 Employee Engagement The organisation lacks the motivation to achieve its goals .where employer wants employees to do their best work and drive the organisation towards its goals.to do that employer must engage with the employees and find the ways to get more from the employees other than the primary work set they have been assigned to do . 7. THE SWOT ANALYSIS 7.1 Strengths of the Organisation 7.1.1 Agent Network As mentioned earlier organisation has good agency network around the world. Using this network firm can import and export any cargo according to the customer requirements. 7.1.2 Rate Structure Since the firm operates most parts of the world with various agents organisation can offer the cheapest LCL rate in the market. Most of the agents the firm work are the market leaders in those destinations and the have the lowest tariff with in that particular destination .with the collaboration with them organisation can offer the best rate in the market. 7.1.3 Transhipment Cargo Volume The Colombo port is a strategic transhipment point in the world.so most of the cargo to Europe from Indian sub-continent tranships through the Colombo port and most of the European Cargo to Indian sub-continent tranship through Colombo port. most of the agents send their transhipment cargo to consolidate in Colombo send to the various destinations previously mentioned. 7.2 weaknesses Of the Organisation 7.2.1 Working Capital Inadequacy The firm always works with the thin profit margins with credit to the customers sometimes with low volumes will create a loss situation where it will affect the working capital requirements of the company. The other scenarios is there more imports to firm than exports and the firm has to pay to the agents and should provide credit to the customers this will also create working capital inadequacy. 7.2.2 Human Resource Management The firm not very keen in developing good human resources management process .this will lead to the less employee engagement and will hinder the achievement of organisations goals through performance. 7.3 External Opportunities 7.3.1 Development of Colombo and Hambantota Port The development of Colombo port efficiency and increase of the handling of the containers will affect the industry also opening of the new port in Hambantota will increase the vessel calling specially the car carriers are promoted in the new port. Expansion of the Colombo port to will attract more vessel to the port and will benefit the local industry by more volumes and less cost 7.3.2 Stable political Environment The ending three decades of the war and stable political environment will attract more investors to the country. The more investment comes and starts new business will create more imports and exports from the country. 7.4 External Threats 7.4.1 Weak Economic Development of United States and European Union The European Union and United States economic crisis were affected to the local garment and tea and other sectors badly and this crisis has been effected to the freight forwarding industry also the export market were grown only by 6% in last year. 7.4.2 Turmoil in Middle East and Sanctions to Iran One of the best export market for the country is middle East and Iran .the current turmoil in Syria, Egypt ,Libya has halted the export to those countries also the sanction by the US and EU to Iran also effected the industry . VISION To Be A World-Class Corporation With Global Logistics Capabilities MISSION To Excel As A Leading Logistics Solutions Provider Delivering Best Value To Customers (http://cwt.listedcompany.com/misc/ar2011/ar2011.pdf) 8. THE VISSION, MISSIONS, CORE VALUES OF THE COMPMANY The Colombo office uses the same vision statement as head office in Singapore. This is for a border group with different SBUs and freight forwarding is a one SBU among other business units. Colombo office should have a different vision for its objectives. Modified vision statement for the firm would be TO BE A ONE OF LEADING FREIGHT FORWERDING COMPANY IN SRI LANKA WITH GLOBAL FREIGHT FORWERDING CAPABILITIES. The mission statement by the head office will be the mission to the company since to become the leading freight forwarding company in Sri Lanka the firm must move to the other sectors of the logistics to provide best value to the customer. 8.1 Core Values 8.1.1 Service Reliability Provide the best service to customers and to improve the service levels and consistently upgrade the service levels 8.1.2 Competitiveness To provide competitive freight rates in the market and pass any reductions possible to valued customers so they can keep their cost down to the minimum levels. 8.1.3 Customer Focus To understand the customers requirements and utilise the knowledge of the organisation to deliver quality, committed service to the customer 8.1.4 Teamwork As an reputed organisation it is value the strength of an individuals and combined together to deliver the objective of the firm 8.1.5 Quality The firm to ensure customers receive a standard of service which provides quality and assurance that can be deliver time and time again. 9. GROWTH TARGETS As per the attached Annexure Below the firms average import turnover increase about 28% and export turnover were increase by 41% .but the firms import volume was only increased by 9% and export volume was down by 34% .the export volume decrease is mainly due to the low volume exported during year 2010 recession period .even though year 2011 and 2012 shows an increase of 42% and 22% respectively. These are the growth targets set for the next 3 years 2013 2014 2015 Export tus 3300 3630 3993 Import tus 4,696 5,165 5,682 2013 2014 2015 Export turnover 477,276,792.67 525,004,471.93 577,504,919.13 Import turnover 41,796,722.88 46,394,362.40 51,497,742.26 Export profit 37,495,029.33 41,244,532.27 43,306,758.88 Import profit 30,887,954.40 30,887,954.40 30,887,954.40 After analysing the market trends for the year 2008/2009/2010/2011/2012the growth target was set. The average turnover and profit were nearly about 11% for the export and imports therefore the target was set as 10% increase for income and profit for two sectors. For the volume the fluctuations are very high and it was very difficult to set an accurate target therefore the 10% was taken to the volume target also STRATEGY OPTION TO ACHIVE THE GROWTH 1. The Ansoff Approach 1.1 Market Penetration Increasing the sales volume through new marketing recruitments, encouraging the customers to purchase more services, attracting the customers with price and differentiation and gaining the market through expense of the competitors will help the organisation to penetrate more in to the market 1.2 Market Development Firm can enter in to the new market segments like supply chain management to the garment industry and telecommunication industry. Also can enter in to the market such as Maldives and Afgenistan where there are less competition and high profit margins. 1.3 Product Development Firm can combine their import and export business together and provide services such as imports goods from one country and export the same goods to an another country .bundling the products together and offering as a one product (freight, transport, packing ,entry passing together as one product ) 1.4 Diversification Firm can move in to a commodity markets where they can buy and sell commodities 2. The Porters Approach 2.1 Cost Leadership Currently the firm provides the lowest cost in the market. Where firm cut the costs to the minimum and pass the savings to the customer with lower price .this help to attract more volumes to the organisation. 2.2 Differentiation The firm can differentiate their product and services more attractive than the competitor .this can be create through customer service, image of the organisation, faster services to the one destination to another. STRATEGY FOR THE GROWTH The firm to use hybrid strategy for the growth .the organisation need to penetrate in to the market using differentiation and cost leadership and must move in to the new products to grow in the market . Currently firm offers the best rate in the market. Offering the best rate will help organisation to gain the cost leadership in the market. Gaining the cost leadership will help secure more volumes from the customers and attract the customers from the competitors. With the cost firm can encourage the customers purchase more products and services and these will help the firm to penetrate in to the market with same products catalogue. Currently firm only offers few services such as freight, transport, packing and entry passing. This will limit the growth opportunities. Firm can enter into a new market segment using supply chain management. This will help the firm to tap in to the appeal industry which is one of the largest import and export market in the country. The growth target was set for the next ten years is 10% for the profit and volume. Through new product development firm can attract more customers and volumes to achieve the set target. Combining few product and services as new product and offering to the customers services like imports from one destination to other destination without importing the goods to Colombo will be a new product development to the firm REFERANCE LIST www.slffa.com http://www.dgshipping.gov.lk